The Arkansas Department of Argiculture’s Forestry Division has announced applications are now being accepted for wildland fire suppression kits through Oct. 23.
Rural volunteer fire departments, who are primary partners to the Forestry Division, are encouraged to apply online, but paper applications are available upon request. These departments are often in need of specialized equipment and gear necessary to help with safe wildfire suppression. Kits include lightweight wildfire-resistant coveralls, wildland gloves, rakes, backpack water pumps and leaf blowers.
Applications are scored according to specific criteria to include the population of the fire district, the number of square miles covered, the average number of wildfires a department responds to annually, and other factors. Selected departments will be notified in November and kits will be delivered in the spring of 2024 or as soon as supplies are received.
The Forestry Division received $293,154 through a United States Forest Service grant to provide 85 kits this year to rural volunteer fire departments across the state. Since 2014, more than 670 wildland fire suppression kits have been distributed.
Applications can be found at cognitoforms.com/ArkansasAgriculture1/Application ForWildlandFireSuppressionKit.
For more information contact Kathryn Mahan-Hooten at kathryn.mahan@agriculture.arkansas.gov or 501-679-3183.
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