There are grants available to fire departments for many different needs.

Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) – Improves the capability of Iowa’s rural volunteer fire departments to protect lives, structures, and natural resources in rural and wildland/urban interface areas.

VFA Grants work to offset the costs of wildland fire equipment and personal safety gear preparedness to existing fire departments and to support the organization of new fire departments in unprotected communities (Grants are 50-50 cost-share – maximum allocation per department is $3500/year) Application deadline: October 15, 2011. The grants package and the Wildland Fire Report form is available at http://www.iowadnr.gov/Environment/Forestry/FirePrevention/FirePrograms.aspx  

FEMA Assistance to Firefighter Grant Program - A program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), grants are awarded to fire departments to enhance their ability to protect the public and fire service personnel from fire and related hazards. Three types of grants are available: Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG), Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S), and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER).

Assistance to Firefighter Grants - The primary goal of the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) is to meet the firefighting and emergency response needs of fire departments and nonaffiliated emergency medical services organizations.
AFG Grants Home

Fire Prevention and Safety Grants (FP&S) - The Fire Prevention and Safety Grants (FP&S) grants support projects that enhance the safety of the public and firefighters from fire and related hazards. The primary goal is to target high-risk populations, firefighter safety and mitigate high incidences of death and injury. Examples of the types of projects supported by FP&S include fire prevention and public safety education campaigns, juvenile fire setter interventions, media campaigns, and arson prevention and awareness programs.
FP&S Grants Home

SAFER Grants - The SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) Grant was created to provide funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations in order to help them increase the number of trained, "front-line" firefighters available in their communities.
SAFER Grants Home

IMPORTANT REMINDERS FOR FY 2011 AFG APPLICANTS:

1. AFG award recommendations are underway. Award announcements will begin shortly and continue on a rolling basis into 2012 until all FY 2011 AFG funds are awarded.
   The list of awardees will be posted each week on the AFG website at: http://www.fema.gov/firegrants/afggrants/awards.shtm.
   All applicants will be notified of the decision made on their application regardless of whether they will receive an award.
2. If your application is approved for award, the primary contact will receive a single e-mail notification from firegrants@dhs.gov; a copy of the e-mail message will be sent to the application's Mail Center in the e-Grant Application system.
   This is the only notification that the applicant organization will receive. For confidentiality reasons, application decisions will not be released to anyone other the primary contact listed on the application.
3. No preliminary questionnaires will be sent to applicants that are being considered for award.
   FEMA Grants Management Specialists (GMS) no longer distribute questionnaires to applicants that are being considered for award. They will contact only those applicants from whom clarifying information is needed.
4. Applicants will be required to formally ACCEPT or DECLINE their awards within 30 days of the date of notification.
   The award will not be final until the primary contact formally accepts the award using the e-Grant Application system.  Instructions on how this must be done will be provided in the Award Notice.
5. If the primary contact does not formally accept or decline the award within 30 days of award notification, the grant funds may be de-obligated and returned to FEMA.
   The declined grant funds will become available for award to other eligible applicants.
6. Central Contractor Registration Requirement.
   If your organization has not yet registered in the CCR, please go to https://www.bpn.gov/ccr/default.aspx and complete the registration as soon as possible. Awardees that have not completed the CCR registration process, or have not completed the required annual renewal and revalidation of CCR data, will not be able to draw grant funds. There is no fee to register or to renew and correct information in the CCR.      

How to Check the Status of Your Application
Because of the large number of applications under consideration, the AFG cannot make all award recommendations and notifications at one time. So please try to be patient as you wait to receive word about the decision on your grant application. You can periodically check the status of your application in two ways:

1. Check for a new message from "firegrants@dhs.gov" in the e-mail inbox of the primary contact on your application.
   If your application is approved for award, the primary contact will receive a single e-mail notification from firegrants@dhs.gov. This is only notification that the applicant organization will receive.
2. Log in to your application using the same e-Grant Application system that you used to submit your application.
   Look in the AFG Mail Center for a copy of the e-mail notification sent to the primary contact on the application. If no new message is in the Mail Center or the Message Archive, then no decision has been made yet on your application.

NEW FIRE PREVENTION AND SAFETY GRANTS VIDEO:

A new video on the Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) Grants program has been introduced on the AFG website at http://www.fema.gov/firegrants/tools/videos.shtm#fpsvideo. The video provides insight into the funding priorities for Fire Prevention and Safety grants and describes the requirements and the process for applying. It's anticipated that the application period for FY 2011 FP&S Grants will be held in early spring 2012.

SAFER GRANTS GRANT APPLICATION GET READY GUIDE 2011 - The AFG program's Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER) application period will be opening soon! This handy guide will give you a kick-start in preparing your grant application to thoroughly answer all the grant application questions. Read more....

SECURITY WARNING FOR APPLICANTS AND GRANTEES:

Some grantees have reported being contacted by individuals claiming to represent credit agencies or grant-making institutions. FEMA maintains a secure e-Grant Application website where all such confidential information may be submitted. Bogus phone calls, e-mails, or letters requesting social security numbers, financial account information, or fees should be disregarded.

FEMA will never request identifying information about you or your organization by telephone, e-mail, or letter. Nor will you be required to pay a fee to register or update information in the Central Contractor Registry. If you have questions, contact your Regional Fire Program Specialist, or contact the AFG Help Desk at 1-866-274-0960 or at firegrants@dhs.gov.

For more information on any of the Assistance to Firefighter Grants go to www.fema.gov/firegrants/.