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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-07 RESOLUTION• RESOLUTION NO. 04-07 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE FAYETTEVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO APPLY FOR AND ACCEPT A DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY FY2006 ASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTERS FIRE PREVENTION AND SAFETY GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $12,000.00. BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS: Section 1. That the City Council of the City of Fayetteville, authorizes the Fayetteville Fire Department to apply for and accept Homeland Security FY2006 Assistance to Firefighters Fire Prevention in the amount of $12,000.00. PASSED and APPROVED this 2nd day of January, 2007. APPROVED. ATTEST: By: !I. �S By: 6) SONDRA SMITH, City Clerk/Treasurer Arkansas hereby a Department of and Safety Grant ....RI•••. .. '•P= 0 ceva • ,3 •0 'c FAYETTEVILLE CD ��z"• 'a= 9s.9,QKANS ' �, ee J Ataa"yh o incl' ``` DAN COODY, Mayor Tony Johnson Submitted By City of Fayetteville Staff Review Form City Council Agenda Items or Contracts January 2,2007 City Council Meeting Date Fire Division Action Required: e65 /7z/o7 O'/07 gq vsti`han' r'<'ly &rchY- FYD. Fire Department This request is for the approval to apply for and accept if awarded a 2006 Assistance to Firefighter's Fire Prevention and Safety Grant in the amount of $12,000. The city's cost share portion of this grant is 20% or $2,400. 2,400.00 Cost of this request 1010.3020.5801.00 Account Number Project Number Budgeted Item Category / Project Budget Funds Used to Date $ Remaining Balance -Budget Adjustment Attached Fixed Assets Program Category / Project Name Fixed Assets Program / Project Category Name General Fund Fund Name Department Director Finance and Internal Service Director Mayor /at/3'6ra Date 6C ate I z Date Da e Previous Ordinance or Resolution # Original Contract Date: Original Contract Number: Comments: 4 Fayetteville Fire Department 303 W. Center St. Fayetteville AR. 72701 Phone (479) 575-8365 Fax (479) 575-0471 December 13, 2006 To: Fayetteville City Council From: Fire Chief Tony Johnson K" 0 Subject: Request For Resolution to Approve Grant Submittal Copy: Mayor Coody I am requesting the Council to consider and approve the fire department's request to submit a grant application to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Assistance to Fire Departments — Fire Prevention Grants Program, for the purpose of purchasing a Fire Extinguisher Training Simulator and Transportation Trailer. The dollar amount for the request is $12,000 which will require a 20 percent ($2,400) match from the fire department. The funding for the match will come from the Arkansas ACT 833 Tum Back Funds. Act 833 was established to provide fire departments in the state with a means to purchasing fire fighting and other associated equipment. Through the efforts of our Fire Marshal's Division, the department is charged with providing fire safety education and presenting other public relations programs associated with safety to the general public. It has been our goal to expand this service to the business, industrial and educational institutions in our service jurisdiction. The purchase of the aforementioned equipment and subsequent incorporation of a fire extinguisher training program, have the potential of reducing injury and property loss due to an unwanted fire. Currently, the State of Arkansas is one of the leading states in the country for fatal fires. I strongly believe that the implementation of a fire extinguisher training program, coupled with our existing fire prevention efforts, would provide a means for reducing the number of lives and property lost and alleviating us from the dubious honor of our high ranking in this category. Please feel free to contact me if you should have any questions or concems regarding this request. Attachments: Staff Review Form DHS Grant Information Equipment Specifications RESOLUTION NO. A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE FAYETTEVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO APPLY FOR AND ACCEPT A DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY FY2006 ASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTERS FIRE PREVENTION AND SAFETY GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $12,000.00. 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 FY2006 Assistance to Firefighters ire Prevention and Safety Grant in the amount of $12,000.00. PASSED and APPROVED this 2nd day of January 2004 APPROVED: COODY, Mayor ATTEST= B • City of Fayetteville 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program - Fire Prevention and Safety The City of Fayetteville's Fire Prevention Division has the strategic goal of having 70 percent of the City of Fayetteville's population trained in the safe and appropriate use of fire extinguishers by the year 2010. We anticipate accomplishing this goal by targeting certain focus groups starting in 2007. These groups include all public and private schools (teachers, staff and students thirteen years of age and above), health and daycare providers, commercial and industrial businesses as,well as various public venues. We currently provide this training on a limited basis due to our means of presentation. The use of a gasoline and diesel mixture presents an unsafe environment and sends a conflicting message about fire safety. Our request is for the purchase of a Fire Extinguisher Training system which would allow us to safely bring younger groups into our training sessions while providing a safer environment for the training. Use of Grant Funds: • 1. Purchase a fire extinguisher training system. The budget for this item is $5,000. 