The NH Rural Fire Protection Initiative (NHRFPI), is a project directed by the North Country and Southern NH Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Area Councils.

The NHRFPI has been assisting rural communities with planning and technical assistance to improve their water supply capability for firefighting purposes for the past 10 yrs.  Planning for rural firefighting  complements and enhances a community’s hazard mitigation plan and their Master Plan by identifying, evaluating, and locating water resource sites available to local and mutual aid fire personnel for fire fighting purposes in rural areas not served by pressurized water systems. 

 Benefits to participating communities are numerous: 

• Water Resource Plans provide a 
  • Useful tool for planning emergency responses to rural fire situations
  • Framework for community planners to identify priority areas for future installations of water drafting facilities such as dry hydrants and cisterns.
• Functioning dry hydrants or cisterns in rural areas
  • Reduce fire department response time to fires
  • Potentially saves lives
  • Reduce risk of residential, commercial, and wildland property losses
• Potential improvement in a community's ISO rating
• Reliable water sources enhance residents' peace of mind
• Opportunity for community to apply for future funding if they have developed a water resource plan.  Project grants are available through FEMA for installation of dry hydrants, fire ponds or cisterns.