Grant Application Guidance
There are a number of IAFF training programs that are eligible for grant funding. These documents will assist your department with completing the application and provide many of the necessary narrative details. Note: If you are considering a regional application, you should begin contacting the partnering agencies as you will need to submit a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) along with the grant application.
SAFER Grant
Administered through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program has put thousands of fire fighters back to work, prevented layoffs and hired many new fire fighters, giving a much-needed boost to public safety in countless struggling communities. SAFER was created to provide funding directly to fire departments to help them increase or maintain the number of trained, frontline fire fighters available in their communities. The goal of SAFER is to enhance the local fire departments’ abilities to comply with staffing, response and operational standards established by the NFPA (NFPA 1710 and/or NFPA1720).
The FY22 SAFER application is open from Feb. 13-March 17. Begin planning your SAFER grant application now by reviewing the FY22 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) and application guidance materials. All SAFER applicants should read the NOFO and supporting guidance documents to fully understand any changes to the program, award criteria, funding priorities, and important special application instructions for completing the application.
Program Description
Grant Application Guidance
SAFER Narrative Template
Fire Prevention and Safety Grants (FP&S)
Administered through FEMA as part of the Assistance to Firefighters (AFG) grant program, the FP&S program provides critically needed resources to carry out fire prevention education and training, fire code enforcement, fire/arson investigation, fire fighter safety and health programming, prevention efforts and research and development. The primary goal is to reduce injury and prevent death among high-risk populations.
Program Description
Grant Application Guidance
FP&S Narrative Template
AFG Equipment and Training Grants
Administered through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the primary goal of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) is to meet the fire fighting and emergency response needs of fire departments and nonaffiliated emergency medical service organizations. Since 2001, AFG has helped fire fighters and other first responders to obtain critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training and other resources needed to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards.
Program Description
Grant Application Guidance
AFG Narrative Template
IAFF Peer Support Training Program
The stresses faced by fire service members throughout the course of their careers – multiple casualty events, violence, injury to children and the inherent dangers of fire fighting – can have a cumulative impact on mental health and well-being. Peer support programs have been demonstrated to be an effective method for providing support to occupational groups, including fire fighters. After completing the IAFF training, members will become IAFF Trained Peer Supporters and have the necessary knowledge and skills to provide support to their peers; educate brothers and sisters about behavioral health; serve as a bridge to behavioral health programs and community resources; and build or enhance their peer support programs.
Program Description
Grant Application Guidance
IAFF Training for Hazardous Materials Response: Technician
This specialized training utilizes a modular format where a fire department may analyze its current level of competency and choose course modules that will provide the skills needed by its hazardous materials team. Training includes offensive procedures for mitigation of hazardous materials spills, leaks, and exposures. Topics include chemistry, detection devices, advanced recognition and identification, pre-incident planning, incident management, scene evaluation and termination, terrorism, toxicology, medical surveillance, emergency care, PPE usage and limitations and decontamination. Course Duration: 80 hours (10 days).
Program Description
Grant Application Guidance
IAFF Hazardous Materials Training: First Responder Operations (FRO)
This course fulfills most of the training requirements for the First Responder Operations level according to OSHA regulation 29 CFR 1910.120. The course includes 24 hours of instruction taught in three 8-hour days or divided into other blocks of time to accommodate schedules. This course is intended to provide emergency responders with the knowledge, skills and personal health strategies they need to safely and effectively respond to hazardous materials incidents that occur at fixed sites and during transport and/or rectify hazardous situations that develop within routine calls (e.g., exposure to household chemicals that may have been involved/spilled during a residential fire).
Program Description
Grant Application Guidance
IAFF Training for Emergency Response to Terrorism: Operations (ERT Ops)
This course provides first responders at the operations level with the information they need to make informed, controlled and safe responses to incidents involving weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Four major threats are discussed during the course: chemical agents, biological agents, radiologicals and explosives/incendiaries.
Program Description
Grant Application Guidance
IAFF Fire Ground Survival (FGS) Program
The purpose of the Fire Ground Survival program is to ensure that training for Mayday prevention and Mayday operations are consistent between all fire fighters, company officers and chief officers. Fire fighters must be trained to perform potentially life-saving actions if they become lost, disoriented, injured, low on air or trapped. These training exercises must be consistent throughout the fire service. Funded by the IAFF and assisted by a grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through the Assistance to Firefighters (FIRE Act) grant program, our comprehensive Fire Ground Survival training program applies the lessons learned from fire fighter fatality investigations conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and has been developed by a committee of subject matter experts from the IAFF, the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and NIOSH.
Program Description
Grant Application Guidance
IAFF/IAFC Wellness-Fitness Initiative (WFI)
The WFI is a Joint Labor-Management initiative first established in 1997 to serve four primary aims: 1) highlight the interdisciplinary nature of wellness and the need for a COMPREHENSIVE, systems-based approach to improve fire fighter health; 2) establish the importance of COLLABORATION between labor and management during the implementation of any wellness- or fitness-related program; 3) remove any punitive associations with physical fitness (INCLUSIVE); and 4) shift the focus from performance and fitness outcomes to wellness and BEHAVIORAL CHANGE. Since its inception, the WFI has also served to establish guidelines, policies and standards that have supported the development of comprehensive programs to improve fire fighter health and wellness.
Program Description
Grant Application Guidance
IAFF Fit to Thrive: F2T 101 Fitness Principles and Practice (Peer Fitness Trainer Certificate) Course
The purpose of the IAFF F2T 101 Fitness Principles and Practice (PFT Certificate) Course is to provide a fitness trainer standard consistent with the health and fitness needs of the fire service throughout the United States and Canada. Attendees will improve their ability to assess, design, implement and evaluate exercise sessions for members with varying interests and have the knowledge and skills to become fitness and wellness leaders within their department.
Program Description
Grant Application Guidance
IAFF Resiliency Training
The IAFF Resiliency Training is a combination of self-assessment, didactic instruction, group discussion and video focused on building individual and organizational resilience in the fire service. Led by two IAFF master resiliency instructors, the class is designed for 40 participants and includes two components: pre-course content and classroom content. Classroom content will focus on key concepts to gain resiliency building skills that can be applied both on and off the job.
Program Description
Grant Application Guidance
IAFF Responding to the Interface Training Program
The IAFF Responding to the Interface Training Program is designed to provide fire fighters and company officers a consistent, basic understanding of safety, command and control, and strategy and tactics to use when defending structures from a wildland fire (defensive strategy) or suppressing a wildland fire in and around structures (offensive strategy).
Program Description
Grant Application Guidance