HomeMy WebLinkAbout53-06 RESOLUTION••••••••
•
RESOLUTION NO. 53-06
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE FAYETTEVILLE FIRE
DEPARTMENT TO APPLY FOR AND ACCEPT A DEPARTMENT
OF HOMELAND SECURITY FIRE GRANT FOR
APPROXIMATELY $500,000.00 TO IMPLEMENT MOBILE DATA
TERMINALS WITH RELATED SOFTWARE IN ALL FIRE
APPARATUS AND COMMAND VEHICLES.
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 and accept a
Department of Homeland Security FIRE Grant for approximately $500,000.00 to
implement mobile data terminals with related software in all fire apparatus and
command vehicles.
PASSED and APPROVED this 21st day of March, 2006.
APPROVE I.j ATTEST:
By:
DAN CO D ayo
•
on I 1.1,1 ffffff
e‘:c.-CLISI I .......
CfeCE5i Oie • 1/1*
.16%5..
t • • S
•
E
. FAY ETT EV I L LE
°
WKAI\11;°#
ft/I/G.1'0A C()"
JJJJJJJ 111111 ...,%
At.
Tony Johnson
Submitted By
City of Fayetteville
Staff Review Form
City Council Agenda Items
or
Contracts
3/21/2006
City Council Meeting Date
Fire
Division
Action Required:
sig65'
3/z4 104
53-04
Aiw(anuol
Z -e turd y
hr.t. 6 ramt
Fire
Department
The Fayetteville Fire Dept seeks authorization to apply for and accept Of awarded) a grant from the Department of
Homeland Security Fire Grant program. The grant application will be approximately $500,000 to implement mobile
data terminals with related software in all fire apparatus and command vehicles.
100,000.00
Cost of this request
1010.3020.5801.00
Account Number
Project Number
Budgeted Item
Category /Project Budget
Mobile Data Terminals
Program Category/ Project Name
Fixed Assets
Funds Used to Date Program /Project Category Name
Remaining Balance
Budget Adjustment Attached
General Fund
Fund Name
Department Director
aud--
City Attorney
Finance and Internal Service Director
Previous Ordinance or Resolution #
3 • 3.
Date Original Contract Date:
/3/0‘
Date
3
Date
Date 7-416—
Date
Original Contract Number:
Comments:
RESOLUTION NO.
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE FAYETTEVILLE FIRE
DEPARTMENT TO APPLY FOR AND ACCEPT A DEPARTMENT
OF HOMELAND SECURITY FIRE GRANT FOR
APPROXIMATELY $500,000.00 TO IMPLEMENT MOBILE DATA
TERMINALS WITH RELATED SOFTWARE IN ALL FIRE
APPARATUS AND COMMAND VEHICLFS.
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 and accsatlie
Department of Homeland Security FIRE Grant for approximately $51100:0.00‘do
implement mobile data terminals with related software in all fire 4-Cr•atius ad
command vehicles.
PASSED and APPROVED this 21st day of March, 2006
AN COoDY, Mayor
SONDRAIISMITH%ty Clerk
Or'
•
•
2006 Program Guidance
for the
Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program
February 2006
The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is administered by the Department of
Homeland Security's Office of Grants and Training. This document details the 2006
Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program's priorities. •It explains what items can
be requested, how to apply, and how applications will be evaluated. Please read this
program guidance carefully, as well as the Final Rule and answers to frequently asked
questions (FAQs). Each document provides detailed insight into the AFG program
These documents will be posted on the grant program's Web site. Together, these
documents will provide you with, the information you need to understand the AFG
program and enable you to complete the online application. The online application will
be available at www.firegrantsimport.com on or about March 6, 2006.
140 ;,1-771itA.ktv
Prepared by the Office of Grants and Training and the U.S. Fire Administration
•
•
PROGRAM GUIDANCE FOR THE _
2006 ASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTERS GRANT
PROGRAM
Background
The purpose of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program is to award
one-year grants directly to fire departments and nonaffiliated emergency medical services
(EMS) organizations in order to enhance their abilities with respect to fire and fire -related
hazards. Our primary goal is to provide assistance to meet fire departments' and
nonaffiliated EMS organizations' firefighting and emergency response needs This
program 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 authority of this program is derived from the Federal Fire Protection and
Control Act of 1974(15 U.S.C. §§ 2229 et seq.), as amended. In fiscal year 2006,
Congress reauthorized the AFG and appropriated a total of $539,550,000 to the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office Of Grants and Training to carry out the
activities of the AFG program. Congress also authorized the use of up to five percent
(5%) of the appropriated funds for administering the grant program. Also, no less than
five percent (5%) of the appropriated funds must be made available to make grants for
fire prevention activities. The appropriated funds are available until September 30, 2007.
The AFG program for fiscal year 2006 generally mirrors previous years' ,
programs except for a change with regard to Regional Projects (see page 9 for more detail
on the changes in Regional Projects). As in 2005, nonaffiliated EMS organizations (i.e.,
EMS organizations that are not firelmsed and that are not affiliated with a hospital) are
eligible applicants. DHS may award up to two percenf(2%) of the appropriated funds to
nonaffiliated EMS organi7ations. DHS will also continue the segregation of the Fire
Prevention and Safety (FP&S) grants from the AFG, and we will have a separate
application period devoted solely to FP&S grants. It is the intention of DHS to have this
application period in the fall of 2006; and it will be open to fire departments as in the
past. Please monitor the AFG Web site (www firegrantsupport.com) for updated
information on FP&S grants. Be advised eligibility for FP&S grants will be different
from AFG. For example, nonaffiliated EMS organizations will not be eligible.
-•••
2
Department of Homeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
•
Eligibility
. Eligible applicants for the AFG program are limited to fire departments and
nonaffiliated EMS organizations. Fire departments or nonaffiliated EMS organizations
that are 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, or 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 tribal authority (city, county,
parish, fire district, township, town, or other governing 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, 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 organizations would be eligible if they are "adequately
providing" direct emergency medical services at the time of application and are 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 included in this category of
eligibility.
By "affiliated" we mean receiiiing 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 this
program. Also, for the purposes of this program, a "hospital" is defined as an
organization, •clinic, medical center, medical college or university, infiiinary, surgery
center, or any other institution, association, dr foundation that provides medical, surgical,
or psychiatric care and treatment for the sick Or the 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 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 district Witien—a Municipality
submits an application on behalf of an Organization, the organization is precluded from
submitting an additional application on its own. The Alaska Village Initiative, a
nonprofit organization incorporated in the State of Alaska, will also be considered
3
Department of Homeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
eligible for purposes of receiving assistance under this program on behalf of Alaska
Native villages. Each eligible applicant is limited to one application per program year.
For the purposes of this program, we consider two or more separate fire
departments or nonaffiliated EMS organizations that share facilities as being one
organization. This determination is designed to assist the giants program office in its
fiscal oversight of the program by avoiding or eliminating 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 samecommunity when so many other
communities need new apparatus; nor would it be cost -beneficial to buy two sets of
equipment — one rural, one city — 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 application. If two or more organizations that share facilities submit more than
one application, we will deem all of the applications ineligible.
A fire department can apply for assistance for its emergency medical services
(EMS) unit, provided the unit falls organizationally under the auspices of the fire
department. Fire departments may NOT apply for assistance as an "unaffiliated 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 jurisdiction 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 this grant program.
Fire departments that are Federal or contracted by the Federal government and are
solely responsible under their formally recognized arrangement for suppression of fires
on Federal installations or land are not eligible for this grant program. Fire stations that
are not independent entities, but are rather part of, controlled by, or are under the day-to-
day operational direction of a larger fire department or agency, are not eligible. Fire
departments that are for-profit departments (i.e., do not have specific nonprofit status or
are not municipally based) are not eligible to apply for assistance under this program.
Also not eligible for this program are auxiliaries, fire service organizations or •
associations, and state/local agencies such as a forest service, fire marshals, hospitals, and
training offices. Dive teams and search and rescue teams or any similar Organizations
that do not provide medical transport are not eligible for EMS assistance as nonaffiliated
EMS organizations._
4
Department of Homeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
•
Criteria Development Process
Each year, the grants program office conducts a criteria development meeting to
develop the program's priorities for the coming year. DHS brings together a panel of fire
service professionals representing the nine major fire service organizations. The
organizations that are represented include the International Association of Fire Chiefs
(IAFC), the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF), the National Volunteer Fire
Council (NVFC), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA),•the National
Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM), the International Association of Arson
Investigators (IAAD, the North American Fire Training Directors (NAFTD), and the
Congressional Fire Service Institute (CFSI).
The criteria development panel is charged with making recommendations to the
grants program office regarding the creation and/or modification of previously
established program priorities as well as developing criteria for awarding grants and
proposing any necessary changes to the administrationnf the grant program. The content
of this document reflects our implementation of the criteria development panel's
recommendations with respect to the priorities, direction, and criteria for awarding grants
as they relate to the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program
Automated Application and Tutorial for 2006
The application will be accessible from the grant program office's Web site
(www.firegrantsunport.coml, the U.S. Fire Administration's (USFA) Web site
(www.usfalema.gov), and grants.gov Web site (www.grants.gov). We have designed the
automated application with many built-in "help screens" and "drop-down menus" to
assist you throughout the application process. The application can be saved and retrieved
as many times as you need while you complete it, up to the application deadline or the
submittal of your application. Once you have submitted your application, you cannot
change it. The automated system will not allow you to submit an incomplete application,
i.e., the system will alert you if you have not provided required information. You will be
automatically notified via e-mail that we have received your application after submission.
An applicant tutorial will be available on the Internet at
vvww.firegrantsupport.com. The tutorial explains the AFG program, helps applicants use
the online grant application, provides tips for navigating the application screens and
summarizes the changes in the grant program for fiscal year 2006. The tutorial also
provides a review of the lessons leamed from previous years underthe.grant program.
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 information contained in
your application. By submitting the application, you are certifying that all of the
5
• Department of Homeland Secun'ty's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
information contained therein is true and 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 for
further action, as appropriate.
Paper applications will be accepted but are discouraged due to the inherent delays
associated with processing them. Also, if awarded, applicants who submit paper
applications must continue to manage their grants via paper, including payment requests,
requests for modifications, reporting, etc.; whereas, electronic applicants can perform all
of these functions online. In addition, paper applications do not have 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 mail. We will not send
the paper applications via overnight delivery, nor by 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 it. Do not use a previous year's
application. Any paper application that is not in the correct format will be deemed
ineligible.
We will begin accepting completed applications for the 2006 program on or about
March 6, 2006. Monitor the AFG and USFA Web sites for up-to-date information on the
application period. Completed applications must be submitted electronically or received
by us on or before the close of business (5:00 p.m. EDT) on the last day of the application
period, currently projected for April 7, 2006. Applications submitted by mail must be
postmarked no later than four calendar days prior to the end of the application period.
Assuming an April 7, 2006, due date, we will not accept applications postmarked after
April 4, 2006, unless we receive them prior to the end of the application period.
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
Ernmitsburg, Maryland 21727-8998
We will not be responsible for applications Mailed tO any addits'S Other than the
address listed above. No late, incomplete, or faxed applications will be accepted. No
electronically submitted applications other than those submitted online via the automated
grant application system will be accepted.
6
Department of Homeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
•
•
1
Project Development
In 2006, we have continued our practice of allowing you to formulate a very
comprehensive grant proposal. Depending on the program area for which you apply, we
are allowing your grant proposal to include a number of related "activities" to address all
of your needs within a programmatic orfunctional area. This approach provides you
with the opportunity to develop a more comprehensive grant project that addresses a
broader range of your fire department's needs. Be advised that your application should
include only activities that can be completed within the one-year grant period. You may
submit only one application per application period, and your application is further limited
to only one of the program areas listed below (i.e., Operations and Safety or Vehicle
Acquisition). If multiple applications are submitted on behalf of one entity, either
intentionally or unintentionally, we will deem all applications ineligible.
Fire Departments
You may submit an application for one of two program areas, and you may
include as many activities within the selected program area as necessary to meet your
needs. You may submit only one application per application period, and your
application is further limited to only one of the program areas listed below. If multiple
applications are submitted on behalf of one entity, either intentionally or unintentionally,
we will deem all applications ineligible. The program areas and associated activities
eligible in this year's AFG are as follows:
I. Operations and Firefighter Safety Program Area. Eligible activities for fire
departments under this program area are limited to training, equipment, personal
protective equipment, wellnesS and fitness, and modifications to fire stations and
facilities. Please note fire departmentsmay submit requests for emergency medical
services training and equipment for their department's emergency medical services
(EMS) unit under the appropriate functional area (i.e., training or equipment,
respectively) if the EMS unit falls organizationally under the auspices of the fire
department. Additionally, requests for equipment, personal protective equipment, and
training to prepare for response to incidents involving chemical, biological, radiological,
nuclear or explosive agents (CBRNE) are eligible under the appropriate activities in this
program area Applicants should strive to ensure all projects'applied for tinder the AFG
program are consistent with national standards and address interoperability.
2. Firefighting Vehicle Acquisition Program Area. 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, aerialsrfoam units,
and fireboats. You may apply for only one vehicle per year. Applicants requesting more
than one vehicle on an application will have their application deemed ineligible.
7
Department of Homeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
•
•
Previous AFG vehicle grant recipients are not eligible to receive a vehicle grant in this
year's program.
•
As stated above, this year you may submit only one application for assistance in
only one of these two program areas. Within your selected program area, 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 area of Operations and Firefighter Safety, you could apply for
any one of the activities under that program area, or any combination of activities, or all
of the activities listed within that area. If you need a vehicle, you must apply under the
Firefighting Vehicle Acquisition program area. You may not apply for any vehicles
under the Operations and Firefighter Safety program area.
Nonaffiliated EMS Organizations
Nonaffiliated EMS organizations are eligible to apply for assistance during the
, 2006 AFG application period. The nonaffiliated EMS portion of the AFG mirrors what is
. available to fire departments in that applicants will have the .option to, apply for assistance
under either the EMS Operations and Safety program area or -the EMS Vehicle
Acquisition program area. The EMS Operations and Safety area provides you with a
range of eligible activities so you can formulate a very comprehensive grant proposal to
meet all of your operational needs. The EMS Vehicle Acquisition area allows you to
apply for a vehicle to enhance your emergency response capabilities and may include
operator training as necessary.
Remember, you may submit only one application per application period, and
your application is further limited to only one of the two program areas listed below. If
multiple applications are submitted on behalf of one entity, either• intentionally or
unintentionally, we will deem all applications ineligible. Be advised that your application
should include only activities that can be completed within the one-year grant period.
The program areas and associated activities eligible in this year's AFG are as follows:
1. EMS Operations and Safety Program Area. Eligible activities available to
nonaffiliated EMS organizations under this function are limited to EMS training, EMS
equipment including personal protective equipment, wellness and fitness, and
modifications to stations and facilities. Also, note requests for equipment, personal
protective equipment, and training to prepare for response to incidents involving CBRNE
are available under the appropriate activities in this program area. Applicants should
strive to ensure all projects applied for under the grant program are conSistent-With
national standards and address interoperability.
-NS
2. EMS Vehicle Acquisition Program Area. Eligible apparatus available to
nonaffiliated EMS organizations under this area include, but are not limited to
8
Department of Homeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
•
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 You may apply for only one vehicle per year.
Applications requesting more than one vehicle will be deemed ineligible. Previous AFG
vehicle grant recipients are not eligible to receive a vehicle grant in subsequent grant
years.
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
jurisdiction benefit directly from the activities implemented with the grant funds. A
county fire department applying for a county -wide communication system is NOT a
regional project because it does not benefit multiple seats -of -government. Regional
projects are designed to facilitate interoperability and efficiency among the participating
jurisdictions. As such, the only activities available for application under a regional
project are training, equipment acquisition and personal protective equipment acquisition.
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.
In 2006, host applicants MAY NOT apply for additional needs beyond the scope of the
regional project. Please note: This is a change from last year's Program Guidance. The
"host" will be responsible for fulfilling all grant requirements such as reporting to
NFIRS, control of and accounting for the funds, and distribution and control of the
property.
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 thatdistinguishes regional projects from non -regional requests that have an
impact on a region via mutual aid. For example, a non -regional project would be
application for an air compressor or a HAZM.AT vehicle that would be awarded and
physically located in the awardee's department but shared withfhe neighboring
departments with which a mutual or automatic aid agreement exists.
Examples of viable regional projects would be a multi -jurisdictional
communications system or standardization of breathing apparatus. Generally, these types
of projects are designed to address issues of interoperability amoung multiple
jurisdictions. In order to apply for such a project, the applicant must: 1) be an eligible
9
Department of Homeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Progeam
applicant, i.e., either a fire department or a nonaffiliated EMS organization (a county,
county association, or a 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 provide 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). Please note: This is a
change from last year's Program Guidance where only the applicant's characteristics
were declared. The applicant must provide detailed information in the project narrative
describing the effect of the project. In addition, the applicant must include a list of each
of the participating organizations that will benefit from the regional project if the project
is approved. •These organizations, i.e., either fire departments or nonaffiliated EMS
organizations, which will be the beneficiaries of the project, may also apply for finding
under the AFG as long as they are not requesting the same items as the host applicant's
regional project In the example where a host applicant is applying 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 they do not apply
for duplicative communications equipment. Host applicants MAY NOT apply for other
needs beyond the regional project nor may a host applicant submit a second application
for other, non -regional needs.
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 and/or nonaffiliated EMS organizations or other public service
•organizations. We will also take into consideration the extent to which the non-fife/EMS
partners will contribute to the overall costs of the regional project.
Application Procedure
Eligible applicants can apply for the AFG program online via the "e -grants"
application. The system will allow one authorized representative of an applicant to log in
and create a username and password for the applicant. If your organization submitted an
application in previous years, it is advised that you use the same usemame and password
used for previous applications. The selection of the authorized representative is at the
discretion of each applicant. .The application includes general questions about your
organi7ation and community, as well as questions specific to the proposed project.
DUNS Number
Effective October 1, 2003, all Federal grant applicants must obtain a DUNS
nurnber, a unique nine -character identification number provided by the commercial
10
Department of Homeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
compahy. Dun & Bradstreet The Federal government will use the DUNS number to
better identify related organizations that receive funding under grants and cooperative
agreements and to provide consistent name and address data for electronic grant
applications. Additional information about DUNS numbers can be found on the Dun &
Bradstreet Web site (https://eupdate.dnb.com/requestoptions/govemment/ccrreg/).
There is no charge to obtain a DUNS number,.and it is the applicant's
responsibility to obtain one. Applicants are encouraged to apply for a DUNS number
well in advance of the application period because it may take two to three weeks or more
to obtain the number online. It is recommended that applicants request a DUNS number
as soon as possible by calling 1-866-705-5711. When completing the grant application,
there is a special data field for entering the DUNS number. This number is required for
all Federal grant applications, and extensions may not be granted for applicants who were
unable to obtain their number prior to the end of the application period.
- Application
As in previous years, you will be required to answer a series of questions
designed to provide general information about your organization and community. The
answers provided to these questions may be used in the evaluation of your application.
We will also use some of the information to determine whether an organization serves an
urban, suburban, or rural community. We believe characteristics such as population,
water supply, land use, number of stations, number of inhabitable structures over four
stories tall in the jurisdiction, and call volume are indicators of the type ofcommunity
served. We will allow you to designate the type of community you serve; however, we
will also use these characteristics to assist us in determining a designation of the type of
community that is served. If your declaration and our determination differ, you will be
prompted to justify your designation in the narrative section of the application.
This designation 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 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 narrative portion of the application should provide the details of activities
11
Department ofHomeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
proposed to be funded, including budget details for each activity. The narrative should
also describe the financial need of your organization and elaborate on the benefits your
community and/or organization will gain from the expenditure of the grant funds,
particularly noting the benefits that would be realized due to your department's
responsibilities for protection of 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 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, so it should not exceed fie pages. Do
NOT type the narrative using only capital letters. For more specific information
regarding the application and its narrative, we advise you to review the applicant tutorial
that is available on the grant program's Web site (www.firegrantsunport.com).
Evaluation Process
We Will rank all eomplete and eligible applications based on the substance ofthe
applicatibn relative to the established funding priorities for the type of conununityserVed.
(M explained earlier, the funding priontiea and ;the criteria for evaluating applications are
established based on recommendations from the criteria development panel.) The
answers to the activity -specific questions provide us with information that we use to
deterinihe your application'S ranking relative to the stated priorities.
If You apply. kir more than one activity in your selected project, each activity will
be 'attired separately. Then the 'sdores will be prorated based on the individual activities'
funding -level compared to the total requested funding amount in your application. For
example, if you are applying under the Operations and Safety area, and are applying for
$9,000 in training and $1,000 iftequipment, 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 actohties included-hithe applicationwill not proVide any 4dvalitage or
disadvantage with respebt to its evaluation.
