WINNING NARRATIVE 2006



XXX, Minnesota, is located approximately 140 miles southwest of Minneapolis/St. Paul and about XXX miles east of the border with South Dakota.

TWO PART NARRATIVE:
REGIONAL TRAINING PROJECT, AND
LOCAL REQUEST MODIFICATIONS TO FACILITIES EXHAUST SYSTEM

We are separately addressing the regional and local proposals. First, the regional training project will be discussed. Second, our local project for modifications to facilities.

REGIONAL PROJECT: PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND BUDGET

We propose a $101,721 regional project for 16 training classes totaling 770 hours. This will be instructor led NFPA-1001 Firefighter I, II, and NIMS ICS training. XXX is a geographic hub for southwest Minnesota and it makes sense for us to be the host applicant for the regional project.

This project is the outcome of a comprehensive risk assessment process for the 19 counties in our region. This included open forums with individual firefighters, personal phone calls with others, and reviews of regional incident frequencies, types, and outcomes.

From this risk assessment we see that a large percentage of the 95 fire departments in this region have a training gap. They lack the necessary and basic NFPA-1001 Firefighter I and II training, along with NIMS Incident Command training. This lack of training endangers the basic safety of our firefighters themselves and thousands of citizens. This lack of training creates a gap in many firefighters¿ capabilities throughout our region. This problem hinders several departments¿ ability to provide mission-critical services.

NFPA-1001 Firefighter training is a high priority with the AFG Program. Our project is consistent with that priority. This training is essential to provide basic response services without jeopardizing firefighters¿ safety. The XXX Fire Department will take the lead in this grant by organizing hands-on Firefighter I and II training programs that will meet State certification and OSHA mandated requirements.

The 19 counties which will be served are in southwest Minnesota. They contain 95 fire departments and 2,129 firefighters. The Risk Assessment has determined that approximately 1/3 have not been trained to Firefighter I status and/or have no certification status.

Firefighters in different parts of the region are at different levels of training and ability. This leads to unsafe and uneven firefighting performance when departments must work together on mutual aid calls, which occurs very often.

In order to fill this gap, we will organize and make available training for a minimum of 240 firefighters. All training will be instructor led. The following OSHA mandated courses will meet the basic safety and mission needs of firefighters:

NFPA-1001 Firefighter I certification training (100 hours)
NFPA-1001 Firefighter II certification training (32 hours)
NFPA-1001 Firefighter I and II certification training (132 hours)
NFPA-1001 Firefighter I bridge course certification training (20 hours)
NIMS Incident Command System for Fire Service (14 hours)

The training will be scheduled at different sites and dates around the region in order to make attendance convenient. Instruction will be through the Minnesota West Community & Technical College.

The required 5% cash match of $5,086 will be new money and will be available from the participating cities whose departments register for the training.

The budget includes tuition, course and exam fees, instructors¿ costs, and certification or recertification expenses. The training curriculum and prop equipment are already in place through the Technical College, which is the State training agency in this region. Each participating department will assume any compensation to their own firefighters while they attend the training.

NFPA-1001 Firefighter I training
$732.88 per student x 60 students estimated in the course -- $43,972
Instructional: 4 classes for total of 400 hours -- $27,592
Consumable costs -- $16,380

NFPA-1001 Firefighter II training
$279.08 per student x 30 students estimated in the course -- $8,372
Instructional: 2 classes for total of 64 hours -- $5,522
Consumable costs -- $2,850

NFPA-1001 Firefighter I & II combined training
$991.46 per student x 30 students estimated in the course -- $29,743
Instructional: 2 classes for total of 164 hours -- $18,703
Consumable costs -- $11,040

NFPA-1001 Firefighter I bridge course
(Takes the student from a MN Basic Firefighter course up to NFPA certification)
$182.22 per student x 75 students estimated in the course -- $13,666
Instructional: 5 classes for total of 100 hours -- $7,291
Consumable costs -- $6,375

NIMS ICS for Fire Service training
$137.57 per student x 45 students estimated in the course -- $5,965
Instructional: 3 classes for total of 42 hours -- $2,384
Consumable costs -- $3,581

TOTAL REGIONAL TRAINING BUDGET
Instructional: 16 classes, total of 770 hours -- $61,494
Consumable costs for classes -- $40,226
TOTAL -- $101,721
Less the 5% match -- $5,086
Federal Share of Project -- $96,635



REGIONAL PROJECT: FINANCIAL NEED.

