The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program released their latest informational bulletin on June 22, 2022. Content includes information regarding the management of current grants and upcoming grant opportunities. Updates for this month covered the following:
Build America, Buy America Act (BABAA)
According to FEMA, by May 14, 2022, all federal agencies needed to ensure that no federal financial assistance for “infrastructure” projects had been provided “unless all of the iron, steel, manufactured products, and construction materials used in the project were produced in the United States.”
FEMA proposed a waiver for this requirement for six months to ensure agencies have sufficient time to fully utilize American made iron, steel, construction materials, and manufactured products in all federally funded infrastructure projects.
FY 2021 AFG programs Status Update
The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is finalizing the initial review phases for FY 2021 AFG, Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER), and Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) grant applications. Once determinations have been finalized, notifications will be sent to grant recipients and information will also be posted to the FEMA website.
Grants Management Training
FEMA provides educational information regarding amendments to grant awards. Key points include when an amendment is required, what should be included on an amendment request, and the request process. To find out more information about amendments, visit www.fema.gov or contact your Regional Fire Program Specialist.
2015 Fire Prevention and Safety Research and Development Results
The 2015 Fire Prevention and Safety Research and Development Results report can be downloaded here. The following lists the five research and development projects discussed in the report that were funded through the 2015 FP&S grant:
- The Firefighter Multicenter Cancer Cohort Study (FFCCS): Framework Development and Testing.
- Study of Coordinated Fire Attack in Acquired Structures.
- Revolutionizing the Protective Hood: Particulate Protection, Cleaning Effectiveness.
- Health and Wellness of Women Firefighters
- Synthesizing and Disseminating New Scientific Insights into Transient Wildfire Behavior.
Programmatic Performance Report Submission
For Assistance to Firefighters Grants Program grant recipients, information is requested on the grant’s status. Recipients who received and manage an award in the FEMA GO portal must now prepare and submit a performance report through FEMA GO. General instructions for submitting a PPR (pages 5-8) are available online at FEMA GO Programmatic Performance Report Guide.
AFGP Final Performance Report (Closeout) Update
According to FEMA, the Final Programmatic Performance Report functionality is estimated to be available in the FEMA GO portal by fall 2022 for FY 2018 and later AFGP grant recipients.
AFGP Success Stories
The Medway Fire Department received a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant to hire four new firefighters as part of the 2016 grant program. The award of the SAFER grant had measurable impacts on the department’s staffing levels and response times.
