| The AFG awards provide around $510 million to fire departments and other EMS organisations nationally |
The application period is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, April 15, 2009, at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). Applications for these grants must be received by Wednesday, May 20, 2009, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).
Nationally, the AFG awards, which will be distributed in phases, will ultimately provide approximately $510 million to fire departments and nonaffiliated emergency medical service organizations throughout the country. AFG awards aim to enhance response capabilities and to more effectively protect the health and safety of the public with respect to fire and other hazards. The grants enable local fire departments and emergency medical services organizations to purchase or receive training, conduct first responder health and safety programs, and buy equipment and response vehicles.
An applicant tutorial is available at http://www.firegrantsupport.com/. The tutorial provides you with valuable grant information and will walk you through the preparation and submittal of competitive applications. In addition, the applicant tutorial will provide an overview of the funding priorities and evaluation criteria. Applicants who have questions regarding the Assistance to Firefighters Grants opportunity should contact the help desk on 1 866 274 0960 or at: firegrants@dhs.gov. During the application period, the help desk will operate Monday to Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (EDT), but is prepared to revise hours of operation based on volume and demand.
The AFG Program is administered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Grant Programs Directorate in coordination with the U.S. Fire Administration. For access to the FY09 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program Guidance or FAQs - visit www.firegrantsupport.com/afg/.
The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) has an online resource center to help volunteer fire departments write successful narratives with their applications for the AFG program. The AFG and SAFER Grant Narrative Resource Center includes copies of narratives from successful past grant applications as well as a grant-writing guide created by DHS. These model grant narratives are to be used for example or reference purposes only and are not to be directly copied. The Resource Center is available online at www.nvfc.org/news/2007-afg-safer.html.