Common
Misconceptions About the 2004 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program
-
********************************************************************
Many
people have come out of a grant class thinking they can only apply for one of
the activities in a program area. Or, they think their chances for an award are
better if they only apply to one activity within a program area.
This is
not the case.
*********************************************************************
Your
application is limited to only one of the three Program
Areas:
Fire
Operations & FF Safety, Fire Prevention or Firefighting
Vehicle
-- However – ODP encourages you to apply
for items in more than one activity within that program area if it solves your
problem and meets your needs.
As long
as you can justify your request, it ties in with the goals of your project and
matches the priorities of the grant program, you will come out ahead by asking
for items in multiple activities. ODP does not want you to partially solve your
problem.
We
assisted many departments who were successful with their applications. Most
requested items from multiple activities within their chosen program
area.
A good example of this is the opening statement in the narrative
for the Alburnett FD in Alburnett, IA.
They were successful in getting an award in
2003.
*******************************************************************
THE PROJECT THAT YOU ARE REQUESTING TO BE
FUNDED:
FEMA
grant money will allow the Alburnett Fire Department to purchase training
materials, personal protective equipment and firefighting equipment for the
Alburnett Fire Department to meet basic fire operations and firefighter safety
as required by NFPA, OSHA, ISO and other safety standards.
The
project will assure that 100 percent of the Alburnett Fire Department members
will be provided with NFPA compliant personal protective gear. Self Contained Breathing Apparatus will
be interoperable with integrated PASS and rapid intervention connections. All structural firefighters will be
trained to the Fire Fighter I Driver/Operator level or higher and a Rapid
Intervention Team will receive needed specialized training and rescue
tools. A properly equipped and
adequately trained quick response fire and rescue team and a RIT team will
enhance public and firefighter safety.
************************************************************************
They applied
in the Fire Operations & FF Safety Program Area and are asking for items
from 3 Activities: PPE, Equipment and Training. They received over $90,000 in
their award.
Asking
for Training AND Personal Protective Equipment AND Equipment
enhanced
their application because it completely addressed their need to improve
Firefighter safety. Don’t limit
your request without reason. By limiting your application to only one activity
you may not solve your problem as well as a department such as Alburnett who
covers all their bases. You are competing for your award against departments who
demonstrate a strong need in multiple Program Area
activities.
Don’t
throw in frivolous items but ask for everything you need. This idea is spelled
out in the following excerpts from the ODP workshop slideshow and the Program
Guidance document for 2004. Here is what they say:
****************************************
From
the 2004 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program Workshop PowerPoint Slides,
Slide 14:
Program
Area 1:
Fire
Operations and Firefighter Safety
*Requests
May Be for One or All Five Activities: Training, Equipment, PPE, Wellness &
Fitness, Modification of Facilities
******************************************************
From
the 2004 PROGRAM Guidance for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, Page
5 and 6:
In 2004,
we have continued our practice of allowing you to formulate a very comprehensive
grant proposal. Depending on the program for which you apply, we are allowing
your grant proposal to include a number
of related “activities” to address all of your needs within a programmatic or
functional area. This
approach provides you with the opportunity to develop a more comprehensive grant
project that addresses a broader range of your fire department’s needs. You may
submit only one application per program
year, and your application is further limited
to only one of the program areas listed below. Be
advised that your application should include only activities that can be
completed within the one-year grant period.
You can
submit an application for any one of this year’s three program areas, and, as
stated above, you may include as
many activities within that one program as necessary to meet your
needs. The programs, and
associated activities eligible in this year’s grant program are as
follows:
1.
Operations and Firefighter Safety Program.
Eligible activities under this
function
are limited to training, equipment, personal protective
equipment,
wellness
and fitness, and modifications to fire stations and facilities*. Please
note
that
requests for emergency medical services training and equipment are
available
under the
appropriate activities in this program area. Also, note that requests
for
equipment,
personal protective equipment, and training to prepare for response
to
incidents
involving CBRNE are available under the appropriate activities in
this
program
area.
2. Fire
Prevention Program.
Eligible activities under this function include, but are
not
limited to, public education and awareness activities, fire code
enforcement
activities,
fire inspector certifications, purchase and installation of smoke
alarms
and fire
suppression systems*,
wildland mitigation, and arson prevention and
detection
activities. Renovations that are necessary to accomplish the
education
and
awareness function may be eligible, however, grantees may not change
the
footprint
or the profile of the building, i.e., the building may not be enlarged
nor
can the
height increase.
3.
Firefighting Vehicle Acquisition Program.
Eligible apparatus under this
program
include, but are not limited to, pumpers, brush trucks,
tankers/tenders,
rescue
vehicles, ambulances, quints, aerials, foam units, and fireboats. You
may
apply for
only one vehicle per year.
As stated
above, this year you may submit one application for assistance in only one of
these three program areas. Within your
selected program area, you may develop a comprehensive program to address all of
your needs by applying for as many of the eligible activities you determine are
necessary. For example, if you determine that your needs
are in the area of Operations and Firefighter Safety, you could apply for any
one of the activities under that program, or any combination of activities, or
all of the activities listed within that program.