AFG grant offers benefits for EMS agencies

There is almost $289 million in grant funds available for eligible and deserving AFG grant applicants that submit applications between November 4, 2013 and December 6, 2013.

Fire departments* and nonaffiliated EMS organizations will receive not less than 3.5 percent of available grant funds to satisfy EMS needs. The awards will be dispersed as early as February 2014 and no later than August 31, 2014.  The flood gates have opened and hopefully, you’ve prepared for the opportunity.

AFG declares its 2013 funding objective and purpose as follows:

The objective of the FY 2013 AFG Program is to award grants directly to fire departments, nonaffiliated EMS organizations**, and state fire training academies for critically needed resources to protect the public, to train emergency personnel, and to foster interoperability and support community resilience.
The purpose of the AFG Program is to enhance, through direct financial assistance, the health and safety of the public and firefighting personnel, and to provide a continuum of support for emergency responders regarding fire, medical, and all hazard events.

Are you ready to compile and submit the compelling information you’ve gathered to support your competitive argument for funding?

At the very least there are two grant seeking activities your EMS agency must complete before you can be even considered for an award.

1. Your organization will need a DUNS number (Dunn and Bradstreet rating)
2. Your organization MUST be registered and have up-to-date information in the online System for Award Management or SAM (SAM.gov). To register, please visit https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/ .

Note: If your SAM profile is checked “Private,” FEMA Grants Management Specialists will not be able to verify your active SAM registration. We recommend that you mark your SAM profile as “Public.” Sensitive banking and financial data are not revealed in the “Public” profile.

There are enough program changes to this year’s AFG’s guidelines to warrant your attention. Go to http://www.fema.gov/assistance-firefighters-grant to learn about how your “ask” might fare in terms of eligibility and funding priority.

We’re particularly excited about the following 2013 highlights:

1. Community Paramedic training programs are eligible for AFG funding
2. There is more money set aside for funding ambulance vehicles than what was available during previous AFG funding years, especially for new equipment or for replacing old, outdated and unsafe vehicles.  In fact, of the 25 percent of the available grant funds for vehicles, 10 percent of the total Vehicle Funds will be dedicated to fund ambulances.
3. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for EMS providers is a high priority funding category especially when it is needed for new personnel or to replace old outdated equipment.
4. Wellness/fitness/ health care behavior is a priority funding category.
5. Micro Grants (MGs***) for projects costing less than $25,000 make up a new priority funding category for all the same activities listed for other AFG grants, i.e. Equipment, Modification to Facilities, PPE, Training, and Wellness and Fitness, under the AFG Operations and Safety.

The month of November at EMS Grants Help promises to include a whirlwind of strategy, spin, authoring and persuasion.  We’re looking forward to helping you see a successful result. See you on the other side!

*Please note: Fire-based EMS organizations are not eligible to apply as a nonaffiliated EMS organization. Fire-based EMS training and equipment must be applied for as a fire department under the AFG component program Operations and Safety.

**Nonaffiliated EMS organization: An agency or organization that is a public or private nonprofit emergency medical services entity, that is not affiliated with a hospital and does not serve a geographic area in which emergency medical services are adequately provided by a fire department. Emergency medical services include medical transport. Nonaffiliated EMS organizations are those operating in any of the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the US Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any federally recognized Indian tribe or authorized tribal organization, or an Alaskan native village, Alaska Regional Native Corporation, or the Alaska Village Initiatives.

***MGs: are awards that have a federal participation (share) that does not exceed $25,000. Only fire departments and nonaffiliated EMS organizations are eligible to choose MGs, and the only eligible MG activities are Equipment, Modification to Facilities, PPE, Training, and Wellness and Fitness, under the AFG Operations and Safety application.