HomeMy WebLinkAbout76-07 RESOLUTIONRESOLUTION NO. 76-07
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE FAYETTEVILLE FIRE
DEPARTMENT TO APPLY FOR A 2007 DEPARTMENT OF
HOMELAND SECURITY ASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTERS
GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $330,700.00 TO PURCHASE A
LIVE FIRE MOBILE TRAINING UNIT.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS'
Section 1. That the City Council of the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas
hereby authorizes the Fayetteville Fire Department to apply for a 2007
Department of Homeland Security Assistance To Firefighters Grant in the
amount of $330,700.00 to purchase a Live Fire Mobile Training Unit.
PASSED and APPROVED this 1st day of May, 2007.
APPROVED:
By:
DA • ODY, Mayor
ATTEST:
By:
SONDRA E. SMITH, City Clerk/Treasurer
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Tony Johnson
Submitted By
City of Fayetteville
Staff Review Form
City Council Agenda Items
or
Contracts
May 1,2007
City Council Meeting Date
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Division
Action Required:
Fire
Department
A resolution granting the Fire Dept permission to apply for the 2007 Assistance To Firefighters grant in the amount of
$330,700.
66,140.00
Cost of this request
1010.0001.4308.00
Account Number
Project Number
Budgeted Item
Category / Project Budget
Funds Used to Date
Remaining Balance
Budget Adjustment Attached
Mobile Fire Trainer
Program Category / Project Name
Act 833
Program / Project Category Name
General Fund
Fund Name
DepartmentirectD or
Zirtind*s oG
Date
-)(47( 4411
City Attorney ate
Finance and In ernal Service Director
Mayor
�(- I? -07
Date
Date
Previous Ordinance or Resolution#
Original Contract Date:
Original Contract Number:
Received in City Clerk's Office
7 41
40
Received in Mayor's Office
E/ 7
ro
Comments:
City of Fayetteville Fire Department
303 W. Center St. Fayetteville, AR. 72701
- Phone (479) 575-8365 Fax (479) 575-0471
To: Mayor Coody
Fayetteville City Council
From: Tony Johnson, Fire Chief It
Subject: Request to Make Grant Application
Date: April 17, 2007
Once again, the Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency
Management Agency is making money available through its 2007 Assistance to
Firefighters Grants program. The fire department has benefited from this
offering in the past and we are requesting permission to apply for a $330,700 00
training grant for equipment. If our request is selected for funding, we will need
a ten percent match of $66,140.00, which will come from the Act 833 money
which is received annually from the State of Arkansas.
This years request is for a live fire mobile training unit which will be utilized
under the direction of the Fayetteville Fire Department by our incumbent
firefighters as well as the consortium of fire departments the comprise the
Northwest Arkansas Fire Academy. The purchase of this training device is the
most cost effective way to provide live fire training for the personnel of the
Fayetteville Fire Department.
Attached, is a copy of the narrative that will be sent to the Department of
Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency for their
consideration.
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RESOLUTION NO.
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE FAYETTEVILLE FIRE
DEPARTMENT TO APPLY FOR A 2007 DEPARTMENT OF
HOMELAND SECURITY ASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTERS
GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $330,700.00 TO PURCHASE A
LIVE FIRE MOBILE TRAINING UNIT.
•
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCI
FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS:
Section 1. That the City Council o the
hereby authorizes the Fayetteville Fire e a
Department of Homeland4S hrity Assi t xic
amount of $330,700.007..irct a Live, 4 e Mo
teen AP�PRO
APPROVED:
By:
OF
City o ayeft vi11e, Arkkansas
rtment thy' pp1y for a 12007
To Fi of ghters Grain he
ile Train ng Unit.
bAN COMDY, Mayor
TTEST:
By:
SONDRA E. SMITH, City Clerk/Treasurer
City of Fayetteville 2007 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program
Proiect Description:
The Fayetteville Fire Department (FFD) is requesting funds from the
Training Activities section of the Fire Operations and Firefighter Safety Program
that will provide a means to improve the training of multiple agencies and
multiple jurisdictions to competently and safely respond to all hazards incidents.
It is our assessment that there are inadequate training facilities available to
prepare for these dramatic events.
The goal of this project is to provide the basic and advanced scenarios as
required by NFPA 1001, 471, and 473; that would involve all first responder
agencies including but not limited to fire, police, public works departments, and
private contractors In addition our Training Division is required by the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) to provide training to our Aircraft Rescue Fire
Fighters; we would be able to utilize this type of facility for rescue scenarios as
well as Homeland Security training. Currently we are not able to offer this type of
training in Northwest Arkansas.
Our Training Committee researched current trailers used in the industry today
and determined that the Kidde ML -1000 Mobile Fire Trainer is the most
appropriate for the needs and demands of the region it would serve. The Mobile
Fire Trainer is a computer -controlled, propane gas -fueled training system that
allows the basic NFPA 1001 skills (forcible entry, search and rescue, SCBA
confidence, fire suppression, ventilation, R I.T.) and other requirements to be
taught in a safe and environmentally sound manner. The system replicates A, B
and C type fires and produces environmentally sound smoke.
• The Mobile FIRETRAINER® ML -1000 is Kidde s top-of-the-line mobile fire training
burn trailer. The ML -1000 is a 48 -ft long custom-built fire training trailer that allows convenient fire training to students in
the basic NFPA 1001 firefighting skills as well as advanced firefighting drills.
There will be a one-time purchase of $ 330.700.00, which includes tax and
shipping from Montvale, New Jersey to Fayetteville, Arkansas The Fayetteville
Fire Department intends to administer this training program while making the
training available to area agencies and to provide oversight for this training. We
have the commitment, support and involvement of these agencies to make this
program a success.
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e
Training
Very few opportunities exist for live fire training in the area. Strict
environmental and logistical controls prevent the usage of existing structures
that may be scheduled for demolition, as live fire training buildings. In addition,
despite thorough inspections, the safety of the structure and therefore the
firefighters is severely compromised due to the unknowns about the condition of
the load bearing portions of that structure and how they may react under even
minimal flame and heat exposure. Fixed fire facilities are not only few and far
between, but they are also exactly that: fixed. Very little can be done to vary the
layout of the structures, and usually after one trip, firefighters have the layouts
memorized and can develop feelings of overconfidence and complacency when
faced with real incidents. This makes a dangerous situation even more
dangerous, as firefighters that are inexperienced or have had few opportunities
to be exposed to live fire on a fire ground, are the ones that are most likely to
get injured or worse at incidents. This puts not only them in danger, but every
firefighter at that incident as they may need rescue at any time. The training of
area volunteers is also subject to availability to travel to these facilities, which
also reduces the amount of time that firefighters are able to engage in live fire
exercises.
The trailer mounted live fire training simulator we are proposing to
purchase will not only make live fire training highly available, but also it will fight
complacency by being able to change the layouts in numerous ways. The
simulator will have the ability to have its interior reconfigured in mid -drill, as well
as the additional tasks of wall breach, ceiling, roof joist, and pitched roof
ventilation props, and a prop to assist in specialized Rapid Intervention Team
trainings. The doors will be able to be forced without damage, as well as the
entire process being environmentally fnendly, using safe, non-toxic smoke and
clean burning propane as the fuel source. The simulator will be able to provide
realistic Class A, B, and C fire training as well as simulate electrical fires. The
simulator will also be able to safely reproduce flashovers and rollovers in a
controlled manner, both of which are conditions that are difficult to recognize
when on an incident, and when not recognized have resulted in many line of
duty injuries and fatalities. We feel that preventing both of these is worth any
amount of money.
Benefits to our Region
The Fayetteville Fire Department responds regionally in conjunction with a
variety of other larger and smaller departments to fire, rescue, and hazardous
materials incidents. The department also provides support through our efforts
on a regional HAZMAT team. Our community is home to a major university that
routinely accommodates nationally televised sporting events that attract over
75,000 visitors to our city. Fayetteville also hosts events sponsored by Wal-Mart
which attract thousands of vendors, celebrities and shareholders to the area
annually. The addition of this equipment would provide an enhanced capability
to deal with homeland security issues as well as our routine fire and rescue
responses Training for our 100 + Fire Fighters as well as neighboring
departments is completed by a group of Training Officers in a 4 county area.
These instructors work closely with the Arkansas Fire Academy to provide
instruction for routine evolutions but also an 8 week Minimum Standards School
that is IFSAC accredited and many other classes for our regional needs.
The biggest hurdle for training Fire Fighters is a facility that will allow the use of
live fire scenarios. We currently have to travel .a great distance to use an
approved Fire Training facility and we have only 4 in the whole State of
Arkansas.
Financial Need
In our city, most of the funding for essential services comes from sales tax
revenues. The Fire Department is in constant competition with the Police
Department for the same resources. With the amount of growth experienced
over the past few years, the needs in both departments far out pace the
resources available. According to the US Census Bureau, in 2000 the population
of Fayetteville was 58,000 up 15,000 from the 1990 census. The .Northwest
Arkansas Planning Commission has projected the population in 2006 to be
71,800. Over the past sixteen years, Fayetteville has experienced a 66% growth
in population. By the year 2025, the population is expected to increase by an
additional 40,000 people. In spite of the level of growth experienced, the Fire
Department has only added two new stations since 1979. The fire department's
budget has only experienced a 3.75% increase in 2006 from 2005. The budget
for personnel services expenses for 2006 has increased by 4.7% from 2005.
Actual spending has outpaced budgetary projections over the past few years due
to an increase in the number of personnel and rising health care costs. This
means that our department is seeing decreased funding for normal operating
expenses even though the department is adding personnel and stations. For
example, the department's budget for materials and supplies has decreased by
8% going from $158,600 in 2005 to $145,700 in 2006. The capital budget went
from $95,800 in 2005 to $0 in 2006. Meeting the personnel cost burden has and
will continue to be a challenge for the department. For this reason, funds are
decreasing for normal operating expenses and non-existent for expansion
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equipment. This kind of expense for a valuable communications system is far
beyond our fiscal capabilities for the foreseeable future.
The City is in the process of budding a new wastewater treatment facility and
initiating much needed road improvements. These and other major projects
have an enormous impact on the city's undedicated resources It is unlikely that
a dedicated revenue source such as property taxes will be assigned to the Fire
Department for any type of managed growth.
Other Relevant Information:
The Fayetteville Department has put forth a strong effort to enhance and
improve our Homeland Security capabilities. We have elevated our mutual aid
efforts with neighboring fire departments and other agencies. For example, we
respond as BLS First Responders with our local paramedic EMS service and we
now have a seamless/automatic response mutual aid agreement with one
neighboring community. We allow our Hazardous Materials unit and our
Technical Rescue Team (both with certified staffs) to respond across the region
as needed by other communities. We are a member of Disaster Management
Interoperability Services (DMIS) network. All personnel are NIMS certified. We
conduct multi -jurisdictional and multi agency disaster drills to develop the
capacity to handle large-scale, mass casualty incidents Our department has
three of the four busiest companies in the entire state of Arkansas. Even though
we are limited by certain financial constraints, we are managing to meet the
service demands of our city. We are, however, stretching to provide the
coverage for the emergency call volume we experience annually. This is
reflected in our higher than national average call queuing.
This Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program would provide us with an
extremely valuable tool to train not only our staff but Fire Fighters from across
the region and assist with Minimum Standards School required evolutions.
We would appreciate any assistance that FEMA and the U.S. Fire Administration
through the Department of Homeland Security can provide to the City of
Fayetteville Fire Department, and we also want to thank those of you are who
working so hard and diligently on this important effort.
Thank you.
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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Fiscal Year 2007
Assistance to Firefighters Grants
Program and Application Guidance
March 2007
OFFICE OF GRANTS AND TRAINING
U.S. Department of Homeland Security — Assistance to Firefighters Grants
Key Changes in FY 2007
The Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) contains significant
changes based upon input from the American fire service and other stakeholders. FY
2007 funding priorities are more closely aligned with the Department of Homeland
Secunty's (DHS) risk-based funding. We also continue to deepen our commitment to
regional projects in order to promote regional integration, interoperable
communications, mutual aide agreements and equipment compatibility.
In prior years, applicants were limited to submitting one single application under either
the Operations and Safety or Vehicle Acquisition program areas. However, in FY 2007,
all eligible applicants may submit two separate applications, i.e., one application under
Operations and Safety and a second application under Vehicle Acquisition.
Additionally, fire departments and nonaffiliated emergency medical service (EMS)
organizations that provide first responder services to urban and suburban communities
may request multiple vehicles on their Vehicle Acquisition application while departments
servicing rural communities will still be restricted to a one vehicle per request. Finally,
the restnction that precluded previous vehicle awardees from receiving a subsequent
vehicle award has been removed. Previous AFG vehicle awardees may receive a FY
2007 AFG vehicle award.
The FY 2007 AFG will also allow eligible applicants to submit a third application for a
regional project, in addition to their application(s) for operations and/or vehicles (up to 3
separate applications) The result is that one applicant could address more than one
operational need, as well as address issues of interoperability dunng one grant year.
All FY 2007 AFG applicants must submit.a justification for their project(s) that provides
details regarding the project and the project's budget, the benefits to be derived from
the project, the applicant's financial need, and how the project would affect the
applicant's daily operations in protecting lives and property within their community. All
applicants are encouraged to read the AFG Program Guidance document to fully
understand the evaluation criteria and application process.
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1
U.S. Department of Homeland Security — Assistance to Firefighters Grants
Contents
Introduction 3
Part I. Available Funding and Eligible Applicants 6
Part II. Evaluation Process 10
Part III. Application Requirements 13
Appendix 1. Funding Priorities and Allowable Expenses
For Fire Departments Y2
Appendix 2. Funding Priorities and Allowable Expenses
For Nonaffiliated EMS Organizations 37
Appendix 3. Other Allowable Costs 48
Appendix 4. Reasonableness of a Request 51
Appendix 5. Award Procedure 52
Appendix 6. Grantee Responsibilities 54
Appendix 7. Excess Funds 57
2
U.S. Department of Homeland Security—Assistance to Firefighters Grants
Introduction
Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) provides financial assistance directly to fire
departments and nonaffiliated EMS organizations to enhance their abilities with respect
to fire and fire -related hazards. Our pnmary goal is to help fire departments and
nonaffiliated EMS organizations meet their firefighting and emergency response needs.
AFG seeks to support organizations that lack the tools and resources necessary to
more effectively protect the health and safety of the public and their emergency
response personnel with respect to fire and all other hazards.
The purpose of this package is to provide: an overview of the AFG; the formal grant
guidance; and, the application materials needed to apply for funding under this program.
Also included is an explanation of DHS management requirements for implementation
of a successful application.
Making an application for Federal funds under programs such as this can be quite
complex and occasionally frustrating. Our job at DHS is to provide clear guidance and
efficient application tools to assist applicants Our customers are entitled to effective
assistance during the application process, and transparent, disciplined management
controls to support grant awards. We intend to be good stewards of precious Federal
resources, and commonsense partners with our first -responder colleagues.
