The unprecedented increases of firefighting equipment, apparatus, and facilities costs over the past few years have challenged many fire chiefs to figure out new ways to acquire funding for vital resources.
Many municipal budgets throughout the United States haven’t kept up with the record inflation rates, and this is especially true in states that maintain property tax caps. Even fire departments that had proactively saved and contributed to dedicated equipment/apparatus funds have suddenly discovered their contributions no longer cover the escalated costs.
With the increased costs negatively affecting many fire departments’ budgets, many fire chiefs have turned to grant funding in an attempt to obtain funds for apparatus, equipment, and facilities. While most fire chiefs are familiar with the annual FEMA Assistance to Firefighter Grants (AFG), there are many other public and private sector grants that can also be used to offset costs. While grant application requirements can vary from program to program, familiarity with the following grant considerations can assist the fire chief in developing a successful grant proposal.
PLANNING AND PREPARATION
Given the detailed requirements of many grant programs, it is crucial that chiefs begin preparing for a grant opportunity as early as possible. Preparing for an eventual grant application well in advance gives the chief the chance to properly research and develop a comprehensive grant strategy that will be important when preparing to make a quality case for funding.
Many successful grant writers begin their preparation by constructing a timeline that includes time allocated to all of the crucial parts of the grant writing process from conducting research and collecting information through submitting the grant application. It is important to include time for key components of the grant process such as conducting proper research, developing a budget, obtaining approvals from applicable authorities, constructing the draft, and leaving time for reviewing and editing the application prior to submission. Each component should be assigned as generous an amount of time as possible, which will help when one or more components take longer than expected.
Developing a grant checklist can also be a useful tool for the fire chief. Constructing a checklist that includes all requirements of the local governance system as well as the requirements of the applicable grant will assist in ensuring all requirements have been fulfilled. Having a visual checklist can aid the fire chief in ensuring that progress is being made and that no required component is missed. Proactively developing a grant checklist not only helps keep the project on track but can also greatly reduce the stress that comes with last-minute submissions.
Diligently reviewing all grant documents is extremely important. You usually can gain a thorough understanding of the grant by reading the Notice of Funding documents. Thoroughly review these documents, make notes, and seek out answers to any questions that come up in their review. Far too often, grant applications fail because the applicants did not spend enough time researching the grant program requirements and priorities.
Additional best practices in the preparation and planning phase include the following:
- Maintain a collection of commonly requested data and demographic information that are common among many grant programs.
- Regularly examine and scrub your data collection process and datasets to ensure accuracy.
- Plan to complete the grant application draft one week prior to the submission date. This will allow you to address any unforeseen concerns with the application.
- Plan to submit the grant at least 24 hours before the deadline. This ensures that you can rectify any technical issues with the el