Some Major Problems I Have Seen On 2004 Applications So Far
Some Major Problems I Have Seen On 2004 Applications So Far
I will give you a quick run through screen by screen on items that seem
to be repeated among the many applications that I have reviewed so far.
After you have logged onto to FEMA web site and are looking at your
application(s) if you look up at the right top side of the screen look
for “Edit Profile” and make sure you have filled in all the boxes.
Especially fax numbers and cell phone or pager numbers. If you have to
use the city fax number then do so. One other line is in the Contacts
section at the bottom, the line “Organization” I have notice numerous
times where the name of you department is not filled in. I would
suggest doing that.
Screen #1. Overview
Make sure if you are using a grant writer that they complete this section including their fee.
Screen #2 Contact Information
make sure you have filled in all the boxes. Especially fax numbers and
cell phone or pager numbers. If you have to use the city fax number
then do so. One other line is in the Contacts section at the bottom,
the line “Organization” I have notice numerous times where the name of
you department is not filled in. I would suggest doing that.
Screen #3. Applicant Information
Type of Applicant - Most of you should answer “CITY” or “TOWNSHIP” NOT
Volunteer Fire Company because most of you are a division of city or
township government and are getting some your budget dollars from them.
Additional Information - 2nd question
If awarded this grant, will your jurisdiction expend greater than
$300,000 in Federal share funds during the Federal fiscal year in which
the grant was awarded?
The word “Jurisdiction” is the authority having jurisdiction (City,
Community, County, Fire District, Parish, Township, Town, or other
local governing body).
Screen# 4. Department Characteristics (I)
3rd question
What kind of Department do you represent?
Most of you should answer “Paid on call/Stipend” because you get some
form of fire call pay either hourly or at the end of the year. If you
get any kind of pay then you should answer “Paid on call/Stipend”. If
you truly receive no money at all then you can say “All Volunteer” if
everyone receives no money. If you Chief your other officers get a
small 100 dollars ay year for being an officer then the word “ALL” is a
problem and you again should answer “Paid on call/Stipend”.
Questions 7,8 and 9 should total 100%
(Percentages in three answers below must sum up to 100%)
How much of your jurisdiction's land use is for agriculture, wild land, open space, or undeveloped properties?
What percentage of your jurisdiction's land use is for commercial, industrial, or institutional purposes?
What percentage of your jurisdiction's land is used for residential purposes?
Last question
What services does your department provide?
Some of you are not answer all of your options here.
Screen #5. Department Characteristics (II)
In this section the first question are about injuries and deaths. If
you have had any deaths or injuries you should capitalize on those
misfortunes as this entire grant program is designed to reduce and
eliminate these from happening. Everything you ask for could possibly
have made a positive impact on those events IF you would have only had
the items before the event happened.
* What percentage of your annual operating budget is derived from:
Enter numbers only, percentages must sum up to 100%
Taxes?
Grants?
Donations?
Fund drives?
Other?
Most of you should be answer “100% from Taxes”. If your firefighters
have a pancake feed and raise money for a nozzle, that money you
generated should be submitted to the city council and THEY in turn MAY
put back into the FD budget and THEN the Chief can order the piece of
equipment.
If the local clubs donate 1000.00 to the fire department to help buy a
thermal imaging camera, those dollars are city dollars and they should
be handled as mentioned above.
Basically all of your OPERATING dollars are coming from your governing authority.
What ever you do, make sure the numbers equal 100%
Vehicle section on the bottom of this screen.
“Provide in the space below the following information only if you are applying for a firefighting vehicle:
List all your vehicles by type (for example, engines/pumpers, brush,
rescue, etc.). Then provide the year each was manufactured. If the
department has more than two of any type, provide the total number of
vehicles in that category and the years the oldest and the newest were
manufactured.”
Some of you are not following the directions as stated above.
Screen# 6. Department Call Volume
“Please provide the number of incidents your department responded to in each of the following categories last year.
Note: Each incident must be counted only once regardless of the number
of units that responded to that incident. (e.g., a vehicle fire with
entrapment and injuries may be counted as a vehicle fire or a rescue
call or an EMS call, but not all three).”
How many responses per year by category?
Some of you are apparently NOT logging every time your rig(s) leave the
station on a response or call for assistance. You should try to make
sure that these numbers are accurate. Example; If you are asking for
hazmat equipment but have NO hazmat response it may cause the panel
review folks to wonder.
Screen # 7. Request Information
This is one of thee most important questions to answer correctly.
2. Will this grant benefit more than one department?
If you answer NO then your application may not make it pass the chopping block!
Many of you are answering NO when the items you are asking for could
and most likely will end up on a mutual aid call or mutual aid will
benefit by you having the equipment.
Example;
The compressor and cascade system along with the other equipment will
not only benefit our firefighters safety but will also solve
interoperability issues and benefit 12 other mutual aid departments
totaling 400 firefighters.
Screen #8. Request Details
The items listed on this screen should be listed in your narrative in
the same order as they appear here. This will add “clarity” to your
application. Remember the panel review folks will be reading your
narrative and possibly looking back to these screens for clarification
and if you have these items in order it will be much easier for them to
locate the items in question.
