Volunteer fire assistance provides financial, technical, and other assistance to organize, equip, and train small, local fire departments in rural communities with populations UN 10,000 to prevent and…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Region 2 (Rocky Mountain Region), awarded $1,295,940 to the Colorado Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Prevention and Control, under the Cooperative Forestry Assistance program (CFDA 10.664) on September 10, 2025. This five-year project grant, with a completion date of September 9, 2030, provides financial and technical assistance to organize, equip, and train volunteer fire departments in rural Colorado communities with populations under 10,000. The grant supports the procurement of protective equipment and fire suppression equipment for these small, local fire departments to enhance their capacity to prevent and suppress rural fires.

As a primary implementing partner for the Cooperative Forestry Assistance program, the Colorado Department of Public Safety will deploy these resources to strengthen the operational capabilities and readiness of volunteer fire services across the state's rural areas. This funding aligns with the broader program objectives of supporting forest health, reducing wildfire risk, and promoting community resilience on non-federal lands through enhanced emergency response infrastructure and local firefighting capacity.

Volunteer fire assistance provides financial, technical, and other assistance to organize, equip, and train small, local fire departments in rural communities with populations UN 10,000 to prevent and suppress rural fires. This project will fund volunteer fire departments for protective equipment and suppression equipment.