CHARLESTON — Addressing concerns raised by first responders across the state over lack of access to personal protective equipment, Gov. Jim Justice announced funding for all 419 volunteer fire departments in West Virginia.

“Some of the people that have been really hurting here are our volunteer fire departments,” Justice said. “We’ve been trying to figure out what we can do.”

Speaking during his Wednesday coronavirus briefing at the Capitol, Justice said each volunteer department in the state would receive $10,000 through a grant program.

The funding is meant to make up for loss in revenue due to a reduction in fundraising activities, such as ice cream socials and other events that provide funding for the departments.

“We have found through one of the grants a way to send money directly to our volunteer fire departments,” Justice said. “They’ve suffered from the lack of being able to fundraise and do all the different things they do. We all know the beauty of what they give to all of us. Can you just imagine how they run to the fire and they do it on a volunteer basis and everything. Our communities abound with volunteer fire departments.”

The funding stream is separate from the $1.25 billion in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stimulus Act the state received for COVID-19 expenses incurred by counties and municipalities. As of Wednesday, the state had $1.23 billion remaining. According to the auditor’s office, $44.9 million has been awarded to cities and counties for coronavirus reimbursements.

Justice criticized his Democratic opponent in the governor’s race, Kanawha County Commissioner Ben Salango, for using C.A.R.E.S. Act reimbursements to get his name recognition up. In April, the Kanawha County Commission gave $3,000 to all 24 volunteer fire departments in the county. Early in the pandemic, the state sent $100,000 to all 55 county commissions from the Governor’s Civil Contingency Fund to use where needed.

“With COVID cases on the rise, we must continue to support all first responders, including brave volunteer firefighters,” Salango said in a statement Tuesday. “This is an excellent use of our public safety grant.”

The Kanawha County Commission was planning to distribute another $100,000 to departments. Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper said these funds were needed for volunteer firefighters.

(Adams can be contacted at sadams@newsandsentinel.com)