Interior Department’s Office of Wildland Fire Awards $5 Million to Strengthen Local Governments’ Wildfire Response

The Slip-on Tanker Pilot Program is expanding wildfire response capacity for 97 local emergency response agencies in 26 states

Five Oklahoma towns and cities were among those places that received a share of more than $5 million awarded this week by the Interior Department for beefed up wildfire response.

The town of Meeker in central Oklahoma received the highest award with $108,949.64 for improvements to its wildfire fighting abilities.

The Fire Department of Depew in the northeast and the town of Wellston each was awarded $72,549.76. The City of Erick in western Oklahoma next to the state line with Texas was awarded $39,505 while the Boise City Fire Department in the western reaches of the Panhandle received $25,078.79.

Meeker’s award of more than $108,000 was one of seven places with awards topping $100,000. The largest of the nearly 100 grants awarded by the Interior Department was $246,420 to a Soil and Water Conservation District in Oregon.

The funding announced was awarded to 97 local emergency response agencies in 26 states. The recipients serve communities with a moderate to high wildfire risk, as determined by the Wildfire Risk to Communities tool.

The Department of the Interior announced the award of $5.08 million in funding to strengthen local governments’ wildfire response, a key priority for President Donald J. Trump. The Slip-on Tanker Pilot Program helps small, remote emergency response agencies quickly expand their wildfire response capacity by equipping local firefighters with practical, deployable tools that strengthen preparedness and protect lives, property and infrastructure.

“President Trump knows local firefighting agencies are often the first to respond when a wildfire ignites and took strong action to ensure they had the funding needed to get the job done for the American people,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. “This program delivers practical tools that allow local departments to move faster, use existing equipment more effectively and respond before fires threaten communities.”

The program helps local governments purchase slip-on tanker units, which can be used to quickly convert trucks or other vehicles to be operated as wildland fire engines, allowing departments to expand capacity without purchasing new apparatus. Local governments that provide emergency services to areas with a population of 50,000 or less are eligible to receive grants ranging from $10,000 to $500,000.

Enhancing local wildfire response is a priority for the Trump administration, as mandated in Executive Order 14308, Empowering Commonsense Wildfire Prevention and Response. The funding announced today will improve the ability of local agencies to respond quickly to nearby wildfires and to support interagency wildland firefighting efforts. As wildfires grow larger and more destructive, these efforts will help safeguard communities, support first responders and reduce risks to critical infrastructure.

A new round of grant opportunities through the Slip-on Tanker Pilot Program will be announced in early 2026. Additional details about the next application window will be posted on grants.gov.

