Lt. Randy Schneider of the Calcutta Volunteer Fire Department shows the slip-in unit the department is planning to replace with a $10,000 Volunteer Fire Assistance Grant from the ODNR (Ohio Department of Natural Resources) Division of Forestry. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)

From left, Bob Swickard, St. Clair Trustee; Aaron Klass, Fire Program administrator, ODNR Division of Forestry; Daniel Balser, Chief of Forestry, ODNR Division of Forestry; Lt. Randy Schneider, firefighter, Calcutta Fire Volunteer Fire Department; Fire Chief Dave McCoy, Calcutta Volunteer Fire Department; Ryan Zeisler, fire forester, ODNR Division of Forestry; Jordan Williams, St. Clair Trustee and State Rep. Monica Robb-Blasdell (R) District 79. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)

Calcutta Fire Chief Dave McCoy and Lt. Randy Schneider accepted the check from Aaron Klass, fire program administer, and Chief of Forestry Daniel Balsen, both of ODNR Division of Forestry, during the St. Clair Township Trustees meeting held on April 24.

Balser explained that the mission at the Division of Forestry is to maintain and sustainably manage Ohio’s forest resources. When it comes to protecting Ohio’s trees and forest from wildfires, the Division of Forestry relies heavily on local fire departments like Calcutta VFD to do wildfire prevention and protection for the state’s 13 million acres of forest.

“This is really an honor for us to come here and announce this award, a grant for this local fire department,” Balser said. “This is a success story here. They (Calcutta VFD) are the recipient of a $10,000 grant, which is the maximum size of our grants, to do some important things in your community and continue protecting your community and in a greater way, protecting Ohio’s forests.”

Basler went on to thank the department and expressed his appreciation to them for the services they provide every day.

Klass explained that the Fire Assistance Grant Program through the ODNR Division of Forestry receives funding every year from the U.S. Forest Service and they take those federal dollars and pass them on to support the local fire departments across Ohio that serve rural areas.

The division awarded 77 grants totaling about $490,000 to the rural fire departments in Ohio.

“I commend Calcutta (Volunteer) Fire Department for doing a really great job being responsible with the taxpayers’ dollars by seeking out grants like this, allowing us to cost share and build that relationship,” Klass said. “The better the work that comes out from the local fire departments like these guys… has a direct impact on the amount of federal funds that flow into Ohio, that we can push out to local departments.”

Klass noted that this is the second year in a row that Calcutta VFD has received the maximum allowed grant. They used last year’s grant to purchase a side-by-side unit which has been used several times. The department has received multiple mutual aid requests for the unit which is used for wild land fires and search in rescue in the woods.

This year the grant is being used to install four dry hydrants and purchase a new slip in unit for one of the trucks –providing better equipment and safer, more efficient responses times, “These guys are working hard. They are doing a great job and we appreciate it,” Klass said.

The dry hydrants will go into ponds or lakes and supply water to neighborhoods that don’t have wet fire hydrants from a local water system. The dry hydrants will help the residents by decreasing the insurance ratings in those areas.

The majority of the grant will go toward purchasing the slip-in unit for the brush unit (Squad 34). The current unit is over 30 years old with different parts pieced together. It has a 100-gallon tank and a line that is pulled off by hand.

The new unit will have a 200-gallon tank with a hose reel for rapid deployment of the line — allowing firefighters to attack a fire quicker and with more water.

“It will save so much time, especially in wildfires, the wind can shift in the blink of an eye and push that fire through the whole woods,” Schneider said. “So time is of the essence when it comes to those.”

The grants are a 50/50 split, meaning ODNR Division of Forestry covers half of the purchase the Calcutta VFD pays the other half.

“Our fire district here in Calcutta covers one of the largest areas of fire protection woods from Beaver Creek State Park, camp sites and lots of private woods such as Beaver Kettle farms, so we have one of the largest areas of wooded areas in the county,” Schneider said.

He said it has been wonderful to work with ODNR and its assistance in offsetting costs which helps the community’s taxpayers.

“When we can get a grant big enough to get equipment and the equipment helps lower insurance later when we do another iso rating, it’s a win/win for the community,” Schneider said. “We are saving them money on their tax money, and they are going to be saving money on insurance in the future. It’s very important for us to look after the taxpayers’ dime and we are trying to do the very best that we can with what we have for them.”

kgarabrandt@mojonews.com