Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program

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Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program

• 2009

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Assistance to Firefighters Grants

• Purpose
• Protect the public and fire service personnel
  from fire and all other hazards.

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Program Development Agencies

• Congressional Fire Services Institute
• International Association of Arson Investigators
• International Association of Fire Chiefs
• International Association of Firefighters
• International Society of Fire Service Instructors
• National Association of State Fire Marshals
• National Fire Protection Association
• National Volunteer Fire Council
• North American Fire Training Directors

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FY 2009 Appropriation

• Assistance to Firefighters 530 m
• Fire Prevention Safety 35 m
• SAFER 210 m

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Assistance to Firefighters Grant

• Requires a local cash match based on population
  served
• Under 20,000 population 5
• 20,000 - 50,000 population 10
• Over 50,000 population 20

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FY 2008 Awards to DateMinnesota

• 154 AFG Awards
• 11.8 Million Dollars

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AFG Funding Opportunities

• Assistance to Firefighters
• Fire and EMS Vehicles
• Fire and EMS Operations and Safety
• Fire Prevention Safety
• Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response
  (SAFER)
• Managed by AFG Headquarters Staff

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Assistance to Firefighters

• Fire and EMS Vehicle Acquisition

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Vehicle Acquisition Activity

• Awards are capped at 25 of the appropriation.
• Specific priorities based on type of community
  served and other department characteristics.

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Fire Apparatus Priorities
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EMS Vehicle Priorities
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Vehicle Grant Requirements

• Must have a drivers training program (NFPA 1002)
• Must provide medical physicals for drivers (NFPA
  1582)
• Grantees must comply with Chapter 6 of NFPA 1500
  Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety
  and Health Program.
• Standard operating procedures should require that
  all vehicle occupants wear seatbelts and that
  drivers obey all traffic signals, signs and laws.

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Assistance to Firefighters

• Fire and EMS Operations and Safety
• Training
• Equipment
• Personal Protective Equipment
• Modifications to Facilities
• Wellness and Fitness

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Training
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Training Priorities

• Training that leads to certification
• Train the Trainer Programs
• Training that benefits a significant number of
  members
• Training that meets national standards compliance

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Training Examples

• Firefighter I II
• First Responder EMS
• Driver/Operator
• Fire Officer
• HAZMAT
• Incident Command
• EMT B EMT I
• Interoperable/Multi Jurisdiction Training

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• Training such as NIMS and ICS related to
  coordinated incident response (e.g., weapons of
  mass destruction (WMD) awareness and incident
  operations, chemical or biological operations, or
  bomb threats), tactical emergency communications
  procedures, or similar types of
  inter-disciplinary, inter-jurisdictional training
  will receive the highest competitive rating.

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Equipment
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Highest Priority - Equipment

• Equipment that supports an existing mission or
  replaces used or obsolete equipment
• Equipment that brings the department into
  statutory compliance

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Secondary Priority - Equipment

• Equipment that expands the functional
  capabilities within an existing mission
• Equipment necessary to manage a new risk

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Low Priority - Equipment

• Equipment to build up a reserve
• Equipment for a new mission
• Equipment that replaces newer stuff
• Equipment that meets local or state standards

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• DHS believes that equipment is of no use if the
  operator is not trained to use it. As such,
  applicants must demonstrate that users of
  equipment purchased with the grant either are, or
  will be, sufficiently trained to use the
  equipment.
• Inability to demonstrate and fulfill this
  training requirement will result in ineligibility
  for equipment funding.

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Personal Protective Equipment
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PPE Highest Priority

• Purchase for the first time (i.e. new members)
• Replace old or damaged gear (with the oldest
  equipment the highest priority
• Departments with a low percentage of compliant
  equipment

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PPE Lower Priorities

• Departments with newer equipment
• PPE for a new mission
• PPE to be used for reserve or spare
• Many departments request 1 set for the station,
  and 1 set for their personal vehicle. This will
  not be funded.

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Modifications to Facilities
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Allowable Projects

• Installation of sprinkler systems
• Smoke and fire alarm systems
• Vehicle exhaust evacuation systems
• Vehicle mounted exhaust filtration systems
• Air Improvement systems
• Emergency power generators

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Facility Modification Priorities

• Age of building
• Buildings built after 2003 are ineligible
• Buildings staffed 24/7
• High frequency use buildings
• Buildings with sleeping quarters
• Fire stations vs dispatch centers or training
  facilities

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Wellness Fitness
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Wellness and Fitness

• Must provide or request
• Entry level physicals
• Periodic health screenings
• Immunizations for fire and EMS personnel
• Next Level of Priority
• Candidate physical agility assessments
• Physical fitness equipment

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• Because participation is critical to achieving
  any benefits from a wellness/fitness activity, we
  will give higher competitive ratings to
  departments whose wellness/fitness activities
  mandate participation and are open to all
  personnel.

