[Federal Register: March 14, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 50)]
[Notices]
[Page 12553-12560]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14mr03-104]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program
AGENCY: U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), FEMA, Emergency Preparedness
and Response, Homeland Security.
ACTION: Notice of funds availability.
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SUMMARY: We, USFA, are publishing this Notice to announce the
availability of grant funding for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program (AFGP) for fiscal year 2003 and to provide the details and
guidance regarding the 2003 program year.
The program is intended to make grants directly to fire departments
of a State for the purpose of enhancing the departments' ability to
protect the health and safety of the public as well as that of
firefighting personnel facing fire and fire-related hazards. A portion
of this year's grants will be awarded on a competitive basis to the
applicants that best address the program's priorities as described in
this Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA), then demonstrate financial
need and maximize the benefits to be derived from the grant funds.
DATES: This notice is effective March 14, 2003.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian A. Cowan, Director, Grants
Program Office, USFA, DHS, 500 C Street, SW., Room 330, Washington, DC
20472.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Authority: Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974, 15
U.S.C. 2201 et seq., and the Consolidated Appropriations Resolution,
2003, Pub. L. 108-7.
Appropriations
For fiscal year 2003, Congress appropriated $750,000,000 to carry
out the activities of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program
(AFGP). From this amount $4,875,000 was rescinded leaving $745,125,000
to carry out the AFGP. We are also authorized to spend up to
$37,500,000 for administration of the AFGP (five percent of the
appropriated amount). In addition, we may set aside as much as
$27,500,000 of the funds available under the Assistance to Firefighter
Grant Program in order for us to make grants to, or enter into
contracts or cooperative agreements with, national, State, local or
community organizations or agencies, including fire departments, for
the purpose of carrying out fire prevention and injury prevention
programs. This leaves approximately $680,000,000 for competitive grants
to fire departments. We have until September 30, 2004, to obligate the
appropriated funds.
Background
The purpose of the AFGP is to award grants directly to fire
departments of a State to enhance their ability to protect the health
and safety of the public, as well as that of firefighting personnel,
with respect to fire and fire related hazards. We will award the grants
on a competitive basis to the applicants that first address the AFGP's
priorities then demonstrate financial need and adequately demonstrate
the benefit to be derived from their projects.
For the purpose of the AFGP, ``State'' is defined as the fifty
States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands,
Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands. We will provide the chief executives of the States with
information concerning the total number and dollar amount of awards
made to fire departments in their States.
Applicants may apply for any number of activities within one grant
proposal that address all of their needs within a programmatic or
functional area. The programs, and associated activities are as
follows:
(a) Fire Operations and Firefighter Safety Program. Eligible
activities under this function are Training, Wellness and Fitness,
Firefighting Equipment, Personal Protective Equipment, and Modification
to Fire Stations and Facilities.
(b) Fire Prevention Program. Eligible activities under this
function include, but are not limited to Public Education and
Awareness, Enforcing Fire Codes, Inspector Certification, Purchase and
Install Smoke Alarms, and Arson Prevention and Detection.
(c) Emergency Medical Services Program. Eligible activities under
this function are Equipment Acquisition, Training, and Wellness and
Fitness Activities. Vehicles are not eligible in this programmatic
area.
(d) Firefighting Vehicle Acquisition Program. Eligible apparatus
under this program include, but are not limited to, pumpers, brush
trucks, tankers, rescue, ambulances, quints, aerials, foam units, and
fireboats.
Applicants seeking funding from this grant program in fiscal year
2003 may apply for assistance in only one of the four programmatic
areas listed above. Within the selected programmatic area, applicants
may develop a comprehensive program and include in their application as
many of the eligible activities as necessary to address their needs.
For example, if a fire department determines that it has needs in the
area of fire operations, that fire department could apply for any one
of the activities, or any combination of activities, or all of the
activities listed within that program. If a department wants a vehicle,
it would apply under the vehicle program.
We anticipate 20,000 to 25,000 fire departments will apply for
assistance. Of these, we anticipate awarding approximately 7,000
grants. However, due to the length of time that it will take us to make
these awards, we anticipate that approximately half of these awards
will be made before September 30, 2003. We anticipate the balance of
the awards will be made before June 30, 2004.
The law requires a certain 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 2001
survey by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), volunteer
and combination departments protect 56 percent of the population of the
United States and career departments protect 44 percent of the
population. Therefore, we will ensure that no less than 56 percent of
the funding available for grants will be awarded to volunteer and
combination departments.
In order to fulfill our obligations under the law, we will make
funding decisions using rank order after the panel evaluation as the
preliminary basis. We may deviate from rank order and make funding
decisions based on the type of department (career, combination, or
volunteer), size and character of the community the applicant serves
(urban, suburban, or rural), and/or the geographic location of the fire
department. In these instances where we are making decisions based on
geographic location, we will use States as the basic geographic unit.
Geographic location of an applicant may be used primarily as a final
discriminator, i.e., in cases where applicants have similar
qualifications, we may use the geographic location of the applicants to
maximize the diversity of the awardees.