Date: December 2025

This table shows the number of slip-on tank recipients, their states, and the grant
award amounts.
Agency State Amount
City of Alexandria Minnesota $71,248.00
City of Burwell, Inc Nebraska $82,720.00
City of Abilene Kansas $20,367.00
City of Babbitt Minnesota $40,000.00
City of Echo Oregon $65,296.00
City of Loris South Carolina $23,733.00
City of Malvern Fire Department Arkansas $55,000.00
City of Mora Minnesota $31,682.00
City of Norton Virginia $55,865.00
City of Sebring Florida $53,330.66
Cazadero Volunteer Fire Department California $32,613.97
City of Erick Oklahoma $39,505.00
City of Myrtle Beach South Carolina $60,000.00
Jasper County Fire-Rescue South Carolina $21,227.70
Java Fire District South Dakota $27,684.00
Slip-on Tanker Pilot Program Grant Recipients, December 2025
Page 2 of 5
Agency State Amount
Mitchell County Fire Department Georgia $31,306.81
Southwestern Polk County Rural Fire Department Oregon $26,000.00
Tooele Country Corporation Utah $138,360.00
Town of Chesterfield South Carolina $26,000.00
City of Sevierville Tennessee $41,825.00
Council Volunteer Fire Department Inc. Virginia $39,029.00
County of Montgomery, Kansas Kansas $84,000.00
Glendale Area Fire District South Carolina $24,995.00
Grand Lake Volunteer Fire Department Minnesota $35,968.00
Harrison Volunteer Fire Department Nebraska $46,000.00
Jefferson County Fire District No. 4 Kansas $54,354.00
Keno RFPD Oregon $66,750.00
Lenoir City Fire Department Tennessee $45,000.00
Monroe County Government Tennessee $30,000.00
Rolette County – Rolla FD North Dakota $125,875.00
Rooks County Stockton Fire District – Stockton FD Kansas $84,760.00
Sartell Fire Department Minnesota $27,156.00
South McCreary Fire and Rescue Kentucky $21,138.00
City of South Sioux City Nebraska $25,295.00
Tallahassee Fire Protection District Colorado $72,288.00
The City of Nevada City California $54,072.00
Tyger River Fire Service Area South Carolina $19,716.00
Slip-on Tanker Pilot Program Grant Recipients, December 2025
Page 3 of 5
Agency State Amount
Audubon Fire Department Minnesota $41,390.00
Boise City Fire Department Oklahoma $25,078.79
Kenai Peninsula Borough Alaska $98,844.00
Nebraska Game & Parks Commission – Dawes
County
Nebraska $96,000.00
City of Coalgate Oklahoma $72,549.76
New Plymouth Rural Fire Protection District Idaho $21,154.63
Rossville Volunteer Fire Department South Carolina $131,287.95
Town of Duluth Minnesota $21,548.00
Wheeler Soil and Water Conservation District Oregon $246,420.00
City of Ortonville Minnesota $22,500.00
Cotton Volunteer Fire Department Minnesota $29,743.14
Deary Rural Fire District Idaho $97,000.00
Depew Fire Department Oklahoma $72,549.76
Monroe County Government Tennessee $39,570.00
Moraga Orinda Fire Protection District California $34,300.81
North Gilliam RFPD Oregon $65,849.00
Northome Fire Department Minnesota $35,624.00
Redings Mill Fire Protection District Missouri $56,230.00
Stevens County Fire Protection District #5 Washington $184,709.07
Hopland Fire Protection Districts California $54,584.76
Union County Commissioner Oregon $26,000.00
Slip-on Tanker Pilot Program Grant Recipients, December 2025
Page 4 of 5
Agency State Amount
Upper Pine River Fire Protection District Colorado $58,487.85
Twin Valley Fire and Rescue Minnesota $61,902.00
Upper McKenzie Rural Fire Protection District Oregon $34,524.00
Belmont Fire Department South Carolina $25,606.92
City of Broken Bow Nebraska $20,625.00
City of Dante – Consolidated w/Wagner FD South Dakota $64,925.00
City of Princeton Minnesota $23,406.00
Cocke County Tennessee $28,500.00
Jefferson County Fire District Kansas $91,146.00
Jefferson Fire District 10 Kansas $54,160.00
Mid-County Fire Protection District Missouri $79,748.00
City of Peru Nebraska $31,100.00
Hines City Hall Oregon $31,764.00
Iberia Rural Fire Protection District Missouri $68,977.00
Northwest Fire Protection District Missouri $98,455.32
Peeples Valley Fire District Arizona $99,999.00
Platte County Fire District 2F Wyoming $30,705.00
Town of Meeker Oklahoma $108,949.64
Town of Pageland South Carolina $24,418.44
Town of Wellston Oklahoma $72,549.76
Tulelake Multi County Fire Protection District California $34,588.13
Washoe County Nevada $127,420.00
Slip-on Tanker Pilot Program Grant Recipients, December 2025
Page 5 of 5
Agency State Amount
Whitney Area Fire District South Carolina $23,231.50
Noxen Volunteer Fire Department Pennsylvania $23,430.50
Brunswick County Virgina $59,141.87
Heflin Fire Department Alabama $21,034.08
City of Little Falls Minnesota $17,100.00
County of Florence South Carolina $44,571.60
Glenwood Fire Department Minnesota $39,102.00
Klickitat County Fire Protection District #4 Washington $29,481.88
Ponderosa Fire District Arizona $16,221.00
Town of Gundy Virgina $29,981.08
Washington County Rural Fire District #2 Kansas $49,515.00
Cody Rural Fire District Nebraska $21,000.00
City of Hartsville (City Hall) South Carolina $27,000.00
Clinton Fire Department South Carolina $31,266.00
County of Pulaski Virginia $27,266.60
County of Crook Wyoming $59,584.00
County of Ellis Kansas $21,041.00
Total 26 states $5,084,928.98