Henryetta's fire department is one of 40 area departments receiving $171,598 in grant money.
Sen. Roger Thompson said the grants from the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry are provided to rural fire departments annually. They are authorized by the Oklahoma Legislature and are administered by the Forestry Division’s Community Fire Preparedness Program.
fire truck“Each of the rural fire departments selected in Senate District 8 will receive a grant of more than $4,000 which can be used for operational expenditures, like equipment and equipment maintenance, insurance premiums and personal protective equipment,” said Thompson, R-Okemah.  “These grants are critical because they enable our departments to purchase equipment and address other costs essential to their firefighting operations on a daily basis.”
He went on to say, “Our rural fire departments are vital to the communities they serve.  Keep in mind these men and women are largely volunteers.  Not only do they protect life and property from fires, they also are first-responders in other dangerous situations, like flooding, tornadoes and other natural disasters,” Thompson said.  “We’re grateful for their service, and I am very pleased these departments will be receiving the grants to help fund their operations.”
The rural fire department operational grants are available for those departments serving communities with populations of less than 10,000 and partially or fully depend on volunteer firefighters.  Those departments receiving grants in Senate District 8 include: Checotah Fire Department, Fountainhead Area Improvement Council, Inc., Lotawatah Fire Department, Inc., Onapa Fire Department, Inc., Rentiesville area rural Fire District Inc., Shady Grove Central High Fire Department, Inc., Warner Fire Department, Webbers Falls Fire Department, Porum Landing Fire Protection Association, Texanna Area Fire Protection Association, Eufaula Fire Department, Porum Fire Department, Vivian Area Fire Association, No. 9 Area Volunteer Fire Department, Henryetta Fire Department, Salem-Ryall Fire District, Inc., Tiger Mountain Rural Fire Department Incorporated, Boynton Fire Department, Dewar Fire Department, Morris Fire Department, Schulter Fire Department, Inc., Twin Hills Volunteer Fire Department, Paradise Point Fire Department, Council Hill Fire Department, Hanna Fire Department
Hitchita Fire Department, Carlton Landing Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., Okemah Fire Department, Haydonville Rural Fire Department Association, Sunrise Fire Department, Inc., The IXL Sportsman Club Fire Department, Bearden Fire Department, Boley Fire Department, Paden Fire Department, Beggs Vol. Fire Department, Nuyaka Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.
Preston Fire Department, Wilson Community Fire Department, Liberty Area Fire Protection Association and Mounds Fire Department.