need advice from brothers

[LOSDOG]

I am a Captain of a small underfunded department in Colorado. We were fortunate enough to recive a 2002 grant.We have applied for partial funding and recived it. I am hesitant to apply for the balance, since our illustrious board of directors decided to reduce our yearly budget by the amount of the grant. To me, this is not logical,is counter productive and imoral. Please give me some feedback so I can approach them at our next meeting.

[CharlieRFDPres]

WATCH OUT YOU COULD LOSE IT!!!!

If I remember correctly in the instructions it stipulates that you MUST keep your normal finances as a condition of the grant. Read the info and instructions, if I remember rightly, you could have your grant revoked, by not maintaining your "normal" funding and activities. I'll try and find the exact line(s) and quote for you, but I'm very sure I remember this being in there. Good luck I'll try to get back with the info.

[CharlieRFDPres]

I found it!!

Go to the fema/usfa application home page, Grant instructions, go to Program Guide for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, open it near the end : "Recipients (Grantees) must agree to:
(2) Maintain operation expenditures for the one-year grant period in the areas funded by this grant at a level uqual to or greater than the two years preceding the year i which this assistance is recieved. This program is meant to supplement rather than replace a fire departments funding."

I was right, I hope this convinces them to restore your "normal" funding. Best luck.


(tried to email you directly but you didn't set up your profile so that I could, hope you see this soon)

[toddmcbr]

Charlie is ablsolutely right.

Your regular budget must be maintained or FEMA can withdrawl the grant. I know councils can be tough to work with but you need to convice them that if they reduce your budget because you recieved a grant from FEMA, then FEMA can ask for the money back.

[dragonfyre]

Charlie and Todd are correct regarding FEMA's rules and pulling the grant.

You have to convince your council that the grant is a good thing and has enabled you to purchase equipment you would not normally have the funding for unless THEY raised taxes. Politicians consider that to be politcal suicide.

They should be glad you have the initiative to go out and try to find additional sources of income.

Have you spoken to the press about this? It wouldn't be a bad idea to get your local newspaper and TV stations involved. Once the rest of your town finds out about this the council may be forced to reconsider their actions.

Good luck.