Most fire departments in our region cannot afford the type of professional-quality, instructor-led training that is needed. As a result, many firefighters go without. Our research shows that the majority of departments in our region have training budgets under $4,000 per year. These funds must be stretched to cover all their training needs. While departments may be able to provide limited in-house training, external training or instructor-led training such as we will provide can rapidly exceed those local funds.

The Department of Homeland Security has indicated in the National Incident Management System (NIMS) document that there will be credentialing requirements for firefighters. This base level requirement will be NFPA-1001 Firefighter I and II certification. Our project will improve the training process on a coordinated, regional level. At present, departments have no money in their local budgets for this kind of investment. Local departments continually lose financial ground each year as they try to upgrade and replace equipment. This, in turn, impairs their efforts to maintain training levels within current standards.

Many communities in our region of Minnesota face serious low income conditions. Such conditions make it difficult to raise taxes or donations to provide major training for a department. This is reflected by representative Census data for cities that can very well be served by our training:

The median value of a house can be as low as $14,200 in the city of XXX or $25,800 in the city of XXX. This is far below statewide median value of a house in Minnesota which is $122,400. This huge difference in value means that a community is much less able to generate funds for fire department improvements and training through a property tax levy.

Median household income can be as low as $21,250 in the city of XXX and $26,042 in the city of XXX, much lower than across Minnesota as a whole ($47,111).

Per capita income goes down as far as $12,429 in the city of XXX and $13,108 in the city of XXX, much lower than Minnesota as a whole ($23,198).

REGIONAL PROJECT: COST-BENEFIT

By receiving this grant and the training it will provide, we can fill the gap in the capacities of many fire departments. This will solve the problems which harm their ability to perform mission-critical services.

The primary response area of the 95 fire departments we will be available to train covers 10,591 square miles with a regional population of 398,000, which is impressive for a rural region. All residents of the region will potentially and directly benefit from this training as their own local firefighters gain higher degrees of skill at each incident scene. Using a best case scenario, the training project would have a very cost effective expenditure of $0.255 per capita benefiting ($101,721 budget  398,000 population).

This regional project will have a positive impact on the region by improving firefighters¿ ability to protect life and property with improved professionalism. This professionalism will restore pride that is sought from this level of training, a factor which will also impact firefighter safety and confidence.

Through training, the project benefits will allow for improved response to all hazards. With the training that will be provided, participating departments will increase personnel skills, establish certifications, and improve their abilities to provide mission-critical services. As firefighters are trained, they will take the knowledge they have gained home to their local departments and will be certified to do training for more of their local personnel. Thus, the benefits will multiply. We are committed to continue the project beyond the grant year, if a need remains.

REGIONAL PROJECT: STATEMENT OF EFFECT

The training will improve many firefighters¿ skill and ability to respond to all types of hazards. The gap in their daily operations will be filled by their ability to successfully perform mission-critical services. If they cannot obtain this training, the safety of our firefighters and the lives and property of the community they serve will still be at risk and the gap will remain.

There have been increasing fire losses over the past four years in our region. It is imperative that training for basic firefighter skills should be expanded and more fully delivered. Given an increased fire activity and ever-changing personnel in departments, there is great need for the OSHA mandated training. This grant will help assure that the safety of the region¿s firefighters and their communities will be enhanced, risks lessened, and the training gap narrowed in our daily operations.

When more firefighters receive proper training and certification, there will be greater interoperability of skills among the departments in the region. Firefighters will all be trained to the same level. Overall firefighting success will increase as individual skill levels become more equalized and personnel are able to respond and function better. Thus, the gap is diminished.

The actual impact of this regional project will be tracked over the next five years as the participating departments measure the anticipated positive results in their communities.


CONCLUSION

The applicant is aware of the financial responsibilities of a host applicant and will handle the AFG funds accordingly; understands the requirement that all purchases will be made within 12 months from grant award; and understands that as funds are requested, the AFG funds cannot be held for longer than 30 days. If funded, the City will provide our resolution stating that City has adopted the NIMS.