Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 13 / Friday, January 19, 2024 / Notices 3677 

contained incorrect date in the DATES

section. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Valerie Kolick, Designated Federal 

Officer, Advisory Committee for 

Women’s Services, U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services, Substance 

Abuse and Mental Health Services 

Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, 

Suite 18E01, Rockville, MD 20857. 

Phone: 240–276–1738 or Email: 

valerie.kolick@samhsa.hhs.gov 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Correction, from FR Doc. 2023–28890, 

Vol.89, No.6, pages 1110 and 1111. 

In the Federal Register of January 9, 

2024, in FR Doc. 2023–28890, on page 

1110, in the second column, correct the 

DATES caption to read: 

DATES: Electronic or written/paper 

comments will be accepted through 

midnight eastern standard time (EST), 

Thursday, February 8, 2024. 

Dated: January 16, 2024. 

Carlos Castillo, 

Committee Management Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2024–01010 Filed 1–18–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4162–20–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 

SECURITY 

Federal Emergency Management 

Agency 

[Docket ID FEMA–2024–0003] 

Assistance to Firefighters Grant 

Program 

AGENCY: Federal Emergency 

Management Agency (FEMA), 

Department of Homeland Security 

(DHS). 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Federal Fire 

Prevention and Control Act of 1974, as 

amended, the Administrator of FEMA is 

publishing this notice describing the 

fiscal year (FY) 2023 Assistance to 

Firefighters Grant (AFG) program 

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 

the annual meeting of the Criteria 

Development Panel (CDP), which was 

held July 18–19, 2023. The application 

period for the FY 2023 AFG Program is 

Jan. 29, 2024–March 8, 2024, and was 

announced on the FEMA AFG Program 

website at https://www.fema.gov/grants/ 

preparedness/firefighters, as well as at 

https://www.grants.gov. 

DATES: Grant applications for the FY 

2023 AFG Program are being accepted 

electronically through the FEMA Grant 

Outcomes (FEMA GO) system at https:// 

go.fema.gov/, through 5 p.m. ET on 

March 8, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: DHS/FEMA/GPD, 

Assistance to Firefighters Grants 

Branch, 400 C St. SW, 3N, FEMA 

Headquarters, Washington, DC 20472– 

3635. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul 

Parsons, Chief, Assistance to 

Firefighters Grants Branch, 1–866–274– 

0960 or FireGrants@fema.dhs.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The AFG 

program awards grants directly to fire 

departments, nonaffiliated emergency 

medical service (EMS) organizations, 

and state fire training academies (SFTA) 

for enhancing the health and safety of 

first responders and improving their 

abilities to the public from fire and firerelated hazards. Applications for the FY 

2023 AFG program are submitted and 

processed online through https://

go.fema.gov/. Before the application 

period started, the FY 2023 AFG 

Program Notice of Funding Opportunity 

was published on FEMA’s AFG Program 

website at https://www.fema.gov/grants/ 

preparedness/firefighters/assistancegrants. The AFG Program website 

provides additional information and 

materials useful for FY 2023 AFG 

Program applicants, including a Fact 

Sheet, Frequently Asked Questions, 

Application Checklist, AFG Narrative 

Development Toolkit, Self-Evaluation 

Sheets for Vehicle Acquisition and 

Operations Safety, and a Cost-Share 

Calculator. Based on past AFG Program 

application periods, FEMA anticipates 

receiving 8,000 to 10,000 AFG 

applications this year and available 

funding will support approximately 

2,000 grant awards. 

Congressional Appropriations 

For the FY 2023 AFG program, 

Congress appropriated $360 million 

through the Department of Homeland 

Security Appropriations Act, 2023, 

Public Law 117–328. From this amount, 

$324 million will be made available for 

FY 2023 AFG Program awards. In 

addition, section 33 of the Federal Fire 

Prevention and Control Act of 1974, as 

amended (15 U.S.C. 2229), requires that 

a minimum of 10% of available funds be 

expended for Fire Prevention and Safety 

(FP&S) Program grants. FP&S Program 

awards will be made directly to local 

fire departments and to local, regional, 

state, or national entities recognized for 

their expertise in the fields of fire 

prevention and firefighter safety 

research and development. The funds 

appropriated for FY 2023 are available 

for obligation and award until Sept. 30, 

2024. 

