Grant will promote local fire prevention education
BY DAVE BENJAMIN
Staff Writer

JACKSON - A $5,000 grant from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service's Community Wildfire Hazard Mitigation Assistance program has been received by the community.

"Jackson Board of Fire Commission-ers, Fire District No. 2, and the Jackson Bureau of Fire Prevention, fire districts No. 2 and No. 4, are the proud recipients of a grant, which was presented on July 31," said fire official David M. VanArsdale Jr. of the Jackson Bureau of Fire Prevention, fire districts No. 2 and No. 4.

The grant is offered to nonprofit organizations, municipalities, homeowners associations and other groups who engage in activities that help educate communities about the potential dangers of wildfires and how to reduce hazards in their communities.

The grant received by the Jackson agencies will be used to purchase a Pace trailer and equipment to be used for fire investigation and fire prevention programs in the community and in the Jackson School District.

"A Pace trailer has tools for fire investigation," fire inspector Wally Jamison said.

In addition, fire prevention programs will be able to be offered at the Switlik and Elms elementary schools, the Goetz Middle School and Jackson Memorial High School.

"If there are questions regarding any hazards residents may have in their homes, we can help them with that," Jamison said. "Also, with the past wildfire we had, it's also helpful to spread the word about prevention."

The Fire Prevention Bureau staff are members of the Ocean County Prose-cutor's Office, Arson Task Force, and the Uniform Fire Prevention/Protection Officials Association of Ocean County. The unit is also available for the Juvenile Fire Watch program.

New Jersey Forest Fire Service assistant division fire warden Gregory McLaughlin said, "The New Jersey Forest Fire Service is the agency that sponsored the grant program and we provided the funds for the Jackson Board of Fire Commissioners to offset their costs for purchases associated with this project. It's part of the community awareness program and outreach effort to make residents aware of wildfire dangers in their community."

McLaughlin said the Forest Fire Service is trying to get information about wildfires out to residents.

"One of the largest wildfires in New Jersey happened in central New Jersey with a significant portion of it happening in Jackson in 1963," he said. "That was 183,000 acres. There are wildfire patterns in New Jersey and they tend to repeat themselves."

McLaughlin said Jackson still has a Wildland Urban Interface which is where woodlands or forests that have hazardous fuels meet developed properties.

"There's a lot of that interface in Jackson," McLaughlin said. "We're using the funds to help local nonprofit and municipal organizations offset costs as they undertake these projects."

He said some other groups that have taken advantage of the Wildfire Hazard Mitigation Assistance program include 4-H groups, Boy Scout troops, garden clubs, schools, outdoor sportsmen clubs, municipalities and other nonprofits.

Project proposals may be for awareness in education, hazard mitigation, or cleaning up brush and debris, he said.

"As the administrating agency, the Forest Fire Service will work with the applicant to help them develop their project so that it is beneficial," McLaughlin said. "Once their project is on track and under way, we will provide them with 50 percent of their costs up to $5,000."