2. Purchase an enclosed trailer for transporting the above referenced equipment. The budget for this item is $4,500. 3 Purchase additional necessary small equipment to work in conjunction with the fire extinguisher training system. The budget for these items is $2,500. Need For Increased Public Awareness Efforts: Through analysis of historical data, incident critiques, and regional surveys, many risks to the community have been identified. Based on a fire risk analysis, in 2005, 61 5% of fires were started from sources that greater public awareness could have prevented. These include incidents involving children, improper use of candles, improper disposal of smoking materials, furnace and fireplace maintenance. Also of concern is that 60% of the residences where fires occurred did not have working smoke alarms. Currently, fire service agencies in northwest Arkansas are only able to administer a limited number of deliveries of general prevention/awareness programs. Estimated population growth in northwest Arkansas cities since January 2001 is on average 15,195 or 33.2%. With this growth has come an explosion of multi -family dwellings. Also, of concern is that demographic factors related to population growth are preventing both the elderly and minorities from receiving proper fire safety and prevention education Lastly, northwest Arkansas's rapid increase in business and industry development in relation to population growth all too often make fire prevention and public safety programs a challenge both to deliver and to develop new mitigation programs to meet target populations. Currently, no formal education programs exist, or are being developed and implemented to address fire prevention and safety in the workplace. When resources permit, local agencies are able to provide the 'following opportunities: Portable Fire Extinguisher Training, Junior Fire Marshal Program, Juvenile Fire Stopper Programs, Survive Alive Safety Programs, and Senior Fire Safety Programs. Based on a formal risk assessment and a fire station concept deployment plan, figures reported by two leading agencies indicate that only 5.95% of their populations are receiving these general prevention/awareness. public education programs. This is an insufficient number of people receiving fire safety and prevention education. Consequently, there needs to be an increase of general prevention/awareness public education programs in order to reach at least 25% of the population. Financial Need and Local Funding Issues: In our city, most of the funding for essential services comes from sales tax revenues. The Fire Department is in constant competition with the Police Department for the same resources. With the amount of growth experienced over the past few years, the needs in both departments far out pace the resources available. According to the US Census Bureau, in 2000 the population of Fayetteville was 58,000 up 15,000 from the 1990 census. In a special census conducted in 2006, the population was determined to be 67,158. Over the past sixteen years, Fayetteville has experienced a 66% growth in population By the year 2025, the population is expected to increase by an additional 40,000 people In spite of the level of growth experienced, the Fire Department has only added two new stations since 1979. The fire department's budget has only experienced a 3.75% increase in 2006 from 2005. The budget for personnel services expenses for 2006 has increased by 4.7% from 2005. Actual spending has outpaced budgetary projections over the past few years due to an increase in the number of personnel and rising health care costs. This means that our department is seeing decreased funding for normal operating expenses even though the department is adding personnel and stations. For example, the department's budget for materials and supplies has decreased by 8% going from $158,600 in 2005 to $145,700 in 2006. The capital budget went from $95,800 in 2005 to $0 in 2006. Meeting the personnel cost burden has and will continue to be a challenge for the department. For this reason, funds are decreasing for normal operating expenses and non-existent for expansion equipment. This kind of expense for a valuable prevention education tool is far beyond our fiscal capabilities for the foreseeable future. The City of Fayetteville's annual budget includes very little discretionary spending and is primarily dedicated to: apparatus, maintenance, fuel, building costs, supplies and personnel The requested grant of $12,000 dollars would purchase a Fire Extinguishing Training System that includes the following components: propane fueled live fire simulator, three rechargeable fire • extinguishers, handheld controller, controller cable with connector, power cable (that can plug into a cigarette lighter or a battery pack), propane supply kit, recharging accessories, various carrying cases, air compressor, air regulator with accessories, battery power pack, and an enclosed trailer. The Opportunity To support the rapid growth and the prevalent need for fire and life safety education, the Fayetteville Fire Department added a Fire and Life Safety Educator to the Prevention Division in June, 2006. Some of the fire and life safety education programs currently in operation include: Juvenile Fire Setters, Junior Fire Marshals' Club, Exit Drills in the Home (EDITH), free smoke detectors and installation, and fire extinguisher training. The Prevention Division intends to improve fire and life safety education by placing special training emphasis on the following target groups: public and private schools (both teachers and students), medical and health facilities (to include nursing and retirement homes), commercial and industrial businesses and various public venues This grant would allow us to cost effectively train the target groups described above This training system would not be limited to the City of Fayetteville Fire Department but would be shared in joint education ventures with neighboring rural fire departments, the Washington County Fire Marshal's office, the Northwest Arkansas Regional Training Association (Rookie School), and the University of Arkansas' public safety division. The rapid growth occurring in the City of Fayetteville and its surrounding suburbs has already warranted such joint training efforts. • U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Grants and Training FY 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program: Fire Prevention and Safety Grants Program Guidelines and Application Information Foreword • I am pleased to provide'these program guidelines and application materials for the Department of Homeland Security Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) Grants program. A component of our broader Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) program, the FP&S grants focus on reducing fire and fire -related losses, especially injuries or deaths among firefighters and other high-risk groups. Fire prevention and safety is an important part of the Department's preparedness mission. The Department administers the AFG program through its Preparedness Directorate, Office of Grants and Training, in close cooperation with the U.S. Fire Administration. In this program, $27 million is available for competitive awards to fire departments, and fire prevention, arid firefighter safety research organizations for initiativesto prevent deaths, injuries, and property losses from fire and . fire -related hazards. A critical program focus is on reducing death and.iniury among high-risk groups such as children, adults over 65, and firefighters. . Each year in the United States, thousands of people are killed and thousands more are injured in fires, many of which are preventable. Through the FP&S Grants program, the Department provides critical support to help firefighters throughout the country improve fire safety and protect children, families, their colleagues, and their communities from tragedies due to fires and other hazards. This is an integral part of our homeland security mission. Michael Chertoff Secretary U.S. Department of Homeland Security • U.S: DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY I OFFICE OF GRANTS AND TRAINING Parti Part II Part III Part IV Part V Part VI Part VII Part VIII Overview Eligible Applicants Automated Application Process Eligible Activities and Projects Evaluation Criteria Other Eligible Costs Decisions on Applications Grantee's Responsibilities 1 2 3 6 11 14 17 18 • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY I OFFICE OF GRANTS AND TRAINING I.Overview This document provides a summary of the Department of Homeland Security's FY2006 Fire Prevention and Safety Grants. It explains how to apply for the grant, what items can be requested, what activities or projects can be proposed, and how applications will be evaluated. Please read this guidance carefully. Additional information will be available in Frequently Asked Questions and an online tutonal on the www.fireqrantsupport.com website. Together, these resources provide you with the information you need to complete the online application. The online application will be available at www.fireqrantsupport.com from 8:00 a.m. EST on December 4, 2006 until 5:00 p.m. EST on January 12, 2007. The Department of Homeland Security's Office of Grants and Training is responsible for the implementation and administration of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program. The purpose of the AFG is to enhance the safety of the public and firefighters with -respect to fire and fire -related hazards. The AFG offers grants for activities under Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) in order to reach high-risk target groups and mitigate incidences of deaths and injuries caused by fire and fire -related hazards. Funding under FP&S also supports Firefighter Safety Research and Development activities. This guidance provides details regarding how to apply for financial assistance in either of these areas Except in the case of fire departments and non-affiliated EMS organizations, there is no cost share requirement for the FY 2006 Fire Prevention and Safety Grants. The authority of this program is derived from the Federal Fire Protection and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.0 §§ 2229 et seq.), as amended. In fiscal year 2006, Congress appropnated a total of $539,550,000 to carry out the activities of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program. The goveming statute includes a requirement that no less than five percent of the appropriated funds support fire prevention activities As such, no less than $27,000,000 of the appropriation has been reserved for the Fire Prevention and Safety Grants. The grants under iFP&S will be awarded on a competitive basis. The appropriated funds are available for obligation by DHS until September 30, 2007. 