The Federal Fire Prevention and 

Control Act of 1974 further directs 

FEMA to administer these 

appropriations according to the 

following requirements: 

• Career fire departments: Not less

than 25% of available grant funds. 

• Volunteer fire departments: Not less

than 25% of available grant funds. 

• Combination fire departments and

departments using paid-on-call 

firefighting personnel: Not less than 

25% of available grant funds. 

• Open competition (career,

volunteer, and/or combination fire 

departments and departments using 

paid-on-call firefighting personnel): Not 

less than 10% of available grant funds 

awarded. 

• EMS providers including fire

departments and nonaffiliated EMS 

organizations: Not less than 3.5% of 

available grant funds awarded. 

• Nonaffiliated EMS providers: Not

more than 2% of the total available 

grant funds. 

• SFTAs: Not more than 3% of

available grant funds shall be 

collectively awarded to SFTA 

applicants, with a maximum of 

$500,000 per applicant. 

• Vehicles: Not more than 25% of

available grant funds may be used for 

the purchase of vehicles; by policy and 

based on recommendations, FEMA 

intends to dedicate 10% of those vehicle 

funds for ambulances. 

• Micro grants: This is a voluntary

funding limitation choice made by the 

applicant for requests submitted within 

the operations and safety activity. It is 

not an additional funding opportunity. 

Micro grants are awards that have a 

Federal participation (share) that does 

not exceed $50,000. Applicants that 

select micro grants may receive 

additional consideration for award. If an 

applicant selects micro grants in their 

application, they will be limited in the 

total amount of funding their 

organization can be awarded. If they are 

requesting funding in excess of $50,000 

Federal participation, they should not 

select micro grants. 

Background of AFG 

Since 2001, AFG has awarded 

approximately $8.4 billion in grant 

funding to help firefighters and other 

first responders obtain critically needed 

equipment, protective gear, emergency 

vehicles, training, and other resources 

needed to protect the public and 

emergency personnel from fire and firerelated hazards. FEMA awards grants on 

a competitive basis to the applicants 


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that best address the AFG Program’s 

priorities and provide the most 

compelling justification. Applications 

that best address AFG Program 

priorities, as identified in the 

Application Evaluation Criteria, are 

reviewed by a panel composed of fire 

service personnel. The AFG Program 

has three program activities: 

• Operations and Safety; 

• Vehicle Acquisition; and 

• Regional Projects. 

The priorities for each activity are 

fully outlined in the funding notice. 

Application Evaluation Criteria 

Before making a grant award, FEMA 

is required by 31 U.S.C. 3354, as 

amended by the Payment Integrity 

Information Act of 2019, Public Law 

116–117 (2020), 41 U.S.C. 2313, and 2 

CFR 200.206 to review information 

available through any Office of 

Management and Budget-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. 

FEMA will rank all complete and 

submitted applications based on how 

well they align with program priorities 

for the type of jurisdiction(s) served. 

Answers to activity-specific questions 

provide information used to determine 

each application’s ranking relative to 

the stated program priorities. 

Funding priorities and criteria for 

evaluating AFG applications are 

established by FEMA based on the 

recommendations from the Criteria 

Development Panel (CDP). The CDP is 

composed of fire service professionals 

who make recommendations to FEMA 

regarding creating new, or modifying 

previously established, funding 

priorities, as well as developing criteria 

for awarding grants. The content of the 

funding notice 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: 

• Congressional Fire Service Institute 

• International Association of Arson 

Investigators 

• International Association of Fire 

Chiefs 

• International Association of Fire 

Fighters 

• International Society of Fire Service 

Instructors 

• National Association of State Fire 

Marshals 

• National Fire Protection Association 

• National Volunteer Fire Council 

• North American Fire Training 

Directors 

Review and Selection Process 

AFG applications are reviewed 

through a multi-phase process. All 

applications are electronically prescored and ranked based on how well 

they align with the funding priorities 

outlined in the funding notice. 