• -
Applications that best address the grant funding priorities (as outlined below) will
score higher than those applications that are not directed toward the priorities. The
applications scoring the highest will be determined to be within the "competitive range."
A panel of at least three technical evaluation specialiats further evaluate
applications in the ciiiiipetitiVe range (i.e., the highest -ranked applications). These •
panelists will evaluate.the applicatiOn using the project narrative along With the answers
to -the general questions and the activity -specific questions. During the panel review
12
Department of Homeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
•
process, the 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 9
impacted by a hazardous event would result in catastrophic loss of life or catastrophic
economic loss: Critical infrastructure also includes the following: public water or power
systems, major business centers, chemical facilities, nuclear power plants, major rail and
highway bridges, petroleum and natural gas transmission pipelines or storage facilities,
telecommurucations facilities, or facilities that support large public gatherings such as
sporting events or concerts. Panelists will be instructed to assess such infrastructure and
the hazards confronting the community as explained in the narrative in order to determine
thebenefits that will be realized from a grant to the applicant.
The panelists will evaluate and score: 1) the clarity of your proposed project,
including your project's budget detail; 2) the financial need of your organization; 3) the
benefits that would result should you be awarded the grant; and, 4) 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. These four elements carry equal weight
when factored into the panelists' scores (i.e., one-fourth).
Each application will be judged on its own merits — not against 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 do the following: 1) fit in
with' 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 interoperability of equipment/technology with other organizations and local,
state, and Federal first -responders; and/or, 3) allow the fu -St 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/sumiression The panelists will
review each application in its entirety and rate the application against established
evaluation criteria.
Keep in mind 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. Applicants whose
answers indicate their project is consistent with our established priorities (as outlined
below) will have a better chance of reaching the competitive range and the second level
of review than those applicants whose projects do not reflect the established priorities.
Applicants that falSify their applications or Misrepresent their organizations in any
13
t.
Department of Homeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
material manner will have their applications deemed ineligible by the AFG program
office and referred to the Office of Inspector General for further action as appropriate.
State Technical Review
Following our preliminary determinatidn of award (i.e., after the panel proeess is
complete) but prior to award, we will involve the state's homeland security. office in a
technical review of any application seeking equipment and/or training for preparation for
incidents involving CBRNE. In addition, we will seek the state's comment on the extent
to which any communications equipment conforms to the state's interoperability
requirements or plans. Each state will be asked to provide the AFG program office with
a representative to carry out this technical review of applications from the state that
include CBRNE-related and interoperable communications equipment requests and that
have the potential to be funded. During the technical review, the state representative will
attest to and certify that such requests are consistent with the state's homeland security
strategies and that the requests do not duplicate assistance already provided or imminent.
If a state representative determines that an application is either inconsistent with the state
plan or duplicates the state's assistance, that portion of the AFG application will not be
funded.
AFG Programs and Program Funding Priorities
The program funding pnonties differ for fire departments and for nonaffiliated
EMS organizations. Please read the guidance document with this in mind and make sure
you are researching the appropriate sections for your organization. A "fire department" is
defined as an agency or organization that has a formally recognized arrangement with a
state, tenitory, local, or tribal authority (city, county, parish, fire district, township, town,
or other governing body) to provide fire suppression to a population within a fixed
geographical area on a first -due basis.
A "nonaffiliated EMS organization" is defmed ,as a public or private nonprofit
emergency medical services organi7ation that provides direct emergency medical
services to a siecific geographic area on a first -due basis but is not affiliated with a
hospital and does not serve a geographic area in which DHS finds that 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 will be eligible under this definition if the organization is providing
direct emergency medical services at the time of application and is in good standing with
the conununity, i.e., licensed and/or chartered to provide EMS services to the community.
Included in this category of eligibility are rescue squads that are trained tb provide
emergency medical services to the community they serve. By "affiliated" we mean
receiving any kind of direct support from a hospital in the form of funding, facilities,
14
Department o f Homeland Security's Program Guidancefor the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Prograin
•
staff, or apparatus. Contracting with a hospital on a fee-for-service basis would not
constitute an "affiliation" in the context of the AFG.
Fire Department Priorities
As indicated previously in this program guidance, each year the grants program
office conducts a criteria development meeting to develop the program's funding
priorities for the corning year. A panel of fire service professionals representing the nine
major fire service organizations is charged with malcing recommendations regarding the
creation and/or modification of previously established funding priorities as well as
developing criteria for awarding grants and proposing any necessary changes to the
administration of the grant program.
Specific rating criteria and funding priorities for the AFG FY2006 grant activities
are provided below following the descriptions of this year's 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) Fire Operations a. nd Firefighter Safety Program Area
There are five different fundable activities included in this program area: training,
equipment, personal protective equipment, 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. Please note that fire -based emergency medical services (EMS)
training and equipment are available under the appropriate activity in this program area.
Requests in this program area should be consistent with any applicable national
standards and have the intent and/or goal of solving applicable interoperability or
compatibility problems.' Therefore, the applicant should describe in the narrative section
how the purchase of equipment will comply with standards and/or facilitate solving .
interoperability or compatibility problems.
a) Training activities:
DHS may make grants for the purpose of training firefighting personnel.
Examples of training activities include, but are not limited to, firefighter I and II
certifications; fn-st-responder EMS; driver/operator; fire officer, hazardous materials
response; incident command; supenision and safety; CBRNE awarene-Ses-, performance,
I 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 answer any questions they
may have on applicable standards.
15
Department of Homeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
planning and management; or train -the -trainer courses in any of these areas. The
program priorities described in this section have been developed by a panel of
representatives from the nation's fire service leadership and supported by DHS for the
AFG.
For the AFG in FY2006 the most benefit is derived from training that is
instructor -led, hands-on, and 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 utilizes instructors
whcre the students must demonstrate their grasp of knowledge of the training material via
testing and is integral to a certification will receive a high competitive rating, but not as
high a rating as training that would lead to national certification. Training that is
instructor -led, but does not lead to a certification, or any self-taught courses, are of low
benefit, and will not be afforded a high priority.
A high competitive advantage is provided to those proposed training projects
benefiting the highest percentage of applicable personnel within a fire department or
those proposed training projects that will be open to other departments in the region.
Training that brings the department into statutory (or Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA)) compliance or compliance with federally mandated initiatives
(such as knowledge and understanding of the National Incident Management System
and/or incident command systems) would provide the highest benefit relative to training
that is not required. Therefore, requests to meet OSHA or other federally mandated
compliance will receive the highest consideration. Training that brings a department into
voluntary compliance with national standards will also receive a high competitive rating,
but is secondary to training that leads to departments meeting statutory compliance.
Training that does not have statutory compliance or voluntary compliance with a national
standard will receive a low competitive rating. Training designated to enhance multi -
jurisdictional capabilities will be afforded a slightly higher rating.
Due to the inherent differences amoung urban, suburban, and rural firefighting
chiracteristics, there are different priorities in the training activity for departments
servicing the different types of communities. Therefore, the AFG is focused on bringing
all departments up to a level of basic capability. Any department requesting funding to
address basic capabilities will receive the highest consideration regardless of the type of
community served. CBRNE awareness training is considdred basic; therefore it has a
high benefit and will receive the highest consideration regardless Of thetype-cif-
community served.
For departments serving rural communities, AFG support to basic, operational -
level firefighting, safety officer training, operational -level rescue, driver training, or first -
16
Department of Homeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
•
responder EMS, EMT -B, and EMT -I, (i.e., training in basic firefighting or EMS duties)
has greater benefit than funding officer training or airport rescue and firefighting (AR_FF).
In rural communities, after basic training, officer training and ARFF will receive a
slightly lower cost -benefit rating but a rating that is higher than the rating for other
specialized types of training such as mass -casualty, HAZMAT, advance rescue and EMT,
or inspector training.
With respect to AFG support to departments serving urban or suburban
communities, the recommendations of criteria development have been that in addition to
the high benefit to be gained from obtaining basic capabilities, there is a high benefit to
be gained by funding specialized training, such as mass casualty, HAZMAT, advance
rescue and EMS, or inspector training. These basic training and specialized training
priorities would provide a department with a higher benefit than the funding of officer
training, safety officer training, or operations training activities.
For AFG FY2006, 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 trailers and simulators), training props,
training services (such as instructors), and attendance at formal training forums. 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 ifjustified in the
proposal. Overtime expenses paid to career firefighters to attend training, or overtime
expenses paid to firefighters to cover for colleagues while the colleagues are in training,
are eligible expenses if justified in the proposal. Even though compensation is an eligible
expense, proposals that contain such compensation expenses may be less favorably
scored than similar proposals without compensation expenses due to the cost -benefit
element in the evaluation process.
Ineligible activities in this area include construction of facilities, such as
classrooms, buildings, towers, etc. Firefighting equipment or personnel protective
equipment that is used in training exercises, such as self-contained breathing apparatus
(SCBA), should be requested under the appropriate activity — not in this training activity
area. Modular training units that are not trailer -mounted or are otherwise immobile are
not eligible. Grant funds cannot be used for modular training units if the units are to be
permanently fastened to the ground. No grant funding can to toward site preparation to
accommodate any training activity, facility, or prop. The .purchase or lease of real estate
is also not eligible. 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 that is not directly related to other
17
Department of Homeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
grant activities is not eligible. Remodeling expenses should be included in the
application as an "Other" line -item expense and clearly explained in the narrative.
DHS offers a variety of CBRNE training courses free of charge; visit the DHS
Web site for details (Www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/docs/coursecatalog.pdf) or call the DHS
Helpline at 1-800-368-6498.
b) Equipment Acquisition Activity:
DHS may make grants for acquiring additional equipment, including equipment
for fire suppression, to enhance the safety or effectiveness of firefighting, rescue, and
fire -based EMS functions. Additionally, DHS may make grants for equipment necessary
for response to CBRNE incidents.
The stated purpose of the AFG is to protect the health and safety of the public and
firefighters from fire and fire -related haiards. As such, this grant program will achieve
the greatest benefits by providing funds to fire departments purchasing basic firefighting
equipment before any other non -firefighting equipment. 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.
This grant program will achieve the greatest benefits if it provides funds to fire
departments for the first-time purchase of basic firefighting, rescue, EMS, and CBRNE
preparedness equipment, 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. 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; therefore, those applications will receive the lowest competitive
rating along with applications seeking, reserve equipment.
