Can I submit multiple applications?

If your organization is planning on submitting an application for one, two all three grant opportunities - Operations and Safety Activity, Vehicle Acquisition Activity, Regional application - each program area requires a separate application. In 2008, you will be able to work on the applications concurrently if you choose.

If a fire department or nonaffiliated EMS organization submits multiple applications, as allowed in the 2008 Program Guidance, will the scores of all the applications be combined or averaged, potentially hurting the department, or does each application stand alone?

Any applicant that submits multiple applications will find that each of their applications will be scored separately in all phases of the evaluation. The score applied to one application will not affect the score(s) of any other application(s).

Advance payment bonds are a new requirement in 2008 for vehicle grants. What are advance payment bonds and where can I get one?

An advance payment bond is like an insurance policy that protects you in the event that the manufacturer with whom you contracted to build your vehicle cannot fulfill the contract, i.e., cannot finish building your vehicle for any reason. An advance payment bond is a financial tool used to guarantee that , in the event of manufacturer/contractor default, funds will be available to finish the construction of your vehicle and ensure its proper operation. From the vehicle grantee's point of view, the insolvency of a contractor during the construction of a vehicle will most likely result in delayed completion of the vehicle, additional expenses for a different manufacturer/contractor to finish the work, or even loss of grant funds. For this reason, we now require manufacturers/contractors to provide a bond from an independent bank, insurance company or bonding agency so that the vehicle grantees can recover damages they may sustain if the manufacturer/contractors default during the construction of a vehicle. The amount of the bond should be equal to, or greater than, the sum of any payments, compensation and/or consideration provided prior to the delivery of the vehicle.

If no down payment is required, an advance payment bond is not required.

Are there other requirements for vehicle contracts?

Regardless of whether a performance bond is obtained, each vehicle purchase contract must include a performance clause. The clause will provide a specific date for delivery of the vehicle and a clause that imposes a penalty for non-delivery. Non-delivery by the contract's guaranteed date will result in a penalty for non-performance that is no less than $100 per day until the manufacturer can deliver the vehicle to the grantee. Delivery is not acceptable unless the vehicle is “operational” and “functioning” when delivered.

In my application, I indicated that my existing vehicle was unsafe and that I would remove it from service. What do I need to do in order to comply with this requirement?

The unsafe vehicle cannot be used in emergency service, thus it cannot be sold, donated, and/or given to another department. The unsafe vehicle may be traded-in, taken to the junk yard for scrap, it may be donated to a museum, relegated to farm use, or given to a training academy if the academy is not going to use it for drivers training (they could use it for training FFS on the operation of the pump). In order to assure that an unsafe vehicle is removed, we'll require the grantee to transfer title of the vehicle to any individual or organization that is not in the business of providing first-responder services.

Vehicle awards require a formal driver/operator training program, what is included in a formal driver/operator training program?

A comprehensive driver training program includes not only instruction on driving and/or operating a particular vehicle, but would also include instruction on appropriate preventative maintenance. If you request a vehicle, you must certify that personnel who will drive and operate the requested vehicle meet or exceed the national standards for drivers/operators (fire vehicles NFPA 1002, EMS DOT or KKK standards). Be advised that NFPA 1002 requires that drivers pass physicals that meet NFPA 1582 as well as training requirements of NFPA 1001. This training may be accomplished via an established in-house training program or with grant funds added to the vehicle request. If you do not have an established driver training program or do not have a plan to obtain the training via this grant program or some other source, your application will not be eligible for funding.

At one time, AFG policy allowed up to 50 percent of the grant funds to be used for a down payment. Is that the case for this year's program?

NO. To encourage better cash management practices, grantees may only request 25 percent for down payments. There will not be any additional funds available for chassis payments in 2008. If a grantee is required to pay for the chassis, they will have to use the 25 percent available for down payments or use their own resources.

What small specialty access vehicles are eligible for funding?

For 2008, small specialty access vehicles such as ATVs, boats, gators, snowmobiles, etc., are not eligible for funding.

