AFG fire grant news from FEMA
Open Discussion with Unsuccessful Applicants | AUGUST 2022
Big news from FEMA below! If you have not applied for AFG fire grants, FEMA wants to understand why not and what barriers your organization might have encountered:
FEMA news release
The Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program is constantly seeking ways to improve. In FY 2021 there were just over 8,000 fire departments that submitted applications for funding. This seems like a lot of applications, but it is only representative of roughly 30% of the fire departments nationwide. For the first time in the history of the AFG program, we are establishing listening sessions to hear from those departments that did not apply.
FEMA wants your feedback so they can improve AFG
Using the data from applications submitted in FY21 and comparing that to data from the U.S. Fire Administration Fire Department Registry, we were able to identify your organization as not having applied in FY21. We are hoping that you will consider joining one of our listening sessions to help us understand why you did not apply. This is especially important if those reasons are related to online systems such as SAM.gov or FEMA GO; lack of resources (match funds, grant writing experience, unreliable internet access, staffing/capacity challenges.); language barriers; or other socioeconomic challenges. In return we hope to use your comments and suggestions to improve the AFG program. We will also take time to answer any questions you may have about the program.
Listening sessions
Please find the schedule for the listening sessions below. Please click on the link to respective session you’d like to attend. Each session is expected to last one hour and will be comprised of a brief introduction, time to identify issues, a collaborative brainstorming session, and time for Q&A. The sessions are limited to 1,500 attendants. Please note that there is one session specifically for tribal fire departments.
Dedicated sessions for tribal fire departments
If are receiving this email and serve a tribal fire department, please try to attend that session so we can discuss your unique needs. If demand exceeds the planned sessions, consideration will be given to providing additional opportunities.
Can’t attend? Here’s how to share your comments with FEMA
If you are unable to attend, please send any comments you may have regarding the reasons you did not apply in 2021 to [email protected].
| FY 2021 AFG Listening Session Schedule (Eastern Time Zone) | |||||
| Date | Time | Workshop Offering | Length | Registration Link | |
| 8/1/2022 | 10am | Session 1 | 60 Min | Session 1 | |
| 8/3/2022 | 12pm | Session 2 | 60 Min | Session 2 | |
| 8/3/2022 | 5pm | Session 3 | 60 Min | Session 3 | |
| 8/6/2022 | 11am | Session 4 | 60 Min | Session 4 | |
| 8/9/2022 | 10am | Session 5 | 60 Min | Session 5 | |
| 8/9/2022 | 2pm | Session 6 | 60 Min | Session 6 | |
| 8/9/2022 | 4pm | Tribal | 60 Min | Tribal Session | |
| 8/10/2022 | 12pm | Session 7 | 60 Min | Session 7 | |
| 8/11/2022 | 5pm | Session 8 | 60 Min | Session 8 | |
| 8/11/2022 | 7pm | Session 9 | 60 Min | Session 9 |