Excess AFG Funds

[tdpearce]

Can someone tell me what my options are for excess AFG funds? Looks like we are going to have about $7K left over from our CAFS retrofit.

We included $3,500 in our application for transport cost and it's not going to cost near that much and then we'll have another $3,500 left over from the equipment section.

Any ideas?

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

Up to $4750 of their money (if you're a 5% match) can be used for anything you want that's eligible in the first place. After that it's Fire Prevention or deallocate to pass on to others.

[mtndew21]

Why not to do the right thing and send extra money back ?
Remember Need not Greed.
We are suppose to be the examples not the cause.

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

Not everyone that spends the excess is greedy though. That's why they limit it to $5k in excess, there are a lot of needs that don't cost enough to keep grant apps competitive and the right thing is to buy them to fix a solution, not be punished for finding the most cost-effective purchasing. A few lengths of handlines, a couple of pagers, couple of sets of gear, and other stuff like that are needs but such low dollar wouldn't fund if in a grant by themselves as smaller quantities if everything else is decent. So 10 sets of gear under 7 years old and 2 being over 15, those 2 excess fund sets are a need. I have 2 departments using excess funds for their FP programs that keep getting denied when submitting FP apps. I also have many that don't have such needs so they do just send it back.

[onebugle]

Before you spend excess funds on a FP program you will need to file an amendment and recieve approval.

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

Correct, forgot to mention that part. It's basically the FP narrative but tough part is keeping it to the 4000 character max and still hitting all the right info they want.

[neiowa]

Can someone tell me what my options are for excess AFG funds? Looks like we are going to have about $7K left over from our CAFS retrofit.

We included $3,500 in our application for transport cost and it's not going to cost near that much and then we'll have another $3,500 left over from the equipment section.

Any ideas?

Did you include mfg training on the CAFS? Worth doing. Did you purchase enough Class A foam to fill the tank and for training use? Did you include an off truck foam acess (as Akron 3128) or foam refill pump (keep FF of the top of the truck is a safety priority). Did you order supply of filters (air and hydraulic)? You have nozzles and tips (including monitor)? Low or medium expansion foam tubes so you can make expanded (non CAFS) foam. Don't have to be very original to spend $7k on useful equipment that will improve effiency or safety.

[ScareCrow57]

Up to $4750 of their money (if you're a 5% match) can be used for anything you want that's eligible in the first place. After that it's Fire Prevention or deallocate to pass on to others.

Are you sure about that? We had about $980 in excess grant funds, we expended it all. I was under the impression that it was up to $5000 and the department would kick in the 5% on top of that.

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

No, the matching % is the same on all money, grant or excess. So if the bill was $980 you owed 5% of that in local match.

[ScareCrow57]

No, the matching % is the same on all money, grant or excess. So if the bill was $980 you owed 5% of that in local match.

Correct. What I am wondering is the $5000 number. I was of the impression if you had sya $6000 in excess funds that you could spend $5000 of that as long as you matched it with the $250. MEaning the total procurement would be $5250 or more.

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

No, they changed it to the $5000 including the match. So 10% match gets to use $4500 of fed funds, 20% gets to use $4000.

This year we can use the larger of the $5000 or half of the total remainder on Health and Wellness initiatives that are part of AFG. Physicals, immunizations, etc.

[ScareCrow57]

No, they changed it to the $5000 including the match. So 10% match gets to use $4500 of fed funds, 20% gets to use $4000.

This year we can use the larger of the $5000 or half of the total remainder on Health and Wellness initiatives that are part of AFG. Physicals, immunizations, etc.

Haven't gotten that far into the guidance yet. What amazes is the number of people who don't even read the guidance but just apply. I read it, then read it again, and then read it a third time until I know very well.

[wmbennett87]

We are working on grant for a CAFS Retrofit. We made it to the December 23 round of DJ's last year and are going to try again. Could you possibly e-mail me a copy of your narrative.

Thanks,

jvillelafiredist@aol.com

[imafireman]

Brian is absolutely right on this one. We requested $5000 in our excess money and added our 5% to it. When we closed the grant out, we had to write a check to DHS to refund the $250 we should not have received.

Kelly

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

That was one of those changes they didn't tell anyone about after not clarifying what the rule meant in the first place. Several people spent $5000 of their money and added the 5% and they said nothing about it. If it weren't sporadic and ambiguous it wouldn't be the government...

[imafireman]

That was one of those changes they didn't tell anyone about after not clarifying what the rule meant in the first place. Several people spent $5000 of their money and added the 5% and they said nothing about it. If it weren't sporadic and ambiguous it wouldn't be the government...

I think it is kind of comical that we requested the full $5000, was approved for it and transferred the money, then to have them request it back 7 months later. The other thing I thought was comical is the fact you have to request whole dollar amounts. One does not think that is a big deal, but when there are multiple requests for transfers and the values round up, you could possibly be requesting $.49 extra on each of these. We were asked for these additional couple of dollars back also. Now when I request funds, I always round down. I would rather do that, than to have a closeout held up over these couple dollars.

Kelly

[tdpearce]

Thanks for all the info everyone.

The off truck foam access or foam refill pump is a great suggestion and not something that I had thought about. I will go back and request info on this from the supplier.

We have requested nozzles, foam, training etc, in the quote.

Hitman50, I'll get you that narrative here in a few minutes.

[tdpearce]

Well, by adding the "off truck foam access" and an LED foam gauge, I have taken care of a big chunk of the "excess funds"

[wmbennett87]

Got it. Thanks!