What are the priorities for awarding applications for thermal imager cameras now that there are no limitations on the number of units that can be requested?

There are no specific criteria for awarding thermal imaging cameras (TICs). TICs will be evaluated in the same manner as any other piece of equipment in the equipment activity. The following evaluation criteria priorities are used for the equipment activity:

•               Effectiveness of the request to address basic firefighting missions.

•               Frequency of use.

•               Effect on firefighters' health and safety.

What is the policy for reporting to NFIRS (National Fire Incident Reporting System) for fire departments or EMS organizations who apply as regional applicants?

As the official grantee, only the regional host is responsible for adhering to any and all grant requirements. However, we strongly encourage any fire department participants to report incident data to NFIRS during the period of performance.

For Regional applications, are all of the benefiting organizations required to be NIMS compliant or just the host applicant?

We expect all departments that receive equipment or services from a regional project grant to be compliant with all local edicts regarding NIMS.

Are there any special requirements in order to qualify for a regional communications project?

Yes. Regional communication projects must comply or be consistent with the State Communication Interoperability Plan (SCIP). Applicants in states that do not have a SCIP are not eligible for regional communication projects.

We would like to remodel the chief's office and the reception area in our fire station. Can we use grant funds for remodeling?

No. Grant funds may be used for remodeling, but only if the remodeling is relative to other grant activities and has a direct impact on the accomplishment of the grant activities. For example, we will allow for remodeling of a room in a station to accommodate training if training is also a grant activity.

I want to buy radio equipment that all of my neighboring departments use, and there is only one vendor that sells those radios. Do I have to seek other bids or may I use the sole source?

Interoperability are justifications for selection of a vendor but CANNOT be used as justification to avoid obtaining other bids from other sources. You must seek to ensure that “all procurement actions are conducted in a manner that provides, to the maximum extent possible, open and free competition,” and document your choice of vendors in your grant files. Refer to the “Grantee Responsibilities”

Is there a penalty for returning funds or excess funds?

No, there is no penalty for returning funds. However, it is our preference that grantees expend all awarded funds on eligible expenditures, including fire prevention activities.

If our department was contacted by the Program Office during the approval process and negotiated to a lower number of a particular item, but then after purchasing everything, had additional funds, can we purchase the original "pre-negotiated" number of items?

No.  If the program office negotiated a lower number of items, it was because the Program Office Subject Matter Specialists determined that the original request contained either excessive or duplicative equipment.  Saving funds does not eliminate the rationale for the reduction in items.  For example, a department with 10 active members sought 20 sets of turnout.  The Program Office reduced the request to 10 because purchasing a second set of gear is a poor use of limited grant funds when so many other departments have unmet needs.  If this department received quotes sufficient to purchase 20 sets of gear, we would only pay for 10, based on the negotiated agreement.  The only exception to this situation would be the use of excess funds.  Grantees are allowed discretion in their use of up to $5,000 in excess funds.  See the Program Guidance for more details on the eligible uses of excess funds.

If I negotiated a lower number of a particular item – as in the above scenario where gear was reduced from 20 sets to 10 sets because, at the time of application, I only had 10 active members – can I buy more than the negotiated number of items or equipment for new members?

Many applicants' situations change between the submittal of their application and the ultimate award.  Unfortunately, we cannot take these changing conditions into consideration when making award decisions. We can only consider the information contained in the original proposal.  If we allow one applicant to update their application to reflect current conditions, we would have to allow ALL applicants to do the same.  So, in this scenario, we would only allow the grantee to purchase equipment for the number of members listed in their application.  The only exception to this situation would be the use of excess funds.  Grantees are allowed discretion in their use of up to $5,000 in excess funds.  See the Program Guidance for more details on the eligible uses of excess funds.

Are organizations or agencies normally considered ineligible for an AFG grant, eligible to be included as a beneficiary of a regional application?

