From staff reports LAWTON — Comanche County-Lawton Emergency Management will receive a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture, department officials announced in a May 14 news release.
The $225,000 grant, awarded under the USDA’s Community Wildfire Defense Grant program, will enhance the county's wildfire mitigation efforts, officials said.
The grant will help the department develop a comprehensive, countywide community wildfire protection plan. The plan targets the three main goals of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy: restore and maintain landscapes, create fire-adapted communities and improve wildfire response.
Priority was given to applications that represented areas with high wildfire potential, low-income communities and communities impacted by disaster.
“Receiving this grant is a huge win for our citizens and responders,” said Emergency Management Director Clint Langford. “These funds will enable our county to take a collective approach in identifying vulnerable and at-risk wildfire areas and develop strategies to protect citizens and critical infrastructure.”
Langford said his department aims to create a plan that will mitigate the impact of wildfires on the county and make it more resilient.
The plan will involve extensive collaboration with local agencies, community organizations and residents to identify wildfire risks, prioritize mitigation strategies and establish a framework for effective response and recovery.
Emergency Management officials estimated that they will begin developing the plan as soon as August.