EMSGrantHelp.com

PHOTO SHARI MORRIS

As I write this article, both I-95 and I-75 in Florida are closed because of wildfires; traffic is at a total standstill. More than 3,349 wildfires have occurred here since January, consuming 151,089 acres, destroying more than 15 homes and causing the evacuation of thousands of people. It's a situation that's occurring more and more frequently across the United States during wildfire season.

As urban sprawl continues to advance into the countryside, many fire departments face a growing threat from wildland/urban interface (WUI) fires. Commercial developers in rural areas are quick to disregard water supply concerns, and they often perform only minimal fuels reduction around new homes. Narrow, winding roads and steep, unimproved driveways with limited access are all impediments to efficient and timely fire response. The end result for many fire departments: increased pressure to obtain equipment capable of maneuvering in WUI environments and carrying an adequate water supply or compressed air foam systems (CAFS).

Many rural fire departments still rely on the only vehicle they have available for WUI calls: the "good ole" 4 x 4 with a 250-gallon skid unit, or a military surplus 6 x 6 tanker-vehicles that generally are not sufficient enough for WUI incidents. Simply said, the need to obtain specialty vehicles is growing, but the tax bases and funding from which to make these purchases are dwindling. Many departments are still stinging from the rising cost of fuel over the past two years, never anticipating that they would be 40 percent over budget just for gasoline and diesel. The fuel situation alone is leaving many departments short of financial resources for purchasing new vehicles.

So how do we deal with this ever-growing need to replace old brush trucks or acquire new trucks and other WUI apparatus? Grant funding is increasingly becoming key.

Fishing for Dollars
Several grant programs are available to fund WUI vehicles, but grant money is not always easy to obtain. In fact, understanding the competitive nature of these grants is often the first step in determining whether seeking a grant award is a viable option for your department. You will be competing against other departments with similar needs, and in order to win the award, you must develop and write a grant application that truly expresses your needs — one that is ultimately more convincing than other departments' applications.

Prior to seeking a grant, departments must understand one very basic rule of grant funding: If your need does not match the funding priorities of the grant program, you should not even consider applying for that program. Before investing significant time and effort into developing a strong grant application, you must ascertain whether the funding source's priorities make this program a viable choice for you.

Seeking a grant award is much like fly-fishing. The fisherman presents an orchestrated enticement, hoping the fish will take the bait. A successful fly fisherman always knows to "match the hatch" — selecting the specific fly that will entice a fish to bite. He gains this knowledge by reading the environment and studying the insects present in the air, the water or the belly of a recently caught fish; he knows he'll have greater success at fishing if he presents bait that closely matches what the fish are eating (the hatch).

Fire departments should apply this same technique when examining a possible grant-funding source. If you want the funding source to take the "bait," you better match what that funding source is seeking to accomplish. This knowledge is gained through careful reading and dissection of the Program Guidance or the Request for Proposals (RFP).

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program
The primary grant program for funding fire department apparatus is the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program. Administered by the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, this program is used for supplying "basic fire protection needs" for U.S. fire departments. Those departments classified as either rural or suburban will discover that brush/quick-attack vehicles are eligible for replacement or acquisition through the AFG program and are categorized as "priority one vehicles" in its vehicle funding matrix. Does this mean your department should pursue the AFG program? Well, that depends on how you look at it. Just because brush trucks are considered priority one vehicles does not necessarily mean the AFG program will award your department with a grant for one. There are other factors that will influence its decision, as discussed below.

In addition, take into account the program's history of funding vehicles and the limitations imposed by Congress. Only 25 percent of the total grant money available under the AFG program (by law) is set aside for vehicle acquisition. Historically, 30 percent of the applications received for this program seek to replace an old vehicle or acquire a new vehicle. In the 2006 AFG program, 18,160 applications were submitted for the program and 4,989 (27 percent) of those applications were for vehicle acquisition. In total, fire departments requested more than $1 billion in funding for vehicles, yet only $129.5 million was available for vehicle requests. These funding requests were submitted in a year in which the program received $150 million less in total funding than it had in 2005.

