State Farm® and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) have teamed up for the Good Neighbor Firefighter Safety Program to help resource-constrained volunteer fire departments secure needed equipment. Paid-on-call is considered volunteer. The program will award $10,000 equipment grants to 150 departments in the United States. The first 2,000 applicants will receive a one-year NVFC membership. You do not need to purchase an NVFC membership to be eligible to apply for the grant.
What does this program fund?
This program supports the purchase of a wide range of equipment that supports firefighter safety and operational readiness for volunteer fire departments serving a population of 25,000 or less with annual gross revenues of $250,000 or less.
Eligible equipment includes but is not limited to:
- air supply and monitoring,
- communications and technology,
- decontamination and safety,
- fire suppression,
- medical equipment,
- PPE,
- power and lighting,
- search and rescue/water rescue,
- station support,
- tools and equipment, and
- ventilation and exhaust.
Related hardware, accessories, labor and installation fees, shipping costs, training for equipment use, sales tax, and warranties can be included. Repairs or upgrades to existing equipment and used and refurbished equipment are ineligible.
How does my community apply?
The application form will be live for a 3-day period from 12:00 am (midnight) on June 4 through 11:59 pm on June 6 at www.nvfc.org/statefarm. The grant guidance document and other resources are available now to help you prepare your application and gather necessary information in advance
What will make our application competitive?
Awards will be based on a Fire Department’s financial need, current state/situation, specific demands, need of the grant and how the grant will be utilized, and benefits to the department and community. Departments must demonstrate a need for the grant by indicating what the funds will be used for and articulating the impact this grant will have on the department and community.
Departments are expected to use the grant funds within four months and report back to the NVFC on how the grant funds were used.
How can my community learn more?
The grant program webpage is https://www.nvfc.org/good-neighbor-firefighter-safety-program/. It discusses program requirements, has a full list of eligible equipment, frequently asked questions, and the official program rules.
After reviewing the grant program page and available online resources, prospective applicants can join NVFC senior program manager Lori Shirley for office hours to ask questions and hear what others are asking. Drop in any time during the session using the link: Thursday, June 5 at 3:00-3:30 pm ET.
Where can my community find help with grant writing or management?
VLCT published a resource, Increasing Municipal Capacity for Grants, that offers ideas for assistance with grants. Many of the capacity builders also provide project management services. Hiring experienced project management assistance can increase the speed of project development and help avoid cost, permitting, and other development surprises.