Santa Margarita Fire Department awarded wildfire safety funding
Grants will help communities bolster their disaster preparedness, response
– The California Fire Foundation (CFF), with support from the PG&E Corporation 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.
Among the local awardees serving San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, are the Santa Margarita Fire Department and Direct Relief in Santa Barbara. The Santa Margarita Fire Department will receive $10,000 for specialized firefighting equipment and Direct Relief will receive $15,000 for personal protective equipment.
“The Santa Margarita Fire Department is extremely pleased to announce we are the receipt of a grant from the PG&E Corporation Foundation and California Fire Foundation for Wildfire Safety Funding,” Santa Margarita Fire Chief Robert Murach said. “These funds will be used to purchase radios for firefighters to use during wildfire events. The department would like to thank PG&E Corporation Foundation and California Fire Foundation for sponsoring this grant.”
The grants are one core component of CFF’s broader 2022 Wildfire Safety and Preparedness Program (WSPP). The foundation and 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.
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.
“It will take all of us working together to combat California’s growing wildfire threat. We’re grateful for the opportunity to again support the California Fire Foundation, and the ongoing efforts of local fire departments and agencies on the Central Coast to help make us all better prepared and more resilient against disasters like wildfires,” said, Teresa Alvarado, PG&E South Bay and Central Coast Regional Vice President.
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.
