Office of Grants and Training – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This Notice is to provide guidelines that describe the application process for grants and the criteria for awarding grants in the 2007 Assistance to Firefighters Grant program year, as well as an explanation for any differences with the guidelines recommended to the Department by representatives of the Nation's fire service leadership during the annual Criteria Development meeting held November 1-2, 2006. The program makes grants directly to fire departments and nonaffiliated emergency medical services organizations for the purpose of enhancing first-responders' abilities to protect the health and safety of the public as well as that of first-responder personnel facing fire and fire-related hazards. In addition, the authorizing statute requires that a minimum of five percent of appropriated funds be expended for fire prevention and safety grants, which are also made directly to local fire departments and to local, regional, state or national entities recognized for their expertise in the field of fire prevention and firefighter safety research and development. As in prior years, this year's grants will be awarded on a competitive basis to the applicants that best reflect the program's criteria and funding priorities, and best address statutory award requirements. As referenced above, this Notice describes the criteria and funding priorities recommended by a panel of representatives of the Nation's fire service leadership (criteria development panel) and accepted by the Department of Homeland Security, unless otherwise noted herein. This Notice contains details regarding the guidance and competitive process descriptions that the Department has provided to applicants and also provides information on how and why the Department deviated from recommendations of the criteria development panel.