The Volunteer Emergency Services Equipment Program (VESEP) offers grants up to a maximum of $100,000 excluding GST.  VESEP contributes $2 for every $1 of funding contributed by the Brigade or Group.

BE READY FOR POSSIBLE FUTURE FUNDING ROUNDS: See below for VFBV's 2016 VESEP APPLICATION HELP PACK and case studies to show you how

About the Program

The million program offers State Government grants of up to $100,000 each, for trucks, equipment and building works. The grants are on a two-for-one basis, giving three dollars in spending power for every one dollar raised by the Brigade and local community.

Eligible volunteer groups include CFA, VICSES, Life Saving Victoria and Australian Volunteer Coast Guard Association (see www.emv.vic.gov.au for other eligible organisations).

VFBV was directly involved in the design of the VESEP program and its later expansion to include small equipment for training and operational use, and the program is now in its 16^th year, supporting emergency service volunteers who play a crucial role in responding and assisting their fellow Victorians in times of emergency 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The financial support provided by the Government recognises the invaluable support Victorian communities continue to provide to their local agencies.

VFBV support for your Brigade's application

Each year, VFBV provides support to Brigade and Groups in preparing their applications.

At the bottom of this page you will find copies of VFBV’s 2016 Application Help Pack and case studies from past years that include useful tips and advice from Brigades whose applications were successful. We also offer personalised advice for Brigade/Groups that might have questions or are after guidance with their application. Members can contact a VFBV Support Officer or State Councillor to discuss, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we’ll put in you in touch with someone who can help.

Additional support is available from CFA’s Project Coordinator Diane Frost (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 03 9262 8630) or your operations manager. Program details are also available on Brigades Online (Brigade > Property & Equipment > Brigade Owned Vehicles > VESEP).

One important tip is to start early: look at what your Brigade and community will need and start planning for fundraising and the VESEP application.  This takes a lot of the pressure off you if a future funding round is announced with just a short window to make applications.

A successful VFBV/CFA bid for additional funding means all Brigades and Groups that applied for any leftover digital scanners under Tier 2 of the subsidy program will now get as many as they requested at the subsidised price.

A phenomenal 994 Brigades and 81 Groups have responded to the Tier 1/2 program which closed on 15 January, with over 7,000 units ordered under Tier 1 alone. CFA has advised that they have completed shipping of all Tier 1(A) orders (the first three scanners to each Brigade), with the remainder of Tier 1(B) orders (up to five more) to be finished shipping by the end of March.

VFBV has again agreed to take on the ordering logistics for the Tier 2 program, and will coordinate payments from Brigades/Groups on behalf of CFA, just as we did for the Tier 1 program. CFA will continue to manage the purchase and shipping of the units.

Download the Brigade Order Form here

Download the Group Order Form here

YOU MUST TAKE ACTION BY 15 MAY

Each Brigade or Group will receive confirmation of their Tier 2 order via email, along with instructions and next steps. You are reminded that Tier 2 orders were binding, and as such the units have been ordered from the manufacturer. Please be advised that Brigades and Groups have until 15 May 2016 to pay for their orders, and you are encouraged to return payment ASAP, as orders will be shipped in the sequence that payment is received. As there are still long lead times from when CFA places an order with the manufacturer to when they are available in the country, the quicker your payment is received, the earlier you will receive the units.

We have prepared an updated FAQ sheet that also includes details about the use of external antennas that will improve performance for those members located in areas with poor or weak reception. You can download the FAQ sheet by clicking here, or download a copy of the confirmation letter and instructions by clicking here.

The whole subsidy program has been an outstanding success for members, and is a great example of CFA and VFBV working together for the benefit for our members.

VFBV MEDIA RELEASE Thursday, 13 August 2015

The CFA volunteers’ association says 202 CFA Brigades are about to get great news about brand new fire trucks and equipment from this year’s Volunteer Emergency Services Equipment Program (VESEP).

Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria (VFBV) CEO Andrew Ford said news of the successful grants was announced this morning by the Minister for Emergency Services, the Hon Jane Garrett MLA.

“VESEP is a great program, this year over 200 CFA Brigades across the state will receive a share of $7.1 million in funding,” Mr Ford said.

“In addition, there was $1.9 million approved for other initiatives including funding for cold climate gear designed for volunteers attending callouts like road accidents and searches in inclement weather, where the CFA volunteers’ familiar yellow overalls don’t provide sufficient protection from the rain or cold,” he said.

“VESEP is really popular with CFA volunteers; we helped to design it, so it is low on paperwork and lets the Brigade pick from a list of trucks, equipment and fire station improvements that they can put to work for their local community”.

“The grants reward the countless hours volunteers spend in their communities raising funds for life saving equipment, and match local fundraising two for one, so a Brigade can apply for anything from a few hundred dollars for a chainsaw to $100,000 for a fire truck or specialist vehicle,” he said.

“The Brigade can choose a vehicle, operational gear, training equipment or a building project that suits their fundraising capacity and serves the local community’s needs,” Mr Ford said.

VESEP grants fund a wide range of useful projects and gear for CFA Brigades, including;

- Operational gear, such as chainsaws, pumps and generators,

- Vehicles and appliances, such as Field Command Vehicles, fire trucks and rescue trucks, and

- Improvements to fire stations, such as refurbishments like training and meeting rooms.

The $12 million VESEP program is also open to local volunteer groups from organisations including the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard (AVCG), Life Saving Victoria (LSV), Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES).

“VESEP is a good example of how involving front line volunteers from the design stage of a program can make it a success that adds to the ability of local Brigades and other emergency units to protect the community,” Mr Ford said.

VFBV urges local Brigades to think about a VESEP application for next year, and provides useful tips and case studies in the VFBV VESEP Application Support Toolkit available online at www.vfbv.com.au to help with local Brigades’ applications.

CFA Brigades protect 60% of suburban Melbourne, regional cities and all of country Victoria, every day and night of the year.

NOTE TO BRIGADES - Considering applying for a VESEP grant in a future funding round?  Click here for VFBV's useful tips and case studies from past successful applications to show you how it's done.

 VESEP GRANT APPLICATIONS HAVE CLOSED FOR 2013

Planning for 2014?  See below for Case Studies that show how Brigades made successful applications in previous funding rounds.

We will be posting more useful information, including an Application Help Pack for the coming year, shortly.

Any questions? Contact VFBV’s VESEP Project Officer Mary Anne Egan on 0428 937 210 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.