Fire Station Construction Grants Now Available
Part of the stimulus bill passed this year, the Assistance to Firefighters Fire Station Construction Grants are direct financial aid to fire stations so departments can enhance their response capability, DHS says.
The Department of Homeland Security begins taking applications today for Assistance to Firefighters Fire Station Construction Grants, which are competitively awarded direct federal assistance to help departments enhance their response capability. The application period for the grants begins at 9 a.m. EDT and continues until 5 p.m. EDT July 10.
The program was created by the Obama administration's stimulus package -- the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. DHS says the money may be used to build new or modify existing fire stations; the grants will be administered by the DHS/Federal Emergency Management Agency Grant Programs Directorate in coordination with the U.S. Fire Administration.
An electronic application and an applicant tutorial are available at the www.firegrantsupport.com Web site. The tutorial walks an applicant through the process of preparing and submitting applications and provides an overview of funding priorities and evaluation criteria.
DHS also operates a help desk on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. EDT. (The desk will close at 4:30 p.m. July 3 and will not be open July 4.) To reach the help desk, call 866-274-0960 or e-mail firegrants@dhs.gov.