Are you a person in charge of tracking grants for your Department or City?  Do you find it extremely difficult keeping revenues at either a stable level just trying to keep the neccessary expenses and salaries paid?  Have found donations or funding sources at an all-time low?  Do you stress you or your team will have to make difficult time making what jobs or services should be cut?  Has stress taken control of your life?

We all realize that times are tough no matter where you look in the United States and even all over the world with economies crashing all around us.  Cities, Counties and other municipalities have had to cut back on vital services, personnel and salaries and benefits.  Though most are affected in the City, County and State, Federal and International Governments, we will never know the full extent of the downfall until we have been personally affected.

There are many resources and databases to look through which can not only “consume” you but eat up precious time as most of you are on a time crunch to get the funds in the door. 

Let’s address a few things first.

1)  Determine your needs.   More personnel?  Hire laid off previous employees? Purchase new equipment?

2)  What is your budget?  Does your current budget support your current needs or does it need to be increased?

3)  Planning for current service levels?  Are you able to maintain current service levels or do you find that you have inadequate staffing to provide even the basics?  Or because of the staffing levels, do you find your Agency may be putting employees in danger or shutting down facilities because of staffing issues?

4)  Maintaining current revenue levels.  Do you find that your sources of revenues have either tapered off or have completely dropped off entirely?  What will be your resolution for substituting these holes in the revenue stream?

Secondly, finding solutions to your many issues takes pure dedication, commitment and persistent in the financial world to go after those dollars your Agency desperately needs.  As we all know, the competition “out there” is fierce but don’t give up hope. There are many out there receiving grants helping them bring life back into their budgets which have led some to rehire firefighters or purchase equipment.  It is completely possible and you can achieve this too!

Here are some available grants that you and your Agency can apply for:

Fire District Assistance Program – Firefighter Property Program (FPP). Replaces the Federal Excess Property Program (FEPP).

Purpose:  Gives assistance to Local and Rural Fire Districts and opportunities to help with establishing, development, improving and maintain in their wildland firefighting capabilities.  Programs can make several types of training, equipment and other assistance more affordable to Local Fire Districts.  Helps with acquisition of fire engines and tenders (vehicle conversion into wildland firefighting apparatus.)

Deadline: 12/31/2013

Contact:  Washington State Department of Natural  Resources.    Resource Protection Division.  1111 Washington Street S.E., Olympia, WA 98504.  Phone: 360-902-1300.  Fax: 360-902-1757.  Email RPD@dnr.wa.gov.

URL:

www.dnr.wa.gov/RecreationEducation/Topics/Prevention/Information

 National Urban Search and Rescue Response System (USR&RS). Department of Homeland Security (HLS) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

Purpose:  Cooperative Agreement may not be used for funding new capital construction but costs associted with leasing, upgrading minor rennovations and modifications of existing warehouse facilities that do not change the footprint of the structure are permitted. 

Establish yearly agreements; assist wth resources to become prepared for mission response and provide qualified personnel in support of Emergency Support Function-9 (ESF-9) activities under NIMS and National response framework.

DEADLINE:  July 29, 2012.

Contact:  Catherine Deel, US&R Program Office.  Phone: (206-646-3796.  Email: catherine.deel@dhs.gov.  URL:  http://www.grants.gov/search.

*Information may be shared whom you think would benefit from this blog post.formation will be posted on a regular basis.

Questions or Suggestions?  Give us a shout!

(c) 2012 The NW Fire Blog*

Written by Lisa Swenson, Staff Writer and 20-plus year veteran as a Volunteer in the Non-Profit sector and experience as a Grant Researcher.