A. Federal Investment Strategy.
The AFG program is an important part of the Administration's larger, coordinated effort
to strengthen homeland secunty preparedness, including the security of America's
critical infrastructure. Of particular significance are the National Prepared Goal and its
associated work products. The National Preparedness Goal is an all -hazards vision
regarding the nation's four core preparedness objectives: prevent, protect, respond and
recover from both terrorist attacks and catastrophic natural disasters.
The National Preparedness Goal defines a vision of what to accomplish and a set of
tools to forge a unified national consensus about what to do and how to work together at
all levels of govemment. First -responder participation is integral to the Goal's success.
DHS expects its first -responder partners to be familiar with this national preparedness
architecture and to incorporate elements of this architecture into their planning,
operations and investments to the degree practical.
B. Overarching Funding Priorities.
The funding priorities for the FY07 AFG reflect the Department's overall Investment
strategy, in which three priorities are paramount: enhancing national capabilities, risk -
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security —Assistance to Firefighters Grants
based prioritizations, and interoperability. Each year, DHS brings together a panel of
fire service professionals representing the nine major fire service organizations to
recommend funding priorities and other implementation criteria for AFG. These nine
organizations are:
• Intemational Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC)
• Intemational Association of Firefighters (IAFF)
• National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC)
• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
• National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM)
• International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI)
• International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI)
• North American Fire Training Directors (NAFTD)
• Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI)
The critena development panel is charged with making recommendations to DHS
regarding the creation and/or modification of previously established AFG funding
priorities, as well as developing criteria for awarding AFG grants and proposing any
changes to grant administration. This document reflects the Department's
implementation of the cnteria development panel's recommendations with respect to the
priorities, direction, and criteria for awarding AFG grants.
The AFG authorizing legislation requires DHS to take into account the benefit to be
derived from the costs of the grant activity when considering each application for award.
DHS has determined that risk-based funding achieves this benefit/cost consideration
and that the frequency of use, as well as the level of population protected, are both
measures of nsk and indicators of the benefit that could be derived from an award.
Therefore, for each activity below, DHS will provide a higher level of consideration to
departments with significant levels of incidents and to departments that protect large
populations relative to other applicants, regardless of the type of community served.
For the 2007 program year, the criteria development panel has recommended that DHS
make a distinction between 'new missions" and "new risks." A department takes on a
new mission when it expands services into areas .not previously offered, such as a fire
department seeking funding to provide emergency medical services for the first time. A
"new risk" presents itself when a department must address nsks that have materialized
in the department's area of responsibility, forexample, the construction of a chemical
plant. An organization taking on "new risks" will be afforded higher consideration than
departments taking on a "new mission." However, applicants who's grant request
succeeds in reaching the second level of competition, the peer review, can mitigate the
impact of "New Missions" on the competitiveness of their application by providing
evidence that the department will be able to support and sustain the new mission
4
U.S. Department of Homeland Security —Assistance to Firefighters Grants
beyond the period of grant.
In order to focus on the overarching priorities, the Department identifies specific criteria
as our highest prionties under each of the funding areas as set forth in Appendixes I &II
of this guidance. No one funding area is considered a priority over the others; therefore,
the list in Appendixes 1 & II are not in any particular order.
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security —Assistance to Firefighters Grants
Part 1.
Available Funding and Eligible Applicants
This section describes departments and organizations that are eligible to apply for
funding under the FY 2007 AFG, the total available funding in FY 2007, and how those
funds are allocated. The authority for AFG is derived from the Federal Fire Protection
and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. §§ 2229 et seq.), as amended. Congress
reauthorized AFG and appropriated a total of $547 million for the FY 2007 AFG. Funds
appropriated for the FY 2007 AFG are available for obligation and award until
September 30, 2008.
A. Available Funding.
Congress appropriated a total of $547 million to carry out the activities of the FY 2007
AFG program. Congress directed DHS to administer these funds as indicated below.
• Up to 5 percent of appropriated funds ($27.35 million) may be used for
program administration.
• Up to 2 percent of appropriated funds ($10.94 million) may be used for
awards to nonaffiliated EMS organizations.
• No more than 25 percent of appropnated funds ($136.75 million) may be used
for vehicle awards.
• No less than 3 5 percent of funds ($19.145 million) must be awarded for EMS
equipment and training.
No less than 5 percent of appropriated funds ($27.35 million) must be made
available to make grants for fire prevention activities (FP&S grants).
• No less than $3 million must be awarded for foam and foam -related
equipment.
• No less than 33 percent of AFG funds ($180 million) must be awarded to
combination organizations (organizations with both paid career and volunteer
active duty firefighters).
• No less than 22 percent of AFG funds ($120 million) must be awarded to all -
volunteer organizations (organizations with no active duty paid career
firefighters).
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security — Assistance to Firefighters Grants
Congress also limited award amounts based on population protected by the applicant,
as indicated below.
• Applicants that serve a jurisdiction with a population of 500,000 people or Tess
may not receive grant funds in excess of $1 million in any program year.
• Applicants that serve a jurisdiction with more than 500,000, but not more than
one million, people may not receive grant funds in excess of $1.75 million in any
program year.
• Applicants that serve a jurisdiction of more than one million people may not
receive grant funds in excess of $2.735 million in any program year.
The authonzing legislation allows for DHS to waive the funding limits for applicants that
serve junsdictions of less than one million people, but DHS will only exercise this
discretion for applicants whose application for a regional project causes the applicant to
exceed the legislative limits.
DHS will also continue to separate FP&S grants from the AFG, and will have a separate
application period devoted solely to FP&S grants The FP&S application period is
planned for fall 2007. As in the past, the program will be open to fire departments
In addition, Congress appropnated $115 million for Staffing for Adequate Fire and
Emergency Response (SAFER) grants in FY 2007. SAFER's goal is to help fire
departments increase the number of frontline firefighters. When available, information
about the FY 2007 SAFER grant program will be announced on the AFG website at
www.fireorantsupport.com/saferi.
B. Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants for AFG are limited to fire departments and nonaffiliated EMS
organizations. Fire departments or nonaffiliated EMS organizations operating in any of
the 50 States plus the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and Puerto Rico are eligible for
funding.
A "fire department" is defined as an agency or organization that has a formally
recognized arrangement with a State, territory, local, or tnbal authority (city, county,
parish, fire district, township, town, or other goveming body) to provide fire suppression
to a population within a fixed geographical area on a first -due basis.
A "nonaffiliated EMS organization" is defined as a public or private nonprofit emergency
medical services organization that provides direct emergency medical services,
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security—Assistance to Firefighters Grants
including medical transport, to a specific geographic area on a first -due basis but is not
affiliated with a hospital and does not serve a geographic area where emergency
medical services are adequately provided by a fire department.
In making the determination regarding "adequately provided," DHS will conclude that
any nonaffiliated EMS organization would be eligible if it is "adequately providing" direct
emergency medical services at the time of application submission and is in good
standing with the community, i.e , licensed and/or chartered to provide EMS services to
the community. Rescue squads that provide direct emergency medical services,
including medical transport, to the community they serve are eligible to apply as a
nonaffiliated EMS organization.
By "affiliated" we mean receiving any kind of direct support from a hospital in the form of
funding, facilities, staff, equipment, or apparatus. Contracting with a hospital on a fee-
for-service basis would not constitute an "affiliation" in the context of AFG. Also, for the
purposes of these grants, a "hospital" is defined as an organization, clinic, medical
center, medical college or university, infirmary, surgery center, or any other institution,
association, or foundation that provides medical, surgical, or psychiatric care and
treatment for the sick or injured.
A municipality (such as a fire district) may submit an application on behalf of a fire or
EMS organization when the organization, defined as a fire department or nonaffiliated
EMS organization, lacks the legal status to do so, e.g., when the organization falls
within the auspices of the municipality or distnct. The Alaska Village Initiative, a
nonprofit organization incorporated in the State of Alaska, will also be considered
eligible for purposes of receiving assistance under this program on behalf of any Alaska
Native village.
For the 2007 program year, each eligible applicant may submit one application for each
of the program areas, i.e., one application for the Vehicle Acquisition program area, one
application for Operations and Safety program area, and one application fora regional
project. However, ifan eligible applicant submits multiple applications in a single
program area (for example two regional project applications for which it is a host, or two
Operations and Safety applications) we will deem all of the applications in that same
program area to be ineligible.
For the purposes of these grants, we consider two or more separate fire departments or
nonaffiliated EMS organizations that share facilities as being one organization. This
determination is designed to avoid duplication of benefits. For example, it would not be
cost -beneficial to purchase two firefighting vehicles for two fire departments that share a
facility to serve the same community when so many other communities need new
apparatus; nor would it be cost -beneficial to buy two sets of equipment for the same
firefighters. We believe that two or more organizations that share facilities should be
able to satisfy all of their operational needs with one program area application. Thus, if
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security — Assistance to Firefighters Grants
two or more organizations that share facilities each submit an application in the same
program area, we will deem all of those program area applications as ineligible.
Afire department can apply for assistance for its EMS unit, provided the unit falls
organizationally under the auspices of the fire department. Fire departments may NOT
apply for assistance as a "nonaffiliated EMS organization" under the AFG program. Fire
departments whose applications are submitted as a nonaffiliated EMS organization will
have their application deemed ineligible. Likewise, a nonaffiliated EMS organization
may NOT apply for assistance as a fire department. If a nonaffiliated EMS organization
submits an application as a fire department, we will deem that application to be
ineligible as well.
Non -Federal airport and/or port authority fire or EMS organizations are eligible only if
they have a formally recognized arrangement with the local junsdiction to provide fire
suppression or emergency medical services on a first -due basis outside the confines of
the airport or port facilities. Airport or port authority fire and EMS organizations whose
sole responsibility is suppression of fires or EMS response on the airport grounds or
port facilities are not eligible for funding under AFG.
B.1 — Ineligible Organizations
• Fire departments that are Federal, or contracted by the Federal Govemment, and
are solely responsible under a formally recognized agreement for suppression of
fires on Federal installations or land are ineligible for funding.
• Fire stations that are not independent entities, but are part of, controlled by, or
under the day-to-day operational direction of a larger fire department or agency
are not eligible for funding.
• Fire departments that are for-profit departments (i.e., do not have specific
nonprofit status or are not municipally based) are not eligible for funding.
• Auxiliaries, fire service organizations or associations, and State/local agencies
such as a forest service, fire marshals, hospitals, and training offices are not
eligible for funding.
• Dive teams and search and rescue teams, or any similar organizations that do
not provide medical transport, are not eligible for assistance as nonaffiliated EMS
organizations.
9
U.S. Department of Homeland Security—Assistance to Firefighters Grants
•
Part 11.
Evaluation Process
This section summarizes the multi-level review and evaluation process used to select
applications for AFG funding.
A. Pre -Screening Process.
As explained earlier, funding priorities and criteria for evaluating AFG applications are
established based on recommendations from the criteria development panel. We will
rank all submitted applications based on the substance of the application relative to the
established funding pnorities for the type of community served. Answers to the
application's activity -specific questions provide information used to determine each
application's ranking relative to the stated priorities.
If you apply for more than one activity in your selected project, each activity will be
scored separately. Then the scores will be prorated based on each individual activity's
funding -level, compared to the total requested funding in your application. For example,
under the Operations and Safety Activity, if you apply for $9,000 in training and $1,000
in equipment, the training portion of the proposal will represent 90 percent of the score
and the equipment will represent 10 percent of the score. The number of activities
included in the application will not affect the application - negatively or positively.
B. Peer Review Process.
Applications that best address the grant funding priorities (as outlined below) will score
higher than applications that are inconsistent with the pnorities. Applications scoring the
highest will be determined to be within the "competitive range" and will undergo further
evaluation through a peer review process. A panel of at least three technical evaluation
specialists will evaluate each application in the competitive range using the project
narrative, along with answers to the general questions and the activity -specific
questions. During the panel review process, panelists will provide a subjective but
qualitative judgment on the merits of each request
Applications that include requests for equipment and/or training will be evaluated by the
panelists relative to the critical infrastructure within the applicant's area of first -due
response. Critical infrastructure includes any system or asset that, if attacked or
impacted by a hazardous event, would result in catastrophic loss of life or catastrophic
economic loss. Critical infrastructure includes the following: public water or power
systems, major business centers, chemical facilities, nuclear power plants, major rail
and highway bndges, petroleum and natural gas transmission pipelines or storage
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security — Assistance to Firefighters Grants
facilities, telecommunications facilities, or facilities that support large public gatherings
such as sporting events or concerts. Panelists will assess such infrastructure and the
hazards confronting the community, as explained in the narrative, to determine the
benefits that will be realized from a grant to the applicant.
Panelists will evaluate and score the following project elements.
1) the clarity of your proposed project, including the project's budget detail;
2) the organization's financial need;
3) the benefits that would result from an award relative to the cost; and
4) the extent to which the grant would enhance daily operations, and/or how the
grant will positively impact an organization's ability to protect life and property.
Each of these four elements carries equal weight when factored into the panelists'
scores (i.e., one-fourth).
Each application will be judged on its own merits, not compared to other applications.
The panelists will consider all expenses budgeted, including administrative and/or
indirect costs, as part of the cost -benefit review. An applicant may demonstrate cost -
benefit by describing, as applicable, how the grant award will accomplish the following:
1) enhance a regional approach, i.e., is consistent with current capabilities and
requests of neighboring organizations or otherwise benefits other organizations
in the region;
2) implement interoperable communications capabilities with other local, State, and
Federal first responders and other organizations;
3) allow first responder organizations to respond to all hazards, including incidents
involving seismic (earthquake), atmospheric (tornadoes, hurricanes), or
technological (hazardous materials or nuclear) events, or incidents involving
CBRNE, as well as fire prevention/suppression.
Panelists will review each application in its entirety and rate the application according to
the established evaluation criteria.
Keep in mind that we will use the answers to the activity -specific questions when
conducting our initial assessment. The answers to these questions are the primary
basis for determining whether an application warrants further evaluation through peer
review. Applicants whose answers indicate that their project is consistent with the
established prionties (as outlined below) will have a better chance of reaching the
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security — Assistance to Firefighters Grants
competitive range and the secohd level peer review than those applicants whose
projects do not reflect the established priorities. Applicants that falsify their applications
or misrepresent their organizations in any material manner will have their applications
deemed ineligible by the AFG Program Office and referred to the DRS OIG for further
action, as appropnate
C. State Technical Review.
Each State will provide the AFG Program Office with a representative to conduct a
technical review of peer reviewed applications from the State that request CBRNE-
related equipment or training or interoperable communications equipment. After the
panel review process is complete, the designated State Homeland Security official will
review the application to ensure that requests for communications systems conform to
the State's interoperable communications plan. The State representative will also
certify that such requests are consistent with the State Homeland Security Strategy and
do not duplicate assistance already provided or imminent If a State representative
determines that an application is either inconsistent with the State strategy or duplicates
the State's assistance, that portion of the AFG application will not be funded.
