NASHVILLE – At noon on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, the Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) formally recognized ten volunteer fire departments who provide lifesaving service to counties in the Upper Cumberland region of Tennessee. These departments received grant funding totaling $346,372.35 to purchase firefighting equipment through the SFMO’s Volunteer Firefighter Equipment and Training Grant Program.
The departments and the counties they serve include: Fairfield Glade FD (Cumberland); Jackson County Central VFD, Flynn’s Lick VFD, Granville VFD, and Fairview VFD (Jackson); Baxter VFD (Putnam); Gordonsville FD (Smith); Piney VFD (Van Buren); Doyle FD and Mt. Gilead VFD (White).
The ceremony included state and local legislators and was held in the offices of the Upper Cumberland Development District offices at 1104 England Drive, Cookeville, TN 38501. Created through legislation overseen by Governor Bill Lee and approved by the Tennessee General Assembly, the Volunteer Firefighter Equipment and Training Grant Program awards grant monies to
volunteer fire departments across Tennessee’s three Grand Divisions. The grants are used to purchase firefighting equipment or to help volunteer departments meet local matching requirements for federal equipment grants. Since the program’s creation in 2020, $6.5 million has been used to purchase the equipment that helps ensure the safety of Tennessee volunteer firefighters.
