08/20/2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information contact: Fire Chief Jerry Tanner
Phone: 517-403-2731
Email: [email protected]
Date: August 18, 2026
Hudson Fire Department Receives $10,000 Grant from State Farm® to Purchase Needed Equipment
Donation made in collaboration with the National Volunteer Fire Council and announced in time for Volunteer Firefighters Recognition Day
Hudson Fire department is excited to announce that it is one of 150 volunteer fire departments across the nation to receive a $10,000 grant through the State Farm® Good Neighbor Firefighter Safety Program. In collaboration with the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), State Farm has awarded $1.5 million in grants to help local fire departments obtain needed equipment to increase their responders’ safety, effectiveness and ability to serve their community.
With this grant, Hudson will be able to purchase Two AED Units for our Engines, two 6000 psi air cylinders for our Air Fill Station and additional fire paging units. The AED units have been a need for several years as in accordance with NFPA 1584, Medical Evaluation, Treatment and Transport of Firefighters at Incident and Training Scenes, requires the department to establish guidelines to ensure immediate care, proper medical monitoring, and, if necessary, rapid transport to a medical facility of injured fire personnel. As the available number of people wanting to become paid-on-call firefighters keeps shrinking and the age of our current firefighters keeps increasing, cardiac emergencies become more likely. These units will help our firefighters to fulfill the NFPA requirement and care for each other when needed.
The two additional air cylinders will complete the cascade system that we purchased several years ago to refill our Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) units. We could only afford two cylinders when we made the original purchase which only allows us to fill around 8 SCBA tanks before having to wait for the compressor to refill the cascades, that takes up to an hour. With these two new cascade bottles in the system the air storage capacity will increase so we can fill up to 18 bottles before the compressor has to refill them. In the event of any large fire that will allow refills much quicker, getting the packs back in service to the fire scene much sooner for firefighters to continue working.
Pager units are the small radio receivers that activate through County Dispatch to notify the firefighters of any emergency the department is being dispatched on. These pagers wear out from time to time and need replacing. The cost on these has increased since they were originally purchased through the 911 phone surcharges. That project bought the original pagers and radios but does not buy any after the initial purchases. When purchased these pagers were bought at a large discount due to the volume of items purchased by the County. Today the cost on these have increased from $495 to over $800 each. We need to have these pagers available so firefighters can get properly notified of calls so they can respond to our communities’ emergencies.
As all of these items are needed it has been cost prohibited to purchase within our regular budget so through this State Farm Good Neighbor Grant, we are very fortunate to be able to take care of these needs. The Hudson Fire Department will use these items to increase the safety and efficiency of our small team.
The Hudson Fire Department is a paid-on-call department consisting of 24 active members and 6 junior firefighters. Paid-on-call means we come from home, the grocery store, church, Christmas dinner, family birthdays and so on, we are only paid while we are on the call. The 7 to 8 months of schooling and certifications required to become a beginner firefighter are unpaid, as well as the numerous certifications required by the State and Federal governments that come after the initial training. You may think 24 sounds like a lot of firefighters but as with all of our surrounding communities there are only a small number available at any given time. The availability, scheduled working hours, vacations, medical leaves, family obligations and any other circumstances all come to effect responses by the department. During the daytime hours we average 3 firefighters per incident whereas in the afternoons and evenings we average 8 firefighters per incident. Hudson Fire Department covers the City of Hudson, 50% of Hudson Twp., a third of Medina Twp., and all of Pittsford Twp. This is roughly 73 square miles of coverage area with four School systems, the village of Medina, Hamlet of Pittsford, City of Hudson, Posey Lake Community, numerous Industries and special hazards.
Our firefighters are dedicated to answering the call, no matter the hour or circumstance. We must ensure they have the right equipment and tools that are essential to keeping them safe and effective on the job. This generous support from State Farm and the National Volunteer Fire Council will help us better protect both our responders and our community
This is the third year of the State Farm Good Neighbor Firefighter Safety Program. Volunteer fire departments are essential to public safety, especially in rural and small-town communities. However, many operate with limited budgets and struggle to secure the funding for critical equipment. These grants are a lifeline for local departments to obtain equipment that will increase safety, efficiency and effectiveness.
In addition to the grants, State Farm also provided the first 2,000 applicants with a one-year membership to the NVFC – the leading association representing the volunteer fire, EMS, and rescue services – so they have access to additional tools, resources, and training to support their continued success.
Learn more about the State Farm Good Neighbor Firefighter Safety Program at www.nvfc.org/statefarm.
About State Farm
For over 100 years, the mission of State Farm has been to help people manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected and realize their dreams. State Farm and its affiliates are the largest providers of auto and home insurance in the United States. Its more than 19,200 agent offices and 65,000 employees serve over 96 million policies and accounts – including auto, fire, life, health, commercial policies and financial services accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is also available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 36 on the 2025 Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit http://www.statefarm.com.
About the National Volunteer Fire Council
The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) is the leading nonprofit membership association representing the interests of the volunteer fire and emergency medical services. The NVFC unites and supports volunteer and combination fire and EMS organizations through education, advocacy, leadership development, and collaboration. Guided by professionalism and innovation, we provide the tools and resources needed to protect communities, advance responder health and safety, and prepare leaders for the future. Learn more and join at www.nvfc.org.
State Farm® has teamed up with the NVFC to award $1.5 million in grants to local volunteer fire departments.
