10. Grant Support

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.

Latest Initiative 10 News

• National First Responder Covid-19 Grant Relief Program – The National First Responder Covid-19 Grant Relief Program has been established to provide financial support to first responders and their families in need during the current COVID-19 pandemic. This micro-grant application will be open until funding is no longer available.
• Promoting a Better Safety Climate for the Fire Service During Global Pandemic, Civil Unrest, and Wildland Fires – The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) and the First Responder Center for Excellence (FRCE), once again, collaborated with Firehouse® and published the 2020 Fire Service Health & Safety Report. The 32 page report, which appears in September’s issue of Firehouse®, includes 13 articles written by respected leaders, authors and experts, covering a diversity of topics, including women in the fire service, the power of podcasts in promoting safety and health and changing the very culture of safety among the nation’s fire departments.
• Fire Hero Learning Network Registered Users Surpasses 100,000 – Since Fire Hero Learning Network went live, registered users have earned over 130,000 online learning certificates of completion. The knowledge gained from the modules better positions firefighters and officers as leaders in health and safety training in their respective departments.
• Improve the Decision-Making Skills and Safety of Your Firefighters – Earlier this fall, the September issue of Firehouse Magazine featured the 2019 Fire Service Health &and Safety Report. This 32-page supplement contains 15 articles by some the fire service’s most respected authors and some of its rising stars.
• Two Organizations Selected Co-Recipients of the Senator Paul S. Sarbanes Fire Service Safety Leadership Award – The Florida Firefighters Safety and Health Collaborative and the Denver Fire Department will receive the award at the 31st Annual National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner on April 25, 2019, in Washington, DC.
• Are you part of a High School Fire or EMS Cadet program? – The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation is planning the 2019 High School Fire and EMS Cadet Program Symposium and have developed a survey to identify specific areas of interest.
  » Take the Survey
• CFSI and NFFF Accepting Nominations for the Senator Paul S. Sarbanes Fire Service Safety Leadership Award – Co-sponsored by CFSI and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, the Senator Paul S. Sarbanes Fire Service Safety Leadership Award was established in 2009 to recognize public safety organizations for outstanding contributions to the advancement of firefighter health and safety. Deadline for nominations is Dec. 6, 2018.
• Wildland Firefighters Want to be Sure Everyone Goes Home® – Wildland firefighters from around the country say the status quo about safety must change. Too many wildland firefighters are dying and getting hurt. This is the key message from a series of listening sessions the NFFF held across the country.
  Learn More:
  » A Conversation with Vicki Minor & Ron Siarnicki
  » 16 Initiatives for the Wildland Firefighter
  » Everyone Goes Home® in the Wildland
  
• Make Health, Safety and Wellness Your Department’s Priority – The September issue of Firehouse Magazine features the 2018 Fire Service Health and Safety Report. This 32-page supplement emphasizes the value of a progressive, safety-focused fire service culture, and provides information and resources to help firefighters implement the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives.
  
• Strategic Vision Helps Ensure Firefighter Safety and Enhance Service – To help fire departments around the nation adopt the 16 initiatives, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation has created a new handbook, The Strategic Vision Guide: An Action Plan Using the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives.