Matching Assistance to Firefighters Grants to the Reported Needs of the U.S. Fire Service May 2017 Hylton J.G. Haynes
Abstract The intent of this report is to provide DHS with some additional intelligence and insight to the Assistance to Firefighter Grant (AFG) program they manage. To this end NFPA matched 1,339 fire departments who responded to NFPA s 2010 Third Needs Assessment of the US Fire Service Survey to the AFG grant datasets for the period 2010-2014. Approximately $1.5 Billion was awarded nationally for this important federal grant program during this period. 26% ($415 million) of this grant program was distributed to the matching fire departments during this period. Six grant categories were examined in this report: equipment, personal protective equipment, vehicles, facilities modification, training and wellness. Keywords: needs assessment, assistance to firefighter grants, fire departments, fire department equipment, personal protective equipment, vehicles, facilities modification, training and wellness. Acknowledgements The NFPA gratefully thanks the many fire departments that responded to the Third and Fourth Needs Assessment of the US Fire Service and providing us again the data necessary to make national estimates of fire department resources and capabilities. The author would also like to acknowledge the assistance DHS AFG Analyst Kenneth Ngo provided in explaining and making the AFG data available to NFPA. Special thanks to the NFPA Staff who worked on both Needs Assessment Surveys, Mohammed Ayub (NFPA Data Scientist) who helped with the grant matching process of this report and Rita Fahy (Senior Research Manager) who helped with the review of this report. For more information about the National Fire Protection Association, visit www.nfpa.org. To learn more about Research go to www.nfpa.org/research. Copies of this analysis are available from: National Fire Protection Association NFPA Research, Data and Analytics Division 1 Batterymarch Park Quincy, MA 02169-7471 www.nfpa.org e-mail: research@nfpa.org phone: 617-984-7451 NFPA No. 2781 Copyright 2017, National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements Table of Contents List of Tables i ii Background and Objectives 1 Methodology 1 Analysis Results by Category of Need Equipment Personal Protective Equipment Vehicles and Facilities Modification Training Wellness and Fitness 8 8 9 10 11 12 Appendix A. Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) for All Grants Awarded (2010-2014) Appendix B. Number of AFG Grant Awards issued to a given Fire Department by Community Size (2010 2014) Appendix C. Parts of the 2010 needs assessment survey used to identify needs by category Appendix D. 2010 NFPA Third Survey of the Needs of the U.S. Fire Service Survey 23 24 25 28 Matching Assistance to Firefighter Grants to i NFPA Research, Quincy, MA 02169
LIST OF TABLES Table 1. AFG Matching Fire Departments from the Third Needs Assessment Survey (2010). Table 2: AFG matching grants awarded by year and community size (2010-2014) Table 3: Matching Fire Department AFG Grant Awards by Category Code (2010 2014) Table 4. Reported Needs vs. Department Receiving Awarded Grants Firefighting Equipment 3 3 6 13 Table 5. Reported Needs vs. Grant Amounts Firefighting Equipment 14 Table 6. Reported Needs vs. Department Receiving Awarded Grants Personal Protective Equipment Table 7. Reported Needs vs. Grant Amounts Personal Protective Equipment Table 8. Reported Needs vs. Department Receiving Awarded Grants Vehicles and Facility Modification Table 9. Reported Needs vs. Grant Amounts Vehicles and Facility Modification Table 10. Reported Needs vs. Department Receiving Awarded Grants Training 15 16 17 18 19 Table 11. Reported Needs vs. Grant Amounts Training 20 Table 12. Reported Needs vs. Department Receiving Awarded Grants Wellness/Fitness and Fire Prevention Programs Table 13. Reported Needs vs. Grant Amounts Wellness/Fitness and Fire Prevention Programs 21 22 Matching Assistance to Firefighter Grants to ii NFPA Research, Quincy, MA 02169
