Mid-late August From Website

[Chief745]

Well they updated the website with a new estimated date of grant announcements. Mid to Late August. We will have to wait and see if this date holds true or changes.

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

That would be for the SAFER awards, not the AFG. Still looking like the 12th for the floodgates to open. SAFER will be done in 1 round, in case anyone was losing sleep over it.

[k3twpfire]

Has anyone received an 1199A Update or 10 Questions for the Safer grant yet?

[ktb9780]

k3 none of my clients has heard a peep yet. Porbably willbe next week before we see them and they are going to be few and far between. If my calulations are correct there will only be about 130-150 awards. My guess will be "one round" of awards.

[GIFCEngine11]

Anyone know when you should expect to see an official award announcement? I received my 10 questions and 1199a form weeks ago and everything was reported as in order. So my question is if they actual award on the 12th, and I am lucky enough to be in that first round, when would I get the official award announcement, in the past it was 1 to 2 weeks before it was posted online.

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

The official award announcement will (and has always been) the day that your department was publicly announced. So if you're in the first round, and it is on the 12th, you'll get an email, as well as be able to log into the application web site and print the entire award package. Congrats on the award.

I guess the celebration will be with Yuengling? My mother in law is on her way down with some of that right now. I'll be so happy to see it. I mean her.

- Brian

[GIFCEngine11]

Thanks for the information. We received a grant last year but I thought we received the e-mail announcement a few days before the public announcement, could be wrong on that, was just happy to get it period! Also very surprised to get the 10 questions this year.

The PA State grant makes FEMA look organized and on time, our award announcements were supposed to start in May, now they're saying August 7, but I'm about as confident in that as I am in a weather man being perfect with his forecast!

Enjoy the Yuengling, almost couldn't enjoy it, had a fire call at the brewery last week, nothing major but definitely a near miss. Also the biggest turnout you'll ever see at a volunteer fire call...

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

I don't doubt that. They are finally shipping it to Mobile, AL from the Tampa brewery, so one of these days my buddy from Pottsville that's with the dept and I will be making a road trip. He grew up 3 blocks from the brewery in Pottsville. Can't remember what station he was with up there.

The congressfolks get the fax from DHS on the Wednesday before the Friday announcement, so that could have been the "announcement before the announcement" you were thinking of.

[sfr25c7]

We just got our 1199a for a 2004 grant. Back in February we recived an email stating they could not fund at this time but any left over funds from fy 2004 will be awarded in September.

Still on pins and needles for this years........

[ktb9780]

That is probabaly the latest I have ever seen funds distributed. Good luck.

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

That's normal, they've been doing that every year of the AFG so far. All leftover monies are given out in September. There are usually anywhere from 10-30 given out, more of late since they put in the $5K cap on excess unless it's a FP task. Unfortunately, not too many people spending on FP, but then again it could be because they already have a top notch program.

[Chief745]

Well another Wed is almost here hopefully we will hear good news tommorow.
I hope to see some post that the calls went out by this time tommorrow!

[pmed19]

You got that right. I don't know what we'll do if we don't get it.

[Chief745]

It is getting late in the day and still no word. Guess this week is going to be a dry run. From the other threads looks like the money is still tied up.
Wonder how long the suspense will last. We have our questions and 1199 link for a truck but the dealer has a price increase this month 5%.

[waterboy1]

We are facing the same problem, price increase on 9-1-05. It does not look good for getting the bids out, back and awarded. The OMB "review" is going to cost a lot of dept's. thousands of $.

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

Who said you had to have the award in hand to solicit bids? Companies ask for bids all of the time and never end up buying anything. Contracts are cancelled, minds are changed, budget delays all happen in the real world outside of the grants program all of the time. Put out your spec now, so that you are armed with what you want when the announcement is made and you can lock in the order. If no money is required as a deposit when the order is made, then you're all set to beat the price increase.

Of course, I highly recommend having the spec built prior to the application ever being submitted so that you know how much it might cost exactly the way you want it, or as close as possible, as well as being able to project price increases. I also recommend adding 5% to any vehicle prices anyway, just in case. Remember, the award is on merit within the dollar amount requested, an extra 5% will not break the bank and cause you to get kicked out. Of course I don't mean spend 20 hours refining every detail. There will always be minor changes no matter what. What I mean is list the big details that are the most price changing in the list: cab type, # of SCBA seats, HP, pump size, tank size, foam, generator type, compartment door type (roll-up or D handle), scene lighting (light tower, side lights), and emergency lighting package (LED, Strobe, or Rotator). From that nearly every sales person worth their salt can find a similar truck, pull the spec, make the modifications, and get an adjusted price within a day. It doesn't have to be a full-blown RFP spec, just something to get you a price and be in their system already, with 90% of the work done. Trust me, I've built a ton of trucks, not every request for a bid has to be complete with the exact location of every strobe light, you can move them anytime prior to construction. I don't think I've gotten a set of drawings and haven't had to change something. Hit the big items, add some fudge factor money, and voila. Spec built, ready to send out for bid. Most state laws match the federal government's, which is you have to send out at least 3 requests. You don't have to receive 3 back, you just have to send them. So if only 1 company replies, guess who's building the truck? Pre-sale service is always an indicator of post-sale service, so if someone doesn't want to take the time to bid, then they aren't going to be really helpful after they have your money either, they'll be too busy looking for their next score.

[Chief745]

That's a great. I thought the program rules would prevent us from doing that until the official word was announced. We have everything ready to ge the bids the minute the award is official.
Thanks

[edbyrd]

Just talked to U.S. Congressman from N.C. today. They talked to the people in Washington DC this week and said that the main reason for the delays of the awards was because of the 2004 afg awards were not yet closed out, but they have just closed them out according to Congressman. So the word from the "horses mouth" was 2 weeks for the 2005 afg awards. But keep your fingers crossed anyway because they also said it may be "within" 2 weeks. Sorry for bad news.

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

edbyrd, thanks for the update.

Chief745, the only thing you can't do before the official word, is spend money and expect to get it reimbursed from them. Grant writing fees not included of course, they have to be paid within 30 days of the close of the app period. Anyway, you can request bids, make your choice, and if it costs no money, then you can order whatever you want. If your vendor will let you order with no deposit. I know of a few dealers that are putting dibs on commercial chassis and demo trucks that haven't entered the production line yet, to save post-award delays. I'd have to double check the rules but I believe you used to be able to use your matching funds as a deposit if needed, but that might have only been after the official word, and before you got the funds transfer from the feds.

[waterboy1]

Our spec's were done last December and to beat the 9-1 price increase we will have to have the order in. This is something we are not willing to do as the way the OMB is holding up this program I am not sure that any awards are going to happen. We are in the last fiscal quarter for the feds and they (OMB) can't get their act together. This program is for ALL of fiscal year 2005 not the last couple of days. We have called all of our congressmen and to date no reply. They said they would check into it.

Rant Off.