The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Forestry Division is accepting applications for the Volunteer Fire Assistance Grant for wildfire suppression kits.

The kits will provide Volunteer Fire Departments the specialized equipment needed for safe suppression, including up to ten wildfire-resistant coveralls, up to ten pairs of wildland firefighting gloves, two backpack leaf blowers, two collapsible backpack water pumps, and six leaf rakes.

Rural volunteer fire departments interested in applying should submit an application to their District Forester. Applications are scored according to specific criteria to include the population of the fire district, the number of square miles covered, the average number of wildfires a department responds to annually, and other factors.

Rural Volunteer Fire Departments that serve a population of less than 10,000 and 80% or more of the firefighters are volunteer may apply.