Emergency Reporting, the provider of Fire & EMS records management software headquartered in Bellingham, Washington, releases a new report to assist customers with their applications for the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The application period for this grant opened on January 4. With fire department budgets being significantly challenged in today’s climate, the AFG program provides some much-needed relief.
Submitting incident reports
Completing a grant application can be daunting and time-consuming, but with so many fire departments struggling to budget for adequate staffing, protective equipment and gear, software, and other resources, grants can be essential for keeping first responders and communities safe.
The report is designed to provide a nicely formatted lookback of three years’ worth of response data
To help make the AFG application process simpler, Emergency Reporting created an easy-to-use report that significantly reduces the time needed to compile all of the data required in the AFG Application Checklist Table 4: Call Volumes. The report is designed to provide a nicely formatted lookback of three years’ worth of response data for fire departments that use Emergency Reporting software to document and submit incident reports, and it closely matches the layout of the actual table in the AFG application that must be submitted to apply for funding.
Significant budget cuts
In addition to the many challenges faced by those in the fire and EMS service during the current pandemic, fire departments across the country are being forced to propose significant budget cuts. Emergency Reporting CEO David Nokes says that many fire agencies are using their Emergency Reporting software during this time to help save time and money, and to secure crucial grant funding.
“Cloud-based fire software like Emergency Reporting can save departments thousands, as well as many hours of personnel time,” Nokes says. “The benefits gained from a high-quality RMS becomes especially clear in times like these.”
Life-Saving insights
First responders collect information daily that has the potential to provide life-saving insights
First responders collect information daily that has the potential to provide life-saving insights to fire service and community leaders. “Unfortunately, some fire departments are still playing technology catch-up when it comes to actively using this data to support initiatives within their department,” Nokes says.
This point is also clear in the FY2020 AFG Communications Project Guide released by FireRescue1, where reviewers state that they would have given many applications higher scores if the applicants had only presented a more complete picture of their situations.
Nokes adds, “A comprehensive Records Management System can help harness a department’s data in order to paint that picture clearly in a grant application.”