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Fire Prevention and Safety Grants
In addition to the grants available to fire departments in fiscal
year 2003 through the competitive grant program, we will set aside as
much as $27,500,000 of the funds available under the Assistance to
Firefighter Grant Program in order for us to make grants to, or enter
into contracts or cooperative agreements with, national, State, local
or community organizations or agencies, including fire departments, for
the purpose of carrying out fire prevention and injury prevention
programs.
In accordance with statutory requirement to fund fire prevention
activities, our support to Fire Prevention and Safety Grant activities
will concentrate on organizations that focus on the prevention of
injuries to children from fire. In addition to this priority, we are
also placing an emphasis on funding innovative projects that focus on
protecting the USFA-identified high-risk populations, i.e., children
under fourteen, seniors over sixty-five, and firefighters. Since the
victims of burns experience both short- and long-term physical and
psychological effects, we are also placing a priority on programs that
focus on reducing the immediate and long-range effects of fire and burn
injuries, and primarily those affecting children.
A separate Notice of Funds Availability will be issued to announce
the pertinent details of the Fire Prevention and Safety Grant portion
of this program.
Applicant Eligibility
Eligible applicants for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program are limited to fire departments of a State. Under the existing
interim final rule, a ``fire department of a State'' is defined as an
agency or organization that has a formally recognized arrangement with
a State, local or tribal authority (city, county, parish, fire
district, township, town or other governing body) to provide fire
suppression services to a population within a fixed geographical area.
For the purpose of this program, ``State'' is defined as the fifty
States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands,
Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands.
A fire department can apply for assistance for its emergency
medical services unit provided the unit falls organizationally under
the auspices of the fire department. Airport fire departments and port
authority fire departments are eligible, but only if they have a
formally recognized arrangement with the local jurisdiction to provide
fire suppression services, on a first-due basis, outside the confines
of the airport or port facilities. Airport fire departments and port
authority fire departments whose sole responsibility is suppression of
fires on the airport grounds or port are not eligible for this grant
program.
Fire departments that are Federal, or contracted by the Federal
government, and which are solely responsible under their formally
recognized arrangement for suppression of fires on Federal
installations, are not eligible for this grant program. Fire
departments or fire stations that are not independent but are part of,
or controlled by a larger fire department or agency are typically not
eligible to apply on their own, but may be included in the larger
agency's application. Fire departments that are for-profit departments
(i.e., do not have specific non-profit status or are not municipally
based) are not eligible to apply for assistance under this program.
Also not eligible for this program are non-fire based EMS companies,
ambulance services, rescue squads, auxiliaries, dive teams, urban
search and rescue teams, fire service organizations or associations,
and State/local agencies such as a forest service, fire marshal,
hospitals, and training offices.
Application Process
Eligible applicants will be able to access the application on
USFA's e-grant system. This system is accessible from the USFA Internet
homepages. The application will only be available during the
application period. Although we do not encourage the use of paper
applications, paper applications will be available for applicants that
do not have access to the Internet. If an applicant does not have
access over the Internet to the USFA Web site, the applicant may
contact us directly to request a copy via mail. Although we do not
recommend it due to inherent delays and relatively short application
period, those fire departments interested in receiving an application
in the mail must call our toll-free hotline at 866-274-0960.
Applicants applying via paper application rather than the automated
e-grant system should complete and submit their applications to us at
Grant Program Technical Assistance Center, 16825 South Seton Avenue,
Emmitsburg, Maryland, 21727-8998. Faxed applications will not be
considered. We will not be responsible for applications sent to any
other address.
The application period for the 2003 Assistance to Firefighters
Grant Program is Monday, March 10, 2003, to Friday, April 11, 2003.
Complete application packages must be submitted electronically or
otherwise received by us on or before the close of business (5 p.m.
EST) on Friday, April 11, 2003. Applications submitted by mail must be
post-marked by April 8, 2003, or received by us on or before close of
business (5 p.m. EST) on April 11, 2003. We will not accept late,
faxed, or emailed applications.
The automated grant application system has features built into it
that will guarantee that the application is complete when submitted. We
will not accept incomplete applications submitted by mail. We will not
be responsible for any application that is not mailed to the address
specified above.
We will evaluate each application in the preliminary screening
process to determine which applications best address the program's
established priorities. This preliminary screening is based on the
applicants' answers to the activity-specific questions. Each activity
within an application will be scored and applications that have
multiple activities will have the scores prorated based on the amount
of funding requested for each activity.
The best applications as determined in this preliminary step will
be deemed to be in the ``competitive range.'' All applications in the
competitive range will be subject to a second level review by a
technical evaluation panel. The panelists will assess the application's
merits with respect to the clarity and detail provided in the narrative
about the project, the applicant's financial need, and the project's
purported benefit to be derived from the cost.
