$4 Million Increase over Last Year’s 2% Fire Dues Payments
Madison, Wis. –
The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) has sent payments totaling $36,156,119 to fire departments across the state as part of the Wisconsin 2% Fire Dues Program. The figure represents a nearly 12% increase over the total distribution in 2024.
“This funding is extremely important to fire departments across our state, many of them volunteer,” said DSPS Secretary Dan Hereth. “Fire departments are vital to ensuring the safety of our Wisconsin communities, and as Wisconsin’s safety agency we are proud to play a role in this 2% Fire Dues program that supports our partners in the state fire service.”
The 2% Fire Dues Program remains a significant source of funding for the state’s professional, volunteer, and hybrid fire departments, which use the money to buy and replace equipment, operate fire prevention programming, train crews, and more.
The program requires insurers to pay 2% of premiums collected for insurance against loss from fires. The Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance collects the dues, and DSPS distributes the dues to cities, towns, and villages across the state according to a prescribed formula. You can see a detailed accounting of the 2025 distribution on the DSPS website.
In addition to protective gear, fire departments in Wisconsin have used Fire Dues funding on things like fire engines, ladder trucks, and fire suppression equipment.
“Gov. Evers and this administration understand that departments provide an invaluable service protecting Wisconsinites, their homes, and our cities, towns, and villages,” Hereth said. “Funding really benefits every citizen and community in our state, whether it’s through improving fire safety education, improving fire department equipment, or funding for recruitment and training of the next generation of firefighters.”
In addition to the Fire Dues program, DSPS regulates firefighter health and safety, and also manages Wisconsin’s fire prevention program.
DSPS launched a youth firefighter training grant program in 2022 to help address recruitment and retention challenges in the fire service. The latest round of grants were awarded earlier this year to four training programs at technical colleges across Wisconsin.
DSPS also announced this week that its Wisconsin Fire Safety Dashboard, a free tool for fire departments across the state, has been updated with 2024 data. The tool can now even better support community risk reduction efforts at fire departments across Wisconsin.
About DSPS
DSPS issues more than 240 unique licenses, administers dozens of boards and councils that regulate professions, enforces state building codes, and maintains the Wisconsin Enhanced Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, which is a key tool in the multi-faceted public health campaign to stem excessive opioid prescribing. A fee-based agency, DSPS is self-sustaining and receives no general fund tax dollars for its day-to-day operations. With two offices and roughly 250 employees, DSPS collaborates with constituents and stakeholders across a wide range of industries to promote safety and advance the economy.
