Fires in northeastern Oklahoma can be devastating and deadly. They require more than manpower to successfully fight them and to protect lives and property.
The required fire-fighting equipment is costly, so we developed a program to help rural fire departments in our service territory purchase that equipment.
The Rural Fire Department Grant Program provides financial assistance to area fire departments annually. The grants help the departments purchase equipment such as fire trucks, hoses, and firefighter gear, along with helping them afford personnel training, and even help with the costs of building or acquiring fire stations.
Each year, area fire departments submit applications, which are then reviewed and grants awarded. The grants vary in amounts.
Not only do the fire departments, most of which are comprised of volunteer firefighters, get to purchase needed equipment, but you as a VVEC member, benefit by the fire departments’ Insurance Service Organization (ISO) rating improving. Improved ISO ratings mean lower home insurance rates for you.
Volunteer fire departments usually try to operate with used, and/or out-of-date equipment. But by helping them through our Rural Fire Department Grant Program, we feel we are helping them protect you and your family, and we are also helping the departments reduce their ISO ratings, thus reducing your insurance.
Click the following button to view and print the grant application:
Applications deadline will be 4pm, Monday, March 29th, 2021.
Contact program coordinator Misti Frazier at (918) 371-2584, ext. 6226 or mfrazier@vvec.com, for more information.