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Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFGP)

2008 AFGP Award Center
New 2008 AFGP awardees will be announced every Friday. Follow CHIEF Grants News and our AFGP Award Center for announcements and for what to do next.

AFGP Main  |   Apply  |   News
FAQ & Help  |   Resources

On This Page:

• About AFGP
• Eligibility
  • NFPA 1001 or Equivalent Required
  • Eligible Agencies
  • Eligible Activities
• 2008 Fire Act Grants Allocations
• New for 2008
• Thinking of Asking for a Vehicle?
• Start Your Application

About AFGP

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is the largest pool of federal grant funding available to the nation's fire departments and EMS agencies. For full details, visit the official AFGP website.

What is AFGP? Here's how FEMA puts it:

"The purpose of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program is to award 1-year grants directly to fire departments and nonaffiliated emergency medical services (EMS) organizations of a State to enhance their abilities to protect first responders and the public from fire and fire-related hazards. Our primary goal is to provide assistance to meet fire departments' and non-affiliated EMS organizations' firefighting and emergency response needs."

Previous AFGP Winners

Previous AFGP award winners are eligible to apply for another grant. However, if they have not satisfied the grant management requirements of any other Fire Act Grant Award, they will be denied.

Remember: receiving your award letter is only the beginning. The job has only just begun, and it is not finished until the last report is filed. In previous years, DHS can, and has, held up the awards because NFIRS reports were not being filed or routine reports were not filed on time. Now, more than ever, DHS is driving this point home emphatically. Get previous grants managed correctly and all reports filed before the reviews of this year's grants occur – or you won't even be considered.

Eligibility

NFPA 1001 or Equivalent Required

In order to be considered for an AFG award, FY2008 applicants must meet NFPA 1001 or an equivalent State standard, or include a training component request in their application to bring that department into compliance with the standard. Departments will not be considered for funding if they are not compliant with NFPA 1001 or if their applications do not include a training component to bring members up to the NFPA 1001 or equivalent standard.

For more information, download the FY2008 AFG Program Guidance and see NFPA 1001: Standard for Fire Fighter Professional Qualifications.

Eligible Agencies

Eligible applicants for the FY 2008 AFG are limited to fire departments and non-affiliated emergency medical service (EMS) organizations operating within the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Eligible Activities

The following activities, projects and/or programs are eligible for AFGP funding:

• Fire or EMS Operations and Safety Programs
• Vehicles
• Training
• Equipment
• Personal Protective Equipment
• Wellness and Fitness Activities
• Minor modifications to Stations and Facilities

The FY 2008 AFG will also allow eligible applicants to submit an additional application for a regional project through which multiple organizations, serving more than one local jurisdiction, may benefit directly from the activities implemented with the grant funds.

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2008 Fire Act Grants Allocations

AFG will be distributed in phases throughout FY 2008. The program will ultimately award approximately $500 million.

The total available funding appropriation pool for 2008 is $500 million dollars. Those funds will be allocated as follows:

• Non-affiliated EMS Organizations: Up to 2% of appropriated funds ($11.2 million) may be used for awards to nonaffiliated EMS organizations
• EMS Equipment & Training: No less than 3.5% of funds ($19.6 million) must be awarded for EMS equipment and training
• Vehicle Awards: No more than 25% of appropriated funds ($140 million) may be used for vehicle awards
• Fire Prevention & Safety, (FP & S): No less than 5% of appropriated funds ($28 million) must be made available to make grants for fire prevention activities (FP&S grants). However, due to the importance of mitigation activities, the 2008 FP&S will be allocated $35 million for grants
• Foam & Foam-related Equipment: No less than $3 million must be awarded for foam and foam-related equipment

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New for 2008

The FY2008 Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) remains largely unchanged from the previous year's program based upon input from members of the America’s fire services and other stakeholders.

Below are some changes for this year's program, according to Kurt Bradley, Grants Consultant for CHIEF Grants. As we learn more, we'll update this page.

• The FY 2008 application will contain questions regarding the applicant's training certification level and interest in attaining higher levels of proficiency. Answers will not affect the preliminary screening of any application, but they will be available for consideration by the technical review panelists in their evaluation
• NFPA 1001 Requirement: In order to be considered for an AFG award, members must be fully trained to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1001 or an equivalent State standard, or the department's application must include a training component for training funds and programs that would full train department to the standard. Departments will not be considered for funding if they are not compliant with NFPA 1001 or if their applications do not include a training component to bring members up to the NFPA 1001 or equivalent standard
• Regional communications projects will be funded only if their State's Statewide Communications Interoperability Plan (SCIP) has been reviewed and approved by DHS
• The majority of the changes in this year's program revolve around vehicle acquisitions:
  • Previous vehicle awardees may receive a FY 2008 AFG vehicle award
  • DHS will no longer provide advance funding for the purchase of vehicle chassis
  • All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and rescue boats, previously eligible under the equipment category, will no longer be eligible for funding

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Thinking of Asking for a Vehicle?

You may want to think again. Here's some food for thought.

Vehicles have historically been the most competitive side of the program. Prior to the 2006 AFG, more than 34,343 have been requested – but only 4,173 vehicles have been awarded. In the 2006 AFG approximately 660 vehicles got awarded, but more than 8,600 departments applied for those vehicles asking for more than $1 billion dollars. That meant that your odds of getting a vehicle were 1-8 for 2006.

In this year's program there is only roughly $118.5 million dollars for the vehicles since, by law, only 25% of the total program money can be allocated for vehicles.

With the new changes in 2007 AFG guidelines regarding vehicles, we anticipate that there will be upwards of 15,000 departments that may apply for vehicles this year, thus decreasing your odds of winning a vehicle to about 1-15. Since there has not been any significant increase in the overall total dollars available, there will be a lot more rejection notices going out this year.

Conversely, 75% of the total money is for the Operations & Safety side of the AFG program. Your chances for an award are increased significantly more, when applying in Ops & Safety vs. going for a vehicle.

Play the percentages. Grants are a numbers game. Focus your application on the bigger pool of money. For AFGP, that means Operations & Safety, over the vehicle pool.

If your department needs a vehicle and can justify it properly, then apply for one. Just remember that competition is fierce, so make sure you write the strongest, most thorough application possible. Be sure you thoroughly address and read all the associated requirements for getting a vehicle award in the Program Guidance document. Remember also, that since 2003 there has not been a single vehicle awarded that was not listed as a Priority 1 vehicle on the funding matrix. If it is not a Priority 1 vehicle for your classification of department, don't waste the effort.

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Start Your Application

• Apply – CHIEF Grants has compiled application resources and links for you.
• Kurt's Annotated 2008 AFGP Guidance (PDF format) can help you prepare for your 2007 application.
• Log In/Sign Up for FEMA's E-Grant AFGP Application – Direct link to FEMA's E-Grant system for your AFGP application.

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Your AFGP Info Center:
AFGP Main  |   Apply  |   News
FAQ & Help  |   Resources

Info Credit: FEMA AFGP Workshop.

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