More Than $600,000 Awarded to 160 Rural Emergency Response Departments

Emergency response departments supporting rural communities across Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin received $605,998 to fund much needed equipment and technology upgrades. Through its Fund for Rural America, Compeer Financial awarded the 160 Emergency Response Equipment Grants to help volunteer fire, rescue and ambulance departments improve their operational efficiency, safety and response times.

Rural volunteer emergency response departments are struggling to service their communities due to fewer volunteer first responders, outdated personal protective equipment (PPE), increases in service requests and rising costs for essential equipment. Grants like these from Compeer are one way departments can continue to serve and protect their local communities. Due to budget constraints as volunteer departments, they are heavily reliant on public funding, grants, donations and local support to fund needed equipment, gear and training.

“For first responders to give their best, they need to be equipped with the proper tools. We recognize the challenges volunteer emergency response departments face with funding, and we hope these grants help give them the life-saving equipment necessary to effectively respond to critical situations,” said Karen Schieler, manager of Compeer Giving at Compeer Financial.

Six themes emerged from applications for this year’s grants:

1. Communication Equipment: Many rural areas experience cell coverage gaps, making communication difficult especially during multi-department responses when time is critical. Departments requested upgraded radios, pagers and communication systems to ensure reliable communication with dispatch, law enforcement and other emergency departments.
2. Safety and Protective Gear: Many departments are using PPE, such as helmets, boots, gloves and turnout gear, that no longer meet safety standards. New gear will help ensure the safety and confidence of firefighters, improve operational efficiency, and help retain and attract volunteers by providing a safer working environment.
3. Specialized Rescue Equipment: Rural communities experience rescue scenarios, including grain bin rescues and wildland firefighting, that are different than those in urban areas. Departments requested modern tools like thermal imaging cameras, gas detectors, rescue struts and extrication tools to improve speed, safety and effectiveness in these unique and other emergency situations.
4. Medical Equipment: Many rural areas experience long ambulance response times. Upgrades to medical equipment like LUCAS devices, vital signs monitors and CO₂ detectors were requested to improve patient care and outcomes.
5. Ventilation and Lighting: Firefighters encounter numerous challenges during calls in rural communities. Departments requested new battery-powered ventilation fans and LED lighting to improve efficiency and safety by reducing smoke damage and improving visibility during operations.
6. Training Equipment: Much like their PPE, training equipment has become outdated. Departments plan to purchase new training equipment, such as mannequins and simulators, to help them better prepare for various emergency scenarios and improve the skills of both first responders and community members.

Since beginning the Emergency Response Equipment Grants in 2018, the Fund for Rural America has provided nearly $5 million in grants to equip volunteer first responders with the equipment and tools needed to aid rural residents across Compeer’s 144-county territory. The grant will change slightly in 2026 to the Emergency First Responders Grant, accounting for both the needs of the department to service the community and the safety needs of the volunteer first responders. The grant amount will also increase from the current maximum of $4,000 to a maximum of $7,500. Applications will open April 15, 2026, and close May 31, 2026. Departments that have not received a grant the prior two years will be eligible to apply for two new grant areas:

1. Essential Response Equipment: This encompasses equipment needed to effectively respond to incidents. Examples of equipment include hand and extraction tools, fire suppression tools, fire response and medical equipment.
2. Responder Life-Safety Need: This includes equipment and resources needed to protect and support first responders. Examples include communication equipment and PPE.

There were 53 departments from both Illinois and Minnesota and 54 departments from Wisconsin that received an Emergency Response Equipment Grant of up to $4,000 this year.

About the Fund for Rural America

The Compeer Financial Fund for Rural America is the corporate giving program of Compeer Financial, structured to support Compeer Financial’s mission to enrich agriculture and rural America. Compeer Financial’s Board of Directors has dedicated one percent of annual net earnings to support the Fund’s focus areas of agriculture education, youth engagement, rural development and community enrichment, agricultural advocacy and development, and cooperative initiatives. The Fund is managed by a Board of Trustees, made up of team members and members of the Compeer Financial Board of Directors. Learn more about opportunities available through the Fund.

About Compeer Financial

Compeer Financial is a member-owned Farm Credit cooperative serving and supporting agriculture and rural communities. The $35.5 billion organization provides loans, leases, risk management and other financial services throughout 144 counties in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Based in the Upper Midwest, Compeer Financial exists to champion the hopes and dreams of rural America, while providing personalized service and expertise to clients and the agriculture industry.

Compeer Financial is the third largest cooperative of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of lending institutions supporting agriculture and rural communities with reliable, consistent credit and financial services. Learn more about Compeer Financial’s patronage program