The Forest Fire Protection (FFP) Grant Program is available to Wisconsin fire departments and county/area fire associations. The program aims to expand the use of local fire departments to enhance the Department of Natural Resources' initial-attack fire suppression capabilities on forest fires. The grant provides 50% cost-share funding for eligible items. Eligible expenses include personal protective equipment, forest fire training, prevention and wildland urban interface materials, forest fire suppression tools and equipment, communication equipment, dry hydrant installation costs, mapping and GPS devices, and off-road vehicles used primarily for forest fire suppression. The minimum grant amount is $750 ($1,500 total project costs) for fire departments and $5,000 ($10,000 total project costs) for county/area fire associations. The maximum grant amount is $10,000 ($20,000 total project costs) for fire departments and $25,000 ($50,000 total project costs) for county/area fire associations. The application period begins on May 1st and ends on July 1st. Grant projects start on October 1st and end on April 15th of the following year. Applicants must have a signed DNR Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Mutual Aid and Fire Suppression Services. The contact information for the FFP Grant Manager is Sandy Chancellor (Phone: (608) 720-0122; Email: sandra.chancellor@wisconsin.gov) or Ron Schneider (Phone: (608) 438-6528; Email: Ron.Schneider@wisconsin.gov).
