SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. (WWLP) – The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) announced more than $131,000 in grants to 45 rural, call, and volunteer fire departments across the state.
The funding, awarded through the Volunteer Fire Capacity program, is designed to help smaller departments train personnel and improve emergency response. The program is authorized by the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978, which targets small municipalities with populations under 10,000 to assist with forest fire prevention and the purchase of firefighting equipment.
The 2026 grant cycle included two more communities than the previous year. Total funding for the program also increased by $14,000 over the last year. Funding is provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and administered by the DCR on a 50% reimbursement basis…