May the finger-pointing and intense partisan rhetoric commence!  Shortly after finally passing a continuing resolution to fund the government through the rest of fiscal year 2013 (which ends September 30^th), both chambers of Congress went to work on a budget for 2014.   Recent history suggests that having a federal budget in place by the start of the fiscal year is a long shot.  The truth is that the federal government has not passed an actual budget bill, nevermind an on-time one, since April 2009.  Instead, we have seen a long line of continuing resolutions, or temporary stopgap measures that extend funding in an effort to avoid government shutdowns.  While these resolutions keep funds flowing, they wreak havoc on the ability of federal agencies to effectively plan their grant programming and financial obligations for the year.  That uncertainty amongst federal agencies trickles all the way down to public and non-profit organizations that rely on federal grant funds to fund their programs and initiatives.

Unfortunately, we have system of government that is too often reactionary as politics usually prevent it from being proactive when it comes to important issues.  Indeed, in the wake of the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, you would be hard pressed to find a politician that is not ringing the bell when it comes to making schools safer.  Certainly the aforementioned quote by the U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan is accurate in indicating that school safety is a multi-faceted problem that requires community-wide solutions.  However, pointing the fingers at local governments, community organizations and the private sector does seem to avoid the question of the role of the federal government when it comes to preventing such tragedies in the future.

Many people have reached out to help Hurricane Sandy Victims in the wake of the tragedy.

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy most folks' attention is drawn to recover and rebuilding.  Whether you are a municipality, institution, business, or family, getting things back up running and returning to some sense of normalcy is top of mind.  That said, grants that support disaster recovery are not a “one size fits all” circumstance and understanding what is available to assist your recovery efforts and where to go to find them is paramount to maximizing those efforts.

The US Fire Administration’s (USFA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG or AFGP) is one of the most accessible and most transparent federal grants. It provides funds for turnout gear, training, communications, vehicles, technology, wellness programs, and a host of other needed improvements, such as multi-jurisdictional standardization of training. Fire departments and EMS agencies can submit up to three applications, one each in the categories of Operations and Safety, Vehicle Acquisition, and Regional Projects.