HARRISBURG – State Senator Gene Yaw (R-23) is encouraging local fire companies within his Senatorial District (Bradford, Lycoming, Sullivan, Susquehanna and Union) to apply for the Volunteer Fire Assistance Grant Program administered by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Bureau of Forestry and funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Grants through the program may be used for purchasing mobile or portable radios, installing dry hydrants, performing wildfire prevention and mitigation work, training wildfire fighters, or converting and maintaining federal excess vehicles to be used for fire suppression.

“The Fire Grant program has proven to be an invaluable help for fire departments throughout my Senate district and throughout Pennsylvania providing funding for the training and equipment that is necessary to ensure that our firefighters and emergency personnel are as prepared as possible to respond to emergencies and disasters,” said Yaw. “We are blessed to have a number of highly skilled and dedicated individuals in our area who volunteer their time and efforts to protect our communities during these times of emergencies.”

Volunteer fire companies serving rural areas and communities with fewer than 10,000 residents and where forest and brush fires are common are encouraged to apply for grants of up to $7,500 for training and equipment purchases directly related to fighting brush and forest fires.

Grant applications must be electronically submitted through DCNR’s eGrant webpage by 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 23rd, 2013. To expedite application and decision-making processes, DCNR is accepting only online applications. Applicants should visit www.dcnr.state.pa.us and click on “Apply for Grants” for details.

Fire companies and EMS organizations needing assistance completing the application are encouraged to contact any of Senator Yaw’s district offices.

Two seasonal publications – the 2013 trout stocking guides and the Property Tax/Rent Rebate applications – are now available at Rep. Tina Pickett’s (R-Bradford/Sullivan/Susquehanna) offices in Towanda and Sayre and will be on hand during satellite office hours in Susquehanna and Sullivan counties during Wednesdays in March.

“My office staff makes sure they have a number of popular brochures, program applications and guides during satellite office hours in Lawton and Laporte each month,” Pickett said. “In March, we’ll have available two of the newest publications – trout stocking guides and forms for the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program – and we encourage residents of these two counties to stop by for them.”

In Susquehanna County, Pickett’s staff will be available from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month – March 13 and March 27. The office is located on State Route 706 at Flynn’s Consignment Shop in Lawton. This office can be reached by calling (570) 934-2557.

Pickett’s staff can also help with a number of other items, including the following: Information about legislation and new laws, Driver’s license and vehicle registration applications and renewals, Assistance with PennDOT paperwork (lost cards, changes, corrections, special registration plates, vanity plates, and temporary placards for disabled persons), PACE and PACENET applications for seniors, State tax forms, Student aid applications, Referrals to agencies to resolve state-related matters.

Pickett operates her main full-time offices at 321 Main St., Towanda, phone (570) 265-3124 and 106 West Packer Ave., Sayre, phone (570) 888-9011. More information is available 24 hours a day on Pickett’s website at www.RepPickett.com.