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security — Assistance to Firefighters Grants
Part III.
Application Requirements
This section summarized the process for applying for FY 2007 AFG grants.
A. Automated Grant Application.
The FY 2007 AFG application will be accessible from the AFG website
(www.fireqrantsupport.com) the U.S. Fire Administration's (USFA) website
(www.usfa.fema qov), and grants.gov website (www.grants qov). We have designed
the automated application with many built-in "help screens" and "drop-down menus" to
assist applicants throughout the application process. The application can be saved and
retrieved as many times as needed to complete it - up to the application deadline or the
submittal of the application.
However, once you have submitted your application, you cannot change it. You
will not be allowed to update your application to correct errors discovered after
submission or to reflect changes in your organization's circumstances regardless of
severity. You will be automatically notified via e-mail once we have received your
application.
An applicant tutorial will be available on the Internet at www.fireqrantsupport.com. The
tutonal explains the grant program, helps applicants with the online grant application,
provides tips for navigating the application screens, and summarizes FY 2007 program
changes. The tutorial also provides a review of lessons learned during previous grant
periods.
You may decide to hire or engage a grant writer to assist you in the application process.
However, as the applicant, you are responsible for the any cost associated with using
outside assistance as well as all information contained in your application. By
submitting the application, you are certifying that all of the information contained therein
is true and is an accurate reflection of your organization. Therefore, prior to submission,
please review all work produced by grant writers, or other third parties, on your behalf.
Applicants that falsify their applications or misrepresent their organizations in any
material manner will have their applications deemed ineligible by the AFG Program
Office and referred to the DHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) for further action, as
appropriate.
Paper applications will be accepted, but are discouraged due to the inherent delays
associated with processing them Also, successful applicants who submitted paper
applications must continue to manage their grants via paper, including payment
requests, requests for modifications, reporting, etc., whereas applicants who applied
online can perform all of these functions online. In addition, paper applications do not
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security — Assistance to Firefighters Grants
provide the built-in help that is available to online applicants. Finally, there is no
assurance that your paper application is complete when submitted. If you do not have
access to the Internet, contact us directly (1-866-274-0960) to request a paper copy of
the application via regular mail. We will not send paper applications via overnight
delivery, fax, or e-mail.
The only eligible paper application is the application that we send you. Do not use any
paper application that you did not receive directly from us. Do not print the screens
from this year's online application and submit them as a paper application. Do not use
a previous year's application. Any paper application that is not in the correct format will
be deemed ineligible.
Applications for the 2007 AFG will be accepted starting on March 29, 2007 at 8:00 a.m.
EDT. Up-to-date application information will be posted on the AFG and USFA websites.
Completed applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. EDT on May 4, 2007.
Applications submitted by mail must be postmarked by May 1, 2007. Applications not
submitted electronically must be mailed to:
Fire Grant Program Technical Assistance Center
U.S. Fire Administration, Room 1-207
16825 South Seton Avenue
Emmitsburg, Maryland 21727-8998
We will not be responsible for applications mailed to any address other than the address
listed above. Late, incomplete, or faxed applications will NOT be accepted. No
electronically submitted applications other than those submitted online via the
automated grant application system will be accepted.
B. Application Process.
Eligible applicants can apply for AFG funding online via the "e -grants" application. The
system will allow an authonzed representative of an applicant to log in and create a
usemame and password for the applicant. The selection of the authorized
representative is at the discretion of each applicant. If your organization submitted an
application in previous years, we advise you to use the same usemame and password
used for previous applications. If your organization is submitting more than one FY
2007 application, you must use the same usemame and password used for prior -year
applications, as well as for each FY 2007 application.
B.1 — DUNS Number.
Effective October 1, 2003, all Federal grant applicants must contain a Dun & Bradstreet
Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number. The DUNS number helps the
Federal Govemment identify organizations that receive Federal funding and ensures
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security — Assistance to Firefighters Grants
consistent name and address data for electronic grant applications. Additional
information about DUNS numbers can be found on the Dun & Bradstreet website at
http://fedgov.dn b. com/webform/.
There is no charge to obtain a DUNS number, and it is the applicant's responsibility to
obtain one. Extensions may not be granted for applicants who were unable to obtain a
DUNS number prior to the end of the application period. Applicants are encouraged to
apply for a DUNS number as soon as possible. Because it may take several weeks or
more to obtain the number online, we recommend that applicants request a DUNS
number by calling 1-866-705-5711. The DUNS number must be entered in a special
data field on the AFG application.
B.2 — Project Period.
•
The project period for any award under AFG will be twelve months from the date of the
award.
B.3 — Application Details.
As in previous years, the AFG application includes general questions about your
organization and community, as well as questions specific to the proposed project. The
answers to these questions will be used to evaluate your application and to determine
whether your organization serves an urban, suburban, or rural community.
Characteristics such as population, water supply, land use, number of stations, call
volume, and number of inhabitable structures over four stories tall in the jurisdiction
indicates the type of community served. For the purpose of AFG grants, a "story" is the
habitable or occupiable space between a floor and a ceiling of a structure. We will allow
you to self -declare the type of community you serve, however, we will also use these
charactenstics to assist us in determining the type of community you serve. If your
declaration and our determination differ, you will be prompted to justify your declaration
in the narrative section of the application.
The designation of community type is important because we have established different
funding priorities in some of the activity areas, depending on the type of community
served These funding priorities are delineated in each program area below, if
applicable. The community designation (i.e., urban, suburban, or rural) may also affect
the ranking of your application, depending on the program area or activity for which you
are applying. This is why you must justify your designation in the narrative of the
application if your designation is different from ours.
After completing the general questions, you will be asked a series of activity -specific
questions relative to the program area selected and the activities for which you plan to
apply. Answer the questions for each of the activities that support your project. Lastly,
you will be required to provide a written narrative describing the planned project. The
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security —Assistance to Firefighters Grants
narrative portion of the application should provide details of the activities for which you
are seeking funding, including budget details for each activity. The narrative should
also describe your organization's financial need and elaborate on the benefits your
community and/or organization will gain from the expenditure of the grant funds.
Applications should particularly note how the grant would enhance your department's
ability to protect critical infrastructure. Finally, the narrative should explain the extent to
which the grant would enhance your daily operations and/or how the grant will positively
impact your ability to protect life and property.
We recommend that you type your narrative offline in any word processing software,
such as Word, Word Perfect, or Notepad. Once the narrative is complete, you can copy
it or "cut-and-paste" it from the word processing document into the narrative block of the
application. Space for the narrative is limited and cannot exceed five pages. Any
narrative beyond the five-page limit will be cut off by the electronic system and will not
be a part of your application submission. Do NOT type the narrative using only capital
letters. For more specific information regarding the application and the narrative
section, we advise you to review the applicant tutorial on the AFG website
(www.firegrantsupport. com).
B.4 — Project Development.
As in previous years, the AFG program allows applicants to formulate a very
comprehensive grant proposal Depending on the program area for which you apply,
your grant proposal may 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 organization's needs. Be advised that your application should include
only activities that can be completed within a one-year (12 -month) grant period.
In FY 2007, you may submit one application per application period in each of the
program areas, i.e., one application under Operations and Safety, one under Vehicle
Acquisition, and/or a separate application as a regional host. If multiple applications are
submitted on behalf of one organization within one of these program areas, either
intentionally or unintentionally, we will deem all of that organization's applications in that
program area to be ineligible. For example, if any applicant submits two applications for
Operations and Safety, both applications will be deemed ineligible.
When formulating your grant proposal(s), keep in mind the legislative funding limits (see
Part I). If an applicant receives awards under both the Operations and Safety and
Vehicle Acquisition areas, the total of both awards cannot exceed the legislatively
established funding limit.
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security —Assistance to Firefighters Grants
a. Fire Department Projects.
Fire departments may submit applications for either or both of the following
program areas. AFG awards are subject to the statutory funding limitations
discussed above. Under Operations and Safety, you may include as many
activities within the program area as necessary to meet your needs. However,
you may submit only one application per program area. If multiple
applications are submitted on behalf of one organization within one of these
program areas, either intentionally or unintentionally, we will deem all of that
organization's applications in that program area to be ineligible. The eligible
program areas and associated activities for the FY 2007 AFG are listed below.
• Firefighter Operations and Safety. Eligible activities for fire departments
under this program area are limited to training, equipment, Personal
Protective Equipment (PPE), wellness and fitness, and modifications to
fire stations and facilities. If an EMS unit falls organizationally under the
auspices of a fire department, the fire department may submit requests for
EMS training and equipment on behalf of their department's EMS unit
under the appropriate functional area (I e , training or equipment,
respectively). However, a fire department should NOT apply as a
nonaffiliated EMS organization, even if its application is solely for EMS
equipment or training. Requests for equipment, PPE, and training to
prepare for response to incidents involving CBRNE are eligible under the
appropnate activities in this program area. Applicants should ensure that
all projects applied for under AFG are consistent with national standards
and address interoperable communications and equipment compatibility.
• Firefighter Vehicle Acquisition. Eligible apparatus available to fire
departments under this program area include, but are not limited to,
pumpers, brush trucks, tankers/tenders, rescue vehicles, ambulances,
quints, aenals, foam units, and fireboats. Urban and suburban
departments may apply for multiple vehicles on one application; however,
urban and suburban applications will be limited to one vehicle per station
in operation (at the time of the application). Rural fire departments may
apply for only one vehicle per year. Applications from fire departments
that serve rural communities and are requesting more than one vehicle will
be deemed ineligible. For FY 2007, there is no restriction on vehicle
requests based on previous AFG vehicle awards. Applicants who
received vehicles under prior -year AFG programs are eligible to receive a
vehicle grant in FY 2007. Activities related to a vehicle grant, such as
driver/operator training and equipment for a vehicle should be included in
the vehicle request, not as part of an Operations and Safety request.
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security—Assistance to Firefighters Grants
As stated above, for FY 2007 you may submit one application for
assistance in each of these two program areas. Within your selected
program area (Operations and Safety or Vehicles), you may develop a
comprehensive project to address all of your needs by applying for as
many of the eligible activities that you determine are necessary. For
example, if you determine that your needs are in the Operations and
Safety area, you could apply for any one of the activities under that
program area, any combination of activities, or all of the activities listed
within that area. If you need a vehicle, you must apply under the Vehicle
Acquisition program area. You may not apply for any vehicle under the
Operations and Safety program area. Any equipment or training
requested in a vehicle application must be specifically relevant to the
requested vehicle and consistent with applicable National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA) standards (1901, 1002, etc.).
b. Nonaffiliated EMS Organizations.
Nonaffiliated EMS organizations are eligible to apply for assistance during the FY
2007 AFG application period. The nonaffiliated EMS portion of AFG mirrors what
is available to fire departments. EMS applicants may apply for assistance under
either the Operations and Safety program area or the Vehicle Acquisition
program area, or both using separate applications. EMS awards are subject to
the statutory funding limitations, as discussed in the Funding section of this
guidance. The EMS Operations and Safety area provides a range of eligible
activities that enables applicants to formulate a very comprehensive grant
proposal to meet all operational needs. The EMS Vehicle Acquisition area allows
applicants to apply for a vehicle to enhance emergency response capabilities and
may include operator training, as necessary.
For the FY 2007 application period, you may submit one application per
program area; however, you are limited to only one application in each of the
two program areas listed below. If multiple applications are submitted for a
program area on behalf of one organization, either intentionally or unintentionally,
we will deem all applications from that organization in that program area to be
ineligible. Your application should include only activities that can be completed
within the one-year grant period. EMS program areas andassociated activities
eligible under the FY 2007 AFG are listed below.
• EMS Operations and Safety. Eligible activities available to nonaffiliated
EMS organizations under this program area are limited to EMS training, EMS
equipment, including PPE, wellness and fitness, and modifications to stations
and facilities. Requests for equipment, PPE, and training to prepare for
response to incidents involving CBRNE are eligible for funding under the
appropnate activities in this program area. Applicants should ensure that all
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security—Assistance to Firefighters Grants
projects applied for under the grant program are consistent with national
standards and address interoperable communications and equipment
compatibility.
• EMS Vehicle Acquisition. Eligible apparatus available to nonaffiliated EMS
organizations under this area include, but are not limited to, ambulances,
transport units, and rescue squads. Small specialty access vehicles such as
ATVs, snowmobiles, and gators are not considered vehicles; rather they are
considered "equipment" and should be applied for under the EMS equipment
activity under the EMS Operations and Safety program area. Urban and.
suburban organizations may apply for multiple EMS vehicles on one
application; however, urban and suburban applications will be limited to one
vehicle per station in operation (at the time of the application). Rural
organizations may apply for only one vehicle per year You may not include
equipment for your EMS vehicle in your request; however, your request may
include dnver/operator training. Applications from EMS organizations that
serve rural communities that request more than one vehicle will be deemed
ineligible. Previous AFG vehicle grant recipients are eligible to receive a
vehicle grant in FY 2007.
c. Regional Projects.
Any eligible applicant, whether a fire department or a nonaffiliated EMS
organization, may act as a "host applicant" and apply for large-scale or regional
projects on behalf of itself and any number of organizations in neighboring
jurisdictions A regional project is one in which multiple organizations serving
more than one local junsdiction benefit directly from the activities implemented
with the grant funds. A county fire department applying for a countywide
communications system is NOT a regional project because it does not benefit
multiple "seats -of -government" Regional projects are designed to facilitate
interoperable communications and efficiency among the participating
junsdictions As such, the only activities available for application under a
regional project are training and equipment acquisition that positively affect
interoperability. Purchase of turnouts, wellness and fitness, modification to
facilities, and vehicle acquisition activities are not eligible as a regional project.
Regional projects require one eligible applicant to act as the "host" for the project.
Regional applications may only include activities that are meant to address the
identified regional nsk. Regional applications cannot include any activities meant
solely for the host applicant. In FY 2007, host applicants may apply for funding
to address their own needs beyond the scope of the regional project in a
separate application(s). This is a change from last year's Program Guidance.
The "host" will be responsible for fulfilling all grant requirements, such as
reporting to National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS), control of and
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security — Assistance to Firefighters Grants
accounting for the funds, and distribution and control•of the property.
DHS has the discretion to waive the legislatively established funding limits under
AFG. In order to encourage interest and participation in this cntical strategy to
address interoperability, DHS may exercise this discretion if the funding of a
regional application is at risk of exceeding statutory funding caps, i.e., the funding
of the regional request combined with other AFG awards would cause the host
applicant to exceed the legislatively established funding limits
In general, equipment purchased as a result of a regional project will be
physically distributed to all the departments that are beneficiaries of the project.