Yes. Law enforcement, public works, or the local emergency management offices could be beneficiaries of Assistance to Firefighters grants. For example, local law enforcement could be users of a new dispatch system funded by the grant program or the emergency management staff could be issued radios by the grantee in order to foster interoperability.

If I decline an award, will that be held against me in the event that I apply for future funding?

An applicant that declines to accept a grant during negotiation would not be penalized for declining the award. However, we would consider a grantee to be a poor performer if they accepted an award and subsequently returned that award because they cannot fulfill the grant requirements. This does not mean that the poor performing grantees would be precluded from applying for future assistance; it merely means that past performance would be taken into account prior to awarding any new grants. Prior performance has always been a consideration for funding.

I'm planning to submit an application as a host for a regional project. When I answer the questions in the Department Characteristics section of the online application, do I use the statistics for the entire region that will be affected by the project, or do I use my department's local statistics?

When applying as a host of a regional project, you will provide statistics for the entire region. The statistics provided may affect the level of the cost-share obligation.

I'm applying as the host for a regional project, but I also need some equipment for my own department. Can I submit a second application for my own department's needs?

Yes. In 2008, you may submit a separate application for your own department's needs. DO NOT apply for your own internal needs on a regional application.

I've noticed several vendors that claim their product is "FEMA Fire Act Approved." Do you have a list of products that are "Approved?"

No. The Federal government (FEMA, ODP, SLGCP, or DHS) does not approve, endorse, promote, sanction or otherwise support any specific products or services and purchasers should be wary of any vendor that makes such claims. For the AFG program, we require that any product or service purchased with grant funds comply with applicable national standards.