According to the latest statistical analysis of the AFG program, since its inception, 34,343 vehicle applications have been received, but only 4,173 have been awarded. The numbers indicate roughly 834 vehicles have been awarded per year over the last five years. It does not take a mathematics degree to figure out that your chances of winning program funding for a vehicle are very small indeed (12 percent). If you like those odds, I know a bookie who wants to talk with you!

Wait a minute, though. Some fire departments clearly win vehicle grants. How do they do it? Following are some tips you can use to improve your odds.

Make a Proper Statement of Need
Most departments fail to properly state their need when using the AFG program for vehicle acquisition. Need is the single biggest factor in the award selection process, and it is predicated almost entirely through statistical analysis. What does that mean for your department? You must keep accurate records. All applicants for the AFG program are asked whether they report on the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS), and if your department is awarded a grant, you are required to report on this system. If you do not have sufficient statistical data to justify your request, you will never survive the computer analysis that every application receives prior to being sent to the peer review committee. Future or anticipated need cannot be used in the AFG program, as everything is scored according to your statistical data from the past, not what you might do in the future. Remember: The job is not done until the paperwork is filed, and it is this very paperwork that will later justify your need.

But simply reporting the number of calls can understate your need. Asking for an expenditure of $100,000 for a new truck when you are only working six wildland fires a year simply will not equate to proper cost/benefit when compared with the applications of other departments battling several dozen WUI fires yearly. Therefore, you should not only record the fact that you answered a wildland call, but also provide documentation of the property losses, as these numbers have a direct bearing on need as well. There is a distinguishable difference between answering 10 calls for a grass median strip on fire, and three calls where 2,000 acres of commercially forested lands and several residential structures were lost. A significant dollar value can be associated with these losses, and it is good practice to obtain a solid estimate of the total property losses incurred before filing the final report.

Other factors that affect the statement of need: environmental and climatic conditions and a history of droughts and bad wildfire seasons. Because weather and wildfire/drought history are heavily involved in predicting future wildfires, obtain data from your state Division of Forestry and local meteorological resources to reinforce your statement of need.

Establish Financial Need
The next hurdle is to establish financial need. Let me be very clear: Lack of budget does not, in and of itself, create financial need. Just because you do not have a significant operating budget does not mean you are financially needy.

A true and accurate picture of your financial state of affairs is always paramount to a successful grant application. You should have a minimum of three years of past financial records available to present to the reviewers. Spell out your financial records in a simple, two-column format showing income vs. expenses, and account for the differences in each (see table on p. 20).

The financial need portion of the grant application should also include demographical data and economic factors influencing your area of responsibility. Factory layoffs and businesses closing or moving south for cheaper labor markets are all indicators of financial need. Contact your local county economic development board or the reporter from the local newspaper's financial section and query them about the local economy and its effect on available tax dollars.

Another key way to demonstrate financial need is to show that resources are being directed to other projects. If your local county government just spent $35 million to build a new water-treatment facility, it will mean a lean budget around the firehouse and fewer funds to cover the cost of a new truck. Local projects will form a complete picture of what is happening in your neck of the woods-critical information the reviewer must have to make a proper decision. This "local snapshot," together with your budget information, should reinforce that your department is not able to obtain the resources to acquire the vehicle.

Demonstrate Cost/Benefit
The cost/benefit of a new vehicle also plays a very important role in any well-developed grant application. In layman's terms, cost/benefit can be translated "bang for the buck." Grant programs want to know that the maximum number of people are going to benefit from the money being awarded. Cost/benefit is an area that almost every department fails to properly address. It is also the fourth common reason why AFG program applications are rejected, so it is an area that requires close attention. Cost/benefit is where your mutual-aid figures can help make a strong case for you (think interoperability).

For any grant application, you must weigh the total project cost against frequency of use and population served. You cannot simply ask for the money, wait for it to be awarded and then approach a manufacturer; to gain the award, you must shop for the best price before submitting an application to the program, then renegotiate with the manufacturer if and when you receive an award.