This physical distribution of the equipment to other first responder organizations
is the single characteristic that distinguishes regional projects from non -regional
requests that have an impact on a region via mutual aid. For example, a non -
regional project would be an application for an air compressor or a hazardous
materials (HAZMAT) response vehicle that would be awarded and physically
located in the awardee's department, but shared with neighboring departments
with which a mutual or automatic aid agreement exists.
Examples of viable regional projects would be a multijurisdictional
communications system or standardization of breathing apparatus. As stated
above, regional projects should be designed to address issues of interoperability
among multiple junsdictions.
In order to apply for a regional project, the applicant must:
1) be an eligible applicant, i.e., either a fire department or a nonaffiliated EMS
organization (a county, county association, or city could not apply for a
regional project), and
2) agree, if awarded, to be responsible for all aspects of the grant, including, but
not limited to, accountability for the assets and all reporting requirements.
In the application, the host organization will be required to describe the
characteristics of the entire region that will be affected by the project (i.e., the
population of the affected region, not the applicant's first -due population). The
applicant must provide detailed information in the project narrative describing the
effect of the project and the need for the project. This includes a detailed
descnption of the following:
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security—Assistance to Firefighters Grants
• the proposed project and the project budget;
• the financial need for the project;.
• the benefits that would result;
• the extent to which the grant would enhance daily operations, and/or how the
grant will positively impact the regional ability to protect life and property.
In addition, the applicant must include a list of all the participating organizations
that will benefit from the regional project, if the project is approved. Fire
departments or nonaffiliated EMS organizations that will benefit from a regional
project may also apply for funding under the AFG, as long as they are not
requesting the same items as the host applicant for the regional project. For
example, if a host applicant applies for a multi jurisdictional communications
project, a participating organization that will receive some of the communications
equipment can apply for other needs as long as it does not apply for duplicative
communications equipment. Host applicants MAY NOT apply to address other
needs beyond the regional project on the regional application; however, a host
applicant may submit a request to meet its own, non -regional needs in a
separate application.
When evaluating the benefits of any regional project, we will take into account
the other partners that will be involved in the project, whether they are other fire
departments, nonaffiliated EMS organizations, or other public service
organizations. We will also take into consideration the extent to which the non-
fire/EMS partners will contnbute to the overall costs of the regional project.
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security — Assistance to Firefighters Grants
Appendix I
Funding Priorities and Allowable Expenses
For Fire Departments
AFG funding priorities differ for fire departments and nonaffiliated EMS organizations.
Please read the guidance document with this in mind and make sure you are
researching the appropriate sections for your organization. Equipment requested under
AFG must meet all mandatory regulatory requirements, as well as any national and/or
DHS-adopted standards in order to be eligible for purchase with grant funds. The
Responder Knowledge Base (RKB), which can be accessed at http://www.rkb.mipt.org/,
includes relevant information on first responder standards and allows "guest users" to
ask any questions they may have on applicable standards.
Equipment/technology requests should have the goal of solving interoperability or
compatibility problems. Therefore, applicants should describe in their narrative sections
how the purchase of equipment would comply with standards and/or facilitate solving
interoperability or compatibility problems.
Fire Department Priorities.
The .AFG authorizing legislation requires DHS to take into account the benefit to be
derived from the costs of the grant activity when considering each application for award.
DHS has determined that the frequency of use and the level of population protected are
both a measure of benefit that could be derived from an award. Therefore, for each
activity below, DHS will provide a higher level of consideration to departments with
significant levels of incidents and to departments that protect large populations relative
to other applicants, regardless of the type of community served. Departments with low
call volume, or that serve small communities, will receive lower consideration.
Applications that include requests for CBRNE equipment or training will be evaluated by
the peer review panelists relative to the critical infrastructure the applicant protects.
Critical infrastructure includes any system or asset that, if attacked, would result in
catastrophic loss of life or catastrophic economic loss. Critical infrastructure includes
the following: public water and power systems, major business centers, chemical
facilities, nuclear power plants, major rail and highway bridges, petroleum and/or natural
gas transmission pipelines and storage facilities, telecommunications facilities, and
facilities that support large public gatherings, such as sporting events or concerts.
Specific rating criteria and funding priorities for the AFG FY 2007 grant activities are
provided below following the descriptions of this year's eligible program areas. The
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security — Assistance to Firefighters Grants
rating criteria, in conjunction with the program area description, will provide you with an
understanding of what information we are seeking about your proposed projects.
(1) Fire Operations and Firefighter Safety
Five different fundable activities are included in this program area: training, equipment,
PPE, wellness and fitness, and modifications to facilities. You may apply for as many of
the activities within this program area as you deem necessary. There are no bonuses
or penalties for applying for only one activity or for multiple activities. Fire -based EMS
training and equipment are available under the appropriate activity (i.e., training,
equipment, etc.) in this program area.
a) Firefighter Training:
AFG grants are available to train firefighting personnel. Examples of training activities
include, but are not limited to the following: Firefighter I and II certifications; First
Responder EMS; driver/operator; fire officer; HAZMAT response; incident command;
supervision and safety; CBRNE awareness, performance, planning and management;
or train -the -trainer courses in any of these areas.
In implementing the fire service's recommendations concerning AFG, OHS has
determined that the most benefit is derived from training that is instructor -led and
hands-on that leads to a nationally sanctioned or State certification. Training requests
that include web -based home study or distance learning, and the purchase of training
materials, equipment, or props are a lower priority. Therefore, applications focused on
national or State certification training, including train -the -trainer initiatives, will receive a
higher competitive rating. Training that involves instructors, that require the students to
demonstrate their grasp of knowledge of the training material via testing, and that is
integral to a certification will receive a high competitive rating. Instructor -led training
that does not lead to a certification, and any self-taught courses, are of lower benefit,
and therefore will not be a high priority.
A high competitive advantage is provided to proposed training projects that benefit the
highest percentage of applicable personnel within a fire department, or that will be open
to other departments in the region. Training that brings the department into statutory or
OSHA compliance or compliance with federally mandated initiatives (such as
knowledge and understanding of the National Incident Management System and/or
incident command systems) or training that would bring an applicant into compliance
with national standards would provide the highest benefit, relative to training that is not
required. Therefore, requests to meet federally mandated or national standard
compliance would receive the highest consideration. Training that is meant to address
a local risk is secondary to training that leads to departments meeting statutory
compliance or compliance with national standards. Training that does not have
statutory compliance, or meet a national standard, will receive a low competitive rating.
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security —Assistance to Firefighters Grants
Training designated to enhance multi jurisdictional capabilities will receive a higher
rating.
•Due to the inherent differences among urban, suburban, and rural firefighting
conventions, there are different priorities in the training activity for departments servicing
the different types of communities. CBRNE awareness training, however, has a high
benefit and will receive the highest consideration, regardless of the type of community
served.
For departments serving rural communities, requests for basic, operational -level
firefighting training, safety officer training, operational -level rescue, driver training, or
first responder EMS, EMT -B, and EMT -I, (i.e., training in basic firefighting or EMS
duties) has greater benefit than funding officer training, airport rescue, and firefighting
(ARFF) or other specialized training. In rural communities, after basic training, officer
training and ARFF will receive a lower cost -benefit rating. The lowest consideration will
be provided to departments that serve rural communities but are seeking assistance for
other specialized types of training, such as mass -casualty, HAZMAT, advance rescue
and EMT, or inspector training.
With respect to AFG training priorities to departments serving urban or suburban
communities, the criteria development panel recommended that any training requested
by an urban or suburban department be given the highest level of consideration. When
considering the relative merit of applications for training from departments serving urban
and suburban communities, DHS will give higher priority to training proposals which
improve coordination capabilities across first -responder disciplines (fire, EMS, and law
enforcement), and jurisdictions (local, State, and Federal). Training, such as for the
National Incident Management System (NIMS) and in the Incident Command System
(ICS), related to coordinated incident response (e.g., weapons of mass destruction
(WMD) awareness and incident operations, chemical or biological operations, or bomb
threats), tactical emergency communications procedures, or similar types of inter-
disciplinary, inter jurisdictional training will receive the highest competitive rating.
For FY 2007, eligible uses of training funds include, but are not limited to, tuition, exam
and course fees, certification and/or re -certification expenses, purchase of training
curricula, training equipment (including training trailers and other mobile simulators),
training props, and training services (such as instructors). Tow vehicles or other means
of transport may be eligible as a transportation expense under this activity if adequately
justified; however, we will limit transportation expenses to $6,000 per year per
application. Compensation to volunteer firefighters for wages lost because of attending
training under this activity is an eligible expense if justified in the proposal. Overtime
expenses paid to career firefighters to attend training, or overtime expenses paid to
career firefighters' to cover for colleagues while their colleagues are in training, are
eligible expenses if justified in the proposal. Although compensation and
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Assistance to Firefighters Grants
overtime/backfill expenses are eligible, proposals that contain these costs may be
scored less favorably than similar proposals without compensation expenses, due to the
cost -benefit element in the evaluation process. Applicants are encouraged to take this
into account when for their application budget as it may be better to have a
more competitive application than to cover every last expense.
Ineligible activities in this area include:
• construction of facilities, such as classrooms, buildings, towers etc.
• firefighting equipment or PPE for use in training exercises, such as SCBA
• modular training units that are not trailer -mounted or are otherwise immobile
• site preparation to accommodate any training activity, facility, or prop
• purchase or lease of real estate
• remodeling that is not directly related to other grant activities
The necessary remodeling of an existing facility to accomplish training activities is
allowable if the remodeling is minor in nature (e.g., limited to minor interior alterations
costing less than $10,000), justified in the proposal, and integral to the completion of the
training activities. Remodeling expenses should be included in the application as an
"Other" line -item expense and clearly explained in the narrative.
DHS funds the direct delivery of a variety of classes that can be requested through the
State to meet first responders training needs. These classes are listed in the course
catalog found at http://www.firstrespondertraining.gov/odp webforms.
b) Firefighting Equipment Acquisition:
AFG funds are available for equipment, including fire suppression equipment, to
enhance the safety or effectiveness of firefighting, rescue, and fire -based EMS
functions. Grants also are available for equipment necessary for response to CBRNE
incidents.
DHS has determined that the greatest benefits of AFG funding will be achieved to
enable fire departments to purchase firefighting equipment (including rescue, EMS, and
CBRNE) which supports a departments existing mission, or to replace used or obsolete
firefighting equipment. Our second priority will be to fund departments seeking to
expand their functional capabilities within their existing mission areas, or to
appropriately equip themselves to meet a new risk. The lowest priority is funding
equipment to increase a departments reserve supply, or to expand a department's
services into new mission areas. However, applicants who's grant request succeeds in
reaching the second level of competition, the peer review, can mitigate the impact of
"New Missions" on the competitiveness of their application by providing evidence that
the department will be able to support and sustain the new mission beyond the period of
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security —Assistance to Firefighters Grants
grant.
For the FY 2007 AFG, the purchase of equipment that brings the department into
compliance with nationally recommended standards (such as the NFPA) or statutory
compliance (such as OSHA) will provide the highest benefit to the applicant and•
therefore will receive the highest consideration. The purchase of equipment that brings
a department into voluntary compliance With OSHA standards will also receive a high
competitive rating, but secondary to equipment that leads to a department's statutory
compliance. Equipment that does not have an effect on statutory compliance or
voluntary compliance with a national standard will receive a lower competitive rating.
Applicants should designate which compliance standards would be achieved with this
activity.
Training is of critical importance to any first responder organization. DHS believes that
equipment is of no use if the operator is not trained to use it. As such, applicants that
are not, or will not be, sufficiently trained to use the. equipment requested under this
program will be a very low funding priority.
AFG's purpose is to protect the health and safety of the public and firefighters from fire
and fire -related hazards; therefore, equipment that has a direct effect on firefighters'
health and safety will receive a high competitive rating over equipment that has no such
effect. Equipment promoting interoperability with neighboring jurisdictions may receive
additional consideration in the cost -benefit assessment if the application ranks within
the competitive range.
Small boats (13 feet or less in length), all -terrain vehicles (ATVs), and appropriate
trailers may be considered under this activity if properly justified in the narrative section
of the application. Other vehicles are not eligible under this activity, but would be
eligible under the Firefighting Vehicle Acquisition program area.
Eligible expenses include expenses necessary to acquire, assemble, and install the
requested equipment. The cost of training department personnel on the use of the new
equipment is eligible, but should be requested under the training activity. Compressor
systems, cascade systems, or similar SCBA-refill systems are eligible expenditures in
this area. Remodeling or renovations to an existing facility to accommodate equipment
purchased with grant funds are allowable if justified in the narrative, and if the
remodeling or renovation is minor in nature (i.e., limited to minor interior alterations
costing less than $10,000). Remodeling that is not directly related to other grant
activities is not eligible. Traffic signal preemption systems are eligible. The costs of
shipping equipment purchased under this program and applicable sales taxes are also
eligible expenses.
Individual communications equipment (portable radios) and mobile communications
equipment (including mobile repeaters) are eligible, but telephones and cell phones are
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security —Assistance to Firefighters Grants
not eligible. Under the AFG, DHS will limit funding for portable radios to the number of
seated positions based on the applicant's firefighting vehicle fleet unless otherwise
justified in the narrative, and only fund the number of mobile radios required to equip the
vehicle inventory listed in the application. We will not fund mobile radios for personally
owned vehicles, with the exception of the chief fire officer's personal vehicle if
adequately justified. in the application. Mobile data systems (MDTs) are eligible.
Integrated communications systems such as base stations, computer -aided dispatch,
fixed -site repeaters, wireless and broadband mobile data systems, are eligible under
this activity. The purchase of any communications systems or equipment under this
activity should have the intent or goal of solving interoperability problems, as applicable.
Note that each State will have the opportunity to review requests for communications
equipment, with respect to interoperability and the State Homeland Security Strategy.
Any applicant seeking funding for eligible equipment should provide details in the
narrative section of the application regarding their local plan to enable or enhance
interoperable communications in the jurisdiction.
Equipment used in response to CBRNE incidents is also eligible. Equipment
exclusively designed for use in CBRNE incidents is eligible this year and includes
special monitoring equipment (biological, radioactive, etc.) and CBRNE-related
pharmaceuticals for first responders, such as auto injectors.
Requests for EMS equipment are eligible under this equipment acquisition activity.
Eligible expenses for EMS equipment in this activity may include, but are not limited to,
defibrillators, basic and advanced life support equipment, universal precaution supplies
(i.e., personal protective equipment), computers, and infectious disease control and
decontamination systems.
