May I apply for more than one grant? May I request items from more than one program area?
No. Applicants may submit only one application in one of two grant program areas. Applicants may apply for any number of items or activities within one chosen program area. Below are the two grant program areas for 2005:
- Operations and Safety Program. Eligible activities are Training, Equipment, Personal Protective Equipment, Wellness and Fitness, and Modifications to Fire Stations and Facilities.
- Vehicle Acquisition Program. Eligible apparatus for fire departments include but are not limited to pumpers, brush/attack units, tanker/tenders, rescue vehicles, ambulances, quints, aerials, foam trucks, and fireboats. Eligible apparatus for nonaffiliated EMS organizations includes ambulances, rescues, and command vehicles, but NOT firefighting apparatus.
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Can I buy a tow-vehicle with grant funds?
Any plan to purchase a vehicle with grant funds must be applied for under the vehicle acquisition program. Be advised that a tow-vehicle is a very low priority. Tow-vehicles for a training program, e.g., for a burn-trailer, may be eligible as a transportation expense if adequately justified in the proposal, but such transportation expenses will be limited to $6,000 per year.
The tractor and trailer can be considered as separate single units, or the combination of the tractor-trailer may be considered as a single unit, depending upon local need and the ability to justify the request. However, no more than $6,000 per year can be expended for the procurement of the tractor.
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What types of costs are eligible under the Vehicle Acquisition Program?
There are several related costs that can be charged to a vehicle grant. Be advised, however, that all costs should be explained in the narrative portion of your application and that any requests must be reasonable and that all costs requested will be taken into consideration when the application is assessed. These additional costs can be added to your application budget by clicking on "Add Additional Funding" on the Request Details screen and entering your costs on the appropriate budget line.
- Travel costs to visit the vehicle manufacturer to inspect a piece of apparatus may be eligible.
- Equipment that is included in NFPA 1901 for fire apparatus is considered an eligible request.
- Driver training may also be eligible.
Unfortunately, due to the limited funding for EMS vehicles, we will not fund any equipment under the EMS vehicle acquisition program.
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Are there targeted funding amounts for the two program areas?
There are no target allocations. It is the intent of DHS to fund the best applications regardless of the program area. In fiscal year 2005, Congress reauthorized the AFG and appropriated a total of $650 million to the Department of Homeland Security to carry out the activities of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. As part of this authorization, nonaffiliated EMS organizations (i.e., non-fire based EMS organizations) are eligible to receive as much as two (2) percent of the appropriated funds.
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My department has a vehicle on loan from the State Department of Forestry. We don't own it, but we have use of it. Do I claim this vehicle on my inventory or only vehicles that I own?
If an applicant has unfettered (free) use of a vehicle that is owned by another department or agency, the applicant must claim that vehicle in it's inventory as the vehicle's use has an affect on the applicant's ability to respond to alarms.
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