The CHIEF Star Newsletter

October Recap - Public Safety Grants

DHS' Fire Prevention and Safety Grant Program (FP&S) is open for applications! Get those apps in by Nov. 30 to request funds for innovative fire prevention and safety programs in your community. Contact Kurt Bradley for advice on how CHIEF's Kovenex Fire Blankets can be the basis for just the program you need to submit a winning FP&S application.

The Polaris Ranger Grant is another popular grant program that has just reopened for applications. Sponsored by U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company (UST), your agency can apply for a 6x6 Polaris Ranger. This is a tough program to win, but if one of these unique vehicles would enhance your safety and rescue efforts, submit your application by December 28, 2007.

• Fire/Rescue, Fire Prevention and Safety Grant Program (FP&S) - Deadline November 30, 2007
• Fire/Rescue, Michelin's Driving America's Safety Program - Deadline Nov. 23, 2007
• All Public Safety, Operation Ranger - USSTC Polaris Ranger 6x6 Utility Vehicle Donation Program - Deadline December 28, 2007
• Law Enforcement & Corrections, ILook Investigator Forensic Software - Deadline ONGOING
• Law Enforcement & Corrections, Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners (RSAT) Program - Deadline December 20, 2007
• Law Enforcement & Corrections, Prison Industry Enhancement Certification Program (PIECP) - Deadline TBA

Next Seminars – $50 discount when you register 30 days in advance:

• National ($499): Nov. 6-7, Las Vegas, NV Register »
• Agency-Hosted ($349): Dec. 8-9, Aledo, TX Register »

What is a CHIEF Grants Seminar?
Learn more about how our 2-day grant training seminars will help your department write winning grant applications:
   • Learn about National Seminars »
   • Learn about Agency-Hosted Seminars »

2007 AFGP Winners Announced - 2007 AFGP Award Center
From CHIEF Grants - October 2007 The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced more Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 Assistance to Firefighters Grants, awarding grants to America's fire departments... 2007 AFGP Award Center

Awards for FY 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) Announced
From CHIEF Grants - October 2007 The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced more awards for the Fiscal Year 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG), awarding grants to fire departments in the United States... 2007 AFGP Award Center

2006 FP&S Grant Award Announcements
From DHS - October 2007 The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced more Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) grants, awarding grants to fire departments and fire prevention organizations throughout the United States... 2006 FP&S Grant Award List

Award for 2006 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grants Announced
From DHS - October 2007 The Federal Emergency Management Agency has announced more awards for the Fiscal Year 2006 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant (SAFER), awarding grants to fire departments in the United States... 2006 SAFER Grant Award List

CEDAP Program Status
From Responder Knowledge Base - October 31, 2007
Status update on applications for the next CEDAP award period, and CEDAP releases a set of Requests for Proposal for CEDAP 2008... More

Creating a Culture of Preparedness Among Schools
From DHS - October 30, 2007
In order to advance school preparedness nationwide, DHS offers several planning and training resources to help local schools prepare comprehensive all-hazard emergency preparedness plans that are exercised regularly and developed in partnership with their community leaders and first responders... More

Fund Finder News: The ICE Age Cometh
From DHS - October 25, 2007 Interoperable Communications Equipment continues to be a hot topic these days especially after the release of the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act of 2007 report. The document was hypercritical of the continued lack of progress toward effecting Interoperable Communications in the first responder community... More

Senate Bill Restores COPS Funds to Assist Police
From The Houston Chronicle - October 17, 2007
Shrugging off a veto threat by President Bush, the Senate passed a $57 billion bill Tuesday that restores major cuts to the Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS, program, an anti-crime program that Bush has sought to virtually eliminate... More

2007 Fire Prevention and Safety Grants Program Guidance
From DHS - October 17, 2007 The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has posted the FY07 Fire Prevention and Safety Grants Program Guidance. All 2007 FP&S Grants applicants are strongly encouraged to review this guidance document prior to submitting an application... More

Fire Prevention and Safety Grants FP&S Opens for Applications Oct. 22, 2007
From DHS - October 17, 2007 The 2007 FP&S Grants application period will open on October 22, 2007 (8 a.m. EDT) to November 30, 2007 (5 p.m. EDT). Applications for these grants must be received by November 30, 2007, at 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time). CHIEF Grants FP&P Grant Profile

