Fire Grants for 2010
The fire grants are another common term for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program (AFG) that is being offered again this year through the Department of Homeland Security. This has been a yearly program that is funded by a mandate from congress which expires this year.
The funding is in the amount of over $380 million. The 2009 awards were issued in 15 phases throughout the year. The last one was just posted during this year’s open application period. The reason there is such a delay in the awards is because of the volume of worthy applications the program received last year.
This year, the same volume is expected so make sure your application is error free and your needs are clearly stated. The priority this year for awards is the safety and training of firefighters and EMS personnel.
In the past, vehicle acquisition was at the top. While still on the list, their priority has been lowered. One of the reasons given for this is that over the past 7 years a great volume of equipment has been purchased with previous grant awards. Now, the priority is on training so the new equipment will be used correctly and the firefighters will have a greater chance of emerging from more situations unharmed.
This emphasis on training includes the physical health and well being of the body of the fire fighter. This is why training in exercise and eating right is a part of this priority. The premise is that a fire fighter who is in great physical shape can endure harsher conditions and still come out unharmed.
This year’s fire grant open application period ends May 28, 2010 at 8:00 pm. Have your application in by this deadline so your fire department can receive their share of this federal program.
The date is drawing near and for last minute help with making sure your grant application is written properly contact this blog’s sponsor, Ward Diesel, they are experts in how to write the grant.
Just keep this in mind in case you are not chosen for 2010. You will have a full eleven months from now to write the perfect grant for 2011, so get in touch with Ward Diesel and start planning now.
Apply for Government Grant Money
To apply for government grant money, there are several important things that should be remembered. The US federal government is too big to make exceptions for any reason. For this reason, unless your department has great connections in Washington, make sure your application is submitted before this year’s deadline.
The deadline for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program is May 28, 2010 at 8 pm ET. For your application to be accepted and reviewed, this deadline must be met. If by some chance you miss this deadline, next year’s open application enrollment will begin at the end of April.
When submitting an application for free federal grant money, the application should be free of errors. The reviewers that process all of the applications do nothing but look at applications 8 hours a day, 40 hours a week. If your application contains errors, the importance of the message you are trying to convey to the reviewer might be missed.
When writing your application, being concise and to the point is the best approach to getting your message of what your department’s specific needs are. Being vague and non-descriptive sends a message that the need is not great. To help boost your odds of receiving a grant from the US government, get to the point in what you need.
The top priority for the AFG program awards is given to those departments that have a plan to improve the safety of the firefighters’ lives and those in their community. Keep this in mind when filling out the application.
Once you apply for government grant money, be patient. There are thousands of other departments doing the same thing. Last year, there were 14 rounds of awards given out, including the last one during this year’s open application period.
For help with filling out the grant, CLICK HERE
FEMA AFG Grant
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) FEMA AFG grant open application period is presently underway. The projected total award amount for the year 2010 is $380 million. These funds are available to any fire department and non-affiliated emergency response agencies in America.
The process of beginning to fill a department’s needs start with identifying those particular needs that are the most urgent. Once they are identified, they need to be described in detail in the application that is to be submitted to the AFG program.
The most common needs that are funded are new vehicle acquisition, new or the replacement of equipment, and training for firefighting and emergency personnel. The equipment can be as simple as new helmets are as complex as diesel smoke removal from the fire house.
No need is too great or insignificant that it should be excluded from a department’s application. What is necessary is that the need be fully described in the application, along with the benefits to the department and the surrounding community once the needs are funded.
Each application should be filled out in as concise detail as possible without becoming overly wordy. The reviewers of these applications have one job. That job is to identify the most needed cases to be funded. This job requires a group of individuals to review cases 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, for 50 weeks a year.
By making the application easy to understand, the reviewer’s job will be simpler and chances of approval are increased. The last factor to obtain approval is to submit the application before the May 28, 2010 8:00 pm ET deadline. This is when the DHS FEMA AFG grant open application period will end for this year. No exceptions are permitted.
Our sponsor, Ward Diesel, will assist you in filling out the grant application, CLICK HERE
2010 Assistance to Firefighters Grants
The Assistance to Firefighters Grants from the US government are intended to improve the safety conditions in which firefighters incur while on the job. This is to be done with new and improved equipment, along with the right vehicles.
This program is overseen by the Department of Homeland Security, and audits are conducted by the Office of Inspector General. The reports on past years’ compliance to the rules and regulations of the AFG program have shown that not all recipients are adhering to procurement requirements when using the grant money they have been awarded with.
