Applicants are now invited to submit applications for Oregon Fire Service Capacity Program 2022.
Donor Name: Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal
State: Oregon
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 11/30/2022
Details:
In 2021, the Oregon Legislature Regular Session, through SB762, appropriated General Fund dollars to the Office of State Fire Marshal (“OSFM”) for distribution to Oregon Fire Agencies to provide resources to augment firefighting and fire prevention staffing. These agencies protect Oregon communities and play a pivotal role in the prevention and suppression of wildfires. The Oregon Fire Service Capacity Program is intended for small to medium Oregon fire agencies to encourage an increase of permanent local firefighters and fire prevention staffing.
Eligibility Criteria
- Local fire agencies must be an established fire district or fire department which has been assigned a Fire Department Identification Number (“FDID”). Priority will be given to fire agencies with an annual budget of $10,000,000 or less, including grants, donations, and all other sources. Local fire agencies above this budget threshold will be considered on a caseby-case basis.
- Please note: OSFM is working on a separate investment strategy with the nine Federally Recognized Tribes of Oregon.
- There is no specific award cap for a single fire agency as each application will require a detailed budgeting plan for the positions requested.
- Applications must include a written Letter of Commitment by the corresponding Fire Chief, fire board, city council, city manager, governing body, or other fiduciary body responsible for the budget approval of the fire agency to match 10% of the first year’s salary, not including administrative costs, equipment and training.
- The same written agreement must also include a commitment by the second year for the fire agency to fund 25% of any new positions created of the second year’s salary, not including administrative costs, equipment and training.
- The same written agreement must also include a commitment for the fire agency by the third year to fund 50% of any new positions created of the third year’s salary, not including administrative costs, equipment and training.
- Failure to meet the commitments in the Grant Agreement may result in the forfeiture of remaining funds.
- Applications will be prioritized if their written Letter of Commitment includes a good faith statement to continuing the funded positions beyond the 3 years of the grant, using other funding.
- Fire agencies with an established fire district or fire agency which has been assigned an FDID with five or fewer part or full time paid members may consider a soft match, meaning they can count volunteer time, to meet the 10%, 25%, and 50% match requirements.
- If a fire agency is awarded funds for staffing, and the position becomes vacant during the grant period, the fire agency shall fill the vacancy within four months of the vacancy or forfeit the remaining funds. OSFM reserves the right to make exceptions on a case-by-case basis.
- This is a competitive grant and OSFM is anticipating awarding to less than thirty (30) fire agencies, depending on award amounts.
- If a fire agency has received grant funds in the past two years from the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (“SAFER”), the fire agency may still apply and may still be awarded, but priority will be given to fire agencies that have not received SAFER grants in the past two years.
For more information, visit OOSFM.