1 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY I OFFICE OF GRANTS AND TRAINING 1ISEligible Applicants There are two areas of activity that can be funded through the Fire Prevention and Safety grants: The Fire Prevention and Safety Activity and the Firefighter Safety Research and Development Activity. Applicants may submit only one application per application period and include either one or both activities. Applicant eligibility requirements for each activity are stated below. A. Fire Prevention and Safety Activity Eligible applicants for this activity include fire departments; and national, regional, State; local, or community organizations that are recognized for their experience and expertise In fire prevention or safety programs and activities. Both private and public non-profit organizations are eligible to apply for funding in this activity. For-profit organizations are not eligible to receive a FP&S grant award. For all grantees the federal share of the grant is limited to $1,000,000 per application. Fire departments that have received funding through the FY2006 AFG program for training, equipment, vehicles, etc., are eligible to receive funding for the fire prevention grants in this application period. However, in addition to the $1,000,000 limitation on FP&S grants, the combined funding level of grant awards through the AFG and FP&S grants to any single fire department is limited to an amount of Federal share (shown below) for each year, and is based on the population that the fire department protects. •• Populations greater than 1 million: Maximum Federal Share: $2,750,000 • Populations from 500,000 to 1 million: Maximum Federal Share. $1;750,000 • Populations Tess than 500,000: Maximum Federal Share: $1,000,000 Fire departments are subject to the same cost share requirements applied under the Assistance to Firefighters program. Grantees must share in the costs of the projects funded under this grant program. 15 U.S.C. 2229(b)(6). Fire departments that serve populations of less than 20,000 must match the Federal grant funds with an amount of non -Federal funds equal to five percent of the total project cost. Fire departments serving areas with a population between 20,000 and 50,000, inclusive, must match the Federal grant funds with an amount of non -Federal funds equal to ten percent of the total project cost. Fire departments and nonaffiliated EMS organizations that serve populations of over 50,000 must match the Federal grant funds with an amount of non -Federal funds equal to twenty percent of the total project costs. All non - Federal funds must be in cash, i.e., in-kind contributions are not eligible. No waivers of this requirement will be granted except for applicants located in Insular Areas as provided for in 48 U.S.C. 1469a. Please Note: There is no cost share for grants under this activity to eligible national, regional, State, local, or community organizations U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY 1 OFFICE OF GRANTS AND TRAINING B. Firefighter Safety Research and Development Activity Eligible applicants for this activity Include national, regional, State, and local organizations that are recognized for their experience and expertise in firefighter safety research and development programs. .Under the goveming statute, fire departments are not eligible to apply for funding in this activity. Pnvate and public non-profit organizations, academic institutions, non-federal govemmental organizations, non- govemmental organizations, and individual researchers (e.g. doctorial candidates) are eligible to apply for funding. For-profit organizations are not eligible to receive funding under this activity. The Federal share for research and development grants is limited to $1,000,000 per application. Please Note: There is no cost share for grants under the Firefighter Safety Research and Development activity. 3 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY 1 OFFICE OF GRANTS AND TRAINING III. Automated Application Process A. Automated Application and Tutorial for 2006. Shortly before the start of the application period, a tutorial will be available for applicants at www.firearantsupport.com to provide guidance regarding the grant application and the FP&S application requirements. All applicants are strongly encouraged to complete the applicant tutorial prior to beginning their application, even if they have successfully received previous awards from the AFG Program. The tutorial explains the eligible activities by Illustrating many of the application screens. It provides tips for navigating the application screens and summarizes the changes in the FP&S program for fiscal year 2006. In addition, the tutorial also provides, a review of the lessons teamed from previous years. B. Application Process The Fire Prevention and Safety Grant application will be directly accessible online from the grants program office website (www.firegrantsupport.com). The automated application has been designed with "help screens" and "drop-down menus" to assist the applicant throughout the application process. The application can be saved and retrieved for update and revision up to the point of submittal or to the end of the application period. Please note, once an application has been completed and submitted, no changes can be made. The automated system does not allow an applicant to submit an incomplete application, i.e., the system alerts the applicant when required information was not entered. By submitting an application online, the applicant will automatically receive confirmation via e-mail that