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Vehicle Acquisitions FAQs What small specialty access vehicles are eligible for funding? For 2008, small specialty access vehicles such as ATVs, boats, gators, snowmobiles, etc., are not eligible for funding. Top Advance payment bonds are a new requirement in 2008 for vehicle grants. What are advance payment bonds and where can I get one? An advance payment bond is like an insurance policy that protects you in the event that the manufacturer with whom you contracted to build your vehicle cannot fulfill the contract, i.e., cannot finish building your vehicle for any reason. An advance payment bond is a financial tool used to guarantee that , in the event of manufacturer/contractor default, funds will be available to finish the construction of your vehicle and ensure its proper operation. From the vehicle grantee's point of view, the insolvency of a contractor during the construction of a vehicle will most likely result in delayed completion of the vehicle, additional expenses for a different manufacturer/contractor to finish the work, or even loss of grant funds. For this reason, we now require manufacturers/contractors to provide a bond from an independent bank, insurance company or bonding agency so that the vehicle grantees can recover damages they may sustain if the manufacturer/contractors default during the construction of a vehicle. The amount of the bond should be equal to, or greater than, the sum of any payments, compensation and/or consideration provided prior to the delivery of the vehicle. If no down payment is required, an advance payment bond is not required. Top Are there other requirements for vehicle contracts? Regardless of whether a performance bond is obtained, each vehicle purchase contract must include a performance clause. The clause will provide a specific date for delivery of the vehicle and a clause that imposes a penalty for non-delivery. Non-delivery by the contract’s guaranteed date will result in a penalty for non-performance that is no less than $100 per day until the manufacturer can deliver the vehicle to the grantee. Delivery is not acceptable unless the vehicle is “operational” and “functioning” when delivered. Top In my application, I indicated that my existing vehicle was unsafe and that I would remove it from service. What do I need to do in order to comply with this requirement? The unsafe vehicle cannot be used in emergency service, thus it cannot be sold, donated, and/or given to another department. The unsafe vehicle may be traded-in, taken to the junk yard for scrap, it may be donated to a museum, relegated to farm use, or given to a training academy if the academy is not going to use it for drivers training (they could use it for training FFS on the operation of the pump). In order to assure that an unsafe vehicle is removed, we'll require the grantee to transfer title of the vehicle to any individual or organization that is not in the business of providing first-responder services. Top Vehicle awards require a formal driver/operator training program, what is included in a formal driver/operator training program? A comprehensive driver training program includes not only instruction on driving and/or operating a particular vehicle, but would also include instruction on appropriate preventative maintenance. If you request a vehicle, you must certify that personnel who will drive and operate the requested vehicle meet or exceed the national standards for drivers/operators (fire vehicles NFPA 1002, EMS DOT or KKK standards). Be advised that NFPA 1002 requires that drivers pass physicals that meet NFPA 1582 as well as training requirements of NFPA 1001. This training may be accomplished via an established in-house training program or with grant funds added to the vehicle request. If you do not have an established driver training program or do not have a plan to obtain the training via this grant program or some other source, your application will not be eligible for funding. Top At one time, AFG policy allowed up to 50 percent of the grant funds to be used for a down payment. Is that the case for this year's program? NO. To encourage better cash management practices, grantees may only request 25 percent for down payments. There will not be any additional funds available for chassis payments in 2008. If a grantee is required to pay for the chassis, they will have to use the 25 percent available for down payments or use their own resources. Top May I apply for more than one grant? May I request items from more than one program area? Yes. In 2008, applicants may submit one application in each of two grant program areas. Applicants ma y apply for any number of items or activities within the chosen program area. Below are the two grant program areas for 2008: Operations and Safety Program. Eligible activities are Training, Equipment, Personal Protective Equipment, Wellness and Fitness, and Modifications to Fire Stations and Facilities. Vehicle Acquisition Program. Eligible apparatus for fire departments include but are not limited to pumpers, brush/attack units, tanker/tenders, rescue vehicles, ambulances, quints, aerials, foam trucks, and fireboats. Eligible apparatus for nonaffiliated EMS organizations includes ambulances, rescues, and command vehicles, but NOT firefighting apparatus. Top Can I buy a tow-vehicle with grant funds? Any plan to purchase a vehicle with grant funds must be applied for under the vehicle acquisition program. Be advised that a tow-vehicle is a very low priority. Tow-vehicles for a training program, e.g., for a burn-trailer, may be eligible as a transportation expense if adequately justified in the proposal, but such transportation expenses will be limited to $6,000 per year. The tractor and trailer can be considered as separate single units, or the combination of the tractor-trailer may be considered as a single unit, depending upon local need and the ability to justify the request. However, no more than $6,000 per year can be expended for the procurement of the tractor. Top What types of costs are eligible under the Vehicle Acquisition Program? There are several related costs that can be charged to a vehicle grant. Be advised, however, that all costs should be explained in the narrative portion of your application and that any requests must be reasonable and that all costs requested will be taken into consideration when the application is assessed. These additional costs can be added to your application budget by clicking on "Add Additional Funding" on the Request Details screen and entering your costs on the appropriate budget line. Travel costs to visit the vehicle manufacturer to inspect a piece of apparatus may be eligible. Equipment that is included in NFPA 1901 for fire apparatus is considered an eligible request. Driver training may also be eligible. Unfortunately, due to the limited funding for EMS vehicles, we will not fund any equipment under the EMS vehicle acquisition program. Top My department has a vehicle on loan from the State Department of Forestry. We don't own it, but we have use of it. Do I claim this vehicle on my inventory or only vehicles that I own? If an applicant has unfettered (free) use of a vehicle that is owned by another department or agency, the applicant must claim that vehicle in it's inventory as the vehicle's use has an affect on the applicant's ability to respond to alarms. 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OTHER FAQs

DEFINITIONS

What is the definition of interoperability?

Interoperability is described as fire department technology, equipment, programs, and/or procedures
that give the department the capability of operating with a variety of other departments and/or
communities within a region, and/or with Federal/State agencies.

How do you determine whether you are a volunteer, combination, or career department?

A volunteer fire department is composed entirely of members who do not receive compensation, other
than a length of service retirement program (LSOP) and insurance. A career department is a
department in which all members are compensated for their services. A combination department
has at least one volunteer, with the balance being career; or one career member with the balance
being volunteer. Also, if a volunteer fire department provides stipends to their members or provides
"pay on call" for their members, the department is considered to be combination.

