Under the Federal Excess Personal Property
(FEPP) program, Federal property, originally purchased for use by
a Federal agency, but no longer needed by that entity, is acquired
by the USDA Forest Service for loan to one of the 50 States or the
Territories for use in the State's rural or wildland fire protection
program. As a result, the equipment stays in service to America,
protecting lives and property across the nation.
The "personal" part of the FEPP program
simply refers to any tangible property that is not real estate.
This can include trucks, aircraft, personal protective equipment,
motor oil, nuts, bolts, fire hose, et cetera, but not buildings.
The State Forester makes the initial decision
that an FEPP item is appropriate for use, and the USDA Forest Service
must concur. The property is then loaned to the State Forester,
who may then place it with local departments to improve local fire
programs. Approximately 70% of the property involved in the Forest
Service FEPP program is sub-loaned to local fire departments.
Contact Jan Polasky with
questions about the FEPP program.
Does
FEPP make a difference?
Does
FEPP make a difference? To quote
John Burwell, Oklahoma State Forester: "The FEPP program is
the foundation of what has become the largest program area within
our agency (Rural Fire Defense). We are proud of the achievements
we've made in improving fire services throughout rural Oklahoma
through the use of such equipment. The savings to Oklahoma's
rural homeowners in insurance costs alone amounts to some
$35,000,000 annually as a result of fire service improvements resulting
from our Rural Fire Defense program." This is typical
of State use of FEPP!
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