Fire Department Grant Guide: How to Fund a Thermal Imaging Camera

Most fire departments buy thermal imaging cameras with grant money. This guide covers the grants departments use most often to pay for a thermal imaging camera (TIC), which Seek cameras fit each grant, and how Chief Miller Apparel can help with your application.

Quick answer: which camera fits which grant

Funding source Camera to request Why
FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Seek AttackPRO+ NFPA Certified AFG only funds thermal imaging cameras that are NFPA 1801 compliant.
Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation Seek AttackPRO 300 or AttackPRO+ No matching funds needed. These grants commonly pay for TICs.
State Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) FirePRO 300 or FirePRO 200 personal cameras Awards are small, so lower-cost cameras fit the budget.
Local budgets, fundraisers and community donations Seek AttackPRO 300 or the Engine Truck Bundle No certification rules apply, so you can buy the newest technology.

1. FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG)

AFG is the largest federal grant program for fire department equipment. Departments apply each year through the FEMA GO system. The FY 2025 AFG application period ran from May 19 to June 22, 2026.

Who can apply: fire departments with a formally recognized arrangement with a state, local, territorial or tribal government to provide fire suppression to a fixed first-due response area.

Your share of the cost (cash only, no in-kind):

  • Populations of 20,000 or fewer: 5% of the grant
  • Populations over 20,000 and up to 1 million: 10%
  • Populations over 1 million: 15%

Thermal imaging cameras: TICs are listed as high-priority equipment, but they must be NFPA 1801 compliant. The Seek AttackPRO+ NFPA Certified Thermal Imaging Camera is the Seek camera to put in an AFG application. Before you submit, check the current year's Notice of Funding Opportunity for the exact NFPA edition required.

Tips:

  • Register with SAM.gov and FEMA GO well before the window opens. Registration can take weeks.
  • Describe the need with real numbers: fire calls, structure fires, mutual-aid calls, and the age of your current cameras.
  • Training on the camera you buy can be included as part of the equipment request.
  • Get a written quote before you apply, so your budget matches real prices.

2. Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation

The Foundation gives lifesaving equipment to fire departments, EMS, law enforcement and other public safety organizations. In 2025 alone it funded 187 thermal imaging cameras.

  • No matching funds: the Foundation does not require a cost share, and it does not fund partial requests.
  • Amounts: $15,000 to $25,000 is the guideline. Requests over $40,000 are not accepted.
  • No reimbursement: do not buy the equipment first and then apply.
  • Quarterly cycles: the portal accepts a limited number of applications each quarter and closes when it fills up, so apply as soon as it opens.
  • Rural departments: the Foundation focuses near its restaurants but will consider rural and volunteer departments outside that area.
  • Required: an equipment inventory that lists your apparatus and specialized equipment.

A request for an AttackPRO 300 plus a few FirePRO 300 personal cameras and a truck charger fits well within the guideline amount.

3. Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA)

The USDA Forest Service funds VFA, and each state's forestry agency runs it. The program helps rural and volunteer departments build wildland firefighting capacity.

  • It usually works as a 50/50 matching grant. Some states, such as Mississippi, cover the department's share.
  • Awards are small, typically a few thousand dollars per department. South Carolina caps grants at $5,000 and Maryland at $3,500.
  • Contact your state forestry agency for its deadline and application.

The Seek FirePRO 200 ($699) and FirePRO 300 ($1,299) personal cameras fit VFA budgets.

4. Other sources worth checking

  • FM Fire Prevention Grant Program: funds fire prevention, preparedness and control efforts, including pre-incident planning and fire investigation.
  • State fire marshal and state fire grant programs: many states run their own equipment grants.
  • Local businesses, civic clubs and industrial plants in your district: a thermal imaging camera is a clear, lifesaving gift that donors understand.

How Chief Miller Apparel helps

  • Written quotes for grant applications: itemized quotes with current pricing for your budget section.
  • Help choosing the right camera so it matches the grant's rules, including AFG's NFPA requirement.
  • Bundles such as the Engine Truck Bundle (2 FirePRO 300 + 1 AttackPRO VRS kit) to equip a whole apparatus in one line item.

Request a grant quote: contact us, call (318) 536-1971 or email info@chiefmillerapparel.com. Tell us your department name, the grant you're applying for, and the cameras and quantities you need.

Seek thermal cameras at Chief Miller Apparel

Grant rules change every year. Always confirm eligibility, deadlines and equipment requirements in the official program guidance before you apply. Sources: Federal Register, FY 2025 AFG guidelines; FY 2025 AFG Notice of Funding Opportunity; Firehouse Subs grant FAQ; Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation; South Carolina Forestry Commission VFA; Mississippi Forestry Commission VFA; Maryland DNR; FM Fire Prevention Grant Program.