WINNING NARRATIVE 2008



Project Description
* Please indicate which of these Target Capabilities your request outlined in this application will satisfy. Check all that
apply:
* Please provide your narrative statement in the space provided below. Include in your narrative, details regarding (1)
your project’s description and budget, (2) your organization’s financial need, (3) the benefit to be derived from the cost
of your project, and (4) how the activities requested in your application will help your organization’s daily operations and
how this grant will protect life and property.

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The XXX Fire Department is located in the City of XXX, population of 859, in XXX County, Minnesota.
XXX is located XXX miles southwest of Minneapolis/St. Paul.


PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND BUDGET:
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The City of XXX is home to two wood-structure apartment buildings. One apartment building is for residents 65
and older on fixed incomes and the other apartment building is home to low income families.

There is a 75 bed skilled nursing facility in XXX. XXX Fire Department is responsible for protecting the
health and safety of the residents of the City of XXX, population 100, located XX miles west of XXX. XXX
has a 20 bed Board & Care facility. We also serve six (6) townships in XXX and XXX Counties.

The XXX Fire Department after a risk assessment has determined that our most critical needs are for personal
protective equipment and training in order to enhance our basic firefighting skills and to further protect the health and
safety to the firefighters and to the citizens we serve.

We are requesting sixteen (16) complete SCBA Units and four (4) extra facemasks with heads up display in the masks
for $86,400. We are asking for $16,000 for training for the Firefighter I training program.

The goal of this project is to solve interoperability problems between our department and the other fire departments
with whom we provide mutual aid to. This equipment and training will increase the safety and health of each our
firefighters by providing the necessary personal protective equipment and training which is basic in performing their
firefighting duties.

This is the fourth year that we are applying for the SCBA Units for our firefighters. These funds will allow our fire
department to equip 100% of our active firefighters with a facemask and provide SCBA Units for our sixteen
(16)-seated positions.

This will bring us into compliance with NFPA Standard 2007 and the General Duty Clause Minnesota Statute 182.653
Subd.2. The Firefighter I training will bring us into compliance with NFPA Standard 1001.

These funds will reduce the health and safety risks to our firefighters and improve service to the area residents, which
we serve. The lack of this basic personal protective equipment and training causes an interoperability problem in our
ability to carry out our missions critical services.

The reasons our fire department needs the PPE and Firefighter I training is outlined as follows:

1. PPE-SCBA Units: Currently, we have eight (8) face masks and twelve (12) air cylinders. All of these cylinders were
made prior to 1990. We purchased four (4) used SCBA units from another Fire Department in 2001 and four (4) used
SCBA Units were donated to us in 1995 from the local farmers elevator as they were upgrading their units. Our
firefighters are sharing facemasks at a fire scene, which is a health and safety issue. Our present SCBA cylinders are
over twenty (20) years old.

2. Currently, we have not have any formal training, which meets NFPA Standard. We are requesting funding to be able
to provide Firefighter I training to our department firefighters. This will allow us to come into compliance with NFPA
Standard 1001.

Budget:
1. Person Protective Equipment: $86,400
Sixteen (16) SCBA Units with extra cylinder. Includes complete SCBA Unit with 2216 PSI 30 minute cylinder, gauge,
panorama facepiece, comfort pad, quick release LDV, Super I – PASS II with RIT connection and heads up display in
the mask. Hand wheel covers on SCBA cylinder valves and sixteen (16) spare cylinders @ $5250.00 each which equals
$84,000.00
Four (4) extra panorama facemasks, comfort pad, quick release LDV, Super I – PASS II with RIT Connection and
heads up display in masks at $600.00 each equals $2400.00.

2. Training $16,000
Firefighter I training to meet NFPA 1001 Standard.
Twenty (20) firefighters @ $800.00 each equals $16,000.00.

Total Project Cost: $102,400
Required 5% Cash Match: $5,120
Federal Share: $97,280

The XXX Fire Department has been doing fundraising thru their Relief Association and currently has the 5% cash
match grant funds of $5,120 on hand. The XXX City Council, City of XXX and the six (6) townships fully
support this project request. This request will complete our fire departments need for personal protective equipment
and bring us into compliance with NFPA & OSHA Standards.


Financial Need:
-------------------

The XXX Fire Department’s budget for 2008 shows Total Receipts of $42,820 and Total Disbursements of
$54,413. The increasing costs of maintaining our fleet of vehicles, insurance, utilities, minor equipment and vehicle
payment of $12,105 a year, stretches the fire departments budget into a deficit situation.

If we are unsuccessful in obtaining this grant we will not be able to fund the purchase of SCBA Units on our own and
we will have to continue to operate with non-compliant SCBA Units which will negatively impact the health and safety of
our firefighters.

This is our fourth year of requesting funding for the SCBA Units. Without this grant we will not be able to take the
Firefighter I training.

Thru the XXX Fire Department Relief Association, the firefighters conduct a variety of fundraisers. In an average
year we raise approximately $4000.00 but at this rate it would take us 25.6 years to raise enough funds to fund this
project.

