Fire Department Grants
Fire department grants and funding, explained.
Where fire department funding really comes from — federal, state, foundation, corporate and local — and how departments of every size get ready to win it. Written for chiefs, officers and grant writers.
Getting started
Funding Guide
How to get grants for a volunteer fire department
A practical guide to grants for volunteer fire departments — federal, state, foundation and corporate sources, eligibility basics, registrations you need first, and how to write a stronger application.
Funding Guide
Funding for small and rural fire departments
Funding options for small and rural fire departments: USDA Rural Development Community Facilities loans and grants, Volunteer Fire Assistance, excess federal property programs, AFG, state programs and local partners.
Grant Writing
Fire department grant writing: process, tools and AI assistance
How AI-assisted grant writing helps fire departments draft stronger applications faster — what it should and shouldn't do, how to keep narratives accurate, and what to look for in fire department grant application software.
Funding sources
Federal Funding
FEMA fire grants explained: AFG, SAFER and FP&S
An overview of FEMA's fire grant programs under DHS — Assistance to Firefighters (AFG), Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) and Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S): what each funds, who's eligible and how to prepare.
Private Funding
Corporate and foundation grants for fire departments
How fire departments find and win private funding: community foundations, private and corporate foundations, utility and electric cooperative programs, banks, insurers and local businesses — and how to approach each.
What you're funding
Apparatus Funding
Grants and funding to purchase a fire truck
How fire departments fund new and used fire trucks: AFG vehicle acquisition, USDA Community Facilities loans and grants, state apparatus programs, lease-purchase and municipal financing — plus how to plan apparatus replacement.
Equipment Funding
Firefighter equipment grants: how departments fund gear, tools and safety equipment
Where fire departments find grants for firefighter equipment — PPE and turnout gear, SCBA, radios, hose and nozzles, rescue tools, thermal imaging cameras and fitness equipment — and how to build a request reviewers can fund.
Equipment Funding
How to fund SCBA replacement
How fire departments pay for self-contained breathing apparatus: AFG funding for SCBA, cylinder service life, standard-compliance upgrades, state and private grants, and planning a whole-fleet SCBA replacement.
Equipment Funding
Funding for firefighter turnout gear and PPE
How fire departments fund turnout gear and personal protective equipment: AFG operations and safety, state and private grants, planning around the 10-year retirement rule, and building a rotating PPE replacement schedule.
Facilities Funding
Fire station construction and renovation funding
How communities fund new fire stations and renovations: USDA Community Facilities loans and grants, municipal bonds and capital budgets, federal facility-modification funding, state programs and private support.
Capital Planning
Fire department equipment replacement funding and capital budgeting
How fire departments and municipalities fund equipment and apparatus replacement: replacement schedules, sinking funds, municipal capital budgets, grants and financing — and how to present a capital plan your council will fund.
Verified funding opportunities
Programs checked against each funder's official source, with status, deadlines and award ranges.
Browse verified opportunities →Verified opportunities open now
From Capital Command's verified funding catalog, checked against each program's official source. Program names, eligibility details and matching for your department are in the free app.
- Fire Service Funding · State / LocalDeadline Nov 16, 2026 · closing soon
- Fire Service Funding · State / LocalDeadline Dec 1, 2026
- Fire Service Funding · State / LocalDeadline Dec 1, 2026
- Fire Service Funding · State / LocalDeadline Dec 15, 2026
- Fire Service Funding · State / LocalRolling or recurring
State fire grant programs
Many states fund fire departments through the state fire marshal, forestry agency or a firefighter relief fund. Our directory lists state programs in 13 states so far, with where to look in every other state.
Browse state fire grant programs →Well-known national programs
- Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) — FEMA (U.S. Department of Homeland Security) · typically May–June
- Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) — FEMA (U.S. Department of Homeland Security) · typically May–June
- Fire Prevention and Safety Grants (FP&S) — FEMA (U.S. Department of Homeland Security) · typically May–June
Typical timing only, from funders' published cycles. Current status, deadlines and eligibility for your department are in Funding Intelligence and the funding calendar.
Planning and budgeting
- Fire department capital planning and apparatus replacement
- How to build a fire department capital plan
- How a capital request fits the municipal budget cycle
- Free funding assessment for your department
Capital Command is an independent software company and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any agency, funder or manufacturer named in these guides. Program rules, amounts and deadlines change every cycle — confirm with the official source before applying.