Is FIRE Act Accomplishing Its Goals?

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Permalink Reply by strtcopr on July 6, 2009 at 3:26pm

Phew....tough questions. All I can say is that the vast majority of departments around me have been successful. Many have been successful multiple times. Some needed the funding-badly. Others ,in my opinion, did not. I think that in some ways, the funding granted to the ''haves'' and the departments that were getting by with the equipment they had, has allowed the bureaucracy to continue in the area I live.

The bureaucracy that I speak of is the over abundance of departments,apparatus and equipment that I feel is not warranted.

To answer your questions:
1.) YES
2.) YES
3.) PPE-specifically SCBA
4.) I think we were denied 3 times before successful. We had to fine tune some rough areas of the applications over the years-financial need...specific wording etc.
5.) Tough to say...need is relative. See my last answer.
6.) YES. There is still need out there. Look at some of the discussions on this site.
7.) N/A
8.) A more intensive (peer) review- more investigation to reveal actual need.

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Permalink Reply by Oldman on July 6, 2009 at 4:50pm

My department is batting 500. We applied twice, and received one, to update our outdated SCBA. I wrote both proposals. The first was dictated by the Asst. Chief, which was for several different items. I know this one was denied for appearing to be greedy. The second one which was approved in the first round, was item specific.

While not exclusive to my department, in the near future, the use of grants will allow some 34 different volunteer departments in the county to have the same electronic accountability program in place, which would not have been possible before.

I fail to see how the process could be anything but a competitive grant. "Needy" is subject to interpretation. Every department in this country is "needy" in one way or another, some way more than others.

Based in part on the current economy, this program will continue to be necessary, although there might have to be some streamlining and perhaps a cap on amounts which are available to a single department, or entity.

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Permalink Reply by Kenneth Holley on July 6, 2009 at 7:05pm

In part the act is getting to it's intended goal of having first response agency's having the equipment they need to do their jobs. Is there abuse of the program? Yes there is. Are some departments not getting the equipment they need , because of not filling the grant out correctly or not showing that they need the equipment. Yes. At my department we have not been sucessful only 3 times since the program started. What have we gotten the other time.

New Air Packs
5" Hose for all front run trucks
New Turnout Gear
Cascade System for HQ station and Rescue Truck
Brush/First Responder Truck
Air Pack Upgrades

This year we hope to get a couple of Thermal Cameras. While some departments have had success submitting the grant on their own,we have found that using an outside source works for us.

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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on July 6, 2009 at 8:15pm

Here is a related blog: http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/fire-act-time-to-cu...

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Permalink Reply by Eddie Rogers on July 8, 2009 at 12:39am

Yes
No
Trucks everytime
Don't know, our apparatus is still considered Class A (frontline) and is not due to go out until this year so that may be why we were denied.
It is already competitive. Needy is a matter of opinion
DEFINATLY!!!!!!!!! Their are many needs that have not been meet and not just at my dept
NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See previous answer
Review process. Also it seems that year after year some of the same depts are awarded large sums of money and that could be changed. Maybe a waiting period for grant money so other depts would have a better shot at getting approved for much needed equip.

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Permalink Reply by Capt 723 on July 8, 2009 at 9:40am

Have you applied for a FIRE Act grant? Multiple times
Were you successful? Fire Prevention - yes; apparatus - no
What did you apply for? Fire truck, PPE, training? Fire prevention, apparatus replacement
If you were not awarded a grant, what do you think was the reason? Age of fleet? Who knows
Should this be a competitive grant process or one that should be for the needy? Competitive for the needy...the problem is we all think we are needy!
Should this program continue? Why?Yes, but criteria for application should be changed and better communicated to the applicants.
Should it be discontinued? Why?
If you could change anything about FIRE Act, what would it be? I really think the program has become a way for departments to obtain extra money to upgrade things that normally would be left alone or replacement delayed. In some cases departments that didn't really need the grant have applied and received funds; the 'get my share of the pot' theory is alive and well. (See strtcopr comments above, he is right on)

TCSS.You too
Art Is always thinking

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Permalink Reply by Truckie Jay on July 8, 2009 at 3:57pm

Yes we've applied for the FireACT grant 4 times
Successful 3 times, still waiting to hear on the 4th
1. Turnout Gear
2. Cascade System
3. Plymovent (Waste of FireACT $$ in my opinion. I was asked at the time & voted to apply for TIC & multigas detectors)
4. Aerial (we are waiting to hear on this one)
5. We are batting 1000 thus far
6. I see dept's not get awarded that are in more of a need they ones that are getting awarded so yes the system isn't perfect. Perfect example, we got Plymovent!?!?!
7. Yes this is a great program and should continue. More money is getting to local depts than the old system of the money going to the states.
8. If I could change the FireACT grant, I would outline specifically what depts could apply for. This would remove some of the waste imo. And I would simplify it somewhat, example here is a dept that is requesting $ to purchase the new improved widget. While this other dept is requesting airpacks, they currently don't have any. Of course the dept without SCBA's would get approved. And yes I've seen this happen. I've seen depts that may only protect 200 some odd people and that are not tax based but membership based get turned down for SCBA's due to their grant being written bad.

Really, really how can you write a bad grant in that situation. "We are a volunteer dept that protects a rural setting with a population of 200. The department is membership based and our annual budget for the previous year was $2,500. We ran 115 calls last year. Currently we do not have any SCBA's and request X amount of $ to purchase X amount of SCBA's."

That is all that needs to be said. In fact imo all your grant should have to say is "We Have NO SCBA's!" And you get bumped to the front of the line automatically!

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Permalink Reply by Capt 723 on July 10, 2009 at 8:50am

A handful of replies to this discussion. Either people are too busy writing grants to reply or they just don't care enough to have an opinion. Hmmm.

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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on July 10, 2009 at 12:59pm

I think everyone took the summer off.
I have seen it over the years.
Crappy weather; boo koo discussions.
Sunny and hot; too nice to be inside on the computer.
Or they just do give a rat's patoot.
Art

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Permalink Reply by Capt 723 on July 10, 2009 at 2:06pm

Agreed, I find myself 'busy as a fly on a cowpie' during the summertime.

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Permalink Reply by Bill Brierton on July 14, 2009 at 3:03pm

Yes we have applied for a grant.
So far we're below average. Got a grant to replace a tanker truck, only to find out we didn't ask for enough funds.
Applied for grants to replace our second and third out engine. The second engine is an 87 Hahn which spends more time getting fixed than actually on the road. The third out engine only has room for two and is a 79 Ford Bronco which is not NFPA compliant. The grants that were written to replace the engines were poorly written so this time we took it appart and spruced it up.

I think the program should be continued. It helps rural fire departments replace gear and equipment that is vastly outdated and unsafe.

If I could change anything it would be having to answer the numerous questions to apply and submit the grant. It should be simple. What does the department need and why does it need it.

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