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Fire Protection
Firefighting Grant Resources
There are many resources available for volunteer, municipal, and county fire departments through Federal grants. Island fire departments have had past success in applying for these grants, and these resources have made a tremendous difference in fire-safety on many islands.
FEMA Grants:
Assistance to Firefighter Grants (AFG)
Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grants (SAFER)
Fire Prevention and Safety Grants (FP&S)
Forest Service Grants:
Volunteer Fire Assistance Grants (VFA)
Federal Excess Property Program (FFEP)
Firefighter Property Program (FPP)
Cooperative Assistance Program (CAP)
Federal Emergency Management Association - FEMA:
FEMA, a division of the Department of Homeland Security, offers three major grants that address fire safety. Each have different focuses, application requirements and deadlines but all are managed by the same federal department, can be accessed through the FEMA website at http://www.firegrantsupport.com/ and applications can be completed online. The website also offers many resources for assistance, and grant writers can attend workshops to help with applications.
Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) “Fire Grants”
http://www.firegrantsupport.com/afg/
Grants “to meet the firefighting and emergency response needs of fire departments and nonaffiliated emergency medical services (EMS) organizations.”
Resources available: equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training and other resources to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards.
Application period: Spring (opens in April – deadline of May or June).
Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grants (SAFER)
http://www.firegrantsupport.com/safer/
This grant program was created to enhance the local fire departments’ abilities to comply with staffing, response and operational standards established by NFPA and OSHA (NFPA 1710 and/or NFPA 1720 and OSHA 1910.134 - see www.nfpa.org/SAFERActGrant for more details).
Resources available: funds for increasing fire department staffing and deployment capabilities in order to respond to emergencies by hiring of firefighters and the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters.
Application period: May 27, 2008 – June 27, 2008
Fire Prevention and Safety Grants (FP&S)
http://www.firegrantsupport.com/fps/
Part of the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG), FP&S grants support projects that enhance the safety of the public and firefighters from fire and related hazards and, in particular, target high-risk populations to mitigate high incidences of death and injury.
Resources available: fire prevention and public safety education campaigns, juvenile firesetter interventions, media campaigns, and arson prevention and awareness programs. Also includes firefighter safety research and development.
Application period: Fall
The Forest Service has a number of resources specifically for wildfire protection that may be useful for islands with significant forest cover or designated open space. The Forest Service is also a wonderful resource for islands with land owned by Acadia National Park or in the Acadia viewshed such as the Cranberry Isles, Isle au Haut, Frenchboro and Swan’s Island. All grants have open application periods.
Volunteer Fire Assistance Grants (VFA)
http://www.fs.fed.us/fire/partners/vfa/index.html
Formerly known as the Rural Community Fire Protection Program (RCFP), this grant can help State Foresters and other appropriate local officials to organize, train and equip fire departments in rural areas and rural communities (population less than 10,000) to suppress fires. VFA funds are granted on a 50/50 matching basis.
Grant objectives: for a full list, visit here
Resources available: fire equipment, training or training materials, funding department incorporation as long as the funds are matched. Most grants are for $5,000 or less.
Federal Excess Personal Property Program (FEPP)
http://www.fs.fed.us/fire/partners/fepp/
Forest Service-owned property can be loaned on a long-term basis to State or municipal officers to provide excess (not needed by the agency that originally purchased it) equipment to meet the needs of local fire departments.
Resources available: refers to any tangible property that is not real estate. Includes trucks, aircraft, personal protective equipment, motor oil, nuts, bolts, fire hose, et cetera, but not buildings.
Fire Fighter Property Program (FPP)
Same as the FEPP, but the property’s title is transferred directly to the town or state after three years and then the town can sell the property.
Cooperative Assistance Program (CAP
http://www.state.me.us/doc/mfs/fpd/pages/Program bookmarks.htm )
A program through the Maine Forest Service that allows local organizations engaged in fire suppression to purchase equipment at the General Services Administration or state of Maine cost to give smaller cooperators the advantage of bulk quantity pricing on tools and equipment for wildland fire suppression.
Resources available: focus primarily on hand tools, water handling equipment and personal protective gear.
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