Tennessee Volunteer Firefighters receive first Length of Service Awards

This Volunteer Firefighters Week, local governments statewide encouraged to adopt LOSAP to help recruit, retain volunteers providing firefighting and other emergency services. State matching grant money available to local governments

Five Tennessee entities were inaugural adopters of the new State of Tennessee Length of Service Award Program for Volunteers in 2023, the first year it was offered to local communities to help recruit, retain, and reward volunteer firefighters.

A Length of Service Award Program, or LOSAP, allows participating local governments and tax-exempt organizations to provide financial rewards to volunteers performing firefighting and fire prevention, emergency medical, and ambulance services. The State of Tennessee LOSAP is administered by the Tennessee Department of Treasury, under the leadership of State Treasurer David H. Lillard, Jr.

In 2023, nearly $35,000 was invested on behalf of 76 eligible volunteers representing:

• Roane County (first county to adopt LOSAP)
• Town of Centertown (first city to adopt LOSAP)
• City of Niota
• Volunteer Fire Department of Seymour
• Anderson County

These participating entities contributed $21,600 along with nearly $13,400 in State grant funding authorized by the Tennessee General Assembly.

Each year, the first full week in March, Volunteer Firefighters Week is observed in Tennessee to honor and recognize volunteers for their courageous and dedicated service. The Tennessee Treasury Department joins the rest of the State in this celebration and encourages local government to adopt the State of Tennessee LOSAP to further honor, recruit, and reward these courageous volunteers.

“I was honored to sponsor legislation to establish the state grant funding and look forward to seeing this model continue to be adopted by local governments statewide,” said Senator Ken Yager. “Our hard-working volunteer emergency services personnel across the state are worthy of the reward the LOSAP can provide.”

Volunteers are the lifeblood of fire service in many Tennessee communities, accounting for nearly two-thirds of firefighters in the state. These brave men and women ensure the safety of citizens and those visiting our state each day, often without personal compensation.

“I hope other municipalities and counties will join these early adopters in 2024 in taking advantage of this unique way of providing financial rewards to their volunteers,” said Treasurer Lillard.

To find out more about the State of Tennessee Length Of Service Award Program, visit our LOSAP page on the Tennessee Department of Treasury website, Treasury.tn.gov.