their application has been successfully submitted'. Do not submit multiple applications. Multiple applications submitted on behalf of any one applicant will all be deemed ineligible. The online system will allow one authorized representative of an eligible organization or entity to log in and create a user name and password. The selection of the authorized representative is at the qiiscretion of each applicant. If you have a user name and password from a previous AFG, SAFER, or FP&S application, you should use the same user name and password. Failure to use your existing user name and password could delay the processing of your application. Paper applications are available; however, they are discouraged because of the inherent delays associated with their processing. Additionally, paper applications do not have the advantage of the built-in assistance of the electronic application or the assurance that the application has been accurately completed before mailing. Applicants who wish to apply for FP&S by paper may request a paper application by calling the Helpdesk at 1-866-274-0960. Paper application forms will not be sent to prospective applicants via overnight delivery, fax, oremail. 4 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY OFFICE OF GRANTS AND TRAINING All applications must be completed and submitted electronically, or postmarked on or before the close of business, by 5:00 p.m. EST on January 12, 2007. Only electronic applications submitted via the online automated grant application system will receive a confirmation of receipt. Applicants should print a copy of the confirmation for their records upon receiving verification that ,their application has been successfully submitted. Applicants should also record their user name and password for future access to their application. No confirmation will be issued for paper applications. Incomplete applications or applicationssubmitted via any other electronic means, Including email or fax, will automatically be deemed ineligible. Paper applications should be mailed to DHS/G&T, Fire Grant Program Office, 810 Seventh Street, NW, 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20531. Applications mailed to any other address may miss the appointed closing date and will be disqualified and ineligible for funding. Applicants are .allowed to hire, or otherwise employ the services of, a grant writer to assist in the application process. However, the applicantis responsible for ensuring that the information contained in their submitted application is a true and accurate reflection of their organization and represents the scope of effort being proposed and the time and cost required to achieve it. Therefore, applicants are strongly encouraged to review all work .produced by grant writers, or other third -parties, on their behalf prior to submission of their application. Applicants who falsify their application, or misrepresent their organization or proposal in any manner will have their application deemed ineligible by the program office and referred to the Office of Inspector General for further action, as appropriate. Specific requirements with respect to the use of grant writers are outlined below (Section VI (8)). All applicants are required to provide details of their projects in a written narrative as well as a specific description of the supporting budget. The narrative should correlate the proposed projects to the evaluation criteria defined below in this Program .Guidance. Application narratives for the Fire Prevention and Safety projects will be limited to a maximum of five (5) pages per project. The narrative for the Research and Development activity will be limited to ten (10) pages. As the applicant enters information into the narrative box, the applicant should click the "save" button periodically to ensure information has been stored. Please note the electronic application includes. a "time-out" feature to help ensure activity usage of the servers. If no "save" activity is detected for a period of time, the "time-out" feature is activated, and all information entered, but not saved, couldbe lost. It is a good idea to type the narrative off-line using a word processing program, such as Word, Word Perfect, Notepad, etc., to avoid losing any information. Once the narrative is completed, an applicant can then "cut-and-paste" their proposal narrative into the narrative block of the application. As of October 1, 2003, all applicants applying for Federal grants are required to have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number. The DUNS number is a unique nine -character identification number provided by the commercial company Dun & Bradstreet. Applicants are encouraged to obtain the DUNS number either prior to the start of the application period or early in the application period since it may take up to 14 business days to obtain one. There is no charge for a DUNS number, which can be 5 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY 1 OFFICE OF GRANTS AND TRAINING requested by registering online at www.dnb.com/US/duns update/index.html or by calling 1-800-333-0505. Applicants whoalready have a DUNS number for the Fire Grants Program or any other Federal Program should use the same number on their FY2006 application. • • • • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY 1 OFFICE OF GRANTS AND TRAINING IV Eligible Activities and Projects A. Eligible Projects Under the Fire Prevention and Safety Activity: Applicants may submit only one FP&S grant application per FP&S application period. Under the Fire