UPDATE: FIRE GRANT PROGRAMS REAUTHORIZED FOR FY 2013
On January 2, 2013, the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2013 was signed into law. Through this law, Congress gave preliminary approval (authorization) of FY 2013 funding for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant programs. However, AFG and SAFER funding levels for FY 2013 are unknown until Congress passes an appropriations bill.
LESS THAN TWO WEEKS LEFT TO APPLY FOR A FY 2012 FIRE PREVENTION AND SAFETY GRANT
The deadline for all applications is Friday, January 18, 2013, at 5 p.m. Eastern Time. If you have not yet started your online FP&S application, start it today!
How to Apply
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Download and read the FY 2012 Fire Prevention and Safety Grants Funding Opportunity Announcement. It explains the purpose of the grant program, activities eligible for support, eligibility criteria, award criteria, application instructions, and Federal requirements for grantees.
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Visit the Fire Prevention and Safety Grants web page on the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) Website (www.fema.gov/firegrants) and use the additional application resources below to help you develop your grant application.
- FY 2012 FP&S Grants Get Ready Guide: This short guide will help you kick-start your FY 2012 grant application.
- FY 2012 FP&S Grants Self-Evaluation Sheet: This tool, based on the application scoring dimensions used by the peer reviewers, will help you assess your organization’s readiness to apply for a grant.
- FP&S Grants Frequently Asked Questions
- Video: Community Risk Assessment and Fire Prevention and Safety Grants. This video describes how to conduct a risk assessment and how to use the results to plan and conduct community fire prevention and safety projects.
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Video: Fire Prevention and Safety Grants. This video covers the purpose of the grants, eligible organizations and activities, and award evaluation criteria.
- Complete your application by Friday, January 18, 2013, 5 p.m. Eastern Time
Questions? Contact the AFG Help Desk, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time, by calling toll-free 1-866-274-0960, or by sending an e-mail to firegrants@dhs.gov. Help Desk Specialists will be available to answer questions throughout the application period.
GRANTEE RECOMMENDATIONS: MANDATORY SAM REGISTRATION AND PROCUREMENT BEST PRACTICES
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WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND that all applicants verify that their registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) is valid and current. No award can be made until the applicant’s SAM data has been verified as current. Go to https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/ and follow the FAQs and User Guides to update and verify your SAM data. Applicants who have not yet registered should do so immediately. Again, current SAM registration is mandatory, and no grants will be awarded to applicants that do not have valid and current registrations in SAM.
- Procurement Best Practices
- Have a record system set up for the grant. Make sure that you have a system established that will maintain your grant records accurately and securely while still being accessible. All Federal awards are subject to a possible audit or desk review
- Maintain written procurement procedures. Become familiar with and keep on file the written procurement procedures and standards for your organization. If you are unsure, check with your local or state government for procedures. All grantees must have procurement procedures that follow local or state procurement procedures AND meet Federal procurement law as outlined in 44 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 13.36.
- Avoid any real or apparent conflicts of interest in your procurements. Remember that no employee, officer, or agent of your organization, who has a real or even apparent conflict of interest (potential for personal gain), may participate in the selection of the contractor or vendor that will supply the grant-funded items or services. They cannot accept gifts, favors, or anything of monetary value from potential contractors.
- Draft a bid solicitation that encourages competition by not using proprietary vendor specifications. By avoiding the use of proprietary vendor specifications, you encourage competition, which may decrease your overall costs. For example, you can request bids for a new pumper and specify that it have an “independent front suspension.” But specifying that the pumper have a particular name-brand independent front suspension would be a proprietary specification that would limit competition to those vendors that build trucks containing those particular items.