Plumas County Search and Rescue benefits from grant
The California Fire Foundation (CFF), with support from the PG&E Corporation Foundation (The Foundation) has awarded $730,000 in wildfire safety grants to 66 local fire departments, fire agencies and community groups through its Wildfire Safety and Preparedness Program (WSPP). The grants will help communities bolster their disaster preparedness and response. Plumas County Search and Rescue is one of the recipients
Among the local awardees serving the North State are 17 fire departments and agencies receiving more than $193,000.
“It will take all of us working together to combat California’s growing wildfire threat,” said Joe Wilson, PG&E North Valley & Sierra Regional Vice President. “We’re grateful for the opportunity to again support the California Fire Foundation, and the ongoing efforts of local fire departments and agencies in the North State to help make us all better prepared and more resilient against disasters like wildfires.”
The grants are one core component of CFF’s broader 2022 Wildfire Safety and Preparedness Program (WSPP). The Foundation and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) support the program with $1.4 million in charitable funding. The program’s objective is to raise awareness about wildfire safety and bring resources to underserved communities in high fire-threat areas.
Butte County
- Northern Valley Catholic Social Service received $15,000 for education, planning and community outreach programs.
Glenn
- Willows Volunteer Fire Department, City of Willows Fire and Willows Rural Fire Protection District receive a total of $15,000 for specialized firefighting equipment.
Lassen
- Stones Bengard Community Services District Fire Department at Eagle Lake, $5678.50 for specialized firefighting equipment.
Modoc
- Alturas City Fire Department, $10,000 for specialized firefighting equipment.
Plumas
- Plumas County Search & Rescue, $10,000 for personal protective equipment
Shasta
- Fall River Valley Fire Protection District, $5,000 for personal protective equipment
- Shasta County Fire Safe Council, $5,000 for vegetation mitigation and fuels reduction.
Siskiyou
- Fort Jones Volunteer Fire Department, $13,600 for specialized firefighting equipment.
- Hornbrook Fire Protection District, $10,000 for personal protective equipment.
- Mount Shasta Fire Department, $15,000 for vegetation mitigation and fuels reduction.
- Scott Valley Fire Protection District (Greenview), $12,000 for personal protective equipment.
Tehama
- Manton Fire Safe Council, $15,000 for specialized firefighting equipment.
Trinity
- Coffee Creek Volunteer Fire Protection District, $15,000 for specialized firefighting equipment.
- Hayfork Fire Protection District/Hayfork Volunteer Fire Department, $12,000 for personal protective equipment.
- Weaverville Fire District, $12,000 for vegetation mitigation and fuels reduction.
Yuba
- Dobbins Oregon House Fire Protection District, $12,900 for personal protective equipment.
- Yuba Watershed Protection and Fire Safe Council, $10,000 for vegetation mitigation and fuels reduction.
“For the last few years, California has seen almost no relief in wildfire intensity and destruction,” said Rick Martinez, Executive Director of the California Fire Foundation. “These precious grant dollars from the can make the difference for fire departments and local organizations in protecting Californians.”
Since 2018, 265 fire departments and fire agencies statewide have received $3 million in direct funding through the grant program as part of the WSPP, and each year the program receives more applications than the prior year. Funding targets specific communities identified as having extreme or elevated fire risk as identified by the California Public Utilities Commission High Fire-Threat District map.
The WSPP focuses on two key areas to help keep communities safe:
- Wildfire Safety Campaign that features fire safety education, developed by CFF, in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Hmong to promote early evacuation during fires. The WSPP has worked hard to overcome language barriers by developing and distributing in-language fire-safety messaging. This campaign includes advertising on radio, television, and digital ads, and outdoor billboards in high fire-threat areas.
- Grant Program administered by the CFF through an application process. The CFF awards grants to recipient fire departments, agencies and community groups in support of projects and programs focusing on wildfire/disaster prevention, preparedness and/or relief and recovery assistance. To see the full list of grantees click here.
How the Grants Help Communities
PG&E’s and The Foundation’s combined 2022 $1.4 million contribution continues a five-year collaboration with CFF. PG&E and The Foundation have provided $6 million in total support for fire safety awareness through the WSPP. The charitable contribution is shareholder-funded, not paid for by PG&E customers.
The CFF, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, aids firefighters, their families and the communities they protect. The CFF’s Firefighters on Your Side program, also supported by PG&E, provides multi-lingual, culturally relevant fire safety messaging in both digital and print form, to assist the public in staying safe.
