FP Update

[onebugle]

UPDATE
The application period for the Fiscal Year 2006 Fire Prevention and Safety Grants will open at 8:00 a.m. EDT on December 4, 2006 until 5:00 p.m. EDT on January 12, 2007. Please review the 2006 FP&S program guidance for more details. (Posted: 11/22/2006)

Let the fun begin. :)

[k3twpfire]

Finally, a ray of light.

[BC79er]

Ray of light? How about ray of lots of work? That will only leave 2 weeks between FP and AFG application periods. Good thing sleep is over-rated. :)

[AFD2181]

Brian,

Ok..I have been working a bunch of night shifts so I am a bit hazy..but if I read this correctly; FP&S ends, and 2wks later SAFEER starts?

and what is sleep exactly

[BC79er]

Not SAFER. Main AFG has always started the 1st Monday of the 1st full week in March. 30 days from Jan 12 puts us at Feb 16th as a close date for FPS. March 5th is the 1st Monday. Oy.

SAFER should still be in the June/July range.

[WCVFD300]

Not SAFER. Main AFG has always started the 1st Monday of the 1st full week in March. 30 days from Jan 12 puts us at Feb 16th as a close date for FPS. March 5th is the 1st Monday. Oy.

SAFER should still be in the June/July range.

Look at that again Brian, it will be about six weeks. The notice stated the FPS would close on 01/12/2007; open date was 12/04/2006.

[BC79er]

Oops. This is what happens why you try and read emails while entertaining a teething 10 month old. :D

[ktb9780]

BIG CHANGE this year. Surprise, surprise ; cost share requirment for fire departments at same level as AFG. During the last two years the matching dollar requirment was waived and it appears that they have tacked on a cost share requirement for this year. Wonder what caused that little tidbit to change this year? Asso noticed that there was absolutely no mention of that in the previous discussions , tutorial and I don't even recall a grapevine rumor of that occuring for this year's program. :eek:

[SLY4420]

BIG CHANGE this year. Surprise, surprise ; cost share requirment for fire departments at same level as AFG. During the last two years the matching dollar requirment was waived and it appears that they have tacked on a cost share requirement for this year. Wonder what caused that little tidbit to change this year? Asso noticed that there was absolutely no mention of that in the previous discussions , tutorial and I don't even recall a grapevine rumor of that occuring for this year's program. :eek:

Saw that Kurt and I have mixed feelings. Sure, we need equipment to do our jobs - both before and after a fire. My only issue is that we must spend more of our hard-earned and fundraised money we need to make apparatus payments and such to meet a cost share requirement for equipment that may not even be for the FD, such as a smoke detector program.

Don't get me wrong - we're all for supporting our community and the safety of it, but I can forsee this to be an obstacle for many fire departments.

This is where you need to have a business in your community sponsor the program or your local municipality should help you meet the cost share!

[vfdcapn]

The change in the FP&S evaluation criteria must have come about after the pressure from the New York delegation about other homeland security money.

vfd capn


Page 15:

"Vulnerability Statement: The assessment of risk is a critical component of the
DHS risk analysis target capability. As such, the presence of a process that
takes into account the characteristics of a jurisdiction (e.g., population
features) are important in an objective or reasoned approach to addressing
the fire hazard in a community. Therefore, the applicant should summarize
the vulnerability the project will address in a concise statement including how
the vulnerability was determined and how the target population was identified.
The methodology for identification of the vulnerability should be discussed.
Identification of the vulnerability that will be addressed with the proposed
project can be established through a formal or informal risk assessment....."

[BC79er]

FP has always had the informal or formal assessment requirement in it, but they've never elaborated what exactly that meant until recently. This is why hard numbers as in X students between the ages of 6 and 14 are in our first due, or out of the 80 apartment buildings over half do not have a central alarm system because of their ag, resulting in 3 civilian injuries, etc, etc. Something that shows that there really is a situation that needs addressing, not just that a department wants something. There has to be a lack of whatever the project is addressing in existence.

[ncfscd6]

Okay, according to the PG-Fire departments are required to put up a cost share portion for this grant but here is a little note straight from page 2-

Please Note: There is no cost share for grants under this activity (Fire Prevention and Safety) to eligible national, regional, state, local or community organizations.

Why does it seem like they are penalizing the fire departments? I just do not think it is fair to make the fire departments pay to help save lives in their communities when they are giving it away to other organizations.

