Avbug hit it right on the head. Our resources here in Oklahoma are stretched thin on a GOOD day, let alone a situation like we are facing now. Our Rural VFD's are eligible for a grant every year for operating funds of... $2500.00. That's for a full year. If we shell a pump, blow a transmission, or something similar, there's the entire amount spent on one repair. Some departments get local tax money, and we all have different fundraisers every year to raise operating money. I've seen firefighters the past couple of weeks actually paying for fuel out of their OWN pockets, and even buying parts if they needed to. Yeah, we get surplus equipment from the USFS, but most of it is worn out when we get it. A couple of years ago, I checked into the possiblity of obtaining a grant of some kind to maybe set up a private SEAT operation that I could make available to all my area's local departments in situations where needed. With all the ag experience I have, I felt it would be a valuable asset in this area. It would be based here in the area all the time, available on short notice, without all the hassle of making requisitions and phone calls, and the delays of getting one here from out of state when needed. Guess what? There's absolutely NO programs available to do something like that. The standard response from the USFS, ODA, and others were "the government already contracts for SEAT aircraft, and all must be coordinated through the BLM and USFS". You can get a government grant to study the mating habits of slugs, but you cant get one to help set up an aerial firefighting program. Hell, I've even seen a couple of times where one of the local ag operations has gone out and dropped water with their AG Cat, and even with the limited load, it was beneficial. We do have an ICS system here, it is usually coordinated through the State Emergency Management network, with which ever fire department is the lead agtency on the fire. There's just a bunch of things that need to change at the government level. Right now, we're doing the best we can with the hand we are dealt.
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