State Farm has announced the recipients of its Good Neighbor Firefighter Safety Program grants, awarding $1 million to 100 volunteer fire departments. Each department will receive a $10,000 grant to purchase equipment aimed at enhancing safety, communications, and operations. Volunteer firefighters constitute over 65% of all firefighters in the United States and are crucial in protecting communities, particularly in small towns and rural areas.

Apsara Sorensen, State Farm's corporate responsibility assistant vice president, expressed pride in supporting these firefighters: “We are proud to support the safety of volunteer firefighters – the ultimate good neighbors who risk their lives each and every day.”

The program was developed in collaboration with the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), which assisted in selecting the winners from a pool of 500 applications received within just 1.5 hours. NVFC Chair Steve Hirsch commented on the response: “We had a resounding response to this inaugural year of the State Farm Good Neighbor Firefighter Safety Program, which demonstrates how needed this support is for our local volunteer fire departments.”

State Farm plans to continue this grant program into 2025 due to high demand and widespread need. Those interested can monitor opportunities through NVFC’s page.

Applicants who did not receive grants were still provided with NVFC memberships by State Farm. These memberships offer access to various tools and resources such as free training and a First Responder Helpline.

The announcement aligns with Fire Prevention Week from October 6-12, focusing on educating about smoke alarms under this year's theme: “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!™” State Farm also partners with the American Red Cross Sound the Alarm program, contributing to over 130,000 smoke alarm installations this year.

For more details on Fire Prevention Week and its theme, information is available at fpw.org.