Application Due Date: Open Deadline

Description: 

The purpose of the Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) Program, formerly known as the Rural Community Fire Protection (RCFP) Program, is to provide federal financial, technical, and other assistance to State Foresters to organize, train, and equip fire departments in rural areas and rural communities to prevent and suppress fires. A rural community is defined as having 10,000 or less population, or as defined below. This 10,000-population limit for participation in the VFA Program facilitates distribution of available VFA funds to the most needy fire departments. The funding must be matched on a 50-50 % basis by nonfederal dollars.

Eligibility Requirements for the use of VFA funding are as follows:

    1. A single fire department serving a rural area or a rural community with a population of 10,000 or less is eligible (latest Census).

    2. Area fire departments (fire districts, townships, etc.) may serve an aggregate population of greater than 10,000 as long as the service area of the fire department includes a rural area or a rural community having a population of 10,000 or less. The VFA funding must be used to benefit the rural population.

    3. A single county or town with a population over 10,000 which is served by two or more fire districts operating entirely within the bounds of the county or town may qualify as long as the service area of a given fire department includes a rural area or a rural community or the population of the fire department's jurisdiction is 10,000 or less. The VFA funding must be used for the rural area.

    4. A single community with a population greater than 10,000 and having a single fire department with one or more fire stations may qualify. The fire department must have a service area that includes a rural area or community that does not exceed 10,000 population. The VFA funding must be used only for the benefit of the rural population. Similarly a single community with a population greater than 10,000, which also provide fire protection to an adjoining rural community of 10,000 or less population by contract, may also be eligible provided the VFA funding is used entirely to support the rural community.

    5. A single community fire department serving a population greater than 10,000 and not providing protection to a rural area or to a rural community is not eligible for VFA financial assistance.

    6. Fire Departments must be NIMS compliant. NIMS compliance information can be found at http://www.fema.gov/emergency/nims/nims_compliance.shtm

Preference will be given to VFA Grant applications for the purchase of wildland and structural personal protective gear, communications equipment, water handling equipment, and training. The purchase of vehicles and high value equipment will not be funded due to the limited amount of funds available.

Purchases made before the date of the VFA application are not eligible for reimbursement. Proof of Purchase documents, like invoices, and the Certificate of Expenditure Form must be dated after the date of the VFA application.

Fiscal Year 2007 VFA Federal Funding Applications are being made available to rural community Volunteer Fire Departments through the local Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Forestry, Field Unit Offices.

Organization: Florida Dept. of Agriculture & Consumer Services
Website: http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/index.html

Contact Name: Matt Weinell
Contact Email: weinelm@doacs.state.fl.us
Contact Phone: (850) 488-6111

http://www.fl-dof.com/wildfire/vfd_grants.html