It just isn't right. Either all is cost share or none, this is absurd!!!!! How does everyone else feel on this?

[ktb9780]

Okay, according to the PG-Fire departments are required to put up a cost share portion for this grant but here is a little note straight from page 2-

Please Note: There is no cost share for grants under this activity (Fire Prevention and Safety) to eligible national, regional, state, local or community organizations.

Why does it seem like they are penalizing the fire departments? I just do not think it is fair to make the fire departments pay to help save lives in their communities when they are giving it away to other organizations.

It just isn't right. Either all is cost share or none, this is absurd!!!!! How does everyone else feel on this?


IMHO for the answer to that you need to note who the large awards went to last year and who the "annual" big winners are in this grant and what the cost share would be for them. Not saying it is right but....look at who those organizations are that got the $1 million dollar grants and I think you will have your answer. There also may be some validity in "assessing" the cost share for those large national organizations. How would you " determine" the population group or would you just consider all of them to be 20%? :rolleyes:

[ncfscd6]

I know, the entire time I was reading that I was remembering the large national organizations awarded last year. It is like they are trying to turn it into (large organization grants and not assistance to fire departments grants). It is frustrating because here in rural MS, we are not receiving the benefits from those large organizations being awarded and desperately need smoke alarms. We have a smoke alarm program that we provide for those in need. We go without, just to buy alarms for those who need it. We have found that 2 out of every 5 homes do not have alarms here. We need funding for a large program to be able to reach everyone we need to. Oh, I have applied in the past and will continue to, it is just frustrating tho. It seems like instead of patting the fire departments on the back-they are telling them to turn around and slapping them in the face. Unfortunately, it is the communities that suffer and not the fire departments. We see way too many fire deaths. Most of those occur in homes without working smoke alarms. A little bit of funding for alarms and education could go a long way. I just hate to see the citizens come up on the short end of this deal.

[BC79er]

Most of the complaints on the lack of matching came from smaller departments claiming that they couldn't compete with the cost-benefit of larger populations so FP was turning into a free urban smoke detector program. The perception was that these departments were applying only because there was no matching. Not true, but apparently to appease the masses the matching re-appeared. In 2004 it was 30% for populations over 50k, 10% under.

[ncfscd6]

Yea, the matching portion is tough. Our department has an annual budget of 8,000 yearly and just equipment purchases, upkeep, repairs is enough to blow all that, but I am gonna go after some corporations to try to get commitment on our matching. I believe in fire prevention and know that a good solid educational program along with smoke alarm distribution is the key to preventing those deaths and I will do what it takes to make it happen. It is just the principle of the matter.

Either everyone pays a cost share or no-one.

[onebugle]

The FP&S Applicant Tutorial is up and running. I didn't keep track of time, but I believe it took around an hour to complete it.

[ktb9780]

The FP&S tutorial is one of the most comprehensive ones I have ever seen them do. Bravo to DHS and firegrant support for putting that together quite well. I see quite a few changes from how applications from previous years were constructed and it would behoove all who intend to apply to view this tutorial closley now, as you can save yourself a lot of time an effort in knowing how it will be constructed and put together this year.

It appears that a 4000 character Finanacial Need section is inlcuded this year ,seperate from your usual narrative. They are allowing a 5 page "mini-narrative" per project with up to three projects, so each individual project will be supported in and of itself by its own seperate narrative. IE:

Smoke detectors = 1 project , 1-mini-narrative
Educational Program in Schools- 1- project, 1- mini-narrative

[onebugle]

Viewing the tutorial is a must for everyone. Alot of good info and it's presented extremely well. A key component of the tutorial (that I found) was the "Narrative Statement Worksheet". You give a brief answer to the 7 questions that need to be addressed in the narrative. At the end, cut and paste the info to a word document. You have an outline which you expand on to fully answer the questions. No reason for any one to forget required info for the narrative.

[ktb9780]

Viewing the tutorial is a must for everyone. Alot of good info and it's presented extremely well. A key component of the tutorial (that I found) was the "Narrative Statement Worksheet". You give a brief answer to the 7 questions that need to be addressed in the narrative. At the end, cut and paste the info to a word document. You have an outline which you expand on to fully answer the questions. No reason for any one to forget required info for the narrative.

onebugle , you beat me to it. I forgot to post that very point in my previous post but, that is a major point for this and should help extensively. ;)