Background and Objectives The Fourth Fire Service Needs Assessment survey was conducted by NFPA in 2015-2016 and follows three earlier surveys, which were completed in 2001, 2005 and 2010. Initially, NFPA was commissioned by the U.S. Fire Administration to conduct the first two surveys in an effort to (1) define the current role and activities associated with the fire services; (2) determine the adequacy of the current levels of funding and (3) provide a needs assessment to identify shortfalls. Due to the valuable insights gained from these studies, NFPA independently conducted the last two surveys in 2010 and 2015. These surveys have been associated since their inception to the DHS/FEMA grant programs, including the broad spectrum of grants set up under Public Law 108-767, Title XXXVI Assistance to Firefighters (AFG), and the staffing-focused program called SAFER. In November 2017 the Fourth Needs Assessment of the U.S. Fire Service was published. In late January, Catherine Patterson, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), approached NFPA to provide some additional information to inform FEMA s Annual Report to the United States Congress on the AFG program effectiveness. This report references both the third and fourth needs assessment reports NFPA conducted in 2010 and 2015 and they should be referenced in conjunction with this report. Methodology A similar approach and methodology used in the first comparative needs assessment conducted in 2006 1 was used in this report. There are two parts to the analysis: (1) A rough comparison between needs reported in the third needs assessment survey (2010) and resources requested and granted to the same (matched) fire departments in 2010-2014 under the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program. The time period 2010-2014 was used because this period best fits the effective grant awards that have occurred between the third needs assessment survey in 2010 2 and the fourth needs assessment survey in 2015 3. (2) Each category of need was examined to see whether needs identified in the third needs assessment survey had been reduced in the fourth needs assessment survey (2015). Because some fire departments that responded in 2015 had not responded in 2010 and due to statistical variability in the fire departments sampled in each survey, the criterion for a substantial reduction was set at 5 percent or 5 percentage points (e.g., 20% versus 15%). 1 United States Department of Homeland Security, Directorate for Preparedness, United States Fire Administration, and National Fire Protection Association, FA-304, Matching Assistance to Firefighters Grants to the Reported Needs of the U.S. Fire Service: A Cooperative Study Authorized by U.S. Public Law 108-767, Title XXXVI, (Quincy, MA: NFPA, 2006), p. i-20. 2 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). 2011. Third Needs Assessment of the U.S. Fire Service: Conducted in 2010 and Including Comparisons to 2001 and 2005 Needs Assessment Surveys. Report no. USS93-01. Quincy, MA: National Fire Protection Association. 3 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). 2016. Fourth Needs Assessment of the U.S. Fire Service: Conducted in 2015 and Including Comparisons to 2001, 2005 and 2010 Needs Assessment Surveys. Report no. USS106. Quincy, MA: National Fire Protection Association. Matching Assistance to Firefighter Grants to 1 NFPA Research, Quincy, MA 02169
This part of the analysis was not limited to departments that received grants but was based on all reporting departments. The matching part of the analysis was designed to see whether the grants were effectively targeting needs. The needs trend part of the analysis was designed to see whether the data point to the impact of grants or other actions in achieving meaningful progress in reducing important needs. Together, these two complementary analyses provide the best available evidence of the impact and effectiveness of the grant program. Matching Process The first step was matching the needs-assessment database with the grantee database to develop combined records on needs and grants received for a group of fire departments. This entailed first concatenating the five DHS AFG data sets from 2010 to 2014 received from USFA. The matching of fire department identifiers was performed by NFPA and combined records were created. The results show that 1,339 fire departments that responded to the third needs assessment of the U.S. Fire Service survey in 2010 were awarded DHS Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG) grants between 2010 and 2014 (Table 1). Of the 1,339 fire departments, 2,033 grants were awarded during this period (Table 2). For the purpose of this study the unit of measure is the number of matching fire departments using the AFG grant award category code (equipment, personal protection equipment (PPE), facility, vehicle and wellness). No matching departments received an award for EMS equipment or EMS training in this study. Matching Assistance to Firefighter Grants to 2 NFPA Research, Quincy, MA 02169
Table 1: AFG matching fire departments from the 2010 Third Needs Assessment Survey Community Size Matching Departments Total Number of Departments in 2010 (see note) 500,000 or more 21 53 250,000 to 499,999 33 62 100,000 to 249,000 93 238 50,000 to 99,999 121 447 25,000 to 49,999 239 1,085 10,000 to 24,999 315 2,951 5,000 to 9,999 240 3,755 2,500 to 4,999 146 4,875 Under 2,500 131 12,094 Total 1,339 26,430 Note: The number of fire departments of all known fire departments with administrative and emergency response responsibilities at the time of the Third Needs Assessment Survey in 2010 as determined by NFPA s Fire Service Inventory database. 4 Table 2: AFG matching grants awarded by year by community size (2010 2014) Year Community Size 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Total 500,000 or more 9 12 14 13 10 58 250,000 to 499,999 18 15 17 9 11 70 100,000 to 249,000 36 39 35 30 23 163 50,000 to 99,999 45 52 40 45 31 213 25,000 to 49,999 88 80 75 55 67 365 10,000 to 24,999 124 77 91 76 88 456 5,000 to 9,999 80 39 87 58 72 336 2,500 to 4,999 52 17 47 42 42 200 Under 2,500 48 18 40 35 31 172 Total 500 349 446 363 375 2,033 4 The NFPA Fire Service Inventory (FSI) database is a listing of all known fire departments in the U.S. The database is continuously maintained by a three year cycle survey which surveys one-third of the country each year. The survey is also updated by review of fire marshal listings by state, other NFPA mailings, and other data sources. Matching Assistance to Firefighter Grants to 3 NFPA Research, Quincy, MA 02169
The comparison required a positive match to the category code being investigated (i.e. equipment, personal protective equipment, vehicle, facility modification, training or wellness) and the associated need (from the third needs assessment data set) being analyzed. Therefore, if a fire department submitted a needs assessment response but left all the questions related to a particular need blank, that department was counted as not having reported that type of need. The matching departments account for 26 percent ($415 million dollars) of awarded funds through the AFG grants during 2010 to 2014 (Table 3). They accounted for 41% of the equipment dollars, 34% of the personal equipment dollars, 15% of the vehicle award dollars, 4% of the facility modification award dollars, 4% of the training award dollars and 1% of the wellness and fitness award dollars (Table 3). The total amount awarded during this period was $1,589 million (Appendix A). Many grants were multi-part (e.g., with a part for firefighting equipment and a part for training) and more than one third (38%) of matching fire departments received multiple grants during 2010 to 2014 (Appendix B). Limits of the grant-need matching The matching process is limited by the data resources available and offers numerous opportunities to overstate or understate relevant needs, such as the following: A department could have reported a need of the general type but requested a resource of a type that is designed for a different need. For example, a department might have reported a need for Hazmat training but have requested and received a grant for structural firefighting training while not having reported a need for that type of training. A department could have requested and received a grant to meet a need of a different type than any addressed by the needs assessment report. For example, a department might have reported a need for vehicle firefighting training, which is not one of the types of training asked about in the survey. A department s grant could have covered a different specific type or level of resource than what they reported having. For example, a department might have everyone trained in technical rescue hence, no reported need at the threshold used for reporting but not have everyone trained in technical rescue to the level required for a very challenging buildingcollapse situation, which may have been the training sought in the grant application. Age of equipment is used to define need in some of the matching described above, but old equipment does not necessarily need replacing, and some equipment may need replacing before it reaches the age used as the threshold. Some needs may have arisen after the survey report was submitted (e.g., engines reached the 30-year threshold) or may have arisen as a result of the acquisition of other resources Matching Assistance to Firefighter Grants to 4 NFPA Research, Quincy, MA 02169
