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Grant Preparedness


Really, two days ago I am telling you about a potential shutdown in the federal government and in the next I am posting a picture of cash across the top with a title of grant preparedness.  But I promise I will make you understand why, or at least I hope. 

You know, when I think about emergency services I think about all the times that my brothers and sister are placed in the most unusual situations and they do it for the benefit of helping a member of their community.  Think about it, when somebody has something happen and they cannot immediately figure out what to do, they typically call 911.  The dispatchers are forced to think about who best to handle the situation and then they tones are activated and the crews start to respond.  I would ask about the most unusual call you have witness/responded to, but I want to make sure to keep my rating level down here. 

After the call is done, responders will typically ask themselves why they were even alerted to this response, but they will correct the situation before questioning their response.  We are their for the public.  But there is one thing that all of these responses come down to.  They come down to operating assets.  They come down to cash, and in today's political climate...well, funding isn't what it used to be.  I think if you took a survey of all fire, police and EMS departments across the country you will find that personnel per capita has decreased over the years.  I remember the stories of fire trucks leaving the station with 5-6 personnel on board while we were leaving the station with 3.  Law enforcement officers working 2-3 in a small downtown market "beat" and now you have 3-4 in a multiple square mile district.  System status ambulance services, and demand scheduling, swing shifts, you name it multiple ideas have been put into place to save money. 

How can you help your department get more money in the times of potential government shutdowns.  Well there are large amount of grant funds that remain available even in the current state of affairs.  At this point I speak about grants as a general term, but you have large amount of monies available from local state and federal grant programs, while you also have funding that is available from foundation projects etc.  Grants, unlike an emergency response cannot be responded to in a moments notice.

How can you start in the world of grants?  Well, just like any good response, you must develop a plan, and then implement it.  Before starting I would start with some background on grants and grant development.  This is a point where I can direct you to some friends.  www.firegrantshelp.com and www.emsgrantshelp.com are both excellent resources that are available to help you be successful in some of the various grant projects available. 

Look at enhancing your budget through grants. 

Take Care and Stay Safe!
The Combomedic

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