Grant funds may NOT be used for the following items:
• construction of facilities, such as buildings, sheds, or towers to house
communications equipment;
• warranties and maintenance agreements;
• sirens or other outdoor warning devices;
• telephones and cell phones;
• bomb disposal equipment and robots;
• vehicles (except as described above or through a vehicle grant award),
personal watercraft, medications, and disposable or otherwise expendable
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security — Assistance to Firefighters Grants
supplies. (such as gloves, syringes, and cervical collars);
PPE, including clothing for structural and wildland fire suppression, such as
"turnout gear° or "bunker gear" (including boots, pants, coats, gloves, hoods,
goggles, vests, helmets, coveralls, and fire shelters), SCBAs, spare cylinders,
and personal alert safety systems (See PPE Acquisition Activity below).
c) Firefighter Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):
AFG funds are available to acquire OSHA -required and other PPE for firefighting
personnel. One purpose of AFG is to protect the health and safety of the public and of
firefighters. To achieve this goal and maximize the benefit to the firefighting community,
the FY 2007 AFG will give higher priority to funding applicants needing to purchase PPE
for the first time than departments replacing obsolete or substandard equipment (e.g.,
equipment not meeting current NFPA and OSHA standards). For departments
replacing equipment, the condition of the equipment to be replaced will be factored into
the score.with a higher priority given to replacing equipment that is damaged, tom, or
contaminated over equipment that is worn but usable. For departments replacing old or
damaged equipment, departments with the oldest equipment will get the highest priority,
and departments with the newest equipment will get a low priority. Departments
seeking to purchase PPE for a. new mission will receive a low rating. However, if the
Department's application is still successful in achieving the second stage of competitive
review, the peer review, an application can improve its competitive standing if it
demonstrates the applicant's ability to sustain the mission beyond the grant period.
.Departments seeking to purchase PPE to have as an extra reserve supply will receive
the lowest priority.
In concurrence with the recommendations of the criteria development panel, we will give
a high competitive rating in this activity to fire departments where a large percentage of
their active firefighting staff does not have compliant PPE. Accordingly, DHS will assign
a higher competitive rating in this category to fire departments where a larger number of
active firefighting staff is without compliant PPE. We will also give a high competitive
rating to departments who want to purchase enough PPE to equip 100 percent of their
active firefighting staff.
DHS believes that training is of critical importance to any first responder organization.
Applicants that are not, or will not be, sufficiently trained to use the equipment
requested under this program will be a very low priority for funding.
Application requests for personal alert safety system (PASS) devices will only be
considered if the equipment requested meets current national standards,. i.e., integrated
and/or automatic or auto -on PASS. This is because of the safety benefits automated
PASS devices provide firefighters. Eligible PPE includes clothing for structural or
wildland fire suppression, such as "turnout gear" or "bunker gear" (including boots,
U.S. Department of Homeland Security — Assistance to Firefighters Grants
pants, coats, gloves, hoods, goggles, retro-reflective highway apparel, vests, helmets,
coveralls, and fire shelters), SCBAs, spare cylinders, and PASS (within the limits noted
above). We will limit funding for SCBAs to the number of seated positions based on the
applicant's firefighting vehicle fleet, unless otherwise justified in the narrative. Each
SCBA request will be limited to one spare cylinder, unless the applicant can adequately
justify more than one spare per unit. Protective clothing for response to hazardous
materials incidents and other specialized incidents is eligible under this activity.
Protective clothing designed for EMS activities or for response to CBRNE incidents is
also eligible in this activity. Eligible PPE for EMS activities includes PPE ensembles
(coats and trousers) that afford universal precautions against exposure to infectious
diseases, etc.
Ineligible expenditures include the following:
• three-quarter length rubber boots;
• bomb disposal suits;
• uniforms (formal/parade or station/duty) and uniform items (hats, badges, etc.);
• personal communications equipment such as radios and pagers (See Equipment
Acquisition above).
d) Firefighter Wellness and Fitness:
For the FY 2007 AFG, fire department wellness/fitness activities must offer periodic
health screenings, entry physical examinations, and immunizations. Applicants for
grants in this activity must currently offer, or plan to use grant funds to provide all three
benefits in order to receive consideration for funding for any other initiatives under this
activity. High priority is also given to formal fitness and injury prevention projects.
Lower priority is given to stress management, injury/illness rehabilitation, and employee
assistance.
In accordance with the recommendations of the criteria development panel, the greatest
benefit will be realized by supporting applications for new wellness and fitness
programs. Therefore, higher competitive ratings will be given to applicants that lack
wellness/ fitness programs. Applicants that already provide the three requisite benefits
and wish to expand their wellness and fitness program will receive lower consideration
than departments that are seeking to initiate a wellness and fitness activity. Finally,
because participation is critical to achieving any benefits from a wellness/fitness activity,
we will give higher competitive ratings to departments whose wellness and fitness
activities mandate participation and are open to all personnel.
29.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security —Assistance to Firefighters Grants
Eligible expenditures in the firefighter Wellness and Fitness activity include the
following:
• procurement of medical services to ensure the firefighting personnel are
physically able to carry out their duties;
costs for personnel, physicals, physical fitness equipment (including shipping
charges and sales tax as applicable), supplies, other related contract services
(e.g., health-care consultants, trainers, and nutritionists) directly associated with
the implementation of the proposed activity, and incentives (t -shirts or hats of
nominal value, vouchers to local businesses, or time -off).
Ineligible expenditures include the following items:
• transportation expenses;
• fitness club memberships for firefighters or their families;
• cash incentives;
• purchase of medical equipment;
• construction of facilities to house a fitness activity, such as exercise or fitness
rooms, showers, etc.;
• purchase of real estate.
Minor remodeling or renovations to an existing facility are allowable if justified in the
narrative, if minor in nature (i.e., limited to minor interior alterations costing less than
$10,000), and integral to the completion of the wellness/fitness activity (see Appendix 3.
Other Allowable Costs for more details). Remodeling that is not directly related to other
grant activities is not eligible. Remodeling expenses should be included in the budget
as an "Other" line -item expense and explained in the narrative.
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security — Assistance to Firefighters Grants
e) Modifications to Fire Stations and Facilities:
FY 2007 AFG grants may be used to modify fire stations and other facilities to protect
the health and safety of firefighting personnel. Activities involving modifications to
facilities are subject to all applicable environmental and historic preservation
requirements. Applicants seeking assistance to modify their facilities may undergo
additional screening. Specifically, DHS is required to ascertain to what degree the
proposed modifications to fire stations or facilities might affect an applicant's structures
relative to the National Environmental Policy Act, National Historic Preservation Act of
1966, and National Flood Insurance Program regulations. No project can proceed —
except for project planning — prior to formal DHS approval. Noncompliance with this
provision may jeopardize an applicant's award and subsequent funding.
Eligible projects under this activity must have a direct effect on the health and safety of
firefighters. Therefore, eligible activities focus on improving firefighter safety in fire
stations and other facilities.
Eligible initiatives in this area are limited to the following items:
1) installation of sprinkler systems;
2) vehicle exhaust extraction systems;
3) smoke and fire alarm notification systems;
4) emergency facility generators.
We will NOT fund any requests for modifications other than the initiatives listed above.
Any vehicle exhaust extraction system funded under this activity should be either
extensive enough to extract all toxic vapors and particulates emitted from internal
combustion engines, and meet all applicable Federal, State, and local standards, or be
part of a larger comprehensive system that does. Some exhaust extraction systems
may meet standards for removal of certain carcinogens, but not others; therefore, it
may be necessary to utilize more than one system or employ complementary systems
to fully protect your firefighters.
More benefit would be derived from modifying fire stations than from modifying dispatch
centers, fire -training facilities, or other fire department facilities. The frequency of use
would have a direct bearing on the benefits to be derived from grant funds. In addition,
the frequency and duration of a facility's occupancy have a direct relationship to the
benefits to be realized from funding in this activity. As such, facilities occupied or
otherwise in use, 24 -hours -per -day, and 7 -days -per -week will receive the highest
competitive rating. Facilities used less than full time will receive lower consideration.
Facilities used only occasionally, or on an irregular or part-time basis, will receive lowest
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security — Assistance to Firefighters Grants
consideration. Requests involving facilities that have sleeping quarters will receive a
higher competitive rating.
Grant funds are to be used only to retrofit existing structures that do not have the
eligible safety features or to upgrade facilities whose features are outdated. When
requesting funds for modifications to facilities, older structures will receive the highest
consideration for funding. Funds may not be used to supplement new construction.
There are no monetary limits on the individual initiatives under this activity, but no
applicant can request more than $100,000 per fire station under their authority. You
may request funding for modifications for each station if you have multiple stations, up
to the $100,000 per station limit, as long as the entire request does not exceed the
Federal share limit.
(2) Firefighting Vehicle Acquisition Program Area
AFG provides grants for new firefighting vehicles, used fire apparatus originally
designed for firefighting, or refurbished apparatus originally designed for firefighting.
Funds may also be used to refurbish a vehicle the department currently owns but only if
it is a vehicle originally designed for firefighting. Converted vehicles not originally
designed for firefighting are not eligible for refurbishment. New vehicles purchased with
AFG funds must be compliant with NFPA 1901 or 1906 standards. Used apparatus
must be compliant with NFPA 1901 or 1906 standards for the year the vehicle was
manufactured._ Refurbished apparatus must meet NFPA 1912 standards.
In FY 2007, applicants that serve urban or suburban communities may apply for more
than one vehicle. However, awards will be limited to only one vehicle per station.
Applicants serving rural communities are limited to one vehicle per application. If a rural
applicant submits an application requesting more than one vehicle, we will deem the
application ineligible. Applicants awarded vehicle grants under AFG in previous years
ARE ELIGIBLE for another vehicle award in this program year. This is a change from
the FY 2006 AFG.
As in FY 2006, AFG awardees must obtain a bond if funds are advanced to a
manufacturer, and include specific performance requirements and penalties for non-
compliance with the requirements as part of the contract with the vehicle manufacturer.
Extensions to a grant's period of performance may not be considered if the requisite
bond is not included in the purchase contract.
Due to inherent differences among urban, suburban, and rural firefighting conventions,
AFG has -different priorities in the vehicle program area for departments that serve
different types of communities. As stated above, applications from departments that
serve urban and suburban communities may submit an application for multiple vehicles.
The urban or'suburban application may include requests for vehicles from any or all of
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security —Assistance to Firefighters Grants
the three priorities; however, applications that include lower priority vehicles will receive
lower consideration. The following table lists the funding priorities for this program area
by each type of community.
Firefighting Vehicle Program Priorities
Urban
Suburban
Rural
Priority
Communities
Communities
Communities
Pumper
Pumper
Pumper
Aerial
Aerial
Brush/Attack
Priority One
Quint (Aerial < 76')
Quint (Aerial < 76')
Tanker/Tender
Quint (Aerial > 76')
Quint (Aerial >76')
Quint (Aerial <76')
Rescue
Brush/Attack
Command
Command
HAZMAT
HAZMAT
HAZMAT
Rescue
Priority Two
Light/Air
Rescue
Light/Air
Rehab .
Tanker/Tender
Aerial
Quint (Aerial > 76')
Foam Truck
Foam Truck
Foam Truck
ARFFV
ARFFV
ARFFV
Priority Three
Brush/Attack
Rehab
Command
Fire Boat
Light/Air
Rehab
Tanker/Tender
Fire Boat
Fire Boat
Ambulance
Ambulance
Ambulance
DHS will evaluate the marginal value derived from an additional vehicle of any given
type on the basis of call volume. As a result, departments with fewer vehicles of a given
type than other departments who service comparable call volumes are more likely to
score competitively than departments with more vehicles of that type and comparable
call volume unless the need for an additional vehicle of such type is made apparent in
the application.
In 2007, applicants may submit requests for more than one vehicle. Applicants must
supply sufficient justification for each vehicle contained in the request. For those
applications with multiple vehicles, the panelists will be instructed to evaluate the
marginal benefit to be derived from funding the additional vehicle(s) given the potential
use and the population protected. DHS anticipates that the panels will only recommend
an award for a multiple -vehicles application when the cost -benefit justification is
adequately compelling.
DHS believes that a greater benefit will be derived from funding an additional vehicle(s)
to departments that own fewer or no vehicles of the type requested. As such, DHS
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security —Assistance to Firefighters Grants
assigns a higher competitive rating in the apparatus category to fire departments that
own fewer firefighting vehicles relative to other departments serving similar types of
communities (i.e., urban, suburban and rural). DHS assesses all vehicles with similar
functions when assessing the number of vehicles a department possesses within a
particular type. For example, the "pumper" category includes: pumpers, engines,
pumper/tankers (apparatus that carries a minimum of 300 gallons of water and has a
pump with a capacity to pump a minimum of 750 gallons per minute), rescue -pumpers,
quints (with aerials less than 76 feet in length), and urban interface vehicles (Type I).
Apparatus that has water capacity in excess of 1,000 gallons and a pump with pumping
capacity of less than 750 gallons per minute are considered to be a tanker/tender.
DHS assigns a higher competitive rating to departments possessing an aged fleet of
firefighting vehicles. DHS will also assign a higher competitive rating to departments
that respond to a high volume of incidents.
DHS will give lower priority to funding departments seeking apparatus with the goal to
expand into new mission areas unless the applicant demonstrates that they will be able
to support and sustain the new mission or service area beyond the grant program.
DHS will assign no competitive advantage to the purchase of standard model
commercial vehicles relative to custom vehicles, or the purchase of used vehicles
relative to new vehicles in the preliminary evaluation of applications. DHS has noted
that, depending on the type and size of department, the peer review panelists often
prefer low-cost vehicles when evaluating the cost -benefit section of the project
narratives. DHS also reserves the right to consider current vehicle costs within the fire
service vehicle manufacturing industry when determining the level of funding that will be
offered to the potential grantee, particularly if those current costs indicate that the
applicant's proposed purchase costs are excessive.
DHS will allow departments serving urban or suburban communities to apply for more
than one vehicle. DHS, however, will allow departments serving rural communities to
apply for only one vehicle. DHS will limit applications from suburban or urban
departments to one vehicle per station as well as by the statutory funding limits. DHS
will not limit applications because of a vehicle award from previous AFG program years,
i.e., previous vehicle awardees are eligible for funding for additional vehicles in 2007.
As stated above, in 2007, applicants may submit requests for more than one vehicle. It
will be incumbent upon the applicant to supply sufficient justification for each vehicle
contained in the request.. For those applications with multiple vehicles, the panelists will
be instructed to evaluate the marginal benefit to be derived from funding the additional
vehicle(s) given the potential use and the population protected. It is anticipated that the
panels will only recommend an award for a multiple -vehicles application when the cost -
benefit justification is adequately compelling.
