| * Please indicate which of these Target Capabilities your request outlined in this application will satisfy. Check all that apply: | |
| Responder Safety and Health Firefighting Operations/Support Hazardous Materials Response Search and Rescue Emergency Medical Services Communications |
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| * Please provide your narrative statement in the space provided below. Include in your narrative, details regarding (1) your project’s description and budget, (2) your organization’s financial need, (3) the benefit to be derived from the cost of your project, and (4) how the activities requested in your application will help your organization’s daily operations and how this grant will protect life and property. | |
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- XXXX is a small farming community located about XX miles northwest of Minneapolis on MN Highway XX, between XXX and XXX. Twenty-three members currently serve on XXXX Fire and Rescue which provides protection to our 36 square mile service area. PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND BUDGET; ------------------------------- Our officers conducted a risk assessment and concluded that we are in serious need of many pieces of critical fire fighting equipment. We need to come into compliance with the 800 Mhz radio system so we are requesting funding for 1 – 800 Mhz Base Unit, 5 – 800 Mhz Mobile Units, 4 – 800 Mhz Hand-Held Portable Units, 2 – compatible Headsets for 800 Mhz Hand-Held Portable Units, 4 – compatible Earpiece/Microphones for 800 Mhz Hand-Held Portable Units. We are requesting funding for 1 – Cartridge Foam Nozzle, 20 – Foam Cartridges, to be used on our 1-inch booster line, and 2 – Foam Generator Units to fit the ¾ inch attack lines mounted on our grass rig.. We are requesting funding to purchase 1 – 4-Gas Monitor. We are requesting funding to purchase 1 – Portable Drafting Pump. We are requesting funding to purchase 1 – K-12 style Circular Saw and 1 – gas powered Chainsaw. We are requesting funding to purchase 10 – 50-foot sections of 1.5-inch Fire Hose. PROJECT BUDGET: --------------- 1 Each – 800 Mhz Base Radio System - $5,500 5 Each – 800 Mhz Mobile Radio - $3,500 Each = $17,500 4 Each – 800 Mhz Hand-Held Portable Radio - $2,600 Each = $10,400 2 Each – Radio Headset @ $450 Each = $900 4 Each – Radio Ear/Microphone @ $600 Each = $2,400 1 Each – Cartridge Foam Nozzle - $1,000 20 Each – Foam Cartridge - $22 Each = $440 1 Each – 4-Gas Monitor - $750 1 Each – Portable Drafting Pump - $6,000 1 Each – Chain Saw w/2 Carbide Chains - $2,700 1 Each – K-12 Style Circular Saw w/2 Carbide Blades - $3,300 10 Each – 50 foot Length 1.5 inch Fire Hose @ $70 Each = $700 2 Each – Foam Generator @ $200 Each = $400 Grant Writer - $300.00 Total Project Budget: $52,290 Federal Grant Share: $49,676 City Share: $2,614 FINANCIAL NEED: --------------- After many years of trying we were finally able to reinsulate and remodel our fire hall to save fuel and protect our equipment better. Then recently, our number 1 pumper, a 1978 apparatus, developed a major malfunction and needed to be replaced, so we were forced to purchase a used pumper to put on line. All of our available resources were spent on these two projects, leaving the city with a serious shortfall. Beginning in the summer of 2007 XXXX will replace the sewer system. The existing 5 year old system never worked properly so a new system needs to be installed. This will create a huge financial burden for the city and its residents. The decline in revenues from higher government, and the rising cost of fuels, repair parts, services, insurance, and other expenses, has caused the city to cut parts of its budget, leaving no funds available for these purchases. The declining farm economy is hurting the local service organizations that have helped us in the past, so there are no funds available from outside sources. Without this grant, these purchases will not be made, and the safety of our firefighters and the public will be in jeopardy. CITY BUDGET: Revenue: $61,101 Expenses: General Government - $22,068 (38,7%) Fire - $18,015 (31.6%) City Sewer - $15,460 (27.1%) Rescue - $1,216 (2.2%) Streets - $262 (0.5%) FIRE / RESCUE BUDGET: Revenue: $18,015 Expenses: Fuels - $2,642 (12.4%) Utilities - $1,170 (5.5%) Supplies/Repairs - $4,646 (21.9%) Training - $3,546 (16.7%) Misc - $863 (4.1%) Wages/Salaries- $4,557 (21.5%) Dues/Insurance - $3,828 (18.0%) COST / BENEFIT: --------------- XXXX County, one of the leading counties in the State of Minnesota, has decided to convert to the 800 Mhz radio system to be in compliance with the Minnesota State Radio Plan. This decision has created problems in communicating with law enforcement, ambulances, and our mutual aid group. Communications is a key factor in keeping our firefighters safe and operating efficiently. Our current radio system is not compatible with the 800 Mhz system, so we are finding it difficult to relay timely information to everyone on scenes. Decisions by leadership personnel and actions by attack and service personnel are being hampered due to the lack of proper information. This is unsafe for our firefighters and the public we serve. The radio system will insure that timely information is shared within our department and with those supporting units on scene. This information will save time by eliminating unnecessary actions and by having firefighters and equipment in the right place at the right time. Communications will be possible between officers and interior attack personnel, which will provide a more accurate information exchange and better firefighter safety. This will reduce confusion and improve our operations. By improving our efficiency, we will reduce property damage and scene time. Foam has been proven to be a very effective tool for fire suppression. Foam can be used for vehicle, vegetation, and structure fires with excellent results, saving time and property. Saving time is critical to firefighter safety because it reduces physical and mental stress, especially on large stubborn fires. Foam also reduces the number of recalls. Our capability for foam use is very limited and needs to be improved Foam use will save time and money by eliminating a majority of recalls and by allowing firefighters to operate faster, with better results. Foam will be very effective in salvage and overhaul, vehicle fires, and stubborn brush fires. Lingering fires will be put out faster, which will save property and reduce scene time. Firefighters will not be required to remain fighting one particular hot spot for a long time, resulting in