[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 92 (Tuesday, May 12, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28028-28031]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-10044]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Federal Emergency Management Agency

[Docket ID FEMA-2020-0022]


Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program--COVID-19 Supplemental 
(AFG-S)

AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of 
Homeland Security (DHS).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: On March 27, 2020, the President signed into law the 
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (``CARES Act''). 
This bill provides $100 million for AFG-S to prevent, prepare for, and 
respond to coronavirus, domestically or internationally. Specifically, 
AFG-S funds shall be for the purchase of Personal Protective Equipment 
(PPE) and related supplies, including reimbursements for previously 
purchased PPE back to January 1, 2020. Pursuant to the Federal Fire 
Prevention and Control Act of 1974, as amended, the Administrator of 
FEMA is publishing this notice describing the AFG-S application 
process, deadlines, and award selection criteria. This notice explains 
the differences, if any, between these guidelines and those recommended 
by representatives of the national fire service leadership during a 
Criteria Development meeting, which was held April 20, 2020. The 
application period for the FY 2020 AFG-S Program opened on April 28, 
2020, and will close on May 15, 2020, and was announced on the AFG 
website at: https://www.fema.gov/welcome-assistance-firefighters-grant-program, as well as at www.grants.gov.

DATES: Grant applications for AFG-S will be accepted electronically at 
https://go.fema.gov, from April 28, 2020, at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Standard 
Time through May 15, 2020, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

ADDRESSES: Assistance to Firefighters Grant Branch, DHS/FEMA, 400 C 
Street SW, 3N, Washington, DC 20472-3635.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Catherine Patterson, Branch Chief, 
Assistance to Firefighters Grant Branch, 1-866-274-0960.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FY 2020 AFG-S is a supplemental funding 
opportunity under the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG). 
The AFG is one of three grant programs that constitute DHS/FEMA's focus 
on enhancing the safety of the public and firefighters with respect to 
fire and fire-related hazards. AFG-S accomplishes this by providing 
financial assistance directly to eligible fire departments, 
nonaffiliated emergency medical service (NAEMS) organizations, and 
State Fire Training Academies (SFTAs) for critical PPE and supplies 
needed to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the COVID-19 public 
health emergency. Applications for AFG-S will be submitted and 
processed online at https://go.fema.gov. Before the application period 
started, the FY 2020 AFG-S Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) was 
published on the AFG website. The AFG website provides additional 
information and materials useful to applicants including Frequently 
Asked Questions. FEMA anticipates receiving 1,000-5,000 applications 
for AFG-S, and the ability to award approximately 1,000 grants.
    Congressional Appropriations: Congress appropriated $100 million 
for AFG-S (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, 
Div. B (Pub. L. 116-136)). The CARES Act provides an additional amount 
of Federal assistance through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant 
Program to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, 
domestically or internationally. Accordingly, the amount provided shall 
be for the purchase of PPE and related supplies, including 
reimbursements.
    Allocations and Restrictions of Available Grant Funds by 
Organization Type:
    Aggregate Cap: Awards are capped at 1 percent of the total AFG-S 
grant funding.
    Nonaffiliated EMS (NAEMS) Organizations: Not more than 2 percent of 
available grant funds shall be collectively awarded to all NAEMS 
organization recipients.
    Emergency Medical Services Providers: Not less than 3.5 percent of 
available grant funds shall fund emergency medical services provided by 
fire departments and NAEMS organizations.
    State Fire Training Academies (SFTAs): Not more than 3 percent of 
available grant funds shall be collectively awarded to all SFTA 
recipients. Further, not more than $500,000 of available grant funds 
are eligible per applicant.
    Micro Grants: The selection of the voluntary Micro Grant option 
(cumulative Federal funding of $3,000) for eligible activities does not 
impact an applicant's request or Federal participation under regional 
projects. Applicants who select Micro Grants as

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a funding opportunity choice may still apply for a regional project. 
Further, at least $150,000 of the available funds will be allocated 
toward this applicant type.
    Regional Projects: A regional application is an opportunity for a 
Fire Department or a NAEMS organization to act as a host and apply for 
funding on behalf of itself and any number of other participating AFG 
eligible organizations (a NAEMS organization who is a host regional 
applicant can only host other NAEMS organizations). Fire Departments 
that serve as host regional applicants can apply on behalf of other 
eligible fire departments and NAEMS organizations within the same 
application. SFTAs are not eligible to apply under the regional 
activity. Regional activities should achieve cost effectiveness, 
support regional efficiency and resilience, and benefit more than one 
local jurisdiction (county, parish, town, township, city, or village) 
directly from the activities implemented with the grant funds.

