Volunteer Fire Capacity Grant (VFC)
A small reimbursement grant to help rural volunteer fire departments buy wildland firefighting suppression supplies: protective clothing and PPE, communications gear, hoses and nozzles, hand tools, and water delivery systems like cisterns and dry hydrants.
Who it is for
Fire departments comprised of at least 80 percent volunteer personnel that provide wildland fire protection to a rural area, defined as a village or town with a population under 10,000.
Department types: Volunteer
An honest note on fit
Tiny awards, narrowly scoped to wildland suppression supplies, but genuinely useful for a small rural department that does brush and wildland response. Not worth the effort for a department without wildland exposure.
Before you start
How you apply: Apply directly to the funder.
Federal Forest Service money administered by New York's DEC. You apply to DEC, not to the federal government.
Match required: Yes, 50/50. To receive the full $3,500, a department must spend $7,000 on approved supplies and is reimbursed $3,500.
How to apply
- Confirm your department qualifies: at least 80 percent volunteer and serving a rural area under 10,000 population.
- Review the current VFC grant information and eligible items list on the DEC public safety page.
- Plan your purchase of eligible wildland firefighting supplies up to the award amount.
- Submit your application to DEC per the current year's instructions.
- After purchase, request reimbursement, remembering the 50/50 match: you spend twice the award to be reimbursed the award amount.
Deadline: Annual program tied to the federal fiscal year. Check the DEC page for the current year's application window. (Annual cycle)
Funding: Up to $3,500 per department. New York's statewide allocation was about $826,990 for federal fiscal year 2024.
Verified as of 2026-05-31. Programs are checked periodically against their official source. Funding details and deadlines change. Confirm the current requirements on the official program page before you apply.