Volunteer Fire Assistance
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture's Division of Forestry will accept grant applications for the 2026 Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) Program from Nov. 15 through Dec. 15, 2026.
Fire departments serving a population of fewer than 10,000 are eligible to apply to receive a VFA Wildland Fire Suppression Kit to supplement their wildland firefighting capacity. Kits consist of wildland firefighting personal protective equipment (PPE) and tools valued at approximately $3,000 per kit.
Before participating in this program, a fire department must be legally organized and have a current memorandum of understanding with the Division of Forestry dated after June 30, 2019. If you do not have one, please contact the assistant district forester (Fire) in your area.
Kits will be awarded from Feb. 15 through March 2027.
Wildland Fire Training for Fire Departments
Division of Forestry personnel coordinate and facilitate wildland fire training for fire departments across Tennessee. This training covers wildland fire behavior, wildland fire organizational structure, suppression tactics, leadership, cooperative fire mutual aid and wildland-urban interface strategies.
Training materials and tools may be provided to fire departments participating in these training programs. This training follows National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) position performance standards for wildland firefighting.
To schedule wildland fire training for your department, please contact the Assistant District Forester (Fire) in your area.
| DATE | PROCESS STEP |
|---|---|
| Nov. 15-Dec. 15, 2026 | Application for wildland fire suppression kits accepted. |
| Dec. 1st 2026 | MOU's that are not current or need updated to be turned in. |
| Dec. 16th 2026 | Review and ranking of applications begin. |
| January 15th, 2027 | Departments are notified if they have been selected or not to receive a wildland fire suppression kit. |
| March 30th, 2027 | Distribution of Kits to departments complete. |