Application Evaluation Criteria

    Prior to making a grant award, FEMA is required by 31 U.S.C. 3321 
note, 41 U.S.C. 2313, and 2 CFR 200.205 to review information available 
through any Office of Management and Budget (OMB) designated 
repositories of government-wide eligibility qualification or financial 
integrity information. Therefore, application evaluation criteria may 
include the following risk-based considerations of the applicant: (1) 
Financial stability; (2) quality of management systems and ability to 
meet management standards; (3) history of performance in managing 
Federal awards; (4) reports and findings from audits; and (5) ability 
to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements.
    Funding priorities and criteria for evaluating AFG-S applications 
are established by FEMA based on the recommendations from the Criteria 
Development Panel (CDP). The CDP is comprised of fire service 
professionals that make recommendations to FEMA regarding the creation 
of new or the modification of previously established funding 
priorities, as well as developing criteria for awarding grants. The 
content of the NOFO reflects implementation of the CDP's 
recommendations with respect to the priorities and evaluation criteria 
for awards.
    The nine major fire service organizations represented on the CDP 
are:

 International Association of Fire Chiefs
 International Association of Fire Fighters
 National Volunteer Fire Council
 National Fire Protection Association
 National Association of State Fire Marshals
 International Association of Arson Investigators
 International Society of Fire Service Instructors
 North American Fire Training Directors
 Congressional Fire Service Institute

Review and Selection Process

    AFG applications will be reviewed through a multi-phase process. 
All applications will be electronically pre-scored and ranked based on 
how well they align with the funding priorities outlined in the NOFO. 
Applications with the highest pre-score rankings will then be scored 
competitively by (no less than three) members of the Peer Review Panel 
process. Applications will also be evaluated through a series of 
internal FEMA review processes for completeness, adherence to 
programmatic guidelines, technical feasibility, and anticipated 
effectiveness of the proposed project(s). Below is the process by which 
applications will be reviewed.

i. Pre-Scoring Process

    The application undergoes an electronic pre-scoring process based 
on established program priorities listed within the NOFO and answers to 
activity-specific questions within the online application. Application 
narratives are not reviewed during pre-scoring. Request details and 
budget information should comply with program guidance and statutory 
funding limitations. The pre-score is 50 percent of the total 
application score.

ii. Peer Review Panel Process

    Applications with the highest pre-score will undergo peer review. 
The peer review panel is comprised of fire service representatives 
recommended by CDP national organizations. The panelists assess the 
merits of each application based on the narrative section of the 
application, including the evaluation elements listed in the Narrative 
Evaluation Criteria below. Panelists will independently score each 
project within the application, discuss the merits and/or shortcomings 
of the application with his or her peers, and document the findings. A 
consensus is not required. The panel score is 50 percent of the total 
application score.

iii. Technical Evaluation Process

    The highest ranked applications are considered within the fundable 
range. Applications that are in the fundable range undergo both a 
technical review by a subject-matter expert, as well as a FEMA AFG 
Branch review prior to being recommended for an award. The FEMA AFG 
Branch will assess the request with respect to costs, quantities, 
feasibility, eligibility, and recipient responsibility prior to 
recommending an application for award. Once the technical evaluation 
process is complete, the cumulative score for each application will be 
determined and FEMA will generate a final application ranking. FEMA 
will award grants based on this final ranking and the statutorily 
required funding limitations listed in this notice and the NOFO.

Narrative Evaluation Criteria

1. Financial Need (25 Percent)

    Applicants should describe their financial need and how consistent 
it is with the intent of the AFG-S Program. This statement should 
include details describing the applicant's financial distress, such as 
summarized budget constraints, unsuccessful attempts to secure other 
funding, and proving that the financial distress is out of their 
control.

