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Council approves city application for DNR wildland-fire grant to buy UTV skid unit
Summary
The council authorized the Onalaska Fire Department to apply for a Wisconsin DNR wildfire protection grant to help buy a professionally built skid unit — a water tank and pump — for a UTV. The department expects the grant is a 50-50 match and would fund half of an estimated $9,000 unit.
The Onalaska Common Council unanimously approved a request from the Onalaska Fire Department to apply for a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) wildland-fire protection grant to purchase a professionally manufactured skid unit for the department’s UTV.
Chief Pete Floody explained the DNR grant is a 50-50 match that the department applies for annually. “Generally, every single year, we are successful,” Floody told the council. He said previous awards have paid for wildland hose, gear and foam. The department proposed applying this year for a skid unit — a manufactured water tank and pump built for UTV use — because the current homemade unit used by the department is “tippy” and presents a safety concern during training.
Floody estimated the skid unit cost at approximately $9,000, with the city’s half about $4,500 to be funded from the department’s equipment replacement fund. Applications are due July 1, and any award would be received in 2026, Floody said.
A motion by Alder Steven Knott, seconded by Alder Diane Wolf, approved the department’s request to apply for the grant. The measure carried unanimously on a voice vote.