1. Equipment
2. Modify Facilities
3. Personal Protective Equipment
4. Training
5. Wellness and Fitness Programs
Within each of the above areas you should also keep the order the same
in your narrative. Also make sure the numbers add up in these sections
and they are the same in your narrative.
Example;
Spare SCBA cylinder cost 685 dollars each and in the narrative you
round it off to 690 dollars, … your in trouble. You now have an
application that is not accurate and is no longer “CLEAR and CONCISE”.
In the “Add Equipment” screen question #*1. What equipment will your department purchase with this grant?
This box below you should add some info and clarity about what you are asking for.
“Please provide further description of the item selected above or if you selected Other above, please specify. “
*5. Generally the equipment purchased under this grant program:
Hopefully you will be able to answer this one buy clicking on the send
choice “Will bring the department into statutory compliance. Please
explain how this equipment will bring the department into statutory
compliance in the space provided to the right.”
Remember the MN Law 182.653
The General Duty Clause (Minnesota Statute 182.653 Subd. 2) Each
employer shall furnish to each of its employees conditions of
employment and a place of employment free from recognized hazards that
are causing or are likely to cause death or serious injury or harm to
its employees.
- Employers must provide a safe and healthful workplace.
If in your risk analysis process you decide that to reduce or eliminate
a “recognized hazard” you should have a “jaws of life” instead of using
hammers and chisels to extricate and force entry then that equipment
could fall under this MN Law as well as MN-OSHA laws and NFPA standards.
These laws and standards can be viewed at
http://minnesotafireservice.com/grantmenu.html
Last question on that screen.
6. Does this equipment provide a health and safety benefit to the
firefighters in your department? If yes, please fully explain in the
narrative section.
If you answer yes then MAKE SURE you address it in your narrative as INSTRUCTED.
Screen # 9. Budget
Many of you are asking about how you show that you have MORE then your
require 10& or 30% match on this screen. Short answer is you can
not show it here.
You need to address that in your narrative and I would do it very early
in your narrative and then in the budget section and at the end of your
narrative.
Your match dollars belong in box “a. Applicant” section.
Another question that is asked is “How do I show what are grant writer
is charging and which line does it go into?”. It needs to show up in
screen #8 under the “update Additional Funding” section under “View
Details” on the right side of the screen. Once in there it goes under
“Contractual” as spelled out in the help button.
“Contractual - The costs in this area should cover any contracts that
you issue that are not already covered under equipment or supplies. For
example if you hire a grant writer, hire a contractor to handle your
Fire Prevention Program.”
Screen #8 Request Details
View Details
Update Additional Funding
Once you do this you will then see the dollars show up in the “Budget Screen” under contractual.
Screen #10. Narrative Statement
This screen is important and it is also confusing.
At the top of this screen you are instructed “In the program narrative,
please explain how the funds provided will be spent. The program
narrative must demonstrate the financial need for the assistance and
how the costs expended under this program will benefit the
firefighters' and/or public's safety. This will be a major part of the
evaluation process of the grant application.
Please ensure that your narrative clearly addresses each of the following areas to the best of your ability.
MY NOTE TO READERS: HERE IS THE IMPORTANT PART
Follow the sequence and specifically identify which area is being addressed:
• The project that you are requesting to be funded
• How you plan to use the grant funds for each major budget activity as listed on the budget form
• Why this program would be beneficial to your community and/or to your department
• Why this project cannot be funded solely through local funding and
• Any additional relevant information that you would like us to consider when evaluating your application
Your narrative should be detailed but concise. Your narrative may not
exceed five pages of text. You may either type your project narrative
in the space provided below or create the text in your word processing
system and then copy it into the space provided below. Images and
attachments are not allowed.
These are the 5 questions that need to be IN your narrative and
identified. You can see a sample of this format that I have used on
successful applications in the past at
http://minnesotafireservice.com/narrative_2004_sample.html
If you answer the 5 questions you should address the 3 main areas (1)
Project Description, (2) Financial Need, and (3) Cost-Benefit of
Request.
At the bottom of this screen you see “* Please describe any grants that
you currently have with DHS including the AFG, for example, 2002 AFG
grant for vehicle or 2003 ODP grant for exercises. (Enter "N/A" if Not
Applicable)”
Make sure that you place a “NA” in the box if you do not have any other grants.
Finally and most important for the narrative section. After you have
pasted your narrative into the web screen box you should save it and
then go to the PRINT APPLICATION screen and print the narrative. You
need to see what it will look like when printed for the panel review
teams. Make sure it is not longer then 5 pages. MAKE SURE IT IS EASY TO
READ.
Screen #11. Assurances and Certifications
The 3rd form;
SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (Complete only if applying
for a grant of more than $100,000 and have lobbying activities using
Non-Federal funds. See Form 20-16C for lobbying activities definition.)
I have been instructed by FEMA folks that you can check this box as
“Not Applicable” IF you are not using lobbing activities and I would
suggest that you DO NOT LOBBY.
The key word in this statement for this form is “and” have lobbying
activities. Well if you don’t lobby you don’t need to fill this form
out.
Finally remember to PRINT the entire application when done BEFORE you submit it.
GOOD LUCK!!!