In grants, the key operative phrase for gaining awards is "needy, not greedy." The objective is to get the truck parked in your equipment bay, not gain a parade piece for the Fourth of July. Remember, the grant priorities state they will fund "basic needs," which does not mean every bell and whistle, chrome bumpers and the capability to put out a fire the size of Montana. Instead, concentrate on getting four to six wheels, a tank, a pump and a good engine first, then add all your extras with your own money when you actually order the truck. After all, would you rather spend $5,000 or $100,000 out of your own budget? If you saved $95,000 to purchase the vehicle, then you can afford to pay for some of those extras yourself. Keeping those little extras off the grant application in the first place does two things: First, it shows that you've done your homework and you are taking a reasonable approach to the request, which is something the AFG guidelines specifically encourage, and second, it allows the computer to crunch your cost/benefit numbers at a better rate.

Cost/benefit is generally figured by taking the total population of your area, multiplying it by the 20-year service life of the truck and then dividing that number into the total project cost. A good rule of thumb: Get the cost/benefit below $1 per person served.

For example:
10,000 (population in first-due area) x 20 years (service life of truck) = 200,000 people served by this expenditure $100,000 (cost of the truck) ÷ 200,000 (total population served) = $0.50 cents per person/per year or $10 per person for the life of the truck
Bear in mind this is a two-hurdle race. You have to pass the computer scoring before you go onto the second phase of peer review. If your numbers don't crunch correctly, no one will ever read a word of what you write in your narrative. The best written narrative statement is worthless if it never makes it to the peer review process.

Craft a Convincing Narrative Statement
When you first read the RFP for the program, look for clues on how to organize your narrative. The AFG program clearly states that the following items should be included:

• Project Description
• Financial Need
• Cost/Benefit
• Operational Outcomes

Therefore, your grant narrative should be organized into the above sections, each of which should be clearly labeled. Failure to follow directions is the most common reason why AFG program applications get rejected. It's simple: If they give you the answer to the question, use it! In the case of the AFG program, the guidelines spell out what the section titles should be and in what order they should fall.

When writing your narrative statement, remember that the reviewer has very little time to read it, usually 6-10 minutes. Therefore, keep their attention focused on your grant. Just because you answered a question in the beginning of your grant application does not mean that you should not restate the point again in the narrative statement. The idea is to keep the reviewer's eyes on your narrative, not require them to turn pages and hunt for information somewhere else in the document.

Think about what happens when you are reading a good newspaper article and the article stops and says "continued on page C1." Doesn't that irritate you? While you are turning to page C1, you see something more interesting and stop to read it first. Then, when you finally do make it to page C1, you have already forgotten what you read on page A1. If the reviewer has to work to find information, you will lose their attention. Keep the reviewer focused on the narrative statement by placing all the answers to their questions right in front of them.

PHOTO KEITH CULLOM As the threat of wildland/urban interface fires continues to grow, many rural fire departments are experiencing increased pressure to obtain apparatus capable of maneuvering in steep, winding roads and carrying water and foam to structures where water supply is often inadequate.

Another tip: If your statement raises a question in your mind, or in the mind of anyone else who reads the narrative prior to submission, it most likely will raise the same question in the reviewer's mind. Anticipate these questions and answer them before the reviewer can ask them-or you have lost the battle already.

A grant writer is nothing more than a photojournalist. You must present the reviewer with a "snapshot" of your department, your community, your problems and the proposed solution. Your grant narrative is the film, and what you write is the photograph. Most rejected applications present a small black-and-white photo, when an 8 x 10, color, glossy photograph is needed. Most likely, the reviewer has never visited your town. They will not know what life is like there and what problems you face. Presenting a clear picture of your situation is your job as the grant writer. Tell the story clearly, concisely and in such a way as to leave no questions in the reviewer's mind. The goal: to convince the reviewer that your grant should be approved.

Good Luck
Combining the above elements into any grant application will help you present your case for funding in a much stronger manner. Winning a grant for a new WUI vehicle is a daunting task. But it is not impossible. In fact, it is one very effective way to deal with the ever-growing call for services and ever-diminishing financial resources.

Kurt T. Bradley is the director and senior grants consultant for CHIEF Grants, consulting police, fire and EMS public safety agencies across the United States in their efforts to obtain grant funding. He can be reached at kurtb@chiefsupply.com.