June 2003 Newsletter > Funding Opportunities

Funding Opportunities

Many emergency management organizations offer grants and funding for local entities for preparedness and suppression efforts. Just a few of these programs are described below.

The Department of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response offers direct assistance to firefighters through the 2003 Assistance to Firefighter Grant program. The grants help local fire departments fund the purchase of firefighting equipment, fund firefighting health and safety programs, enhance emergency medical services programs, and conduct fire prevention and safety programs. First round grants were made available to the following Colorado fire departments: Cope, Eads, Fountain, Golden, Lake George, and Wetmore. For more information on the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program, please visit http://www.usfa.fema.gov.

In 2003, FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are providing more than $265 million in grants to state and local governments. These grants can be used for emergency planning, Citizen Corps, community preparedness, and improvements to Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs). Additional information, and application materials for the grants are available at http://www.fema.gov/regions/viii/suppgrants.shtm.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) provides Wildland Urban Interface Community Assistance funding through the National Fire Plan. Assistance priorities for 2003 included: County fire plans; Community and other tactical fire plans; and community assistance projects such as biomass use and capacity development for mitigation. One should note that building capacity for fire suppression is supported by the Rural Fire Assistance Program not Community Assistance.

For more information about Community and Rural Fire Assistance visit http://www.cfda.gov/public/viewprog.asp?progid=1524, or contact your local BLM Field Office. The BLM Colorado Office Directory is available at www.co.blm.gov/intofficelist.htm.

The Interagency Wildland Fire Communications Group provides a list of organizations offering grants and assistance in the Rocky Mountain area. Many have a broader emphasis than fire mitigation, suppression, or restoration; and many encourage collaboration with communities or other organizations. The list can be found at http://www.rockymountainwildlandfire.info/grants.htm.