A total of 100 rural and volunteer fire departments from 54 Indiana counties have been awarded $453,386 in Volunteer Fire Assistance Capacity (VFC) awards from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
The awards will be used for training, radios, or to purchase necessary firefighting equipment and gear to combat wildland fires. The grants are administered by the DNR Division of Forestry and made available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service.
Recipients were selected based on population density, acres of public lands protected, and wildland fire reporting to DNR Fire Control Headquarters. As in past years, emphasis was given to projects that involved the fighting of wildfires.
The awarded grants range from $1,090 to $5,000.
Fire departments receiving the 2024 VFC grants, county, the amount of the grant, and the project category are:
| Fire Department | County | Grant | Project Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poe VFD | Allen | $2,500 | Safety (Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus [SCBA], Turn-Out Gear, personal alert safety system [PASS], etc.) |
| Southwest Bartholomew County VFD, Inc. | Bartholomew | $5,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Montpelier VFD | Blackford | $5,000 | Wildland Firefighting Assistance |
| Brown County VFD | Brown | $3,050 | Wildland Firefighting Assistance |
| Galveston VFD | Cass | $5,000 | Water Handling |
| Twelve Mile First Responders | Cass | $2,500 | Water Handling |
| Charlestown VFD | Clark | $5,000 | Water Handling |
| Monroe Twp. FD (Henryville) | Clark | $5,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Forest VFD | Clinton | $5,000 | Communication (Radios or Pagers) |
| Kirklin VFD | Clinton | $5,000 | Wildland Firefighting Assistance |
| Michigan Twp. VFD | Clinton | $1,366.50 | Wildland Firefighting Assistance |
| Marion Twp. VFD (Greensburg) | Decatur | $5,000 | Wildland Firefighting Assistance |
| Garrett VFD | DeKalb | $3,958 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Albany-Delaware Twp. FD | Delaware | $5,000 | Water Handling |
| Daleville – Salem Twp. FT | Delaware | $5,000 | Water Handling |
| Dubois VFD | Dubois | $4,962.50 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Haysville Community Vol. Fire Dept. | Dubois | $4,900 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Ireland-Madison Twp. VFD | Dubois | $5,000 | Communication (Radios or Pagers) |
| Schnellville VFD | Dubois | $5,000 | Water Handling |
| St Anthony VFD | Dubois | $5,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Cleveland Twp. FD | Elkhart | $2,500 | Wildland Firefighting Assistance |
| Jefferson Twp. VFD | Elkhart | $2,555 | Wildland Firefighting Assistance |
| Bentonville VFD | Fayette | $4,900 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Brookville VFD | Franklin | $5,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Eagle Fire Co. of Oldenburg | Franklin | $2,500 | Water Handling |
| Laurel VFD | Franklin | $5,000 | Communication (Radios or Pagers) |
| Metamora FD | Franklin | $1,250 | Wildland Firefighting Assistance |
| Aubbeenaubbee Twp. FD | Fulton | $5,000 | Water Handling |
| Kewanna / Union Twp. VFD | Fulton | $4,000 | Water Handling |
| Center-Jackson Twp. FT | Greene | $4,999 | Water Handling |
| Linton Fire Dept. | Greene | $5,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Taylor Twp. VFD | Greene | $5,000 | Water Handling |
| Stilesville Fire and Rescue | Hendricks | $4,400 | Water Handling |
| Greentown VFC | Howard | $5,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Mount Etna VFD | Huntington | $5,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Hamilton Twp. VFD | Jackson | $5,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Owen Twp. VFD | Jackson | $5,000 | Water Handling |
| Seymour FD | Jackson | $4,098 | Water Handling |
| Bryant VFD | Jay | $5,000 | Water Handling |
| Campbell Twp. VFD | Jennings | $5,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Vernon Twp. VFD | Jennings | $5,000 | Communication (Radios or Pagers) |
| Edwardsport VFD | Knox | $5,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Freelandville VFD | Knox | $5,000 | Water Handling |
| Vincennes Twp. FD | Knox | $5,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Winona Lake FD | Kosciusko | $2,475 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Howe VFD | Lagrange | $3,715 | Communication (Radios or Pagers) |