The monitoring process to the procurement practices of recipients of the AFG awards is being closely monitored. The procurement practices have to follow federal laws and standards. Those grantees that do not follow the federal guidelines to their fullest may find their spending of the allotted grant money questioned when audited and, possibly, not allowed.
When offering a bid for any needed item that will be paid for from your AFG award, this system must be fair and open to all. Grantees cannot impose a geographical preference in the elevation of these bids or any subsequent proposals for work that needs to be completed.
The documentation on all bidding procedures and vendor information should have to be easily accessible if there is a DHS pre-award review of the procurement documents. Any improper practices showing favoritism to one vendor over another could make the expenditure invalid for an award by the AFG program.
The biggest violation of these rules is when a family member of the fire department that is asking for the grant has been awarded the bid for work or the purchase of equipment. This practice is highly frowned upon and should be avoided when applying to the Assistance to Firefighters Grants program.
To obtain help in filling out the grant application, Click HERE
How to Apply for Free Grants
Knowing where and how to apply for free grants is the first step into receiving a much needed revenue source. For fire departments and emergency medical technicians, the largest resource is the US government.
Since 9/11, the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was entrusted with the mission to safeguard the well being of the American citizens and our nation as a whole. One of the programs initiated to fulfill this mandate was the establishment of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Since the establishment AFG in 2002, thousands of needs have been fulfilled with this grant program. This has included communications systems for states to be used in emergency situations, thousands of emergency vehicles of all sizes, new fire stations and improvement to older building, training for emergency personnel, and firefighting equipment.
The list of equipment purchased with the funds includes new ladders, hoses, and even new boots for volunteer fire departments in rural areas. No need is too great or too small under this program.
In 2008, over $373 million were awarded in 14 different rounds. The last round for 2009 was issued during the open application process for the 2010 AFG program. This open application time frame is only for one month a year, which ends on May 28, 2010 at 8:00 pm ET.
When writing your application, make sure you stress how the award will save the firefighters’ lives in your department. This is the priority of the AFG program, saving lives and property during emergency situations.
You now know how to apply for free grant money for the needs of your for department. Now it is up to you to submit it before the deadline closes.
Click HERE for help in filling out the grant application.
Regional Projects Eligibility for AFG Funding
Both Fire Departments and EMS Units are eligible to file an application as a host applicant for a Regional Project. To be considered a regional project, the activity or benefit must be fore multiple organizations over multiple jurisdictions. Multiple jurisdictions are defines as multiple seats of government are involved.
Project eligible for regional project funding are training and equipment purchases that have a positive effect on the interoperability between different jurisdictions. The funding for turnouts, SCBA, wellness and fitness programs, facility modifications and vehicle acquisitions are not eligible as a regional project.
The DHS has the legal ability to bypass the funding limits capped by congress for regional projects. This is to encourage more cooperation between different jurisdictions in a region for better coordination during a crisis.
Requirements to be a host applicant:
1) One must already be an eligible applicant by being either a fire department or an EMS unit. Counties and cities may not apply for regional projects through the AFG program
2) The applicant must also agree to be responsible for all areas of the grant including budgetary and reporting results to the appropriate authorities.
The host applicant must describe in the application how the project will affect the entire region. This application is has the same parts as the other two including general, budgetary, and benefit questions along with a narrative.
In addition, all participating organizations or groups this project is to include must be listed. The evaluation process is the same as other application areas with the additional review of all the participants in the program on the application. All contributors will be part of the consideration process.
This part of the AFG program involves large scale federal funding but is considered very important to the overall success of providing the necessary services to the covered area.
Free help with filling out your grant by CLICKING HERE
Available Grant Money for 2010
Right now, there is available grant money for firefighters and emergency responders through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program from the US federal government. For 2010, there are some new requirements and conditions for receiving these grants. One of them applies to vehicle purchases.
This year, for a fire department to receive a grant for a new vehicle there must already be an advance payment bond in place. This bond works like an insurance policy in the event that the manufacturer of the emergency vehicle cannot build the contracted vehicle for any reason. This bond is to be taken on by the manufacturer of the vehicle and not the fire department that has ordered it. The bond is to be secured from a private financial institution. The amount of the bond should be equal to or greater than the cost of the total sum of payments for the vehicle.
Most other parts of the program and requirements for applying for an AFG have remained the same as they were in 2009. The top priority remains funding projects that focus on the firefighter’s life and safety, as well as the public that the firefighter is serving and protecting.
When filing your application, make sure you can demonstrate the direct effect your need has on the lives in your department. These applications will automatically receive the highest consideration for approval.
When writing your application, keep in mind the reviewers do nothing but read application for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. Remove any mistakes and misspellings. Go directly to the point of what your need is in a clear and concise manner.
