DESHLER — The Deshler-Westhope Fire Department of Henry County will receive a 1995 Ford crew cab truck
through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry.
The division will provide the equipment, which has an original value of $24,832, at no charge to the fire
department through the U.S. Department of Defense Fire Fighter Property (FFP) Program.
“The FFP program helps local fire officials obtain important fire-fighting equipment that their limited
budgets might not otherwise permit,” said David Lytle, chief of the ODNR Division of Forestry. “The
budget for a typical Ohio rural volunteer fire department is $35,000 per year, with some fire
departments operating on $10,000 or less.”
Items obtained through the federal program are provided to local fire departments under an agreement
requiring equipment to be placed into service within six months. Once the Division of Forestry certifies
the equipment has been placed into active service, the local fire department assumes complete ownership
of the equipment.
Equipment available to fire departments through this program include fire engines, tanker trucks, pick-up
trucks, vans, portable generators and pumps, compressors, hoses, nozzles, protective clothing and other
safety equipment.
The Division of Forestry currently has cooperative wildfire suppression agreements with 325 fire
departments located within the division’s fire protection area, which includes eastern and southeastern
Ohio, as well as the Maumee State Forest area of northwestern Ohio. Fire departments interested in the
program should contact Rick Maier at (740) 774-1596, ext. 7 for information.