The NVFC is extremely supportive of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program and is committed to ensuring that they operate as efficiently as possible. The AFG provides equipment, apparatus and training to fire departments across the country to help them meet basic needs. SAFER provides funding to hire firefighters as well as recruit and retain volunteers. Grant applications are reviewed by panels of firefighters and ranked based on merit. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) uses these rankings to make grant awards.
Each year, the funding requested by fire departments is many times greater than the amount available. The application process is extremely competitive, and many worthy applications go unfunded. Many departments that cannot afford to hire a grant writer or send someone from their department to one of DHS’ grant writing workshops have failed to receive a grant because of the quality of their applications. These tend to be small volunteer departments that have few resources and need additional funding the most.
In order to assist these departments, the NVFC has created an online resource center with copies of narratives from successful past grant applications. These narratives are extremely useful examples for departments that have significant need but have had trouble expressing it in past applications. In addition to the model narratives, the NVFC has posted a grant writing guide created by DHS.
Departments should not simply cut and paste from the model applications for several reasons. Primarily, DHS utilizes software to detect language recurring in multiple grant applications in the same fiscal year. Submitting an application that includes false information is a crime punishable by law. Additionally, the grant criteria is reviewed and updated every year by DHS based on recommendations from the fire service community. Applicants should review the grant criteria for the fiscal year they are applying in to ensure that their narrative reflects current priorities.
If you have a successful narrative that you would like to have posted on the NVFC’s website, please contact Dave Finger, Director of Government Relations, at (202) 887-5700, ext. 12 or dfinger@nvfc.org.
DHS Tips on Writing a Good Narrative
View Examples of Successful Past Narratives
