Highfill Fire Department gets wildfire suppression kit

LITTLE ROCK — The Rural Fire Program, managed by the Arkansas Agriculture Department’s Forestry Commission received $200,000 from the United States Forest Service to purchase and distribute 67 Wildfire Suppression Kits to statewide volunteer fire departments in 2018. The Highfill Volunteer Fire Department was a recipient of one of the kits.

Kits include equipment and gear necessary for the safe suppression of wildfires and will be delivered to selected volunteer fire departments through October.

Volunteer fire departments are the primary partner to AFC crews in wildfire response and suppression but often need the specialized equipment and gear necessary for safe wildfire suppression. Since 2014, more than 230 volunteer fire departments have received Wildfire Suppression Kits through the Rural Fire Program. Kits distributed this year include lightweight wildfire-resistant personal protective equipment, hand rakes, back-pack water pumps and leaf blowers.

Volunteer fire departments interested in participating in the Wildfire Suppression Kit program submit applications that are scored according to specific criteria including fire district population, the size of the response area, wildfire equipment response needs and other factors.

The application period for the 2019 Wildfire Protection Kit program starts in September. Contact Kathryn Mahan-Hooten at Kathryn.Mahan@agriculture. arkansas.gov and 501-679-3183 with questions or to be added to the Rural Fire Program email distribution list.