The Department of Homeland Security's Grant Programs Directorate began accepting applications for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) March 3. The deadline for receipt of the applications is April 4, 2008, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The AFG, which will be distributed in phases throughout FY 2008, will ultimately award approximately $500 million.
Interested applicants can access the FY 2008 AFG application through the AFG web site www.firegrantsupport.com, the U.S. Fire Administration's web site www.usfa.fema.gov and the Grants.gov web site.
The AFG web site contains important information about the AFG, including the FY 2008 funding priorities and program guidance, a web-based tutorial on the application process, a listing of frequently asked questions, and other materials.
Fire departments that have questions regarding this grant opportunity should contact the Help Desk at 1-866-274-0960 or email to [email protected]. During the application period, Help Desk hours will be from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. EDT. Additional Help Desk hours may be added if demand is high.
Eligible applicants for the FY 2008 AFG are limited to fire departments and nonaffiliated emergency medical service (EMS) organizations operating within the 50 United States , the District of Columbia , Guam, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, American Samoa , and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Interested applicants may submit two separate applications for consideration under each of the following two program areas:
- Operations and Safety Program Area: Eligible activities for fire departments and nonaffiliated EMS organizations are limited to training, equipment, personal protective equipment, wellness and fitness, and modifications to facilities.
The FY 2008 AFG will also allow eligible applicants to submit an additional application for a regional project through which multiple organizations, serving more than one local jurisdiction, may benefit directly from the activities implemented with the grant funds.
The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) has an online AFG Grant Narrative Resource Center fire and EMS departments can use as a guide when applying for AFG. The Resource Center includes successful grant narratives from past years as well as a grant-writing guide created by DHS. Applicants should use the posted narratives as a reference only and not plagiarize from them. DHS uses software to detect language recurring in multiple grant applications. Submitting an application that includes false information is a crime punishable by law.
Departments that have received Assistance to Firefighter Grants in the past and would like to submit the narratives from successful applications to be included in the Resource Center can send them to [email protected].
