Title
2015 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Application
Action
Action:
A. Authorize the Charlotte Fire Department to apply for a grant for the 2015 Assistance to Firefighters local grant program in the amount of $1,750,000 for small equipment and protective gear, and
B. Authorize the Charlotte Fire Department to apply for the 2015 Assistance to Firefighters regional grant program in the amount of $1,864,000 to enhance regional radio communications.
Body
Staff Resource(s):
Kevin Gordon, Fire
Rich Granger, Fire
Explanation
§ The Assistance to Firefighters Grant is a competitive federal grant program that the Charlotte Fire Department (CFD) applies for annually.
§ Under the Assistance to Firefighters grant program, awards are granted at both the local and regional level. For calendar year 2016, CFD will apply for both the local and regional awards.
2015 Assistance to Firefighters Local Grant
§ The 2015 Assistance to Firefighters local grant program allows fire and emergency medical service departments to apply for matching grants for equipment and protective gear.
§ Fire will apply the local grant program funds toward purchase of the following:
- 500 sets of replacement turnout gear worn by firefighters when responding to fire emergencies, and
- Hand tools and power equipment used by firefighters during emergency response operations.
§ The grant is a 90% federal share and a 10% local match. The federal 90% is $1,575,000. The local 10% match is $175,000, which will come from funds already appropriated in CFD’s Operating Budget.
2015 Assistance to Firefighters Regional Grant
§ The 2015 Assistance to Firefighters regional grant program allows fire and emergency medical service departments to apply for matching grants for regional projects.
§ CFD will serve as the host applicant agency for a regional grant to enhance radio communications.
§ Grant funds will be applied toward the purchase of new digital equipment that will:
- Improve the coverage and resiliency of the emergency radio system throughout the region, and
- Provide a redundant route across several counties (Cabarrus, Mecklenburg, Union, and Stanly) to the Urban Areas Security Initiative regional master site, enhancing the safety of first responders.
§ The grant is an 85% federal share and a 15% local match. The federal 85% share is $1,584,400. The local 15% match is $279,600, which is funded by local municipalities that participate on the Regional Radio System.
§ The City of Charlotte will pay $48,930 of the local match using funding from the Public Safety Communication Capital Reserve Fund.
§ A future City Council action will be requested to accept the grant awards.
Fiscal Note
Funding: 2015 Assistance to Firefighters Grant, Fire Operating Budget, Public Safety Communication Capital Reserve Fund; local match (10%) is coming from Fire Misc. Equipment; 15% funded by local municipalities coming from the Public Safety Reserve Fund.