Another Grant Fund Rescinded?

[Almarante51]

According to this article:
http://www.firehouse.com/news/2002/8/16_FHvfa.html
another grant we volunteer departments were hoping for this year seems to also have been pulled. We need to band together and contact our senators about financial support from Government! We need as much assistance as possible.

[SilverCity4]

The Foresty Department gives money to the state forestry departments to disburse. The individual states handle the money differently. Some states pass the money out right away, others don't.

What happened here is the Forestry Department is running it's butt off fighting more fire than they planned on this season. Because of that, they're running out of operating money. So...they're pulling in unused money that was slated for other things. It's unfortunate, but no one planned on a fire season like this.

Don't blame Congress...they had nothing to do with this. If you want to blame someone, you can try blaming the state governments that sat on the money or the fire departments that didn't spend the money after it was awarded.

But really, this is an extreme situation, not politics.

[jmkfire]

If there is any one to blame or be upset at, it would be at the State level. Once the Forestry Dept. sends the funding to the states, it is up to the individual states to get the applications gone thru and the money awarded to depts. My understanding is that once they awarded it, it is considered spent. If a state delays awarding the funds, then they have not been spent and the money is still available for the Forestry Dept to "take back". Kansas is usually pretty good at awarding VFA grants as soon as they recieve the funding from the Federal level. Applications here are due months before the state even recieves the funding, this gives the state forestry office time to begin reviewing applications before the funds arrive, then award as many of the approved applications before the money dries up. I think the focus should be a little closer to home on this one!

[killion51]

I know of two departments that were notififed they had there grants, one ordered thier equip that day and as of yet are not sure they will recieve there funding the other was called two days later and told they had lost it, it was for a more complicated order.

[SilverCity4]

Our Forestry grant apps are due before the money comes in too, if I'm not mistaken.