There is a small window of opportunity to submit applications for the latest round of the popular Assistance to Firefighters Grant program. The application period is open now and closes on Friday, March 8. Region XII Council of Governments staff members will be available to help with application preparation at no charge, but they have provided some suggestions on where departments should begin with the process. The first step is to update their SAM.gov registration, which must be renewed annually. Without this step, the departments will automatically be disqualified for a grant. Each department should review equipment, gear, and vehicle needs and include this assessment with the application. Successful candidates will describe the condition of current equipment and detail why an update is necessary. Region XII also suggests including an informal cost quotation for the replacement of items. If an award is presented, formal bidding will be conducted. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2023, there were more than 7,000 applications for the Assistance to Firefighters Grants, but only 1,708 were distributed. Details on gathering additional information or requesting assistance from Region XII Council of Governments’ staff are included below.
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Region XII COG
712-792-9914
Chris Whitaker: cwhitaker@region12cog.org
Lauren Mortensen: lmortensen@region12cog.org
Alex Foley: afoley@region12cog.org