FY2020 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program – COVID-19 Supplemental

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The Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program – COVID-19 Supplemental Round 2 (AFG-S 2) 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. This is a modification of the original AFG-S NOFO published on April 24, 2020, Funding Opportunity Number DHS-20-GPD-044-00-99. In that original AFG-S NOFO, the initial application period, which was open to career, volunteer and combination fire departments; nonaffiliated emergency medical service (NAEMS) organizations; and state fire training academies, closed on May 15, 2020. By law, at least 25 percent of available AFG-S funds must be awarded to volunteer fire departments and at least another 25 percent must be awarded to combination fire departments. Funding made available in this modified NOFO for a second application period of AFG-S funding is limited to volunteer and combination fire departments to fulfill this requirement. Volunteer and combination fire departments are eligible to apply in this round even if they had a successful application in the first round of AFG-S funding; however, such applications must support new or additional needs or capabilities. Departments that applied in the first round of AFG-S funding but were unsuccessful can reapply to be considered for funding in this round; applications from the first round of AFG-S funding will not automatically carry forward to this round for consideration. This NOFO allows eligible applicants to apply for critical Personal Protective Equipment and supplies needed to prevent, prepare for and respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The AFG-S 2 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 2 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 2 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 nationwide. The AFG-S 2 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.

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