Several Wood County fire departments have received a MARCS (Multi-Agency Radio Communications Systems)
grant.
The State Fire Marshal Grant recipients include 242 fire departments in 40 counties throughout Ohio.
The MARCS radio system allows first responders to seamlessly communicate, not only with each other, but
with other agencies responding to an incident (i.e. fire departments from neighboring areas, law
enforcement, etc.).
“Operating on a modern, inter-operable public safety radio system will certainly improve emergency
services in those counties and provide an enhanced level of safety for our responders,” said Jeff
Hussey, state fire marshal.
MARCS radios are sophisticated systems, and the cost can be significant. The grant helps to offset the
cost of the radio equipment and user fees, making the radios possible for local fire departments,
regardless of their size or budget. This year, the State Fire Marshal’s (SFM) office received more than
$12 million in requests for the $3 million in available funding.
The Wood County agencies receiving grants:
Bloomdale Fire Department $840
Bradner Fire Department $1,200
Grand Rapids Twp. Fire Department $1,440
Hoytville Fire Department $1,440
North Baltimore Fire Department $960
Pemberville-Freedom Fire Department $1,560
Central Joint Fire District $1,440
Wayne Fire Department $1,440
Weston Fire Department $1,440
Center Township Fire Department $1,440
Troy Township Fire Department $1,440
“This high level of competition requires us to make some very difficult decisions regarding who will
receive awards,” said Hussey. “It is my hope SFM grant funds will continue to be available in the future
and I really want to encourage fire departments that did not receive funding this year to reapply next
year.”
Key facts about the program include:
242 fire departments in 40 counties received a total of $3 million in grants.
Priority funding went to departments that applied as part of a regional or county-wide effort, and
departments that showed they are prepared to immediately begin using the MARCS radios upon award
receipt.
Six of the 40 counties awarded are part of a regional effort aiming to have each fire department in the
county on the MARCS radio system, including: Crawford, Defiance, Fairfield, Scioto, Washington and
Wyandot.
This is the fifth year the State Fire Marshal’s office has offered this grant.
