Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) Grant Program - Due April 30

Commonwealth of Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet (EEC) Kentucky Division of Forestry - USDA Forest Service Grants of up to $5,000 to Kentucky fire departments to increase the capacity to serve rural communities throughout the state. Funding is intended to improve fire protection in local communities and to assist communities negatively impacted by tornadoes and floods. Grants may be used to purchase items such as training materials, Nomex clothing, pumps, hoses, tanks, fire shelters, small fire suppression equipment, and personal protective equipment.

The focus of this program is to support new initiatives that would not otherwise occur without grant funds. The Volunteer Fire Assistance Tornado and Flooding assistance (21’ Tornado and 22’ Flooding VFA Grant) program, provides grant funds and technical advice to rural fire departments in communities with a population of 10,000 persons or less that have been negatively affected by the recent tornados and flooding.

Eligible VFA Projects:

* Purchase of the following equipment and materials:

• Wildland PPE clothing (must have NFPA 1977 certification) and line gear, including hard hats, headlamps, safety glasses, ear plugs, Nomex (shroud/shirt/pants and or jumpsuits), gloves, boots, line packs, and fire shelters.
• Wildland fire hand tools, including felling axes, Pulaski’s, council rakes, hoes, and flappers.
• Wildland power tools, including forestry chainsaws and leaf blowers.
• Wildland engine/skid unit components, including non-collapsible water tanks (up to 300 gals), pumps, reels, forestry hoses/fittings, and nozzles (up to 1 ½”).
• Handheld and mobile radios.
• Purchase of wildland fire training materials.

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