Federal Government Funding

Use the information on this page to find federal funding opportunities for the fire and emergency services.
 

Resources for Finding Federal Programs

Grants.gov
Grants.gov is a government-wide system used by federal agencies for posting grant announcements and online grant submissions. It is managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Federal Grants Wire
Federal Grants Wire is a free resource to search for information about available federal grants, government grants, and loans. The site offers over 1,800 federal grant and loan opportunities, organized by sponsoring agency, applicant type, and subject area to help you find funding opportunities applicable to your program and/or agency. There is also a searchable grant directory and index. Additionally, Federal Grants Wire has multiple resources which provide information such as the definition and classifications of federal grants, how to write grant proposals, tips on applying for federal grants, application eligibility requirements, and more.

FireGrantsHelp
FireGrantsHelp's mission is to provide firefighters and departments with a comprehensive resource for grant information and assistance. The web site features the most extensive fire grant database ever created, with a library of information not only for federal grant programs, but also state, local and corporate grant opportunities. FireGrantsHelp.com also offers users a multitude of free grant assistance tools such as: research guidance, grant writing tips, grant resources, tools, news, and much more. Note: NVFC members receive a discount on grant-writing services from FireGrantsHelp.

EMSGrantsHelp
EMSGrantsHelp's mission is to provide members of the EMS community with a comprehensive resource for grant information and assistance. The web site features the most extensive EMS grant database ever created, with a library of information not only for federal grant programs, but also state, local, and corporate grant opportunities. Note: NVFC members receive a discount on grant-writing services from EMSGrantsHelp.

Terrorism Awareness Grants and Funding
The NVFC has compiled information on available Terrorism Awareness grant and funding resources.

DHS/FEMA Grants Program Directorate
The purpose of FEMA’s Grant Programs Directorate (GPD) is to strategically and effectively administer and manage FEMA grants to ensure critical and measurable results for customers and stakeholders. This page provides FEMA's Preparedness (Non-Disaster) Grants, Disaster Grants, and Assistance to Firefighters Grants, as well as grant resources and information on how to apply.

Department of Homeland Security - Grants
The Department of Homeland Security enhances the ability of states, local, and tribal jurisdictions, and other regional authorities in the preparation, prevention, and response to terrorist attacks and other disasters, by distributing grant funds. Localities can use grants for planning, equipment, training, and exercise needs. This web page includes a list of Preparedness Grants, resources for finding and applying for Homeland Security grants, and grant administration resources.

FY 2011 Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP)
The Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) provides a mechanism for building and sustaining national preparedness capabilities. The five grant programs under HSGP fund a range of preparedness activities, including planning, equipment acquisition, training, exercises, management, and administration.

Federal Grant Programs

 
Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program
The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG) is a competitive program that directly awards one-year grants to fire departments and non-affiliated emergency medical services organizations nationwide in an effort to give every department the basic tools needed to respond to all hazards. Departments can apply for federal assistance for training, equipment, emergency vehicles, communications equipment, health and safety programs, and fire prevention and education programs.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) generally opens the application period for the AFG in early March and accepts applications for approximately one month.

SAFER Grant Program
The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program provides grants to fire departments for hiring personnel and to fire departments and regional and state fire associations to implement volunteer recruitment and retention programs. SAFER grant money for hiring personnel, which is disbursed over a five-year period, decreases annually and is gradually replaced with local dollars until the fire department bears the entire cost. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) generally opens the application period for the AFG in late May and accepts applications for approximately one month.

Contact:
For more information on the program and to download an application once the application period opens, visit: www.fema.gov/firegrants. DHS has a help desk to assist you with the application process, which can be reached at 1-866-274-0960 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Volunteer Fire Assistance Program
The purpose of the Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) Program, formerly known as the Rural Community Fire Protection (RCFP) Program, is to provide federal financial, technical, and other assistance to state foresters to train and equip fire departments in rural areas and rural communities to prevent and suppress fires. A rural community is defined as having 10,000 or less population. This 10,000-population limit for participation in the VFA Program facilitates distribution of available VFA funding to the neediest fire departments. The funding must be matched on a 50-50% basis by non-federal dollars or in-kind.

