The Newton Township Volunteer Fire Department in Gould City will receive a $10,000 grant from State Farm and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC).
Through this year’s Good Neighbor Firefighter Safety Program, 150 departments in 44 states received a $10,000 grant, including a department in Michigan.
The announcement was made on August 18, a date many celebrate as Volunteer Firefighters Recognition Day. Volunteer firefighters make up 65% of the U.S. fire service, and communities across the country rely on volunteers to respond to emergencies of all kinds – from structure and wildland fires, to vehicle crashes and medical emergencies, to natural disasters and hazmat incidents.
Many of these small-town and rural fire departments operate with limited budgets, making it difficult to meet the rising costs of the equipment and gear they need to best serve their community. These grants are a lifeline for local departments to obtain equipment that will increase safety, efficiency and effectiveness. Grants will be used to purchase a wide variety of department necessities, including personal protective equipment, EMS and rescue tools, communication devices and much more.
State Farm and the NVFC will also join 10 of the fire department recipients at a community engagement event this fall, which may include an open house, fire prevention event, parade or other local gathering.
“The NVFC is proud to team up with State Farm to continue the Good Neighbor Firefighter Safety Program and provide critical assistance to volunteer fire departments,” said NVFC Chair Steve Hirsch. “Firefighting and rescue equipment is expensive, and many departments struggle to find the funding they need. These grants from State Farm enable small departments to secure equipment they need to be better prepared to serve their communities and protect their responders.”
In addition to the 150 grants, State Farm provided complimentary NVFC memberships to the first 2,000 eligible applicants to provide more responders with access to an array of benefits, including free training, support services and more. The NVFC is the leading national nonprofit association serving the volunteer fire, emergency medical, and rescue services.