Applications with the highest pre-score 

rankings are then scored competitively 

by no less than three members of a Peer 

Review Panel. Applications are also 

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 are 

reviewed: 

i. Pre-Scoring Process 

The application undergoes an 

electronic pre-scoring process based on 

established program priorities listed in 

the funding notice and answers to 

activity-specific questions within the 

online application. Application 

narratives are not reviewed during prescoring. Request details and budget 

information should comply with 

program guidance and statutory funding 

limitations. The pre-score is 50% of the 

total application score. 

ii. Peer Review Panel Process 

Applications with the highest prescore undergo peer review. The peer 

review is comprised of fire service 

representatives recommended by the 

organizations represented on the CDP. 

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 independently score each 

project within the application, discuss 

the merits and/or shortcomings of the 

application with their peers, and 

document the findings. A consensus is 

not required. The panel score is 50% of 

the total application score. 

iii. Technical Evaluation Process 

The highest ranked applications will 

be considered within the fundable 

range. Applications that are in the 

fundable range will undergo both a 

Technical Review by a subject-matter 

expert as well as a FEMA Program 

Office review before being 

recommended for award. The FEMA 

Program Office will assess the request 

with respect to costs, quantities, 

feasibility, eligibility, and recipient 

responsibility prior to recommending 

any application for award. Once the 

Technical Evaluation Process is 

complete, each application’s cumulative 

score will be determined and a final 

ranking of applications will be created. 

FEMA will award grants based on this 

final ranking and the ability to meet 

statutorily required funding limitations 

outlined in the funding notice. 

Narrative Evaluation Criteria 

1. Financial Need (25%) 

Applicants should describe their 

financial need and how consistent it is 

with the intent of the AFG program. 

This statement should include details 

describing the applicant’s financial 

distress, summarized budget 

constraints, unsuccessful attempts to 

secure other funding, and proof that 

their financial distress is out of their 

control. 

2. Project Description and Budget (25%) 

This statement should clearly explain 

the applicant’s project objectives and 

the relationship between those 

objectives and the applicant’s budget 

and risk analysis. The applicant should 

describe the activities, including 

program priorities or facility 

modifications, ensuring consistency 

with project objectives, the applicant’s 

mission, and any national, state and/or 

local requirements. Applicants should 

link the proposed expenses to 

operations and safety, as well as the 

completion of the project goals. 

3. Cost Benefit (25%) 

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 

consistent with their mission and 

identify how funding will benefit their 

organization and personnel. 

4. Statement of Effect on Daily 

Operations (25%) 

This statement should explain how 

these funds will enhance the applicant’s 

overall effectiveness. It should address 

how an award will improve daily 


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operations and reduce the applicant’s 

risks. Applicants should include how 

frequently the requested items will be 

used, and in what capacity. Applicants 

should also indicate how the requested 

items will help the community and 

increase the organization’s ability to 

save additional lives or property. 

Jurisdictions that demonstrate their 

commitment and proactive posture to 

reducing fire risk, by explaining their 

code enforcement (to include Wildland 

Urban Interface code enforcement) and 

mitigation strategies (including whether 

the jurisdiction has a FEMA-approved 

mitigation strategy) may receive stronger 

consideration under this criterion. 

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, territory, local (city, county, 

parish, fire district, township, town or 

other governing body), or tribal 

authority to provide fire suppression to 

a population within a geographically 

fixed primary first due response area. 

Nonaffiliated EMS organizations: 

Nonaffiliated EMS 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 

Program: 

• Clinics; 

• Medical centers; 

• Medical colleges or universities; 

• Infirmaries; 

• Surgery centers; and 

• 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 

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, or 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. 

Non-Federal airport and/or port 

authority fire or EMS organizations are 

eligible only if they have a formally 

recognized arrangement with the local 

jurisdiction to provide fire suppression 

or emergency medical services on a 

first-due basis outside the confines of 

the airport or port facilities. Airport or 

port authority fire and EMS 

organizations whose sole responsibility 

is suppression of fires or EMS response 

on the airport grounds or port facilities 

are not eligible for funding under the 

AFG Program. 