Prevention and Safety Activity, the applicant may request financial assistance for as many as three projects. Applicants should formulate FP&S applications that contain multiple projects and associated budgeted items based on strategic risks and common goats. The following are two example approaches for organizing one application. Example 1.1 A community has the strategic goal of reducing the number of fires caused by the use of barbecue grills on the balconies of apartments. This goal will be supported through two projects. The applicant plans to launch a public education. program and strengthen code enforcement activities. In this instance, the public education items should be listed as one supporting project and code enforcement items should be listed as the second supporting project. Both projects will be included in ONE application. The narrative statements will explain how accomplishing these two projects will help achieve the goal. While the projects are related, each project requires a separate supporting budget and narrative statement. Example 2) A community or organization may have more than one strategic goal depending on their audience or risk. For example, a National organization may have a goal to reduce firefighter fatalities through a national outreach project. They may also have a goal to study the effectiveness of public education messages. The organization would create one project for firefighter safety initiatives and an additional project for national public education efforts. The following are examples of eligible projects. This list is not an all-inclusive list of projects that will be considered Applicants are requested to develop their projects based on their determined risks. Original, creative and/or new approaches to enhance the safety of the public and firefighters are encouraged. Be advised that applications should only consist of FP&S projects that can be completed within the one-year grant performance period. The following programs are not listed in order of importance: • Public Education: National or local projects that promote the reduction of injury due to fire or other safety hazards. Activities may include bum prevention, media/PR campaigns, injury prevention or other community hazards that could be justified in the narrative. Education props (educational tools) are eligible as part of a comprehensive and detailed public safety education campaign. Please note that projects that deliver training to the public in the area of automatic external defibrillators (AED), Cardio -Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) or fire extinguishers will be considered. However, if the projects are for operational staff these items should be requested under the AFG program. • l U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY 1 OFFICE OF GRANTS AND TRAINING • Smoke Alarms: Projects that promote the installation of smoke alarms and/or check to assure that previously installed smoke alarms are. operational. Applicants who will not perform installation of the alarms should discuss in their application narrative the methodology for ensuring that the alarms will be installed. • Sprinkler Awareness: Projects that affect the entire community such as educating the public about residential spnnklers, promoting residential sprinklers, and demonstrating working models of residential •spnnklers; Installation of sprinkler systems is eligible if it Includes an educational component. • Code Enforcement/Awareness: Projects that promote the adoption or awareness of building codes, enforcement of codes to improve engineering, or enact fire -related ordinances for new construction. Projects may also include support for conducting inspections, including personnel costs; equipment or training. • Firefighter Safety: National or regional projects that promote the reduction of line of duty deaths (LODD) through National mitigation strategies. • Training: Localor regional projects to educate or train personnel in the area of public education, code enforcement and arson prevention. • • Wildfire Prevention Programs: Education and awareness programs that protect .lives, property and natural resources from fire in wildland/urban interface including Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP) or Firewise programs. Fuel reduction demonstrations as part of an awareness and education effort would be considered. • Arson Prevention Programs: Arson investigation trailers, equipment and costs related to arson investigator training, arson -related surveillance equipment, personnel costs, educational materials and media equipment, and juvenile fire -setter intervention programs. • Risk Assessments: Applicants may request assistance to conduct formal or informal risk assessments. Note: Applications that are requesting a risk assessment are precluded from applying for additional projects. • General Prevention/Awareness: Projects that include general prevention initiatives including studies, alarm system installation, knox-box installation, address marker, etc. Ineligible Activities and Items Under the Fire Prevention and Safety Activity: • Fire suppression equipment, supplies, vehicles, firefighting training tools or equipment, personal protective gear, fitness equipment or immunizations; 8 U.S: DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY 1 OFFICE OF GRANTS AND TRAINING • AED, CPR or fire extinguisher training for operational staff; • Installation of sprinkler systems that do not include an educational component; • Fire hydrant/dry hydrant installation; • Suppression related