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security — Assistance to Firefighters Grants
When assessing the number of vehicles a department has within a particular class, we
will include all vehicles with similar functions. For example, in the "pumper" category,
we will consider the following to be of similar function: any firefighting vehicle with
pumping capacity of 750 gallons per minute (gpm) or more and water carrying capacity
of at least 300 gallons, including rescue -pumpers, urban interface vehicles such as
Type I,II or III,. and quints (with aerials less than 76 feet in length). We consider tankers
or water -tenders to be firefighting vehicles with a carrying capacity of 1,000 gallons or
more and with pumping capacity of less than 750 gpm. A firefighting vehicle with a
carrying capacity of more than 1,000 gallons and pumping capacity of more than 750
gpm will be considered to be a pumper under AFG.
As with other eligible AFG activities, one of the goals in the vehicle acquisition program
is firefighter safety. Applicants seeking to replace or refurbish unsafe vehicles will
receive the higher consideration than applicants seeking to replace vehicles with safety
features. The highest consideration is provided to applicants wanting to. replace
vehicles that have been converted for use as firefighting vehicles, but were not originally
designed for firefighting. However, replacement of an unsafe vehicle will still have to be
justified in the narrative. Converted vehicles not used or intended to be used in
emergency operations will not be favorably reviewed merely because they are
converted. We will give high consideration to applicants with firefighting vehicles that
had an "open -cab" configuration in their original design, as well as to vehicles that did
not include seathelts in their original design. Applicants wanting to benefit from this
consideration must certify that the unsafe vehicle will be permanently removed from
service if awarded a grant.
Departments that have formal automatic aid agreements with neighboring departments
will receive additional consideration. Departments with formal mutual aid agreements
will receive more consideration than departments without formal agreements, but not as
much consideration as departments with automatic aid agreements.
Finally, due to the inherent safety benefits to be realized in departments using a
comprehensive driver training program meeting NFPA standard 1002 or its equivalent,
we will provide a competitive advantage to requests where the applicant has a
comprehensive driver training program. Applicants seeking driver training with their
vehicle request will receive a slightly lower competitive advantage than departments
with such a program already in place. Applicants without a comprehensive driver
training program, and who will not implement appropriate driver training in conjunction
with their AFG award, or through other resources, will NOT be considered for a vehicle
award.
No competitive advantage will be given to applicants seeking to purchase standard
model commercial vehicles versus custom vehicles, or the purchase of used vehicles
versus new vehicles in the preliminary application evaluation so long as the vehicles are
(or were) originally designed for firefighting. Depending on the type and size of a
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security — Assistance to Firefighters Grants
department, the technical evaluation panelists often prefer low-cost vehicles when
reviewing the cost -benefit section of the project narratives. Panelists may be provided
with guidance for use in their evaluation of the reasonableness of vehicle costs. We
also reserve the right to impose funding limits on requests for vehicles whose costs we
deem excessive or otherwise not in the best interest of the program.
Eligible expenditures under this program include the cost of the vehicle and associated
equipment necessary to conform to applicable national standards (NFPA 1901 or 1906).
New, used, or refurbished vehicles are eligible; however, any used or refurbished
vehicles must conform to the national standards that were in effect the year the vehicle
was manufactured. An allowance for transportation to inspect a vehicle under
consideration or during a vehicle's production would be eligible if reasonable and
justified in the grant proposal. Any additional costs associated with the purchase and
installation of a vehicle -mounted exhaust filtration system for any vehicle purchased
with grant funds would also be eligible. The costs associated with driver -operator
training may be eligible for any vehicle award if justified in the narrative.
Applicants will not be allowed to modify the scope of work of a vehicle award (i.e.,
change the type of vehicle to be purchased after the application is submitted). Vehicles
contracted for or otherwise purchased prior to the end of the established application
period are not eligible for funding. Aircraft, bulldozers, and construction -related
equipment are not eligible for purchase with AFG funds.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security —Assistance to Firefighters Grants
Appendix 2
Funding Priorities and Allowable Expenses
For Nonaffiliated EMS Organizations
AFG funding priorities differ for fire departments and nonaffiliated EMS organizations.
Please read the guidance document with this in mind and make sure you are
researching the appropriate sections for your organization. Equipment requested under
AFG must meet all mandatory regulatory requirements, as well as any national and/or
DHS-adopted standards in order to be eligible for purchase with grant funds. The
Responder Knowledge Base (RKB), which can be accessed at http:/twww.rkb.miDt.org/,
includes relevant information on first responder standards and allows "guest users" to
ask any questions they may have on applicable standards.
Equipment/technology requests should have the goal of solving interoperability or
compatibility problems. Therefore, applicants should describe in their narrative sections
how the purchase of equipment would comply with standards and/or facilitate solving
interoperability or compatibility problems.
Nonaffiliated EMS Organization Priorities.
AFG grants may be used to enhance emergency medical services provided by
nonaffiliated EMS organizations. EMS funding is limited to no more than 2 percent of
the AFG appropriation.
The criteria development panel recommended that it is more cost-effective to enhance
or expand an existing EMS organization by providing training or equipment than it would
be to create a new service. As such, communities that are attempting to initiate EMS
services will receive the lowest competitive rating.
Specific rating criteria and funding priorities for AFG FY2007 grant activities are
provided below following the descriptions of eligible program areas. The rating criteria,
in conjunction with the program area description, will provide you with an understanding
of what information we are seeking about your proposed projects.
(1) EMS Operations and Safety Program Area
Five different activities are available for funding under this program area: EMS training;
EMS equipment; PPE; wellness and fitness; and modifications to facilities. Requests for
equipment and training to prepare for response to incidents involving CBRNE are
available under the applicable equipment and training activities. Applications that
include requests for CBRNE equipment or training will be evaluated by the peer review
panelists relative to the critical infrastructure the applicant protects. Critical
infrastructure includes any system or asset that, if attacked, would result in catastrophic
37
U.S. Department of Homeland Security — Assistance to Firefighters Grants
loss of life or catastrophic economic loss. Critical infrastructure includes the following:
public water and power systems, major business centers, chemical facilities, nuclear
power plants, major rail and highway bridges, petroleum and/or natural gas
transmission pipelines and storage facilities, telecommunications facilities, and facilities
that support large public gatherings, such as sporting events or concerts.
Applicants should ensure that all projects applied for under the grant program are
consistent with national standards and address the goals of interoperable
communications and equipment compatibility.
DHS has determined that the frequency of use and the population protected are useful
measures in determining the benefits of an award. Therefore, DHS will provide a higher
level of consideration to organizations with a high call volume and to organizations that
serve large populations.
If you opt to apply under the EMS Operations and Safety Program Area, you may
request assistance for as many activities as you deem necessary. There are no
bonuses or penalties for applying for only one activity or for multiple activities.
a) EMS Training:
AFG provides grants to train EMS personnel. Examples of training activities include,
but are not limited to, first responder, EMT -Basic, EMT -Paramedic, HAZMAT
Operations, or Rescue Operations.
A higher competitive rating will be given to nonaffiliated EMS organizations that are
planning to upgrade services from first responder to EMT -B level. Because training is a
prerequisite to the effective use of EMS equipment, organizations whose requests are
more focused on training activities will receive a higher competitive rating than
organizations whose requests are more focused on equipment. Our second priority is
to elevate emergency responders' capabilities from EMT -B to EMT -I or higher.
Organizations seeking training in rescue or HAZMAT operations will receive lower
consideration than organizations seeking training for medical services. Our lowest
priority is to fund first responder training.
Eligible uses of training funds include, but are not limited to:
• tuition, exam and course fees;
• certification or recertification expenses;
• purchase of training curricula, training equipment, training props, and training
services (such as instructors);
:
U.S. Department of Homeland Security —Assistance to Firefighters Grants
9r
attendance at formal training forums or conferences that provide continuing -
education credits.
Compensation to volunteer emergency responders for wages lost because of attending
training under this activity is an eligible expense if reasonable and justified in the grant
proposal. Overtime expenses paid to emergency responders to enable them to attend
training, or overtime expenses paid to emergency responders to cover for colleagues in
training are eligible expenses if reasonable and justified in the grant proposal. Although
compensation is an eligible expense, proposals containing this type of compensation
expense may be ranked less favorably than similar proposals without compensation
expenses due to the cost -benefit element in the evaluation process.
Ineligible activities in this area include the following:
• construction of facilities, such as classrooms, buildings, and towers;
• site -preparation to accommodate any training activity, facility, or prop;
• purchase or lease of real estate.
The necessary remodeling of an existing facility to accomplish training activities funded
by the grant is allowable if the remodeling is minor in nature (e.g., limited to minor
interior alterations costing less than $10,000), justified in the proposal, and integral to
the completion of the training activities funded by the grant. Remodeling that is not
directly related to other grant activities is not eligible under this program (see Appendix
3. Other Allowable Costs). Remodeling expenses should be included in the application
as an "Other" line -item expense and clearly explained in the narrative.
DHS funds the direct delivery of a variety of classes that can be requested through the
State to meet first responders' training needs. These classes are listed in the course
catalog found at http://www.firstrespondertraining.gov/odpwebforms.
b) EMS Equipment Acquisition:
Because training is a prerequisite to the effective use of EMS equipment, organizations
whose requests are more focused on training activities will receive a higher competitive
rating than organizations whose requests are more focused on equipment.
Organizations that request training to the EMT -B level, along with basic support
equipment, will receive a higher priority. Requests seeking assistance to purchase
equipment to support advance -level EMS services are a secondary priority.
Organizations seeking equipment for rescue or HAZMAT operations will receive lower
consideration than organizations seeking equipment used to provide medical services.
Our lowest priority is to fund first responder training. Items that are eligible for funding,
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security —Assistance to Firefighters Grants
buta lower priority, include tents, shelters, generators, lights, and heating and cooling
units.
For FY 2007, DHS will make a distinction between "new missions" and "new risks."
According to the criteria development panel, an organization takes on a new mission
when it expands services into areas not previously offered, such as an EMS
organization seeking funding to provide water rescue capability for the first time. A "new
risk" is when an organization is forced to address risks that have materialized in the
department's area of responsibility; for example, construction of a plant that uses
significant levels of chemicals could constitute a "new risk."
Organizations upgrading their equipment for existing services will receive highest
consideration. Organizations taking on "new risks" will be considered the second
priority. Organizations taking on a "new mission" will receive a lower priority, due to the
risk that an applicant will not be able to financially support and sustain the new mission
beyond the grant performance period. The lowest priority is funding equipment to
increase an applicant's available supply (reserve equipment) or to expand an
applicant's services into new mission areas. Finally, equipment that will bring an
organization into compliance with State or Federal regulations will receive higher
consideration than equipment that has no statutory basis.
Eligible expenses for equipment acquisition include basic and advanced life support
equipment to support EMT -B through EMT -P, with higher priority given to organizations
requesting equipment to support service at the EMT -B level. Examples of eligible items
available under this section include, but are not limited to the following:
• basic life-support (BLS) equipment;
• advanced life-support (ALS) equipment;
• rescue tools;
• small specialty access vehicles (all -terrain vehicles, rescue boats under 13 feet,
gators, snow mobiles, etc.);
• communications equipment (mobile and portable radios);
• HAZMAT and decontamination equipment;
• computers;
• automated external defibrillators (AEDs);
• infectious disease control and decontamination systems.
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security — Assistance to Firefighters Grants
Protective clothing is NOT eligible under this equipment category, but is available under
the PPE Activity below.
For FY 2007, individual communications equipment (portable radios) and/or mobile,
communications equipment (including mobile repeaters) are eligible, but telephones,
cell phones, satellite phones, and sirens or other outdoor warning devices are not
eligible. We will only fund the number of mobile radios required to equip the vehicle
inventory listed in the application. We will not fund mobile radios for personally owned
vehicles under EMS. Mobile data systems are eligible. Integrated communications
systems such as base stations, computer -aided dispatch, fixed -site repeaters, and
wireless and broadband mobile data systems are eligible under this activity. The
purchase of any communications systems or equipment under this activity should have
the intent or goal of solving interoperability problems. Each State will have the
opportunity to review requests for communication systems to ensure compliance with
statewide interoperable communications plans and the State Homeland Security
Strategy. Applicants seeking funding for EMS equipment should provide details in
application's narrative section regarding their local plan to enable jurisdiction -wide
interoperable communications.
Any equipment requested under this section, particularly decontamination and HAZMAT
equipment, is fundable to the current level of your capabilities (i.e., we will not fund
level -A equipment for organizations only trained to the HAZMAT operation level, unless
the application also includes a request for training compatible with the equipment
request). Vehicles (such as ambulances), personal watercraft, equipment used for
firefighting, medications, disposable or otherwise expendable supplies (such as gloves,
syringes, and cervical collars), body armor, uniforms, and new construction such as
• communications towers or facilities are not eligible for AFG EMS equipment. The costs
of shipping equipment purchased under this program and applicable sales taxes are
also eligible expenses. However,. warranties and maintenance agreements are NOT
eligible.
c) EMS Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Acquisition:
AFG makes grants to acquire PPE for active EMS first responder personnel, particularly
PPE required by OSHA. One of AFG's goals is to protect the health and safety of the
public and first responders. To achieve this goal and to maximize the benefit to the
EMS community, in FY2007 AFG will prioritize funding for organizations needing to
purchase PPE for the first time. We also will give very high consideration to
organizations replacing obsolete or substandard equipment. In these cases, the
condition of the equipment to be replaced will be factored into the score, with a higher
priority given to replacing equipment that is damaged, tom, or contaminated over
equipment that is worn but usable. For organizations replacing old or damaged
equipment, organizations with the oldest equipment will get highest priority, and
organizations with the newest equipment will get lowest priority. In addition, we will give
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security —Assistance to Firefighters Grants
a high competitive rating to EMS organizations with a large percentage of active staff
without compliant EMS PPE. We will also give a high competitive rating to EMS
organizations wanting to purchase enough PPE to equip 100 percent of their active
staff. Our lowest priorities are to fund the purchase of equipment for a new mission, or
the purchase of equipment as a reserve in the event it is needed.
DHS believes that training is of critical importance to any first responder organization,
and that equipment is of no use if the operator is not trained to use it. As such,
applicants that are not, or will not be, sufficiently trained to use the equipment requested
under this program will be given a very low priority for funding.
Examples of eligible clothing include EMS turnout gear, non disposable universal
precautionary supplies (i.e., medical PPE), extrication jumpsuits, rescue helmets,
gloves, and boots. Protective clothing must meet national standards or local EMS
protocols. The purchase of SCBA may also be eligible if the EMS organization has a
formally adopted standard operating procedure that requires SCBA availability and
adequately justifies the request. If you apply for funding for SCBA, we may require you
to submit documentation to support the eligibility of SCBA.
Any equipment requested under this section, particularly decontamination and HAZMAT
suits, are fundable to the current level of your training (i.e., we will not fund level -A suits
for organizations only trained to the HAZMAT operation level unless the application also
includes a request for training compatible with the equipment request). Uniforms
(formallparade or station/duty) and uniform items (hats, badges, etc.) are not eligible
expenses under this activity. Nonaffiliated EMS organizations also may not apply for
non -EMS PPE such as body armor, wildland firefighting gear, and firefighting turnout
gear. Personal communications equipment, such as radios and pagers, are not eligible
under this activity, but are eligible under the EMS Equipment Acquisition Activity.
d) EMS Wellness and Fitness:
For the FY 2007 AFG, an effective EMS wellness/fitness activity must offer periodic
health screenings, entry-level physical examinations, and an immunization program.