Ineligibility 

FEMA considers two or more separate 

fire departments or nonaffiliated EMS 

organizations with different funding 

streams, personnel rosters, and 

Employer Identification Numbers (EIN) 

but sharing the same facilities as being 

separate organizations for the purposes 

of AFG eligibility. If two or more 

organizations share facilities and each 

submits an application in the same 

program area (i.e., Equipment, 

Modifications to Facilities, Personal 

Protective Equipment (PPE), Training, 

or Wellness and Fitness Programs), 

FEMA reserves the right to review all of 

those program area applications for 

eligibility. This determination is 

designed to avoid the duplication of 

benefits. 

Examples of ineligible applications 

and/or organizations include: 

• Nonaffiliated EMS organization 

requests for any activity that is specific 

or unique to structural/proximity/ 

wildlands firefighting gear. 

• Fire departments that are a Federal 

Government entity, or contracted by the 

Federal Government, and are solely 

responsible under a formally recognized 

agreement for suppression of fires on 

Federal installations or land. 

• Fire departments or nonaffiliated 

EMS organizations that are not 

independent entities but are part of, 

controlled by, or under the day-to-day 

operational command and control of a 

larger department, agency or Authority 

Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). 

Æ However, if a fire department is 

considered to be the same legal entity as 

a municipality or other governmental 

organization, and otherwise meets the 

eligibility criteria, that municipality or 

other governmental organization may 

apply on behalf of that fire department 

as long as the application clearly states 

that the fire department is considered 

part of the same legal entity. 

• Fire-based EMS organization 

applying as a nonaffiliated EMS 

organization. 

• Auxiliaries, hospitals or fire service 

associations or interest organizations 

that are not the AHJ over the applicant. 

• Dive teams, search and rescue 

squads, or similar organizations that do 

not provide medical transport. 

• Fire departments, regional or 

nonaffiliated EMS organizations that are 

for profit. 

• State or local agencies, or subsets of 

any governmental entity, or any 

authority that do not meet the 

requirements as defined by 15 U.S.C. 

2229(a), (c). 

• If an applicant submits two or more 

applications for the same equipment or 

other eligible activity (for example, if an 

applicant submits two or more 

applications, one under the Regional 

activity, and one under the Operations 

and Safety activity for self-contained 

breathing apparatus [SCBA]), both 

applications may be disqualified. If an 

applicant submits two separate 

applications for the same activity (i.e., 

two separate vehicle applications for the 

same vehicle) during the same 

application period, both applications 

may be disqualified. 

Æ This is different from when an 

entity is applying on behalf of other 

organizations that are agencies or 

instrumentalities of the applicant (e.g., 

multiple fire departments under the 

same county, city, borough, parish, or 

other municipality). In that situation, 

the applicant may request similar or the 

same equipment as long as the 

application clearly states which 

equipment (including quantities) is for 

which agency/instrumentality. This is 

permissible even if that entity submits 

multiple applications across regional 

versus direct applications. 

Æ Eligible Fire Department and 

nonaffiliated EMS applicants may 

submit only one application for each of 

the following application types: 

Individual Operations and Safety, 

Individual Vehicle, Regional Operations 

and Safety, and Regional Vehicle. Under 

the Operations and Safety applications, 

applicants may submit for multiple 

activities and for multiple items within 

each activity. Under the Vehicle 

application, applicants may submit one 

application for a vehicle activity (or 

activities) for their department and one 

separate application for a regional 

vehicle (the same vehicle(s) may not be 


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requested for both purposes). All 

duplicate application submissions may 

be disqualified. 

Statutory Limits to Funding 

Congress has enacted statutory limits 

to the amount of funding that a grant 

recipient may receive from AFG in any 

single fiscal year based on the 

population served (15 U.S.C. 

2229(c)(2)). Awards will be limited 

based on the size of the population 

protected by the applicant, as indicated 

below. Notwithstanding the annual 

limits stated below, the FEMA 

Administrator may not award a grant in 

an amount that exceeds 1% of the 

available grant funds in such fiscal year, 

except where it is determined that such 

recipient has an extraordinary need for 

a grant in an amount that exceeds the 

1% aggregate limit. 