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Lower Priority Wellness/Fitness

• Fitness and injury prevention projects
• Behavioral health management
• Injury/illness rehab
• Employee assistance programs

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Regional Applicants

• The following activities are eligible for
• Regional Grant Applications
• Communications Equipment
• Training

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Regional Projects

• Projects designed to facilitate interoperability
  amongst participants
• One department acts as the host
• Equipment must be distributed to all of the
  participants
• Cost share is calculated based on total population

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2009 Outreach
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Fire Prevention and Firefighter Safety Research
and Development
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Fire Prevention Safety Grants

• Any project relating to Fire Prevention by any
  agency or organization having an interest in Fire
  Safety, Fire Research and Development or EMS
  Safety and Awareness.

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FPS Funding

• The allocation for
• Fire Prevention and Safety
• in FY08 is 35 million
• (no less than 5 of the AFG appropriation).

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Fire Prevention Safety

• Examples of Eligible Projects
• Public safety education
• Code enforcement/awareness
• Arson prevention/awareness
• Juvenile fire-setter programs
• Sprinkler awareness
• Smoke alarm distribution
• Burn prevention
• Firefighter safety research development

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FPS Eligible Applicants

• Any organization that has experience in fire
  prevention activities or that conducts research
  in fire safety activities is eligible to apply
  for this grant opportunity.

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FPS Match

• For fire departments, the match is based on
  population
• less than 20,000 5
• between 20,000 and 50,000 10
• over 50,000 20
• For other applicants, there is no cost share.

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Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency
Response(SAFER) Grants Overview
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2009 SAFER Funding

• 210 Million
• for
• SAFER Grants

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Staffing Assistance for Emergency Response

• Provides funding to hire PFT Firefighters.
• Provides funding programs relating to the
  recruitment and retention of volunteer
  firefighters.

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SAFER Eligible Activities

• Hiring of Firefighters Activity (five years with
  match )
• Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer
  Firefighters Activity (up to 4 years with no
  match)

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SAFER Eligible Applicants

• Hiring of Firefighters Activity
• Career departments
• Combination departments
• Volunteer departments

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Key Factors for Hiring of Firefighters Activity

• Throughout the entire five-year period of
  performance grantees must maintain
• The number of authorized and funded firefighter
  positions at the time of application
• The awarded SAFER-funded firefighter positions

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SAFER

• Recruitment and Retention of
• Volunteer Firefighters
• Purpose
• Assist departments that are experiencing a high
  rate of turnover to maintain and/or increase
  staffing
• Increase departments staffing to comply with
  assembly requirements of NFPA and four-person
  staffing per OSHA

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SAFER Eligible Applicants

• Recruitment and Retention of
• Volunteer Firefighters Activity
• Volunteer departments
• Combination departments
• State and local organizations with an interest in
  volunteer firefighters

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U.S. Fire Administration

• Reimburse Firefighting on Federal Property
• Degrees at a Distance
• Training Assistance
• State Fire Training Systems Grants
• TRADE Grants
• NFA Education Programs
• EMI Independent Study
• EMI Residential Educational
• EMI Training Assistance
• Fire Service Hazardous Materials
• PARADE Grants
• Safe Kids

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Mitigation

• Earthquake Consortium
• National Dam Safety
• Cooperating Technical Partners
• Map Modernization Management Support
• Community Assistance Program State Support
  Services Element
• Flood Mitigation Assistance
• Repetitive Flood Claims
• Pre-Disaster Mitigation Competitive
• Hazard Mitigation Grant Program
• Severe Repetitive Loss

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Disaster Assistance

• Alternative Housing Pilot Program
• Debris Removal Insurance
• Disaster Donations Management
• Katrina Case Management
• 9/11 Heroes Stamps
• Emergency Food and Shelter National Board
• Fire Management Assistance
• Public Assistance
• Crisis Counseling Program
• Individuals and Households - Other Needs
• Community Disaster Loans
• Cora Brown Fund
• Disaster Unemployment Assistance
• Disaster Legal Services
• Disaster Housing Operations for Individuals and
  Households
• Disaster Housing Assistance

