- Department of Conservation & Recreation
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Brenna Galvin, DCR Press Secretary
Rutland — The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) today announced that 36 communities with nonprofit rural, call, or volunteer fire departments have been awarded a total of $88,346 in grant funding through the Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) Program. The funding will enable these critical fire departments to purchase necessary supplies and equipment that enhance their ability to protect our state’s natural resources from forest fires, as well as help with training and fire prevention efforts. DCR Commissioner Brian Arrigo and the agency’s Chief Fire Warden Dave Celino joined Massachusetts Director of Rural Affairs Anne Gobi and local elected officials at the Rutland Fire Department today to announce the 2024 VFA recipients.
“The VFA grants provide rural fire departments across the state with funding to invest in training and equipment that are critical to responding quickly and effectively to wildfires,” said DCR Commissioner Brian Arrigo. “In addition to providing important resources to our communities, these grants also demonstrate the partnership between federal, state, and municipal agencies to preserve and protect our natural resources and ensuring safe outdoor spaces for everyone to enjoy.”
“The fire fighters that protect our rural communities deserve to have the best training and equipment to keep them and our communities safe,” said Anne Gobi, Director of Rural Affairs. “Our rural communities contain heavily forested areas and the effects of climate change and other extreme weather events have a dramatic impact on those forests. These grants are welcomed and necessary.”
The VFA grants are awarded to municipalities with a population of 10,000 or less and are home to community volunteer fire departments responding to wildfires safely and effectively. To be considered for a VFA grant, fire departments must be made up of at least 80 percent call or volunteer firefighters, be a state-recognized fire department, and be National Incident Management System (NIMS) compliant. Communities considered for a VFA grant include high-risk towns adjacent to federal lands, those working in partnership with federal firefighting agencies to respond to wildfires, and those in high-risk areas not associated with federal lands.
“Local call and volunteer fire departments are critical partners in our efforts to protect residents and minimize the spread and impacts of fires in our forests and other open spaces,” said DCR Chief Fire Warden Dave Celino. “We are proud to continue to support our local fire departments in this way and I commend town fire chiefs and forest wardens for their leadership and invaluable commitment to protecting our communities.”
The VFA program is authorized by the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978. It is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and administered by DCR on a 50 percent reimbursement basis, with a maximum reimbursement of $3,000 per community.
Towns that received an award from this year’s program are:
| Town/Grantee | Dollar amount of award |
|---|---|
| Adams Forest Fire Department | $2,015.57 |
| Ashby | $3,000.00 |
| Barre | $3,000.00 |
| Berkley | $3,000.00 |
| Boxford | $2,461.57 |
| Brimfield | $3,000.00 |
| Brookfield | $3,000.00 |
| Buckland | $2,649.17 |
| Carlisle | $3,000.00 |
| Dalton Fire District | $806.49 |
| Dartmouth Fire District 2 | $2,457.50 |
| Edgartown | $3,000.00 |
| Essex | $3,000.00 |
| Granville | $1,728.50 |
| Leverett | $2,920.00 |
| Monterey | $2,985.25 |
| New Braintree | $3,000.00 |
| North Brookfield | $798.00 |
| Petersham | $1,569.07 |
| Plympton | $3,000.00 |
| Royalston | $2,956.50 |
| Rutland | $3,000.00 |
| Sherborn | $2,698.50 |
| Shirley | $2,450.00 |
| South Deerfield Fire District | $3,000.00 |
| South Hadley Fire District 2 | $2,791.34 |
| Sunderland | $177.49 |
| Sutton | $203.40 |
| Tisbury | $3,000.00 |
| Tolland | $2,800.00 |
| Upton | $3,000.00 |
| Wales | $2,788.32 |
| West Barnstable Fire District | $2,987.50 |
| Westhampton | $1,530.00 |
| Williamstown Fire District | $2,116.00 |
| Windsor | $2,456.00 |
“It is a relief for me to see this funding for our small, rural fire departments because I know from my time as a Selectman that chiefs of call and volunteer fire departments struggle to buy new equipment and fund training,” said State Sen. Peter Durant. “In the past we have seen arson fires burn DCR lands in our area and those incidents require local fire departments to work hand-in-hand with DCR to minimize damage and protect nearby homes and businesses. Having funding for specialized equipment to fight wildfires will also ease the financial burden on these rural communities.”
“I wish to extend my sincere thanks to the Administration and the Department of Conservation and Recreation for providing this grant opportunity through the Volunteer Fire Assistance Program,” said Minority Leader Rep. Kim Ferguson. “I cannot say enough about the incredible work and dedication of the Rutland Fire Department, and I am so pleased that they applied for and have been awarded these funds to support additional training and equipment.”
“I'm excited to see a portion of this funding go to a community in my district,” said Rep. Dan Sena. “Volunteer fire departments are essential to their communities, and Shirley is no exception. This money will be key in helping with equipment and training to combat the risk of wildfires.”
To learn more about the Volunteer Fire Assistance Program, please visit DCR’s Bureau of Forest Fire Control and Forestry webpage regarding the program.
According to the DCR Bureau of Forest Fire Control, there have been 435 wildfires that have burned approximately 430 acres across Massachusetts and destroyed eight outbuildings but have not destroyed any residences so far this year. Most of these fires have been kept small and extinguished quickly due to the quick response efforts of local fire departments.
Additionally, DCR sent a 20-person crew to Helena, Montana early this morning to assist in battling one of nine active and uncontained large fires currently burning almost 46,000 acres across the state.
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