• In the case of a recipient that serves 

a jurisdiction with 100,000 people or 

fewer, the amount of available grant 

funds awarded to such recipient shall 

not exceed $1 million in any fiscal year. 

• In the case of a recipient that serves 

a jurisdiction with more than 100,000 

people, but not more than 500,000 

people, the amount of available grant 

funds awarded to such recipient shall 

not exceed $2 million in any fiscal year. 

• In the case of a recipient that serves 

a jurisdiction with more than 500,000 

people, but not more than 1 million 

people, the amount of available grant 

funds awarded to such recipient shall 

not exceed $3 million in any fiscal year. 

• In the case of a recipient that serves 

a jurisdiction with more than 1 million 

people, but not more than 2.5 million 

people, the amount of available grant 

funds awarded to such recipient is 

subject to the 1% aggregate cap of $3.24 

million for FY 2023. FEMA may waive 

this aggregate cap in individual cases 

where FEMA determines that a recipient 

has an extraordinary need for a grant 

that exceeds the aggregate cap. If FEMA 

waives the aggregate cap, the amount of 

grant funds awarded to such a recipient 

shall not exceed $6 million for any 

fiscal year. 

• In the case of a recipient that serves 

a jurisdiction with more than 2.5 

million people, the amount of available 

grant funds awarded to such recipient is 

subject to the 1% aggregate cap of $3.24 

million for FY 2023. FEMA may waive 

this aggregate cap in individual cases 

where FEMA determines that a recipient 

has an extraordinary need for a grant 

that exceeds the aggregate cap. If FEMA 

waives the aggregate cap, the amount of 

grant funds awarded to such recipient 

shall not exceed $9 million for any 

fiscal year. 

• FEMA may not waive the 

population-based limits on the amount 

of grant funds awarded as set by 15 

U.S.C. 2229(c)(2)(A). 

The cumulative total of the Federal 

share of awards in Operations and 

Safety, Regional, and Vehicle 

Acquisition activities will be considered 

when assessing award amounts and any 

limitations thereto. Applicants may 

request funding up to the statutory limit 

on each of their applications. 

For example, an applicant that serves 

a jurisdiction with more than 100,000 

people, but not more than 500,000 

people, may request up to $2 million on 

their Operations and Safety Application 

and up to $2 million on their Vehicle 

Acquisition request. However, should 

both grants be awarded, the applicant 

would have to choose which award to 

accept if the cumulative value of both 

applications exceeds the statutory 

limits. 

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 validates that the grant recipient 

has provided sufficient evidence that 

the cost-share requirement will be 

fulfilled during the performance period 

of the grant award. 

In general, an eligible applicant 

seeking a grant shall agree to make 

available non-Federal funds equal to not 

less than 15% 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% 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% 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 15% 

of the grant awarded. 

The cost share for SFTAs will apply 

the requirements above based on the 

total population of the state. 

The cost share for a regional 

application will apply the requirements 

above based on the aggregate population 

of the primary first due response areas 

of the host and participating partner 

organizations that execute a 

Memorandum of Understanding as 

described in Appendix B, Section g., 

Regional Applications, of the FY 2023 

AFG funding notice. 

On a case-by-case basis, FEMA may 

allow a grant recipient that may already 

own assets (equipment or vehicles), 

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 of 

their AFG Program award. In-kind, costshare matches are not allowed. Grant 

recipients under this grant program 

must also agree to a maintenance of 

effort requirement as required by 15 

U.S.C. 2229(k)(3) (referred to as a 

‘‘maintenance of expenditure’’ 

requirement in that statute). A grant 

recipient shall agree to maintain during 

the term of the grant the applicant’s 

aggregate expenditures relating to the 

activities allowable under the funding 

notice at not less than 80% of the 

average amount of such expenditures in 

the two fiscal years preceding the fiscal 

year in which the grant amounts are 

received. 