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Grants Management

• Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program
• Staffing for Adequate Fire Emergency Response
  Grant Program (SAFER)
• Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP)
• State Homeland Security Program (SHSP)
• Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI)
• Metropolitan Medical Response Grants (MMRS)
• Citizen Corps Program (CCP)
• Transit Security Grant Program (TSGP)
• Intercity Passenger Rail Security (Amtrack)
• Freight Rail Security Grant Program (FRSGP)
• Port Security Grant Program (PSGP)
• Intercity Bus Security Grant Program (IBSGP)
• Trucking Security Program (TSP)
• Buffer Zone Protection Program (BZPP)
• Emergency Operations Centers (EOC)
• Operation Stonegarden (OPSG)
• Interoperable Emergency Communication Grants
  (IECG)
• UASI Non-Profit
• Public Safety Interoperable Communications (PSIC)
  Program

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National Preparedness

• System Assessment and Validation for Emergency
  Responders (SAVER)
• National Training Program
• Competitive Training Grant
• Homeland Security Preparedness Technical
  Assistance
• Systems Support Grant Program
• Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program
  (CSEPP)
• Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program
  (CEDAP)
• Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program

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www.firegrantsupport.com
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How to NOT Get Funded

• Dont Follow the Rules
• Know what the rules are
• Each program has unique guidelines
• You dont get a second chance to explain yourself

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How to NOT Get Funded

• Display Greed
• Many items are difficult to justify
• Evaluators can tell the difference between wants
  and needs
• Try to leave a little something for someone else

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How to NOT Get Funded

• Arrogance
• We need it, we want it, give it to us now!
• Remember you catch more flies with honey than
  with vinegar

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How to NOT Get Funded

• Stretch the Truth
• Evaluators can tell when someone is trying to
  gild the lily
• Nobody wants the folks from 60 Minutes to show up
  at their door, and
• Federal Prison is not fun

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How to NOT Get Funded

• Too Wordy
• If you cant tell your story clearly and
  concisely, it may not be much of a story
• Brevity is the soul of wit Bill Shakespeare

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How to NOT Get Funded

• Narrative is Difficult to Follow
• Make it short, sweet, and to the point
• If you are not sure about the grammar revise
• ALL CAPITAL LETTERS IS JUST YELLING AT THE
  READER!!!
• Minimize the jargon
• One word - dictionary

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Grant Writing Suggestions

• You need to tell YOUR story
• Who are you
• What is your problem (risk)
• What is your solution
• Why is this the best solution
• How much does it cost

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Grant Writing Suggestions

• Why do you need grant funds (Financial need)
• What is the impact of receiving the grant
• What are the consequences of not receiving the
  award
• How will you measure the results

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Grant Priorities

• Know What They Are and Where They Are
• The Program Guidance
• Grant Application Tutorial
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Glossary of Terms

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Successful Grant Writing

• Read, re-read, and re-read the program guidance.
• Make sure program priorities match your needs
• Remember High priority items are more likely to
  be funded. A strong application may still not be
  enough to fund a low priority project

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Successful Grant Writing

• Get people involved!
• Grant writing by committee External Internal
  stakeholders
• Have a non-member review your narrative
• The more the merrier
• Your grant should benefit more than one group
• Solve key issues impacting your agency which in
  turn impacts your neighboring agencies.

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Grant Writing Suggestions

• Start Early
• Review past applications
• Conduct your needs assessment
• Gather costs (all of the costs)
• Identify the affects of receiving the award
• Identify the consequences if you dont

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Grant Writing Suggestions

• Have a Goal Oriented Budget
• Itemized budgets help the evaluator understand
  your project
• Will support clear, measurable goals
• Do not oversell or undersell the project

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Grant Writing Suggestions

• Make the Evaluators Job Easy
• Make your goals SMART
• Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and
  Time Sensitive
• Information in the narrative does not match the
  application
• Your narrative must have a logical flow

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Grant Writing Suggestions

• Have Your Final Draft Reviewed
• Have others take a critical look
• Grammar, spelling, flow, and did you clearly
  justify your need.
• Use the feedback to improve your application.

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Finally, When You Receive a Grant

• Read your Award Letter
• Follow the rules
• Be a good steward of the taxpayer funds
• Bid your projects competitively and fairly
• Maintain good records
• Pay the bills on time
• Complete all reporting requirements
• Help mentor someone else to be successful

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For Questions or Assistance

• www.firegrantsupport.com
• Don Mobley
• FEMA Region 5
• 536 S. Clark Street 6th Floor
• Chicago, IL 60605
• 312-408-5540 (office)
• 202-309-8684 (cell)
• Donald.Mobley_at_dhs.gov

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• Any Burning Questions?