Investments For Oregon

Open Oregon State Fire Marshal Grant Programs

There are not any current grants open for application. Check back later for future funding opportunities.

2023 Wildfire Season Staffing Grant - $6 million

The $6-million 2023 Wildfire Season Staffing Grant funds local fire agencies to hire additional firefighters for the fire season. This additional capacity allows fire agencies to respond to other calls, improving response times, and ultimately saving lives.

Local fire agencies could apply for up to $35,000 to hire additional firefighters using the current district or department staffing model.

Priority was given to local fire agencies whose annual property tax income does not exceed $2 million. Agencies with an annual property tax income exceeding $2 million were eligible. These applications were reviewed after the application period closed and grant selections were made based on the remaining funds.

Application guide
FAQs
List of recipients

Applications closed on May 19, 2023. Awards were announced in June 2023.

Learn about the success of this funding through our story map.

Community Wildfire Risk Reduction Grant

The competitive Community Wildfire Risk Reduction Grant was open to local governments, special districts, structural fire service agencies, and non-governmental organizations. This grant funds wildfire risk reduction projects, equipment, and staff. These projects will help protect people, property, and communities, preparing communities for wildfire impacts and creating a more fire-adapted Oregon.

• Recipient map
  
• List of recipients
  
• Grant background & objectives
  
• Frequently asked questions
• Application statistics
  
• Scoring
  

Applications closed on January 31, 2023. Awards announced in May 2023.

For more info, see the application guide or webinar recording.

Grant Recipients
Background
FAQs

Applications closed on November 30, 2022. Awards were announced in May 2023.

Engine Program - $25 million

This $25-million program is purchasing and strategically placing new firefighting equipment across Oregon. The OSFM is purchasing type 3, type 6, and tactical tenders to assist local host agencies in keeping fires small and away from communities.

When responding to wildfires that could impact communities, the OSFM relies on the Oregon Fire Mutual Aid System (OFMAS).

For more info, click here or view the guidelines or FAQs. To learn more, visit our Engine Program page.

Applications closed on October 28, 2022. Awards were announced in April 2023.

Oregon State Fire Fighter Joint Apprenticeship Program - $3 million

The Oregon State Fire Marshal invested $3 million in the Oregon State Fire Fighter Joint Apprenticeship Program. Klamath County Fire District No. 1 and Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue will each receive $1.5 million dollars for the two-year program. These agencies were selected because of the increased risk of wildfire near their communities. Over the last few decades, these regions have experienced more wildfires, increasing the demand for firefighters. This investment will help to lessen that need and provide highly-trained personnel to stop fires before they have a chance to grow and impact communities.

The Oregon fire service has seen a decrease in the number of career and volunteer firefighters entering the field. The goals of the apprenticeship program are to create pathways into a career and increase diversity and inclusion, ensuring the Oregon fire service represents the communities they serve.

Read the full announcement here: press release

Read more about the apprenticeship program: Oregon State Fire Fighter Joint Apprenticeship Program

Funding was announced in May 2023.

Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) Investments - $2.7 million

In February 2023, the OSFM made a strategic one-time $2.7 million investment at the local and county levels through community wildfire protection plans (CWPP). Projects will happen in 25 CWPP planning areas located in Baker, Benton, Clackamas, Coos, Crook, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Gilliam, Hood River, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Lake, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Malheur, Marion, Morrow, Multnomah, Polk, Wallowa, Wheeler, and Yamhill counties.

Projects include promoting wildfire-specific community risk reduction efforts, community education, defensible space projects, home assessments, media campaigns, signage, fuel mitigation programs, and grant funds. A full list of projects and locations can be found here.

Awards were announced in February 2023.

2022 Wildfire Season Staffing Grant

As part of the OSFM's Response Ready Oregon Initiative, $6 million in grant funding was available to Oregon's 306 local fire districts and departments to hire additional staff during the 2022 wildfire season. Local fire agencies could request up to $35,000. Agencies used the funds to expand capacity using their current staffing model and pay scale.

For more info, see the grant manual and FAQs. To see success stories, click here to view a story map.

Defensible Space Incentive Grant for Schools and Hospitals

The $271,000 Defensible Space Improvement Grant from early 2022 funded Oregon's public or private schools, universities, and hospitals to complete projects to prevent embers from igniting a fire on or near their properties.

2021 Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Assistance Grant

In January 2021, the Oregon Legislature Emergency Board granted $4.9 million to the OSFM to distribute to the Oregon fire service. The grant's goal was to improve the capacity and capability of fire protection districts and fire departments across Oregon to protect communities and play a pivotal role in wildland fire prevention and suppression in the WUI.

This grant was administered as a pass-through award for fire agencies with priority for those impacted by the 2020 fire season and underrepresented and underserved communities, although all Oregon fire jurisdictions were eligible to receive funding. For more information, click here.

To learn more about the investments and how they’re impacting communities around the state, check out our Success Stories page.