Using the evaluation criteria included herein, the panelists will
independently score each application before them and then discuss the
merits/shortcomings of the application in an effort to reconcile any
major discrepancies. A consensus on the score is not required. The
assigned score will reflect the degree to which the applicant: clearly
relates their proposed project; demonstrates financial need; and,
details a high benefit to cost value of the proposed activities. The
highest scoring applications resulting from this second level of review
will then be considered for award.
In order to be successful in the panel evaluation, the narrative
should include a detailed description of the planned activities, uses
for the grant funds including details of each budget line item. For
example, if personnel costs are
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included in the budget, please provide a break down of what those costs
are for. The narrative should also explain why the grant funds are
needed and why the department has not been able to obtain funding for
the planned activities on its own. A discussion of financial need
should include an explanation of any Federal funding received for
similar activities. Finally, the applicant's narrative should detail
the benefits the department or community will realize as a result of
the grant award. In addition to describing the cost effectiveness of
the grant request, an applicant can demonstrate cost benefit by
describing, as applicable, how the grant award will (1) Fit in with a
regional approach, i.e., is consistent with current capabilities and
requests of neighboring fire departments or otherwise benefits other
fire departments in the region, (2) promote interoperability of
equipment/technology with other fire departments and local, state and
Federal first responders, and (3) allow the fire department to respond
to all hazards. In addition to fire prevention/suppression, all hazards
includes incidents involving seismic (earthquake), atmospheric
(tornados, hurricanes), technological (hazardous materials, nuclear,
etc.), and terrorism.
In addition to the project narrative, the applicant must provide an
itemized budget detailing the use of the grant funds. If an applicant
is seeking funds in more than one eligible activity within a program,
separate budgets will have to be generated for each activity and then
an overall or summary budget would have to be generated. For those
applicants applying on line, the summary budget will be automatically
generated by the e-grant system.
Applicants that need assistance in formulating the justification or
narrative statement required by this program may contact us for
technical assistance. We will also be conducting grant workshops in
each State. We will place the information regarding the workshops on
the USFA Web site. Our Technical Assistance Center's toll free number
is 866-274-0960, our email address is USFAGRANTS@fema.gov, and our Web
site addresses are www.fema.gov and www.usfa.fema.gov, respectively.
Eligible Activities
Specific activities that are eligible for consideration for each
program area are provided below under the descriptions of this year's
eligible programs. Each department may only submit one application per
application period. Applicants may only apply for one program area per
application but they may seek funding in as many activities within the
program area as they need. The specific activities eligible for each
program area are delineated below. Applicants that submit multiple
applications within one application period or more than one program
will have each of their applications deemed ineligible. Applications
submitted under this NOFA does not preclude applications submitted
under subsequent NOFAs, though multiple awards in one Federal fiscal
year may be limited.
Fire Operations and Firefighter Safety Program.
Appropriate activities under this program area include: Training,
Wellness and Fitness, Firefighting Equipment, Personal Protective
Equipment, and Modifications to Fire Stations and Facilities. You can
apply for as many eligible activities under this function as necessary
to meet your operational needs. There are no bonuses or penalties for
applying for only one activity or for multiple activities. The purchase
of any equipment (communications systems and equipment or personal
protective equipment or firefighting equipment) under this program
should have the intent and/or goal of solving your interoperability
problems, as applicable. Any applicant seeking funding for equipment
herein should provide details in the narrative section of their
application regarding their local plan to enable interoperability for
their jurisdiction.
(a) Training activities: USFA may make grants for the purpose of
training firefighting personnel. Examples of training activities
include, but are not limited to firefighting I and II, driver/operator,
fire officer, hazardous materials response, incident command,
supervision and safety, arson prevention and detection, handling of
hazardous materials, or training firefighting personnel to provide
training in any of these areas.
Eligible uses of training funds include but are not limited to
purchase of training curricula, training equipment (including
trailers), training props, training services, attendance at formal
training forums, etc. Tow vehicles or other means of transport may be
eligible as a transportation expense under this activity if adequately
justified in your grant proposal, but we will limit transportation
expenses to $6,000 per year. Compensation to volunteer firefighters for
wages lost as a result of attending training under this program is an
eligible expense if justified in your grant proposal. Overtime expenses
paid to career firefighters to attend training, or overtime expenses
paid to firefighters to cover for their colleagues while their
colleagues are in training, is an eligible expense if justified in your
grant proposal. Even though compensation is an eligible expense,
proposals that contain such compensation expenses may be less favorable
than similar proposals without compensation expenses due to the
benefit/cost element in the evaluation process.
Activities that are not eligible in this area include construction
of facilities such as classrooms, buildings, towers, etc. Renovations
to an existing facility necessary to accomplish training activities are
allowable if the renovations are minor and comply with the definition
in the final rule and published in the Federal Register (i.e., limited
to minor interior alterations costing less than $10,000).
(b) Wellness and fitness activities: USFA may make grants for the
purpose of establishing or expanding wellness and fitness initiatives
for firefighting personnel. Applicants will not be eligible for funding
under the wellness and fitness activity unless they currently provide
entry level physical examinations, immunization programs, and periodic
health screenings, or intend to use grant funds to provide these three
benefits to all their active firefighting personnel including EMS
staff.