(e.g., training is needed in the use of equipment acquired in another part of the grant or through other means). Departments submit grant applications based on their own assessment of critical/priority needs. Thus a need identified in the survey may not be addressed with a grant application because another need is considered of higher priority. For all these reasons and, no doubt, other reasons as well, this analysis can only be taken as a rough indicator of the match between needs and resources. This analysis may be useful as a basis for directing priorities in a more substantial audit, but it should not be used by itself as a basis for drawing conclusions. Matching Assistance to Firefighter Grants to 5 NFPA Research, Quincy, MA 02169
Table 3: Matching Fire Department AFG Grant Awards by Category Code (2010 to 2014) Community Size Equipment PPE Vehicle Facility Training Wellness Total Percent 500,000 or more $ 27,163,745 $ 21,032,468 $ 3,591,398 $ 1,617,259 $ 7,233,384 $ 925,853 $ 61,564,107 15% 250,000 to 499,999 $ 19,341,155 $ 13,607,294 $ 1,390,000 $ 4,014,016 $ 2,312,664 $ 877,268 $ 41,542,397 10% 100,000 to 249,000 $ 31,204,238 $ 21,782,235 $ 3,171,315 $ 2,772,944 $ 3,366,511 $ 2,334,805 $ 64,632,048 16% 50,000 to 99,999 $ 21,348,678 $ 16,416,740 $ 9,194,577 $ 2,316,665 $ 2,589,338 $ 543,501 $ 52,409,499 13% 25,000 to 49,999 $ 23,364,597 $ 21,545,441 $12,810,029 $ 3,676,169 $ 875,189 $ 486,660 $ 62,758,085 15% 10,000 to 24,999 $ 26,465,947 $ 18,652,820 $14,769,694 $ 2,878,425 $ 1,066,291 $ 826,147 $ 64,659,324 16% $ 5,000 to 9,999 $ 10,447,536 $ 14,489,498 $ 9,982,910 $ 974,464 $ 460,337 89,525 $ 36,444,270 9% 2,500 to 4,999 $ 6,115,720 $ 7,268,841 $ 4,810,513 $ 123,600 $ 242,284 $ - $ 18,560,958 4% $ Under 2,500 $ 3,723,051 $ 4,592,375 $ 4,160,650 $ - $ 61,350 16,600 $ 12,554,026 3% Total $ 169,174,667 $ 139,387,712 $63,881,086 $ 18,373,542 $ 18,207,348 $ 6,100,359 $ 415,124,714 100% Percent of Awarded Grants within matching departments 41% 34% 15% 4% 4% 1% 100% Note: There were no matches for EMS equipment or training for this period of investigation. Matching Assistance to Firefighter Grants to 6 NFPA Research, Quincy, MA 02169
Interpreting Results The analysis in this report presents a pair of tables for each AFG category (e.g., equipment, PPE, Vehicle, etc.). For example, Tables 4 and 5 show data for the 878 departments that responded to questions related to Equipment in the 3 rd Needs Assessment and received one or more Equipment grants between 2010 and 2014. The first table in each pair presents data as it relates to the number of departments receiving grant funds for that category. For each community size stratum, the first column shows the percentage of departments that received any award in that category; the second column is a weighted percentage for departments that indicated needs in any of the questions related to that category and then for each individual question, the remaining columns show the percentage of departments in that stratum that indicated a need and received an award. The second table in each pair considers the amount of the grant money awarded to those departments. The entries in the second table show, for each community size stratum, the percentage of dollars for that category that went to departments that had indicated a relevant need. Ideally, the proportion of dollars awarded in each category would match the proportion of fire departments expressing a need in that category. Example: Table 4 shows that 79% of the matched departments that protect populations of 250,000 to 499,999 received an equipment-related award between 2010 and 2014 (26 departments). Question 36c of the survey asks if a fire department has sufficient specialized equipment locally to respond to a technical rescue after a structural collapse (see Figure 1). Departments that indicated that they would have to request regional, state or national assistance were considered to have a need in this category. Of those fire departments in that population category that answered that particular question, 68% did not have sufficient equipment to cope with such a situation locally. Table 5 shows that of the dollars granted to departments of that size for equipment, 70% went to departments that showed a need related to Question 36c. Figure 1: Question 36 from the Third Needs Assessment Survey (2010). 5 A complete set of relevant needs questions used in this report, can be found in Appendix C and Appendix D. 5 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). 2011. Third Needs Assessment of the U.S. Fire Service: Conducted in 2010 and Including Comparisons to 2001 and 2005 Needs Assessment Surveys. Report no. USS93-01. Quincy, MA: National Fire Protection Association. Matching Assistance to Firefighter Grants to 7 NFPA Research, Quincy, MA 02169