The deadline to apply for available grant money from the AFG program is May 28, 2010 at 8 pm ET. Late applications are not accepted.
Click this link for help with filling out the grant application.
Reasons for Application Rejections for the AFG Program
Most applications for the AFG program are rejected each year on purpose. This is because the DHS feels that more applications should be reviewed than there is money for so the money is allocated appropriately. So if you received your rejection letter and feel down just remembered you are not alone. Another thought is to remember that there are real reasons for the rejection so figure out why and correct it.
One of the first things a rejected applicant can do is to review the qualifications and priorities of the program. Compare this to your application. Did you meet the needed requirements? The top priority of this grant program is to increase the safety of the firefighter. How many injuries did you report on your application? This sounds sad but the more the better.
No one wants injuries but they do happen. Reporting them, no matter how minor, makes it documented and reportable for a need of improvement. Remember a computer, not a person does the first evaluation of your application. If no injuries are reported in your application then your department is safe and no need for funding. So no matter how small make a report on all injuries, this includes minor cuts, sprains from tripping over hoses to one breath of smoke. They all count and add up.
Another flaw is to give your application adequate time to prepare. The AFG program has an open filing time of one month a year. This means you have 11 months to prepare. If you or your department waits to start the application until the open filing period begins, then you will be rushed. Things that are rushed always have crucial information left out. Be prepared and start the day after the last one was filed.
Lastly but not to say all conclusive is make sure you give a clear and precise picture of your needs. If your department needs a piece of equipment fully explain why, when it will be used and how many people will benefit from its usage. Leaving out some small crucial details cold make the difference between an award letter and a rejection letter.
Remember the AFG program is free federal money. Start early and do a through job of preparing it. It will make a difference.
Click HERE for help with the application.
Fire Department Grants
Every year there are fire department grants being given away by the Department of Homeland Security to those that need upgrades or new equipment along with training. This is not your standard federal program that is attempting to cover a broken arm with a Band-Aid, but real help.
In 2008, the AFG program awarded $737.5 million through thousands of grants to fire departments across the nation. The grants were used for new fire stations, emergency vehicles and equipment, along with training of personnel. There were also grants given to regional fire districts to help improve their communication abilities and coordinate the response to an emergency situation on a large scale.
Not every application for monetary assistance was granted, but the most pressing situations were taken care of. The fact remains the same that if you have a need, an application must be submitted. Without a written application being submitted before the May 28, 2010 at 8 pm deadline, there is no chance of an award being granted to you this year.
The awards are granted as the applications are processed. Just because you may not receive an immediate response, do not give up hope yet. In 2009, there were 14 different rounds in which awards were distributed. The last one was during the open application time for the year 2010 on May 7, 2010.
The amounts of the awards were for as little as $8550 to the Maryville Fire District in Missouri, and as large as $827,843 to Drexel Heights Fire District in Arizona.
If you have a need that will help save lives of your fire department personnel or the community you serve, it is your duty to apply for the fire department grants to help you achieve the state of readiness your community deserves.
Click: HERE for free assistance in filling out the grant application.
Diesel Exhaust Removal Systems: Covered by AFG Grants
The pollutants that are released into our environment from the starting and running of a diesel engine are not good for people or the environment. Each and every firehouse has to deal with this problem. Through the AFG program free federal funds are available to clean up the air our firefighters have to breath.
There are several different approaches to solving this dilemma. Inside the firehouse the ventilation system can be modifies to handle the soot and particular matter that is created each and every time a diesel powered truck or vehicle is started.
Large exhaust fans can be installed to have the air constantly changed with a fresh supply. This is an acceptable method during mild temperatures of ambient air outside. In the colder winter months this would increase the energy used to heat the firehouse significantly and have a detrimental effect on the budget of your department.
Another approach would be to have a snake system installed. This system would channel all the exhaust out of the firehouse by attaching a hose to the exhaust pipes of the trucks and through a series of channels and a fan would keep the air inside the firehouse clean.
This is a functional and cost effective way to handle the problem but there is a down side.
The hose would have to be manually removed before the truck could leave the station. This is not good in an emergency situation.
There is another solution, the Ward Diesel “No Smoke” diesel exhaust filter. This system is hooked directly up to the exhaust system of your truck. The soot and particular matter is removed by means of a solenoid activated ceramic filter. Since this system is automatic there is no need to think about it during an emergency. This leaves fire personnel available to concentrate on the emergency first and for most.
The proper diesel exhaust removal system that fits your needs is your decision. Make the proper most cost effective system your choice. Contact Ward Diesel for help with writing your AFG grant.