SCORING, GRANT WRITING, AND AWARDS

How are the grant applications scored?

In the first phase, each application will receive a numerical score based upon the response to the
activity-specific questions. Applications will then be rank-ordered and the competitive applications
will be forwarded on for review by a technical application panel, comprised of peer fire service
professionals. The panel will evaluate the narrative portion of the application and will assign a
numerical score based upon the project description, cost/benefit statement, the financial need
of the applicant and the operational outcome of the project..

Applications will be scored based on their entire request. We anticipate that the majority of grant
awards will be for the funding level requested, provided that all items requested are eligible and
meet the priorities of the program. In some cases, it may be necessary to negotiate the final
grant award with an applicant. This will be accomplished on a case-by-case basis.

We reserve the right to adjust any request, in whole or in part, that we deem to be excessive or
otherwise contrary to the best interest of the program.

Do I need to hire a professional grant writer in order to complete an application?

No, the on-line application is designed to be straight forward and user friendly. There are a
number of help buttons and pull-down screens that will clarify items on the application. The
application is also designed to prevent incomplete or inaccurate applications from being
submitted. Anyone with basic computer skills and knowledge of the fire service should be
able to complete and submit an application.

In addition, panels of your peers will review competitive applications. Therefore, your
applications simply need to be written in a manner that your colleagues can understand.

How will the determination for an award be made?

In selecting applications for award, we will use the established applicant eligibility criteria,
program priorities, the financial needs of the applicant, and an analysis of the benefits that
would result from the grant award. In the initial screening of the applications, every application
will be evaluated based on the answers to the activity-specific questions. The applications that
most closely address the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program's established priorities will
be deemed to be in the "competitive range" and subject to a second level of review.

This second level of review is conducted using technical review panels (made up of individuals
from the fire service or fire service organizations) that assess the application's merits with
respect to the detail provided in the narrative about the project, the applicant's financial need,
and the project's benefit to be derived from the cost. At least three technical evaluation panelists
will independently score each application and then discuss the merits/shortcomings of the
application in order to reconcile any major discrepancies. A consensus on the score is not
required. The scores of the panelists will be added together, and then divided by the number
of panelists to arrive at the final score of the application. The highest scoring applications will
then be considered for award. We will provide equal consideration to applications in each
evaluation phase, regardless of the program applied for, or the number of activities requested.

The law requires a specific distribution of grant funds between career departments and
combination/volunteer fire departments. Specifically, we must ensure that fire departments
that have either all-volunteer forces of firefighting personnel or combined forces of volunteer
and career firefighting personnel receive a portion of the total grant funding that is not less than
the proportion of the United States population that those departments protect. According to a
2000 survey by the National Fire Protection Association, volunteer and combination departments
protect 55 percent of the population of the United States and career departments protect 45
percent of the population.

In order to fulfill our obligations under the law, we may also make funding decisions using
rank order as the preliminary basis then based on the size and character of the community a
department serves (urban, suburban, or rural), and the geographic location of the fire department.
In these instances where we are making final decisions by including geographic location, we will
use States as the basic geographic unit.

NFIRS

Is the fire department required to participate in NFIRS?

As a condition of receipt of grant funds under this program, the recipient must agree to provide
information to the United States Fire Administration's National Fire Incident Reporting System
(NFIRS). This information can be provided through a State agency or directly to the USFA.
Recipients are encouraged to participate for longer than the one-year minimum period
specified by the program requirements, as this data is used to more accurately assess
and subsequently combat the fire problem at a national level.

Can I get reimbursed for costs associated with submitting information to NFIRS? If you are
not currently reporting to NFIRS, new costs associated with this activity may be included in
the applicant's administrative costs. The anticipated cost should be included in the budget
and explained in the program narrative. Applicants should be aware that administrative costs
will be taken into consideration in the evaluation process with respect to cost-benefit. Therefore,
excessive charges to administrative costs may result in a lower rating in the evaluation
of the application.

