According to a House press release, the full House advanced a nearly $9 million plan to provide additional money for rural firefighters and to provide assistance with equipment replacement and repair. The money will be used to help rural volunteer fire departments across the state, including those in Sequoyah County.
Funding for rural firefighters has been a point of debate among Democrats and Republicans in the House in recent weeks.
State Rep. Glen "Bud" Smithson (D-Sallisaw) said Wednesday morning that Democrats had several amendments they wanted to add to the Republican plan. He said Republicans tried to run their bill Monday without going to committee and listening to the Democrat-proposed amendments, but Democrats voted against it.
When the bill went back to the floor Tuesday, Smithson said Republicans listened to one of the Democrats amendments, which would pay for funeral expenses of rural firefighters who die in the line of duty.
Smithson said they had other amendments they would have liked to add, but he said, "All in all we were pleased."
A key feature of the plan in SB 1190 nearly doubles operational grants for rural fire departments at a cost of about $4.5 million, making more than $5,000 available per department. Under the plan rural, fire departments would receive operational grants in a full payment immediately. Additionally, SB 1190 was amended with a Democrat proposal to offer $5,000 death benefit to families of firefighters who perish in the line of duty, which would offset funeral expenses, according to the press release.
Smithson said rural fire departments receive about $2,800 annually in operational grants, and the new plan takes that number to about $5,000 annually. He added that the Democratic plan wanted to give firefighters more funding, but said, "It will give them a little bit of relief."
In addition to the doubling of operational grants, the SB 1190 plan also includes $2 million to replace and repair ruined or broken-down equipment. Smithson said the Democrat plan wanted $10 million in equipment replacement funds, but that was rejected by the Republicans.
Another provision of the plan allocates about $1 million so the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture can increase the cap on reimbursement amounts that rural fire departments can apply for from the department's fire cost recovery fund, according to the press release.
The bill now moves to the Senate side for approval.
Last week rural firefighters from Sequoyah County and other counties traveled to the state Capitol to hear the debate on rural firefighter funding. Smithson said local firefighters from Liberty, Redland, Nicut and Muldrow were on hand.
"Our county was one of the best represented in the state," Smithson said. "I was very proud of them."
When the firefighters were there, Smithson said his party tried to bring a firefighter relief bill to the floor, but Republicans refused to let them. He noted that the firefighters coming to listen put pressure on the Republicans to promise to support increased operational grants.
Tuesday's vote comes about a month after legislative leaders funded $5.1 million for the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, to offset the costs of fighting wildfires since November 1.
