A volunteer fire company in Walker Township received a $10,000 grant from the State Farm Good Neighbor Firefighter Safety Program.

The New England Fire Company, 7 Miller Lane, Tamaqua, was one of seven Pennsylvania departments to receive the award, and one of 150 nationwide.

The program, in collaboration with the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), helps fire departments purchase needed equipment to enhance responder safety and better protect their communities.

According to State Farm, 82% of U.S. fire departments are comprised entirely or mostly of volunteer firefighters. Many of these departments operate on limited budgets that leave them struggling to fund equipment that enables them to more effectively and safely do their jobs.

Recognizing this need, State Farm and the NVFC teamed up to provide $1.5 million to this year’s grant recipients. Since the program began in 2024, a total of $4 million has been distributed to support volunteer fire departments.

Grants can be used to purchase a wide variety of department necessities, including personal protective equipment, EMS and rescue tools, communication devices and more.

“Volunteer firefighters are there for their communities no matter what the emergency, from structure and wildland fires to vehicle crashes and medical emergencies to natural disasters and hazardous materials incidents,” said NVFC Chairman Steve Hirsch. “Yet many local departments lack the funding to purchase the resources and gear they need, forcing them to rely on outdated or insufficient equipment.

“We thank State Farm for taking action to address this need by helping local departments secure critical equipment so they can do their jobs more safely and effectively.”

The announcement was made on Aug. 18, a date many celebrate as Volunteer Firefighters Recognition Day.

In addition to the 150 grants, State Farm provided complimentary NVFC memberships to the first 2,000 eligible applicants to provide more responders with access to an array of benefits, including free training, support services and more.

The NVFC is a national nonprofit association serving volunteer fire, emergency medical and rescue services.

For more information, visit www.nvfc.org/statefarm.