| Lagrange VFD | Lagrange | $5,000 | Communication (Radios or Pagers) |
| Lake Station VFD | Lake | $5,000 | Wildland Firefighting Assistance |
| Lacrosse VFD | LaPorte | $5,000 | Communication (Radios or Pagers) |
| Lincoln Twp. VFD (Walkerton) | LaPorte | $5,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Noble Twp. VFD (Union Mills) | LaPorte | $5,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Scipio Twp. VFD | LaPorte | $5,000 | Wildland Firefighting Assistance |
| Springfield Twp. VFD Inc | LaPorte | $5,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Westville VFD | LaPorte | $5,000 | Fire Prevention \ Education |
| Marion Twp. Rural FD (Mitchell) | Lawrence | $5,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Shawswick VFD | Lawrence | $5,000 | Wildland Firefighting Assistance |
| Lapel Stony Creek Twp. FT | Madison | $3,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Argos VFD | Marshall | $5,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Bremen Community Fire Dept. | Marshall | $2,450 | Water Handling |
| Ellettsville FD | Monroe | $5,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Waveland VFD Inc | Montgomery | $5,000 | Wildland Firefighting Assistance |
| A & A Twp. VFD | Morgan | $5,000 | Water Handling |
| Monroe Twp. FD (Monrovia) | Morgan | $5,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Albion FD | Noble | $5,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| French Lick FD | Orange | $5,000 | Wildland Firefighting Assistance |
| Clay Twp. VFD | Owen | 2,200 | Wildland Firefighting Assistance |
| Owen Valley FT | Owen | $5,000 | Wildland Firefighting Assistance |
| Bridgeton VFD | Parke | $5,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| J.U.G.A. (Bellmore) VFD | Parke | $5,000 | Communication (Radios or Pagers) |
| Rockville-Adams Twp. Fire & Rescue | Parke | $5,000 | Wildland Firefighting Assistance |
| Central Perry VFD | Perry | $5,000 | Water Handling |
| Jefferson Twp. FD (Otwell) | Pike | $5,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Petersburg FD | Pike | $5,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Beverly Shores FD | Porter | $2,500 | Water Handling |
| Kouts FD | Porter | $5,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Washington Twp. VFD (Valparaiso) | Porter | $1,090 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Francesville VFD | Pulaski | $5,000 | Training |
| Medaryville-White Post FDMedaryville-White Post FD | Pulaski | $4,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Jefferson Twp. VFD | Putnam | $4,900 | Water Handling |
| Lynn Fire Dept. | Randolph | $4,850 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Saratoga Ward FT | Randolph | $5,000 | Organization (New Departments Only) |
| Batesville Vol. Fire & Rescue Dept. – EMS 10 | Ripley | $5,000 | Wildland Firefighting Assistance |
| Manilla VFD | Rush | $4,517 | Communication (Radios or Pagers) |
| Posey Twp. VFD (Arlington) | Rush | $5,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Johnson Twp. VFD | Scott | $5,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Vienna Twp. VFD | Scott | $5,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Chrisney VFD | Spencer | $5,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Liberty Twp. Fire | St. Joseph | $5,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Knox-Center Twp. Fire Dept. | Starke | $3,250 | Water Handling |
| Koontz Lake VFD | Starke | $5,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| San Pierre Twp. VFD | Starke | $5,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Angola VFD | Steuben | $5,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Fremont VFD | Steuben | $5,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Metz FD | Steuben | $5,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Wildcat Twp. VFD | Tipton | $5,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |
| Perry Twp. VFD (Evansville) | Vanderburgh | $5,000 | Communication (Radios or Pagers) |
| Jackson Twp. VFD (Palymra) | Washington | $5,000 | Communication (Radios or Pagers) |
| Livonia Vol. Fire & Rescue | Washington | $5,000 | Wildland Firefighting Assistance |
| Fountain City / New Garden Twp. FD | Wayne | $5,000 | Safety (SCBA, Turn-Out Gear, PASS etc.) |