Fire grant news from FEMA
Below is FEMA’s monthly update on the AFG program:
From FEMA: AFG update, Mar. 31, 2023
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 2021 AFG Programs Status Update
- FY 2022 AFG Programs Status Update
- Did You Know? – Who is eligible to apply for FP&S Grants
- April Fire Prevention Message – Have a home fire drill.
- Grant Management Training – GMTA Fundamentals of Grants Management Course
- AFGP Success Stories
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FY 2021 AFG Programs Status Update
FY 2021 Award announcements are nearing completion. Turndown letters will be sent in concurrence with the final rounds of awards being announced. If you receive a turndown letter and would like more information, please contact your Regional Fire Program Representative.
AFG Award Listings: Assistance to Firefighters Grants | FEMA.gov
SAFER Award Listings: Staffing For Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) | FEMA.gov
FP&S Award Listings: Fire Prevention and Safety | FEMA.gov
FY 2022 AFG Programs Status Update
Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG)
Highest scoring applications moving into the Technical Review Phase
With Peer Panel Review mostly completed the week of March 13-17, 2023, the highest scoring applications will move into Technical Review where program specialists will examine the applications for eligibility, cost reasonableness, and accuracy.
Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER)
FY 2022 SAFER Grant Peer Panel Review scheduled for April 17-21, 2023.
The 2022 SAFER application period ended on March 17. The applications are now be subjected to the electronic pre-scoring process. The applications that score well enough through this process will move on to Peer Panel Review, where fire service professionals from respective department types will review the scored narrative sections of the application.
Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S)
FY 2022 FP&S Grant application period is open and will end on Friday, March 31, 2023, at 5 p.m. ET
2022 AFGP Post-Application Listening Sessions
Listening sessions are being planned for the week of April 24, 2023. These sessions are designed to receive feedback from fire departments, non-affiliated EMS Organizations and State Fire Training Academies that applied for the 2022 AFG, SAFER and FP&S programs. An e-blast will be sent out providing links to register for the sessions.
Did You Know?
Who is eligible to apply for the Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) Grant Program:
There are two activities that fall under the FP&S Grant. They are Fire Prevention and Safety and Research and Development (R&D).
The FP&S Activity is designed to reach high-risk target groups and mitigate the incidence of death and injuries caused by fire and fire-related hazards. The project categories eligible for funding under this activity are:
- Community Risk Reduction;
- Wildfire Risk Reduction;
- Code Enforcement/Awareness;
- Fire and Arson Investigation; and
- National/State/Regional Programs and Projects.
The R&D Activity is aimed at improving firefighter safety, health or well-being through research and development that reduces firefighter fatalities and injuries. The five project categories eligible for funding under this activity are:
- Clinical Studies;
- Technology and Product Development;
- Database System Development;
- Preliminary Studies; and
- Early Career Investigator.
Eligible applicants for the FP&S Activity include fire departments operating in any of the 50 states, as well as fire departments in the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any federally recognized Indian tribe or tribal organization. A fire department is an agency or organization having a formally recognized arrangement with a state, local, tribal or territorial authority (city, county, parish, fire district, township, town or other governing body) to provide fire suppression to a population within a geographically fixed primary first due response area. National, regional, state, local, tribal and nonprofit interest organizations that are recognized for their experience and expertise in fire prevention and safety programs and activities are eligible applicants.
Eligible applicants for the R&D Activity include national, state, local, federally recognized tribal and nonprofit organizations, such as academic (e.g., universities), public health, occupational health, and injury prevention institutions.
April Fire Prevention Message
Have a home fire drill.
Key messages:
Practice your home fire drill at least twice a year with everyone in the household, including guests. Practice at least once during the day and at night. Make sure to have an outside meeting place that everyone will go to.
Grants Management Training
Grants Management Technical Assistance
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 |
| Jun. 28, 29, & Jul. 6 | Jul. 10 – Aug. 3, 2023 | 10 a.m. ET | Open Enrollment |
| Aug. 2, 9, & 10 | Aug 14 – Sept. 7, 2023 | 2 p.m. ET | Open Enrollment |
To Apply: National Emergency Training Center Online Admissions Application (fema.gov)
Questions: [email protected]
AFGP Success Stories
Foxborough Fire & Rescue – Foxborough, Massachusetts
Awarded items: 2021 AFG for Thermal Imaging Cameras
Submitted by: Captain Andrew Putini
When most people hear of Foxborough Fire they assume we must be flush with resources with Gillette Stadium and the New England Patriots calling Foxborough home. This could not be further from the truth. The stadium itself is built on tax free land with a Payment In Lieu Of Taxes agreement with the town. Foxborough finds itself with financial stability due to the conservative approach the town takes in its budget process. This has forced our department to seek other forms of funding to keep our firefighters safe.
It was recognized that our old Thermal Imaging Cameras (TICs) were beginning to fail, leaving front line apparatus without a TIC often. A tipping point occurred where crews found themselves on the second floor of a balloon framed building with a basement fire extending to the attic without a TIC. Thankfully the quick thinking of a seasoned crew located the fire in the walls before the situation got out of hand. It was after this incident we realized the need for new TICs. With Capital Purchases competitive in town due to revenue loss from COVID we realized we had to turn to FEMA’s AFG program.
The 2021 AFG award was used to purchase two NFPA compliant TICs. Just after midnight on Dec. 31, 2022, shortly after the two new NFPA TICs went into service, our communication center received a call for smoke in the residence in a 2.5-story home in one of the farthest districts away from our station. Due to multiple other calls in town, half of the eight firefighters on duty were committed elsewhere, leaving only four firefighters to respond.-ks Crews immediately deployed both TICs and discovered a fire in the walls around a gas fireplace. As the walls were opened firefighters were met with active fire that was quickly knocked down. Extensive overhaul around the fireplace was conducted to ensure all the fire was extinguished.
Thanks to early notification of smoke in the home by the residents and being able to quickly identify fire in the walls using the new TICs, firefighters were able to reduce fire losses and the residents were able to remain in their home that evening once declared safe. Without these cameras the fire inside of the walls may not have been identified and isolated so quickly, resulting in not only greater fire damage, but significant risk to the residents and firefighters. Although fire damage was still nearly $50,000, should the fire have gone undetected damages would have easily been greater than $500,000 between the 2,400 sq/ft home and its contents.
Foxborough Fire & Rescue can easily call itself a safer and better equipped department due to the funding opportunities FEMA makes available to organizations like ours.
Share Your Success Story
Do you have a Success Story regarding a FEMA Grant that you’d like to share with everyone? Contact us at [email protected] or through Twitter @FEMAGrants using a private message.
Have Feedback?
The AFG Program Office always welcomes feedback from the AFG community. If there are topics or information that you may find helpful in future monthly updates from the AFG Program, please send any thoughts to the AFG Help Desk ([email protected]).
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