Best Grants for Fire Departments in Maine

State of Maine Department of Agriculture Conservation and Forestry

The key to Maine's past, present, and future quality of life and economic prosperity for its citizens is permanently linked to the condition of the State's forest resources. The Maine Forest Service works to ensure that the trees and forest lands of Maine will continue to provide benefits for present and future generations of Maine people. The Maine Forest Service does this by:

• Developing, advocating for, and promoting activities that encourage the sound long term management of Maine's forest resources.
• Protecting Maine's forest resources from the effects of fire, insects, disease and misuse.
• Providing accurate, relevant, and timely information about Maine's forest resources.

Volunteer Fire Capacity Program

The purpose of the Volunteer Fire Capacity (VFC) Program, formerly known as the Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) Program, is to provide Federal financial, technical, and other assistance to State Foresters and other appropriate officials to organize, train and equip fire departments in rural areas and rural communities to prevent and suppress wildfires. A rural community is defined as having 10,000 or less population.

Each year, federal funds are appropriated to assist towns with the purchase of forest fire equipment or to provide forest fire training. Grants require that towns match the grant funds dollar for dollar.