Eligible expenses in a wellness and fitness activity for
firefighting personnel may include the procurement of medical services
to ensure that the firefighting personnel are physically able to carry
out their duties (purchase of medical equipment is not eligible under
this category). Expenses to carry out wellness and fitness activities
may include costs such as personnel (i.e., health-care consultants,
trainers, and nutritionists), physicals, equipment (including
shipping), supplies, and other related contract services that are
directly associated with the implementation of the proposed activity
are eligible.
Transportation expenses and fitness club memberships for the
firefighters or their families are not eligible under the wellness and
fitness activity. Other expenses that are not eligible in this area
include construction of facilities to house a fitness program such as
exercise or fitness rooms, showers, etc. Renovations to an existing
facility necessary to accomplish wellness and fitness activities are
allowable if the renovations are minor and comply with the definition
in the final rule and published in the Federal Register (i.e.,
[[Page 12556]]
limited to minor interior alterations costing less than $10,000).
(c) Firefighting equipment acquisition: USFA may make grants for
the purpose of acquiring additional firefighting equipment, including
equipment needed directly for fire suppression or to enhance the safety
or effectiveness of firefighting or rescue activities.
Eligible expenses include those expenses necessary to acquire
additional firefighting equipment, including equipment for individual
communications and monitoring equipment. Compressor systems, cascade
systems, or similar SCBA refill systems are eligible expenditures in
this area. Small boats (under 13 feet in length), jet-skis, and all-
terrain vehicles (ATVs) may be considered firefighting or rescue
equipment if properly justified in the narrative section of the
application.
Renovations to an existing facility necessary to accommodate new
firefighting equipment are allowable if the renovations are minor and
comply with the definition in the final rule and published in the
Federal Register (i.e., limited to minor interior alterations costing
less than $10,000).
Thermal imaging cameras are eligible, but the number of cameras
that can be applied for and/or purchased with grant funds will be
limited based on the population served by the department applying for
assistance. Departments that serve communities of less than 20,000 can
purchase one thermal imaging camera with grant funds if awarded a
grant; departments serving communities between 20,000 and 50,000 can
purchase two cameras with grant funds if awarded a grant; and
departments serving communities of over 50,000 can purchase three
cameras with grant funds if awarded a grant.
Activities that are not eligible in this area include construction
of facilities such as buildings, towers, etc. Vehicles, as defined in
the final rule and published in the Federal Register, are not eligible
under this activity. Signage and outdoor warning sirens or systems are
also not eligible. Personal protective equipment, including clothing
for structural and/or wildland fire suppression such as ``Turnout
Gear'' or ``Bunker Gear'' (including boots, pants, coats, gloves,
hoods, goggles, vests, helmets, coveralls, and fire shelters), self-
contained breathing apparatus, spare cylinders, and personal alert
safety systems, is not eligible under this activity, but is eligible
under the Personal Protective Equipment Acquisition activity.
Integrated communications systems (or parts thereof), such as
computer-aided dispatch, base stations, repeaters, etc., are eligible
under this activity. Portable radios and/or mobile communications
equipment (including mobile repeaters) are also eligible. Personal
accountability systems are eligible as well. The cost of shipping
equipment purchased under this program is also an eligible expense.
The purchase of any equipment under this program must have the
intent and/or goal of satisfying local problems with interoperable
systems. Any applicant seeking funding for communications systems and/
or equipment must provide details regarding their local plan to enable
interoperability for their jurisdiction in the narrative section of
their application.
(d) Personal protective equipment acquisition: USFA may make grants
for the purpose of acquiring personal protective equipment required for
active firefighting personnel by the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, and other personal protective equipment for
firefighting personnel.
Eligible personal protective equipment includes clothing for
structural and wildland fire suppression such as ``Turnout Gear'' or
``Bunker Gear'' (including boots, pants, coats, gloves, hoods, goggles,
vests, helmets, coveralls, and fire shelters), self-contained breathing
apparatus, spare cylinders, and personal alert safety systems.
Protective clothing for response to hazardous materials incidents and
other specialized incidents are also eligible under this activity.
The purchase of three-quarter length rubber boots is an ineligible
expenditure under this activity since it precludes the effective use of
the eligible PPE cited above. Uniforms (formal/parade or station/duty)
or uniform items (hats, badges, etc.) are also not eligible
expenditures under this activity. Personal communications equipment
such as radios and pagers are not eligible under this activity, but
eligible under firefighting equipment acquisition activity.
The purchase of any equipment under this program must have the
intent and/or goal of satisfying local problems with interoperable
systems. Any applicant seeking funding for communications systems and/
or equipment must provide details regarding their local plan to enable
interoperability for their jurisdiction in the narrative section of
their application.
