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Rural first responder agencies depend on volunteers, yet more than 70 percent struggle to recruit and retain them. The AscendRural Volunteer First Responder Innovation Challenge, powered by the Center on Rural Innovation, seeks bold solutions that expand training access, ease burnout, streamline dispatch, and support responder health. Five finalists will receive mentorship, rural market insights, and the opportunity to earn up to $150k in pilot contracts when they pitch their MVP‑ready products to community leaders.