I received an email from FEMA asking me more questions. Does this mean I am getting an award?

Congratulations. You are one step closer to an award.

About 15,000 grant applications made it through the peer review process for the FIRE Act Grants.
FEMA is now in the process of contacting departments that made it through the peer review with additional
questions that will keep your application in the running for an award.

Being contacted does not mean you are getting an award but it means you are under consideration.
When FEMA gets a favorable reply to these email questions your application can move on to the next phase.
There is a final review of your application to see if it makes sense in terms of how you are using

and spending money.

Here is a sample of the questions they are asking:

1.       If you are selected for an award, would you accept? (some people said no last year)

2.       If you are selected for a grant award, can your department meet the required cost-share?
How are you planning to meet the required cost share?

3.       If you are selected for an award, do you understand that the funds can only cover
expenses for one year and that you have to spend the funding within one year of your
grant award date?

4.       If you are selected, do you understand that you will be required to report to NFIRS for
at least the period of the grant?

5.       Do you have any changes to your point of contacts, phone numbers, email addresses,
or banking information listed on your application?

6.       Did you have any pre-award costs including the use of a grant writer?

WHAT IF OUR DEPARTMENT INFORMATION CHANGES AS WE REQUEST OUR FUNDS?

As many of you may have noticed, details and facts about your department or your department’s grant
application are quite different now versus when you applied for the grant. People listed as contacts may
have retired and/or moved away. You may have found that prices are different now or that quantity
discounts are affecting your budget. You may be running into obstacles implementing your grant. The good
news is we can issue an amendment to your award if necessary and it can all be done on-line. Even your
performance reports can be filed on-line.

As you may know, your performance report is due after the sixth month of your grant period. You will submit
this short report online and it provides us with details on the progress you have made with your grant. To
submit your report, log into your grant and select the Manage Grant link and you'll see the Performance
Report link on the left hand side of your screen. Click on the Performance Report link and follow the
directions. An e-mail will be sent once we have reviewed your report.

If the contact information has changed, we can issue a revision to your grant. Revisions pertain to alternate
contact information changes only. If primary contact information needs to be changed other than the primary
point of contact, please log into the AFG system and select edit profile to make the necessary changes. If
the primary point of contact has changed, please call our Enterprise Operations (EOPS) Division at 1-877-
611-4700. You must know your user name and password in order for EOPS to change the primary POC.
The revision requests for alternate contact information are handled under the Manage Grant link on your
Status page. Once you get to the Manage Grant page, click the link for Revisions and submit your request.
An e-mail confirmation will be sent once the information provided has been changed.

An amendment is a change to the scope of the original project, for example, modifying items to be
purchased, extending the period of performance, or requesting to use funds you may have left over after you
have carried out the original project scope. You submit your amendment request by selecting Manage Grant
link on your Status page after you log into your grant. The Amendment Request link will be on the left hand
side tool bar on the Manage Grant page. Fill out your request and submit it. We will inform you of the
disposition of your request via e-mail.

Requests for extensions of performance period should include specifics on the timeframe for completing the
project (including significant milestones), why you will need additional time, and the monetary impact of the
extension. Changes to requested detail items should include justification for the change and the impact it will
have on your project. If you have completed your project and you have funds remaining, you have three
different options for the use of the excess funds:

1.       You may use the funds to continue or expand activities within the Program and activity for which
you received the award. This expansion must be related to the original scope of work. You will
need to obtain approval from FEMA for the additional purchases or projects if the funds remaining
exceed 10% of the total grant amount or $5,000.

2.       You may use excess funds to create or expand a fire prevention program. You will need to obtain
approval from FEMA to use any excess funds for this purpose.

3. You may return any excess funds to FEMA. To exercise this option, state in your final performance
   report the total amount of funding used. You should also certify that the remaining funds are not
   necessary for you to fulfill your grant obligations and indicate that you understand that FEMA will
   deobligate the balance. This will affect the Federal portion and your match.

Source:  USFA: New Tools to Manage Your Grant

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