President Trump’s budget proposal contains major cuts to many federal grant programs.
Assistance to Firefighter Grants:
Fortunately for fire districts/departments, the “Assistance to Firefighter Grant” (AFG) programs are safe for now. This is because they fall under the umbrella of the Department of Homeland Security, one of three federal departments (along with Veteran’s Affairs and Defense) that, at this time, are escaping President Trump’s proposed budget cuts.
Proposed Cuts to Other Federal Grant Programs:
USDA Rural Development grant programs which have previously provided some equipment funding for fire districts/departments, are also slated for major cuts to funding.
HUD’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program is proposed for elimination under the administration;s proposed budget. I have helped many departments acquire fire station funding from CDBG in past years (Grant #3, Nile/Cliffdell, Town of Concrete FD, Asotin #1 and Douglas-Okanogan #15). Now would be a good time to call your elected officials in Washington, DC to tell them how important both CDBG and AFG grants are to your fire district/department.
Status of Assistance to Firefighter Grant Proposals (AFG) Already Submitted:
According to Senator Cantwell’s office: the AFG grant cycle is in the final stages and FEMA hopes to start making grant awards soon. The SAFER applications have yet to be reviewed, however, those are likely to be awarded this summer. Awards for both programs will be announced on a weekly basis (Fridays) until the funding is exhausted.
2017 Grant Application Cycle:
At the present time, no cuts are proposed for the AFG program. Budget levels are anticipated to be the same as 2016. However, without an appropriation (in the form of a full year continuing resolution or a stand-alone DHS-FEMA appropriation) FEMA cannot start their FY17 grant cycle. So, the grant cycle for FY17 will be delayed until the agency has been appropriated funds.
Timelines for accepting new grant applications (my “best guess” based on information presently available) are for:
Fire Protection and Safety (FP&S): late Spring/early Summer
Assistance to Firefighters (AFG): in late Summer/early Fall
Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER): at the end of 2017.
That-said, FEMA has been known to move quickly at times, so I strongly advise that you begin working on your applications now. I am presently working with several fire departments across the state on AFG grant preparation for the 2017 funding. If you are considering needing extra help in preparing AFG grants, be sure to contact a grant writer soon, as the schedules of successful AFG grant writers fills up months before the grant application period is announced.
I have written successful AFG grants for Radios, SCBA, PPE, Equipment, Hose, TIC’s, Apparatus, etc. I have compiled a Tip Sheet based on my experiences with these programs, which summarizes the “10 Steps to Preparing a Winning Assistance to Firefighters Grant Proposal”. Email me at Michelle@ResourceSolutionsNow.com for a copy of this document.
Upcoming Grant Writing Workshop:
To learn more about grants, you may want to attend the upcoming grant workshop entitled “Acquiring Grant$ for your Fire Department”, at the WFC pre-conference. This workshop will be held in Spokane on Monday, May 22nd from 3-5pm. I will be presenting the workshop (with assistance from Chief Baker at Chelan #5 and Chief Bucy at Stevens #1). Signing up for this workshop is part of the WFC conference registration process.
Alternate Grant Funding Sources:
Now might be a good time for you to consider some private/corporate funding sources. A good place to investigate alternative grant funding sources is an online publication titled: Funding Alternatives for Emergency Medical and Fire Services (http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/fa_331.pdf )
If you have additional grant-related questions, just let me know. (Email: Michelle@ResourceSolutionsNow.com Phone: 509/669-4442).