Supporting Volunteer Firefighters
State Farm and NVFC Award $10,000 Grants to 150 Volunteer Fire Departments Nationwide
Key Points
Victory Volunteer Fire Department in Cayuga County, New York, is one of two New YorkState departments selected to receive the $10,000 grant, which will fund equipment such as EMS and rescue tools, PPE, and communication devices.
West Virginia recipients include the Ceredo Volunteer Fire Department (Wayne County) and the Summers County Volunteer Fire Department (Hinton), highlighting the program’s reach to rural departments across the state.
Bridgewater, Iowa, will use its $10,000 grant to purchase two Scott AirPak Pro SCBA units (with masks and two air bottles) from Feld Fire in Carroll, replacing aging equipment and strengthening responders’ protection.
In Mississippi, the House Volunteer Fire Department in Neshoba County is among four Mississippi departments to receive a grant, underscoring the ongoing need for funding to bolster volunteer departments that are largely staffed by volunteers (82%).
State Farm and the National Volunteer Fire Council are handing out $1.5 million in grants to 150 volunteer fire departments across the country in 2026, according to Action News Now. Each department gets $10,000 to spend on life-saving gear — from breathing equipment to protective suits to radios.
The money comes through the State Farm Good Neighbor Firefighter Safety Program. Since it launched in 2024, the program has sent $4 million to volunteer departments nationwide. That matters because 82% of U.S. fire departments run almost entirely on volunteers, often with little funding to spare, Action News Now reports.
What Departments Can Buy With the $10,000
Grants must go toward equipment that keeps firefighters and communities safer. WBIW reports that eligible purchases include personal protective equipment, EMS and rescue tools, communication devices, and self-contained breathing apparatus — known as SCBA. These are the air tanks firefighters wear inside burning buildings.
In Bridgewater, Iowa, the local fire department plans to buy two Scott AirPak Pro SCBA units. Each unit comes with a mask and two air bottles. The department will get them from Feld Fire in Carroll. The new gear will replace aging equipment that responders currently rely on during emergencies.
Departments From Five States Named Among Recipients
The August 18 announcements — timed to Volunteer Firefighters Recognition Day — spotlighted departments from Mississippi, Indiana, New York, West Virginia, and Iowa. In Mississippi, the House Volunteer Fire Department in Neshoba County is one of four state departments to receive the grant, according to Kicks 96 News.
In New York, the Victory Volunteer Fire Department in Cayuga County is one of two state recipients, CNY Central reports. West Virginia has multiple winners too. They include the Ceredo Volunteer Fire Department in Wayne County and the Green River Fire Department, according to Castle Country Radio. Four Indiana departments also made the list, WBIW reports.
Why Rural and Volunteer Departments Need Outside Help
Most volunteer fire departments operate on tight local budgets. They depend on fundraisers, small municipal budgets, and grants to buy gear that career departments take for granted. When equipment ages out, there often is not money set aside to replace it — which puts both firefighters and residents at risk.
That is exactly the gap this program targets. WBIW notes that 82% of U.S. fire departments are staffed by volunteers. State Farm and the NVFC designed the grants to reach departments that would otherwise struggle to fund basic safety upgrades on their own.
Free NVFC Memberships Sweeten the Deal for Applicants
Beyond the cash grants, the program offers a bonus resource. The first 2,000 departments to apply get a free membership to the National Volunteer Fire Council, according to Action News Now. That membership unlocks training programs, safety resources, and peer support networks — tools that money alone cannot always provide.
Three California volunteer departments also received grants this cycle, Action News Now reports. The nationwide reach of the program shows it is not targeting any single region. From rural West Virginia hollows to Central Mississippi counties, the $10,000 grants are going where the need is greatest.
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