Legislation is being proposed in the state House to create a competitive grant program for rural fire departments whose buildings and equipment are inadequate to meet the fire safety needs of their communities.
Many rural fire departments across Washington state are working out of old, outdated stations. Centralia Representative Peter Abbarno says that’s a major safety issue:
“People go to fire stations for protection and safety. And in rural areas, if we are not adequately providing facilities for them to carry out their jobs, then it’s just a danger to all of us.”
With local money tight, Abbarno has prefiled legislation that would essentially throw rural fire districts a state lifeline of up to two-million-dollars to improve rural fire protection services:
“It creates a new grant funding source, a competitive grant, and it will give our rural fire districts an opportunity to really protect us.”
House Bill 1014 will be officially introduced when the Legislature convenes in Olympia January 9th.