What is the purpose of the FY 2008 FP&S?
The purpose of the Fire Prevention and Safety Grants is to fund fire prevention
activities and research and develop improvements for firefighter safety.
Fire prevention grants are designed to reach high-risk target groups and
mitigate incidences of deaths and injuries caused by fire-related hazards.
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How do I apply for a FP&S grant?
The automated FY 2008 FP&S application is accessible from the AFG Website
(www.firegrantsupport.com),
the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) Website (www.usfa.fema.gov),
and the grants.gov Website (www.grants.gov).
The automated application has been designed with "help screens" and "drop-down
menus" to assist you throughout the application process.
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Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants for the Fire Prevention and Safety Activity include fire departments, and national, regional, state, local, or community organizations recognized for their experience and expertise in fire prevention and safety programs and activities. These include p rivate and public nonprofit organizations.
Eligible applicants for the Firefighter Safety Research and Development
Activity include national, regional, state, local, or community organizations , such as academic, public health, occupational health, and injury prevention institutions, particularly those recognized for experience and expertise in firefighter safety research and development programs or whose applications demonstrate the potential to improve firefighter safety. Private and public nonprofit organizations and non-Federal and non-governmental organizations are also eligible to apply for funding. Fire departments are not eligible to apply for funding under this activity.
For-profit organizations and other Federal organizations are not eligible to apply for an FP&S Grant.
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What can I apply for?
Fire Prevention and Safety Grants are separated into two “activities”. The projects that can be funded are listed below:
- Fire Prevention and Safety: Applicants can apply for up to three projects; Smoke Alarms, Sprinkler Awareness, P ublic Education campaigns, Code E nforcement/Awareness, Firefighter Safety, Training, Wildfire Prevention /Awareness, Arson Prevention/Awareness, Risk Assessment, and General Prevention/Awareness are examples of eligible projects. Applicants requesting Risk Assessments are precluded from applying for additional projects. Fire departments are subject to the same cost-share requirements as under the AFG Grants.
- Firefighter Safety Research and Development:
Applicants can apply for a grant with up to a three year period of performance, but limited to $1 million per application. For multi-year projects, they can divide the $1 million over period of performance however they deem necessary. Projects must address injury outcomes or provide a strong justification that the proposed outcomes can be linked to injury outcomes. Behavioral, Clinical, and Social Science studies, Database/Data Collection and analysis projects/systems, Technology and Product Development Studies, and Research regarding dissemination and implementation of effective programs and projects are all examples of eligible projects.
Applicants must submit only one application during this application period and may include either one or both activities.
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How many projects can I apply for under FP&S?
Eligible applicants can apply for funding for up to 3 projects under each activity.
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Does my project have to address children, seniors or firefighters?
You have to determine the target audience that is at risk in your community. You do not have to conform to national statistics in order to be eligible for funding. You need to justify who is at risk in your community and how your proposed project will address the community vulnerability and benefit the target audience. In addition, you need to make sure that you choose an age-appropriate solution for that target audience.
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Are sprinkler systems eligible for funding?
A sprinkler system that is installed for demonstration purposes can be eligible for funding; but it must be part of a sprinkler educational effort.
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How much funding is available for the FY 2008 FP&S?
There is $35 million available for funding FP&S Grant Activities. Each
applicant can submit a request up to $1 million.
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What is the maximum amount of funding an applicant
can be awarded?
Each applicant can submit a request for up to $1 million and ultimately receive an award for that amount. However, in addition to the $1 million limitation on FP&S awards, the combined funding level of grant awards through both the AFG and FP&S Grants to any single fire department is limited by the governing statute to an amount of Federal share (shown below) for each year that is based on the population that the fire department protects.
| Population Size |
Maximum Federal Share |
| More than one million: |
$2,750,000 |
| 500,000 to one million: |
$1,750,000 |
| Less than 500,000: |
$1,000,000 |
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I haven't heard about the status of my 2008 AFG Grant and I am unsure about how much I can request for my FP&S application.
You should apply for the amount you need to fund your FP&S application. If it is successful, the Program Office will review the status of the AFG Grant and confirm that the Federal share amount will not be exceeded.
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What changes were made to the FP&S since last year?
There are a number of changes to the FP&S application for FY2008:
- The evaluation elements and application narrative requirements for the Firefighter Safety Research and Development Activity have been revised. The revised evaluation elements provide greater flexibility for diverse project types thereby improving the competitive chances for each application. Also, the application narrative has been updated to allow additional character space for multiple projects.
- The list of eligible projects under the Firefighter Safety Research and Development Activity has been expanded to include systematic and rigorous evaluations of the effectiveness of dissemination and implementation strategies for research results.
- The list of ineligible items has been revised for both the Fire Prevention and Safety and Research and Development activities to provide clarity on the eligibility of Firefighter safety projects and/or equipment.
- The evaluation elements for the Fire Prevention and Safety Activity have been revised to provide clarity in the expected components of a project's implementation plan.
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How does an eligible applicant obtain help with the application?
