About $20,000 in state grant money is going to two Washington County communities for public safety projects.

The Arkansas Department of Rural Services gave $15,000 to Greenland to help make the town's community center into a warming center during icy weather or power losses. Another $4,700 went to the Elkins Volunteer Fire Department to help buy light, but strong, compressed air tanks for firefighters.

The money is part of $166,000 the department gave in the second of three annual grant cycles. Recipient communities must have fewer than 3,000 people and must match the grant dollar for dollar.

Northwest Arkansas has benefited from the rural grants before. In 2012, Lincoln received $14,237 for a search-and-rescue boat. The year before, Northeast Benton County Volunteer Fire Department received $15,000 for a new tanker truck.

"It's very competitive," said John Andrews, Rural Services director, adding many applicants must try in multiple grant cycles. The department aims to send about one-third of its grants to community development such as in Greenland, with the rest going to rural fire departments, Andrews said.

In Greenland, a town of about 1,300 people, the 50-50 match means the grant will help sustain a $30,000 project to improve the community center, said Police Chief Gary Ricker.

Meals on Wheels, the town's senior center, election day voting and several other groups and programs use the center, which sits on North Letitia Avenue between Interstate 49 and U.S. 71. Greenland's spring cleaning event was held in the parking lot over the weekend.

Officials plan to replace the building's roof, attach a natural gas generator and do some renovation inside, Ricker said.

"It's not a good enough building for a tornado shelter, but it'd make a good warming center if power lines are cut or something," Ricker said, pointing to the January 2009 ice storm that cut power for 100,000 people in Northwest Arkansas.

"Half of our town is Swepco and the other half is Ozarks Electric, so sometimes half the town goes out," Ricker added with a laugh, referring to Southwestern Electric Power Company and Ozarks Electric Cooperative.

Greenland Mayor Bill Groom said he valued the state's help.

"That program is focused on smaller towns, where they don't always get to the table for the big money," Groom said. "It's a real good thing in my opinion."

Elkins Fire Chief J.D. DeMotte, who supervises about two dozen volunteers, echoed that sentiment. His department's money will help buy a dozen carbon fiber air bottles worn by firefighters as they battle smoke and flames.

Elkins is home to about 2,800 people.

The new bottles will replace heavier aluminum tanks, DeMotte said. Firefighters wear pants, a coat, a helmet, a hood, boots, tools, a pack and a mask, so every pound matters, he said.

"Carbon fibers weigh a lot less than aluminum or steel, so you get less fatigue," he said. "A lot of times you don't have that many volunteers, so the longer you can keep them working, the more work they can do, the better it is."

The volunteer department has four carbon fiber bottles, but it wouldn't be able to buy more without the state's help, DeMotte added.

"We've been trying for years," he said. "We're very glad, very appreciative to the state. (The help) doesn't happen very often."