Oregon’s 29 Rangeland Fire Protection Associations

Oregon’s Eastern Counties
Request: $232,000

The Rangeland Fire Protection program is seeking $232,000 in private funding for RFPAs to purchase tires and wheels, one of the single largest expenses shared by all RFPAs and with the biggest impact on safety and effectiveness. Although tires are a focus, RFPAs have many other needs as well. The average annual operating budget of an RFPA for fiscal year ’26 (FY26) was $25,000, through a combination of local, state and federal funding. The three primary sources of funding are self-imposed membership dues (average $6,000/RFPA), the federal Volunteer Fire Capacity Grant (maximum $10,000/RFPA) and reimbursement for liability insurance by the State of Oregon (average $5,000/RFPA) followed by local donations, fundraising and other grants (average $4,000/RFPA). 16 of the 29 RFPAs applied for the VFC grant in 2025. Volunteer time and expertise is a barrier to applying for the VFC grant and other grant opportunities for many of the RFPAs. As of 2025, tires are no longer an eligible purchase with Volunteer Fire Capacity Grant funds.