training including Firefighter 1, Firefighter II, midland firefighting, training exercises or drills for suppression or disasters activities; • Fuel reduction projects such as prescribed burns; • •Communication equipment including portable radios, mobile data terminals (MDT) or computer aided dispatch (CAD) systems; • Weather/disaster notification devices (sirens etc.); • Community projects that include the use of tot finder/child finder, elderly or pet finder decals. B. Eligible Projects for the Firefighter Safety Research and Development Activity: The purpose of this funding activity is to improve firefighter health and life safety through research and development projects. The following are examples of initiatives that we deem to be of high importance. This is not an all-inclusive list of projects that will be considered, however, any project must address firefighter safety, wellness, fitness or health. A proposal may combine projects. An example of such as a sociological study of fire service culture may include a focus on data collection systems. These projects are not listed in order of importance. Data collection and analysis projects that propose to achieve the. following: • Seek to enhance current data collection strategies pertaining to gathering of information, systems to support ongoing or periodic data analysis, and timely dissemination and implementation of recommendations for improved safety. The focus of data •collection enhancements may be about, but is not limited to: Firefighter safety behaviors, departmental or fire service organizational. safety policies and practices; and community risk and protective factors. Analysis aims to facilitate identification of contributors to high risk behavior, cultural values for risk taking, and other circumstances that may be predictors of or associated with Firefighter near injury, injury, and death. • Involve research into the effectiveness of firefighting equipment or personal protective equipment. Such research may examine the relationship between the equipment, the user, and the fire and environmental circumstances. Study questions may address non-use, inconsistent use, equipment barriers and limitations, and the influence of cultural or social norms for equipment use. Outcomes may include process events such as equipment use but also must address near injury, injury, and death. • Review the effectiveness of training and first response systems. Study questions must link elements of the training and first response systems to Firefighter safety outcomes. For instance, training that involves assessment of building structure would involve follow-up of Firefighter safety-related behavior prior to entry and during the fire, but also data collection on building U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY 1 OFFICE OF GRANTS AND TRAINING outcomes and circumstances of Firefighter near injury, injury, and death, facilitating analysis that addresses training effectiveness. Sociological projects that propose to achieve the following: • Contribute to the understanding of Firefighter behavior and Fire Service culture with respect to the protective and risk factors associated with Firefighter health and safety, including individual, organizational, and environmental aspects that may be linked to incidents involving near injury, injury, and death. • Improve understanding of the demographics and other characteristics of firefighters, fire service, and fire -related situations that will be useful for sample selection in future studies, or tailoring of programs for various populations and settings. For instance, would it be useful to study/tailor programs for younger vs older firefighters with respect to near injury, injury, or death; urban -suburban -rural; staff -volunteer; those with more training vs. less. Problem Focused Technology Studies that propose to achieve the following: • Develop new equipment or technology that can be incorporated into the Fire Service; • Improve firefighters safety through an enhanced understanding of hazards posed by various incidents, buildings, and environments to which firefighters respond. The National Institute for Standards and Technology awarded a grant to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) to facilitate the development of a research agenda for the Nations Fire Service. In June 2005, NFFF hosted a working group to establish this agenda. The projects that meet the intent of the research and development agenda with respect to firefighter health and safety, as identified by this working group, will be given consideration. However, the applicant is not limited to these specific projects. All proposed projects, regardless of whether they have been Identified by this working group, will be evaluated on their relevance to firefighter health and safety. A copy of the research agenda is available on the NFFF website www.firehero.orq website. Multi-year projects will be considered for this activity. Applicants can propose projects with up to three years of performance requirements. Each year must include measurable goals. Subsequent year funding would be contingent upon satisfactory progress, availability of funds and continued worthiness of the project. Multiple year requests must address the following: • Over-all project goals and target outcomes; • Specific goals, objectives and outcomes for each project year with particular emphasis and detail on the coming project year; • Include contingency planning with the examples of what may be key challenges and plans to address and overcome them; 10