Assistance to Firefighters Grant application period for FY 2021 opens Nov. 8, NOFO now available

FEMA • November 8, 2021

Application Period Will Close on Friday, Dec. 17, 2021, at 5:00 p.m. EST

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant application period for fiscal year (FY) 2021 will open on Monday, Nov. 8, 2021, at 8:00 a.m. EST and will close on Friday, Dec. 17, 2021, at 5:00 p.m. EST.


The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) has been posted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) AFG Application Guidance Materials page. Interested applicants can begin reviewing the FY 2021 NOFO now. For questions about the NOFO, contact the Fire Grants Help Desk at firegrants@fema.dhs.gov or via the toll-free number 1-866-274-0960. The Fire Grants Help Desk is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. EST.


Applicants interested in learning how to apply for funding under the AFG program can attend one or more virtual workshops in FEMA’s FY 21 AFG Application Development Workshop series. The Workshops are offered nearly every day, including weekends, during the application period. Workshops currently posted and open for registration run from Nov. 8 through Nov. 24. Each Workshop is one or two hours in length.


Workshops focus on AFG program application areas, and are grouped as follows:

  • The “full workshop,” covers all application types and activities.
  • Narrative development.
  • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other equipment.
  • Vehicle acquisition.
  • Wellness and fitness, modifications to facilities, and training activities.


You can register for any of these workshops via FEMA’s AFG Programs Workshops page.


The first step in applying for an Assistance to Firefighters Grant is to ensure the applying entity is registered and active in the System for Award Management (SAM) with current information. To register, or validate your SAM information, please visit SAM.gov. For assistance with your SAM account, help is available from the Federal Service Desk (FSD) at the FSD’s website or by calling toll-free at (866) 606-8220 between Monday and Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST.


(Source: FEMA)


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Homeland Security, Criminal Justice Grant Funding Available for East Texas Public Safety Projects

By East Texas Council of Governments • December 19, 2024
State agencies, local governments, nonprofit organizations, universities or colleges, and federally recognized Native American tribes can soon apply for FY 2026 grant funds from the Office of the Governor, Public Safety Office , State Homeland Security Grant Program and Criminal Justice division. New and continuing applicants in ETCOG’s fourteen (14) county region are invited to attend FREE grant application workshops hosted by the ETCOG Public Safety division . Workshops for each grant category to be held virtually from December 18, 2024, through February 13, 2025. Grant funding will be available for the following programs: Homeland Security State Homeland Security Program – Regular Projects (SHSP-R) Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Activities (LETPA) Criminal Justice General Victim Assistance Direct Services Program (VOCA) Violence Against Women Justice and Training Program (VAWA) Juvenile Justice & Truancy Prevention Grant Program (SF-JJTP) Criminal Justice Program (DJ-JAG) “The goal is to improve public safety, support victims of crime, and assist jurisdictions by filling gaps in the region via funding that promotes innovative solutions to regional problems,” said ETCOG’s Public Safety Director, Stephanie Heffner. “We help applicants understand what needs to go into their grant applications and what they have to track once they receive funding from the state so we can successfully bring public safety projects to East Texas.” Workshops for Homeland Security will be held on the following dates: Wednesday, December 18, 2024 - 10:00 AM Wednesday, January 1, 2025 - 10:00 AM Wednesday, January 8, 2025 - 10:00 AM Wednesday, January 15, 2025 - 10:00 AM Wednesday, January 22, 2025 - 10:00 AM Wednesday, January 29, 2025 - 10:00 AM Wednesday, February 5, 2025 - 10:00 AM Workshops for Criminal Justice will be held on the following dates: Monday, January 7, 2025 - 2:00 PM Wednesday, January 15, 2025 - 10:00 AM Thursday, January 23, 2025 - 2:30 PM Wednesday, January 29, 2025 - 2:00 PM Workshops are mandatory if you plan to apply for funding. To participate in a virtual workshop for Homeland Security, visit www.pineywoods911.com/homeland-security . To participate in a virtual workshop for Criminal Justice, visit www.pineywoods911.com/criminal-justice .
A woman in a police uniform is standing in a park.

$3.4M in Public Safety Grants Approved for East Texas Region

By ETCOG Public Safety • December 17, 2024
The East Texas Council of Governments (ETCOG) announces $3.4 million in grants from the Governor's Public Safety Office awarded to East Texas jurisdictions and nonprofits.
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