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AFG Grants Review: Where You’re Vulnerable
Where You’re Vulnerable
With budget restraints as a part of life in today’s economy, the competitiveness for the free governmental grant money is ever increasing. As protectors of the communities the firefighters and EMS personnel need to be prepared for any occurrence or emergency.
Applicants for the AFG program need to assess their major and minor areas of needs to see were vulnerabilities exist. These need to be listed on the application. Some of these might be common knowledge but state them anyway to emphasize them in the minds of the reviewer.
Areas to look at are natural phenomena’s, local utilities, services, and transportation.
Is your area prone to floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, mudslides or even rock falls? State this in your application. The explanation does not need or should be long but briefly state the obvious and then a particular fact that is not well know. An example might be during heavy down pours a rockslide or mudslide could be triggered if you are in a mountainous region.
Is it in your budget to contract out heavy earth moving equipment to clear the roads or to save the lives of people buried under them. In an emergency time matters and if previous arrangements have not been made people could die. Your local weather bureau could supply the data need to emphasize this point.
Is there a power station or substation in your jurisdiction? How vulnerable are these units or facilities? Are there sufficient resources for a back up power supply until the main units are repaired? Make sure there is a plan and sufficient resources to supply power to critical areas like hospitals, communication centers and emergency shelters. The last one is usually forgotten.
Is the water and sewage infrastructure safe and secure? Where is the closes alternate water source? If flooding occurs, is the sewer plant going to be affected and contaminate the surrounding area? All of this need to be thought about and included in your application. Do not assume the reviewer knows about local issues.
Do you know how many bridges over water and land that are vital to connecting critical areas of your area’s jurisdiction? Will the collapse of one of them cause further loss of life or restrict access significantly? Are there any railroads through the area and if so how many miles are laid? Do you know what is transported over them? The local railway office can give you the information on freight, hazardous material and domestic passenger numbers. Ask for it and be informed.
When applying for the AFG program remember it is your responsibility to give the best assessment possible that will give your application the best chance of approval.
For help with writing the narrative and filling out the grant properly contact our sponsor, Ward Diesel.
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