looking for grant

[JRS2003]

Hello,
I am looking for a grant for the Firefighter Wellness Initiative program. I am needing to put weight training/ fitness equipment in our Fire Hall. Any information would be greatly appreciated

Thank you!
Julia R Santana
FF-EMT
IAFF/ACE PFT

[tmnkwd]

Well, you are too late for the current grant period; however, it is a good time to get started on developing your goals and objectives for the next round of grants in 2004.

To be successful, you will need more than just a list of weight training equipment. You need to clearly define your project in the narrative and outline how the program with benefit the department and your community.

Start by taking a survey of your members and see what the needs are. You may want to contact your local hospital and see if they would donate time from their physical therapy, dietary, occupational health and any other department that would help you put together a total package.

It should include wellness training and other guides as outlined in NFPA 1583: Standard on Health-Related Fitness Programs for Fire Fighters, 2000 Edition and/or NFPA 1582: Standard on Comprehensive Occupational Medical Program for Fire Departments, 2003 Edition

Once you get the needs and objectives clearly established, start shopping for cost on actual implementation. Then, develop a clear and easy to understand narrative. Plan on doing several drafts of the narrative. Get some assistance from a local high school or college English teacher to help you put the narrative together if you or someone on your department is not comfortable writing a detailed narrative in the grant application.

Attend the FEMA classes on how to apply for the grant, if they are offered in your area. Get as much help as you can and do not be ashamed of asking for help. You might well be talking about big bucks here. Anything you can do to get a more polished application, the better.

As a 2003 peer review panelist, I saw many applications that might well have been awarded if they had been better prepared or were able to more clearly define their goals and overall objectives. Too often, the project fell way short of meeting the program objectives because it was not articulated in the narrative.