15.675: National Fire Plan- Rural Fire Assistance

15.675

Inactive

Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) [DOI]

April 10, 2013

April 5, 2013

The objectives of the Rural Fire Assistance (RFA) program are to increase local firefighter safety and enhance the fire protection capabilities of Rural Fire Departments (RFD) by helping RFDs meet accepted standards of wildland fire qualifications, training, and performance for initial and extended attack at the local level. The RFA program supports the overall goals of the National Fire Plan by improving the capacity and capability of local fire departments to protect their communities from the effects of wildland fire. The RFA program provides funds for RFDs that: Protect rural, wildland-urban interface communities; Play a substantial cooperative role in the protection of federal lands; Are cooperators with the Department of the Interior (DOI) managed lands through cooperative agreements with the DOI or their respective State; and Serve communities with a population of 10,000 or less. Funding priorities for grant awards may shift from year to year. Allowable funding requests are limited, based on annual Secretarial direction, and may include training, personal protection equipment, and programs that are supported by a larger plan (e.g., CWPP, FMP, and Local Response Plan) and equipment. Local and regional workgroups must use available systems and networks to ensure funding requests are not duplicated by another federal bureau, agency, or Tribe. The RFD must demonstrate the capability to meet cost share requirements, which may include in-kind services. Cooperator contribution may exceed, but not amount to less than 10 percent of the amount awarded. Examples of in-kind services may include, but are not limited to, facility use incurred by an RFD for hosting training courses; travel and per diem costs incurred by an RFD to attend training courses; and administration costs related to purchasing RFA equipment and supplies.

B - Cooperative Agreements (Discretionary Grants)

Applicants must be rural fire departments serving a community with a population of 10,000 or less in the wildland-urban interface on or affected by wildlands managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Rural fire departments must meet ALL of the following requirements to be considered for funding must: be a party to an agreement with the State Forester (or equivalent) or Tribe, or a cooperative fire agreement with a DOI bureau (BIA, BLM, NPS, USFWS); serve a community with of a population of 10,000 or less; be in close proximity to DOI lands and communities within the wildland-urban interface; and must have a local DOI Bureau dependent on it for response to wildlife incidents. A fire department serving communities with populations over 10,000 may qualify for RFA funding under the following circumstances: The service area of the department includes a rural area or community with a population of 10,000 or less. RFA funding must be used to benefit the rural service area. Departments operate entirely within the boundaries of the county or town of more than 10,000 that is serviced by two or more fire districts. The service area of a given district includes a rural area or community, or the population of the district’s jurisdiction is less than 10,000. The RFA funding is used exclusively for the rural portion of the district. A fire department with at least one station that serves a community of more than 10,000 that also encompasses a rural zone or community with a population not exceeding 10,000. RFA funding must be used to benefit the rural service area. A fire department that serves a community of 10,000 or more that also provides fire protection services through contract or agreement to an adjoining rural community. RFAfunding must be used to benefit the rural service area serviced through the contract or agreement.

State, Local, Public Nonprofit Institution/Organization, Other Public Institution/Organization, Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Government, Small Business, Profit Organization, Private Organization, Anyone/General Public, Native American Organization, Farmer/Rancher/Agriculture Producer, Homeowner, Land/Property Owner, Suburban, and Rural.

15.949 - National Fire Plan - Rural Fire Assistance

15.242 - BLM Rural Fire Assistance