For the FY2006 AFG, the purchase of equipment that brings the department into
statutory or OSHA compliance will provide the highest benefit and therefore will receive
the highest consideration. The purchase of equipment that brings a department into
voluntary compliance with national standards will also receive a high competitive rating,
but secondary to the training 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.
Additionally, among.departnents serving similar types of communities, those having
high call volumes will be afforded a higher competitive rating than those having low call
volumes.
18
Department ofHomeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
Small boats (13 feet'or less in length), personal. watercraft, all -terrain vehicles
(ATVs), and appropriate trailers maybe 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 those expenses necessary to acquire equipment,
including communications and monitoring equipment. 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 changes 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 tax are also an eligible expense.
Warranties and maintenance agreements are NOT eligible. Sirens or other outdoor
warning devices are not eligible.
Individual communications equipment (portable radios) and mobile
communications equipment (including mobile repeaters) are eligible but telephones, cell
phones, and satellite phones are 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's 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 interoperability for 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. AEG program funds cannot be used for
equipment to support CBRNE activities if the funding would duplicate benefits provided
through other Federal programs.
19
Department of Homeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
Requests for emergency medical services (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.
No grant funds may be used to construct facilities such as buildings, sheds, or
towers to house communications equipment. Telephones, cell phones, and satellite
phones are not eligible. Bomb disposal equipment and robots are not eligible. Vehicles,
medications, disposable or otherwise expendable supplies (such as gloves, syringes, and
cervical collars) are not eligible expenses. Personal protective equipment, 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, are not eligible
under this activity; however, they are eligible under the Personal Protective Equipment
Acquisition activity detailed below.
c) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Acquisition Activity:
DHS may make grants for acquiring PPE required for active firefighting
personnel by OSHA and other PPE for firefighting personnel.
One of the stated purposes 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 AFG in FY2006 will prioritize funding to those applicants needing to,
provide PPE to a high percentage of their personnel. In concurring with the
recommendations of the criteria development panel for AFG in FY2006, we will give the
highest competitive rating in this activity to fire departments where a large percentage of
their active firefighting staff does not have any PPE. We will also give a high
competitive rating to departments wanting to purchase enough PPE to equip 100 percent.
of their active firefighting staff. We will also give a high competitive rating to
departments that are purchasing the equipment for the first time -as opposedto
departments replacing obsolete or substandard equipment (e.g., equipment that does not
meet current NFPA and OSHA standards), or purchasing equipment for a new mission or
purchasing equipment to have extra equipment on -hand in the event it is needed. For
those departments replacing obsolete or substandard 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, torn, 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 the lowest priority. Finally, the number of fire response calls that your department
20
Department ofHomeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
makes in a year will be considered. The higher priority will go to departments with
higher call volumes, while applications from departments with low call volumes will be
afforded lower competitive ratings. The call volume of rural departments will be
compared only to other rural departments, suburban departments will be compared only
to other suburban departments, and urban departments will be compared only to other
urban departments.
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 afforded
firefighters with•automated PASS devices. Eligible PPE includes clothing.for structural
or wildland fire suppression, such as "turnout gear" or "bunker gear" (including boots,
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 CBRNE incidents includes SCBAs that
have been certified for use in CBRNE atmospheres and PPE that is nationally certified
for use in CBRNE incidents. (It is not necessary for every SCBA request to be CBRNE-
certified.) We will fund CBRNE-certified SCBA if such.a request is adequately justified
in the narrative and directly related to the state's homeland security plan. Eligible PPE
for EMS activities includes PPE ensembles (coats and trousers) that afford universal
precautions against exposure to infectious diseases, etc.
•
The purchase of three-quarter length rubber boots is an ineligible expenditure
under this activity. Bomb disposal suits are not eligible. Uniforms (formal/parade or
station/duty) and uniform items (hats, badges, etc.) are also ineligible expenditures under
this activity. Personal communications equipment such as radios and pagers are not
eligible under this activity but are eligible under the Equipment Acquisition activity.
d) Wellness and Fitness Activities:.
The governing statute for AFG establishes that the program may make grants for
the purpose of establishing or expanding wellness and fitness initiatives for firefighting
personnel. Pursuant to appropriations to the program for FY2006, these activities are
eligible for this year. The funding priorities described in this section havebeen
recommended by a panel of representatives from the Nation's fire service leadership and
have been accepted by DHS for the AEG.
21
Department ofHomeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
Accordingly, for the FY2006 AFG, the most effective wellness/fitness activities
of fire departments must offer 1) periodic health screenings, 2) entry physical
examinations, and 3) 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 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 new wellness and fitness projects and
higher competitive ratings will be provided to those applicants lacking wellness/fitness
activities over those applicants that already employ a wellness/fitness activity.
Applicants that already, provide the three requisite benefits and wish to expand their
wellness and fitness activity will receive a slightly lower consideration than departments
that are seeking to initiate a wellness and fitness activity. Finally, since participation is
critical to achieving any benefits from a wellness or fitness activity, we will give higher
competitive ratings to departments whose wellness and fitness activities mandate
participation and are open to all personnel.
Eligible expenditures in a wellness and fitness activity for firefighting personnel
may include the procurement of medical services to ensure the firefighting personnel are
physically able to carry out their duties. The. purchase of medical equipment is not
eligible expenditure under this category. Eligible expenditures to carry out wellness and
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 would be T-shirts or hats of nominal value, vouchers to local businesses
(movies, restaurants, etc.) ortime-off.
Transportation expenses and fitness club memberships. for• the firefighters or their
families are not eligible under the.wellness and fitness activity. Cash incentives are not
eligible. Other ineligible expenses in this area include construction of facilities to house
a fitness activity, such as exercise or fitness rooms, showers, etc. The purchase of real
estate is also not eligible. 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), andintegral to the completion of the wellness and
fitness activity. 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.
22
Department ofHomeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
e) Modifications to Fire Stations and Facilities:
Under the governing statute, DHS may make grants to modify fire stations, fire
training facilities, and other facilities to protect the health and safety of firefighting
personnel. Pursuant to appropriations to the program for FY2006, these activities are
eligible for this year. The funding priorities described in this section have been .
recommended by a panel of representatives from the Nation's fire service leadership and
have been accepted by DHS for the AFG:
Please note that 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 in order for their
application to be considered for award. 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 Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and National Flood
Insurance Program regulations. DHS must assess the effect, if any, and approve the
project prior to any implementation. No project can proceed — except for planning — prior
to formal DHS approval. Noncompliance with this provision (i.e., proceeding with a
project, other than planning, prior to formal approval) may jeopardize an applicant's
award and subsequent funding.
The stated purpose of the AFG is to protect the health and safety of the public and
firefighters. As such, eligible projects under this activity are those in which the activities
specifically have a direct effect on the health and safety of firefighters. Therefore,
eligible measures under.this activity are limited and focused on promoting fire and life
safety in fire stations and facilities. The eligible activities, if incorporated, would make
any facility safer for firefighters.
Initiatives eligible for funding in this area are the installation of sprinkler systems,
vehicle exhaust extraction systems, smoke and fire alarm notification systems, and
emergency facility generators. We will NOT fund any requests for modifications other
than the initiatives listed herein. Any vehicle exhaustextraction 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 complementary
systems to fully protect your firefighters.
The 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 dated. The funds may
not to be used to supplement new construction.
23
Department ofHomeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
For the FY2006 AFG, more benefit would be derived from modifying fire stations
than from modifying fire -training facilities or other fire department facilities. Requests
involving facilities that would be open for broad usage and have a high occupancy
capacity will receive a higher competitive rating than those involving facilities that have
limited use or low occupancy capacity. The frequency of use would also have a bearing
on the benefits tote 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, 7 -days -per -week will receive a higher competitive rating than facilities used on an
irregular or part-time basis.
We will not fund any requests for modifications other than the initiatives listed
above, specifically, vehicle exhaust extraction systems, smoke/fire alarm systems,
sprinkler systems; and emergency. generators. There are no monetary limits on the
individual initiatives under this activity whether it is a vehicle exhaust system, a sprinkler
system, or a smoke/fire alarm system, but no applicant can request more than $100,000 in
funding 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) Fire/i-ehtinz Vehicle Acquisition Program Area
DHS.may make grants for acquiring new firefighting vehicles, used fire
apparatus, or refiubished apparatus. The funds may also be used to refurbish a vehicle
the department currently owns. New vehicles purchased with AFG program funds must
be compliant with current National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards,
specifically, 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. Applicants may apply for only one vehicle
per year under this program. Applications where more than one vehicle is requested will
be deemed ineligible. Applicants awarded vehicle grants from the AFG program in
previous .years are not eligible for another vehicle award in this program year.
Vehicle,awardees for FY 2006 will be required to include a performance bond as
part of the contract with the vehicle manufacturer. Extensions to a grant's period of
performance may not be considered if a performance bond is not included in the purchase
contract. Note: This is a new requirement for this program year.
Due to the inherent differences among urban, suburban, and rural firefighting
conventions, we have different priorities in the vehicle program area for departments that
service different types of communities. Due to the competitive nature of this program
and the imposed limits of funding available, it is unlikely we will fund any vehicles that
are not listed as a Priority One.
24
Department ofHomeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
The following chart delineates.the funding priorities for this program area by each
type of community.
Firefighting Vehicle Program Priorities
Priority
Urb• an
Suburban
Rural
Communities
Communities
Communities
Pumper
Pumper
Pumper
Aerial
Aerial
Bmsh/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
Regardless of the type of community served, there is more benefit to be realized
by funding fire departments owning few or no vehicles of the type they are seeking than
there would be by providing vehicle funding to a department that owned numerous
vehicles of the type being requested. When we assess the number of vehicles a
department has within a particular class, we will include all vehicles with similar
functions. For example, we will consider the following to be classified in the "pumper"
category: pumpers, engines,pumper/tankers, rescue. pumpers, quints (with aerials less
than 76 feet in length), and urban interface vehicles such as Type I, II or III. Applicants
must include in their vehicle inventory` any vehicle that is on order if the department or its
sponsoring municipality has signed a contract or otherwise committed to purchase said
vehicle.
As with other activities eligible under the AFG, one of the goals,in the vehicle
acquisition program is the safety of firefighters. Applicants with unsafe vehicle
characteristics will receive the higher consideration than applicants seeking to replace
vehicles that already have safety features. The highest consideration is provided to
applicants wanting to replace vehicles that have been converted to use as firefighting
25
Department ofHome!and Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
vehicles but were not originally designed for firefighting: We will give high
consideration to applicants with firefighting vehicles that have an "open -cab"
configuration as well as vehicles that did not include seatbelts in their original design.
