U.S. Fire Administration Funding Alternatives for Emergency Medical and Fire Services FA-331/A p r i l 2012 U.S. Fire Administration Mission Statement We provide National leadership to foster a solid founda- tion for our fire and emergency services stakeholders in prevention, preparedness, and response. This page intentionally left blank. Preface Preface The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) would like to acknowledge the U.S. Department of Homeland Securi- ty’s (DHS’s) Office of Health Affairs for providing the substantial support necessary to perform this research and to develop this report. This report was prepared through a cooperative agreement between the USFA and the International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA) at Oklahoma State University (OSU). IFSTA and its partner OSU Fire Protection Publications has been a major publisher of fire service training materials since 1934 and, through its association with the OSU College of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology, it also conducts a variety of funded technical research on fire and emergency services and fire and life safety issues. The extensive information provided in this report would not have been possible without the dedication and efforts of the following people assigned to this project: • Project Administrator—Nancy J. Trench, Assistant Director for Research, Fire Protection Publica- tions, OSU; • Principal Investigator/Project Manager—Michael A. Wieder, Executive Director, IFSTA; • Editor and Proofreader—Cindy Finkle, Research Assistant, Fire Protection Publications, OSU; • Principle Writer—Scott Somers, FACETS LLP; and • Principal Researcher—Kevin M. Roche, FACETS LLP. The content of this report was reviewed by a group of subject matter experts (SMEs) and organizational rep- resentatives who have extensive knowledge and interest in this topic. The USFA and DHS’s Office of Health Affairs would like to thank the following individuals and organizations for providing this oversight: • Bill Troup—USFA; • Richard Patrick—DHS, Office of Health Affairs; • Dr. Jeffrey Lindsey, Ph.D.—Assistant Fire Chief, Alexandria Fire Department, VA; • Bruce Evans—Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Chief, North Las Vegas Fire Department, Inter- national Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Liaison to the National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP); • Mark Light—Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), IAFC; • Sean Caffrey—Interim EMS Operations Program Manager, EMTS Section, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment; • Philip Oakes—National Program Director/Trainer, National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM); • Dennis Mitterer—MS, BSN, Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic (EMT-P); • Ronny J. Coleman—Representative for the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC); • Dr. Lori Moore-Merrill—Assistant to the General President, International Association of Fire Fight- ers (IAFF); and • Catherine Patterson—Branch Chief, Assistance to Firefighters Grants, Federal Emergency Manage- ment Agency (FEMA). i This page intentionally left blank. ii Table of Contents Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction .....................................................................................................1 Chapter 2: About This Manual ..........................................................................................3 Local Revenue and Funding Alternatives ......................................................................................................3 State and Federal Funding Programs ............................................................................................................4 Private-Sector Sources ..................................................................................................................................4 Writing an Effective Grant Proposal .............................................................................................................5 Implications of Funding Choices ..................................................................................................................5 Scope ............................................................................................................................................................5 Sources of Information .................................................................................................................................6 Summary .....................................................................................................................................................6 Chapter 3: Writing an Effective Grant Proposal ...............................................................9 Grant Fundamentals .....................................................................................................................................9 Basic Components of a Proposal .................................................................................................................10 Where to Get Help .....................................................................................................................................15 Interaction and Networking ....................................................................................................................... 16 Books on How to Write a Grant Proposal................................................................................................... 18 Help for Nonprofit Organizations ..............................................................................................................19 Where to Find Help on the Internet ...........................................................................................................19 Chapter 4: Local Revenue and Funding Alternatives ......................................................23 Sources of Local Revenue ...........................................................................................................................23 Development Impact and User Fees ............................................................................................................26 Fines, Forfeitures, and Penalties .................................................................................................................32 Enterprise Funds and Utility Rates .............................................................................................................34 Sale of Assets and Services ..........................................................................................................................34 Benefit-Assessment Districts .......................................................................................................................35 Borrowing ..................................................................................................................................................37 Entrepreneurial Emergency Medical Services .............................................................................................39 Cost-Saving Strategies .................................................................................................................................42 Nontraditional Fundraising Ideas ...............................................................................................................45 Chapter 5: State Funding for Emergency Medical Services ............................................49 State Sources of Revenue ............................................................................................................................49 State-Managed Federal Grants ..................................................................................................................... 51 Specific State Grants and Aid Programs ......................................................................................................53 Alabama.................................................................................................................................................. 53 Alaska .................................................................................................................................................... 53 iii Table of Contents Arizona ................................................................................................................................................... 55 Arkansas ................................................................................................................................................. 55 California ................................................................................................................................................ 57 Colorado .................................................................................................................................................. 59 Connecticut ..............................................................................................................................................60 Florida .................................................................................................................................................... 61 Georgia ...................................................................................................................................................62 Hawaii ....................................................................................................................................................62 Idaho 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