Question on "help"

[Station 49]

I've noticed that several people in here have multiple AFG applications from several departments. I'm assuming that some on here are either paid consultants or experts who offer pro-bono work to smaller departments.

I was wondering if using consultants is beneficial. I'm capable of writing the grant itself, as I did with our AFG application, but I found, even after attending a grant workshop put on by my state's fire service training bureau that I had very little idea what FEMA was really looking for.

[Fighting41NY]

I've noticed that several people in here have multiple AFG applications from several departments. I'm assuming that some on here are either paid consultants or experts who offer pro-bono work to smaller departments.

I was wondering if using consultants is beneficial. I'm capable of writing the grant itself, as I did with our AFG application, but I found, even after attending a grant workshop put on by my state's fire service training bureau that I had very little idea what FEMA was really looking for.

The best advice seems to come from a bunch of people on this forum or from one of the two consultants Brian (BC79er) or Kurt (KTB7980). Both of these guys offer seminars that are worth their weight in gold. Whoever you use as a consultant, just make sure they are familiar with this program and have experience. I've written about 30 grants and I can say without Brian's seminar and this forum I would not have the success I've had. A lot of first timers I have helped in my county had no clue and were totally bombing the narrative and application. Simple stuff, like spelling, grammar and not following the instructions. Another common mistake I see is people not writing the narrative in four sections and answering the questions that need to be addressed.

[jmurphy139]

Station 49,

I can vouch for Kurt's seminars as I have attended two of them at a total cost of $600. Since attending the first one, I have been 3 for 3 on AFG grants for a total of almost $83,000 plus an additional $11,000 in state grants. If you have a chance to attend on of his seminars....do it.

[jam24u]

Some people accuse us of only being promoters for Kurt or Brians seminars. Without commenting further on those kind of ideas, one must decide on a value per dollar type of purchase with this.

If your going to take on the grants world, I think it would be hard to enter it without some special guidance by those who make their living by it. Or at least spend a lot of
(successful) time doing it.

We have seen some AFG applications written by city managers and wonder what they were thinking.

You just gotta convince your department of the worth of the cost of the seminar. With the possible extension of AFG till 2014, Its more valuable than ever. You will have 5 years to build on. If you do, all your concerns will never more nag at you and you will wonder about it no more.

It is not like the TV hosts recommending a Psychiatrist for every problem.

[islandfire03]

Like any skill in life , getting trained on how to do the jobs make you more successful at it.

Writing grants requires special skills in understanding what exactly they are asking you in the requirements. They want to give out money and want us to correctly decipher the rules of the particular program. This pertains to any grant program, not just AFG.

I have written many grant apps over the years and have been fairly successful. along the way I took classes from the pro's to help me understand the HOW TO of writing funded grants. They are worth the cost.
We have a professional paid grant writer on our board of directors that works for a major healthcare system. She was amazed at how different the AFG program was from those that she works with daily.

I think many of us here at FH have been successful and many have learned from each other and from taking classes from the pro's. We write for our own departments and help our neighbors where we can. The goal is to get as many funded requests as possible for the fire service.

[Catch22]

I write the grants for my department and help a number of local departments with theirs. I don't write the entire narrative, but I'm more than willing to read through theirs and offer advice.

Everything I've learned has been from Brian, Kurt (attended seminars from both), and the networking on these forums. I've learned a lot from other people's narratives, both what they've done right and what they've done wrong. The one rule is no plagerizing.

Once you get a feel for what the program is after, it gets easier every year. Since going 0-3, we've now been awarded a grant for the last five years straight.