What are you gonna do with your FIRE Act money???

[jmk271]

I think that I read somewhere that if a department was requesting funds for a vehicle, and they were wanting to outfit that vehicle with equipment, then the funds would only be allowed for things such as hose, ladders, axes, stuff like that. I believe that TIC's were deemed "non-essential" in this category, along with extrication equipment......I think that their line of thinking was equipment that will "basically outfit" an apparatus, and those two items didn't fall into that category. Now I'm almost sure a department can ask for funds to purchase a TIC under the "firefighting equipment" category.

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JMK271
***Stay safe out there***
***These opinion(s) are my own, and not that of the department in which I serve***

[FIREMAN203]

WE ARE GOING TO REPLACE OUR ENGINE AND AIR LIGHT POWER TRUCK
ALSO GET NEW TURNOUT GEAR

[gs711]

Replace all our supply hose, get a rescue boat and a set of jaws!!!!

[james35]

Well, according to all these posts, vehicles are on the top to do list, well, add our name to that list, we are looking for a used brush/utility/rescue.

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...James
[email protected]
Training Officer
Olney - Walluski Fire District # 35 (Oregon)

[jizumper-5]

I have noticed what other local companies as well as others in this forum are requesting and it sound like people have not read up on what you can and cannot buy. Since I wrote the request for funding along with the Chief, we have been in contact with officials from FEMA to get some clarifications on what would be considered. I see a lot of apparatus requests but know there is only 15 million available for that. I also know they will look at pumpers, for the most part, exclusively. Especially those companies who may not have a pumper or one that is 1950's vintage.

As for equipment and the other categories, priorities are given for equipment never owned by the company, or which will allow a company to expand into a new service. There are also other limitation on "rescue equipment." One thing with PPE I found interesting is they want a request to refit an entire department (so everyone benefits) not just a few new sets of gear. Not to draw this out any longer but I think one is more likely to get money for something that will improve the safety of the fire fighter. That is the impression the application and FEMA has left with me.

Don't get me wrong, I hope that everyone will get something that they could not other wise afford. Best of luck to us all!



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Keep Safe!

[pfpchief]

we are requesting a new mini attack pumper. we have spent 25000 in the last two years upgrading our scba and turnout gear ourselves . so we thought what the hey lets try for a new truck its replacing one from 1964.hey with 53% of funding going to vol. fire depts we have a chance

[FireFighter2817]

We asked for funds to purchase DragonFly SCBA on all of our engines. Our newest engine is 3rd due for fires as it is designed for medical, MVA, brush and car fires, and we'd like to have the safer DragonFly system with the lighter air packs and buddy system on our 1st, 2nd, and 4th due engines. Just for the info, our station serves approximately 25,000 people, running 2,000 calls per year. We have 4 engines (2 Pierce fire, one pierce rescue, and an aging (1983) bad-*** American La France). We also have a Pierce 100' tower, a salvage unit, and a chief's car.

[RyanEMVFD]

First off we are planning to get new bunker gear. It's a shame that only about 40% or so of our active FF's have complete sets that are in good condition. Also we plan on trying to get a newer model engine. Our current one is 1968 GMC. Doesn't have to be brand new just something we can use for first out. Sounds like the same stuff everyone else is applying for. Guess should've worked on a training program, maybe next year.

[Captain Gonzo]

If we receive funding from the FIRE Act grant, we will be purchasing 4" LDH and the hardware for all three front line engines and the two reserve rigs.

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Firefighters: rising to accept the challenge!
Captain Gonzo

[engine198]

Originally posted by LHS*:
The app I filled out is asking for funds to buy a used building to make into a fire station. Money for used pumper for a town who is currently borrowing a pumper now with the nearest mutual aid 40 miles away if it is not snowing. And smoke detectors for every bedroom in the community.

They have two old fuel trucxks tocarry water. The departments budget is $3200 every other year. The department has a Class 8 now, with 1960's air packs, turnouts, etc. They cover 300 people in a 100 square mile area with 11 hydrants. Over the last 2 years their 4 county area has had 7 of the 8 largest wildland fires in the US.

One year after getting the station and truck they will have an ISO class 4 district wide is part of our return on the investment.

It is nice what you are doing, but i dont think ISO will jump the level that much for a station and an engine.

You may have a great rating, but they are hard to come by. all Volunteer departments have a difficult time improving their rating.

[Flochief]

Our dept. is planning to purchase a mini-pump to fit under our 8ft railroad trestle and 11 sets of new turnout gear including 4 scba's and spare bottles, and individual face masks for the guys.
This is going to be a great thing for alot of small rural fire depts.

[Bob Snyder]

Quotes from an original post by jizumper-5:

>> I have noticed what other local companies as well as others in this forum are requesting and it sound like people have not read up on what you can and cannot buy.

I read up on it, but our priorities and FEMA's priorities are different in some ways. I see no reason to cook up some new priorities that we've never had just to get money for something we really don't need. I submitted an application built around what we need...if it gets rejected, so be it.


>> I see a lot of apparatus requests but know there is only 15 million available for that.

So, maybe if we flood them with apparatus applications, they'll expand the category next time. I'm not holding my breath, by the way....especially since there are 9 more categories in the original bill that got no funding at all this time around.


>> I also know they will look at pumpers, for the most part, exclusively. Especially those companies who may not have a pumper or one that is 1950's vintage.

That doesn't help us, but I agree that the companies with nothing or next to nothing should get priority. I look at the apparatus part of our application as a lottery ticket...but, let's face it, somebody has to win this lottery, right?


>> One thing with PPE I found interesting is they want a request to refit an entire department (so everyone benefits) not just a few new sets of gear. Not to draw this out any longer but I think one is more likely to get money for something that will improve the safety of the fire fighter.

Which works out well for us, since full SCBA replacement is something we really need.


>> Don't get me wrong, I hope that everyone will get something that they could not other wise afford. Best of luck to us all!

I support the sentiment, but we're not all getting something...in fact, most of us will get nothing, I'm sure.

[S. Cook]

engine198 you'd be surprised how easy it is to change your ISO rate. My little VFD went from a 10 to a 6 5 miles from our stations into the no-hydrant areas simply by getting the paperwork in order and adding a 1,200 gallon tanker to supplement the 3,800 gallon one we currently have.

Then to top it off, we went from a 5 to a 3 in the city (hydranted) by adding a 105' quint and using the same paperwork from the rural grade.

The only thing that makes changing your ISO grade hard are the people that want to tell you it works one way and that way is completely different than the way it actually works.

[LHS*]

//It is nice what you are doing, but i dont think ISO will jump the level that much for a station and an engine.

I've helped departments in several states jump that much and even more with less than that.

//You may have a great rating, but they are hard to come by. all Volunteer departments
have a difficult time improving their rating.

We are 100% volunteer and have a Class 1. There will be another Class one Volunteer FD this next year in Texas and that will make 3. All but one of the best grades ever given in non hydranted areas are held by vollys. Changing a poor rating is quite easy and cheap actually.

see www.isoslayer.com

[jmk271]

It's nice how this forum went from FIRE Act, to folks chatting about ISO rating. I don't want to come off being rude, but I think there is already a forum on the boards about ISO ratings. Talk about it there.

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JMK271
***Stay safe out there***
***These opinion(s) are my own, and not that of the department in which I serve***