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.

2008 Fire Grant Program Narrative

The XXX Volunteer Fire Department is located in the City of XXX, XXX County, Minnesota. XXX
 is approximately XX miles northwest of the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. XXX is a growing community in a
rural area with a significant retirement age population. We are located along US Highway XX, State Highway XX, and
State Highway XX in the center of Minnesota.


Project Description and Budget:
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XXX Volunteer Fire Department is seeking funds from the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program under the
Operations and Firefighter Safety Program. After a comprehensive risk assessment by the officers and membership of
the XXX Volunteer Fire Department, we determined that there is a need for a fire alarm system and sprinkler
system to protect the valuable assets of the department. We have a strong need for an NFPA 1500 compliant
containment/fill station for our SCBA bottles. In addition, our pagers are mostly over 10 years old and need upgraded.

They are becoming costly to repair and unreliable. With new technology getting to this part of the country and more
education, we recognize the benefits of having a Compressed Air Foam system on our 1st line engine and including
associated operation, maintenance, and foam tactical training.

Training Activity.
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We propose to contract with an area Technical College to provide instructor led training on the tactical usage of a CAF
System and refresh members on the use of other Class A & B foams. In addition, we propose to pay a fee to the
manufacturer for up to 6 hours of training on the operation and maintenance of the CAF System. Completion of the
above training would meet the requirements to be compliant with OSHA section 1910.156, NFPA 1500 and Minnesota
OSHA statutes section 182.653
Training costs for Compressed Air Foam (Operation, Maintenance, and tactical usage)… $3,500


Firefighting Equipment Acquisition activity.
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We propose to purchase the following equipment:

1) A new two position fill station containment system with top control panel and regulators. The department does not
have compliant containment system at our station. The bottles currently are set into a heavy gauge PVC Plastic pipe
with no covering. Receipt of this new equipment will bring us into compliance with Minnesota statute 182.653; OSHA
regulation 1910.156; NFPA 1500 pertaining to firefighter safety.
Two position fill station and containment system....$7,900

2) Compressed Air Foam System (CAFS) to retrofit for our first line engine and a supply of foam for firefighting
including training foam as needed.
CAFS retrofit to first line engine……$22,655
Tactical foam and training foam…..$1,125

3) 25 Motorola Minitor V pagers with stored voice and charging station. Our current pagers are over 10 years old;
costs excessively for maintenance and their reliability is getting to be questionable. We have had several instances
where firefighters didn’t respond to a call due to pager failure. Receipt of this equipment will bring us into compliance
with Minnesota statute 182.563; OSHA 1910.156; and NFPA 1500 firefighter safety.
25 Motorola Minitor V pagers with stored voice and charging station...$12,875


Modifications to Stations and Facilities Activity:
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We are proposing to install a smoke and fire alarm notification system and sprinkler system in our fire station to protect
the assets of our department. This system would be connected to a monitoring service to allow for immediate
notification in the event of a fire in the station. This project would retrofit the apparatus bay, command center/radio
room, restroom, and the training/meeting room. This activity is to retrofit an existing building.
Itemized Costs: Sprinkler System…..$22,000
Itemized Costs: Smoke and Fire Alarm Notification System…$5,000

Total Project cost…..$75,055
Total projected cost of project: $75,055
Required 5% Match: $3,752
Federal share: $71,303


Financial Need:
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In these uncertain times, all governmental units are cutting costs wherever they can. Investment funds (if you have any)
are not producing income like they have in the past; State Aid funds for the city have been cut by significant amounts in
the past three years. The township boards are also cutting their costs and we have discussions on their fees for fire
protection. Cost of operations is increasing rapidly due to fuel and other related expenses. Funds will be available to
cover the required 5% cost share for the fire grant program if awarded.

