Fire grant helps recruit, retain volunteers

They were able to utilize grant funds to send volunteers to a driver/operator course to become trained to specifically operate water tenders freeing up line firefighters to fight fires

CalaverasEnterprise.com

CALAVERAS, Calif. — In the spring of 2013, the Calaveras County Fire Chiefs Association was awarded a four-year Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant from the Department of Homeland Security in the amount of $1,884,400. The money was designated for recruitment, training and retention of volunteer personnel.

There are 10 fire protection districts in Calaveras County participating in the grant: Angels Camp, Altaville/Melones, Calaveras Consolidated, Central Calaveras, Copperopolis, Ebbetts Pass, Mokelumne Hill, Murphys, San Andreas and West Point fire protection districts.

Many of the districts within Calaveras County are either combination or all-volunteer departments. A combination department may have as little as one paid staff member, which places the bulk of the responsibility for the public’s safety squarely on the shoulders of volunteers.

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