8 Fire Departments To Get Federal Grants

[freqscout]

PB consider the logistics of the situation:
Of the cities/RFD's posted there are two absolutely covered by 800Mhz DPS, four that are not, one that might with a mobile, and one that is not but will in the future as proposed in the current improvement plans.
Only 1/4 of the proposed RFD's are in 800Mhz coverage and 1/8 that will be added, and 5/8 that are a LONG way off (especially for a HH).

 

[PolarBear25]

OK may be on to something there FS..

 

[freqscout]

Like what?

 

[PolarBear25]

That it's a long way off..

 

[BCFD25]

Hey PB, just so you kinda understand how it works. The grants they recieved were assistance to ffs grants given out by dhs anually. When they applied for them they didnt say hey give us $80,000. They sat down and said ok we need airpacks and at $6,000 a piece maybe we can get 20 and here is why we need them(our old packs are worn out and do not meet any of the current nfpa requirements etc.). We also need a thermal imager which can be from $10,000 to $20,000 and we need it because we run "X" amount of structure ifres per year. Everything needs to be justified and every cent accounted for. The peer review process is very thorough and if a smaller rural dept asks for $60,000 just to upgrade to an 800mhz system, thats gonna be a pretty tough sell. Especially when alotof rural depts dont have new airpacks and most do not have a thermal imager. Which any sane ff will tell you that is more important than some $2700 radio. You can also get apparatus and thats a whole other problem.

Here are the grant awards for oklahoma so far this year http://www.firehouse.com/funding/fireact/2006/recipients/ok.html

 

[PolarBear25]

Ok thanks..

 

[PolarBear25]

Hey are the FFs in Oklahoma Going to get brush fire fighting outerwear??

 

[car2back]

Hey are the FFs in Oklahoma Going to get brush fire fighting outerwear??

some of them do, some depts chose not to use brush gear.

 

[BCFD25]

The Burea of Indian Affairs is very good and well known for taking care of fire depts who have federal indian land in there response area. One of the grants they offer is to outfit all of your members with wildland gear as well as offering grants for apparatus, pumps, tools, etc. The way i understand it is the more land you have in your district the more you are eligible for. They also have programs in place to reimburse depts for fighting a fire on federal land. The number of ffs multiplied by the amount of time spent on the fire.

The key to using wildland gear is the same as anything else- discipline. You have to remeber its not designed for structural firefighting, vehicle fires, hazmat, etc. In my dept for example, we are becoming very suburban with houses popping up everywhere. Gone are the days where you could have a twenty acre grass fire and it never endanger a structure. So if you wear wildland gear to a grass fire you had better take structure gear too. Heaven forbid it get a structure or you could get another type of call before you get back to the station. Its just like anything else you have to train and know your equipments limitations as well as your own.

Sorry for the long reply ill crawl back in my hole now.

 

[iamhere300]

Hey PB, just so you kinda understand how it works. The grants they recieved were assistance to ffs grants given out by dhs anually. When they applied for them they didnt say hey give us $80,000. They sat down and said ok we need airpacks and at $6,000 a piece maybe we can get 20 and here is why we need them(our old packs are worn out and do not meet any of the current nfpa requirements etc.). We also need a thermal imager which can be from $10,000 to $20,000 and we need it because we run "X" amount of structure ifres per year. Everything needs to be justified and every cent accounted for. The peer review process is very thorough and if a smaller rural dept asks for $60,000 just to upgrade to an 800mhz system, thats gonna be a pretty tough sell. Especially when alotof rural depts dont have new airpacks and most do not have a thermal imager. Which any sane ff will tell you that is more important than some $2700 radio. You can also get apparatus and thats a whole other problem.

Here are the grant awards for oklahoma so far this year http://www.firehouse.com/funding/fireact/2006/recipients/ok.html

Actually, if they ask for 6k an airpack, they will be at best, reduced. 5k limit for an 30 minute pack with spare bottle. 200 more for 45 minute packs.

Radios, even $2,700.00 radios, are actualy not hard at all, IF you show you need them for interoperability. They will get funded just as quick as airpacks or turnouts, if you show the need.

The key word for need is interoperability.

 

[PolarBear25]

The Burea of Indian Affairs is very good and well known for taking care of fire depts who have federal indian land in there response area. One of the grants they offer is to outfit all of your members with wildland gear as well as offering grants for apparatus, pumps, tools, etc. The way i understand it is the more land you have in your district the more you are eligible for. They also have programs in place to reimburse depts for fighting a fire on federal land. The number of ffs multiplied by the amount of time spent on the fire.

