O-fers

[ktb9780]

I might add a couple of things here that perhaps you are not considering bones42. I cannot speak for Brian but, my seminars do not teach you strictly about grants but also about proper financial strategy for your department. Grants will never resolve all of your problems in a department but, they can certainly alleviate many problems; if used correctly and strategically.

That entails knowing how to set up your budget, knowing what does and does not get funded on grants, proper fundraising and proper investments or usage of your exisiting budget dollars.

There are many variables involved in the computer scoring and having some knowledge about what influences those variables can and does make a difference in many cases. I will grant you that sometimes there is absolutely nothing you can do about your numbers but I, and I am sure Brian, also frequently find that departments sometimes take a haphazard approach to properly answering the questions or supplying the requested infromation. They seem to view it as unimportant or irrelevant to the process because they do not understand the dynamics of the program itself.

You just might be surprised at what may be wrong with your applicaton. Now I said might be surprised. Why don't you get with one of us and let us look and see if we can spot something that you are doing wrong?

[Bones42]

Didn't say anyone had to pay to go to a seminar to get help either. I said either go to the free help outlets or go to A seminar, not MY seminar. Kurt and I, along with the others that get compensation for doing this are 'competitors'. But I'd rather have someone go to his and find out what they can improve on than sit at home and do nothing. So let's not be putting words in people's mouths.

Whoa! Never said anything about "pay" either, so don't put words in my mouth either.

Believe me, you guys have offered loads of advice, I'm willing to say very good advice. But the numbers aren't supposed to be "fudged" so for some reason, the computers keep pushing them out. It'd be nice to even know why.

And I understand your points of applying for things that don't jive, but I know a department that received SCBA's and had that whopping 1 structure fire per year average. These computer scores just don't make sense.

[Greenacres2]

I know i've said this before, but...don't confuse "grant writing" with "narrative writing".

Bones--you are right, the narrative doesn't mean anything if you don't get it read. The Gurus (or should we refer to them as the Three Wise Persons at this time of year??) teach the full picture, not just how to write a narrative. Needs analysis, budget, funding, PG reading, development, narrative, bidding, acquisition, close-out--that's "grant writing".

earl (not a Guru, but i drove past a Holiday Inn Express yesterday)

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

So we'll call it even and stopped speaking for each other.

Anywho, I hear lots of 'they only run 1 fire' stuff too. I actually heard that from someone after getting denied about a neighboring department, and I actually worked the neighboring department's app at a later date and they had reported 30. Now still not a huge number, but it's the little perceptions that sometimes make us biased when writing apps and thinking about what other people have done, and comparing them too closely to our situation. I'm not saying it's not good to check out who has been awarded for what and what their entire situation was that maybe helped them over another app. I've been doing that since denials came out. One comp DJ on a midwest department I attribute to 10 fire related calls, 3 structure, 7 brush. Another one I wrote awarded 1st round had 14 structures and 15 brush. Budget average within $2000 of each other, same # of FFs, similar district sizes etc, etc.

Really doesn't mean much going into the next application other than to temper expectations. Since the players in the game change every year, there's no real way to predict who makes computer and who doesn't. So it's mainly about picking the highest probability and running with it. Some departments have the numbers to make it to Peer every year. Others it will be a long shot. Just the name of the game.

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

Who you calling a wise... never mind, cause that's true anyway. Grandpop always said better to be a wise *** than a dumb bunny.

Yay for me, I'm staying at a Holiday Inn Express this weekend in KC. I wonder if I'll be able to understand Al Gore's fuzzy math by Sunday...

[ktb9780]

Yay for me, I'm staying at a Holiday Inn Express this weekend in KC. I wonder if I'll be able to understand Al Gore's fuzzy math by Sunday...

When are you going to reailze that Embassy Suites is the better choice Brian; Free made to order breakfast and bend your elbow on their dime for two hours every night!

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

Yeah, but they get it out of you at checkout time one way or another. Maybe 10 years ago in my college drinking prime I could drain the profit out of their room price at the tap, but not now. I'm a cheap date.

[ktb9780]

Yeah, but they get it out of you at checkout time one way or another. Maybe 10 years ago in my college drinking prime I could drain the profit out of their room price at the tap, but not now. I'm a cheap date.

Yea and that $20 breakfast bill hurts my wallet to hard with the wife and kids along for the ride too. Enjoy KC.

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

Nah, free continental breakfast works for me. Too much good food is why the talking scale says "one at a time please".

Of course it's a sign of the ages when I don't care about either free breakfast or drinks, and the free high speed internet access is the most important thing.

[Bones42]

Just the name of the game.

and since it's the only game out there, we keep playing. We just set our expectations low.

[Midland35]

I have never gone to a seminar. But I can say that I have spent many hours on the phone talking to Kurt. It has helped my department tremendously.

[Greenacres2]

I have never gone to a seminar. But I can say that I have spent many hours on the phone talking to Kurt. It has helped my department tremendously.

I hope you mean it helped in terms of grants!!

If you are within a day's drive of Indiana, come out in March--you can karaoke with Kurt in person.

earl

[ktb9780]

I hope you mean it helped in terms of grants!!

If you are within a day's drive of Indiana, come out in March--you can karaoke with Kurt in person.

earl

She is a little bit further south than a days drive Earl; in the land of Wal-Mart in Arkansas. By the way congrats midland35 on your Round 9 award!

[nicoyaspa]

Hey Chief310, Heretic, and Edmeston2...

Would you mind if I read your narratives? I don't claim to be an expert by any means, but I'd like to see what you're doing. I've done pretty well with AFG, with lots of help. Anyway, if you don't mind I'd be interested in taking a look.

[nicoyaspa]

grant help

Another great source of information is your Regional Fire Program Specialist. They offer a free grant workshop somewhere near your area, and the insight you can pick up from them is extremely valuable. They also are available by phone and email to answer questions. The info you get from them should help you determine what to pursue and what to leave out. They're not handing out top secrets, but they can offer some direction.