New Grant Awards Coming Soon:  Latest word according to FEMA, is that grant awards will begin soon after the 4th of July.

Next Grant Deadline Fast Approaching:  According to the Help Desk, FEMA plans to accept another round of AFG grant applications beginning in August 2018.  Click here for a list of High Priority Funding Items, http://www.resourcesolutionsnow.com/our-services/fema-firefighter-grant-program.  If you need help preparing your next grant, get started early, because the schedules of qualified grant writers are filling up fast!

What to Do if You Received a Turn-Down Letter  Many departments received AFG turn-down letters this Spring.  Now is the time to revise those applications and get them ready to resubmit...

Todays First Responders face a multitude of challenges on a variety of fronts. Technology not only can make our jobs easier, but also may cause complications with recordings, videos, and just plain old computer issues. Litigation is ever present and the explosion of various media sources and blogs can push false narratives or continue placing issues and calls of activism in front of a population for a much longer time than previous generations ever could dream possible. There is Specialized and societal mandated training. Added to what is already a highly stressful work environment - the effects on the First Responder is immense. A career where batting .300 such as in baseball is considered good - doesn’t even come close. Perfection is demanded and expected of us. If not, then people can get hurt or die, lawsuits initiated, and internal investigations opened. Not to mention protests and negative media coverage. Whether law enforcement, Fire, EMS, dispatch, or corrections, all careers face their own special work pressures. We are easily recognizable and if people want to do us harm - all they have to do is call 911 and we offer drive-up service.

In November, the National Institute of Public Safety Health hosted the Public Safety Health Symposium. This year’s focus was on cancer and firefighting.

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 SAFER Grant application period is now open and will close on Friday, April 27 at 5:00 p.m. ET. We recommend that you start your application today by reviewing the FY 2017 SAFER Application Technical Assistance Tools. These tools were produced specifically to help potential applicants plan their FY 2017 SAFER applications.

Please make sure that you have thoroughly reviewed the FY 2017 SAFER Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), prior to beginning your application. The SAFER Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) should also be reviewed as they provide more detailed information and explanations. As you being to develop the narrative portion of your application, the Self-Evaluation tools will be beneficial as the peer reviews will use them when scoring your application. If you are applying for a Recruitment and Retention Activity Grant, the Request Details Description Instructions will be extremely important when completing the application.

Event Honors Washington State Fallen Firefighters Foundation. Donation Goal is $15,000

From April 1 – April 30, 2018, Olympic Hot Tub hosts its annual “Heroes” event to honor and support the Washington State Fallen Firefighters Foundation (WSFFF). Olympic Hot Tub will donate a portion of each Hot Spring Spa, Finnleo Sauna, Freeflow Spa and Covana Automated Gazebo sold in the month of April.

Don Riling, president of Olympic Hot Tub, launched the annual “Heroes” event in 2017 as a way to give back to the community his company has been a part of for over forty years. Each year Olympic Hot Tub selects a beneficiary that honors or celebrates local heroes, first responders or teachers. This year’s recipient, WSFFF directly assists the firefighter’s family after the loss of a Washington state firefighter.

Beginning on Tuesday, December 26th 1:30 PM ET, FEMA will host a series of live Adobe Connect webinars. These webinars will provide applicants with an understanding of the FY 2017 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program, the grant process, and how to complete the application.  AFG staff recommends that you review the Notice of Funding Opportunity prior to participating in the webinars to help make the application process easier.  

“Piggybacking” refers to one local government making purchases from contracts awarded by another government or group of governments via an interlocal agreement or contract. Piggybacking is a convenient way to procure goods or services. However, the Washington Auditor's Office has seen an increasing number of local governments use this alternative method without completing the process properly. National purchasing cooperatives are becoming more widely used, and many of these are based in other states where the laws do not align with Washington law. 

The new Be a Hero, Save a Hero® mobile app from the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) can help your community stay safe with valuable fire prevention information, special weather and seasonal notifications, and more.  It’s available now for you to share with the public as you remind them to change their smoke alarm batteries and the benefits of 10-year smoke alarms.

The Washington Fire Chiefs ( WFC), a non-profit fire chiefs association is evaluating and possibly developing a workers’ compensation group retro plan through Washington State Labor and Industries (L & I). This bid request has been initiated to solicit responses from individuals or firms interested in participating in a contract to perform the services described in the attached documents.