Wildland emergency water programme opens for 2026
Applications have opened for the 2026 Anheuser-Busch Emergency Drinking Water for Wildland Firefighters Program, which will distribute 1.5 million cans of emergency drinking water to eligible volunteer fire departments in the United States.
The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) announced that Anheuser-Busch and its wholesaler partners are delivering the programme in partnership with the NVFC.
Departments are encouraged to apply if they are more than 50% volunteer.
Applicants must serve a population of 25,000 or less.
Applicants must respond to wildfires, including uncontrolled fires in forests, prairies, grasslands, brushlands or lands sown to crops.
Selected departments will receive one pallet of emergency drinking water totalling 2,352 cans.
The application period closes at noon Eastern Time on March 6, 2026.
Departments will be notified of selection by the end of May.
Eligibility and programme scale
Hydration is described as essential to firefighter health, safety and performance during long incidents in extreme conditions.
Since the partnership between Anheuser-Busch and the NVFC began in 2019, nearly 12 million cans of emergency drinking water have been distributed to volunteer fire departments across the United States.
Steve Hirsch, NVFC Chair, said: “These water donations help keep volunteer firefighters safe and healthy during active incidents while reducing the financial strain on departments with limited resources,
“We’re grateful to Anheuser-Busch for its continued commitment to providing first responders with the essential resources needed to protect their communities.”
Colleen Lucas, Vice President of Community Impact at Anheuser-Busch, said: “Showing up for our communities is who we are at Anheuser-Busch, and our partnership with the National Volunteer Fire Council reflects our deep gratitude for the first responders who work every day to keep them safe,
“Over the years, we’ve seen firsthand how something as simple as a can of water can make all the difference and we’re proud to use our manufacturing expertise to do our part in supporting these local heroes.”
Anheuser-Busch traces its disaster relief support back to 1906.
Each year the company periodically pauses beer production to produce emergency drinking water for communities impacted by or preparing for disaster.
Since the launch of its Emergency Drinking Water initiative in 1988, more than 100 million cans of drinking water have been donated for communities in need.