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Volunteer Fire Capacity 2023

Department of Forestry and Fire Protection · 25094

Eligibility details

Area fire departments including Native American tribes

Matching funds & resources

Source matching-funds field: 50%. No amount of unpaid “contributed” or “volunteer” labor or services shall be used or consigned in calculating the matching amount “actually spent” by the awarded. The awarded fire department shall not use VFC Funds as matching funds for other federal grants, including Department of Interior (USDI) Rural Fire Assistance grants, nor use funds from other federal grants, including USDI Rural Fire Assistance grants, as matching funds for VFC Funds.

Matching funds and leveraged resources are different requirements. Read the description and reviewed rules below before determining resource commitments.

About this opportunity

The Volunteer Fire Capacity (VFC) Program is a Federally-funded grant program that allows California to provide local and rural fire departments with minor firefighting, training, communications and safety equipment for their volunteer firefighters. The VFC Program is not intended for major equipment (fire engines, vehicles, etc) or Capital repairs. The VFC Program has a 50/50 match requirement which means that the applying department must be able to meet the intended grant award, dollar for dollar. Awards for departments are set at a minimum of $500 with a maximum of $20,000. Amounts may be adjusted based on the grant funding available. Funding for departments must meet at least one of the following qualifications: 1. A single fire department serving a rural area or a rural community with a population of 10,000 or less. 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 VFC 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 VFC 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. Also, a single community with a population greater than 10,000 which also provides fire protection to an adjoining rural community of 10,000 or less population by contract may also be eligible provided the VFC funding is used entirely to support the rural community. 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 VFC financial assistance.

Funding geography: Rural areas or rural communities

Funding instrument: Grant. Issuing jurisdiction: California. This is not a geographic eligibility determination.