(e) Modifications to fire stations and facilities activities:
Eligible measures under this activity are limited but focused on
promoting fire and life safety in fire stations and facilities. We
believe that each of the eligible measures, if incorporated, would make
any facility safer for firefighters. Measures that are eligible for
funding are the installation of sprinkler systems, installation of
vehicle exhaust extraction systems, the installation of smoke and/or
fire alarm notification systems, and minor renovations to facilities
that are necessary in order to accomplish other activities under this
grant. The grant funds are to be used to retrofit existing structures
that do not have the eligible safety features or to upgrade facilities
whose features are dated. The funds are not to be used to supplement
new construction.
There are no monetary limits on the individual initiatives under
this activity such as vehicle exhaust systems, sprinkler systems or
smoke/fire alarm systems, but no applicant can request more than
$100,000 in the modifications per fire station under their
jurisdiction.
Fire Prevention Program.
USFA may make grants for the purpose of establishing or enhancing a
fire prevention program. Appropriate activities in this program
include, but are not limited to the following: public education, public
awareness, enforcing fire codes, inspector certification, purchase and
installation of smoke alarms and fire suppression systems, and arson
prevention and detection activities. Applicants can apply for as many
related activities under this function as necessary.
Eligible expenses to carry out these activities would include costs
such as a fire education/safety trailer, personnel, transportation,
equipment (including appropriate personal protective equipment),
supplies, and contracted services which are directly associated with
the implementation of the proposed activity. Tow vehicles or other
means of transport may be eligible as a transportation expense if
adequately justified in the proposal, but transportation expenses will
be limited to $6,000 per year.
Construction is not eligible under this program. A safety village
that is not transportable would be considered construction, and
therefore, not eligible. Firearms are also not eligible.
Emergency Medical Services Program.
USFA may make grants for the purpose of establishing or enhancing a
fire department's emergency medical services program. Applicants can
apply the training activity, the equipment acquisition activity, or the
wellness and fitness activity or all of these activities under this
program area.
[[Page 12557]]
Eligible expenses for the training activities under this program
could include instructional costs (i.e., books, materials, equipment,
supplies, and exam fees), certification/re-certification expenses, and
continuing education programs. Eligible expenses for equipment
acquisition in this program could include defibrillators, basic and
advanced life support equipment, universal precaution supplies (i.e.,
medical PPE) mobile and portable communication equipment, computers,
expendable supplies (but not medications), and infectious disease
control and decontamination systems.
Integrated communications systems (or parts thereof), such as
computer-aided dispatch, base stations, repeaters, etc., are eligible
under this activity. Portable radios and/or mobile communications
equipment (including mobile repeaters) are also eligible. The purchase
of any equipment under this program must have the intent and/or goal of
satisfying local problems with interoperable systems. Any applicant
seeking funding for equipment must provide details regarding their
local plan to enable interoperability for their jurisdiction in the
narrative section of their application.
Wellness and fitness activities under the EMS program: USFA may
make grants for the purpose of establishing or expanding wellness and
fitness initiatives for firefighting and EMS personnel of a fire
department. An applicant will not be eligible for funding under this
wellness and fitness activity unless the applicant currently provides
entry-level physical examinations, immunization programs, and periodic
health screenings, or intends to use grant funds to provide these
benefits to all firefighting personnel including active EMS staff.
Eligible expenses in a wellness and fitness activity for EMS
personnel may include the procurement of medical services to ensure
that the EMS personnel are physically able to carry out their duties
(purchase of medical equipment is not eligible under this category).
Expenses to carry out wellness and fitness activities may include costs
such as personnel (i.e., health-care consultants, trainers, and
nutritionists), physicals, equipment (including shipping), supplies,
and other related contract services that are directly associated with
the implementation of the proposed activity are eligible.
Not eligible in this program are medications and vehicles, such as
ambulances. Vehicles must be applied for under the Vehicle Acquisition
Program detailed below. Transportation expenses and fitness club
memberships for the EMS personnel or their families are not eligible
under the wellness and fitness activity. Other expenses that are not
eligible in this area include construction of communication towers or
facilities to house a fitness program such as exercise or fitness
rooms, showers, etc. Renovations to an existing facility necessary to
accomplish wellness and fitness activities are allowable if the
renovations are minor and comply with the definition in the final rule
and published in the Federal Register (i.e., limited to minor interior
alterations costing less than $10,000).
Firefighting Vehicle Acquisition Program
USFA may make grants for the purpose of acquiring new firefighting
vehicles, used fire apparatus, or refurbished apparatus. The funds may
also be used to refurbish a vehicle that the department currently owns.
Applicants may apply for only one vehicle per year under this program.
A listing of the eligible vehicles and their relative priority is
contained in the Evaluation Criteria section below.
Eligible expenses under this program would include the cost of the
vehicle and associated equipment necessary to conform to applicable
national standards. New, used or refurbished vehicles are eligible,
however any used or refurbished vehicles must conform to national
standards that were in effect the year the vehicle was manufactured.
Custom vehicles are eligible, but due to benefit/cost considerations
during review, they may not be as favorably evaluated as a lower
costing standard model commercial vehicle. An allowance for
transportation to inspect a vehicle under consideration or during a
vehicle's production would be eligible if justified and included in the
grant proposal. Also eligible would be the additional costs associated
with the purchase and installation of a vehicle-mounted exhaust
filtration system for any vehicle purchased with grant funds.
