Many departments rely on grant funding for turnout gear purchases. We’ve put together the following answers to frequently asked questions to help with your turnout gear grant applications.
When submitting a grant application for turnout gear, what should be included?
Grant organizations award funding based on what the department asks for. Much like a competitive bid situation, the grant application should include line-item components for turnout gear: one jacket, one pair of pants, and one pair of suspenders per firefighter, including required reflective trim, lettering, and pockets. It should also include options deemed necessary by the department such as a microphone strap, knee padding, and reinforcements. A full PPE ensemble is considered, per firefighter, to be: one jacket, one pair of pants, one pair of suspenders, one helmet, one pair of goggles, two hoods, two pairs of gloves, and one pair of boots. However, individual grant program funding guidelines vary. Per recent AFG guidelines, recipients of PPE awards are strongly encouraged to ask potential vendors about the availability of turnout gear and accessories made without added PFAS and to purchase those items where available.
Are turnout gear grants only available for gear that is 10 years old or older?
Grant organizations often consider equipment age when prioritizing applications for PPE that is necessary to protect firefighter health and safety. While turnout gear is typically replaced around the 10-year mark, the FY 2024 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program guidelines recognized the need to sometimes replace gear sooner and allowed applications for the replacement of damaged/unsafe/unrepairable PPE including turnout gear regardless of age. Be sure to review funding guidelines carefully and ask if such applications are allowable.
Is turnout gear funding only granted to replace existing sets of gear?
Grant organizations, including the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program, also grant funding to increase the supply of turnout gear for new hire/existing firefighters that do not have one set of turnout gear.
Do grant organizations consider how often turnout gear is used to respond to fire calls?
If a grant application asks how often the gear that you are requesting will be used, your narrative should include both calls and training. If you can give real examples of incidents that have been negatively impacted in recent months because you didn’t have the proper turnout gear, that is important information to include. For instance, were responding personnel unable to engage in interior structural firefighting or required training because of the lack of or state of their turnout gear? What non-fire calls do personnel respond to that require the use of turnout gear, such as vehicle accidents, odor investigations, and gas leaks? Be sure to review funding guidelines carefully to understand factors considered in granting awards.
What is the period of performance for AFG awards?
The AFG period of performance is the time interval within which grant recipients are expected to complete the awarded activities from date of award. This may also be referred to as the purchase period and varies by grant. For AFG, the current period of performance is 24 months. Be sure to review funding guidelines carefully to understand the period of performance.
Does FEMA have a set dollar amount per set of turnout gear for AFG awards?
According to FEMA, there is no set dollar amount for AFG turnout gear awards, but awards are often scrutinized in order to spread funding across as many departments as possible. Each application is evaluated on its own merit and the needs of the individual applicant. Departments should request the turnout gear configuration that they need and provide specific justification for each feature or option add-on to the ensemble by tying these capabilities back into to their overarching risk/needs assessment.
What other fire grants besides AFG are available for turnout gear?
Recognizing the importance of PPE to firefighter health and safety, several grants are available for the purchase of turnout gear in addition to AFG. One notable example is the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation Grants. Many states also administer their own grant or supplemental funding programs oriented toward fire departments, such as the Rural Fire Capacity Grant in Montana and the Volunteer Fire Assistance Grant in Minnesota. Many of these funding opportunities are operated in conjunction with federal agencies and tailored toward a specific purpose, such as supporting volunteer departments. Applicants can consult their state fire authority for guidance on available grant funding or easily search the Fire GrantFinder database from https://www.firerescue1.com/fire-grant-center to identify relevant programs. Numerous corporate/private grant opportunities exist at the national, state, and local levels as well.
Fire GrantFinder is a subscription research database focused on grants for fire and rescue. However, departments can access the real-time, online, searchable database of federal, state, foundation, and corporate grants available to fund department projects or programs – at no cost – by signing up for free grant consultation sponsored by MSA. Read on for details.
How can my department get assistance with turnout gear grants?
MSA sponsors grant consultation at no cost to you for two product categories through FireRescue1 GrantFinder (formerly FireGrantsHelp):
The FireRescue1 GrantFinder staff of grant consultants offers invaluable assistance, whether you’re just starting your project and aren’t sure where to begin or you need to add the final touches to an application.
The MSA sponsorship includes discounted grant writing services at 25% off rate card. Some grants allow reimbursement for grant writing or grant preparation costs. Be sure to review funding guidelines carefully and ask if these costs are allowable.
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