Mission Critical: Winter Storm
From PoliceOne.com's BLUtube - October 17, 2007 Mission Critical attends a DHS exercise called "Winter Storm" where Police, Fire Rescue, Army, US Coast Guard and officials from various Emergency Centers nationwide share their first hand experience and feedback about this new cedentialing / authentication model. This story demonstrates the importance of interoperability with the improved capabilities of authenticating key personnel and first responders arriving to an incident command post while allowing FEMA or another Federal agency visibility into who has arrived, what their credentials are and what resources are available at the incident scene... More

First Responder Authentication Credential
From PoliceOne.com's BLUtube - October 15, 2007 The Department of Homeland Security has implemented HSPD-12 and FIPS 201 and the "FRAC", First Responder Authentication Credential, which will dramatically improving the way we respond to even the worst imaginable crisis... More

Mission Critical: Public Safety and Wireless Communications
From PoliceOne.com's BLUtube - October 15, 2007 Emerging wireless network technology may prove to be invaluable in solving many of the obstacles associated with traditional wireless communications networks. Furthermore, this technology may facilitate a large degree of the interoperability that DHS envisions in the SAFECOM program. Mission Critical explores the Public Safety Wireless Communications deployments with Tempe Arizona's Police Department, the Town of Brookline Massachusetts Police Department and San Diego's North County Transit District... More

Remarks of Cybersecurity and Communications Assistant Secretary Greg Garcia at the Dartmouth CIO/CISO Executive Workshop on Cyber Security
From DHS - October 11, 2007 Cybersecurity and Communications Assistant Secretary Greg Garcia discusses increasingly sophisticated and determined attacks on U.S. Government and private sector networks, and how government and industry can improve cybersecurity... More

Keep America Beautiful's Graffiti Prevention Grants Program Awards Cash to Two Cities
From Officer.com - October 10, 2007 Keep America Beautiful, Inc. has announced the City of Deming (N.M.) Police Department and YMCA of Riverside (Calif.) City & County are the recipients of $2,000 graffiti prevention grants from the 2007 Graffiti Hurts® National Grant Program... More

Operation Ranger Now Accepting 2008 Applications
From U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company - October 10, 2007 U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company is now accepting applications for 2008 Polaris Ranger 6x6 utility vehicles through its Operation Ranger program. Applications and all supporting materials must be postmarked by Friday, December 28, 2007 to be considered... More

Public Comment Period For Draft National Response Framework Extended To October 22
From DHS - October 9, 2007 The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that it has extended the public comment period on the draft National Response Framework until October 22, 2007. The extended comment period provides additional time for interested parties to provide feedback on the draft document... More

Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding Addresses Participants at Excess/Surplus Lines Claims Association Conference
From DHS - October 9, 2007 Donald E. Powell, the president's top official for Gulf Coast rebuilding, today spoke to members of the Excess/Surplus Lines Claims Association (ESLCA), a global not-for-profit insurance industry association, on the vast and continuing safety improvements that have been made in the Gulf Coast region... More

New CHIEF Grants Seminar! Grant-Writing Training Coming to Valley Center, KS
From CHIEF Grants - October 9, 2007 CHIEF Grants' public safety grant-writing training is coming to Valley Center, KS. The Valley Center Fire Department is holding a 2-day grant seminar on Mar. 1-2, 2008. Registration is open to all public safety agencies seeking to improve their grant-writing skills and write more competitive public safety grants... Seminar Info & Registration

Protecting the Perimeter
From Officer.com - October 8, 2007 Innovative funding ideas keep metro Atlanta protected and prepared... More

Associate Chief Medical Officer for Medical Readiness B. Tilman Jolly, M.D. on State and Local Efforts to Prepare for Pandemic Influenza Before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
From DHS - October 3, 2007 DHS is responsible for the coordination of the overall Federal response during an influenza pandemic. Dr. B. Tilman Jolly reviews pandemic influenza and highlights DHS initiatives and outreach programs... More

NIMS Alert: 31-07 NIMS Clarity
From NIMS Integration Center - October 3, 2007 Recently questions have arisen resulting in some confusion among the community of State Emergency Managers concerning NIMS compliance, the NIMSCAST, eligibility for preparedness funding, and Corrective Action Plan (CAP) extensions versus extensions for reporting NIMS compliance. This memorandum intends to provide clarification to this issue... More

DHS Awards $33 Million for Stand-Off Radiation Detector System (SORDS) Demonstrations
From DHS - October 1, 2007 The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) announced today the award of three contracts related to Stand-Off Radiation Detection System (SORDS) demonstrations... More