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.

The XXXX Fire Department is located in the city of XXXX in XXX County in Minnesota. XXXX Fire Department
is located approximately XXX miles southwest of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND BUDGET:
--------------------------------
XXXX Fire Department is seeking funds to replace our soon to be out of compliance communication equipment. Our
current radio inventory is inadequate in that it does not have enough reliable wattage power to reach the fire hall and
units in the field. Our pagers for the most part have been reliable units, but many pagers are now past their serviceable
lives and are not suitable for upgrading to the new required frequency of 800 MHz. In the near future, interoperability
between fire and rescue districts will be critical to keeping our firefighters and residents safe. 80% of our firefighters
are trained to NFPA 1001 or equivalent and the remaining 20% are scheduled to attend training as soon as classes are
available.

XXX Fire Department would like to do our part and break down the barriers of interoperability and bring our
communication equipment up to new narrow band 800 MHz compatibility standards for the State of Minnesota and
Federal Communications Commission(FCC). Our department will be required to purchase new equipment in order to
join in this state and nationwide effort as our existing equipment will not work with the assigned frequency leading to the
risk of no communication for our department.

Radio communications will have a positive affect on firefighter operations and safety as well as keeping our residents
and property safe.

The radio equipment we are proposing will include 20 new pagers to replace the 24 pagers currently in service, a fire
department 50 watt base station and repeater antenna to upgrade our current 20 watt system which does not have the
necessary range to communicate reliably at the distances we frequently encounter. We are also proposing three 50
watt truck radios to allow communications between firefighting vehicles at greater distances and fire hall and to bring all
of our equipment to a single level. The vendor will provide training for all firefighters on the use of the new radio and
pager systems. Firefighter chief or appointees will also be attending Regional Radio Board meetings and trainings. Our
department also participates in countrywide disaster training exercises sponsored by XXX County Minnesota
Emergency Management.


Repeater -- 1 --@-$6,124 = $6,124
Base Station -- 1 --@-$1,930 = $1,930
Mobile Radios -- 5 --@-$620 = $3,100
Pagers -- 20 --@-$511 = $10,220

BUDGET:
Total Cost: $21,374
Matching Funds: $ 1,068
Requested Amt: $20,306


FINANCIAL NEED:
----------------
The XXXX Fire Department works on a very small budget with the City of XXXX and six townships paying for fire
protection. One of the problems with the fire department funding is the costs of operation continue to climb, but the tax
base remains the same.

The cost of pagers, repeater antenna, base station and truck radios would be very difficult to fund out of the current
fire department budget. The pagers would have a warranty and this would save us money budgeted for pager repairs
for at least the first year and would free up money towards the matching funds.

Below you will find a summary of both our city and department budgets:

City Budget:
General Government:..$65,937
Public Safety:..$22,830
Streets & Highways:..$62,558
Park/Recreation:..$13,162
Miscellaneous:..$5,800
Total Budget: $170,287


Fire Department Budget:
Equipment:..$2,300
Insurance & Depreciation:..$3,000
Firefighter wages:..$3,200
Mileage & Schooling:..$2,400
Electricity:..$1,200
Heat:..$1,800
Pager Expense:..$1,600
Gas, Oil, & Repairs:..$1,000
Dues & Subscriptions:..$300
Miscellaneous:..$700
Total Department Budget:..$23,500

Our department is not allowed to conduct fund raisers by MN law.


COST BENEFIT:
---------------
By receiving this grant and this equipment, we will be able to communicate with all our firefighters and rescue personnel
in a swift, efficient manner without time delays which will enhance the safety and security of our firefighters and
community members.

We would also be able to page all our firefighters as all firefighters would have a working pager available. We would
also be able to communicate with other firefighting units and the main communication dispatch in XXX,
Minnesota. The new, more powerful, narrow-band compliant radio system would increase the communication distance
and allow for communication with the fire hall, cooperating fire departments and central dispatching.

Our service area extends into six townships stretching six miles north, six miles south, four miles west and nine miles
east with an approximate population of 630 including the City of XXXX and two unincorporated towns of XXX and
XXX.

Our service area abuts XXX County Minnesota, XXX Fire District, XXX Fire District, XXX Fire District, and
XXX Fire District. Our area is potentially serviced by four separate ambulance services including XXX,
XXX (XXX Cty), XXX (XXX Cty), and XXX.

We also have one first responder organization in Reading. We need to be able to communicate with all of these entities
in order to provide timely, adequate protection without delays caused by communication issues.

We operate in a large farming community where we are relied upon for fire and rescue protection. A major county
highway passes through our fire service area. This highway is used by many commuters traveling to jobs in several
communities to the northwest of XXXX.

The City of XXXX, XXX and XXX are mainly bedroom communities with many of the citizens commuting to
jobs outside of the community during daytime hours. As the fire department consists of strictly volunteers, we need to
be able to page all available firefighters.

With new equipment, we would be able to rely on the paging system. Currently the paging system is spotty as the
pagers are in need of repair. For example, one firefighter who is available during the day as he is a local farmer did not
have a pager available for over four weeks due to pager repairs.

Also many of the firefighters are involved in physically active jobs such as grain elevator work, repairs, farming,
plumbing, electrical work, etc. so the pagers are subject to hard use. New pagers would be much more reliable.

The radio system would allow communication with the fire hall and between firefighting vehicles as firefighters arrive at
different times which would enhance safety of the community and firefighters and allow communications with other fire
departments if mutual aid is required or if we are providing mutual aid for another department.

This causes problems as nearly all of the fire district does not have fire hydrant system and requires water to be hauled
to the scene. We would also be able to be in contact with each vehicle, XXXX firehall and adjoining district & adjacent
county weather spotters when called out for severe weather spotting.

Increased communication distances would also be possible. With the current radio system, the trucks cannot
communicate with each other if there is a hill, other obstacle or severe thunderstorm weather.
The new radio system would alleviate this problem.


STATEMENT OF EFFECT:
------------------------

The XXXX Fire Department is seeking FEMA funding to help us get our department in compliance and communication
with the Minnesota ARMER Program (Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response) 800 MHz communications
backbone. This grant would help us update our equipment so are volunteers are safe in all hazards and situations and
able to communicate with all local, state and federal emergency service entities when assisting our citizens.

We are truly appreciative of prior grants to supply our firefighters with necessary equipment and to replace obsolete
gear to better provide safety and security.

Approval of this funding request will enhance safety immensely for our firefighters and fill the communication gap the
department currently has.

Thank you for your consideration,
XXXX Fire Department