Analysis Results by Category of Need Equipment Two-thirds (66%) of the matched fire departments received equipment-related awards (Table 4). This means 878 out of the 1,339 departments received a grant or in some case multiple grants for equipment. Of those 878 departments, 53% of them had shown a need of some type of equipment, and 46% of the equipment grant money went to departments that had expressed a need. Portable radios and thermal imaging needs showed low match percentages (26% and 7%, respectively, of fire departments expressing need, while only 18% and 4%, respectively, of the grant funds went to those needs). The remaining four types of need showed high match percentages, particularly technical rescue and EMS for building structural collapse and wildland/urban interface fires. In the fourth needs assessment, the reported need for portable radios to equip everyone on a shift declined by one percentage point (from 51% to 50%) compared to the third survey. This limited improvement aligns with the finding in the matching comparison where portable radio needs showed up in low percentages. The largest share of AFG funding in 2010 2014 was distributed for equipment, approximately 40% (Appendix A), the same distribution amount (41% or $169 million) was observed in the matching fire department grant awards (Table 3). No comparisons were made for homeland security related needs, because these questions were modified in the fourth needs assessment. Matching Assistance to Firefighter Grants to 8 NFPA Research, Quincy, MA 02169
Personal Protective Equipment About half (51%) of the matched fire departments received awards (Table 6). This means 638 out of the 1,339 departments received a grant or in some case multiple grants for PPE. Of those 638 departments, 16% of the matched fire departments showing need received awards for PPE and there was a 7% match for award funds to some type of need for this category (Table 7). The needs that were matched included self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), personal alert safety system (PASS) devices, and personal protective clothing. Matching varied substantially by size of community as did the share of fire departments receiving grants in this category. For communities of 25,000 or more population, half of the matched fire departments who received awards for this category and 3% or less of awards showed matching with a reported need. This would suggest that grant matching to need was sub-optimal. Smaller fire departments (10,000 population or less) who received awards were better matched to need. The fourth needs assessment results indicate that the need in this area is increasing faster than the grants can sustain. Many estimated needs are now increasing in this category after the steady decreases that were observed in earlier needs assessments (2001 and 2005). The percentage of departments whose emergency responders do not all have their own personal protective clothing (PPC) increased by 4 percentage points (from 9% to 13%). It is also important to note an increase of 9% (from 63% to 72%) where some PPC is at least 10 years old. The same phenomenon is observed with SCBA, where the percentage of departments without enough SCBA to equip a shift increased slightly from 52% to 53%, but the number of departments where some SCBA is at least 10 years old increased by 14 percentage points (from 55% to 69%). The percentage of departments without enough PASS devices to equip a shift declined by 11 percentage points (from 39% to 28%). This improvement and opposite trend to the other PPE mentioned here could be a function of PASS devices now being integrated in the SCBA ensemble. Matching Assistance to Firefighter Grants to 9 NFPA Research, Quincy, MA 02169
