Grant for Training Equipment

[DepChief03]

Has anyone out there had any luck going after training equipment for forcible entry props? Also the lock trainers and other similar equipment. If so anyone interested in sharing a narrative?

[islandfire03]

I don't know of anyone that has been successful in getting this type of equipment funded.
The AFG will fund the necessary equipment and hired instructors to bring your members up to meeting the states standards [FF-1/FF-2 ] but this type of equipment is a little outside of that realm.

This is not to say that you might be successful at getting it funded if the cost/ benefit is reasonable and the narrative documents a sound reasoning on how this would improve on firefighter safety and improving your response capabilities to the public you serve.

Have you had instances where your crew was unable to gain entry and lives were lost because of it?
Have your firefighters suffered injuries because they haven't been able to practice these types of forcible entry?
Do you currently only have the brute force method of making entry?
Do you have access to a regional training facility that has this type of prop available? If not be sure to make note of that.

Just a few areas where you would need a good argument in your narrative.

[DepChief03]

Thanks for the advice and ideas. It was an idea that someone in the company came up with but we wanted to run it by you guys. I understand where you are coming from and appreciate the input. As always you guys have been very helpful with these grants.

[onebugle]

NFPA 1001 5.3.4 addresses forcible entry and the requisite knowldge and skills required. As for firefighter safety, you can easily make a case for that in the narrative. One key area in firefighter safety is the use of RIT. Under NFPA 1407 for RIT Training does address the use of forcible entry tools in training and as equipment for those types of teams.