The Correct Story on FIRE GRANT Applications

[webteam]

This is from the USFA. These are the facts.

The following is from Brian Cowan, Director of Grant Programs for FEMA:

A few dozen departments around the country were allowed to EDIT their originally submitted data at FEMA'S REQUEST.

This was basic demographic data ONLY in order to make some data complete or more factual. FEMA contacted these departments because of some information that was missing or incomplete, or didn't add up. If you were not contacted, you have no issues.

These Departments were allowed to edit their information within the structure of the online form, but they were for applications that had been already submitted as appropriate by the deadline.

They were not allowed to submit new applications. They were ALREADY submitted. It was just minor edits to demographic information and the authorized individual on these grants was allowed to make on those applications.

There were multiple departments that were affected.

Once again, these are the facts. No NEW applications submitted after April 5 were accepted by FEMA. In fact, no NEW applications could be started after April 1. Just some minor edits.

Thanks
WebTeam

[NJFFSA16]

Thank you for posting the "official" information.

[Adze39]

Here is a response I got from FEMA (from an email I sent out before the Webteam started this thread). Basically what the Webteam said.

Mr. Novak:

Thank you for your message to USFAGRANTS. They have forwarded it to me for
reply.

A Mr. Stevens participated on a firehouse.com chat room about the
Assistance to Firefighters grants, and I presume that is the instance to
which you are referring. There were applications in which the departmental
characteristics looked suspicious to us as we examined the data on submitted
applications. It may have had to do with Mr. Stevens' preparation (and
others' besides Mr. Stevens) of more than one application. Clearly, the
e-grant application was an enormous success, yet with over 19,550 data
entries, and hundreds of thousands of data base entries, there was the
potential for such issues. In any case, we determined that, provided that
the actual request information was not being updated, it would be prudent to
allow a correction to these departmental characteristics in those few
instances that arose. Firehouse.com has apparently determined that they
would post an end to the string of chat room dialogue on this, and that end
is repeated below for your information.

I understand that Mr. Stevens' representation of the facts in this matter
have concerned you. We are sorry to have unnecessarily or inadvertently
upset the views of yourself and others about the grant program. Please be
assured that we do everything we can to maintain a fair and balanced grant
program. Thanks you for your continued interest in this program.

From Firehouse.com:

A few dozen departments around the country were allowed to EDIT their
originally submitted data at FEMA'S REQUEST.

This was basic demographic data ONLY in order to make some data complete or
more factual. FEMA contacted these departments because of some information
that was missing or incomplete, or didn't add up. If you were not contacted,
you have no issues.

These Departments were allowed to edit their information within the
structure of the online form, but they were for applications that had been
already submitted as appropriate by the deadline.

They were not allowed to submit new applications. They were ALREADY
submitted. It was just minor edits to demographic information and the
authorized individual on these grants was allowed to make on those
applications.

There were multiple departments that were affected.

Once again, these are the facts. No NEW applications submitted after April 5
were accepted by FEMA. In fact, no NEW applications could be started after
April 1. Just some minor edits.