Applicants for grants in this activity must currently offer, or plan to use grant funds to
provide, all three benefits to receive consideration and funding for any other initiatives
under this activity. After entry-level physicals, annual physicals, and immunizations,
high priority is given to formal fitness and injury prevention programs. Lower priority is
given to stress management, injury/illness rehabilitation, and employee assistance.
We will afford higher competitive ratings to applicants lacking wellness/fitness programs
over applicants that already employ a wellness/fitness program. Applicants already
providing the three requisite benefits that wish to expand their wellness and fitness
program will receive a slightly lower consideration than applicants seeking to initiate a
wellness/fitness program. Finally, since participation is critical to achieving any benefits
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security —Assistance to Firefighters Grants
from a
wellness/fitness
program, We will give higher competitive
ratings to departments
whose
wellness/fitness
programs mandate participation and are
open to all personnel..
Eligible expenditures in a wellness and fitness activity for EMS personnel may include
the procurement of medical services to ensure that EMS personnel are physically able
to carry out their duties. The purchase of medical equipment is not an eligible
expenditure under this category. Eligible expenditures to carry out wellness/fitness
activities may include costs for personnel physicals, physical fitness equipment
(including shipping charges and sales tax, as applicable), supplies, or other related
contract services (e.g., health-care consultants, trainers, and nutritionists) directly
associated with the implementation of the proposed activity. Examples of eligible
incentives for participation in a wellness/fitness program would be t -shirts or hats of
nominal value, vouchers to local businesses (movie theaters, restaurants, etc.), or time -
off awards.
Ineligible expenses include the following:
• transportation expenses;
a fitness club memberships for EMS personnel and their families;
• cash incentives;
• construction of facilities to house a fitness program (exercise or fitness rooms,
showers, etc.);
• purchase of real estate.
Minor remodeling or renovations to an existing facility are allowable if justified in the
narrative if the remodeling is minor in nature (i.e., limited to minor interior alterations
costing less than $10,000), and if the remodeling is integral to the completion of the
wellness/fitness activities funded by the grant. Remodeling that is not directly related to
other grant activities is not eligible. Remodeling expenses should be included in,the
budget as an "Other" line -item expense and explained in the narrative.
e) Modifications to EMS Stations and Facilities:
FY 2007 AFG grants may be used to modify EMS stations, EMS training facilities, and
other facilities to protect the health and safety of first responder personnel. Activities
involving modifications to facilities are subject to all applicable environmental and
historic preservation requirements. Applicants seeking assistance to modify their
facilities may undergo additional screening to ascertain to what degree the proposed
modifications affect an applicants structures relative to National Environmental Policy
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security — Assistance to Firefighters Grants
Act, National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, and National Flood Insurance Program
regulations. No project can proceed — except for planning — prior to formal DHS
approval. Noncompliance with this provision may jeopardize an applicant's award and
subsequent funding.
Eligible projects under this activity must focus on promoting safety in EMS stations and
facilities. Measures eligible for funding are the installation of sprinkler systems, vehicle
exhaust extraction systems, smoke or fire alarm notification systems, and emergency
facility generators. We will NOT fund any other requests for modifications than the
initiatives listed. Any vehicle exhaust extraction system funded under this activity
should be either extensive enough to extract all toxic vapors and particulates emitted
from internal combustion engines, and meet all applicable Federal, State, and local
standards, or be a part of a larger comprehensive system that does. Some exhaust
extraction systems may meet standards for removal of certain carcinogens, but not
others; therefore, it may be necessary to utilize more than one system, or employ
redundancies, to fully protect your first responders.
Grant funds are to be used to retrofit existing structures that do not have the eligible
safety features, or to upgrade facilities whose features are outdated. . When
requesting funds for modifications to facilities, older structures will receive the highest
consideration for funding. Funds may not be used to supplement new construction.
More benefit would be derived from modifying an EMS station than by modifying a
dispatch, training, or other EMS facility. Facilities occupied or otherwise in use 24 -
hours -per -day, 7 -days -per -week will receive the highest competitive rating. Facilities
used on a full-time basis will receive lower consideration. Facilities used only
occasionally, .or on an irregular or part-time basis, will receive the lowest consideration.
Requests involving facilities that have sleeping quarters will receive a higher competitive
rating than those facilities without.
There are no monetary limits on individual initiatives under this activity. However, no
applicant may request more than $100,000 in modifications per station under their
authority. If you have multiple stations, you may request funding for modifications for
each station up to this $100,000 per station limit, as long as the entire request does not
exceed the Federal share limit.
(2) EMS Vehicle Acquisition Program Area
FY 2007 AFG grants may be used to acquire new, used, or refurbished EMS vehicles.
Funds may also be used to refurbish a vehicle the organization currently owns. New
vehicles purchased with AFG funds must be compliant with current General Services
Administration standards, specifically KKK -A -1822E, found at
http:lla pps.fss.gsa.gov/ve h iclesta nda rds/i ndex.cfm.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security —Assistance to Firefighters Grants
Used apparatus must be compliant with Federal or industry standards for the year the
vehicle was manufactured. Refurbished apparatus must also meet applicable
standards.
In FY 2007, applicants that serve urban or suburban communities may apply for more
than one vehicle. However, awards will be limited to only one vehicle per station.
Applicants serving rural communities are limited to one vehicle per application. If a rural
applicant submits an application requesting more than one vehicle, we will deem the
application ineligible. Applicants awarded vehicle grants under AFG in previous years
ARE ELIGIBLE for another vehicle award in this program year. This is a change from
the FY 2006 AFG.
Due to the inherent benefits of an ambulance, or any transport vehicle, to an EMS
service provider, these types of vehicles are the highest priority compared to non
transport vehicles. Due to the costs associated with obtaining and outfitting non
transport rescue vehicles, we believe non transport rescue vehicles should have a lower
competitive rating than transport vehicles. Vehicles having a limited function, such as
aircraft, boats, and all -terrain vehicles, will receive the lowest competitive rating.
Because of the very limited funding for EMS vehicle awards, we anticipate that this
program will be very competitive.. Therefore, it is unlikely we would fund any vehicles
not listed as a "Priority One" this year. Priorities in this year's EMS vehicle program are
the same for all communities. The following chart lists priorities in this program area.
EMS Vehicle Priorities
Priority One
Priority Two
Priority Three
• Ambulance or
• First responder
non transport
• Command vehicles
transport unit to
vehicles
• Rescue boats (over 13 feet in
support EMT -B
• Special
length)
needs and functions
operations
• Hovercraft
vehicles
• Other special access vehicles
As with any request, DHS reserves the right to reduce any vehicle request for
assistance, in whole or in part; that we deem to be excessive or otherwise contrary to
the best interests of this program. AFG funding is meant to supplement, rather than
replace, an organization's funding. Grantees must maintain their level of operating
expenditures during the grant period at a level equal to, or greater than, the average of
their operating expenditures in the two years preceding the year in which assistance is
received. (See Appendix 6. Grantee Responsibilities.) This means that, if an
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security — Assistance to Firefighters Grants
organization has a vehicle replacement program where it purchases three new vehicles
every year, and that organization is awarded a vehicle grant, that organization will have
to maintain its practice of purchasing three new vehicles in the year of the grant as well
as the vehicle(s) awarded under the grant. The vehicle grantee CANNOT use AFG
funding as a substitute for their vehicle replacement budget. In order to assure that this
requirement is met, DHS may require detailed documentation regarding an applicant's
or grantee's vehicle purchasing practices and policies.
Due to the inherent benefits of an ambulance, or any transport vehicle, to an EMS
service provider, these types of vehicles are the highest priority compared to non
transport vehicles. As with other eligible AFG activities, one priority of the vehicle
acquisition program is the safety of first responders. Therefore, we will give the highest
consideration to applicants wanting to replace vehicles that have been converted to use
as EMS vehicles, but were not originally designed for EMS, as well as vehicles that did
not include seatbelts in their original design. Applicants with these unsafe vehicle
characteristics will receive this higher consideration over applicants seeking to replace
vehicles having these safety features. Applicants wanting to benefit from this
consideration must certify that the unsafe vehicle will be permanently removed from
service, if awarded a grant.
In addition, more benefit will be realized by funding applicants owning few or no vehicles
of the type they are seeking than there would be by providing vehicle funding to an
organization with numerous vehicles of the type they are seeking. In assessing the
number of vehicles an organization has within a particular class, we will include all
vehicles with similar functions. For example, we would include transport vehicles in the
same class as ambulances. We will also give higher competitive ratings to applicants
that have an aged fleet of emergency vehicles.
This grant program will achieve the greatest benefits if we provide vehicles to EMS
organizations purchasing basic response vehicles (categorized above in priority order)
to meet their existing missions. The highest consideration will be given to EMS
organizations that have never owned the. vehicles, as well as to organizations seeking
to replace used or obsolete vehicles. A secondary priority will be to fund EMS
organizations seeking to add more vehicles to their existing fleet within their existing
mission areas. The lowest priority is funding new apparatus to expand an applicant's
services into new mission areas. A department takes on a new mission when it
expands its services into areas not previously offered, such as an EMS organization
seeking funding to create a HAZMAT response team for the first time.
A higher competitive rating will be given to an EMS organization owning few or no
response vehicles relative to other organizations serving similar types of communities.
A higher competitive rating also is given to organizations that have an aged fleet of
vehicles, as well as to organizations with high -mileage vehicles. Organizations with a
newer fleet of vehicles, or with vehicles that are not driven extensively, will receive lower
U.S. Department of Homeland Security —Assistance to Firefighters Grants
consideration. EMS organizations that have formal automatic aid agreements with
neighboring departments will receive additional consideration. Organizations with
formal mutual aid agreements will receive more consideration than organizations
without such arrangements, but not as much consideration as organizations with
automatic aid agreements.
Finally, due to the inherent safety benefits to be realized in organizations that utilize a
comprehensive driver training program, we provide a high competitive advantage for
applicants who have an established comprehensive driver training program. Applicants
seeking driver training with their vehicle request will receive a slightly lower competitive
advantage. Applicants without a comprehensive driver training program who are not
seeking funding for driver training in this application, or through other resources, will
NOT be considered for a vehicle award.
No competitive advantage has been assigned to the purchase of standard model
commercial vehicles versus custom vehicles, or the purchase of used vehicles versus
new vehicles in the preliminary evaluation of applications. The technical evaluation
panelists often prefer low-cost vehicles when evaluating the cost -benefit section of the
project narratives. We also reserve the right to impose funding limits on requests for
vehicles whose costs we deem excessive or otherwise not in the best interest of the
program.
EMS vehicle awardees will be required to obtain a bond if funds are advanced to the
manufacturer and include specific performance requirements and penalties for non-
compliance with the requirements as part of the contract with the vehicle manufacturer.
Extensions to a grant's period of performance may not be considered if the requisite
bond is not included in the purchase contract.
Eligible expenses under this program would include ONLY the cost of the vehicle and
requested driver training. We will NOT provide funding for associated equipment. New,
used, or refurbished vehicles are eligible; however, all used or refurbished vehicles
must conform to the national standards that were in effect the year the vehicle was
manufactured. ATVs, gators, and similar equipment are considered to be EMS
equipment, NOT vehicles and are not eligible under this category. An allowance for
transportation to inspect a vehicle under consideration, or during a vehicle's production,
would be eligible if reasonable and justified in the grant proposal. Additionally, operator
training may be eligible for any vehicle award if justified in the narrative.
Applicants will not be allowed to modify the scope of work of a vehicle award, i.e.,
change the type of vehicle requested after award. Vehicles contracted for, or otherwise
purchased, prior to the end of the established application period are not eligible for
funding. Aircraft, bulldozers, and construction -related equipment are not eligible.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security —Assistance to Firefighters Grants
Appendix 3
Other Allowable Costs
This section describes additional costs that may be paid using AFG grant funds.
(1) Administrative Costs: Administrative costs are allowable under any of the program
areas listed above in accordance with Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
Circular A-87, Cost Principles for State, Local and Indian Tribal Governments, or OMB
Circular A-1 22, Cost Principles for Nonprofit Organizations, as applicable. (For more
information about Circulars, go to www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars.) Applicants may
apply for administrative costs if the costs are directly related to the implementation of
the program for which they are applying. Administrative costs are identifiable costs
directly associated with the implementation and management of the grant, and cannot
exceed 3 percent of the award.
If you are. requesting administrative expenses, you must list the costs under the "Other"
category in the budget, and explain the purpose for the administrative costs in your
project narrative. Administrative costs should be based on actual expenses, not a
percentage of the overall grant. We will reimburse actual expenses only. Examples of
eligible administrative costs include shipping, office supplies, and computers associated
with the NFIRS reporting requirements. Grant funds may not be used for maintenance
agreements, product warrantees, insurance, Internet service provider fees, or any
similar monthly service fees. The cost of a grant writer (if specifically listed on your
application) is eligible and can be charged to the grant as administrative costs in
accordance with the provisions outlined below [see (7) below]. We will assess the
reasonableness of the administrative costs requested in each application and determine
if they are reasonable and in the best interest of the program.
(2) Indirect Costs: Indirect costs are those incurred for common or joint objectives and
cannot be readily identified with a particular final cost objective. A cost may not be
allocated to an award as an indirect cost if any other cost incurred for the same
purpose, in like circumstances, has been assigned to an award as a direct cost. Typical.
examples of indirect costs include depreciation or use allowances on buildings and
equipment, the costs of operating and maintaining facilities, general administration, and
other general expenses, such as the salaries and expenses of executive officers,
personnel administration, and accounting.
If you have an approved indirect cost rate, you may charge indirect costs to the grant. If
you are charging indirect costs to the grant, you must submit documentation supporting
the indirect cost rate to us for review prior to submitting any claims for reimbursement of
indirect costs. Appropriate documentation for an approved indirect rate is a federally
approved indirect cost rate agreement. We will allow the rate to be applied as long as it
is consistent with its established terms. For example, some indirect cost rates may not
U.S. Department of Homeland Security — Assistance to Firefighters Grants
apply to capital procurements; in these cases, indirect cost rates would not be
applicable for an equipment or vehicle grant.
(3) Audit Costs: Grantees must comply with the organizational audit requirements of
OMB Circular A-133, Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit
Organizations, which states that recipients of Federal funding that expend more than
$500,000 in Federal funds (from all Federal sources) in their fiscal year are required to
have a single audit. (For more information about OMB Circulars, go to
www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars.) If a single audit is required, a portion of the audit
cost would be allowable, if included in the application budget. We will allow you to
charge a prorated share of the costs of the single audit to the grant. For example, if you
expend $100,000 from the AFG and $400,000 from the Forestry Service during your
fiscal year, we will allow you to charge one -fifth of the audit cost to the AFG grant. We
do not require any other audits; therefore, you cannot charge any other audit expenses
to the grant.
