AFG fire grant news from FEMA
Each month, we supply information regarding the management of current Assistance to Firefighters Grants, as well as helpful details on upcoming grant opportunities.
In this month’s update:
- FY 2022 AFG Programs Status Update
- FY 2023 AFG Programs Status Update
- Did You Know? – Narrative Self-Help Resources
- December Fire Prevention Message – Candle Safety
- Grant Management Training – Grants Management Technical Assistance FY 24
- Closeout module available in FEMA GO
- AFGP Success Stories
If you would like to receive these monthly newsletters via email, subscribe here: Signup for FEMA Email Updates (govdelivery.com).
FY 2022 AFG Programs Status Update
Awards have been completed for all the FY 2022 AFG Programs, and all funds have been exhausted. Turndown letters for all programs will be sent soon.
Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG)
If you receive a turndown letter and would like more information, you can register for one of the turndown webinars listed below HERE or contact your Regional Fire Program Representative.
| FY 2022 AFG Turndown Webinar Schedule | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Time | Webinar Offering | Presentation Length (Minutes) | Attendee Login Link |
| Dec. 14, 2023 | 11 a.m. ET | FY 22 AFG Turndown Webinar 3 | 60 | Webinar 3 Login |
| 5 p.m. ET | FY 21 AFG Turndown Webinar 4 | 60 | Webinar 4 Login | |
| 9 p.m. ET | FY 21 AFG Turndown Webinar 5 | 60 | Webinar 5 Login | |
| Dec. 19, 2023 | 9 a.m. ET | FY 21 AFG Turndown Webinar 6 | 60 | Webinar 6 Login |
| 2 p.m. ET | FY 21 AFG Turndown Webinar 7 | 60 | Webinar 7 Login | |
| 7 p.m. ET | FY 21 AFG Turndown Webinar 8 | 60 | Webinar 8 Login | |
AFG Award Listings: Assistance to Firefighters Grants | FEMA.gov.
Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) and Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S)
If you receive a turndown letter and would like further information, please contact the Preparedness Officer assigned to your state or contact the AFG Help Desk at [email protected].
SAFER Award Listings: Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) | FEMA.gov.
FP&S Award Listings: Fire Prevention and Safety | FEMA.gov.
FY 2023 AFG Programs Status Update
Major Program Priority Changes Coming for FY 2023 AFG
The FY 2023 AFG application period is expected to open January 2024. More information will be forthcoming as dates are set. The Criteria Development Panel has recommended major changes to the FY 2023 AFG program priorities. These changes will put an emphasis on PPE that is necessary to protect firefighter health and safety.
The AFG Program will be conducting application development workshop webinars for the 2023 AFG starting on Jan. 8, 2024. The schedule will be posted soon HERE.
In anticipation of the 2023 AFG application period, below is a list of things that you can do NOW to start preparing for the upcoming FY 2023 AFG Application Period.
- Coordinate with your local officials to verify your organization’s SAM.gov account is Active and that no changes have been made.
- Ensure grant writing staff have accounts and appropriate permissions in FEMA GO.
- Conduct a Risk Assessment to determine your greatest needs. Compare your needs to the priorities of the program once the FY23 funding notice is released to identify what you should request.
- Poll vendors to start determining the costs of items you plan to request.
- If requesting a vehicle, establish your committee and develop specifications.
- Use the Application Checklist to gather information needed to complete the application.
- Use the Self-Evaluation Sheets to start drafting the four scored sections of the application narrative. These documents provide the exact criteria that panelists will be looking for in your narrative at panel review. There is one for Operations and Safetyand another for Vehicle applications.
- Use the Narrative Development Toolkit (formerly the Narrative Development Guide) to help identify ways that you can address the criteria outlined in the Self-Evaluation Sheets.
- Write your narrative. It is easily pasted into the application once the application period opens. This will allow ample time for others to review what you’ve written and provide feedback.
- Contact your Regional Fire Program Representative with any questions.
Did You Know?
There are self-help resources available to help write your narratives!
The first resource to consider using is the Self-Evaluation Sheets. There are two self-evaluation sheets; one for projects involving the five activities under Operations and Safety, and a second for projects involving vehicle acquisition. The self-evaluation sheets are designed to help you understand the criteria that you must address in your Narrative Statement when applying for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant. Panel reviewers will review all the criteria in the Narrative Statement to assess your agency’s financial need, the degree to which your proposal best describes your community risks, the requirements you have listed that will reduce those risks, and how your project(s) aligns with the AFG priorities. For each scored section of the AFG narrative (financial need, project description and budget, cost/benefit and statement of effect), the self-evaluation sheets provide bullet points regarding the criteria the panel reviewers will be looking for and a description of what the panelists should consider when scoring the narrative (strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree or strongly disagree).
The second resource available to assist with drafting your narrative is the Narrative Development Toolkit (formerly the Narrative Development Guide). The Narrative development toolkit addresses all the narrative sections you will encounter while completing the AFG application including the four scored sections described above. Under each heading the toolkit provides suggestions and concepts to help you address the criteria the panelists will be looking for in each section. The toolkit is designed to work in tandem with the self-evaluation sheets so that you have the criteria along with suggestions on how to meet that criterion in the body of your narrative.
