August 2023

The Rural Fire Protection (RFP) program within the Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Forestry Division is dedicated to assisting communities and fire departments in protecting lives, property, and the environment.

Notice: New Cooperative Agreement

A new cooperative agreement is required for all Arkansas fire departments receiving assistance through the Fire Fighter Property (FFP) or Federal Excess Personal Property (FEPP) programs from the Rural Fire Protection (RFP) office. Before participating in any program within the RFP office, a fire department must be legally organized and have a current cooperative agreement on file.

The latest cooperative agreement and standard operating procedures can be found here. Any questions about the new agreement or procedures can be directed to Kathryn Mahan-Hooten, RFP Administrator, at (501) 679-3183.

Applications for Wildland Fire Suppression Kits Accepted Through October 20

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Forestry Division is now accepting applications for wildland fire suppression kits through October 20, 2023.

The Forestry Division received $293,154 through a United States Forest Service grant to provide 85 kits this year to rural volunteer fire departments across the state. Since 2014, more than 670 wildland fire suppression kits have been distributed.

Volunteer fire departments are the primary partner to Forestry Division crews in wildfire response and suppression, but they are often in need of specialized equipment and gear necessary for safe wildfire suppression. The necessary equipment and gear in the kits include lightweight wildfire-resistant coveralls, wildland gloves, rakes, backpack water pumps, and leaf blowers.

Rural volunteer fire departments are encouraged to apply online, but paper applications are available upon request. 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.

The selected departments will be notified in November and kits will be delivered in the spring of 2024 or as soon as supplies are received.

Fire departments may contact Kathryn Mahan-Hooten at [email protected] or (501) 679-3183 with questions.

Spotlight

The Gum Springs Fire Department in Clark County received a 1995 E-One Pumper from the Forestry Division’s Rural Fire Protection office. Pictured are Assistant Fire Chief Roy Hill, Firefighter Haley Campbell, and Fire Chief Austin Thompson.

Save the Date: 2023 Rural Fire Show

Registration is now open for the 2023 Rural Fire Show! Join us at the Conway Expo Center on October 7, 2023 for our annual event thanking Arkansas firefighters and their families. Firefighters may register via email at [email protected].gov. If you are interested in becoming a vendor, please contact Kathryn Mahan-Hooten, RFP administrator, at (501) 679-3183.

Find photos from the 2022 Rural Fire Show here. 

For additional information, call (501) 679-3581 or visit our website.