Contact:
Your State Forester. For a list of State Foresters go to: www.stateforesters.org/SFlist.html.
Or for more information on the program, visit: http://www.fs.fed.us/fire/partners/vfa/help/guide.htm

Department of Interior Rural Fire Assistance Program
The Department of Interior (DOI) Rural Fire Assistance Program is aimed at enhancing the fire protection capabilities of rural fire districts in the wildland urban interface. The program assists with training, equipment purchase, and prevention activities on a 90/10 cost-share basis. The rural fire department must serve a community with a population of 10,000 or less and must have a statewide agreement with the state forester who maintains cooperative agreements with the rural fire departments or volunteer fire departments or a cooperative fire agreement with an agency in the DOI. The money from Congress is divided among the four DOI agencies - Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and the National Park Service (NPS) - and the agencies distribute the money to their local offices. This program is aimed at enhancing close coordination among local, state, tribal, and federal firefighting resources.
 
Contact:
To find out the contact in your state go to: http://www.nifc.gov/rfa/index.html
 
Rural Safety Initiative
Six million of the nation’s 8.4 million road-miles are considered rural, and fatal incidents on rural roads exceed the national average in every quantifiable measure. In order to address this problem, Department of Transportation (DoT) Secretary Mary Peters has launched the Rural Safety Initiative (RSI). The focus of the RSI is to concentrate on highway injuries and fatalities that occur on rural roads. It addresses five specific areas, including: safe drivers; better roads; smarter roads; better trained emergency responders; and outreach and partnerships. All relevant DoT agencies are working together to promote and implement this program. For more information, visit www.dot.gov/affairs/ruralsafety/ruralsafetyinitiativeplan.htm.
 
Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness Grant Program
The Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness (HMEP) grant program provides financial resources to help rural communities respond to hazmat incidents. The program focuses on hazmat training and the establishment of Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs). According to the U.S. Fire Administration’s A Second Needs Assessment of the U.S. Fire Service, seven out of 10 rural fire departments provide hazardous materials response. Of those rural departments, 41 percent rely on personnel without formal hazmat training to respond to incidents involving hazardous materials. Administered by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the $28 million HMEP grant program is an integral part of the Rural Safety Initiative that will help address the significant challenges facing rural departments. For more information, visit http://hazmat.dot.gov/training/state/hmep/hmep.htm.
 
Contact:
 
Federal Excess Property Program
Federal Excess Personal Property (FEPP) is federal personal property that was originally purchased for use by a federal agency, but is no longer needed. It is then acquired by the USDA Forest Service for loan to one of the 50 states or 6 territories for use in the state's rural or wildland fire protection program.

Contact:
Your State Forester. For a list of State Foresters go to: www.stateforesters.org/SFlist.html
Or for more information on the program, visit: http://www.fs.fed.us/fire/partners/fepp/
 
Community Facilities Grants and Loans
The Rural Housing Service (RHS) of the Department of Agriculture offers loans and grants to construct, enlarge, extend, or otherwise improve community facilities providing essential services to rural residents. Priority for funding will be given to those projects that will enhance public safety, such as fire, police, rescue, and ambulance services, and projects for health care facilities. The fire service can use the funding for fire stations, fire trucks, and rescue vehicles.
 
Contact:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Rural Development Administration
Community Facilities Division
14th and Independence Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20250
Phone: (202) 720 4323
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/cf/cp.htm

Office of Grants and Training Terrorism Formula Grants
The Office of Grants and Training (OG&T) provides funding through the states to enhance the capacity of emergency responders to prevent, deter, or respond to terrorist incidents involving weapons of mass destruction. The funding is awarded to a point of contact in each state and then distributed within the state for training, technical assistance, equipment, planning, and exercises. To learn more about the various terrorism grant programs administered by OG&T, check out the NVFC�s Terrorism Awareness Guide at http://www.nvfc.org/resourcecenter-terrorism-resources.html#grants.

Community Development Block Grants
Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) provides eligible communities with annual direct grants that they can use for community projects that benefit low- and moderate-income persons, including fire and life safety protection.
 
Contact:
Department of Housing and Urban Development
451 Seventh St., SW
Washington, DC 20410
Phone: (202) 708-1455
http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/communitydevelopment/programs/
Or contact the CDBG Coordinator at your county courthouse.
 
Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program
This program provides a death benefit ($315,746 as of October 1, 2008) to the eligible survivors of federal, state, or local public safety officers whose death is the direct and proximate result of a personal (traumatic) injury sustained in the line of duty. The program also provides the same benefit to a public safety officer who has been permanently and totally disabled as the direct result of a catastrophic personal injury sustained in the line of duty. The injury must permanently prevent the officer from performing any gainful work.
 
Contact:
Benefits Office
Bureau of Justice Assistance
810 Seventh Street, NW
Washington, DC 20531
Phone: 202-307-0635
Toll free: 1-888-SIGNL13 (744�6513)
Fax: (202) 616-0314
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/grant/psob/psob_main.html 
 
Federal Property Reimbursement Agreement
Under Section 11 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974, reimbursement may be made to fire departments for fighting fire on property owned by the Federal government. Only firefighting costs over and above normal operating costs are reimbursable. Claims are submitted to USFA and are reviewed by the Deputy Administrator to ensure they meet the criteria outlined in the Code of Federal Regulations.
 
Contact:
United States Fire Administration
16825 South Seton Avenue
Emmitsburg, MD 21727
Phone: (301) 447-1000
Fax: (301) 447-1441
http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/grants/rfff/
 
Federal Surplus Property Programs
Federal surplus property is sold, or otherwise disposed of, primarily by the General Services Administration (GSA) who manages surplus property of civilian Federal departments and agencies. The Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service handles military surplus and excess property, however the donation of excess military property is handled through GSA via state agencies for surplus property.

GSA transfers federal surplus personal property to state agencies for surplus property. They in turn can distribute this surplus property for use by eligible recipients, which include public agencies (such as local-level governmental agencies which could include fire departments).

Each state agency responsible for the distribution of federal surplus property can set additional requirements for doing so within the parameters of federal law. A listing of the address and telephone numbers of these state surplus agencies can be found at: http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/channelView.do?pageTypeId=10430&channelId=-13241
 
Contact:
Property Management Division
Office of Transportation and Property Management
Federal Supply Service
General Services Administration
Washington, DC 20406
Phone: (703) 605-2912
 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Local Governments Reimbursement Program
EPA'S Local Governments Reimbursement (LGR) program provides federal funds to local governments for costs related to temporary emergency measures conducted in response to releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances. The program serves as a safety net to provide supplemental funding to local governments that do not have funds available to pay for these response actions. Eligible local governments may submit applications to EPA for reimbursement of up to $25,000 per incident.
 
Contact:
Office of Emergency and Remedial Response
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M. Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
Phone: (800) 431-9209
www.epa.gov/superfund/programs/er/lgr  
 
National Fire Academy Training Assistance
(Student Stipend Reimbursement Program)
Presently, the program covers reimbursement for the cost of a 21-day pre-purchase, nonrefundable ticket for round-trip transportation by common carrier, or privately owned vehicle mileage reimbursement not to exceed the cost of the airline ticket, for the resident program courses at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and a limited stipend for selected regional delivery courses throughout the nation. For Regional Delivery courses, a limited stipend of up to $100 for a one-week course and up to $200 for a two-week course is provided to help offset students' transportation and lodging.
 
Any student who is a member of a fire department or has significant responsibility for fire prevention and control and has been accepted into an eligible course at the National Fire Academy may apply for stipend reimbursement. Reimbursements are not made to federal employees who are attending on behalf of their employer, employees from private industry, or foreign students.

Contact:
National Emergency Training Center
Office of Admissions
16825 S. Seton Avenue
Emmitsburg, MD 21727
Phone: (301) 447-1000
www.usfa.dhs.gov/training/nfa
 
State Fire Training Assistance
As partners with the National Fire Academy (NFA), state fire service training systems are enfranchised to deliver 2-day and 6-day NFA courses. States bear the entire cost of the courses. Currently there is a grant program to provide that funding. NFA will provide a master set of course materials, a list of qualified NFA instructors, and quality control oversight. States will continue to report student participation in all courses for inclusion in the NFA database, and students may receive NFA course certificates.