Call the Help Desk at 1-866-274-0960 with your questions. During the application period (February 2, 2009 – March 6, 2009), the Help Desk will be staffed between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. However, these hours may change as the application period progresses. The toll-free number will also accept voice mail messages after hours or if the lines are busy. Questions may also be sent to a toll-free fax line at 1-866-274-0942, or e-mailed to FireGrants@dhs.gov.
An online tutorial is available to assist applicants with completing the automated application. This tutorial explains the Fire Prevention and Safety Grant's priorities and eligibility criteria and provides tips for navigating the application screens. There are two versions of the tutorial: enhanced and text. The enhanced version is designed for individuals with high-speed Internet connections and features a narrator. The text version is designed for individuals with dial-up modem Internet connections and has no sound.
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What is the deadline for FY 2008 FP&S applications to be submitted?
All applications must be completed and submitted electronically, or postmarked
on or before the close of business, by 5:00 p.m. EST on March 6, 2009.
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How are FP&S Grants reviewed?
The evaluation criteria are listed in the FP&S Program Guidance. Review the Program Guidance and focus on these criteria in order to have a competitive application for panel reviews. All FP&S applications go to panel reviews.
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When will the awards be announced?
Awards announcements will be made beginning late Spring 2009 and will be made on a continuous basis until all available funds have been awarded.
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Is there a cost share for fire departments?
Yes. Fire departments are subject to the same cost share requirements
applied under the Assistance to Firefighters Program. Fire departments may
only apply in the Fire Prevention and Safety Activity. 15 U.S.C. 2229(b) (6). Fire departments that serve populations of less than 20,000 must match the Federal grant funds with an amount of non-Federal funds equal to five percent of the total project cost. Fire departments serving areas with a population between 20,000 and 50,000, inclusive, must match the Federal grant funds with an amount of non-Federal funds equal to ten percent of the total project cost. Fire departments that serve populations over 50,000 must match the Federal grant funds with an amount of non-Federal funds equal to twenty percent of the total project cost. All non-Federal funds must be in cash, i.e., in-kind contributions are not eligible. No waivers of this requirement will be granted except for applicants located in Insular Areas as provided for in 48 U.S.C. 1469a. Please Note: There is no cost share for grants under this activity to eligible national, regional, state, local, or community organizations.
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Will there be a match requirement for national, regional, state, and local organizations this year?
No. Private and public non-profit organizations, academic institutions, non-federal governmental organizations, and nongovernmental organizations are eligible to apply for funding , and there is no cost share required for these organizations for FP&S Grants under either activity. The Federal share for research and development grants is limited to $1,000,000 per application.
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Are multi-year projects eligible under the Firefighter Safety Research and Development Activity?
Yes. Applicants can propose projects (limited to $1 million) with up to three years of performance requirements. Multi-year requests should provide greater detail for the first year and describe the study purpose, goals and objectives, and specific aims. Specific goals and objectives should be provided for the second (and third) year(s). A literature review that includes citations in the text and references at the end of the application should also be provided.
Additional information to be provided includes:
- Contingency plan with the examples of what may be the key challenges and plans to address and overcome them;
- Monitoring plan that identifies progress toward achieving established goals and ensures costs are monitored; and
- A spending plan that corresponds with the overall project and specific year goals and objectives.
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I am applying for the Firefighter Safety Research and Development Activity and the Curriculum Vitae (CV) will not fit into the narrative section. Can I attach this as a file?
Yes, the system will accept attachments. Research & Development Activity applicants should upload their narrative in the space provided on the narrative screen. The narrative for the Research and Development activity will be limited to 20 pages per project; applicants can supply appendices which may include data collection instruments, data tables, illustrations and specifications for product designs. Curriculum Vitae (CV's) for Project Investigators (PI) and lead scientists should also be included in the appendices, but are limited to a maximum of 2 pages and Researchers are strongly encourages to follow the biographical sketch sample as listed on Page 25 (Appendix 6) of the Program Guidance. Applicant should provide one appendix for each project submitted, however, the sum number of pages for each appendix is limited to 20 pages per project.
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Will a letter of support from my political leaders increase my chance for an award?
Support letters from political leaders do not increase the chance of award. FEMA feels however an applicant having communications regarding their local community or organizational needs with political leaders is important. It provides insight to the overall public safety picture and AFG encourages that dialogue. If an elected political official wants to provide a letter of support acknowledging your application and local needs, the support letter should be sent to:
Mr. Timothy W. Manning, Deputy Administrator
DHS/FEMA/National Preparedness Directorate
500 C Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20472
(202) 786-9938 (fax)
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Should I send letters of support from partners listed within my application?
Panelists are very interested in understanding the strength of the connection among the partners listed in the application. Partners can contribute to the overall success of the application through expanding the applicants ability to complete the project or assist with sustaining a project. Therefore, applicants should outline information about their partnerships in the narrative portion of their application. Additional information supplied outside of the online application will not be included in the panel review, however information, if needed, may be requested prior to funding an application.
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