2. Project Description and Budget (25 Percent)

    The Project Description and Budget statement should clearly explain 
the applicant's project objectives and its relationship to the 
applicant's budget and risk analysis. Applicants should link the 
proposed expenses to operations and safety, as well as to the 
completion of the project's goals. Applicants should describe how their 
current response capabilities are impacted by COVID-19 as well as the 
overall rate of COVID-19 in their community. Applicants can reference 
data supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 
through referencing state level data from the following website https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/cases-in-us.html. This 
data will be taken into consideration when prioritizing funding.

3. Cost Benefit (25 Percent)

    Applicants should describe how they plan to address the operations 
and personal safety needs of their organization, including cost 
effectiveness and sharing assets. This statement should also include 
details about gaining the maximum benefits from grant funding by citing 
reasonable or required costs, such as specific overhead and 
administrative costs. The applicant's request should also be

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consistent with their mission and identify how funding will benefit 
their organization and personnel.

4. Statement of Effect on Daily Operations (25 Percent)

    The Statement of Effect on Operations should explain how this 
funding request will enhance an organization's overall effectiveness. 
It should address how an award will impact the daily operations and 
reduce an organization's risk(s). Applicants should include how 
frequently the requested item(s) will be used and in what capacity. 
Applicants should detail whether award funding will seek reimbursement 
of pre-award expenses related to the acquisition of eligible PPE, 
acquire PPE for immediate use, or acquire PPE resources to strengthen 
future response capabilities. Applicants will be evaluated on the 
current inventory of supplies, response usage of requested supplies, 
and anticipated future needs (i.e., actual or anticipated burn rate 
percentage of PPE resources).

Eligible Applicants

    Fire Departments: Fire departments operating in any of the 50 
States, as well as fire departments in the District of Columbia, the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, 
Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any 
Federally-recognized Indian Tribe or Tribal organization.
    A fire department is an agency or organization having a formally-
recognized arrangement with a State, local, Tribal, or territorial 
authority (city, county, parish, fire district, township, town, or 
other governing body) to provide fire suppression to a population 
within a geographically fixed primary first due response area.
    NAEMS organizations: NAEMS organizations operating in any of the 50 
States, as well as the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American 
Samoa, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any Federally-recognized 
Indian Tribe or Tribal organization.
    A nonaffiliated EMS organization is an agency or organization that 
is a public or private nonprofit emergency medical services entity 
providing medical transport that is not affiliated with a hospital and 
does not serve a geographic area in which emergency medical services 
are adequately provided by a fire department.
    FEMA considers the following as hospitals under the AFG-S Program:

 Clinics
 Medical centers
 Medical colleges or universities
 Infirmaries
 Surgery centers
 Any other institutions, associations, or foundations providing 
medical, surgical, or psychiatric care and/or treatment for the sick or 
injured.

    State Fire Training Academies (SFTAs): An SFTA operates in any of 
the 50 States, as well as the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of 
the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American 
Samoa, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Applicants must be 
designated either by legislation or by a Governor's declaration as the 
sole fire service training agency within a State, territory, or the 
District of Columbia. The designated SFTA shall be the only agency/
bureau/division, or entity within that State, territory, or the 
District of Columbia to be an eligible AFG-S SFTA applicant. SFTAs are 
limited to applying for activities that are directly associated with 
Personal Protective Equipment and supplies needed to respond to the 
COVID-19 public health emergency.

