Wildfire Suppression Kits Distributed to Volunteer Fire Departments through Rural Fire Program

LITTLE ROCK, AR – The Rural Fire Program, managed by the Arkansas Agriculture Department’s Forestry Commission (AFC), received $237,000 from the United States Forest Service to purchase and distribute 79 Wildfire Suppression Kits to statewide volunteer fire departments in 2019. Kits feature equipment and gear necessary for the safe suppression of wildfires and will be delivered to selected volunteer fire departments through May.

Volunteer fire departments are the primary partner to AFC crews in wildfire response and suppression but often need the specialized equipment and gear necessary for safe wildfire suppression. Since 2014, more than 300 volunteer fire departments have received Wildfire Suppression Kits through the Rural Fire Program. Kits distributed this year include lightweight wildfire-resistant personal protective equipment, hand rakes, back-pack water pumps, and leaf blowers.
Volunteer fire departments interested in participating in the Wildfire Suppression Kit program submit applications that are scored according to specific criteria including fire district population, the size of the response area, wildfire equipment response needs, and other factors. The application period for the 2020 Wildfire Protection Kit program starts in September. Contact Kathryn Mahan-Hooten at Kathryn.Mahan@agriculture.arkansas.gov or (501) 679-3183 with questions or to be added to the Rural Fire Program email distribution list.

Fire departments receiving kits in 2019 are listed below by fire department and county:

 Antioch/White
Appleton/Pope
Ash Flat/Fulton&Sharp
Barton-Lexa/Phillips
Bee Branch/Van Buren
Board Camp /Polk
Bradley/Lafayette
Brinkley/Monroe
Buford/Baxter
Bussey Sharman/Columbia
Butlerville/Lonoke
Butterfield/Crawford

Calico Rock/Izard
Cecil Rural/Franklin
Center Point/Howard
Center Ridge /Conway
Chickalah/Yell
Chidester/Ouachita
Chimes/Van Buren
Collins-Cominto/Drew
Corning/Clay
Cross Roads/Hempstead
Cross Roads/Prairie
Daisy/Pike
Decatur/Benton
Dierks/Howard
Driggs/LoganDumas/Desha
East End/Salne
Elaine/Phillis
Elkins/Washigton
Emerson/Colmbia
Enola/Faulker
Fisher/Poinstt
Fountain Lae/Garland
Hackett  /Seastian
Hardy/Shar
Hoxie/Lawrece
Huttig/Unio
Hwy 15 S/Jefferson
Johnsville/Bradley
Joy/White
Lacey-Ladell/Drew
Lamar/Johnson
Luxora/Mississippi
Lynn/Lawrence
Mammoth Spring/Fulton
Mandeville/Miller
Marvell Rural/Phillips
Maysville/Benton
McRae/White
Mulberry/Crawford
Murfreesboro/Pike
New Blaine/Logan
Norman/Montgomery
Norphlet/Union
Northside/Prairie
Oak Grove Heights/Greene
Oak Prairie/Prairie
Ouachita/Hot Spring
Oxford/Izard
Pansy/Cleveland
Paron/Saline
Ravenden/Lawrence
Rover/Yell
Selma/Drew
South Phillips/Phillips
Southeast White/White
Southwest/Hot Spring
Sparkman/Dallas
Swifton/Jackson
Turtle Creek/Saline
Valley/Drew
Watalula/Franklin
Watson/Desha
Williford/Sharp
Woodlawn/Cleveland
Y Community-212/Cleveland
Y City/Scott