(1) There is created in the State Treasury a special fund to be designated as the “FIRE Grant Fund” to be administered by the Department of Finance and Administration. The purposes of the fund shall be to assist municipalities and counties with fire safety, maintaining or lowering community fire ratings, recruiting and retaining firefighters, and defraying initial costs associated with creating a countywide fire program. The department shall retain an administrative fee in the amount of one percent (1%) of grants awarded from the FIRE Grant Fund to defray the costs of administering the fund.
(2) Beginning on July 1, 2026, all funds that would have been appropriated to or otherwise deposited in the Rural Fire Truck Fund, the Rural Fire Truck Matching Assistance Fund created under Section 17-23-1, the Supplementary Rural Fire Truck Fund created under Section 17-23-11, and the Annual Fire Fund created under Section 17-23-21 shall be deposited into the FIRE Grant Fund. No later than July 10, 2026, the State Fiscal Officer shall transfer all unobligated funds in the Rural Fire Truck Fund, the Rural Fire Truck Matching Assistance Fund, the Supplementary Rural Fire Truck Fund and the Annual Fire Fund to the FIRE Grant Fund. Unexpended amounts remaining in the FIRE Grant Fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the State General Fund, and any interest earned on amounts in the fund shall be deposited to the credit of the fund.
(3) The FIRE Grant Fund shall be used to fund grants in the following areas:(a) Fire trucks. A fire truck grant will be awarded based on need. Need shall be determined based upon the establishment of a multifactor scoring system described in subsection (3) of Section 17-24-5. A grant awarded under this paragraph shall be used to pay an amount up to fifty percent (50%) of the total purchase price of a fire truck; however, if an applicant has never received a grant under the Rural Fire Truck Acquisition Assistance Program, the applicant’s first match under this paragraph may be an amount up to seventy percent (70%) of the total purchase price.(b) Countywide Fire Programs. The countywide fire grant will reimburse a county an amount up to One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) to help cover the first or second year expenses following the formation and implementation of a countywide fire program. The grant may cover expenses incurred from the construction of a building, the purchase of software, computers, radios and other equipment, and staffing. In order to be eligible for a grant under this paragraph, a program must be approved by the local governing board and must consolidate no less than three (3) local volunteer fire departments or alternatively, must cover no less than forty percent (40%) of the county. No more than five (5) grants may be awarded across the state under this paragraph during a one-year period.
(a) Fire trucks. A fire truck grant will be awarded based on need. Need shall be determined based upon the establishment of a multifactor scoring system described in subsection (3) of Section 17-24-5. A grant awarded under this paragraph shall be used to pay an amount up to fifty percent (50%) of the total purchase price of a fire truck; however, if an applicant has never received a grant under the Rural Fire Truck Acquisition Assistance Program, the applicant’s first match under this paragraph may be an amount up to seventy percent (70%) of the total purchase price.
(b) Countywide Fire Programs. The countywide fire grant will reimburse a county an amount up to One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) to help cover the first or second year expenses following the formation and implementation of a countywide fire program. The grant may cover expenses incurred from the construction of a building, the purchase of software, computers, radios and other equipment, and staffing. In order to be eligible for a grant under this paragraph, a program must be approved by the local governing board and must consolidate no less than three (3) local volunteer fire departments or alternatively, must cover no less than forty percent (40%) of the county. No more than five (5) grants may be awarded across the state under this paragraph during a one-year period.
(4) (a) A municipality or county that is the recipient of grant funds from the FIRE Grant Fund must procure or have ordered the fire truck before the expiration of twelve (12) months following the date on which the grant funds are received. If a recipient of grant funds has not procured or ordered the fire truck for which the funds were granted before the required date, the funds shall be returned to the Department of Finance and Administration by the appropriate entity. Where a municipality or county fails to return funds as required under this paragraph, the Department of Finance and Administration shall notify the State Auditor.(b) Upon receipt of the notification, the State Auditor shall send the county or municipality a letter expressing the State Auditor’s intent to seek recovery of the funds by issuing a certificate of noncompliance. If the funds have not been returned within thirty (30) days from the date of issuance of the letter of intent, the Auditor shall issue a certificate of noncompliance to the county or municipality and provide written notice of the certificate to the Department of Revenue.(c) The Department of Revenue shall withhold such amount which has not been returned to the Department of Finance and Administration in compliance with this subsection and shall transfer the withheld allocations and payments under Section 27-65-75 to the Department of Finance and Administration.(d) The State Treasurer, in conjunction with the State Fiscal Officer, shall transfer such funds into the FIRE Grant Fund. Once a sum equal to the amount of funds owed to the state under this subsection by the county or municipality has been transferred into the FIRE Grant Fund, the State Fiscal Officer shall certify to the State Auditor that the required funds have been returned to the FIRE Grant Fund.(e) Upon receipt of the certification by the State Fiscal Officer under paragraph (d) of this subsection, the State Auditor shall cancel the certificate of noncompliance and inform the Department of Revenue of such cancellation in writing.
(a) A municipality or county that is the recipient of grant funds from the FIRE Grant Fund must procure or have ordered the fire truck before the expiration of twelve (12) months following the date on which the grant funds are received. If a recipient of grant funds has not procured or ordered the fire truck for which the funds were granted before the required date, the funds shall be returned to the Department of Finance and Administration by the appropriate entity. Where a municipality or county fails to return funds as required under this paragraph, the Department of Finance and Administration shall notify the State Auditor.
(b) Upon receipt of the notification, the State Auditor shall send the county or municipality a letter expressing the State Auditor’s intent to seek recovery of the funds by issuing a certificate of noncompliance. If the funds have not been returned within thirty (30) days from the date of issuance of the letter of intent, the Auditor shall issue a certificate of noncompliance to the county or municipality and provide written notice of the certificate to the Department of Revenue.
(c) The Department of Revenue shall withhold such amount which has not been returned to the Department of Finance and Administration in compliance with this subsection and shall transfer the withheld allocations and payments under Section 27-65-75 to the Department of Finance and Administration.
(d) The State Treasurer, in conjunction with the State Fiscal Officer, shall transfer such funds into the FIRE Grant Fund. Once a sum equal to the amount of funds owed to the state under this subsection by the county or municipality has been transferred into the FIRE Grant Fund, the State Fiscal Officer shall certify to the State Auditor that the required funds have been returned to the FIRE Grant Fund.
(e) Upon receipt of the certification by the State Fiscal Officer under paragraph (d) of this subsection, the State Auditor shall cancel the certificate of noncompliance and inform the Department of Revenue of such cancellation in writing.
(5) In addition to the requirements specified in subsection (3) of this section, in order to be eligible for a grant under this section, an applicant shall have a Fire Rating Plan on file which includes a one-year and three-year plan to maintain and reduce the area fire rating.