Applicants with these unsafe vehicle characteristics will receive higher consideration
over applicants seeking to replace vehicles having these safety features. However,
applicants wanting to benefit from this consideration must certify the unsafe vehicle will
be permanently removed from service if awarded a grant.
This grant program will achieve the greatest benefits if we provide vehicles to fire
departments purchasing basic firefighting apparatus (categorized above in priority order)
that they have never owned. The greatest benefits would also be realized by departments
seeking to replace used or obsolete apparatus. A secondary priority will be to find
departments seeking to add more vehicles to their existing fleet within their existing
mission areas. The lowest priority is funding of new apparatus to expand an applicant's
services into new mission areas.
. A higher competitive rating in the apparatus program area is given to fire
departments owning few or no firefighting vehicles relative to other departments serving
similar types of communities. A higher competitive rating is given to departments that
have an aged fleet of firefighting vehicles. A higher competitive rating is also provided
to departments that respond to a significant number of incidents relative to other
departments servicing similar communities. Finally, due to the inherent safety benefits to
be realized in departments using a comprehensive driver -training program meeting NFPA
1002 or equivalent, we will provide a competitive advantage to requests where the
applicant has a comprehensive driver -training program in place. Applicants seeking
driver training with their vehicle request will receive a slightly lower competitive
advantage than departments with a comprehensive driver -training program already in
place. Applicants without a comprehensive driver -training program and who are not
seeking funding for driver training in this application 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. It has been our experience that
depending on the type and size of 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
We consider "open -cab" to be any vehicle without a roof or no sides above the door. A three -sided cab
(one that has a roof and sides from floor to roof but with an open jump seat area) is NOT considered an
"open -cab."
26
Department ofHomeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
vehicles whose costs we deem excessive or otherwise not in the best interest of the
program.
Eligible expenditures under this program would include the cost, of the vehicle
and associated equipment necessary to conform to applicable national standards (NFPA
1901 or 19,06). 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. Also eligible would be the additional costs associated with
the purchase and installation of a vehicle -mounted exhaust filtration system for any
vehicle purchased with grant funds. Operator training may be eligible for any vehicle
award if justified in the narrative.
As stated above, previous AFG vehicle award recipients are ineligible for another
vehicle award in this program year. 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 constniction-
related equipment are not eligible.
Nonaffiliated EMS Organization Priorities
DHS may make grants to enhance the provision of emergency medical services
for nonaffiliated EMS organizations. Funding for these organizations is limited to no
more than two percent (2%) of the appropriated amount. In accordance with the
recommendations of the criteria development panel, it is more cost-effective to enhance
or expand an existing emergency medical service organization by providing training or
equipment than it would be to create a new service. As such, communities that do not
currently offer emergency medical services but are attempting to initiate this service will
receive the lowest competitive rating. This is because there is not sufficient benefit to be
derived from an investment in communities that do not currently support such a service.
As indicated previously in this program guidance, each year the grants program
office conducts a criteria development meeting to develop the program's funding
priorities for the coming year. A panel of fire service professionals representing the nine
major fire service organizations is charged with making recommendations regarding the
creation and/or modification of previously established funding priorities as well as
developing criteria for awarding grants and proposing any necessary changes to the
administration of the grant program.
Specific rating criteria and funding priorities for the AFG FY2006 grant activities
are provided below following the descriptions of this year's eligible program areas. The
27
Department of Homeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
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
There are five different activities available for funding under this program area:
EMS training, EMS equipment, personal'protective equipment, wellness and fitness, and
modifications to facilities. Please note that requests for equipment and training. to prepare
for response to incidents involving CBRNE are available under the applicable equipment
and training activities. Applicants should strive to ensure all projects applied for under
the grant program are consistent with national standards and address interoperabilityi
If you opt to apply under the EMS Operations and Safety Program area, you may
request assistance for as many of the activities as you deem necessary. There are no
bonuses or penalties for applying for only one activity or for multiple activities.
a) EMS Training Activity:
DHS may make grants for the purpose of training emergency medical personnel.
Examples of training activities include, but are not limited to first -responder, EMT -Basic,
EMT -Paramedic, HAZMAT Operations, or Rescue Operations. The program priorities
described in this section have been developed by a panel of representatives from the
Nation's fire service leadership and are supported by DHS for the AFG.
The most benefit would be realized by upgrading a service that currently meets a
basic life support capacity to a higher level of life.support. Therefore, a higher
competitive rating will be given to nonaffiliated EMS organizations that are planning to
upgrade services from first responder to EMT -B level. Since training is a pre -requisite to
the effective use of EMS equipment, organizations whose requests are more focused on
the training activities will receive a higher competitive rating than those 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.
Eligible uses of training funds include but are not limited to tuition, exam and
course fees, certification /or re -certification expenses, purchase of training curricula,
training equipment (including trailers and simulators), training props, training services
(such as instructors), and attendance at formal training forums or conferences that
provide continuing -education credits. EMS equipment or personnel protective equipment
used in.training exercises should be requested in the appropriate activity (i.e., EMS
equipment acquisition or personnel protective equipment acquisition) — not under this
training activity. Tow vehicles or other means of transport may be eligible as a
transportation expense under this activity if adequately justified in the grant proposal, but
we will limit transportation expenses to $6,000 per year per application. Compensation
28
Department ofHomeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
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 in order for them to attend training, or overtime
expenses paid to emergency responders to cover for. colleagues while the colleagues are
in training, are eligible expenses if reasonable and justified in the grant proposal_ Even
though compensation is an eligible expense, proposals containing such compensation
expenses 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 construction of facilities, such as
classrooms, buildings, and towers. Modular training units that are not trailer -mounted or
are otherwise. immobile are not eligible. Grant funds cannot be used for modular training
units if the units are to be permanently fastened to the ground. No grant funding can go
toward site -preparation to accommodate any training activity, facility, or prop. The
purchase or lease of real estate is also not eligible. 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. Remodeling expenses should be included in the application
as an "Other" line -item expense and clearly explained in the narrative.
DHS offers a variety of CBRNE training courses free of charge; visit the DHS
Web site for details (www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/docs/coursecatalog.pdf) or call the DHS
Helpline at 1-800-368-6498.
b) EMS Equipment Acquisition:
Because training is a pre -requisite to the effective use of EMS equipment,
organizations whose requests are more focused on the training activities will receive a
higher competitive rating than organizations whose requests are more focused on
equipment. Organizations that request equipment to the EMT -B level and request the
basic support equipment will receive a higher priority. Requests seeking assistance to
purchase equipment to support advance level EMS services are a secondary priority.
Items that are eligible but a lower priority include tents, shelters, generators, lights, and
heating and cooling units.
Eligible expenses for equipment acquisition in this program could include basic
and advanced life support. equipment to support EMT -B through EMT -I' with higher
priority given to. organizations requesting equipment to support service atihe EMT -B
level. Examples of eligible items available under this section include but are not limited
to the following items: basic, life-support (BLS) equipment, advanced life-support (ALS)
equipment, rescue tools, small specialty access vehicles (all -terrain vehicles, rescue boats
29
Department of Homeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
under 13'feet, personal watercraft, gators, snow mobiles, etc.), communications
equipment (mobile and portable radios), and HAZMAT and decontamination equipment.
Other eligible items include computers, automated external defibrillators (AEDs), and
infectious disease control and decontamination systems. Protective clothing is NOT
eligible under this equipment category; however, it is available under the personal
protective equipment acquisition activity below.
For the AFG in FY2006, 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. Note that each state will have She,opportunity to
review requests for communications equipment, with respect to interoperability and the
state's homeland security strategy. Any applicant seeking funding for equipment under
this activity should provide details in the narrative section of the application regarding
their local plan to enable interoperability for the jurisdiction.
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). Not eligible in this program are vehicles (such as ambulances),
equipment used for firefighting purposes, 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. The costs
of shipping equipment purchased under this program and applicable sales tax are also an
eligible expense. However; warranties and maintenance agreements are NOT eligible.
c) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Acquisition:
DHS may make grants for acquiring PPE required for active EMS first -responder
personnel by OSHA and other PPE for EMS personnel.
One of the stated purposes of this grant program is to protect the health and safety
of the public and of first -responders. To achieve this goal and maximize.ahe benefit to
the EMS community, we must fund those applicants needing to provide PPE to a high
percentage of their personnel. Accordingly, the highest competitive rating in this activity
is given to organizations where a large percentage of active EMS staff does not have
30
Department of Homeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
adequate PPE. We also give a high competitive rating to organizations wanting to
purchase enough PPE to equip 100 percent of their active EMS staff. We also give a high
competitive rating to organizations purchasing the PPE for the first time as opposed to
organizations replacing obsolete or substandard equipment (e.g., equipment that does not
meet current NFPA and OSHA standards), or purchasing equipment for a new mission.
For those organizations replacing obsolete or substandard 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, torn, and/or contaminated.
The number of EMS response calls your organization makes in a year will be
considered with the higher priority going to organizations with higher call volumes.
Applications from organizations with low call volumes will be given lower competitive
ratings. We will not provide any advantage or disadvantage for different types of
communities (i.e., urban, suburban,'or rural) with respect to call volume.
Examples of eligible clothing would be EMS turnout gear, non -disposable
universal precautionary supplies (i.e., medical PPE); extrication jumpsuits, helmets,
gloves, and boots. Protective clothing must meet national standards or local EMS
protocols. The purchase of SCBA may also be eligible if the organization has a formally
adopted standard operating procedure that requires SCBA availability. If you are
applying 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 (formal/parade 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 Equipment Acquisition activity.
d) Wellness and Fitness Activities:
The governing statute for AFG authorizes the program to make grants for to
establish or expand wellness and fitness initiatives for firefighting personnel. Pursuant tc
appropriations to the program for FY2006, these activities are eligible for this year. The
funding priorities described in this section have been recommended -by a panel of
representatives from the Nation's fire service leadership and have been accepted by OHS
for the AFG.
31
Department ofHomeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
Accordingly, for the FY2006 AFG, an effective wellness/fitness activity of a
nonaffiliated EMS organization must offer 1) periodic health screenings, 2) entry
physical examinations, and 3) 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 priorityis given to
formal fitness and injury prevention.programs. Lower priority is given to stress
management, injury/illness rehabilitation, and employee assistance.
The greatest benefit will be realized by supporting new wellness and fitness
programs, and therefore, we will afford higher competitive ratings to those applicants
lacking wellness/fitness programs over those 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 departments seeking to initiate a wellness and fitness program.
