Assistance to Firefighters Grant

The goal of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program is to enhance the safety of the public and firefighters with respect to fire and fire-related hazards. The objectives of the AFG Program are to provide critically needed resources that eq

The AFG program provides direct funding to the eligible recipients to enhance the safety of public and firefighters with respect to fire and fire-related hazards. See applicable Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the AFG program. https://www.fema.gov/grants/preparedness/firefighters

Eligible applicants for the AFG Program are limited to fire departments, nonaffiliated EMS organizations, and SFTAs operating in any of the 50 States plus the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and Puerto Rico or any federally recognized Indian tribe or tribal organization. Refer to the AFG NOFO for additional information regarding eligibility.

Local or tribal communities serviced by the award recipients, including, but not limited to local businesses, homeowners, and property owners, as well as children under 16 years of age, senior citizens, and firefighters.

All costs charged to awards under the AFG program must comply with the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements at 2 C.F.R. Part 200, unless otherwise indicated in the NOFO or the terms and conditions of the award. This includes, among other requirements, that costs must be incurred, and products and services must be delivered, within the period of performance of the award. Additionally, all costs must comply with the applicable statutes, policies, and requirements in the respective NOFOs as well as with the terms and conditions of the award. Grant recipients may only use federal funds or funds applied to a cost share for the purposes set forth in the NOFOs and the terms and conditions of the award, and those costs must be consistent with the statutory authority for the award. Grant funds may not be used for matching funds for other federal grants/cooperative agreements, lobbying, or intervention in federal regulatory or adjudicatory proceedings. In addition, federal funds may not be used to sue the federal government or any other government entity. All costs charged to awards under the AFG program must comply with the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements at 2 C.F.R. Part 200, unless otherwise indicated in the NOFO or the terms and conditions of the award.

All costs charged to awards under the AFG program must comply with the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements at 2 C.F.R. Part 200, unless otherwise indicated in the NOFO or the terms and conditions of the award. This includes, among other requirements, that costs must be incurred, and products and services must be delivered, within the period of performance of the award. Additionally, all costs must comply with the applicable statutes, policies, requirements in the respective NOFOs as well as with the terms and conditions of the award. Grant recipients may only use federal funds or funds applied to a cost share for the purposes set forth in the NOFOs and the terms and conditions of the award, and those costs must be consistent with the statutory authority for the award. Grant funds may not be used for matching funds for other federal grants/cooperative agreements, lobbying, or intervention in federal regulatory or adjudicatory proceedings. In addition, federal funds may not be used to sue the federal government or any other government entity. All costs charged to awards under the AFG program must comply with the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements at 2 C.F.R. Part 200, unless otherwise indicated in the NOFO or the terms and conditions of the award.

Funds are available during the period of performance, which is 12-36 months. Refer to the NOFO for specific details: https://www.fema.gov/grants/preparedness/firefighters/assistance-grants Method of awarding/releasing assistance: Electronic funds transfer.

The AFG Notices of Funding Opportunity are published on grants.gov and fema.gov. The online applications are available through the FEMA Grants Outcomes (FEMA GO) application portal, at https://go.fema.gov. Applicants must have a UEI number, an EIN, an active System for Award Management (SAM) registration and FEMA GO account to apply for grants and must maintain an active SAM registration throughout the entire grant life cycle.

Steps to Apply: Obtain/verify Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and Employer Identification Number (EIN) (EIN: IRS EIN Application). Create a login.gov account (login.gov) and link it to SAM.gov. Register/update SAM (SAM.gov), renew annually, and maintain an active registration. Register in FEMA GO, add your organization, and establish the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR). Submit the complete application in FEMA GO.

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant program recommends the highest scoring applications based on the evaluation process in the NOFO. These recommendations are subject to a Financial Integrity review. Once the review is complete the award recommendations are entered into a concurrence process that allows necessary components of the agency to review the recommendations for final determination. The final stage of the concurrence process is obtaining a signature by the person having final approval authority at the time of award. Award notifications are then sent to applicants. Funding is granted directly to organizations with no passthrough entities.

Contact the headquarters for application deadlines. Application deadlines for the FY 2025 AFG Grant Program will be announced in the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Application start date, submission deadline, anticipated funding selection and award dates are listed in the applicable NOFO.

Assistance to Firefighters Grant recipients may apply for a period of performance extension within 120 days of their period of performance expiration date. Extension requests are only granted due to compelling legal, policy, or operational challenges. Recipients should consult with their FEMA point of contact for additional requirements related to a period of performance extension.

Other. Applicants that receive an adverse decision or denial, can request reconsideration of the decision. Request for reconsideration must be submitted in writing, to the address contained on the program's website within 30 days of the notification of denial by the administering program office.