La Pine RFPD receives grant to fund intern’s work
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Special Districts Association of Oregon recently awarded $40,290 in funding to 14 special districts through its 2020 Internship Grant Program, including $3,000 to the La Pine Rural Fire Protection District.
These grants are used by award recipients to help fund district projects and provide local government work experience to college students.
Districts must submit applications outlining the details of their project, the benefits it will bring to the district, and how they will utilize a summer intern.
The maximum grant is $3,000 and must be matched by the district at 50%. For example, a project that will cost $6,000 or more is eligible for a $3,000 grant. At the end of the summer, recipients must submit a project summary and receipts to SDAO.
La Pine Fire Chief Mike Supkis said the fire district uses the funds to hire a summer firefighter intern, typically one of the fire district's scholarship students, to do special projects.
One involves structural risk assessments from wildfire. Over the past several years, La Pine Fire's summer interns has been visiting each home in the district to evaluate how prepared it is for a wildfire.
Homeowners can also see how they rate at the Oregon Ready, Set, Go! site http://oregonrsg.org/
The interns also evaluate and test rural water supply points within the district, coordinate annual hose testing and assist the fire district with the annual academy for new firefighter recruits.
The following districts were selected this year by SDAO:
District Grant
Crescent Rural Fire Protection District $3,000
Halsey-Shedd Rural Fire Protection District $3,000
Harrisburg Fire & Rescue $3,000
Junction City Rural Fire Protection District $3,000
Keno Rural Fire Protection District $3,000
Klamath Irrigation District $3,000
La Pine Rural Fire Protection District $3,000
McKenzie Fire & Rescue $3,000
North Morrow Vector Control District $3,000
North Unit Irrigation District $3,000
Pilot Rock Rural Fire Protection District $3,000
Scio Rural Fire Protection District $2,640
Silver Falls Library District $1,650
Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District $3,000
Special Districts Association of Oregon represents over 900 special districts in the state of Oregon assisting them in providing cost-effective and efficient public services to the people of Oregon. For more information, please visit www.sdao.com.
