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HomePrograms Grant Programs Rural Fire Assistance Volunteer Fire Assistance Program

Volunteer Fire Assistance Program

The Volunteer Fire Assistance Program (VFA), formerly known as the Rural Community Fire Protection Program, provides matching fund grants to eligible rural volunteer fire departments (VFDs) for the purchase of wildland firefighting equipment.

The Mississippi Forestry Commission administers the Volunteer Fire Assistance Program through an agreement with the USDA Forest Service. 

This is a 50/50 matching grant; however, the Mississippi Forestry Commission will cover the match portion. To be eligible for this grant, the fire department must provide the latitude and longitude of your primary station’s location and provide a digital or paper map delineating the department’s protection boundaries.

Approved Items

This program provides grants to eligible fire departments for the purchase of wildland firefighting equipment. Approved items include: 

  • Tanks, pumps, hose (up to 1.5”), hose reels, hose fittings, nozzles
  • Slip-on units, complete (tanks, pump, hose, etc.) for converting trucks to pumper units. (If the complete unit costs over $4,500, itemize the components.)
  • Communication equipment (two-way radios) with statewide firefighting frequency and “pagers” with tone alerts and audio receivers.
  • Hand tools (backpack pumps, fire axes, fire flaps, etc.)
  • Wildland protective items for firefighters (Nomex shirts, pants, jumpsuits, wildland helmets, boots, gloves, etc.)

VFA Grant Application

The 2024 Grant Application is now open! The deadline to apply is March 6, 2024.

2024 VFA Grant Application

Contact MFC

For more information about the Volunteer Fire Assistance Program, contact: 

comments@mfc.ms.gov