LUMBERTON — Twenty-four volunteer fire departments in Robeson County were recently awarded more than $340,000 in grant money from the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

The Volunteer Fire Department Fund was created by the General Assembly in 1988 to provide dollar-for-dollar matching grants to assist volunteer fire departments with the purchase of equipment and capital expenditures. The maximum annual award amount is $30,000 per applicant.

This year, a total of $8,717,495.18 was awarded to 644 volunteer fire departments across the state, with $369,649.46 going to Robeson County in amounts ranging from about $1,600 to $30,000. They are as follows:

AllentonVolunteer Fire Department, $30,000; Big Marsh Volunteer Fire Department, $6,600.83; Burnt Swamp Philadelphus Volunteer Fire Department, $11,220.18; Deep Branch Volunteer Fire Department, $23,377.37; East Howellsville Volunteer Fire Department, $29,687.50; Fairmont Fire Department, $5,700; Lumber Bridge Volunteer Fire Department: $27,737.50; Maxton Southeastern Rural Fire Department, $5,564; Northwoods Fire Department, $12,500; Parkton Volunteer Fire Department, $30,000; Orrum Township Volunteer Fire Department, $8,842.75; Pembroke Rural Volunteer Fire Department, $12,616.12; Pine Terrace Volunteer Fire Department, $1,649.59; Queheel Fire Department, $29,630.42; Raft Swamp Fire Department, $8,999; Raynham-McDonald Volunteer Fire Department, $4,435; Red Springs Fire Department, $29,540.51; Rennert Volunteer Fire Department, $12,129.27; Rowland Rural Fire Department, $18,759; Saddletree Volunteer Fire Department, $4,719.85; Shannon Volunteer Fire Department, $13,581.57; Smyrna Township Volunteer Fire Department, $8,366.50; Sterlings Township Volunteer Fire Department, $9,340; St. Pauls Fire Department, $24,652.50.