The key to using wildland gear is the same as anything else- discipline. You have to remeber its not designed for structural firefighting, vehicle fires, hazmat, etc. In my dept for example, we are becoming very suburban with houses popping up everywhere. Gone are the days where you could have a twenty acre grass fire and it never endanger a structure. So if you wear wildland gear to a grass fire you had better take structure gear too. Heaven forbid it get a structure or you could get another type of call before you get back to the station. Its just like anything else you have to train and know your equipments limitations as well as your own.

Sorry for the long reply ill crawl back in my hole now.

Ok, thanks..

 

[KD5WLX]

Also, keep in mind that many of these grants (the "Fire Act" grants, specifically) are not "free money" - they're "matching funds". In other words, if your department needs (can justify) a $750,000 Ladder Truck, then no problem getting it "approved" - but the grant is for $375,000 and only after your dept. comes up with the other $375,000. Many departments write their grant asking for smaller stuff (turnout gear, etc.) based on what they know they can match, rather than shooting for the moon.

AFAIK, this limitation does not apply to the Homeland Security grants, but you always have to check the fine print.

 

[iamhere300]

Exactly. The amount (as far as the DHS AFG Grants) is based on
population served.

Fire departments in areas serving populations over 50,000 must agree to match the Federal grant funds with an amount of non-Federal funds equal to 20 percent of the total project cost.


Fire departments serving areas with a population between 20,001 and 50,000 (inclusive) will have to match the Federal grant funds with an amount of non-Federal funds equal to 10 percent of the total project cost.


Fire departments service areas with a population of 20,000 or less must match the Federal grant funds with an amount of non-Federal funds equal to 5 percent of the total project cost.

On the DHS SAFER grants, there is no cost share, unless hiring, which is prorated.

Even 5 percent, on something like a Fire Truck, can be pretty scary to a lot of Fire Departments.

Also, (wrenching this on topic) all radio grants from FEMA are now funneled through the state (even AFG Grants) to ensure that they do match the state interoperability "plan".

 

[PolarBear25]

Ok thanks..

 

[BCFD25]

yeah, KD5 and iamhere both make very good points. The thing that baffles me is that i have heard of depts applying for and getting an afg grant and then turning it down. once was because they ended up not being able to come up with the matching funds, but another was because the chief did not communicate to the city council about the matching funds part and then they refused to pay just to (i guess) show him a lesson. Atleast thats the way it appeared to me. You know it takes alot of time getting those grants ready and sent in, then to be approved but not get it. Let alone its goin to be tough if they ever apply again. I see both sides i just think there had to have been a better answer.

Oh well, sorry, i know this has nothing to do with radios

 

[peterjmag]

Ok, HAMER

So this is how you reply to someone who might have a little more knowledge then you on a subject. You insult him because he has a ham liscense. First of all, you don't know what the hell you are talking about and second of all Jay didn't do a thing to you for you to insult him just because you have no clue what you are talking about. PB please, once again just go away and be quiet! It's much more pleasant in here with out you. If you feel the need to contribute please do but can you do you do it without all the one and two words responses and the insults you continue to use on people particularly hams? Thank you....

P.J.

 

[PolarBear25]

I did not mean to insult him, The fact is ham radio is a waste of R.F...

 

[KD5WLX]

PB, say that to my face after your house is hit by a tornado, when I was sitting at the weather service talking to the spotter that radioed in the observation that triggered the warning.

And that's just ONE area where people in the know value the work of volunteer Ham operators.

 

[freqscout]

PB...you may think that Ham radio is a waste of RF but your activity on here lately has been a waste of bandwidth. This is a forum of discussion and disssection of radio related topics. Ham radio is one of those topics. If there is something that you would like to talk about then by all means voice an opinion or pose a question. The hurling of insults with or without purpose at people educated or not on a topic regardless of background is not tolerable. This sort of behavior makes this into a forum reminescent of a third grade playground. If you value this forum at all then use it as it was intended. If you have information then share. If you have a question then ask. If you an on topic opinion then sound off. Otherwise lets enjoy the time we have together and work together to proliferate our hobby.

Thanks,
FS

 

[PolarBear25]

PB, say that to my face after your house is hit by a tornado, when I was sitting at the weather service talking to the spotter that radioed in the observation that triggered the warning.

And that's just ONE area where people in the know value the work of volunteer Ham operators.

yup, well then there is the formal channels like 800 mhz T.R.S. and VHF high..
But i will say WX5OKC is a good channel when you can hear WX5OUN..