FP 207-008-064-1

GRANT PROGRAMS DIRECTORATE POLICY

Page 1

I. TITLE: Review and Approval Requirements for Training Courses Funded 

Through Preparedness Grants

II. DATE OF ISSUANCE: September 10, 2013

III. POLICY STATEMENT: With the exception of Countering Violent Extremism

(CVE) courses, States, territories, tribal entities and urban areas are no longer 

required to submit grant funded non-FEMA courses to the National Training and 

Education Division (NTED) for review under the current course review and 

approval process. 

IV. PURPOSE: The purpose of this policy is to communicate the decision to 

retroactively apply the policies set forth in applicable Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 

Preparedness Grant Program Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) 

regarding training course approval requirements (i.e., the “three for free” rule) and 

the conditions for personnel attending non-FEMA approved training. 

V. SCOPE AND EXTERNAL AUDIENCE: This retroactive provision shall apply to 

all open awards issued under the grant programs cited under the Grant Programs 

Directorate’s (GPD) Information Bulletin #379 titled Guidance to State Administrative 

Agencies to Expedite the Expenditure of Certain DHS/FEMA Grant Funding issued on 

February 17, 2012.

VI. AUTHORITY: The review and approval requirements for courses funded through 

preparedness grants and governed by the following authorities, except where 

otherwise prohibited by law:

A. 44 CFR, Emergency Management and Assistance, which includes 44 CFR Part 

13.22, Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative 

Agreements to State and Local Governments.

B. GPD Information Bulletin #379, Guidance to State Administrative Agencies to 

Expedite the Expenditure of Certain DHS/FEMA Grant Funding, issued 

February 17, 2012. 
FP 207-008-064-1

GRANT PROGRAMS DIRECTORATE POLICY

Page 2

VII. OBJECTIVES: While FEMA preparedness program grantees are encouraged to 

select training courses that have been approved by the NTED and listed in the 

NTED Approved State and Federal Sponsored Course Catalog (or in the case of 

PSGP grantees, approved by the Maritime Administration), preparedness funds 

may be used to support the delivery and attendance of non-FEMA training 

courses. This policy clarifies the applicable program requirements. The provision 

outlined in this document supports the Department of Homeland Security’s 

Guidance to State Administrative Agencies to Expedite the Expenditure of Certain 

DHS/FEMA Grant Funding, issued on February 13, 2012. 

VIII. DEFINITIONS, ABBREVIATIONS, AND FORMATTING: 

A. Definitions

1) Funding Opportunity Announcement means a publicly available 

document by which a Federal agency makes known its intentions to award 

discretionary grants or cooperative agreements, usually as a result of 

competition for funds. Funding opportunity announcements may be known 

as program announcements, notices of funding availability, solicitations, or 

other names depending on the agency and type of program. Funding 

opportunity announcements can be found at Grants.gov/FIND and on the 

funding agency’s or program’s Web site

B. Abbreviations

1) FOA: Funding Opportunity Announcement

2) IJ: Investment Justification

3) PPD-8: Presidential Policy Directive 8: National Preparedness

4) NTED: National Training and Education Division
FP 207-008-064-1

GRANT PROGRAMS DIRECTORATE POLICY

Page 3

5) SAA: State Administrative Agency

6) TPOC: Training Point of Contact

7) EOP: Emergency Operations Plan

8) MARAD: Maritime Administration

9) HSGP: Homeland Security Grant Program

10) EMPG: Emergency Management Performance Grant Program

11) PSGP: Port Security Grant Program

12) SHSP: State Homeland Security Program

13) UASI: Urban Areas Security Initiative

14) OPSG: Operation Stonegarden

IX. POLICY DETAILS: Effective immediately, and with the exception of CVE 

courses, states, territories, tribal entities and urban areas are no longer required to 

submit grant-funded, non-FEMA courses to NTED for review under the current 

course review and approval process. In previous years, FEMA funding guidance 

and/or FOAs stated that the SAA/TPOC was allowed three deliveries of the same 

course within a state/territory before the non-FEMA training course curriculum 

was required to go through the NTED State Course Review and Approval Process. 

Although the current State Course Review and Approval Process is still available 

to any state, there is no longer a requirement to submit a course for review after 

three deliveries. 

Further, states, territories, tribal entities and urban areas are no longer required to 

request approval from FEMA for personnel to attend non-FEMA training as long 

as the training is coordinated with and approved by the State Administrative 
FP 207-008-064-1

GRANT PROGRAMS DIRECTORATE POLICY

Page 4

Agency (SAA) state/territory or Training Point of Contact (TPOC) and falls within 

the FEMA mission scope and the jurisdiction’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). 

