The Forest Service provides funds to help states and volunteer fire departments maintain leading-edge prevention and wildland fire suppression techniques. The law authorizes financial, technical, educational, and related assistance to State Foresters or equivalent state officials to enable such officials to provide technical information, advice, and related assistance to protect forestland from damage caused by fire. This is done through fire prevention efforts, training and equipping fire organizations, and aggressive initial attack to keep wildland fire ignitions small.
Federal funds are cost-shared with state and local funds and help augment state protection needs.
The focus of the Federal assistance is to provide adequate fire and personal safety equipment, to provide training, and to organize new fire departments in unprotected communities. Funding for Volunteer Fire Assistance has been very limited and does not meet the requested needs. The Cooperative Fire Protection Program administered through the Durham Field Office provides technical and financial assistance to the State Foresters and Fire Supervisors of the following agencies. The Cooperative Fire Protection Program also provides technical and financial assistance to the Northeastern Forest Fire Protection Commission, also known as the Northeastern Fire Compact . A new regional Compact fire plan is also available.