Volunteer Firefighters In Need of Funding

By Colleen Chen, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- High winds and dry conditions sparked another round of wildfires Monday, and with each round of fires the volunteer firefighters across the state find their funding isn't enough to cover their costs.

Since 2001, many departments have used the Assistance for Firefighters grant, or AFG, a program that expires next year.

Volunteer firefighters hope the funding will not only be renewed but increased under President Obama.

When the crackle of a wildfire blackens the ground, it often takes a team effort to fight it.

Many of the fire departments that help extinguish the grassfires consist of volunteers who use aging equipment. The Wanette Fire Department uses a truck made in 1980.

"We just had to fix our lights out here on the side of the road because they decided to quit on us," Wanette volunteer firefighter Robert Banks said.

The truck doesn't carry as much water as the newer models, and the fire crew said it leaks.

"We could almost pump more water out right here than out of the hose," fellow firefighter Coy Keesee said.

The truck from Lexington's volunteer department is 25-years-old. Often times, the tools the firefighters use to protect are handmade.

"You have to kind of piece meal thing together to make things work," Banks said. "We do what we got to do to get the fire out."

Volunteers say funding for better equipment would make it easier and more efficient, especially with wildfires running rampant and a lack of manpower.

"We're always asking for more funding," said Slaughterville Volunteer Battalion Chief David Thomas. "The only thing we can do is have our citizens contact our legislatures."