The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI) and the Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) honor the bravery, dedication, and sacrifices of Tennessee’s volunteer firefighters during Volunteer Firefighters Week (March 1 – March 7, 2026).
Each year, the first full week in March is observed in Tennessee as Volunteer Firefighters Week to honor and recognize volunteer firefighters for their courageous and dedicated service.
Volunteer firefighters and their departments are critical to providing fire protection in Tennessee. In fact, records show that 54% of the state’s population receive fire protection from departments utilizing volunteers while 95% of the state’s geography receives fire protection from departments utilizing volunteers (either a combination department of volunteer and career firefighters or completely volunteer).
Over 70% of the state’s fire departments are staffed entirely by volunteers. The SFMO estimates there are currently 12,460 volunteer firefighters, which is 59.1% of the population of Tennessee’s fire service.
“Volunteer fire departments are the backbone of fire safety in our communities and embody the Volunteer State’s spirit, receiving little to no compensation in order to help protect their neighbors,” said TDCI Commissioner and State Fire Marshal Carter Lawrence. “This week, I salute Tennessee’s volunteer firefighters for their work, and I believe that Tennessee’s volunteer firefighters should be honored for their sacrifices every day.”
As part of Volunteer Firefighters Week, TDCI is highlighting several ongoing initiatives that are supporting Tennessee’s volunteer firefighters and first responders.
The Volunteer Firefighter Equipment and Training Grant Program provides grant monies to volunteer fire departments to purchase firefighting equipment or help meet local matching requirements for federal equipment grants. Since the program’s launch in 2020, grants totaling $46.5 million have been provided to Tennessee volunteer fire departments serving communities in all three of Tennessee’s three Grand Divisions. The $20 million allocation for 2026 was the largest single amount allocated for VFEAT in its history.
The Rescue Squad Grant Program has provided $10 million to rescue squads through the program’s first two years. The SFMO will announce the recipients of $5 million in grant funding for 2026, on March 27, 2026.
The “Get Alarmed, Tennessee!” free smoke alarm program has documented 524 saved lives by smoke alarms installed by fire departments and volunteers since 2012. The program was recently expanded to include carbon monoxide detectors. Request a free smoke alarm by visiting our website.
“Helping support the brave men and women volunteer firefighters and rescue squad members through our programs is one of the privileges that our team has every day,” said Assistant Commissioner Mike Bell. “During Volunteer Firefighters Week, I encourage Tennesseans to tell their local volunteer firefighters ‘thank you’ for their willingness to forego their safety in order to help others.”
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