Applicants will not be allowed to modify the scope of work of a
vehicle award, i.e. change the type of vehicle requested. Aircraft,
bulldozers, and construction-related equipment are not eligible.
Other Eligible Costs
Administrative Costs. Administrative costs are allowable under any
of the program areas listed above, in accordance with OMB Circular A-87
or OMB Circular A-122, as applicable. Applicants may apply for
administrative costs if the costs are directly related to the
implementation of the program for which they are applying. Applicants
must list their costs under the ``other'' category in their budget and
explain what the costs are for in their project narrative. Examples of
eligible administrative costs would be shipping, computers, office
supplies, etc. We will assess the reasonableness of the administrative
costs requested in each application and determine if it is in the best
interest of the program to fund all or a portion of the requested
expenses.
Indirect Costs. Applicants that have an approved indirect cost rate
may charge indirect costs to the grant if they submit the documentation
that supports the rate to us. Indirect cost rates must be formally
established and approved by the applicant's cognizant Federal agency.
We will allow the rate to be applied as long as it is consistent with
its established terms. For example, some indirect cost rates may not
apply to capital procurements; in this case, indirect cost rates would
not apply for a grant to purchase equipment or a vehicle.
Audit Costs. Some applicants with large awards may be required to
undergo an audit in accordance with OMB Circular A-133, specifically,
recipients of Federal funding that spends in excess of $300,000 of
those funds in a year. The costs incurred for such an audit would be an
expenditure that is eligible for reimbursement if included in the
budget proposal.
Grant Writer Fees. Fees for grant writers may be included as a pre-
award expenditure (as provided in section 152.7(b)), but fees payable
on a contingency basis are not an eligible expense that can be charged
to the grant. For grant writers' fees to be eligible as a pre-award
expenditure, the fees must have been paid prior to award. Applicants
may be required to provide documentation to support these pre-award
expenditures.
Reasonableness of Costs. The panelists will review the applications
that make it into the competitive range and judge each application on
its own merits. The panelists will consider all expenses budgeted,
including administrative and indirect, as part of the cost-benefit
determination and may recommend appropriate adjustments. Regardless of
eligibility of any costs requested, we reserve the right to reduce any
requests for assistance, in whole or in part, that we deem to be
excessive or otherwise contrary to the best interests of this program.
Pre-award Costs. Generally, fire departments cannot use grant funds
to pay for products and services contracted for, or purchased prior to
the effective date of the grant. However, we will
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consider requests for reimbursement for these on an exception basis.
Expenses incurred after the application deadline but prior to award may
be eligible for reimbursement if the expenses were justified,
unavoidable (i.e., urgent and compelling), consistent with the scope of
work, and specifically approved by the Assistance Officer. Expenses,
obligations, commitments or contracts incurred or entered into prior to
the application deadline are not eligible to be included as an expense.
Evaluation Criteria
Specific rating criteria for each of the eligible programs and
activities follow below. These rating criteria will provide an
understanding of the grant program's priorities and the expected cost
effectiveness of any proposed projects.
(1) Fire Operations and Firefighter Safety Program.
(i) Training Activities. We believe that more benefit is derived
from the direct delivery of training than from the purchase of training
materials, equipment or props. Therefore, applications focused on
direct delivery of training will receive a higher competitive rating.
We will also accord higher rating to programs achieving benefits from
statutorily required training over non-mandatory or strictly voluntary
training. We will rate more highly those programs that benefit the
highest percentage of targeted personnel within a fire department.
Training designated for Rapid Intervention Teams will have a slightly
higher competitive advantage. It should be noted that on average the
sending of trainees away for training will be less cost effective than
delivery of the same training on-site.
Due to the inherent differences between urban, suburban, and rural
firefighting characteristics, we have developed different priorities in
the training activity for departments that service these different
types of communities. For departments serving rural communities, we
believe that funding of basic, operational-level firefighting, rescue,
and responder training (i.e., training in basic firefighting duties or
operating fire apparatus) has greater benefit than funding of officer
training, safety officer training, or operations training. Likewise, we
feel there is a greater cost-benefit to officer training than for other
specialized training such as mass casualty, HAZMAT, WMD awareness,
advance rescue, or inspector training. Conversely, for departments that
are servicing communities that are suburban or urban, we believe there
is a higher benefit to be gained by funding specialized training such
as mass casualty, HAZMAT, advance rescue, or inspector training than
the funding of officer training, safety officer training, or operations
training, which in turn has a higher benefit than basic, operational,
or awareness level activities.
