PR Newswire
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Sept. 30, 2024
55 Grants Totaling $750,000 Awarded to Local Fire Departments, Fire Agencies and Community Groups
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Sept. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As California enters peak fire season, the California Fire Foundation (CFF), with support from The PG&E Corporation Foundation (PG&E Foundation), has awarded $750,000 in wildfire safety grants to 55 local fire departments, fire agencies and community groups in Northern and Central California. This is the seventh year CFF and the PG&E Foundation have awarded grants to help communities bolster their disaster preparedness and response programs.
After a month-long application period, CFF selected and distributed the annual wildfire safety grants to agencies in high wildfire-risk areas with the goal of strengthening their disaster readiness and response. The grants announcement comes during National Preparedness Month, observed each September to raise awareness of preparing for disasters and emergencies.
The grant funds will be used to purchase personal protective and specialized equipment for firefighters, complete defensible space and vegetation management work, reduce fuels and hazards, and conduct fire safety public education and outreach. See the list of grant recipients.
The PG&E Foundation and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) support CFF's broader 2024 Wildfire Safety and Preparedness Program (WSPP) with $1.4 million in charitable funding. The program's objective is to raise awareness about wildfire safety in more areas in California and bring resources to underserved communities in high fire-threat areas. The grants to local organizations are one core component of the WSPP.
"The seven-year-long collaboration between the Foundation and PG&E has been instrumental in protecting our communities and educating residents on the ever-present danger of wildfire disasters through the Wildfire Safety and Preparedness Program," said Rick Martinez, Executive Director of the California Fire Foundation. "Because of the Wildfire Safety and Preparedness Program, Californians are now better prepared for wildfires and other natural disasters. The grantees are beyond grateful to have the support we provide which help fund and implement projects ranging from fuels reduction and community education, to obtaining new equipment to protect residents, and the communities they serve. The Foundation is dedicated to raising awareness on disaster preparedness because, as we've seen in recent years, wildfires occur unexpectedly and spread rapidly, and we must do everything possible to remain resilient."
Since 2018, 368 fire departments and fire agencies statewide have received $4.5 million in direct funding through the grant program as part of 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 by the California Public Utilities Commission High Fire-Threat District map.
"California's wildfire risk is heightened this year due to high volumes of fuel from two rainy seasons. The record-breaking heat in July had a drying effect on wildfire fuels, resulting in more fire activity across the state in 2024 compared to previous years. Our ongoing partnership with the California Fire Foundation is critical to achieving our shared goal of preventing wildfires and keeping communities safe. Wildfire resilience efforts are best developed at the community level with education, awareness and resources like those provided by the Wildfire Safety and Preparedness Program. We're grateful to be able to help fund so many local organizations doing this important work," said Mark Quinlan, PG&E's Senior Vice President of Wildfire, Emergency & Operations.
The WSPP focuses on two key areas to help keep communities safe:
- A 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 diligently to overcome language barriers by developing and distributing in-language fire-safety messaging. This campaign includes advertising on radio, television and digital ads, as well as outdoor billboards in high fire-threat areas.
- A 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.
How the WSPP Helps Communities
Grantees this year utilized grant funding for the following critical outcomes:
- 7,560 pieces of personal protection equipment (PPE) secured, including helmets, boots, gloves, goggles, and fire shelters.
- Fuel reductions/vegetation management
- 21 acres of hazardous tree and brush removal
- Over 1.5 million pounds of tree limbs, branches and other combustibles chipping and hauling
- 22 prescribed fires or pile burns
- Fire safety education provided across Alameda, Butte, Fresno, Humboldt, Kern, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Nevada, Plumas, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, Shasta, Siskiyou, Sonoma, and Yuba Counties, potentially benefiting over 1.8 million residents.
- 657 pieces of specialized equipment, which include:
- 5,000 gal Water Storage Tanks
- Portable Radios
- Headlamps
- Hoses/Clamps/Nozzles
- Chainsaws
- Gear Packs
- Total Estimated Impact:
- 1,269,224 Residents
There were 217 applications and $4.6 million in funding requests submitted from agencies in California during the 2024 wildfire safety grant application period.
Funding requests were for:
- 37% Education/Outreach projects
- 23% PPE acquisition
- 21% Specialized Equipment acquisition
- 19% Fuels Reduction/Veg Management projects
PG&E and the PG&E Foundation have provided $8.8 million in total support for fire safety awareness through the WSPP since the partnership began. The charitable contribution is shareholder-funded, not paid for by PG&E customers.
The CFF, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, aids firefighters, their families and the communities they protect. The CFF's Firefighters on Your Side program, also supported by PG&E, provides multilingual, culturally relevant fire safety messaging in both digital and print form, to assist the public in staying safe.
About The PG&E Corporation Foundation
The PG&E Corporation Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, separate from PG&E and sponsored by PG&E Corporation.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG, Financial), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news.
About California Fire Foundation
The California Fire Foundation, a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization, provides emotional and financial assistance to families of fallen firefighters, firefighters and the communities they protect. Formed in 1987 by California Professional Firefighters, the California Fire Foundation's mandate includes an array of survivor and victim assistance projects and community initiatives. cafirefoundation.org
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-pge-corporation-foundation-and-california-fire-foundation-announce-wildfire-safety-grants-for-seventh-consecutive-year-302263102.html
SOURCE PG&E Corporation