Cost Sharing and Maintenance of Effort

    Grant recipients must share in the costs of the projects funded 
under this grant program as required by 15 U.S.C. 2229(k)(1) and in 
accordance with applicable Federal regulations at 2 CFR part 200, but 
they are not required to have the cost-share at the time of application 
nor at the time of award. However, before a grant is awarded, FEMA will 
contact potential awardees to determine whether the grant recipient has 
the funding in hand or if the grant recipient has a viable plan to 
obtain the funding necessary to fulfill the cost-sharing requirement.
    In general, an eligible applicant seeking a grant shall agree to 
make available non-Federal funds equal to not less than 15 percent of 
the grant awarded. However, the cost share will vary as follows based 
on the size of the population served by the organization, with 
exceptions to this general requirement for entities serving smaller 
communities:
     Applicants that serve populations of 20,000 or less shall 
agree to make available non-Federal funds in an amount equal to not 
less than 5 percent of the grant awarded.
     Applicants serving areas with populations above 20,000, 
but not more than 1 million, shall agree to make available non-Federal 
funds in an amount equal to not less than 10 percent of the grant 
awarded.
     Applicants serving areas with populations above 1 million 
shall agree to make available non-Federal funds in an amount equal to 
not less than 10 percent of the grant awarded. The cost share for SFTAs 
will apply the requirements above based on the total population of the 
State.
    Cost share of non-Federal cash is the only allowable recipient 
contribution for AFG-S activity. On a case-by-case basis, FEMA may 
allow recipients already owning assets acquired with non-Federal cash, 
to use the trade-in allowance/credit value of those assets as cash for 
the purpose of meeting the cost-share obligation. For FEMA to consider 
a trade-in allowance/credit value as cash, the allowance amount must be 
reasonable, and the allowance amount must be a separate entity clearly 
identified in the acquisition documents. In-kind cost share is not 
allowable for AFG-S.
    In cases of demonstrated economic hardship, and at the request of 
the grant recipient, the Administrator of FEMA may waive or reduce 
certain recipient's AFG-S cost-share requirement or maintenance of 
expenditure requirement. FY 2020 AFG-S applicants must indicate at the 
time of application whether they are requesting a waiver and whether 
the waiver is for the cost-share requirement, maintenance of effort 
requirement, or both. The FEMA Administrator is required by statute to 
establish guidelines for determining what constitutes economic 
hardship. FEMA has published these guidelines at FEMA's website: 
https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1518026897046-483d76a37022b8a581ffb7d42fa9b17e/Eco_Hardship_Waiver_FPS_SAFER_AFG_IB_FINAL.pdf.
    Prior to the start of the FY 2020 AFG-S application period, FEMA 
conducted applicant workshops and/or internet webinars to inform 
potential applicants AFG-S. In addition, FEMA provided applicants with 
information at the AFG website: https://www.fema.gov/welcome-assistance-firefighters-grant-program to help them prepare quality 
grant applications. The AFG Help Desk is staffed throughout the 
application period to assist applicants with the automated application 
process as well as assistance with any questions.
    Applicants can reach the AFG Help Desk through a toll-free 
telephone number during normal business hours (1-866-274-0960) or 
electronic mail at [email protected].

Application Process

    Organizations may submit one application per application period in 
each of the three AFG program activities (e.g., one application for 
Operations and Safety, and/or a separate application to

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be a Joint/Regional Project host). If an organization submits more than 
one application for any single AFG program activity (e.g., two 
applications for Operations and Safety, two for Joint/Regional Project, 
etc.), either intentionally or unintentionally, both applications may 
be disqualified.
    Applicants can access the grant application electronically at 
https://portal.fema.gov. The application is also accessible from the 
U.S. Fire Administration's website http://www.usfa.fema.gov and http://www.grants.gov. New applicants must register and establish a username 
and password for secure access to the grant application. Previous AFG 
grant applicants must use their previously established username and 
passwords.
    Applicants must answer questions about their grant request that 
reflect the AFG-S funding priorities, described above. In addition, 
each applicant must complete a separate narrative for each project or 
grant activity requested. Grant applicants will also provide relevant 
information about their organization's characteristics, call volume, 
and existing organizational capabilities.

System for Award Management (SAM)

    Per 2 CFR 25.200, all Federal grant applicants and recipients must 
register in https://SAM.gov. SAM is the Federal Government's System for 
Awards Management, and registration is free of charge. Applicants must 
maintain current information in SAM that is consistent with the data 
provided in their AFG-S grant application and in the Dun & Bradstreet 
(DUNS) database. FEMA may not accept any application, process any 
awards, and consider any payment or amendment requests, unless the 
applicant or grant recipient has complied with the requirements to 
provide a valid DUNS number and an active SAM registration. The grant 
applicant's banking information, EIN, organization/entity name, 
address, and DUNS number must match the same information provided in 
SAM.

Pete Gaynor,
Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency.
[FR Doc. 2020-10044 Filed 5-11-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111-64-P