2019 FEMA Grant Application Period is Open

Need help obtaining critically needed equipment to protect and serve the public? Millions of dollars in grant money is available through FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program. Since 2001, AFG has helped firefighters and other first responders obtain critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training and other resources necessary for protecting the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards.

For much of the grant program’s history, we’ve worked with our customers to help them obtain funding, with awards often as high as $250,000.

“We’ve had departments use it to purchase newer radio equipment that they were unable to get funding for,” said Scott Johnson, BAYCOM Director of Public Safety Sales. “And we’ve had some agencies use it to even assist the county in purchasing simulcast equipment so they can improve the coverage and quality of the radio systems.”

As the 2019 AFG application period opens, here’s what you need to know:

  • FEMA is launching a new online system to process applications. The system, Grant Outcomes (GO), should be more user-friendly, feature plain language, and streamline the application process. However, with the advent of the GO system, applicants will now be required to register in order to access and complete their FEMA applications. The good news: You can already start that registration process on the GO system site.
  • BAYCOM can help with your grant submission by working with you to:
    • Develop projected costs for the equipment you hope to secure, so you know how much you should be asking for as part of the grant submission
    • Prepare content you can use in the grant submission that will help tell the story of how you’ll benefit from the equipment
    • Point you to grant-writing assistance and other resources offered by Motorola

Learn more about the FEMA AFG program on the agency’s website, and contact us for more information.