(ii) Wellness and Fitness Activities. We believe that in order to
have an effective wellness/fitness program, fire departments must offer
an entry physical examination, an immunization program, and periodic
health screenings. Accordingly, applicants seeking funding in this
category must currently offer all three benefits, or must propose to
initiate any of these benefits not currently offered with these grant
funds in order to receive additional consideration for funding this
activity. We believe the greatest benefit will be realized by
supporting new wellness and fitness programs, and therefore, we will
accord higher competitive ratings to those applicants lacking wellness/
fitness programs over those applicants that already possess a wellness/
fitness program. We believe that programs with annual physicals and
general health screening provide high benefits and programs including
employee assistance-type offerings, incident rehabilitation, formal
fitness regiments, and/or injury prevention components offer
significant benefits. Injury rehabilitation is eligible but provide a
low cost benefit. Finally, since participation is critical to achieving
any benefits from a wellness or fitness program, we will give higher
competitive rating to departments whose wellness and fitness programs
mandate participation as well as programs that provide incentives for
participation.
(iii) Firefighting Equipment Acquisition. The stated purpose of
this grant program is to protect the health and safety of the public
and firefighters from fire and fire related hazards. As such, we
believe that this grant program will achieve the greatest benefits if
we provide funds to fire departments purchasing basic firefighting
equipment before any other type of equipment. We will afford
departments buying basic firefighting equipment for the first time
(equipment never owned before) a higher competitive rating than
departments buying replacement equipment or equipment that will be used
to expand the department's capabilities into new mission areas. We
believe there is more benefit realized to bring a department up to the
applicable minimum standard (i.e., as required by statute, regulation,
or professional firefighting guidance), rather than to the department
that is replacing equipment or enhancing capabilities. Equipment
designated for Rapid Intervention Teams will have a slightly higher
competitive advantage.
(iv) Personal Protective Equipment Acquisition. A stated purpose of
this grant program is to protect the health and safety of firefighters
from fire, fire related hazards and other hazardous conditions. The
goal is to provide active firefighters with a complete set of
equipment, breathing apparatus as well as turnout gear. As such, this
grant program will achieve the greatest benefits if we provide funds to
fire departments purchasing basic protective equipment for firefighting
before other types of protective equipment. In order to achieve the
goal and maximize the benefit to the firefighting community, we believe
that we must fund those applicants needing to provide personal
protective equipment (PPE) to a high percentage of their personnel.
Accordingly, we will give a high competitive rating in this category to
fire departments in which a large percentage of their active
firefighting staff do not have any personal protective equipment and to
departments that wish to purchase enough PPE to equip 100 percent of
their active firefighting staff. We will also give a higher competitive
rating to departments that are purchasing the equipment for the first
time as opposed to departments replacing obsolete or substandard
equipment (e.g., equipment that does not meet current NFPA and OSHA
standards), or purchasing equipment for a new mission. Departments that
are replacing used gear that is very old, will be afforded a higher
competitive rating than a department whose gear is relatively new. We
will provide a higher competitive rating to departments requesting
integrated PASS devices than to those departments that are requesting
non-integrated PASS devices. We also believe it is more cost beneficial
to fund departments that have a high volume of fire related responses
per year before funding less active departments. With respect to call
volume, departments will be compared to departments with similar
characteristics, i.e., urban compared to urban, suburban compared to
suburban, and rural compared to rural. Equipment designated for Rapid
Intervention Teams will have a slightly higher competitive advantage.
(v) Modifications to Fire Stations and Facilities. The stated
purposes of this grant program is to protect the health and safety of
firefighters, as such, eligible projects under this activity that are
designed to directly protect the health and safety of firefighters. We
believe that more benefit would be
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derived from modifying fire stations than would be realized by
modifying fire-training facilities or other fire-related facilities.
Facilities that would be open for broad usage and have a high occupancy
capacity would receive a higher competitive rating than facilities that
have limited use and/or low occupancy capacity. The frequency of use
would also have a bearing on the benefits to be derived from grant
funds. The frequency and duration of a facility's occupancy have a
direct relationship to the benefits to be realized from funding in this
activity. As such, facilities that are occupied or otherwise in use 24-
hours-per-day/seven-days-a-week would receive a higher competitive
rating than facilities used on a part-time or irregular basis.
(2) Fire Prevention Program. We believe that the public as a whole
will receive the greatest benefit by creating new fire prevention
programs. Therefore, our priority is to target these funds to fire
departments that do not have an existing fire prevention program as
opposed to those departments that already have such a program. Also, we
believe the public will benefit greatly from establishing fire
prevention programs that will continue beyond the grant year as opposed
to limited efforts. Therefore, we will give a higher competitive rating
to programs that will be self-sustaining after the grant period.
Because of the benefits to be attained, we will give a higher
competitive rating to programs that target one or more of USFA's
identified high-risk populations (i.e., children under fourteen years
of age, seniors over sixty-five and firefighters), and programs whose
impact is/will be periodically evaluated. We believe that the purchase
or development and/or implementation of public education programs
provides the highest benefits to a community therefore, applications
that propose this type of project will receive the highest competitive
rating. Programs that develop and enforce fire codes and standards, and
arson prevention and detection programs typically provide long-term
effect on fire prevention, therefore, they will receive a high
competitive rating. We also believe programs that purchase and install
residential and public detection and suppression systems provide
significant benefits.
