Local Fire Departments Awarded Small County Volunteer Fire Department Grant

COLUMBUS –State Representative Rodney Creech (R-West Alexandria) is pleased to announce that fire departments across Preble County have been awarded nearly $100,000 through the newly created Small County Volunteer Fire Department (SCVFD) Grant Program, established in the state budget championed by House Republicans.

Funding will be used by small, volunteer fire departments to purchase essential equipment, upgrade facilities, and enhance access to firefighting training. The breakdown per department is as follows:

• Gasper Township Fire & EMS - $50,000
• Shawnee Fire District - $48,294
   

“Our volunteer firefighters are the backbone of public safety in rural communities like Preble County,” said Creech. “This funding will help ensure Gasper Township Fire & EMS and the Shawnee Fire District have the equipment, training, and resources they need to continue protecting our families, farms, and businesses. I’m proud to have supported this investment in the brave men and women who serve our communities every day.” 

Overall, the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of State Fire Marshal awarded a total of $7,997,960 to 190 departments across 49 Ohio counties. 

According to the 2023 Governor’s Volunteer Fire Service Task Force report, approximately 70% of Ohio’s nearly 1,200 fire departments rely on volunteers, but there continues to be a steady decrease in volunteer firefighters. From 2018 to 2021, there was a 6.5% decrease in volunteer firefighters, but a 9% increase in calls from 2018 to 2020.