Vehicles and Facility Modification Vehicles (typically engines, pumpers or ladder trucks) represented only 12% of the matched fire departments that received awards (Table 8). This means 159 out of the 1,339 departments received a grant or in some cases multiple grants for vehicles. Of those 159 departments, 21% of the matched fire departments showing a need received awards for vehicles and there was a 13% match for award funds to some type of need for this category (Table 9). The sufficiency check 6, which showed a high need for all communities in the needs assessment report, accounted for most of the matching for vehicle grants. Converted vehicles needs were identified primarily for smaller communities where they were likely used by volunteer firefighters. Vehicle grants also represented a larger share of the matched fire departments that received awards for the largest communities (e.g., 19% for communities of more than 500,000 population compared to the range of between 6 to 16% for the remaining communities). Interestingly, communities great than 100,000 received grants and funding but indicated no need based on the selected questions asked in the survey. The gap in vehicle matching may in part represent grants to replace old vehicles that were not 30 years old, the need criterion used in this analysis. None of the needs related to vehicles showed substantial improvement from the third needs assessment to the fourth needs assessment survey, and this was true for the age profile of the fleet, regardless of where the cut-off was set. Approximately 22% of AFG funding in 2010-2014 was dedicated to vehicle acquisition (Appendix A). While this helps hold the line on the aging fleet of vehicles and apparatus, it is far less than the need, particularly in departments protecting populations less than 25,000. Facility modification is included on the same tables because the only need addressed in the survey was vehicle-related (i.e., exhaust emission control). Facility modification needs represented only 10% of matched fire departments that received awards (Table 8). This means 152 out of the 1,339 departments received a grant or in some cases multiple grants for facility modification. Of those 152 departments showing a need received awards for facility modification and there was a 71% match for the exhaust emission control need for this category (Table 9). There are known to be other well-established facility design needs related to firefighter safety and health (which were the only modifications these grants were intended to address), such as safety of passage between floors (replacing the old slide poles). In the fourth needs assessment survey, the percentage of stations not equipped for exhaust emission control declined by 7 percentage 6 The Fire Suppression Rating Schedule of the Insurance Service Office includes a number of guidelines and formulas to use in performing a complete assessment of the adequacy of fire department resources. In this instance the sufficiency (adequacy) of the number of fire stations formula, Item 560 was calculated. [Fire Suppression Rating Schedule, New York: Insurance Services Office, Inc., August 1998, p.28]. Matching Assistance to Firefighter Grants to 10 NFPA Research, Quincy, MA 02169
points (from 66% to 59%) in the fourth needs assessment survey, which reinforces the effectiveness of this aspect of AFG grant program. Training Training represented only 9% of the matched fire departments that received awards (Table 10). This means 119 out of the 1,339 departments received a grant or in some cases multiple grants for vehicles. Of those 119 departments, 46% of the matched fire departments showing a need received awards for training and there was a 38% match for award funds to some type of need for this category (Table 11). Structural firefighting training showed a lower matching rate to needs (21%) than did any of the other four types of training needs examined (38% for hazmat response training 62% for wildland firefighting training and 73% for technical rescue training). Matching rates were lower in larger communities for every type of training. So many specific elements of training are included in each of these types that one must be cautious in attributing too much meaning to the gaps in matching. There is a major difference between providing all involved personnel any formal training and providing them with all needed training. Overall, only 6.5% or $104 million was awarded to fire departments for training (Appendix A). This illustrates the general point that grants were sought and awarded far more