Prairie State Wire

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is currently accepting applications for Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) grants. The application window is open from February 14 through April 14. These grants are aimed at supporting rural fire departments by providing funds for organization, training, and equipment.

Funding is distributed to local fire departments and fire training academies with the goal of preventing and suppressing rural fires. This initiative also seeks to enhance the protective capabilities of communities that are at risk in the wildland-urban interface.

The VFA federal grant program, under the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, offers matching funds to help fire departments purchase new equipment and finance training programs. The grant program reimburses 50% of a project's costs up to $10,000. Recipients must initially cover project expenses before they can be reimbursed.

In the previous year, 2024, a total of $212,811 was awarded across 30 projects in Illinois. Past funded projects have included radios, hoses, self-contained breathing apparatuses, turn-out gear, wildland personal protective equipment, hand tools, chainsaws, backpack blowers, and modifications to federal excess vehicles and equipment.

For further details on grant requirements and opportunities, interested parties can visit the IDNR grants website or consult the Illinois Catalog of State Financial Assistance.