In cases of demonstrated economic 

hardship, and at the request of the grant 

recipient, the Administrator of FEMA 

may waive or reduce a grant recipient’s 

cost-share requirement or maintenance 

of effort requirement. AFG applicants 

for FY 2023 must indicate at the time of 

application whether they are requesting 

a waiver and whether the waiver is for 

the cost-share requirement, for the 

maintenance of effort requirement, or 

both. As required by statute, the 

Administrator of FEMA is required to 

establish guidelines for determining 

what constitutes economic hardship. 

FEMA has published these guidelines 

on FEMA’s website at https://

www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020- 

04/Eco_Hardship_Waiver_FPS_SAFER_

AFG_IB_FINAL.pdf. 

Before the start of the FY 2023 AFG 

application period, FEMA conducted 

applicant internet webinars to inform 

potential applicants. In addition, FEMA 

provided applicants with information at 

the AFG website, https://www.fema.gov/ 

grants/preparedness/firefighters, to help 

them prepare quality grant applications. 

The AFG Program Help Desk is staffed 

throughout the application period to 

assist applicants with the automated 

application process as well as answer 

any questions. 

Applicants can reach the AFG 

Program Help Desk through a toll-free 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
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telephone number Monday through 

Friday, 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. ET at 866–274– 

0960 or electronic mail at firegrants@

fema.dhs.gov. 

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, one for Vehicle Acquisition, 

and/or a separate application to 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 

Vehicles), either intentionally or 

unintentionally, both applications may 

be disqualified. 

Applicants may access the grant 

application electronically at https://

go.fema.gov/. New applicants must 

register and establish a username and 

password for secure access to the grant 

application. Previous AFG Program 

applicants must use their previously 

established username and password. 

Applicants are expected to answer 

questions about their grant request that 

reflect the AFG Program funding 

priorities. In addition, each applicant 

must complete four separate narratives 

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 

at https://sam.gov/content/home. SAM 

is the Federal Government’s System for 

Award Management, and registration is 

free of charge. 

Effective April 4, 2022, the Federal 

Government transitioned from using the 

Data Universal Numbering System or 

DUNS number, to a new, nonproprietary identifier known as a 

Unique Entity Identifier or UEI. For 

entities that had an active registration in 

SAM.gov before this date, the UEI has 

automatically been assigned and no 

action is necessary. For all entities filing 

a new registration in SAM.gov, the UEI 

will be assigned to that Entity as part of 

the SAM.gov registration process. 

FEMA will not make a Federal award 

until the applicant has complied with 

all applicable SAM requirements. 

Therefore, an applicant’s SAM 

registration must be active not only at 

the time of application, but also during 

the application review period and when 

FEMA is ready to make a Federal award. 

Criteria Development Panel 

Recommendations 

If there are any differences between 

the published AFG Program guidelines 

and the recommendations made by the 

CDP, FEMA must explain them and 

publish the information in the Federal 

Register before awarding any AFG grant. 

Adopted Recommendations for FY 2023 

Below is a list of changes between FY 

2022 and FY 2023 to the AFG Program. 

The FY 2023 AFG Program funding 

notice contains some changes to 

definitions, descriptions, and priority 

categories. Changes include: 

• Under Eligible Applicants: 

Definition of a state fire training 

academy was updated to include that 

recognition by the National Fire 

Training Academy is now an eligibility 

requirement. 

• Under Management and 

Administration (M&A) Costs: 

Reimbursement for fees associated with 

hiring grants management services is 

now capped at $1,500. Requests that are 

simple percentages of the award, 

without supporting justification or 

adequate documentation, will not be 

allowed or considered for an award. 

• Under Other Direct Costs, 

Allocations and Restrictions of 

Available Grant Funds: Micro Grants 

cumulative funding threshold was 

raised from $50,000 to $75,000. 

• Under Restrictions on Uses of 

Awarded Funds: Clarification was 

added that items must be requested 

using correct dropdown selections in 

the application and that bundled items 

must have details regarding type, cost 

and quantity of all items in the bundle 

to be considered for funding. 

• Under Supporting Definitions: 

Definition of Authority Having 

Jurisdiction was updated to match 

NFPA 101, 2021 edition. 

• Under Training Activity: Various 

NFPA standards were updated to reflect 

the most recent editions. 

