Stephens Celebrates Local Fire Departments Awarded Small County Volunteer Fire Department Grant

COLUMBUS -State Representative Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) is pleased to announce that fire departments across Gallia, Jackson, and Lawrence Counties have been awarded more than $685,000 through the newly created Small County Volunteer Fire Department (SCVFD) Grant Program, established in the state budget championed by House Republicans.

Funding will be used by small, volunteer fire departments to purchase essential equipment, upgrade facilities, and enhance access to firefighting training. The breakdown per department is as follows:

• Centerville Volunteer Fire Department - $35,000
• Chesapeake Union Township Volunteer Fire Department - $50,000
• Coalton Volunteer Fire Department - $41,099
• District 2 Joint Volunteer Fire Department, Gallia County - $50,000
• Fayette Township Fire Department, Lawrence County - $50,000
• Gallipolis Volunteer Fire Department - $21,515
• Harrison Township Volunteer Fire Department, Gallia County - $42,061
• Jackson Fire Department - $49,945
• Liberty Township Fire Department & Rescue Unit, Jackson County - $49,444.72
• Madison-Jefferson Joint Fire District, Jackson County - $50,000
• Proctorville Community Volunteer Fire Department - $47,135
• Rio Grande Fire - $50,000
• Scioto Township Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department, Jackson County - $4,294.84
• Springfield Township Fire Department, Gallia County - $50,000
• Vinton Volunteer Fire Department - $45,381.78
• Windsor Volunteer Fire Department, Lawrence County - $49,936.45
  

"Our volunteer fire departments do great work to help our communities," said Representative Stephens. "These investments I was proud to support in House Bill 96 will make a difference and save lives."

Overall, the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of State Fire Marshal awarded a total of $7,997,960 to 190 departments across 49 Ohio counties.

According to the 2023 Governor's Volunteer Fire Service Task Force report, approximately 70% of Ohio's nearly 1,200 fire departments rely on volunteers, but there continues to be a steady decrease in volunteer firefighters. From 2018 to 2021, there was a 6.5% decrease in volunteer firefighters, but a 9% increase in calls from 2018 to 2020.