Both of these resources will be available soon HERE.
December Fire Prevention Message
Use Candles Safely
Key messages:
Candles are a part of many celebrations, but open flames make them dangerous if they tip over or are placed too close to anything that can burn. Use candles safely, keep anything that can burn at least twelve inches from a candle. Consider using flameless candles.
For more information, please visit the U.S. Fire Administration’s website for Fire Prevention and Community Risk Reduction HERE.
Grants Management Training
Grants Management Technical Assistance
The K0705 Fundamentals of Grants Management is a virtual course offered by FEMA to grant recipients. Although not a requirement for accepting an AFG award, the course is designed to assist organizations strengthen their grant management practices. Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to:
- Improve collaboration among policy, program and financial staff to integrate grant management functions;
- Identify applicable regulations and navigate and apply the Code of Federal Regulations, including 2 CFR Part 200;
- Apply proven business practices related to the grant lifecycle to increase efficiency and meet grant management priorities, such as strategic planning, organization, program implementation, staff training, monitoring, reporting and audits;
- Develop or revise policies, procedures, and practices in critical areas of grants management, such as monitoring, procurement, source documentation, payments, and equipment inventory; and
- Prepare for federal monitoring and sub-recipient monitoring.
Upcoming Course Offerings:
| Orientation Dates | Course Dates | Course Start Times | Course Host |
| Jan. 16, 17, or 18 | Jan. 22 – Feb. 15, 2024 | 2 p.m. ET | Open Enrollment |
| March 19, 20, or 21 | March 25 – April 8, 2024 | 10 a.m. ET | Open Enrollment |
| April 23, 24, or 25 | April 29 – May 23, 2024 | 2 p.m. ET | Open Enrollment |
| July 9, 10, or 11 | July 15 – Aug. 8, 2024 | 10 a.m. ET | Open Enrollment |
To Apply: National Emergency Training Center Online Admissions Application (fema.gov)
Questions: [email protected]
Closeout Report Available in FEMA GO
The closeout module has been released in FEMA GO for recipients that have received AFG awards from 2018 to 2020. Recipients with awards that are no longer open will have 90 days to complete the module. If an award still has an open period of performance (POP), the recipient will have to wait until the POP ends to initiate the closeout process and will have 90 to 120 days to complete the process. Do not start your closeout if there is a chance that more funds or an amendment could be requested as these functions will no longer be available. A tutorial on the closeout process is available by clicking here.
For closeout help, contact your Regional Fire Program Representative or the AFG Helpdesk toll-free at 1-866-274-0960 or email [email protected]
AFGP Success Stories
City of Maricopa Fire & Medical Department – Maricopa, Arizona
Awarded items: 2017 SAFER Hiring Grant
Submitted by: Angi Crook, Public Safety Administrative Support Manager
I am delighted to share that the FEMA SAFER Grant, dedicated to hiring additional firefighters, has been successfully closed out, and it has played a pivotal role in fulfilling our staffing requirements as delineated in NFPA 1700. This grant has significantly bolstered our firefighting capabilities, ensuring the safety of our community. With the additional personnel, we’ve achieved improved response times, expanded coverage, and heightened our effectiveness in combating fires and responding to emergencies. The grant funds were judiciously utilized to hire and train qualified firefighters, thus fortifying our department. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to FEMA for their unwavering support in enhancing our fire service, resulting in a profound and positive impact on the safety and well-being of our community.
Furthermore, I am pleased to announce that we have met the NFPA requirement of 17 firefighters for staffing a single-story home, and we consistently maintain this staffing level, exceeding the requirement over 90% of the time through constant staffing and a leave pool covering vacations and sick leave. We’ve also successfully met the NFPA staffing and OSHA requirements of two-in, two-out while ensuring that all our fire trucks are consistently staffed with four firefighters. During the grant period, we experienced only one fatality in a house fire, a testament to the importance of proper staffing in facilitating rapid search and rescue and fire suppression.
Our city currently boasts an ISO rating of 2, attributable primarily to our staffing levels and the support this grant has provided, ensuring 24/7 coverage in each fire protection zone. This was particularly critical during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic response, as the additional firefighters funded by the SAFER grant allowed us to maintain operations at the same service level for well over a year, even during a time of crisis.
From a financial perspective, the department managed to reduce the overtime budget significantly throughout the grant period. This reduction stemmed from the 4,160 shift hours (2080×2) provided by the grant, which allowed us to reallocate funds to address important needs such as expired turnout gear and other essential items in the general fund, further enhancing firefighter safety and mitigating cancer risks.
In conclusion, on behalf of the fire department and the City of Maricopa, we extend our sincere gratitude to FEMA and the SAFER grant staff for their instrumental role in better protecting the community we serve. These funds have been paramount in ensuring proper firefighter staffing, who, at the end of the day, are entrusted with the protection of life and property and bolstering our community’s resilience. There is no doubt that we are in a better position today than we were in 2017, thanks to the invaluable support of these grant funds.