Vermont rural fire-protection program asks lawmakers to shore up funding for dry hydrants

Representatives of the Vermont Rural Fire Protection Program told the Legislature’s Capital Bill Committee on Feb. 6 that the state’s dry‑hydrant grant program is a long‑running, low‑cost way to provide water supply to rural fire departments and that the program needs steadier funding to keep pace with rising project costs.

Troy Daire, engineering technician and program manager for the Vermont Rural Fire Protection Program, said the systems “make it easier, safer, and quicker to supply water to the fire scene.” He told the committee the program installs dry and pressurized “wet” hydrants, bridge‑mounted dry hydrants and other drafting sites where municipal water systems are not available.

The program, Daire said, supports mutual‑aid firefighting and shortens response time: “Because fires grow exponentially, time is everything.” He described a primary service area of about 1,000 feet around a rural fire‑protection intake and a secondary service area of roughly 1.5 miles for tanker shuttles.

The Vermont Association of Conservation Districts (VACD) manages the grants for the program and asked the committee to preserve the governor’s capital request for installations and to consider additional general‑fund support for program operations. Jill Araci, executive director of VACD, told the committee the program averages roughly $200,000 a year in total activity and that towns commonly contribute at least 25% of project costs.

“We’ve been running at a deficit for many years,” Araci said. She said VACD has been covering a shortfall “close to $40,000” and requested an increase of $70,000 in general‑fund support to fully fund the program manager position and modest overhead. Araci said the governor’s budget included $55,000 on the appropriations (general‑fund) side for design work, and the capital bill included $125,000 for installations.

Mike DeRosa, executive director for the Division of Fire Safety, told the committee the division works with more than 200 fire chiefs statewide and supports the program. Daire and Araci said the program has funded nearly 1,200 projects in roughly 235 Vermont towns and has used approximately $2,225,000 in state funds plus a little over $605,000 in U.S. Forest Service grants over its lifetime.

Committee members asked about program demand and costs. Daire said the program typically receives about 30–35 applications annually; roughly half are new systems and half are repair, replacement or upgrade projects. He and Araci told the committee that materials and excavation costs have risen substantially in recent years and that projects are becoming more complex and expensive, reducing the number of projects supported each year.

No formal appropriation or vote took place during the hearing. Committee chair members said the testimony will be considered during markup of the capital bill, when lawmakers review and adjust dollar amounts.

The presenters left the committee with contact details and materials the staff had requested; committee members signaled they understood the distinction between capital money for construction and appropriations (general fund) for personnel and design. The Capital Bill Committee will weigh the testimony during its upcoming markup process.