• Under Equipment Activity: Various 

priority changes were made to 

equipment for Fire Department and 

Regional Fire Department applicants. 

The following items remain as High 

Priority: 

Æ Appliance(s)/Nozzle(s) 

Æ Basic Hand Tools (Structural/ 

Wildland) 

Æ Hose (Attack/Supply) 

Æ Immediately Dangerous to Life or 

Health (IDLH) Monitoring Equipment 

Æ IDLH Protection for Investigators 

(This is single-use respiratory 

protection) 

Æ PPE Washer/Extractor/Dryer 

(Turnout) 

Æ Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) Pack/ 

Cylinder 

Æ Thermal Imaging Camera (Must be 

NFPA 1801 compliant) 

Æ Portable Radios (must be P–25 

compliant) 

Æ Vehicle Mounted Exhaust Systems 

Æ Skid Unit 

Æ Air Compressor/Fill Station/Cascade 

(fixed or mobile) is High Priority for 

Regional Fire Department applicants 

and Medium Priority for Fire 

Department applicants. 

Other equipment items were moved to 

Medium Priority. EMS equipment 

priority levels remain unchanged. 

Priority changes did not affect SFTA, 

and NAEMS applicants. 

Æ Phones (telephone/satellite/cell), 

carrier plans and vehicle mounted fans 

were added as ineligible items. 

Æ Clarity for reason for funding 

request (purpose) was added. Funding 

notice and application text updated 

from ‘‘Obtain equipment to achieve 

minimum operational and deployment 

standards for existing missions’’ to 

‘‘Obtain equipment needed but not 

currently owned or replace equipment 

that is broken and/or damaged beyond 

repair to achieve minimum operational 

and deployment standards for existing 

missions’’ to better define the funding 

priorities. 

Æ Computing devices necessary to 

operate the awarded equipment were 

added as eligible. 

• Under Personal Protective 

Equipment Activity: 

Æ Replacement of damaged/unsafe/ 

unrepairable PPE (including SCBA) 

regardless of age is now allowable. 

Æ Language regarding PFAS in PPE 

was moved from the Application Tips 

section to PPE Activity section and 

updated to encourage award recipients 

to seek acquisition of PFAS-free gear 

when possible. 

Æ NFPA standard was added to the 

Chemical/Biological Suites under 

Specialized PPE. 

• Under Wellness and Fitness 

Activity: Whole-body MRI was added to 

Ineligible activities. 

• Under Vehicle Acquisition Activity: 

NFPA standards 1901, 1906 and 1917 

were replaced by the consolidated 

NFPA standard 1900. 

Recommendations Not Adopted for FY 

2023 

• Recommendation to allow 

applicants replacement or new purchase 

of a second set of firefighter PPE was not 

adopted for FY 2023. This 

recommendation requires predictive 

modeling not currently available. 

• Combination of the weapons of 

mass destruction (WMD) training line 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
3682 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 13 / Friday, January 19, 2024 / Notices 

item with the chemical, biological, 

radiological, nuclear and explosive 

(CBRNE) training line item into one line 

item was not adopted. Both line items 

will remain available separately. 

• Addition of the following EMS 

equipment line items as a Medium 

Priority was not adopted: 

Æ O2 kit 

Æ Stair chair 

Æ Stretcher (non-powered) 

Æ Backboard 

Æ Trauma bag 

Æ Mass casualty kit 

Æ CPAP 

Æ Suction unit 

Æ Non-disposable splints 

• Recommendation from the National 

Volunteer Fire Council to reduce 

application requirements to simplify the 

process for the applicants was deferred 

until FEMA Grants Outcomes system is 

operating at full capacity. 

Authority: 15 U.S.C. 2229. 

Deanne Criswell, 

Administrator, Federal Emergency 

Management Agency. 

[FR Doc. 2024–00998 Filed 1–18–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 9111–64–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND 

URBAN DEVELOPMENT 

[Docket No. FR–7092–N–08] 

Privacy Act of 1974; System of 

Records 

AGENCY: Public Indian Housing (PIH) 

Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC), 

HUD. 

