Tennessee Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) Grant Program

Grant Details:
Application Due Date: May 2012 est

Description: 

Overview:

The Division of Forestry is offering the Volunteer Frire Assistance (VFA) Program. Volunteer fire departments serving communities with populations of 10,000 or less are eligible. The maximum 50/50 match amount per fire department is $3,000; the minimum is $500. Eligible purchases totaling $1,000 to $6,000 may have half the total amount reimbursed by grant funds.

Application Phase:

1. Grantee volunteer fire departments (VFD's) are to submit with their application a list of proposed purchases including estimated unit prices.

2. Grantee VFD's must complete and sign a current "Authorization Agreement for Automatic Deposits (ACH Credits) forms' along with a voided check or deposit slip. All reimbursement payments will be made by direct deposit to the grantee's bank.

3. Grantee VFD's are required to submit with their application a current Substitute W-9 form verifying the accuracy of their Federal Tax Identification Number. A Federal Tax Identification Number is required.

4. Only Grantee VFD's serving communities with populations of 10,000 or less are eligible.

Contract Phase:

1. Grant contracts will be awarded based on the VFD's rating determined from information provided on the application

2. This is a 50/50 Federal matching grant program. No contract shall be issued for less than $500 or more than $3,000.

Reimbursement Phase:

1. A one time reimbursement will be made after the grantee has submitted sufficient proof of purchase in the form of copies of paid invoices for twice the amount of the grant.

Restrictions:

1. Requests for ffunding will not be considered for the following:

     - Repair or construction of buildings

     - Land acquisition, water lines or hydrants

     - Emergency medical equipment or equipment not fire related

     - Single items costing more than $5,000

2. Communities imposing strict boundary limits, which exclude rural residences or use a subscription response system, will not be considered.

3. The grantee VFD must maintain a permanent file containing all information and correspondence relating to the grant.

4. Grantee VFD must have a current "Memorandum of Understaning with the Division of Forestry dated after June 30, 2005.

Organization Information:
Organization: Tennessee Department of Agriculture
Website: http://www.state.tn.us/agriculture/forestry/fire.html

Contact Information:
Contact Name: Divsion of Forestry
Contact Phone: (615) 837-5091

More Information:
http://burnsafetn.org/pdfs/vfa.pdf