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Posted: • Funding • Deadline

Desciption: 

The Ready, Set, Go! (RSG) Program is managed by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and is accepting proposals from fire departments for Fuels Reduction Projects. This opportunity is provided by the USDA Forest Service through a cooperative agreement with the IAFC.

The goal is to facilitate on-the-ground fuels reduction projects in communities across the country. The funding opportunity is for fire and emergency response agencies to implement or expand community fuels reduction projects in their jurisdiction. Funding can support staffing costs, contractual services, purchase of mitigation PPE, and purchase of small equipment (valued at less than $5,000). Fire departments that work closely with the Forest Service and other partners on cross-boundary fuels reduction projects and illustrate financial need will receive the highest priority for funding.

A maximum of $20,000 per department is available and requires a minimum in-kind match of 25% of the award total. All community/organization efforts must be reported in the RSG! Program's Achievement Management System (AMS). 

Funding is awarded by the IAFC according to the established set of criteria. Applications will be reviewed through a formal, peer-review process to ensure effective use of the funds. The RSG! Program works in a complementary and collaborative fashion with other wildfire public education programs to amplify the message of community fire adaptation.

Awardees will be sub-recipients of federal funding and must comply with all the provisions of 2 CFR 200.

Timing – No extensions will be given.

September 30, 2023 at 11:59 PM EDT – Applications due.

August 16, 2024 – All work must be completed, and invoices submitted to IAFC for reimbursement.

September 23, 2024 – Closeout reports are due to IAFC. A template will be provided. 

Free Membership in the Ready, Set, Go! Program is required.  Contact RSG! Program staff at RSG@iafc.org with any questions.

REQUIREMENTS

  • Eligible Projects
  • The following are eligible wildfire fuels reduction projects. Alternative projects can be proposed and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
  • Thinning, limbing, mastication (reduction of ground and ladder fuels)
  • Grazing program
  • Chipper days
  • Transfer of slash and fuels to a burn or disposal site
  • Development of a burn pad or debris collection site
  • Defensible Space Projects (Residential defensible space projects must apply to a collective, multiple adjacent residential structures)

 

Eligible Organizations

  • A fire and emergency response agency with demonstrated wildfire risk in their response area
  • RSG Membership: You MUST be a member of the IAFC's national Ready, Set, Go! (RSG) Program to be awarded. Not a member? Sign up for free now at www.wildlandfirersg.org.
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Eligible Uses of Funding

  • Staffing (project-specific)
  • Supplies (Examples: gloves, eye protection, particle masks, chainsaws, limbers. All supplies must be directly tied to the wildfire mitigation project and justified in the project description.)
  • Equipment Purchases, less than $5,000
  • Contractual Costs (If the organization submitting a proposal outsources or contracts any work to meet the requirements contained herein, this must be clearly stated in the proposal. Additionally, all costs included in the proposals must be itemized and inclusive of any outsourced or contracted work. Any proposals which call for outsourcing or contracting work must identify and provide documentation on their procurement process for services that exceed $3,000.00.)

Ineligible Uses of Funding

  • The purchase of firefighting suppression PPE
  • Purchase of equipment worth more than $5,000
  • The usage of funds for travel
  • Printed materials (wildfire risk reduction education materials or any promotional materials)

Requirements
Match:

In-Kind: minimum 25% of the award amount required. In-kind match can be hours worked (educational and promotional efforts of fuels reduction project count), equipment purchased, and/or contractual costs in excess of the award amount. Supporting documentation must be provided.

Reporting

All community/organization efforts must be recorded in the RSG! Program's Achievement Management System (AMS). Tracking of time, labor, and services provided will be required for the awarded project(s). Awardees are expected to manage the time dedicated to the coordination of the project as well as the outcomes from the funded project(s) to include residents impacted, acres treated, amount of vegetation chipped or removed from the WUI, etc.

Awarded organizations must submit a closeout report, utilizing the report template provided by RSG! Program staff, no later than September 23, 2024.

Procurement: If the organization submitting a proposal outsources or contracts any work to meet the requirements contained herein, this must be clearly stated in the proposal. Additionally, all costs included in proposals must be itemized and inclusive of any outsourced or contracted work. Any proposals which call for outsourcing or contracting work must identify and provide documentation on their procurement process for contractual services.