New for AFG 2007

[fyrchef51]

Just came from AFG Program Seminar in SE PA to kick off the seminar programs. Had reps there from the Program Office in DC and reps from all ten FEMA Regions. Lot of good information including;

1) Previous applicants who were awarded vehicles are now eligible to again apply for a vehicle.
2) Urban and surburban departments can apply for more than one vehicle ($1 million cap). Limited to one vehicle per station.
3) Departments can apply for both a vehicle and operations and safety.
4) Departments can also apply to host a Regional grant, meaning that in theory you could apply for three grants; vehicle, ops/safety and Regional.

I would strongly recommend that you attend one of the FEMA sponsored seminars to get the information on these important changes.

[WVREIS]

I'm not sure if these are necessarily good changes to the programs. These changes remind me of the primary focus of DHS, terrorism and big cities. (Which all have more funding opportunities than Small Departments)

For example:

Why are volunteer departments not elligible to apply for more than one vehicle? Volunteers make up the majority of Firefighters in the US, and additionally, have multiple stations in a lot of areas. Volunteer departments running vehicles over 30 years old as their primary engine aren't a priority?!?

Isn't the whole point of this program to do a risk assessment? While I realize there are departments out there that are defficient in multiple areas, this program is not meant to be the funding for you wish list, or operating budget for that matter.

I won't disagree with being elligible for a vehicle again, like I said there are a lot of departments running very old equipment out there, with one new shiny truck awarded.

Applying for three grants, I'd like to believe that people wouldn't be this greedy, but I know they are. We are looking at a regional communications grant for '08 (if the program makes it that far), and I still intend to take the hit and not apply for anything else. As it should be in my opinion.

This isn't sour grapes on my part, I've been successful on two out of the three grants I have written, So I'm not sitting here complaining b/c I haven't gotten my piece of the pie........but I see the real possibility for larger departments to suck up the money needed for some of the smaller departments out there. This post may be a little premature, as I haven't been to the AFG Seminar for this year, but I will be at the one on the 12th to hear this out........

Just my two cents.....

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

That's more than a concept change, that's a whole new direction.

And of course the usual answer on what to apply for is what is reasonable. Just because it can be done doesn't mean that you'd do well to actually go through with it.

More than one truck for urban & suburban? Interesting.

And we should always go to the DHS workshops even when there aren't groundbreaking changes like this. More important than ever to read the Guidance now.

[fyrchef51]

The information provided did not say that volunteer fire companies were not eligible to apply for multiple vehicles. The reference was for departments that meet the criteria of urban or suburban not career or volunteer. A volunteer fire department with more than one station in an area that meets the criteria of urban or suburban would be eligible to apply for one new vehicle for each station as long as the total did not exceed $1 million.

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

Herb, did they say they're going to split applications so either piece can be funded, or is it still an all or none?

[fyrchef51]

Applying for more than one vehicle applies to urban and surburban departments and includes volunteer departments in those areas. A volunteer department with more than one station could apply for a new vehicle for each station, but the total cost could not exceed $1 million dollars.

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

I meant as far as if you applied for Ops & for a Vehicle at the same time. Are they scored seperately or as one piece? So Ops could be awarded and truck denied, or both have to go the same way?

[WVREIS]

Ok, i mistepped my comment a little there, while i realize there are a few "suburban" volunteer departments out there, why not make all three elligible. Why limit rural out of the funding opportunity.

And I was planning on going to the AFG Seminar anyway, just sooner now than anticipated.

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

For some folks this will hurt more than help. At 20% match, asking for $900K in trucks means that you already have $180K sitting around to partially pay for 1. Lots of dancing will be going on in the financial issues section this year...

[Chief310]

Oh how wonderful! Previous vehicle award recipients can be awarded again? Multiple vehicles?

I give up. I surrender. I'm throwing in the towel. I can think of many more productive uses for our time than creating grant proposals year after year with nothing to show for the effort.

[onebugle]

With these changes, reading the PG carefully this year will be a must. These changes will bring abought a new line of questions that will have to be addressed.

As Brian pointed out if you request a vehicle & ops are they graded seperately or together. Does this mean seperate narratives for each catergory or just one? If just one narrative are they expanding the maximum of 5 pages allowed to justify the needs etc?

If it remains all or nothing, I really do not see anyone trying to do both at the same time (IMHO). The competition for apparatus is too strong to take the chance of losing funding in the Ops section.

If the vehicle & ops are reviewed individually, then some one might give it a try. I would not recommend it.

I'll be attending the workshop on the 14th. It should be interesting.

[Greenacres2]

On the issue of Regional Host being able to apply for their own...
I strongly agree with this change. The Host was the only one of the regional participants who was not able to apply on their own, for their own need. In my opinion, needed to to either allow the host to apply singly or limit the rest of the regional applicants from applying. The Host has the extra burden of future reporting, etc--seemed like a penalty to be host.

My 2 cents.

earl

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

One of my other contacts made the workshop with Herb last night. The 5th change is that population and call volume now count more than ever. Mutual aid calls are narrative ammo only.

And all requests go in their own app, so they will be judged on their own merits. The fun part will be trying not to contradict yourself across those applications on any issues, mainly financial, especially since the same reviewer could get both apps. And at the Tech Review level afterwards things will be checked over again for validity. Monkey shines will get caught.

[onebugle]

What was the $$$$ for AFG next year? Up, down or the same?

And all requests go in their own app, so they will be judged on their own merits.

They are working at a snails pace already. With the ability for deaprtments to submit 2 applications means that twice as many could be submitted
(40,000+). I'm guessing they want to see if they can crash the computer.

Twice the applications=twice the DJ's=twice the complaining.

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

Fact. So since I was already staring at close to 1000 apps, 400 on the books right now, this means Brian will be really pounding the Red Bull and won't be sleeping until April. Good thing I got enough bear fat on me to last through the April hibernation coma I'll be in.

Money is not much higher than last year, I think $20 mil over all between the programs. So again, just because it can be done, doesn't mean it's a good idea. This will create a lot more computer DJs, there won't be much more money available, so more apps will not make it to Peer than ever before. Get out the A+ game folks, the A game is now 2nd string.