Finally, since participation is critical to achieving any benefits from a wellness or fitness
program, we will give higher competitive ratings to departments whose wellness and
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 the 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 and 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 and fitness program would be T-shirts or hats of
nominal value, vouchers to local businesses (movie theaters, restaurants, etc.), or time -off
awards.
Transportation expenses and fitness club memberships for EMS personnel and
their families are not eligible under the wellness and fitness activity. Cash incentives are
not eligible. Other ineligible expenses in this area include construction of facilities to
house a fitness program, such as exercise or fitness rooms, showers, etc. The purchase of
real estate is also not eligible. Minor remodeling or renovations to an existing facility are
allowable if justified in the narrative, if the remodeling is only.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 and 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.
32
Department ofHomeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
e) Modifications to EMS Stations and Facilities:
Under the governing statute, DHS may make grants to modify EMS stations,
EMS training facilities, and other facilities to protect the health and safety of first -
responder personnel. Pursuant to appropriations to the program for'FY2006, these
activities are eligible for this year. The funding priorities described in this section have
been recommended by a panel of representatives from the Nation's fire service leadership
and have been accepted by DHS for the AFG. ..
Please note that 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 in order for their
application to be considered for award. 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 Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and National Flood
Insurance Program regulations. DHS must assess the effect, if any, and approve the
project prior to any project implementation. No project can proceed — except for
planning -prior to formal DHS approval. Noncompliance with this provision (i.e.,
proceeding with a project, other than planning, prior to formal approval) may jeopardize
an applicant's award and subsequent funding.
The stated purpose of the AFG is to protect the health and safety of the public and
our nation's first responders. As such, eligible projects under this activity are those in
which the activities specifically have a direct effect on the health and safety of first
responders. Therefore, eligible safety measures eligible for funding under this activity
are limited and focused on promoting fire and life safety in EMS stations and facilities.
We believe each of the eligible measures, if incorporated, would make any facility safer
for first responders. .
Measures eligible for funding are the installation of sprinkler systems, vehicle
exhaust extraction systems, smoke or fire alaim notification systems, and emergency
facility generators. We will NOT fund any other requests for modifications than the
initiatives listed herein. 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.
The 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 dated. The funds may
33
Department ofHomeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
not to be used
to supplement new
construction. Many
of these modifications may require
environmental
or historic review,
which may delay an
award.
More benefit would be derived from modifying an EMS station than by
modifying an EMS -training facility or other EMS facility. Requests involving facilities
that would be open for broad usage and have a high occupancy capacity will receive a
higher competitive rating than those involving facilities having limited use or low
occupancy capacity. The frequency of use will also impact the benefits to be derived
from the grant funds. 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
that are occupied or otherwise in use 24 -hours -per -day, 7 -days -per -week will receive a
higher competitive rating than facilities used on an irregular or part-time basis.
As stated above, we will not fund any other requests for modifications other than
the initiatives listed herein (specifically, vehicle exhaust extraction systems, smoke/fire
alarm systems, sprinkler systems, or emergency generators). There are no monetary
limits on the individual initiatives under this activity whether it is a vehicle exhaust
system, a sprinkler system, or a smoke/fire alarm system. However, no applicant may
request more than $100,000 in the modifications per station under their authority. You
may request funding for modifications for each station if you have multiple stations 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
DHS may make grants for acquiring new, used or refurbished EMS vehicles. The
funds may also be used to refurbish a vehicle the organization currently owns. New
vehicles purchased with AFG program funds must be compliant with current General
Services Administration standards, specifically KKK -A -1822E
(http://apps.fss.gsa.gov/veiiiclestandards/assocDoes.cfin#). Used apparatus must•be
compliant with Federal or industry standards for the year the vehicle was manufactured.
Refurbished apparatus must also meet applicable standards. Applicants may apply for
only one vehicle per year under this program.
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. 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 this program will be very competitive. As such, it is
unlikely we would fund any vehicles not listed as a "Priority One" this year. The
following chart delineates our priorities in this program area for each type of community.
34
Department 0/Homeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
EMS Vehicle Priorities
Priority One
Priority Two
Priority Three
• Ambulance or
• First responder non-
• Command vehicles
transport unit to support
transport vehicles
• Rescue boats (over 13 feet in length)
EMT -B needs and
• Special operations
• Hovercraft
functions
vehicles
• Other special access vehicles.
While there are many inherent differences amoung urban,: suburban, and rural
communities, we have not differentiated priorities in this year's EMS vehicle program for
different types of communities. .
As with other activities eligible under the AFG, one of our priorities in the vehicle
acquisition program is the safety of first -responders. As such, it is our objective to give a
competitive advantage to applicants seeking to replace unsafe vehicles. 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 services, 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. However, applicants wanting to
benefit from this consideration mustcertify that the unsafe vehicle will be permanently
removed from service if awarded a grant.
Along with the priorities illustrated above, there is more benefit to 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 organizationwith numerous vehicles of the
type they are seeking. When we assess 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 within the same class as ambulances. We will also give
higher competitive ratings to applicants that have an aged fleet of emergency vehicles. In
addition, we will also provide a higher competitive rating to applicants that respond to a
significant number of incidents relative to other organizations servicing similar
communities.
This grant program will achieve the greatest benefits if it provides vehicles to
EMS organizations purchasing basic response vehicles as a first-time purchase
(categorized above in priority order) or to replace used or obsolete apparatus. Secondary
35
Department ofHomeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
to that, we will fund organizations seeking to add more vehicles to their existing fleet
within their existing mission areas. The lowest priority is funding of new response
vehicles to expand an applicant's services into new mission areas.
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 and who are not seeking funding for driver training in this application
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. It has been our experience that 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:
. I 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, any used or refurbished
vehicles must conform to the national standardi that were in effect the year the vehicle
was manufactured. ATVs; gators, and similar equipment are considered to be "EMS
equipment" NOT vehicles and, therefore, 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.
Other Eligible Costs
(1) Administrative Costs: Administrative costs are allowable under any' of the
program areas listed above in accordance with OMB Circular A-87, Cost -Principles for
State, Local and Indian Tribal Governments, or OMB Circular A-122, Cost Principles for
Nonprofit Organizations; as applicable. (For more information about Circulars, go to.
36
Department ofHomeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
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 five percent (5%) 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. The 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 would 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 may 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 the documentation
supporting the,indirect cost rate to us for review prior to submitting any claims for
reimbursement of indirect costs. The 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 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, Locals Governments, and Non -
Profit Organizations, which states 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 the Circulars, go to
37
Department of Homeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulaiss) If a single audit is required, a.portion of the audit
costs 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 program and $400,000 from the Forestry Service during
your fiscal year, we will allow you to charge one -fifth of the audit costs to the AFG
program•grant should you receive this award. 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. Construction costs are not eligible
under the AFG program nor are costs for the purchase of real estate. 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 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 us. We will'oonsider 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 that can be charged to the grant. For grant writer fees to be eligible: as a pre -
award expenditure, the fees must be specifically identified and listed in the application
and the fees must have been paid prior to any contact with grants management staff or
award, i.e., paid within 30 days of the end of the application period. Applicants may be
required to provide documentation to support these pre -award expenditures.
The hiring of a. grant writer or use of any other third -parties, in the preparation of
the application does not eliminate the applicant's responsibilities for, its§acing `the
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 the Office of
Inspector General for further action as appropriate:
38
Department ofHomeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
(8) Pre payments: A grantee may not use grant funds to prepay for_any products
or services in advance of delivery of the products or the rendering of services. A down
payment for the purchase of 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.
Reasonableness of a Request
The 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, 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.
Applications that include requests for CBRNE equipment or training will be
evaluated by the 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 also
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 who 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 Office of Inspector General for further action as appropriate.
Award Procedure
Awards will be made on a competitive basis using rank order as the primary basis
for our decisions, regardless of program. However, there are some exceptions to this
process. The legislation authorizing the AFG program restricts how the funds may be
used. Grant awards for vehicles may not exceed 25 percent (25%) of the total
39
Department ofHomeland Security's Program Guidancefor the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
appropriated funding, and nonaffiliated EMS organizations may not receive more than
two percent (2%) of the appropriated funding. Once we reach these limits, it will then be
necessary for us to deviate from rank order with respect to the remaining vehicle requests
or nonaffiliated EMS requests.
Throughout the process, career organizations will be competing against other
career organizations for up to 45 percent (45%) of the available funding. Volunteer and
combination organizations will compete among each other for at least 55 percent (55%)
of the available funding. Historically, less than 10 percent (10%) of the applications we
receive for AFG program funding are from career organizations. Therefore, the funding
levels may not reach the 45 percent (45%) 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 fmal 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 program in previous
years are eligible to apply for funding in the current year. However, due to our
responsibilities under this program to assure adequate distribution of awards among
certain types of organizations (career, combination and volunteer) and certain types of
communities (urban, suburban or rural) as well as an equitable geographic distribution,
we reserve the right to fund or not to fund previous grant recipients under this program in
order to fulfill our responsibilities. 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 program's established
priorities will be deemed to be in the "competitive range" and subject to a second level of
review. This second level of 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 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 scoreawarded by the
panel. The ranking will be summarized in a Technical Report prepared by the AFG
40
Department ofHomeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
program office. The AFG program office will then make award recommendations to the
Grants Management Branch of the Financial and Acquisition Management Division at
FEMA. The Grants Management Branch 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 funding available this year. Awards will be announced over several
months as the decisions are made. Awards will not be made in any specified order, i.e.,
not by state, by 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 people or
less may not receive grants in excess of $1.0 million in any fiscal year. An applicant that
serves a jurisdiction with more than 500,000 but not more than one million people may
not receive grants in excess of $1.75 million. Finally, an applicant that serves a
jurisdiction of more than one million people may not receive grants in excess of $2.75
million in any fiscal year.
Grantees' Responsibilities
Recipients (grantees) must agree to:
(1) Perform the 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
must match the Federal grant funds with an amount of non -Federal funds equal to 20
percent (20%) of the total project costs. Fire departments and nonaffiliated EMS
organizations serving populations of 50,000 or fewer must agree to match the Federal
grant funds with an amount of non -Federal funds equal to 10 percent (10%) 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 (5%) 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.
41
Department of Homeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to FireJIghters Grant
Program
•
(3) Maintain operating expenditures for the one-year grant period 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 the grant funds. If the grantee has no established procedures, it should
obtain at least two quotesibids for the items being procured and document in the grant
files the process used. sole -source purchasing is not an acceptable procurement method
except in unusual circumstances.