XXX Fire Dept 2008 budget
$26,450 Wages
$16,800 Insurance & Taxes
$ 8,640 Heat, Light, and Water
$ 7,600 Training & Travel
$ 1,500 Minor Firefighting Equipment
$ 2,600 Physicals
$ 2,500 Clothing
$10,000 Vehicle Expenses/Maintenance
$ 6,300 Repairs & Maintenance
$ 10,890 Other Materials Supplies and Services
$36,000 Capitol Equipment Fund
$ 6,000 Relief Assn Contribution
$135,280 Total Fire Department Operating

XXX City 2008 Budget
$347,720 Administration
$510,210 Police Department
$135,280 Fire Department
$328,790 Public Works
$ 67,200 Park/Recreation
$ 36,000 Economic Dev
$ 1,200 Sanitation
$469,990 Debt Service
$ 47,070 Airports
$305,182 Water
$754,824 Sewer
$183,167 Liquor Store
$3,186,633 Total Operating Budget


Cost / Benefit:
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Award of this grant will allow the fire department to continue to safely function and complete our critical mission. We
have approximately $1.5 million in replacement value for our equipment plus the structure and ancillary contents.
The minimal cost for a fire sprinkler system and an alarm system versus losing fire protection for the 7,000 residents in
the area breaks down to approximately $3.85 per person. Cheap insurance!! Having the alarm system tied into a
manned alarm station will elicit an immediate emergency response, possibly saving all or most of our assets.

The cost of installing a SCBA fill/containment system equates to approximately $1.00 per person for everyone in our
immediate response area and would be NFPA 1500 compliant.

Our pagers are becoming costly to maintain and unreliable. Firefighters need to receive the alarm if they are to respond
to the call. The new model will improve the capabilities for quick, consistent and effective response for all of our
personnel.

The CAFS equipment has the potential to improve firefighter safety by quickly extinguishing a fire allowing firefighters to
complete the mission quickly. The minimal use of water will lessen the collateral damage to the resident’s property and
lessen the chances of collapse due to excessive water weight.

The training requested will allow our firefighters to become proficient in using the CAFS and provide better protection in
a safer environment.

XXX City administration approved the application of this grant on April 1, 2008. This project can be completed
within the required time frame once awarded the funding requested.


Statement of Effect:
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The successful award of the fire grant to our department will provide fire protection for our firefighting vehicles and
equipment housed in our station, as well as our training and command center. We have all read the stories of the fire
department getting called to their own station only to arrive to see total devastation. Loss of a fire department’s assets
has a huge negative impact on the 7000 people served in our response area as well as additional load for neighboring
departments until replacements can be purchased.

The purchase of new pagers will improve the number of firefighters responding to a call in a timely manner thus
allowing for maximum manpower at a working fire. The safety of the firefighters refilling SCBA bottles will be
significantly improved with the addition of a NFPA compliant fill/containment system. The current fill station is next to
worthless for protection from catastrophic failure of a SCBA bottle.

The XXX Volunteer Fire Department serves all or parts of nine townships in our response area, including the
City of XXX. We have mutual aid agreements with seven of the communities in XXX County, consisting of
approximately 150 firefighters as well as several extended communities in the five surrounding counties, most with
populations of less than 1000.

The XXX Volunteer Fire Department is charged with fire protection for an area population of approximately
7000 people, in addition to interagency mutual aid support. During the vacation seasons, the population swells by
thousands as vacationing people flock to their cabins, resorts, motels, and campgrounds.

The industrial fire protection requirements include six major industries in the city, with individual business employee
numbers from 50 to 600, in addition to numerous small businesses and the downtown district. We are currently in the
process of developing a new industrial park on the southwest edge of our city, and 2 new residential developments are
currently being marketed.

The successful award of this grant will allow us to (1) Protect the assets of our department with a fire alarm and
sprinkler system that is coupled with some form of automatic notification. (2) Provide a safe environment for firefighters
while filling our SCBA bottles by providing a NFPA 1500 compliant fill/containment system. (3) Enhance the response of
our firefighters by having pagers that work accurately and consistently. (4) Increase the safety of our firefighters and
the public with installation of a Compressed Air Foam System (CAFS) for our first line engine, and give us the proper
training associated with CAFS and other foam usage.

Thank you for the opportunity to apply
XXX Volunteer Fire Department