coverage of larger areas in shorter times. More and more households and businesses are installing Carbon Monoxide detectors, and the number of 911 calls is increasing due to these units. We need a gas monitor that will provide us the ability to determine if evacuation and ventilation is necessary or if the detector malfunctioned. At present, our policy is to evacuate and ventilate all buildings where CO detectors activate, and without a detector we don’t know whether we have ventilated enough or if it is even necessary. Another major concern in this farming area is the heavy use of anhydrous ammonia and LP gas. Spills and leaks occur frequently in the spring and fall, and these gases, in high levels, can be deadly. When we are called in because of a gas leak, we have no way to determine what levels of gas are present and whether evacuation is warranted. A 4-gas monitor would provide the ability to make sound decisions concerning firefighter and public health when dealing with these deadly gases. The 4-gas monitor will allow us to determine whether evacuation and ventilation is necessary, and if so, how much. This will save time on scene, because our current policy is to evacuate and ventilate all scenes. Without the monitor we have no way to determine whether the air quality is poor or if we are dealing with a faulty detector. When we ventilate we do not have a way to measure air quality to determine whether the scene is safe to re-enter. Because there is no water infrastructure in our community, we rely on water to be trucked in to support the pumper. Fortunately, our service area has a number of surface water supplies that can be used to fill tankers. This eliminates the need to take them back to town for filling, which saves critical time. Our portable drafting pump used for this task is very old and has not been operating properly, thus requiring mutual aid departments to supply their pump. Repair parts are no longer available for the engine or the pump. Having delays of water supply for the pumper puts our firefighters in danger and increases property loss. A new, reliable portable drafting pump will provide us with the opportunity to maintain a steady water supply to our pumper. Travel time and fuel usage will be reduced. Firefighter efficiency will improve, resulting in less property loss. Ventilation is critical during structure fires. Currently we use axes and pry bars to open vent holes in roofs and walls which is a slow, labor-intensive process. We use the same process to provide access to buildings and grain bins. Gas-powered saws would reduce attack time and employ fewer personnel in that process. The two gas-powered saws will provide faster access to interiors and faster ventilation through many different materials. Fewer personnel will be required to accomplish these tasks, which will provide more personnel for other duties. More efficient access and ventilation will result in less property loss and reduced scene times. A recent hose testing and inventory revealed the need to replace a number of 1.5-inch hose sections due to leaks and physical damage. Used hose in the damaged state can put firefighters at serious risk when the hose fails. Reliable fire hose saves operational time. Hose breaks stop suppression activities, and property loss increases. It is imperative that we use fire hose that is in good condition to ensure the safety of our firefighters. All of this equipment will help XXXX Fire and Rescue operate faster, more safely, and with greater efficiency and effectiveness. STATEMENT OF EFFECT: -------------------- Scene safety can only be achieved and maintained by good communications. An 800 Mhz radio system will give us the ability to communicate with interior attack personnel, within our department, and with other units on scene including law enforcement, ambulances, and mutual aid personnel. This communication will result in faster and smarter decisions being made because better information is available on a more timely basis. This will insure firefighter safety and more efficient operations. The use of foam will reduce physical and emotional stress on our firefighter because it will allow them to move through a scene faster without having to go back and repeat suppression attempts.. Foam will extinguish vehicle and farm implement fires faster and will eliminate most recalls on structure fires. Salvage and overhaul will be improved because foam reduces the amount of water necessary to put out stubborn hotspots. A 4-gas monitor will help us determine appropriate actions for spills, leaks, and detector activations with greater accuracy. Proper decisions concerning evacuation and ventilation will be possible because we will be able to monitor whether a problem actually exists, and if so, how severe it is. Firefighter and public safety will be greater enhanced with the use of a 4-gas monitor. A new portable pump will ensure a steadier supply of water to our pumper, which will provide better scene safety for our firefighters. Tankers will not have to return to the hall to fill, reducing traffic exposures and increasing efficiency. Holes will be opened faster and more easily to provide ventilation and access to interiors with the use of the two new saws. The circular saw will be used for steel surfaces found on pole buildings and grain bins, and to cut through shingles on roofs; the chain saw will be used for wood and softer materials. The chain saw will also be used to fell trees and poles that cause problems during grass and brush fires. These gas-powered saws will reduce both firefighter stress and the number of personnel needed to accomplish these tasks. Reliable fire hose is very important at any fire scene and is vital in promoting firefighter safety. Hose breaks waste valuable time and provide opportunities for increased property damage. This new hose will be used on all fire scenes including mutual aid incidents. All of the equipment listed in this grant request is vital to our operations. Some items will replace old, worn-out equipment, while other items will be new to our fire service, but all are very necessary. This equipment will promote firefighter safety and will generate savings for the community. Mutual aid partners will benefit by having a better equipped department responding to their calls. The City of XXXX, XXXX Fire and Rescue, and the surrounding service area, thanks you for the opportunity to apply for this grant funding. Without this help we will not be able to purchase these necessary items and our department operations will actually regress. |
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