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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM) is announcing the opening of the application period for the new Fire Station Construction and Rehabilitation Grant program.
The program provides grants up to $350,000 for the construction/rehabilitation of fire stations with a total of $5 million available to departments across the state. Applicants have to be submitted electronically or postmarked no later than Feb. 28.
“We continue to see and hear the need of fire departments across Illinois,” said Illinois State Fire Marshal James A. Rivera. “As the cost of equipment and fire apparatus increase, the need to store these assets in an adequate station that doesn’t leak and is free of any hazards will help to keep the Illinois firefighters safer and help equipment last longer.”
To be eligible to receive these grants, departments must have an active registration with SAM.gov and also be registered with the state’s Grantee Portal. On top of that, applicants must be National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) compliant for at least the last two years.
The two-year required reporting period includes incidents from December 2022 through November 2024. Fire departments are required to report all incidents responded to, including ambulance calls.
“I hope this grant shows that our commitment to helping provide funding to departments across the state continues and that we hear your need,” Rivera said. “I can’t thank Governor JB Pritzker enough for his support of the fire service through programs such as this.”
For more information about the grant program, and to find the application, visit the OSFM website.