Grant programs should support the implementation of safe practices and procedures and/or mandate safe practices as an eligibility requirement.
While it is difficult to measure the exact impact of grant money relative to increased safety, a positive relationship certainly exists. Without such assistance, fire departments with limited local or public funding would find it very difficult to meet safety training mandates and standards. While it will take more than grants to change the culture of the fire service, grant money can go far in helping departments implement safe practices. Reasonable efforts should be made to ensure that grants reinforce safety whenever practical. The 10th Initiative asks us to examine the grant process and look for opportunities to make improvements in safety.
Because grants intersect as so many areas within the fire service, we must also remember that in order to change how grants are allocated, we must also focus on the important areas of culture, technology, and safety-related training.
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- Resolve to reduce line of duty deaths for the New Year – The most important element in firefighter safety is you, the firefighter. Join the NFFF in reducing firefighter injuries and lowering the number of LODDs each year to below 50.
- Annapolis Residents Benefit from Emergency Responder Safety Grant – The Annapolis Fire Department will benefit from the $10,000 BGE grant submitted by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF). NFFF presented the alarms at today’s event, after purchasing them from the world’s largest manufacturer of fire safety products, Kidde.