(6) Submit a Performance Report to us after six months. At grant closeout, the
grantee needs to 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) Agree to provide information, through established reporting channels, to the
U.S. Fire Administration's National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) for the
period covered by the assistance if the grantee is a fire department. Nonaffiliated EMS
organizations do not have to comply with the NFIRS reporting requirement. If fire
department grantees do not currently participate in the incident reporting system and do
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 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 Non-profit Organizations, grantees who 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 ww.w.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars.)
42
Department ofHomeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
• Program
(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 the Federal funds. Recipients
of FY2006 AFG funds must comply with this directive (see Appendix). 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 the local or state
authorities with respect to incident management. Organizations already trained in ICS do
not need re-training if the previous training was consistent with DHS standards. In order
for us to document compliance, grantees will be required to certify their recognition of
NIMS/ICS as part of their grant closeout process.
DHS offers ICS and NIMS training for those organizations that have not
implemented the Incident Command System or those that are unfamiliar with the
principles and policies of NIMS. 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 Web site at
www.fema.gov/nims. For more information about ICS training, contact the DHS
Centralized Scheduling and Information Desk (CSID) at 1-800-368-6498, or visit the
Web site of the DHS Emergency Management Institute (EMI) and the National Fire
Academy (NFA) at www.usfa.fema.aov. Your state emergency management training
office may also be a source of information in this regard.
Excess Funds
Occasionally, due to successful competitive bid processes, some grantees have
funds remaining after the completion of their 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 as much as $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 up to
$5,000 of the excess funds to purchase other eligible items without seeking our approval.
(2) Grantees may use excess funds to create or expand a fire prevention program.
In order to use excess funds for fire prevention, it will be necessary for grantees to submit
an amendment to their grant. In the amendment request, it will be necessary to explain
the following:
43
Department of Homeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
i) What fire prevention efforts are you currently engaged in?
ii) Where the use of excess funds would fit within your existing efforts, if
• applicable.
iii) Who is the target audience for your fire prevention project and how did
you identify this audience?
iv) How will you evaluate the effectiveness of the requested fire
prevention project?
Excess funds over $5,000 must be used for fire prevention or option number three
(3) below.
(3) Grantees may return excess funds to the AFG program office. To exercise this
option, a grantee must close out their award and state in the final performance report the
remaining funds are not necessary for the fulfillment of the grant obligations. The
grantee must also indicate they understand the funds will be deobligated and unavailable
for future expenses. The deobligation of the excess funds will affect (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 have excess funds may use the funds only for options one and three
above (i.e., nonaffiliated EMS organizations may spend up to $5,000 to expand the scope
of their award or return the excess funds to us) as they are not eligible to expend grant
funds for fire prevention activities.
Any use of excess funds has to be disclosed as partof your reports, i.e., mid-term
performance report and final closeout.
44
Department ofHomeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
APPENDIX
Applicants to the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program should be aware of a
number of key national preparedness initiatives and priority focus areas. Applicants for
the AFG program are encouraged to closely review the language in this Appendix in
order to stay abreast of significant initiatives being highlighted by the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) and to be aware of the program requirements should they
become a recipient of AFG financial assistance.
An important requirement for 2006 recipients is compliance with the National
Incident Management System (NIMS) and responsibilities of recipients in support of
established national goals for the Nation's first responders. Requirements for NIMS and
requirements connected to interoperable communications are also included in this
Appendix for those interested in broad communications projects.
In addition, Homeland Security Presidential Directive -8 (HSPD-8) directs the
grant program office to assure that Federal resources are directed toward ensuring the
Nation is prepared to prevent, respond, and recover from major events, especially the
prevention and response to terrorists' attacks. It is our belief that funding any fire
departments through the AFG is consistent with HSPD-8 and will ensure that first -
responders are prepared to respond to major events. As in:prior years' programs,
equipment and training for preparing for and responding to events that involve chemical,
biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosive devices (CBRNE) are eligible this year.
NATIONAL INITIATIVES
This section provides background information on key national preparedness
initiatives and priority focus areas. Applicants for Assistance to Firefighters Grants
(AFG) are:encouraged to review closely the language in these sections in order to stay
abreast of significant initiatives being highlighted by DHS and to be aware of the
program requirements that will be associated with their grant, if they become a recipient
of AFG financial assistance.
A. National Incident Management System (NIMS)
Issued on March 1, 2004, NIMS is a nationwide approach for Federal, state,
territorial, tribal, and local governments to work effectively and. efficiently,together to
prepare for, prevent, respond to, and recover from domestic incidents, regardless of
cause, size, or complexity..
45
Department ofHomeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program `
On September 8, 2004, DHS issued a letter to governors outlining the
requirements for implementing NIMS in FY05 and beyond. The NIMS Integration
Center (NIC) is working with Federal departments and agencies to ensure that they
develop a plan to adopt NIMS and that all.FY06 Federal preparedness assistance program
documents begin the process of addressing state, territorial, tribal, and local NIMS
implementation.
Implementation of and compliance with NIMS is critical to ensuring full and
robust preparedness across our nation. Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5
(HSPD-5) established ambitious deadlines for NIMS adoption and implementation.
FY05 was the start-up year for NIMS implementation. Because FY06.is a critical year
for NIMS adoption, grantees must certify they will comply with all edicts involving
NIMS. .
States and Territories
• Incorporate NIMS into existing training programs and exercises;
a Ensure Federal preparedness funding supports state, local and tribal NIMS
implementation;
• Incorporate NIMS into Emergency Operations Plans;
• Promote intrastate mutual aid agreements;
• Coordinate and provide NIMS technical assistance to local entities; and
• Institutionalize the use of the Incident Command System.
State, Territorial, Local and Tribal Jurisdictions
• Complete the NIMS Awareness Course: "National Incident Management System
(NIMS), An Introduction" IS 700. This independent study course developed by the
Emergency Management Institute (EMI) explains the purpose, principles, key
components and benefits of NIMS. The course is available on the EMI Web page at:
http://frathhig'.fema.goviETvilWebfth/is700.asp.'. ema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is700.asp. '
• Formally recognize NIMS and adopt NIMS principles and policies. States, territories,
tribes and local entities should establish legislation, executive orders, resolutions, or
ordinances to formally adopt NIMS. Go to http://www.fema.gov/nims and see NIMS
Resources for examples. '
• Determine which NIMS requirements already have been met. Clearly,state,
territorial, tribal, and local entities have already implemented many of the concepts
and protocols identified in NIMS. However, as gaps in compliance With NIMS are
identified, states, territories, tribes and local entities should use existing initiatives,
46
Department ofHomeland Security's Program Guidancefor the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
such as the Homeland Security Grant Programs, to develop strategies for addressing
those gaps.
Develop a strategy and timeframe.for full NIMS implementation. States, territories,
tribes, and local entities were encouraged to achieve full NIMS implementation
during FY 2005. To the extent that full implementation was not possible during FY
2005, Federal preparedness assistance must be leveraged to complete NIMS
implementation during FY 2006. By FY 2007, Federal preparedness assistance will
be conditioned by full compliance with NIMS. States should work with tribal and
local governments to develop a strategy for statewide compliance with NIMS.
Institutionalize the use of the Incident Command System (ICS). All Federal, state,
territory, tribal and local jurisdictions are required to adopt ICS in order to be
compliant with NIMS. See NIMS and the Incident Command System at
http://www.fema.gov/njms under NIMS Resources.
FY 2006 and FY 2007 Requirements
In order to receive FY 2006 preparedness funding, applicants must certify as part
of their FY 2006 grant applications that they have met or will meet the FY 2005 NIMS
requirements. The NIMS Integration Center Web page, htto://www.fema.eov/nims is
updated regularly with NIMS information and implementation guidance.
B. HSPD-8: National Preparedness
HSPD-8 establishes policies to strengthen the preparedness of the United States to
prevent and respond to threatened or actual domestic terrorist attacks, major disasters and
other emergencies by requiring a National Preparedness Goal, establishing mechanisms
for improved delivery of Federal preparedness assistance to state and local governments,
and outlining actions to strengthen preparedness capabilities of Federal, -state, and local
entities. Statewide.all-hazards preparedness strategies should be consistent with the
National Preparedness Goal, assess the most effective ways to enhance preparedness,
address areas facing higher risk especially to terrorism, and address local government
concerns and Citizen Corps efforts..
The National Preparedness Goal aims for Federal, state, local, and tribal entities
to achieve and sustain nationally accepted risk -based target levels of capability for
prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery for major events, especially terrorism.
The target levels of capability are based upon National Planning Scenarios, a Universal
Task list (UTL), and a Target Capabilities List. These tools are being developed with
input from the homeland security community at all levels and will continue to be updated
over time. States should have taken steps in FY05 to review and incorporate these tools
in their preparedness efforts in preparation for full implementation of HSPD-8 in FY06.
47
- Department ofHomeland Security's Program Guidance for the 1006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
• The National Planning Scenarios illustrate the scope and magnitude of major,
catastrophic events for which the nation needs to be prepared. They include 12 terrorist
attacks (including chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, explosive, and cyber), two
natural disasters, and pandemic influenza. The scenarios provide the detail in terms of
casualties, property damage, and economic losses needed to project capability
requirements for prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. Summaries of the
National Planning Scenarios are available on the Secure Portal located at
https://odp.esportals.6om: The National Planning Scenarios will be made available as
soon as they are finalized.
The UTL defines the essential tasks that need to be performed from the incident
scene to the national level for major events illustrated by the National Planning .
Scenarios. Federal, state, local, and tribal entities select the appropriate tasks that apply
to their assigned missions. The UTL also includes information on operating conditions
and standards needed to develop quantifiable performance measures for planning,
equipment, training, and exercises. The UTL is available on the Secure Portal located at
https://odp.esportals.com.
The Target Capabilities List identifies the capabilities needed to perform the tasks
identified in the UTL for the major events illustrated by the National Planning Scenarios.
A capability consists of properly planned, organized, equipped, trained, and exercised
personnel needed to perform a task. The Target Capabilities List will include tiers to
account for reasonable differences in capability levels among entities based on population
density, critical infrastructure, and other risk factors. Entities are preparedness
organizations established by levels of government with participation from the private and
nonprofit sector, as described in NIMS. The Target Capabilities List will also include
performance metrics. The Target Capabilities List is available on the Secure Portal
located at https://odp.esportals.com.
