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Volunteers at Fawn Fire Company No. 2 will be better equipped to fight wildfires thanks to new gear and equipment.

Phillip Smozski, fire lieutenant, said the department plans to outfit its utility terrain vehicle with $1,600 in firefighting equipment that includes fire rakes and Indian packs, or portable pump tanks.

“We are very excited about this because it will wrap up a project that we’ve been working on for several years,” Smozski said.

The $1,600 will come from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources through a round of grants announced last week.

The Buffalo Township Fire Department also received $10,000. Officials there did not respond to calls for comment.

Gov. Tom Wolf awarded more than $762,000 to help rural communities increase wildfire preparedness.

Money was doled out to qualifying departments in rural areas with fewer than 10,000 people. Grants can be used for training and equipment directly related to fighting brush and forest fires.

“Ensuring we have well-equipped and highly trained wildfire fighters is key in protecting our forests and wilds from wildfires, whether they are human-caused and naturally occurring,” DCNR Deputy Secretary John Norbeck said in a news release.

Norbeck and Acting State Fire Commissioner Charles McGarvey thanked volunteer fire companies for their service. The pair said the wildfire grants help enable smaller companies to concentrate more on public safety and training while easing fiscal constraints.

“It goes without saying that rain has been scarce this year for many parts of the state, as well as wider regions throughout the country,” McGarvey said. “It’s easy to forget that the men and women that respond to these incidents are our neighbors, family members and friends, and they come to the fire service with a variety of skill levels and backgrounds. Grant programs like these are essential financial pipelines that back their professional development and provide needed equipment and supplies so that firefighters can safely and successfully complete their missions.”

Smozski said his department has made significant upgrades to its equipment in recent years. Purchases include a utility terrain vehicle, fire skid and cargo trailer.

“We’ll use this money to buy all sorts of apparatus and gear for the trailer,” he said.

“When we show up at wildland fires, a lot of times the gear is lacking. With this, we can equip mutual aid companies with the proper gear.”

Smozski called the state grant process very selective and said he was proud the department was chosen.

“Recipients are handpicked,” he said.

Fawn was one of only four departments in Allegheny County selected for the money.

Tawnya Panizzi is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tawnya by email at tpanizzi@triblive.com or via Twitter .

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