Programs that are limited to the purchase of public information
materials and presentation aids and equipment achieve the least
benefit; therefore, these types of activities will receive a lower
competitive rating.
(3) Emergency Medical Services Program. Our overall objective in
this program is to help fire departments start or expand EMS service
delivery by providing training and equipment necessary to achieve their
desired level of capacity. Because of the inherent benefits, the
primary goal of this program is to train and equip all firefighters to
the basic EMS certification level (i.e., first responder and EMT) and
work toward an EMT-B level of capacity before assisting departments
with established EMS programs in upgrading existing services.
In this program area, we will give the highest competitive rating
to fire departments that are planning on acquiring a basic life-support
level of service over upgraded or expanded services. We believe that
enhancing or expanding an existing service that currently meets basic
life-support to an intermediate life-support system would a higher
benefit than enhancing existing services to the paramedic level.
Higher priority will be given to departments with a high call
volume relative to departments of similar characteristic (i.e., urban,
suburban, or rural). Also, departments that strive to comply with a
State, Federal, or national standard will be afforded a slightly higher
competitive standing.
(1) Firefighting Vehicle Program. In recognition of the inherent
differences between urban, suburban, and rural firefighting
conventions, we have developed different priorities in the vehicle
acquisition program for departments that service these different types
of communities. The following chart delineates our priorities in this
program area for each type of community. Due to the competitive nature
of this program and the imposed limits of funding available for this
program, it is unlikely that we would fund many vehicles that are not
listed as a priority-one or a priority-two this year.
Vehicle Acquisition Program Priorities
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Urban Suburban Rural
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Priority One..................... Pumper Pumper Pumper.
Quint Quint Tanker.
Rescue-pumper Rescue-pumper Brush.
Aerial Rescue-pumper.
Rescue Pumper-tanker.
Priority Two..................... HAZMAT Brush Rescue.
Light/Air Rescue Light/Air.
Rehab Aerial Quint.
HAZMAT
Priority Three................... ARFF Light/Air HAZMAT.
Foam Tanker Rehab.
Brush Pumper-tanker Command.
Command Rehab
Fire Boat Command
Priority Four.................... Tanker ARFF ARFF.
Pumper-tanker Foam Foam.
Watercraft Watercraft Aerials.
Ambulance Fire Boat Watercraft.
Ambulance Fire Boat.
Ambulance.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Regardless of the type of community served, we believe that more
benefit will be realized by funding fire departments that own few or no
firefighting apparatus than by providing funding to a department with
numerous vehicles. Therefore, we will give a higher competitive rating
in the apparatus category to fire departments that have
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few or no firefighting vehicles relative to other departments servicing
similar types of communities. We consider vehicles that are on long-
term loan or assignment to the applicant to be part of the applicant's
fleet.
We will also give higher competitive rating to departments that
have not recently purchased a new firefighting vehicle, and departments
that wish to replace or relegate an old, high-mileage vehicle. We will
also provide a higher competitive rating to departments seeking a
vehicle that incur a significant number of responses relative to other
departments servicing similar communities.
We believe that more benefit will accrue to a community that needs
a new vehicle (i.e., the initial purchase of a new or used vehicle) as
its first vehicle or to relegate a non-compliant vehicle to reserve
status, i.e., relegate a vehicle that does not conform to applicable
standards. Relegating a compliant vehicle has a lower priority than
relegating a non-compliant vehicle. But replacing a compliant vehicle
has more benefit than purchasing a vehicle to expand the operational
capacity of a department into a new mission area.
While no competitive advantage has been assigned to the purchase of
commercial vehicles versus custom vehicles, or used vehicles versus new
vehicles in the preliminary evaluation of applications, it has been our
experience that depending on the type and size of department, the
technical evaluation panelists often prefer low-cost vehicles when
evaluating the cost/benefit section of the project narratives.
Panelists may be provided with guidance for use in their evaluation on
the reasonableness of vehicle costs. We may also instill funding limits
on requests for vehicles that we deem excessive or otherwise not in the
best interest of the program.
Finally, we believe that it would be more beneficial to the
nation's fire service if we gave these vehicle awards to as many fire
departments as possible, therefore, we will allow each fire department
to apply for only one vehicle per year.
Reporting Requirements
The grantees may be required to submit a progress report regarding
the financial and performance status of their project after six months
of performance and at the closure of the grant. The due dates will vary
from grantee to grantee, based on the performance period as indicated
in the Articles of Agreement. These performance reports should provide
us with a comparison of actual accomplishments to the objectives
approved in the grant scope of work. Any issues that may affect a
timely close out of the award should be reported at this time.
The mid-term report is due within 30 days of the end of the first
six-months. All grantees will be required to submit a final report
within 90 days of completion of the grant performance period or the
closure of the grant, whichever comes first.
Dated: March 7, 2003.
Michael D. Brown,
Acting Under Secretary, Emergency Preparedness and Response
Directorate.
[FR Doc. 03-6172 Filed 3-13-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6719-08-P