The Community Foundation of Abilene (CFA) awarded over $200K in grants to 19 area volunteer fire departments Tuesday.
The grants will help the fire departments buy safety equipment to protect their communities.
The fire departments submitted requests for funding for items such as gear, fire hoses, radios, and breathing equipment.
CFA rural grants manager, Meagan Harris, said the average cost for a firefighter's gear is $22,000.
The CFA grant cycle for volunteer fire departments opens at the beginning of each year. CFA's president, Katie Alford, aknowledged the importance of the grant cycle.
"This grant cycle is important to our rural communities. We're honored to partner with our donors to provide this funding opportunity for our volunteer fire departments."