The Virginia Fire Services Board has announced that its Virginia Aid to Localities funding program increased by $1.8 million this fiscal year, due to a 5.45 percent budget increase in the Fire Programs Fund.

With fire and property insurance premiums rising, the board made a push last year to increase the aid to localities to support training initiatives, construction of fire training centers, firefighting equipment, and protective gear, said a press release. This year, minimum funding for localities increased from $10,000 to $15,000 and $20,000 to $30,000, and 152 localities received amounts greater than those minimums.

According to funding allocation charts on the Virginia Department of Fire Programs website, Gloucester County was allocated $140,466 for FY 2021 and $149,182 for FY 2022, while Mathews County was allocated $34,215 for FY 2021 and $36,338 for FY 2022.

The Virginia Fire Programs Fund is derived from insurance premiums collected in the previous calendar year, said the release, with one percent of the premiums dedicated to the fund. Approximately 75 percent of the fund goes directly to 323 counties, cities, and incorporated towns in Virginia. The remaining 25 percent goes to the operational budget for the Virginia Department of Fire Programs, which administers the Aid to Localities program.