[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 21 (Tuesday, February 1, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5489-5493]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-02034]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Federal Emergency Management Agency

[Docket ID: FEMA-2022-0007]


Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program

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

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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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) 2021 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, which was held June 25, 2021. The application period 
for the FY 2021 AFG Program is November 8, 2021 through January 21, 
2022, and was announced on the AFG website at https://www.fema.gov/grants/preparedness/firefighters, as well as at www.grants.gov.

DATES: Grant applications for the FY 2021 AFG Program are being 
accepted electronically at https://go.fema.gov, from November 8, 2021 
through January 21, 2022, at 5 p.m. ET.

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 AFG Program awards grants directly to 
fire departments, nonaffiliated emergency medical services (EMS) 
organizations, and State Fire Training Academies (SFTAs) for the 
purpose of enhancing the health and safety of first responders and 
improving their abilities to protect the public from fire and fire-
related hazards.
    Applications for the FY 2021 AFG Program are submitted and 
processed online at https://go.fema.gov. Before the application period 
started, the FY 2021 AFG Program Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) 
was published on FEMA's AFG Program website at Assistance to 
Firefighters Grants Program [bond] FEMA.gov. The AFG Program website 
provides additional information and materials useful for FY 2021 AFG 
Program applicants including Frequently Asked Questions, Application 
Checklist, Get Ready Guide Narrative, 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 applications for the FY 2021 AFG Program, and 
the ability to award approximately 2,000 grants.

Congressional Appropriations

    For the FY 2021 AFG Program, Congress appropriated a total of $460 
million through the DHS Appropriations Act, 2021 (Pub. L. 116-260) 
($360 million) and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Pub. L. 117-2) 
($100 million). From this amount, $414 million will be made available 
for FY 2021 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 percent 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 majority of the funds appropriated for FY 2021 are 
available for obligation and award until September 30, 2022. The $100 
million from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 is available for 
obligation and award until September

[[Page 5490]]

30, 2025, but FEMA anticipates obligating and awarding all of this 
funding with the rest of the FY 2021 funding by September 30, 2022.
    The Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 further directs 
FEMA to administer these appropriations according to the following 
requirements:
    <bullet> Career fire departments: Not less than 25% of available 
grant funds.
    <bullet> Volunteer fire departments: Not less than 25% of available 
grant funds.
    <bullet> Combination fire departments and departments using paid-
on-call firefighting personnel: Not less than 25% of available grant 
funds.
    <bullet> 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.
    <bullet> EMS providers including fire departments and nonaffiliated 
EMS organizations: Not less than 3.5% of available grant funds awarded, 
with nonaffiliated EMS providers receiving no more than 2 percent of 
the total available grant funds.
    <bullet> SFTAs: Not more than 3% of available grant funds shall be 
collectively awarded to SFTA applicants, with a maximum of $1 million 
per applicant.
    <bullet> 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.
    <bullet> 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. Only fire departments and 
nonaffiliated EMS organizations are eligible to choose micro grants, 
and the only eligible micro grants requests are for training, 
equipment, personal protective equipment (PPE), and wellness and 
fitness activities. 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 the AFG Program

    Since 2001, the AFG Program has helped 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 related hazards. FEMA 
awards grants on a competitive basis to the applicants 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:

<bullet> Operations and Safety
<bullet> Vehicle Acquisition
<bullet> 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 (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.
    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 Program 
applications are established by FEMA based on the recommendations from 
the Criteria Development Panel (CDP). The CDP is composed 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 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 
are:

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

Review and Selection Process

    AFG Program applications are reviewed through a multi-phase 
process. All applications are 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 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 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% of the total application 
score.

ii. Peer Review Panel Process

    Applications with the highest pre-score 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

[[Page 5491]]

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 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 before being recommended for an award. The FEMA AFG 
Branch assesses 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 is 
determined and FEMA generates a final ranking of applications. FEMA 
awards 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%)

    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 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 or not 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:

<bullet> Clinics
<bullet> Medical centers
<bullet> Medical colleges or universities
<bullet> Infirmaries
<bullet> Surgery centers
<bullet> 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.

Ineligibility

    <bullet> To avoid a duplication of benefits, FEMA reserves the 
right to review all program activities or grant applications where two 
or more organizations share a single facility. To be eligible as a 
separate organization, two or more fire departments or nonaffiliated 
EMS organizations will have different funding streams, personnel 
rosters, Employer Identification Numbers (EINs), or Data Universal 
Numbering System (DUNS) Number/unique entity identifier. If two or more 
organizations share facilities and each submits an application in the 
same program area (e.g., Equipment, Modify Facilities, PPE, Training, 
and/or Wellness and Fitness Programs) FEMA will carefully review each 
application for eligibility.
    <bullet> Fire-based EMS organizations are not eligible to apply as 
nonaffiliated EMS organizations. Fire-based EMS training and equipment 
must be requested by a fire department under the AFG Program component 
program of Operations and Safety.
    <bullet> Eligible applicants may submit only one application for 
each activity (e.g., Operations and Safety, Regional, etc.), but may 
submit for multiple projects within each activity. Under the Vehicle 
Activity, applicants may submit one application for vehicles for their 
department and one separate application to host a regional vehicle. 
Duplicate applications (more than one application in the same activity) 
may be disqualified.
    <bullet> An Operations and Safety applicant may submit one 
application for an eligible project (e.g., turn out gear); it may not 
submit a regional application for the same project.