DHS has developed detailed National Planning Guidance (due by March 31,
2005) -in coordination with Federal, state, local, and tribal entities that describes the
National Preparedness Goal, the target levels of capability, and how to apply them in the
development and update of preparedness assessments and strategies. The current variety
of assessments, surveys, and data calls will be realigned over time to support the Goal;
As necessary, Federal regulatory requirements will be modified to support the National
Preparedness Goal, to the extent permitted by law. DHS will provide information about
changes in preparedness assessments and strategies in upcoming information bulletins
and various forums.
C. National Response Plan (NRP)
The NRP is an all -discipline, all -hazards plan released publicly in January 2005
that established a single, comprehensive framework for the management of domestic
48
Department ofHomeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
incidents. It provides the structure and mechanisms for the coordination of Federal
support to state, local, and tribal incident managers and for exercising direct Federal
authorities and responsibilities. The NRP assists in the important homeland security
mission of preventing terrorist attacks within the United States; reducing the vulnerability
to all natural and manmade hazards; and minimizing the damage and assisting in the
recovery from any type of incident that occurs.
As part ofNRP implementation, state, territorial, local, and tribal governments
and non -governmental organizations (NGOs) are requested to:
Utilize established incident reporting protocols to notify local and regional Joint
Terrorism Task Forces and the Homeland Security Operations Center (HSOC), as
appropriate.
Coordinate with the HSOC regarding procedures for establishing connectivity for
domestic incident management purposes. Local government procedures should be
coordinated with the respective state government and/or EMA.
Modify existing incident management and EOPs within 120 days (or no later than the
next major plan maintenance cycle) to ensure proper alignment with NRP
coordinating structures, processes, and protocols.
D. Public Safety Communications and Interoperability Guidance
In May 2004, DHS adopted SAFECOM developed language for grant guidance in
an effort to ensure interoperability through the various layers of Federal, state, and local
government. (See DHS Information Bulletin #113). SAFECOM developed this general
grant criteria in concert with representatives of the public safety community in an effort
to coordinate the way in which funding is allocated and to maximize the prospects for
interoperable communications.
The intent of the SAFECOM grant guidance is to ensure that the communications
equipment being procured will lead to improved multi -disciplinary and/or multi -
jurisdictional interoperable public safety communications. The grantguidance provides a
list of questions to be answered in order to demonstrate how the applicant's proposed
project would enhance interoperability. The guidance also encourages that, where
appropriate, applicants purchase equipment that meets standards that have been
developed and adopted by the public safety communications community —American
National Standards Institute (ANSI)/TIA/EIAA-102 Phase 1 (Project 25) suite of
standards. This recommendation is intended for government -owned or.,.leased land
mobile public safety radio equipment. Its purpose is to make sure that such equipment or
systems are capable of interoperability with other public safety land mobile equipment or
systems. It is not intended to apply to commercial services that offer other types of
interoperability solutions and does not exclude any application if it demonstrates that the
Department ofHomeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
system or equipment being proposed will lead to enhanced interoperability. The grant
guidance does not propose to preclude funding of non -Project 25 equipment when there
are compelling reasons for using other solutions. Absent these compelling reasons, DHS
intends that Project 25 equipment will be preferred for digital systems to which the
standard applies.
The SAFECOM interoperable communications guidance addresses the following
issues:
• Criteria
o Personnel Involved with Public Safety Communications Interoperability
o Lifecycle of Public Safety Communications Projects
o Common Public Safety Communications Goals
o Common Criteria for All Grant Applicants
o Standards
o Governance
• Criteria for Public Safety Communications Equipment Grants
o Building, Upgrading, Enhancing, Replacing and Maintaining Public Safety
Communications Systems and Equipment
Supplemental Criteria for Public Safety Equipment Grants
o Planning for Public Safety Communication Systems
o Training Public Safety Staff on Issues Related to Emergency Response
Communications
o Managing Public Safety Communications Projects
o Generic Examples of Linking Disparate Public Safety Communications Systems
The SAFECOM grant guidance materials are available in their entirety on the
SAFECOM Web site (http://www.safecomi)rogram.gov) in the electronic library. They
can also be accessed throughDHS Information Bulletin #113, posted at
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/docsfbulletins.htm. which draws links between AFG and,
other G&T Programs.
E. Office. of Grants and Training
In an effort to streamline and effectively coordinate funding to the states and
territories, DHS established the Office of Grants and Training (G&T) within the
Preparedness Directorate, which is tasked with preparing the nation for acts of terrorism,
50
Department ofHomeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
natural disasters and other catastrophic events. G&T manages a national program to
enhance the capacity of state and local agencies to respond to incidents of terrorism,
particularly those involving chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive
incidents, as well as natural disasters, through coordinated training, exercises, equipment
acquisition, and technical assistance.
G&T is charged with coordinating the implementation of HSPD-8, which
establishes national policies to prevent and respond to threatened or actual domestic
terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies by creating a national domestic
all -hazards preparedness goal; providing mechanisms for improved delivery of Federal
preparedness assistance to state and local governments; and outlining actions to
strengthen the preparedness capabilities of Federal, state, and local entities.
DHS has responded to numerous requests from state and local homeland security
officials by creating in G&T a one -stop shop for homeland security grant funding. G&T
distributes grants to states and local homeland security stakeholders through a number of
assistance programs: .
• Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program: The Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program helps local fire departments purchase firefighting equipment, fund
firefighter health and safety programs, enhance emergency medical services
programs, and conduct fire education and prevention programs.
• Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP.): Provides funding for planning,
equipment, training, exercises, and program management and administration for
emergency prevention, preparedness, and response personnel in support of efforts to
implement state and Urban Area Homeland Security Strategies. Six programs are
combined into a single application kit and set of program guidelines under the
HSGP:
o State Homeland Security Program (SHSP): Provides financial assistance
directly to each of the states and territories to prevent, respond to, and recover
from acts of terrorism. SHSP supports the implementation of the State Homeland
Security Strategy to address the identified planning, equipment, training, and
exercise needs.
o Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI): Addresses the unique equipment,
training, planning and exercise needs of large high -threat urban areas.
o Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program: Provides law enforcement
communities with funds to support prevention activities such as: information
sharing to preempt terrorist attacks; target hardening to reduce vulnerability of
selected high value targets; recognition and mapping of potential or developing
51
Department ofHomeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
threats; counterterrorism and security planning; interoperable communications;
and, interdiction of terrorists before they can execute a threat or intervention
activities that prevent terrorists from executing a threat.
o Citizen Corps Program: DHS grassroots initiative that encourages citizens to
play a role in hometown security through personal preparedness. Citizen Corps
provides local opportunities tochannel citizen action through preparedness,
training, and volunteer service opportunities coordinated by over 1,200 local
Citizen Corps Councils nationwide.
o Emergency Management Performance Grants:. Supports comprehensive
emergency management at the state and local levels and encourages the
improvement of mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery capabilities for
all hazards.
o Metropolitan Medical Response System: Provides funding to 124 designated
jurisdictions to write plans, develop training, purchase equipment and
pharmaceuticals, and conduct exercises related to catastrophic incidents. The
program enhances local capability to respond to all -hazard, mass casualty events.
• Transportation and Interoperability Grants: These grants provide funding to
enhance security at port and transit facilities, as well as interoperability
communications.
• Competitive Training Grants Program: Provides funding for training initiatives to
further DHS's mission of preparing the nation in the event of a terrorist incident.
52
Department ofHomeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program
53=66
City Council Agenda Memorandum
To: Mayor Coody and City Council
Thru: Steve Davis, Finance Administrator
From: Tony Johnson, Fire Chief
Subject: Request for Resolution approving the 2006 Homeland Security/Fire Grant
Submission
Date: March 8, 2006
RECOMMENDATION
As fire chief, I recommend the approval of the 2006 Department of Homeland
Security/Fire Grant request for the fire department. If awarded, the grant will allow for
enhanced communications, data management and transmission for the response crews,
and an integrated record and data management system for the administrative staff. If
funded to the full amount of the request, the grant will allow for the purchase of 14
mobile data terminals (laptops), the associated electronics and mounting equipment,
software that is interoperable with the currently used system, and the license and
support for 20 fixed site workstations.
BACKGROUND
Since 2001, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its predecessor, the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been awarding grants to fire
departments in an effort to support a community's first line of defense from fire and
other catastrophic events. In 2002 and 2003, the Fayetteville Fire Department received
grants totaling $252,000 for exercise equipment and personal protective gear
respectively. Last year's request for funding for mobile data terminals was not
approved. I am resubmitting last year's request with the addition of software to our
2006 request. This year's request is for $400,000.
DISCUSSION
As the City of Fayetteville prepares to meet the needs of the projected population
growth and the associated development that will accompany, the fire department will
need to expand its operations, improve its communications/information delivery
systems, and the technology components of its emergency response program. This
proposed upgrade for the fire department dovetails with the City's guiding principles of
keeping a well maintained infrastructure and facilities, and maintaining our reputation as
a "safe community." In addition, it is instrumental in our approach to the planned and
managed growth of the City.
Request for Resolution for DHS/Fire Grant -
Page 2 of 2
March 8, 2006
DISCUSSION CONTINUED
According to the corporate technicians that work with the New World software, this
program is not capable of meeting the data transmission needs for the fire departments
emergency response. However, all is not lost, the data that is currently stored in New
World's memory files can be accessed by the proposed software (Fire Vision). In
conclusion, the fire department will be designating an employee to act as the in-house
IT person to work with the new system and to act as a liaison with the City's IT division,
thus, not increasing their workload.
BUDGET IMPACT
If the grant is awarded, it will not require any funding from the general fund in order to
meet the 20 percent ($80,000) match that is required by DHS. The plan is to use Act
833 State turn back money to cover our share. The following is a breakdown of the
revenue that will be available by the time the grant is awarded:
2005 encumbered Act 833 money $32,000
2006 projection Act 833 money $55,000
2007 first quarter projection for Act 833 $15,000
Total amount available $102,000
With this earmarking
of Act 833 funds, I believe that we
will be able
to meet the
department's support
equipment needs through the end of
year 2007.
Our highest
priority after building fire stations and adding personnel is the
mobile data
program.
From: Clarice Pearman
To: Johnson, Tony
Date: 3.24.06 6:01 PM
Subject: Res. 53-06
Chief Johnson,
Attached is a copy of the resolution passed by City Council, March 21, 2006 regarding the grant. I am
returning to you via interoffice mail the original of the 2006 Program Guidance.
Thanks.
Clarice
CC: Bell, Peggy; Deaton, Vicki