States, territories, tribal entities, and urban areas are required, within 30 days after 

attendance, to submit information through the SAA or TPOC via Web-Forms 

(https://www.firstrespondertraining.gov/admin/menuAction.do?forwardToPage=

webforms/index.asp) on all training supported with HSGP and EMPG funds. This 

information will consist of course title, course description, mission area, level of 

training, the training provider, the date of the course, the number and associated 

disciplines of the individuals, and the sponsoring jurisdiction. States, territories, 

tribal entities, and urban areas intending to use FEMA funds to support attendance 

at training not provided by FEMA must ensure these courses:

A. Fall within the FEMA mission scope to prepare state, local, tribal, and territorial 

personnel to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from 

acts of terrorism and catastrophic events;

B. Build capabilities that: (a) support a specific training need identified by the 

state, territory, tribal entities, and urban areas, and (b) comport with the state, 

territory, or urban area’s Homeland Security Strategy; 

C. Address specific tasks and/or competencies articulated in FEMA’s Emergency 

Responder Guidelines and the Homeland Security Guidelines for Prevention and 

Deterrence;

D. Address specific core capabilities articulated in the National Preparedness 

Goal;

E. Support the specific program training activities identified in the individual 

HSGP grant programs (SHSP, UASI, and OPSG) for which the funding will be 

used; and
FP 207-008-064-1

GRANT PROGRAMS DIRECTORATE POLICY

Page 5

F. Comply with FEMA GPD Information Bulletin #373 Ensuring Training on 

Counter Terrorism and Countering Violent Extremism is consistent with United 

States Government (USG) and DHS Policy.

FEMA will continue to conduct periodic reviews of all state, territory, and urban 

areas’ training funded by FEMA. These reviews may include requests for all 

course materials and physical observation of, or participation in, the funded 

training. Grantees are advised that if these reviews determine that attended 

courses are outside the scope of this guidance, grantees could be required to repay 

grant funds expended for those courses.

Exemptions

Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) training courses and courses related to 

countering violent extremism are exempted from this policy. Further, states, 

territories, tribal entities and urban areas are required to submit grant-funded, 

non-FEMA CVE courses to NTED for review under the current course review and 

approval process after three (3) deliveries. This will be done to ensure that the 

training aligns with the federal approach to CVE, including prioritizing civil rights 

and civil liberties and building partnerships with communities.

Training Requirements Specific to PSGP

Funding for non-FEMA training courses may be permitted on a case-by-case basis 

depending on the specific training needs of the eligible PSGP applicant. In such 

cases, the applicant will be required to explain in the Investment Justification (IJ) 

why none of the approved courses satisfy the identified training need and must 

submit detailed course information for review and consideration by the local field 

review team and the National Review Panel. The IJ must also provide assurance 

that the requested course:

A. falls within the FEMA mission scope to prepare state, local, tribal, and 

territorial personnel to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from 

acts of terrorism and catastrophic events;
FP 207-008-064-1

GRANT PROGRAMS DIRECTORATE POLICY

Page 6

B. Builds additional capabilities that support a specific training need identified by 

the Port-Wide Risk Mitigation Plan (if applicable), Area Maritime Security Plan, 

Area Maritime Security Committee, or Coast Guard Captain of the Port;

C. addresses specific tasks and/or competencies articulated in FEMA’s Emergency 

Responder Guidelines and the Homeland Security Guidelines for Prevention and 

Deterrence;

D. Addresses specific capabilities articulated in the core capabilities identified in 

the National Preparedness Goal; and

E. Supports PSGP priorities.

Training Resources

The NTED Course Catalog provides valuable information about NTED's training 

courses and training providers, including course prerequisites and how to 

schedule and attend courses. Also available are catalogs of all state-sponsored and 

federal-sponsored courses that fall within the NTED mission scope, and have been 

approved through the NTED course review and approval process. The NTED

catalogs may be viewed at the http://www.firstrespondertraining.gov website and the 

MARAD approved courses at:

http://www.marad.dot.gov/education_landing_page/mtsa_course_certification/mt

sa.htm).

X. MONITORING AND EVALUATION: The Grant Programs Directorate (GPD)

will ensure compliance with this policy through its annual financial and 

programmatic monitoring program. FEMA preparedness grantees and subgrantees that fail to comply with this policy may not receive reimbursement 

through the applicable grant program.

XI. RESPONSIBLE OFFICE: FEMA Grant Programs Directorate

XII. SUPERSESSION: This policy supersedes guidance contained in the FY 2008, 2009, 

2010 and 2011 HSGP Guidance and Application Kits which states “In support of the 
FP 207-008-064-1

GRANT PROGRAMS DIRECTORATE POLICY

Page 7

continuing efforts to build common catalogs of approved training not provided by 

FEMA, the SAA/TPOC will be allowed three deliveries of the same course within a 

state/territory before the course is required to go through the FEMA State course 

review and approval process. Additional course deliveries will be authorized

during the review period. However, if the course is disapproved as part of the 

process, no additional FEMA funds can be dedicated to attending the course,” and 

further, the policy conforms to the guidance issued within the FY 2012 HSGP FOA 

and applies it retroactively for applicable open awards.

XIII. REVIEW DATE: This policy expires 3 years from the date of issuance in 

accordance with Directive 112-12.

_____________________________

Brian E. Kamoie

Assistant Administrator

Grant Programs Directorate