Oklahoma Impacted by Department of Defense No Longer Providing Surplus Equipment

Rural fire departments across the United States will no longer receive surplus equipment previously provided by the Department of Defense.

800 rural Oklahoma fire departments no longer have access to vehicles designed to fight wildfires previously provided by the Department of Defense.

The sudden halt in supply is due to the enforcement of an agreement between the DOD and the Environmental Protection Agency aimed at reducing emissions.

But Oklahoma Forestry Services Director George Geissler says in a statement, “the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the vehicles are marginal at best compared to emissions of an uncontrolled wildfire.”

Fire departments throughout the state are currently using nearly nine thousand pieces of federal surplus equipment valued at $150 million, according to Forestry Services.

The Daily Ardmoreite (http://bit.ly/1qUdha2) reports that State Rep. Mike Sanders is joining the efforts of the Oklahoma Congressional delegation, Gov. Mary Fallin and other officials to reverse a decision to end a Department of Defense (DoD) program that provides vehicles and equipment to rural fire departments.

For more information, view www.kxii.com

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