In an effort to bring local fire departments up to par with regard to equipment and fire vehicles, Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy and Richard Ohlsen of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) held a workshop earlier this week to help departments file for grant money under the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program.

"We take our volunteer fire departments for granted most of the time. Since September 11, everybody knows that the extra burdens on our first responders are going to be tremendous. We have to get more funds to you so you can do your job more easily," McCarthy told fire representatives from several communities, including Westbury.

Congress has been able to secure more money than ever before through FEMA - monies to be used solely by the local fire departments. "We want to work with all of you to try and find where we can help you find money for all the different needs that you're going to have," she said.

Richard Ohlsen of FEMA, which is now the Department of Homeland Security, provided an overview of the application process to encourage fire departments to strategically address their critical needs and provide them with the flexibility to apply for simple, comprehensive solutions. "The best applications end up getting funded," he said.

McCarthy said it's important that communities work together. "The schools are petrified, they don't have any plans and we're going to have to start putting together a coordinated effort between our fire departments, our police departments and our schools. We have to be prepared."

Ohlsen said the best thing fire departments can do is sit down and have coffee with the school principal and school administrators. "What that does is create a relationship and when a relationship is created before an incident, there's a factor of trust that's already built up. This in turn can help you can get the job done more effectively."

Any department, including those that are paid, volunteer and/or a combination of both, that received grant money last year, is again eligible for a $750,000 maximum federal contribution. According to Ohlsen, the grant distribution is broken down as follows: 55 percent of grants go to volunteer fire departments while 45 percent of the grants go to paid departments. Only one application per department will be accepted now through April 11 at 5 p.m. Those interested in applying for a grant can also visit www.usfa.fema.gov.

In 2001 and 2002, FEMA awarded 7,300+ grants, totaling $442+ million. Only four departments in the Fourth Congressional District received grants in 2002. "If it weren't for Congress, we wouldn't have this money. We're told how to spend it and where it goes but it's Congress who appropriates it," Ohlsen said.

Goals of the 2003 grant program include helping fire departments to effectively expend the money. "We want to work with the fire services community and we want you to spend the money to get the equipment you need right away," Ohlsen said.

In the past, the Westbury Fire Department has not applied for grant money through FEMA and, with the April 11 deadline quickly approaching, is not planning on applying this year either. "As of right now, we are not ready to send in a proposal," said Craig Stewart, 2nd lieutenant of the department's Hose #1. "[The application] would not be ready in time. We are going to wait until next year so we can put more effort into it." He added that when the department does apply, it would most likely seek funds for training and radio communication. "We are pretty much set with equipment," said Stewart.

FEMA can be reached at 966-274-0960 for those with questions. "A live body will be available to answer calls," Ohlsen said. Questions can also be faxed to 866-274-0942 or emailed to usfagrants@fema.gov.

Ohlsen urges department officials to answer every question on the online application. "If you miss a box, the department will be eliminated in the first step," he said. "How do I know this? My fire department did it."

The second step involves a peer review. "You do not have to write a Pulitzer Prize novel for this," Ohlsen said. "We're bringing in firefighters from around the country with similar characteristics to your district to read the applications so put down exactly what you need because another firefighter will be reading it and will totally understand it."

It's important to note that fire departments can get up to $100,000 per fire station. "We want fire departments to work with each other and develop a program that will benefit their surrounding neighbors. We want to promote safety. Many firehouses house firefighters all day; we want to make sure they're safe," Ohlsen said.

Fire departments can apply for one of the following programs:

Fire Operations and Firefighter Safety Program - includes training; fire fighting equipment like hoses and thermal imaging cameras; personal protective equipment like clothing for hazardous material incidents and self-contained breathing apparatuses; modifications of fire facilities, including installing sprinkler systems, vehicle exhaust extraction systems and smoke detectors and smoke alarms; and wellness and fitness.

Fire Prevention Program - includes public education, public awareness, and code enforcement and arson prevention.

Emergency Medical Services Program - includes equipment, training and wellness and fitness.

Vehicle Acquisition Program - includes the purchase of new, used or refurbished fire fighting vehicles. In over two years, 18,057 applications were filed and only 524 grants were awarded.