The Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program - COVID-19 Supplemental (AFG-S) is a supplemental funding opportunity under the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG). AFG is one of three grant programs that constitute the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) focus on enhancing the safety of the public and firefighters with respect to fire and fire-related hazards. The AFG-S Program accomplishes this by providing financial assistance directly to eligible fire departments, nonaffiliated emergency medical service (NAEMS) organizations, and State Fire Training Academies (SFTA) for critical Personal Protective Equipment Personal Protective Equipment and supplies needed to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The AFG-S Program represents part of a comprehensive set of measures authorized by Congress and implemented by DHS. Among the five basic homeland security missions noted in the DHS Quadrennial Homeland Security Review, the AFG-S Program supports the goal to Strengthen National Preparedness and Resilience. In awarding grants, the Administrator of FEMA is required to consider:
- The findings and recommendations of the Technical Evaluation Panel;
- The extent of an applicant's need for an AFG-S grant and the need to protect America as a whole; and
- The number of calls requesting or requiring a firefighting or emergency medical response received by an applicant.
The 2018-2022 FEMA Strategic Plan creates a shared vision for the field of emergency management and sets an ambitious, yet achievable, path forward to unify and further professionalize emergency management across the country. The AFG-S Program supports the goal of Readying the Nation for Catastrophic Disasters. We invite all of our stakeholders and partners to also adopt these priorities and join us in building a stronger agency and a more prepared and resilient Nation.