Grant Details

The Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) provide assistance in training, equipment purchases, and prevention activities, on a cost share basis. The assistance is provided to increase firefighter safety, improve the fire fighting capabilities of rural volunteer fire departments, and enhance protection in the urban-wildland interface.

Allowable expenses include, but are not limited to: 

• Organization improvements, such as legal and administration fees, election costs, or advertising used to form a new rural fire protection district. This does not include wages or payments resembling employee payments.
• Structural or Wildland fire-fighting supplies such as basic tools, fire line hand tools, hose, adapters/reducers, fittings, valves, pumps, nozzles, fold-a-tanks, portable tanks, chainsaws, hydrant wrenches, SCBA systems, generators and weather kits.
• Structural or Wildland training expenses, such as instructor fees, travel expenses, tuition costs, classroom materials for either basic or advanced courses.
• Structural or Wildland equipment, repairs, upgrades, or safety improvements for the acquisition or modification of firefighting equipment, which may include labor and materials. The use of grant funds to pay FEPP fees or to improve FEPP equipment is appropriate (including costs of transportation or acquisition charges). For these purposes only, equipment” is considered rolling stock or vehicles such as engines, tankers, tenders, etc. that actually are used directly in putting a fire out. Homeland Security/FEMA may also prove to be another funding resource.
• Structural or Wildland basic PPE, such as new generation fire shelters, fire resistant shirts and pants, hard hats, eye protectors, gloves, boots,(only if part of a PPE package from a vendor) and turnouts.
• Structural or Wildland communications equipment, such as narrow band or narrow-band compatible hand held or vehicle units, pagers and accessories and Global Position Units (GPS). All communications equipment must be P25 compliant or compatible.
• Freight or shipping costs for allowable items