ACTION: Notice of a rescindment of a 

systems of records. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the provisions of 

the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, 

the Department of the Housing and 

Urban Development (HUD) is issuing a 

public notice of its intent to rescind the 

Privacy Act system of records, Housing 

and Urban Development—Veterans 

Affairs Supportive Housing System 

(HUD–VASH), because the project was 

terminated and never went into 

development. 

DATES: Comments will be accepted on or 

before February 20, 2024. This proposed 

action will be effective immediately 

upon publication. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, 

identified by one of the following 

methods: 

Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: http://

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions provided on that site to 

submit comments electronically. 

Fax: 202–619–8365. 

Email: privacy@hud.gov. 

Mail: Attention: Privacy Office; 

LaDonne White, Chief Privacy Officer; 

The Executive Secretariat; 451 Seventh 

Street SW, Room 10139; Washington, 

DC 20410–0001. 

Instructions: All submissions received 

must include the agency name and 

docket number for this rulemaking. All 

comments received will be posted 

without change to http:// 

www.regulations.gov including any 

personal information provided. 

Docket: For access to the docket to 

read background documents or 

comments received go to http:// 

www.regulations.gov 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

LaDonne White, Chief Privacy Officer, 

451 Seventh Street SW, Room 10139; 

Washington, DC 20410; telephone 

number (202) 708–3054 (this is not a 

toll-free number). HUD welcomes and is 

prepared to receive calls from 

individuals who are deaf or hard of 

hearing, as well as individuals with 

speech or communication disabilities. 

To learn more about how to make an 

accessible telephone call, please visit 

https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/ 

telecommunications-relay-service-trs. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The HUD– 

VASH SORN is being terminated 

because the project never went into 

development. Back in 2012 when this 

SORN was published, the intent was to 

create the HUD–VASH system. HUD 

never developed the HUD–VASH 

system. Records are no longer 

maintained by HUD and have run the 

record retention period. All data 

containing PII has been deleted. 

SYSTEM NAME AND NUMBER: 

HUD–VASH system does not exist; it 

was never created hence a system 

number was not created/assigned. 

HISTORY: 

Agency Docket Number FR–5613–N– 

03, 77 FR 26029 (June 01, 2012). 

Ladonne White, 

Chief Privacy Officer, Office of 

Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2024–00996 Filed 1–18–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4210–67–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND 

URBAN DEVELOPMENT 

[Docket No. FR–7080–N–02] 

30-Day Notice of Proposed Information 

Collection: Build America Buy America 

Waiver Form; OMB Control No.: 2511– 

0002 

AGENCY: Office of Policy Development 

and Research, Chief Data Officer, HUD. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: HUD is seeking approval from 

the Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) for the information collection 

described below. In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act, HUD is 

requesting comment from all interested 

parties on the proposed collection of 

information. The purpose of this notice 

is to allow for an additional 30 days of 

public comment. 

DATES: Comments Due Date: February 

20, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are 

invited to submit comments regarding 

this proposal. Written comments and 

recommendations for the proposed 

information collection should be sent 

within 30 days of publication of this 

notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/ 

PRAMain. Find this particular 

information collection by selecting 

‘‘Currently under 30-day Review—Open 

for Public Comments’’ or by using the 

search function. Interested persons are 

also invited to submit comments 

regarding this proposal and comments 

should refer to the proposal by name 

and/or OMB Control Number and 

should be sent to: Colette Pollard, 

Clearance Officer, REE, Department of 

Housing and Urban Development, 451 

7th Street SW, Room 8210, Washington, 

DC 20410; email 

PaperworkReductionActOffice@

hud.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Colette Pollard, Reports Management 

Officer, REE, Department of Housing 

and Urban Development, 451 7th Street 

SW, Washington, DC 20410; email 

Colette.Pollard@hud.gov or telephone 

202–402–3400. This is not a toll-free 

number. HUD welcomes and is prepared 

to receive calls from individuals who 

are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as 

individuals with speech or 

communication disabilities. To learn 

more about how to make an accessible 

telephone call, please visit: https://

www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/ 

telecommunications-relay-service-trs. 

Copies of available documents 

submitted to OMB may be obtained 

from Ms. Pollard. 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1