Assistance to Firefighters Grants

AFG 2010 Funding : $390 Million

Purpose: Protect the public and fire service personnel from fire and all other hazards.

Overview:
Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) provide financial assistance directly to fire departments and nonaffiliated EMS organizations to enhance their capabilities with respect to fire and fire-related hazards. Our primary goal is to help fire departments and nonaffiliated EMS organizations meet their firefighting and emergency response needs. AFG seeks to support organizations that lack the tools and resources necessary to more effectively protect the life and safety of the public and their emergency response personnel with respect to fire and all other hazards.

Eligible Applicants

Fire departments


Nonaffiliated EMS organizations

Funding Priorities

AFG funding priorities differ for fire departments and nonaffiliated EMS organizations. Please read the guidance document with this in mind, and make sure that you are researching the appropriate sections for your organization.

1. Fire Department Priorities:

- Fire Operations and Firefighter Safety:

- Training

- Equipment

- PPE gear

- Firefighter Wellness and Fitness

- Modifications to fire stations and facilities
- Firefighter Vehicle Acquistion

2. Nonaffiliated EMS Orgranization Priorities:

- EMS Operations and Safety

- EMS Training

- EMS Equipment Acquisition

- EMS PPE

- EMS Wellness and Fitness

- Modificiations to EMS Stations and Facilities

- EMS Vehicle Acquisition

Cost Sharing:
Cost sharing under AFG is based on the population protected by the grantee. The cost-share breakdown is as follows:

- Fire departments and nonaffiliated EMS organizations serving populations of over 50,000 or more must match the Federal grant funds with an amount of non-Federal funds equal to 20 percent of the total project cost.

- Fire departments and nonaffiliated EMS organizations serving populations between 20,000 and 50,000 must agree to match the Federal grant funds with an amount of non-Federal funds equal to 10 percent of the total project cost.

- Fire departments and nonaffiliated EMS organizations serving areas with a population of 20,000 or fewer must match the Federal grant funds with an amount of non-Federal funds equal to 5 percent of the total project cost.

Application Process:

Applications under the FY 2010 AFG will be accessible at https://portal.fema.gov. The application will also be accessible from the U.S. Fire Administration’s (USFA) Website (www.usfa.fema.gov), and grants.gov Website (www.grants.gov). We have designed the automated application with many built-in “help screens” and “drop-down menus” to assist applicants throughout the application process. The application can be saved and retrieved as many times as needed to complete it - up to the application deadline or the submittal of the application.

Applications for the FY 2010 AFG will be accepted starting on or about Monday, April 26, 2010, at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Up-to-date application information will be posted on the AFG and USFA Websites. Completed applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, May 28, 2010. Applications submitted by mail must be postmarked by May 26, 2010. Applications not submitted electronically must be mailed to:

Fire Grant Program Technical Assistance Center

U.S. Fire Administration, Room I-207
16825 South Seton Avenue
Emmitsburg, Maryland 21727-8998

2010 AFG Guidance and Application Kit

Organization Information:
Organization: DHS Office of Grants and Training
Website: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/

Contact Information:
Contact Email: firegrants@dhs.gov
Contact Phone: 1-866-274-0960

More Information:
http://www.firegrantsupport.com/afg/