The City of XXX has large amount of long term debt which amount to $3775 per capita per year. If we were to
take a loan out for $102,400 at 5% interest for five years, this would equal total principal and interest of $128,000 or
$325 per household. Forty percent (40%) of the City of XXX residents are senior citizens living on a fixed
income.

An additional seventeen (17%) of the XXX residents are youth under the age of fourteen (14). Funding this
project on our own creates an additional financial burden on our predominately elderly population whom are living on
fixed incomes. Your assistance will allow us to purchase this equipment and to take the appropriate training which
otherwise we would be unable to do.


Cost/Benefit:
------------------

Our small department responds to an average of fourteen (14) calls per year over the last three years. We respond to
an average of three (3) structure fires a year where we need SCBA units. With the limited number of SCBA units, the
Fire Chief is very cautious about sending his firefighters into a burning structure.

We have a difficult time providing for the back up crew should something go wrong to the first crew due to limited
number of SCBA units, which we have. If we have the proper equipment we can provide better service in maintaining
the health and safety of our firefighters.

The new SCBA Units will include integrated PASS Devices that meet current NFPA Standards. The new SCBA Units
will assist and equip our firefighters with the new risk of having to respond to calls at a new ethanol plant, which is
being built in XXX.

Our fire fighters are risking their personal safety by using substandard equipment in order to protect our communities,
townships and infrastructures. This equipment will allow our firefighters to improve services to the residents of our
community and surrounding area by being able to focus on the emergency situation.

This equipment and training will be used in 100% of our fire department calls. This equipment and training will also
benefit mutual aid fire departments.

This equipment will improve fire services in our community and reduce the health and safety threats to our firefighters.

The SCBA Units will improve our rescue efforts and reduce injury to our citizens and their property. The Firefighter I
training will ensure that our firefighters are knowledgeable about the services they are providing

The purchase of SCBA Units and individual facemasks will reduce the health risk to our firefighters because we will no
longer share SCBA facemasks.

One hundred (100%) percent of our firefighters will have their own personal protective equipment. The new SCBA Units
will be compliant with the current NFPS 2007 standard.

The Firefighter I training will educate our firefighter to minimal standards, which will help to reduce the health, and
safety hazards to our volunteer firefighters. This will bring us into compliance with NFPA 1001 Standard.

The completion of this project will allow our fire department to better meet the General Duty Clause (Minnesota Statute
182.653 Subd.2). Each employer shall furnish to each of its employees conditions of employment and a place of
employment free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious injury or harm to its
employees. Employees must be provided a safe and healthful workplace.

We strive to provide the best services to our residents and to do so without risking the safety of those who volunteer to
provide these services.


Statement of Effect:
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The XXX Fire Department is seeking AFGP funding to help us get our department in compliance with OSHA and
NFPA properly and with up-to-date modern equipment so our volunteers are safe in all the hazards and situations we
respond to when assisting our citizens in our daily operations.

This award will have the most positive affect on our daily operations and the safety of your firefighters and also fill the
gap that the department currently has.

This award will also have significant impact on our ability to function safely in hostile IDLH environments as we affect
search and rescue operations on a day to day basis. This equipment will have a huge impact on our department's
ability to protect lives and property in your community.

Our department is very dedicated to protect lives and property, serving our people and we are the type of department
that the FIRE Act is supposed to help.

Each year, we respond on calls that fall into at least five different categories and with the new compliant equipment it
will help us meet the growing demands on our department. These demands on our department are increasingly
disproportionate to our tax revenues and the resources we possess in a small department.

XXX is located in the agricultural heartland of the country. Our fire department plays a critical role in the
protection of our nation’s food supply. We have a large regional grain elevator in our service area. The elevator has a
large storage capacity that has the potential to become a serious fire threat to our community or rescue potential for
trapped employees in their grain bin storage facilities.

Our fire department’s jurisdiction includes 8 miles of railroad tracks. We often have railcars transporting a variety of
hazardous materials through the City of XXX and XXX.

It is imperative that we are able to provide adequate equipment to our volunteer firefighters so they can provide the
best hazardous protection possible to our communities property and citizens.

In addition, we are now having an ethanol plant, which is being built in XXX. This will pose greater risks to the
firefighters and increased need for the training and the SCBA Units.

Our firefighters are the first line of defense in response to all hazards including fire prevention/suppression, natural
disasters and terrorism. XXX has a one (1) person police department and the county sheriffs department is
based 35miles away.

We have a satellite medical clinic staffed with one doctor during business hours, an ambulance service and skilled
nursing home in XXX. The closest hospital is located XXX miles away. It is critical to keep our fire department
operational to meet the needs of our citizens.

Our firefighters provide service in all weather conditions. Temperatures range from –30F to 100F. These extreme
weather conditions put stress on personnel and equipment.

We appreciate your support and would like to express our appreciation for the opportunities this grant program would
provide to our department. Thank you for your consideration of our request.

We will be tracking the impact of this grant over the next five (5) years as we measure it's positive impact on our
community.

Thank You for your consideration.
XXX Fire Department