Department of Conservation and Natural Resources acting Secretary John Quigley announced a record $604,710 has been awarded to help Pennsylvania's rural communities guard against fires in forests and other undeveloped areas.

A list of grants awarded is available online.

"A total of 162 volunteer fire companies serving rural areas and communities where forest fires are common will receive funds to help them battle fire more effectively and safely," Acting Secretary Quigley said. "The value of these well-equipped and highly trained men and women was demonstrated all too well this past spring when dry, windy conditions spawned several large forest fires and smaller brush fires in every county."

Local firefighting forces in rural areas or communities with fewer than 10,000 residents qualify for the aid. Last year the grant program awarded more than $560,000 to 180 fire companies across the state.

"These funds allow firefighters to concentrate more on public safety and training rather than having to concern themselves with fundraising and fiscal constraints," said Acting Secretary Quigley. "Their readiness was demonstrated earlier this month when a volunteer crew was dispatched to battle raging wildfires in Utah and then California."

Grant recipients were named after reviewing fire company applications that met a May 2009 deadline. Grants and other assistance are provided through DCNR's Bureau of Forestry, with funding supplied by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service through the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978.

The key objective is to better equip and train volunteers to save lives and protect property in unprotected or inadequately protected rural areas. Grant recipients were selected based on vulnerability and adequacy of existing fire protection.

In reviewing applications, the bureau prioritized applications seeking funds for purchasing wildfire-suppression equipment and protective clothing. Grants were also awarded for mobile or portable radios, equipment to access water supplies, wildfire prevention and mitigation, training, and for conversion and maintenance work on federal surplus vehicles the bureau received and redeployed for fire suppression.

Grants for any project during a fiscal year cannot exceed 50 percent of the actual expenditures. The maximum grant awarded was $7,500.

Aid is granted on a cost-share basis, with recipients supplying matching funds. The bureau will begin accepting 2010 applications next spring.

Grant information can be obtained from the Bureau of Forestry Division of Forest Fire Protection in Harrisburg. Contact Forest Program Specialist Charles C. Choplick at 717-787-2925 or visit the Forest Fire Protection webpage.