Volunteer Fire Assistance Grants (Pennsylvania) (PA VFA)
Federal wildfire assistance money, administered by DCNR, helping rural volunteer fire departments organize, train, and equip to prevent and suppress wildfires. Also includes a federal excess property pathway, transferring surplus military vehicles and equipment to fire departments for fire suppression.
Who it is for
Volunteer fire departments protecting rural areas or communities under 10,000 population. Selection is based on vulnerability and the adequacy of existing fire protection.
Department types: Volunteer
An honest note on fit
Small but practical for a rural Pennsylvania volunteer department with wildland exposure, and the excess-property pathway can yield a usable vehicle cheaply. Not for large urban or career departments.
Before you start
How you apply: Apply directly to the funder.
Federal Forest Service money administered by DCNR. Fire company officers apply through the DCNR grant portal, not to the federal government.
Match required: Yes, 50 percent. Federal funds cover up to half of project costs; the department covers the rest.
How to apply
- Confirm your department serves a rural area or community under 10,000 population.
- Read the DCNR Directions for the Volunteer Fire Assistance Grant Application before starting.
- Apply through the DCNR Bureau of Forestry grant portal during the open window.
- Agree to the terms and conditions of funding, which become your grant agreement if awarded.
- For the excess property pathway, work with the Bureau of Forestry to receive and convert surplus equipment, then license any vehicles.
Deadline: Annual. The 2025 cycle ran October 14, 2025 through December 31, 2025. Check the DCNR wildfire resources page for the current window. (Annual cycle)
Funding: Modest, cost-share. The maximum grant for 2025 was $15,000, and federal assistance cannot exceed 50 percent of actual project expenditures.
This is how Pennsylvania administers the federal Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA). Apply through this state program; the federal page gives the national context. See the federal program .
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.