Local fire departments receive state funding

Several local volunteer fire departments will receive state grant funding this year, as part of a $20 million investment in firefighter equipment and training across Tennessee. The grants are part of the Volunteer Firefighter Equipment and Training (VFEAT) Grant Program, which will distribute $20 million to 412 volunteer fire departments across Tennessee, according to an announcement from the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance. The funding is administered through the Tennessee State Fire Marshal's Office. The following local volunteer departments were awarded grants: Bluff City Volunteer Fire Department City of Church Hill Carter's Valley Volunteer Fire Department Clinch Valley Volunteer Fire Department East Sullivan County Volunteer Fire Department Goshen Valley Volunteer Fire Department Hawkins County Emergency Response Team Lakeview Volunteer Fire Department Piney Volunteer Fire Department Stanley Valley Volunteer Fire Department Sullivan West Volunteer Fire Department Town of Surgoinsville Town of Rogersville Warriors Path Volunteer Fire Department Grant funds can be used to buy firefighting equipment such as helmets, turnout gear and thermal-imaging cameras, or to help meet matching requirements for federal equipment grants. The VFEAT program was created through legislation overseen by Gov. Bill Lee and approved by the Tennessee General Assembly, the release said. Since launching in 2020, the program has given a total of $46.5 million to volunteer fire departments statewide. The $20 million allocation for 2026 is the largest single-year investment in the program's history. "Governor Lee and the Tennessee General Assembly are committed to helping departments receive the funding they need to help keep their firefighters safe, while they protect their communities," Carter Lawrence, TDCI commissioner and state fire marshal, said in the release. "It is my honor to help serve the Tennessee fire service so that they can save lives and protect property across Tennessee." Volunteer departments make up the majority of fire protection services in the state. According to a recent survey, 71% of Tennessee's fire departments are staffed entirely by volunteers. Of the state's 21,075 active firefighters, an estimated 12,460—more than 59%—are volunteers. "Volunteer fire departments are the backbone of fire protection in our communities, and it is crucial that they have the equipment they need to safely complete their mission," Assistant Commissioner for Fire Prevention Mike Bell said in the release. Applications for the 2026 grants were accepted from Nov. 3 through Dec. 4, 2025, and were reviewed and scored before final selections were made by a seven-member committee. Fire departments with questions about the grant program can contact Grants Director Loren Haynes at (615) 806-3725 or by email at loren.haynes@tn.gov.