Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA)

How it works

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Division of Forestry administers the Volunteer Fire Assistance program. The State Fire Marshal’s Office grant-opportunities page says the program helps volunteer fire departments, and the Division of Forestry program inventory says it provides training and wildland fire suppression kits.

What the money covers

Official state materials describe the program as providing:

• wildland fire suppression kits,
• personal protective equipment,
• various tools for wildfire suppression, and
• training / technical assistance.

The Division of Forestry’s annual report says the program’s objectives include helping volunteer fire departments obtain wildland fire equipment, personal protective equipment, tools, communication supplies, and technical assistance.

Who it helps

The program is aimed at volunteer fire departments serving small populations, not homeowners directly. It is relevant to homeowners because it improves local wildfire response and protection capacity in fire-prone communities.

Amounts and matching

The official sources I found do not state a homeowner-facing dollar amount, and they do not provide a fixed grant amount on the page I reviewed. The program page also does not describe a homeowner application process because the applicant is the fire department.

Timing and deadlines

The state page says the Division of Forestry accepts applications in a seasonal cycle, but the exact dates vary by year and were not stated on the core program page I reviewed.