for objects than for knowledge and skills. Training represented a larger share of awards and funds for larger communities than for smaller communities. It is important to note that equipment and particularly vehicles cost more in terms overall dollars per met need than training, so it is not surprising that more funds are allocated to equipment and vehicles. Several training needs in the Fourth Needs Assessment Survey (2015) have actually increased since the Third Needs Assessment Survey (2010). Overall, 49% of all departments in 2015 have not formally trained all of their personnel involved in structural firefighting, slightly up from 46% in 2010. The number of firefighters serving in departments that perform structural firefighting but have no one is certified declined by 47% (from 96,000 in 2010 to 51,200 in 2015), representing a significant improvement. Matching Assistance to Firefighter Grants to 11 NFPA Research, Quincy, MA 02169
Wellness and Fitness Programs Wellness and fitness programs represented only 5% of the matched fire departments that received awards (Table 12). This means 73 out of the 1,339 departments received a grant or in some cases multiple grants for wellness and fitness. Of those 73 departments, 37% of the matched fire departments showing a need received awards for wellness and fitness; and there was a 37% match for award funds to some type of need for this category (Table 13). It should be noted, there is a major difference between providing any program and providing a complete program with all necessary elements. Fire departments serving larger communities were more likely to receive awards and funds for wellness and fitness programs than smaller communities (e.g., more than 18% of departments for communities of 100,000 population or more versus less than one percent of fire departments protecting communities of less than 5,000 population essentially one department). According to the fourth needs assessment, the number of firefighters serving in departments without a program to maintain basic firefighter fitness and health fitness program increased by 5% (from 682,000 to 716,000) which is a concern. Another cause for concern is only 20% of fire departments in the United States reported offering a behavioral health program. Matching Assistance to Firefighter Grants to 12 NFPA Research, Quincy, MA 02169
Table 4 Reported Needs versus Departments receiving Awarded Grants for Equipment by Community Size (2010 2014) Community Size Percent of Departments Receiving Equipment Awards Percentage of Depts. Showing Need in Any Equipment Question Q27a Q36a,c Q37a,c Q38a,c Q39a,c Q41 500,000 or more 76% 31% 6% 60% 27% 71% 57% 0% 250,000 to 499,999 79% 36% 8% 68% 42% 67% 60% 0% 100,000 to 249,000 74% 45% 13% 73% 59% 87% 75% 0% 50,000 to 99,999 67% 48% 10% 89% 65% 87% 84% 1% 25,000 to 49,999 67% 51% 15% 92% 75% 89% 91% 2% 10,000 to 24,999 67% 53% 22% 90% 81% 86% 87% 3% 5,000 to 9,999 58% 55% 35% 89% 87% 69% 82% 8% 2,500 to 4,999 68% 59% 51% 88% 81% 83% 72% 14% Under 2,500 59% 67% 57% 91% 97% 76% 67% 32% Total 66% 53% 26% 87% 76% 81% 80% 7% Note: Reported needs defined by indicated responses to questions. Need requires positive indication of need; blank answer to question is interpreted as no need. Percent of departments: 878 out of 1,339 matched fire departments awarded grants for Equipment during 2011 to 2014. Q27a: Not all emergency responders on-duty on a single shift can be equipped with portable radios. Q36a,c: Technical rescue and EMS for building structural collapse with 50 occupants is within scope and could not be handled with local specialized equipment. Q37a,c: Hazmat and EMS for an incident involving chemical/biological agents and 10 injuries is within department scope and could not be handled with local specialized equipment. Q38a,c: Wildland/urban interface fire affecting 500 acres is within department scope and could not be handled with local specialized equipment. Q39a,c: Mitigation of a developing major flood is within department scope and could not be handled with local specialized equipment. Q. 41: Do not own a thermal imaging camera. Source: DHS files on AFG grant recipients (2010-2014) and matching to NFPA Needs Assessment 2010 survey responses. Matching Assistance to Firefighter Grants to 13 NFPA Research, Quincy, MA 02169