Statutory Limits to Funding

    <bullet> Congress has enacted statutory limits to the amount of 
funding that a

[[Page 5492]]

grant recipient may receive from the AFG Program 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 one percent 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.
    <bullet> 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.
    <bullet> 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.
    <bullet> 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.
    <bullet> 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 one percent aggregate cap of $4.6 million for FY 2021, but 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 $6 million for any 
fiscal year.
    <bullet> 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 one percent aggregate cap 
of $4.6 million for FY 2021, but 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.
    <bullet> 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:
    <bullet> 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.
    <bullet> 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.
    <bullet> 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 J, Regional projects, of the FY 2021 AFG Program 
NOFO.
    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, cost-share 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 NOFO 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 Program applicants for FY 2021 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 2021 AFG Program application period, 
FEMA conducted applicant internet webinars to inform potential 
applicants about the AFG Program. In addition, FEMA provided applicants 
with information at the AFG Program 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 
telephone number Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. AM-4:30 p.m. ET at 1-
866- 274-0960 or electronic mail at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#dbbdb2a9bebca9bab5afa89bbdbeb6baf5bfb3a8f5bcb4ad"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="64020d16010316050a101724020109054a000c174a030b12">[email protected]</span></a>.

[[Page 5493]]

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, 
etc.), either intentionally or unintentionally, both applications may 
be disqualified.
    Applicants may access the grant application electronically at 
https://go.fema.gov. The application is also accessible from the U.S. 
Fire Administration's website at http://www.usfa.fema.gov and the 
Grants.gov website at http://www.grants.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. SAM is the Federal Government's System for 
Award Management, and registration is free of charge. Applicants must 
maintain current information in SAM that is consistent with the data 
provided in their AFG Program grant application and in the Dun & 
Bradstreet database, which currently provides the official unique 
entity identifier, the Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number. 
Per 2 CFR 25.205, FEMA may not make a federal award or make any 
financial modifications to an existing award unless the applicant or 
grant recipient has complied with all applicable DUNS and SAM 
requirements. The grant applicant's banking information, EIN, 
organization/entity name, address and DUNS number must match the same 
information provided in SAM.

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 prior to 
awarding any grant under the AFG Program. For FY 2021, FEMA accepted, 
and will implement, all but two of the CDP's recommendations for the 
prioritization of eligible activities.

Adopted Recommendations for FY 2021

    The FY 2021 AFG Program NOFO contains some changes to definitions, 
descriptions, and priority categories. Changes to the FY 2021 AFG 
Program NOFO include:
    <bullet> Under the PPE Activity:
    [ssquf] Inclusion of pre-scoring emphasis for this Activity to 
ensure replacing out of service and non-compliant PPE is of high 
priority. Therefore, the following PPE priorities and definitions have 
been updated:
    [cir] Increase supply for new hire/existing firefighters that do 
not have one set of turnout gear (PPE) or allocated seated position 
Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA). This includes replacing out 
of service PPE and SCBA as High Priority.
    [cir] Replace in-service/in-use/damaged/unsafe/unrepairable PPE or 
SCBA to meet current standard as High Priority.
    [cir] Replace in-service/in-use/expired/noncompliant PPE or SCBA to 
current standard as High Priority.
    [cir] Upgrade technology to current standard as Low Priority.
    [ssquf] Additional considerations for PPE and SCBA:
    [cir] The applicant's call volume has a lesser impact on scoring 
and therefore the final funding decision.
    <bullet> Under the Equipment Activity:
    [ssquf] The following equipment priorities and definitions have 
been updated:
    [cir] Obtain equipment to achieve minimum operational and 
deployment standards for existing missions as High Priority.
    [cir] Replace non-compliant equipment to current standard as High 
Priority.
    [cir] Obtain equipment for new mission as Medium Priority.
    [cir] Upgrade technology to current standard as Low Priority.
    <bullet> Under Supporting Definitions:
    [cir] Paid on-call/stipend departments are added to the definition 
of Combination Fire Department.
    [cir] Firefighting personnel definition is added.
    <bullet> Under Modifications to Facility Activity:
    [cir] New first-time installation of exhaust, sprinkler, carbon 
monoxide and/or smoke/fire detection systems are now listed as High 
Priority, while replacement or update/upgrade to existing systems is 
considered Low Priority.
    <bullet> Under Equipment Activity List:
    [cir] Respirator decontamination system is added as Medium 
Priority.
    <bullet> Under Additions to the Application:
    [cir] Question about frequency of live fire training is added for 
statistical purposes only.
    [cir] Question about self-inflicted fatalities within the 
department is added for statistical purposes only.
    [cir] Question regarding quantity of equipped Advanced Life Support 
Response vehicles (transport and non-transport) is added.
    <bullet> Under Allocations and Restrictions of Available Grant 
Funds by Organization Type:
    [cir] Outline the funding available for Micro Grants applications.
    <bullet> Under Application Tips:
    [cir] Recommendation to consider non-Per- and polyfluoroalkyl 
substances (PFAS) when recipients purchase new protective gear.
    <bullet> Under Micro Grants:
    [cir] Funding allocation for Micro Grants was updated. Of the 25% 
allocated to each of the career, combination, and volunteer 
departments, FEMA will aim to fund no less than 25% of the allocation 
for Micro Grants.

Recommendations Not Adopted for FY 2021

    <bullet> Proposed changes to reduce the size of the Micro Grant 
applications were not adopted for the FY 2021 application cycle.
    <bullet> Proposed change that all items that are PFAS free 
receiving higher funding priority was not adopted for the FY 2021 
application cycle.
    Authority: 15 U.S.C. 2229.

Deanne Criswell,
Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency.
[FR Doc. 2022-02034 Filed 1-31-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111-64-P


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