“Our rural volunteer firefighters perform a vital service to residents throughout Arkansas,” Ross said.  “They confront new and changing life safety challenges every day.  These grants will help the Arkansas City department provide training, personal protective equipment, and firefighting equipment for its volunteers so that they can continue to help keep Desha County safe and come to the aid of neighbors and residents in times of disaster.”   

Under the grant, FEMA has agreed to pay 90 percent of the total project costs submitted by each department in the grant application.  The Arkansas City Volunteer Fire Department will receive $39,295.   

Last year a panel of more than 300 fire service personnel evaluated approximately 19,500 applications from across the United States.  FEMA will distribute $360 million through approximately 5,500 grants for 2002.  Grant recipients are being announced in batches, and future grant recipients will be posted as awards are made.  In an earlier round of award announcements, the Dumas Fire Department was awarded $83,961.