(4) Remodeling or Renovation Costs: Remodeling or renovations to an existing
facility are allowable only if minor in nature (i.e., limited to minor interior alterations
costing less than $10,000). To be eligible, the remodeling must be essential to the
successful completion of the grant's scope of work. The purchase of real estate and
construction costs are not eligible. Construction includes major alterations to a building
and/or changes to the profile or footprint of the structure. Enhancements to existing
structures, such as the installation of apparatus bay ventilation systems and retrofitting
fire stations with sprinkler systems, are eligible for application under the Modifications to
Fire or EMS Stations and Facilities activity.
(5) Pre -award Costs: Generally, grantees cannot use.grant funds to pay for products
and services contracted for or purchased prior to the effective date of the grant.
However, expenses incurred after the application deadline, but prior to award, may be
eligible for reimbursement if the expenses were justified, unavoidable, consistent with
the grant's scope of work, and specifically approved by DHS. We will consider requests
for reimbursement for pre -award costs on a case -by -case basis.
(6) Pre -application Costs: Expenses, obligations, commitments, or contracts incurred
or entered into prior to the application deadline are not eligible to be included as a grant
expense with the exception of grant preparation costs [see (7) below].
(7) Grant Writer Fees: Fees for grant writers may be included as a pre -award or pre -
application expenditure. Fees payable on a contingency basis are not an eligible
expense. For grant writer fees to be eligible as a pre -award expenditure, the fees must
be specifically identified and listed in the "Request Details" section of the application. In
addition, the fees must have been paid prior to any contact with grants management
staff or an award (i.e., paid within 30 days of the end of the application period).
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security —Assistance to Firefighters Grants
Applicants may be required to provide documentation to support these pre -award
expenditures.
Hiring a grant writer, or use of any other third party in preparing the application, does
not eliminate the applicant's responsibility for ensuring that information contained in the
application is true and correct. Applicants that falsify their applications, or misrepresent
their organizations in any material manner, will have their applications deemed ineligible
by the AFG Program Office and referred to OIG for further action, as appropriate.
(8) Pre -payments: A grantee may not use grant funds to pre -pay for any products or
services in advance of delivery of the products or rendering of services. A down
payment for the purchase of a vehicle is allowable if required in the purchase contract,
but we will only allow up to 25 percent of the Federal share to be drawn for this purpose.
The grantee may use grant funds to pay for the purchase of any vehicle's chassis if the
chassis is being supplied by a third -party vendor (i.e., a company other than the vehicle
manufacturer). Documentation to support the independence of the third -party vendor
may be required prior to our approval of any payments for any chassis. Federal funds
may not be used for any other periodic or progress payments, except the final payment,
which should not be requested until after the vehicle is received, inspected, and
accepted by the grantee.
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security — Assistance to Firefighters Grants
Appendix 4
Reasonableness of a Request
The peer review panelists will review all of the applications in the competitive range and
judge each application on its own merits. The panelists will consider all expenses
budgeted, including administrative and indirect costs, as part of the cost -benefit
determination, and may recommend appropriate adjustments. Regardless of the
eligibility of any costs requested, we reserve the right to reduce any requests for
assistance, in whole or in part, that we deem to be excessive or otherwise contrary to
the best interests of this program.
Applicants that falsify their applications, or misrepresent their organizations in any
material manner, will have their applications deemed ineligible by the AFG Program
Office and referred to the OIG for further action, as appropriate.
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security —Assistance to Firefighters Grants
Appendix 5
Award Procedure
Awards will be made on a competitive basis using the rank order of peer -reviewed
applications as the primary basis for our decisions, regardless of program. However,
there are some exceptions to this process. AFG's authorizing legislation restricts how
the funds may be used. Grant awards for vehicles may not exceed 25 percent of the
total appropriated funding, and nonaffiliated EMS organizations may not receive more
than 2 percent of appropriated funding. Once we reach these limits, we must deviate
from the rank order with respect to the remaining vehicle requests or nonaffiliated EMS
requests.
Throughout the selection process, career organizations will compete against all other
organizations for up to 45 percent of the available funding. Volunteer and combination
organizations will compete among each other for at least 55 percent of the available
funding. - Historically, less than 10 percent of the number of applications we receive for
AFG funding are from career organizations. Therefore, funding levels may not reach
the 45 percent ceiling for career organizations.
To fulfill our obligations under the law, we may also make funding decisions using the
size and nature of the community served (urban, suburban, or rural), the type of
organization (career, combination, or volunteer), and the geographic location of the
organization. In these instances where we are making decisions based on geographic
location, we will use States as the basic geographic unit. The geographic location of an
applicant will be used primarily as a final discriminator, e.g., in cases where applicants
have similar qualifications, we may use the geographic location of the applicants to
maximize the diversity of the awardees.
Fire departments that have received funding under the AFG in previous years are
eligible to apply for funding in the current year. However, due to our responsibilities
under the authorizing statute to assure adequate distribution of awards among certain
types of organizations (career, combination and volunteer) and certain types of
communities (urban, suburban or rural), we reserve the right to fund or not to fund
previous grant recipients under this program in order to fulfill statutory requirements.
We may also take into account an applicant's performance on prior grants when making
funding decisions on current applications.
As stated earlier, each application will be evaluated based on the answers to the
activity -specific questions. The applications that best address the established funding
priorities will be deemed to be in the "competitive range" and subject to a second -level
review. This second -level review is conducted via a panel of technical reviewers who
will assess the application's merits with respect to the detail provided in the narrative on
the activity, the applicant's financial need, and the purported benefit to be derived for
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security — Assistance to Firefighters Grants
the cost. The panel evaluators will independently score each application, discuss the
merits and shortcomings of the application, and reconcile any major discrepancies, if
necessary. A consensus is allowed but not required.
Once every application in the competitive range has been through the panel review, the
applications will be ranked according to the average score awarded by the panel. The
ranking will be summarized in a Technical Report prepared by the AFG Program Office.
The AFG Program Office will then make award recommendations to the Office of Grant
Operations (OGO). OGO will then contact the applicant to discuss and/or negotiate the
content of the application before making final award decisions.
We will select a sufficient number of awardees from this one application period to
obligate all of the FY 2007 funding available. Awards will be announced over several
months as decisions are made. Awards will not be made in any specified order, i.e., not
by State, program, or any other characteristic.
Award amounts are limited based on the population of the jurisdiction. Specifically, an
applicant that serves a jurisdiction with a population of 500,000 or less may not receive
grant funds in excess of $1 million in any program year. An applicant that serves a
jurisdiction with more than 500,000, but not more than one million, people may not
receive grant funds in excess of $1.75 million. Finally, an applicant that serves a
jurisdiction of more than one million people may not receive grant funds in excess of
$2.75 million in any fiscal year.
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security —Assistance to Firefighters Grants
Appendix 6
Grantee Responsibilities
AFG award recipients (grantees) must agree to:
(1) Perform, within the designated period of performance, all tasks (scope of work) as
outlined in the grantee's application and approved by the AFG Program Office in
accordance with the Articles of Agreement.
(2) Share in the costs of the projects funded under this grant program. Fire
departments and nonaffiliated EMS organizations serving populations of over 50,000 or
more must match the Federal grant funds with an amount of non -Federal funds equal to
20 percent of the total project cost. Fire departments and nonaffiliated EMS
organizations serving populations between 20,000 and 50,000 must agree to match the
Federal grant funds with an amount of non -Federal funds equal to 10 percent of the
total project cost. Fire departments and nonaffiliated EMS organizations serving areas
with a population 20,000 or fewer must match the Federal grant funds with an amount of
non -Federal funds equal to 5 percent of the total project cost. All non -Federal match
funds must be in cash; in -kind contributions are not acceptable. No waivers of this
requirement will be granted except for applicants located in Insular Areas as provided
for in 48 U.S.C. § 1469a.
The grantee is not required to have the cash match in hand at the time of application,
nor at the time of award. But, before a grant is awarded, we will ascertain that the
grantee either has the funding in hand or has a viable plan to obtain the funding
necessary to fulfill the matching requirement.
(3) Maintain operating expenditures for the one-year grant period of performance in the
areas funded by this grant activity at a level equal to or greater than the average of their
operating expenditures in the two years preceding the year in which this assistance is
received. This program is meant to supplement rather than replace an organization's
funding.
(4) Retain grant files and supporting documentation for three years after the conclusion
and closeout of the grant or any audit subsequent to closeout.
(5) Ensure all procurement actions are conducted in a manner that provides, to the
maximum extent possible, open and free competition. In doing so, the grantee must
follow its established procurement processes when purchasing vehicles, equipment,
and services with AFG funds. If the grantee has no established procedures, it should
obtain at least two quotes/bids for the items being procured and document the process
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security —Assistance to Firefighters Grants
used in the grant files. Sole -source purchasing is not an acceptable procurement
method except in unusual circumstances.
(6) Submit a Performance Report to DHS after six months. If a grant's period of
performance is extended for any reason, the grantee must submit performance reports
every six months until the grant is closed out. At grant closeout, the grantee must report
how the grant funding was used and the benefits realized from the award in a detailed
final report. An accounting of the funds must also be included.
(7) Make grant files, books, and records available, if requested, for inspection to ensure
compliance with any requirement of the grant program.
(8) If the grantee is a fire department, agree to provide information, through established
reporting channels, to the USFA's NFIRS for the period covered by the assistance.
Nonaffiliated EMS organizations do not have to comply with the NFIRS reporting
requirement. If a fire department does not participate in the incident reporting system,
and does not have the capacity to report, at the time of the award, that grantee must
agree to provide information to the NFIRS system for a 12 -month period commencing
as soon as they develop the capacity to report. We expect non reporting grantees to
pursue the capacity to report immediately after notification of award, and for these non
reporting grantees to be actively reporting to NFIRS within the approved period of
performance. AFG program grantees from previous years will not be allowed to close
out their grants until they demonstrate that they are complying with this requirement.
Failure to close out previous years' grants may affect the consideration of future
awards.
(9) Following the audit requirements of OMB Circular A-133, Audits of States, Local
Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations, grantees that expend $500,000 or more in
Federal funds in their year (from all Federal sources) must have a single audit
performed in accordance with the Circular. (For more information about the Circulars,
go to www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars.)
(10) Comply with Homeland Security Presidential Directive -5 (HSPD-5). Starting
October 1, 2004, HSPD-5 requires all recipients of Federal preparedness funding —
including recipients of Federal grants and contracts —to adopt the National Incident
Management System (NIMS) as a condition for receipt of Federal funds. Recipients of
FY 2007 AFG funds must comply with this directive. AFG recipients will be considered
in compliance with this NIMS requirement if the grantee: 1) has an operational
knowledge of the Incident Command System (ICS); 2) has an understanding of NIMS'
principles and policies; and 3) agrees to adopt and/or comply with all directives,
ordinances, rules, orders, edicts, etc., passed down by local or State authorities with
respect to incident management. Organizations already trained in ICS do not need
retraining if the previous training was consistent with DHS standards. In order for us to
55
U.S. Department of Homeland Security —Assistance to Firefighters Grants
document compliance, grantees will be required to certify their recognition of NIMS/ICS
as part of the grant closeout process.
DHS offers ICS and NIMS training for organizations that have not implemented ICS, or
that are unfamiliar with NIMS principles and policies. For example, the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offers ICS training, from introductory courses
to advanced ICS training. For more information regarding ICS and NIMS training, visit
the NIMS website at www.fema.gov/emergency/nims/. For more information about ICS
training, contact the DHS Centralized Scheduling and Information Desk (CSID) at 1-
800-368-6498, or visit the website of the DHS Emergency Management Institute (EMI)
and the National Fire Academy (NFA) at www.usfa.fema.gov. Your State emergency
management training office may also be a source of information.
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security — Assistance to Firefighters Grants
Appendix 7
Excess Funds
Occasionally, due to successful competitive bid processes, some grantees have funds
remaining after the completion of the obligations outlined above.. Fire department
grantees that complete the approved scope of work prior to the end of the performance
period, and still have grant funds available, have three options for the use of the excess
funds:
(1) Grantees may use the greater of 1% of their award amount or $5,000 to continue, or
expand, the activities for which they received the award. For example, if a grantee
has funds remaining after completion of the activities listed in their grant agreement,
the grantee may use excess funds (subject to the above limitation) to purchase other
eligible items without seeking DHS approval.
(2) Grantees may use excess funds to create, or expand, a fire or injury prevention
program. Excess funds above the amounts discussed in paragraph (1) above must
be used for fire or injury prevention activities or returned to DHS [see option (3)
below]. In order to use excess funds for fire or injury prevention activities, a grantee
must to submit an amendment to its grant. The amendment request should explain
the following:
i) fire or injury prevention efforts currently underway in your organization;
ii) where the use of excess funds would fit within your existing efforts, if
applicable;
iii) the target audience for your fire or injury prevention project(s), and how
this audience was identified;
iv) how you will evaluate the effectiveness of the requested fire or injury
prevention project(s).
(3) Grantees may return excess funds to DHS. To exercise this option, a grantee must
close out its award and state in the final performance report that the remaining funds
are not necessary for the fulfillment of grant obligations. The grantee must also
indicate that it understands that the funds will be deobligated and unavailable for
future expenses. Deobligation of excess funds will decrease the Federal portion of
the grant and the amount of the grantee's match.
Fire department
grantees that complete the
approved scope of work prior to the end of
the performance
period, and
still have grant
funds available, may also use excess funds
in a combination
of activities
from options 1
and 2.
Nonaffiliated
EMS organizations that
57
U.S. Department of Homeland Security —Assistance to Firefighters Grants
have excess funds may exercise the same options for use of excess funds as that of a
fire department, however, EMS organizations are restricted to uses that involve injury
prevention only. EMS organizations may not expend grant funds for fire prevention
activities.
Any use of excess funds must be cost -shared in the same fashion as other eligible
expenses and disclosed in your reports (i.e., mid-term performance report and final
closeout).
58
[417/2007),Lisa Branson - Res 76-07 Page 1
From: Lisa Branson
To: Johnson, Tony
Date: 5/7/2007 10:48 AM
Subject: Res 76-07
Attachments: 76-07 Homeland Security Assistance Grant.pdf
CC: Audit
Chief Johnson,
Attached is a copy of the above resolution passed by City Council May 1, 2007. If any thing else is needed just let me know
Have a great day!
Lisa
Lisa Branson
City of Fayetteville
City Clerk's Division
113 W Mountain
Fayetteville, AR 72701
(479) 575-8323
lbranson@ci.fayetteville.ar.us