HomeMy WebLinkAbout53-06 RESOLUTION••••••••
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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
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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:
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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'
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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
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•
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.
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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._
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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
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• 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
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Department of Homeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
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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
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Department of Homeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
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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,
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Department o f Homeland Security's Program Guidancefor the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
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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.
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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 -
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Department of Homeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
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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
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Department of Homeland Security's Program Guidance for the 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
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