Volunteer Fire Capacity Grant (VFC) Program

Volunteer Fire Capacity Grant (VFC) Program is sponsored by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). The VFC program aims to improve the capability of fire departments in rural areas and communities by providing funds for the purchase of wildland firefighting suppression supplies. It is a 50/50 matching funds program.

Volunteer Fire Capacity Grant — New York State Department of... Volunteer Fire Capacity Grant This program provides funding to rural fire departments with populations of 10,000 or less to help them purchase essential wildland firefighting equipment.

The New York State Volunteer Fire Capacity (VFC) Grant is a federally funded assistance program established under the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 to strengthen the wildland firefighting capabilities of volunteer fire departments serving rural communities in New York State.

The program receives funding from the U.S. Forest Service and is administered by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC), Division of Forest Protection. Its primary objective is to improve rural fire protection by helping eligible departments acquire essential wildland firefighting equipment, protective supplies, communications resources, and water delivery infrastructure.

New York State was designated to receive $857,629 in federal fiscal year 2026 funding for the program. Individual fire departments may receive reimbursement grants of up to $3,500 to purchase approved supplies that directly benefit the rural communities they protect. Eligible applicants must be fire departments composed of at least 80 percent volunteer personnel that provide wildland fire protection to rural communities.

A rural community is defined as a town or village with fewer than 10,000 residents according to the 2020 U.S. Census. Departments may qualify by serving rural populations directly within their jurisdiction or through mutual aid arrangements with neighboring districts. All grant-funded purchases must directly benefit the rural communities served.

Applications receive precedence when the department has a Native American community within its jurisdiction or when the department was established within the preceding 12 months. Only one application per local jurisdiction is permitted. Applicants must provide their New York State Fire Department Identification Number (FDID) and National Emergency Response Information System identification number (NERIS ID).

Grant funds may be used to purchase protective fire clothing and personal protective equipment, modern communications supplies, firefighting equipment such as hoses and nozzles, tools and smaller-scale supplies, and water delivery systems including cisterns and dry hydrants with associated installation costs.

Equipment suitable for both structural and wildland firefighting may qualify when consistent with the program's wildland firefighting objectives. Expenditures unrelated to wildland firefighting are ineligible, including search and rescue equipment, land acquisition, construction of buildings or facilities, major apparatus purchases, and routine maintenance items such as gasoline, oil, gas cans, and bar chain oil.

Grant funding cannot be applied to individual items costing more than $9,999. Applicants identify anticipated purchase categories, including communications supplies, personal protective equipment, and tools or supplies, but are not penalized when actual expenditures differ from the categories initially selected. The program requires a 50 percent applicant contribution through a 50/50 matching arrangement.

Departments must contribute an amount equal to the grant award, meaning a department seeking the maximum $3,500 reimbursement must spend $7,000 on approved purchases, including $3,500 in department-funded expenditures.

The application requests the total financial resources needed to improve departmental capabilities, and this reported amount may exceed the $3,500 award limit because it is intended to document broader unmet financial needs for federal reporting. Applicants must also report the number of wildland fires their department responded to during the previous 365 days, including mutual aid responses.

Approved departments must complete the grant process within one year of their award, including purchasing eligible supplies, arranging an inspection by a local New York State Forest Ranger, and submitting invoices documenting purchases. The 2026 application period is open, with a final submission deadline of December 30, 2026.

Applicants are encouraged to complete the online application, which does not require an additional paper or email submission. Alternatively, applicants may complete the official paper application and submit it by email to [email protected] or by mail to the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Forest Protection, 625 Broadway, 11th Floor, Albany, NY 12233-2560.

The application requires confirmation of eligibility, identification of any Native American community or newly formed department priority status, FDID and NERIS ID information, primary contact details, department identification and address, New York State vendor identification information, planned expenditure categories, total financial need, recent wildland fire response activity, and a signed certification of accuracy.

No separate letter of intent, concept paper, or pre-application stage is specified. Applicants must maintain a valid New York State vendor identification number and an up-to-date Statewide Financial System (SFS) account to facilitate payment. Organizations without a vendor identification number must complete the required SFS registration procedures, which may include submitting a New York State Substitute W-9 form.

Payment cannot be issued if the address on the reimbursement claim differs from the address registered in SFS. Applicants must maintain a valid email address with DEC and report contact changes. For application questions and grant correspondence, departments may contact [email protected] .

The Division of Forest Protection can also be reached at 518-402-2496 or [email protected] . The application identifies priority consideration for departments serving Native American communities and newly established departments, but does not publish a numerical scoring rubric, award notification date, or specific award selection schedule.

The grant is identified as a 2026 funding opportunity, and the application notes that available funding amounts vary from year to year; a confirmed subsequent application cycle and its dates are not provided.

Maximum reimbursement of $3,500 per fire department; 50/50 cost sharing; $3,500 applicant contribution required for a $3,500 award; individual items costing more than $9,999 are ineligible; eligible supplies must directly support rural wildland firefighting; purchasing, Forest Ranger inspection and invoice documentation must be completed within one year of award.

Special district governments City or township governments Eligible applicants are New York fire departments with at least 80% volunteer personnel that provide wildland fire protection to a town or village with fewer than 10,000 residents based on the 2020 Census. Service may be direct or through mutual aid. Funds must directly benefit the rural community served.

Priority is given to departments serving Native American communities within their jurisdiction or established within the previous 12 months. Only one application per local jurisdiction is allowed. Applicants need FDID and NERIS identification and must maintain a valid NYS vendor ID and current SFS account for payment.

A 50/50 match is required. Use the preferred online application; verify NERIS and FDID identifiers; maintain a valid email; ensure SFS address matches the reimbursement claim; document rural service eligibility and priority conditions; exclude ineligible items and individual purchases over $9,999; plan the required equal match; retain invoices and arrange Forest Ranger inspection within one year of award.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) Disaster Prevention and Relief