Fire and EMS Grants Applicable to TIM

Adequate funding is one of emergency responders’ biggest challenges: it is perhaps the biggest concern for volunteer responders, and many paid responders are facing budget cuts and reduced funding. Grants offer one solid opportunity for responders to obtain at least some of the funding needed for them to fulfill their roles.

Researching grants, knowing when the applications are due, and taking the needed time to apply for grants is a necessary task. The following article offers a look at four Fire and EMS grants that are applicable to TIM: SAFER Grants, Fire Prevention and Safety Grants, Lowe’s Community Partners Grants, and the NAEMT Scholarship Program.

The first part of the article provides a snapshot of who can apply for these grants, where additional details can be found, when the grants are due, and why each grant is applicable to TIM. The remaining content provides additional details about each grant.

GRANT DETAILS AND APPLICABILITY TO TIM

Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grants:

• This is relevant to the Fire discipline. Website: http://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/101125. Due March 6.
• SAFER grants can be utilized to secure Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for emergency responders. The PPE ranges from bunker gear, to helmets, to boots, to highway safety vests.

Fire Prevention and Safety Grants:

• This is relevant to the Fire discipline. Website: http://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/101167. Due April 17.
• These grants include building and sustaining, as well as delivering core capabilities through: Public Information and Warning, Operational Coordination, Planning, Community Resilience, Long-Term Vulnerability Reduction, and Environmental Response/Health and Safety.
• These grants can be used in furthering TIM efforts in the National Preparedness Goal in the mitigation and response mission areas.

Lowe’s Community Partner Grants:

• This is relevant to the EMS discipline. Website: http://responsibility.lowes.com/apply-for-a-grant/. The deadline varies, but the spring application cycle runs from March 30-May 29.
• These grants help to build better communities by providing monetary assistance to non-profit organizations and municipalities looking for support of high-need projects, such as technology upgrades. The third goal of the National Unified Goal is interoperable communications; by applying for this grant, responders can obtain technology that allows them to communicate in route and during TIM response activities.

NAEMT Scholarship Program:

• This is relevant to the EMS discipline. Website: http://www.naemt.org/members_audience/scholarships.aspx. The deadlines are June 15 and September 15.
• Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) are needed for every injury crash occurring on our roadways. EMTs play a vital role in treating injured parties and ensuring injured parties are transported to hospitals. This scholarship program will help people with limited means become highly trained emergency responders to make our highways safer.

ADDITIONAL GRANT DETAILS

SAFER Grants
The SAFER grant is issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Grant Programs Directorate (GPD), and Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG). Eligible applicants include fire departments and national, state, local, or tribal organizations that represent the interests of volunteer firefighters. This funding opportunity is discretionary and competitive.

Program Overview: The SAFER Grant Program provides funding directly to fire departments and national, state, local, or tribal organizations representing the interests of volunteer firefighters to assist them in increasing the number of firefighters to help fire departments meet industry minimum standards and attain 24-hour staffing to protect communities from fire and fire-related hazards, and to fulfill traditional missions of fire departments.

Program Objectives: The goal of the SAFER Grant Program is to assist local fire departments with staffing and deployment capabilities in order to respond to emergencies and assure that communities have adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards. SAFER intends to improve or restore local fire departments’ staffing and deployment capabilities so they may more effectively and safely respond to emergencies. With enhanced or restored staffing levels, grantees should see a reduction in response times and an increase in the number of trained personnel assembled at the incident scene.

While not required for a SAFER Grant, it is preferable that the enhanced or restored staffing levels of all SAFER Grantees should ensure all first-arriving apparatus are staffed with a minimum of four qualified personnel (to meet NFPA standards) who are capable of initiating the suppression response. Ultimately, SAFER Grantees should achieve more efficient responses and safer incident scenes, thereby ensuring communities have improved protection from fire and fire-related hazards.

The FY 2014 SAFER Grant plays an important role in the implementation of the National Preparedness System by supporting the building, sustainment, and delivery of core capabilities essential to achieving the National Preparedness Goal of a secure and resilient nation. Delivering core capabilities requires the combined effort of the whole community, rather than the exclusive effort of any single organization or level of government.

The FY 2014 SAFER Grant’s allowable costs support efforts to build and sustain core capabilities across the Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery mission areas. Examples of tangible outcomes for FY 2014 SAFER include building and sustaining core capabilities, such as Public and Private Services and Resources, and Public Health and Medical Services.

Fire Prevention and Safety Grants
DHS, FEMA, and GPD issues the Fire Prevention and Safety Grant program. The title for this grant is Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG). The following entities are eligible for grant funding under this grant (this funding opportunity is discretionary and competitive): Fire Departments, Local Organizations, Native American Tribal Organizations, Community Organizations with fire prevention and/or safety experience or expertise, Private and Public Non-Profit Organizations, Regional Organizations, and National Organizations.

Program Overview and Priorities: The purpose of the AFG Program is to enhance the safety of the public and firefighters with respect to fire and fire-related hazards by assisting fire prevention programs and supporting firefighter health and safety research and development. GPD administers the Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) Grant Program as part of the AFG Program.

FP&S Grants are offered to support projects in two activities:

• Fire Prevention and Safety Activity: FP&S activities are designed to reach high-risk target groups and mitigate the incidence of death and injuries caused by fire and fire-related hazards.
• Research and Development Activity: R&D projects are aimed at improving firefighter safety, health, or wellness through research and development that reduces firefighter fatalities and injuries.

The FP&S Program plays an important role in the implementation of the National Preparedness System by supporting the building, sustainment, and delivery of core capabilities essential to achieving the National Preparedness Goal of a secure and resilient nation.

Examples of tangible outcomes from FY 2014 FP&S Program includes building, sustaining, and delivering core capabilities through: Public Information and Warning, Operational Coordination, Planning, Community Resilience, Long-Term Vulnerability Reduction, and Environmental Response/Health and Safety.

Lowe’s Community Partner Grants
Lowe’s and the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation focus its giving efforts on public education and community improvement projects. Specifically, the Lowe’s Community Partners grant program helps build better communities by providing monetary assistance to nonprofit organizations and municipalities looking for support of high-need projects, such as building renovations/upgrades, grounds improvements, technology upgrades, and safety improvements. Grants range from $5,000 to $100,000, with most projects falling between $10,000 and $25,000.

Small Grants (less than $2,000): The small grants program is an outlet for organizations seeking smaller-scale assistance for non-educational focused projects. These grants range from $100 to $2,000. Small grant project requests must also fit within the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation guidelines. These requests are received on a rolling basis, with no specific cycle dates. Please note that grant funds are distributed as Lowe’s gift cards.

NAEMT Scholarship Program
To allow for the advancement of EMS personnel, NAEMT is proud to offer scholarship opportunities for individual, active members. The following scholarships are available:

• First Responders (To become EMT-Basic) – up to $500 each
• EMT-Basic (To become EMT-Paramedic) – up to $5,000 each
• Paramedics (To advance education in the realm of EMS) – up to $2,000 each
• Degree completion program offered through The College Network – up to $2,500 each

Detailed scholarship guidelines can be found at the website provided above: http://www.naemt.org/members_audience/scholarships.aspx.