Table 5 Reported Needs versus Grant Amounts for Firefighting Equipment by Community Size (2010 2014) Population of Community Percent of Equipment Dollars Granted Percentage of Depts. Showing Need in Any Equipment Question Q27a Q36a,c Q37a,c Q38a,c Q39a,c Q41 500,000 or more 16% 28% 0% 66% 20% 70% 42% 0% 250,000 to 499,999 11% 36% 2% 70% 47% 74% 57% 0% 100,000 to 249,000 18% 45% 17% 70% 61% 90% 80% 0% 50,000 to 99,999 13% 49% 15% 93% 64% 82% 89% 6% 25,000 to 49,999 14% 51% 19% 92% 70% 90% 84% 5% 10,000 to 24,999 16% 54% 26% 90% 79% 91% 93% 2% 5,000 to 9,999 6% 61% 34% 93% 96% 75% 90% 12% 2,500 to 4,999 4% 64% 67% 92% 68% 85% 70% 22% Under 2,500 2% 71% 65% 96% 98% 76% 77% 33% Total 100% 46% 18% 80% 59% 82% 73% 4% Note: Reported needs defined by indicated responses to questions. Need requires positive indication of need; blank answer to question is interpreted as no need. Q27a: Not all emergency responders on-duty on a single shift can be equipped with portable radios. Q36a,c: Technical rescue and EMS for building structural collapse with 50 occupants is within scope and could not be handled with local specialized equipment. Q37a,c: Hazmat and EMS for an incident involving chemical/biological agents and 10 injuries is within department scope and could not be handled with local specialized equipment. Q38a,c: Wildland/urban interface fire affecting 500 acres is within department scope and could not be handled with local specialized equipment. Q39a,c: Mitigation of a developing major flood is within department scope and could not be handled with local specialized equipment. Q. 41: Do not own a thermal imaging camera. Source: DHS files on AFG grant recipients (2010-2014) and matching to NFPA Needs Assessment 2010 survey responses. Matching Assistance to Firefighter Grants to 14 NFPA Research, Quincy, MA 02169
Table 6 Reported Needs versus Departments receiving Awarded Grants for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) by Community Size (2010 2014) Community Size Percent of Departments Receiving PPE Awards Percentage of Depts. Showing Need in Any PPE Question Q28a Q29 Q30a 500,000 or more 52% 3% 0% 0% 9% 250,000 to 499,999 45% 2% 7% 0% 0% 100,000 to 249,000 47% 0% 0% 0% 0% 50,000 to 99,999 47% 0% 0% 0% 0% 25,000 to 49,999 49% 3% 7% 3% 0% 10,000 to 24,999 45% 13% 21% 16% 3% 5,000 to 9,999 58% 21% 31% 23% 9% 2,500 to 4,999 57% 29% 48% 32% 7% Under 2,500 56% 40% 60% 45% 18% Total 51% 16% 24% 17% 5% Note: Reported needs defined by indicated responses to questions. Need requires positive indication of need; blank answer to question is interpreted as no need. Percent of departments: 683 out of 1,339 matched fire departments awarded grants for Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) during 2011 to 2014. Q28a: Not all emergency responders on-duty on a single shift can be equipped with self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). Q29: Not all emergency responders on duty on a single shift are equipped with PASS devices. Q30a: Not all emergency responders are equipped with personal protective clothing. Source: DHS files on AFG grant recipients (2010-2014) and matching to NFPA Needs Assessment 2010 survey responses. Matching Assistance to Firefighter Grants to 15 NFPA Research, Quincy, MA 02169
Table 7 Reported Needs versus Grant Amounts for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) by Community Size (2010 2014) Community Size Percent of PPE Dollars Granted Percentage of Depts. Showing Need in Any PPE Question Q28a Q29 Q30a 500,000 or more 15% 1% 0% 0% 4% 250,000 to 499,999 10% 3% 10% 0% 0% 100,000 to 249,000 16% 0% 0% 0% 0% 50,000 to 99,999 12% 0% 0% 0% 0% 25,000 to 49,999 15% 3% 6% 2% 0% 10,000 to 24,999 13% 11% 16% 14% 2% 5,000 to 9,999 10% 20% 30% 23% 8% 2,500 to 4,999 5% 25% 49% 19% 8% Under 2,500 3% 36% 53% 37% 19% Total 100% 7% 11% 7% 3% Note: Reported needs defined by indicated responses to questions. Need requires positive indication of need; blank answer to question is interpreted as no need. Q28a: Not all emergency responders on-duty on a single shift can be equipped with self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). Q29: Not all emergency responders on duty on a single shift are equipped with PASS devices. Q30a: Not all emergency responders are equipped with personal protective clothing. Source: DHS files on AFG grant recipients (2010-2014) and matching to NFPA Needs Assessment 2010 survey responses. Matching Assistance to Firefighter Grants to 16 NFPA Research, Quincy, MA 02169
Table 8 Reported Needs versus Departments receiving Awarded Grants for Vehicles and Facility Modification by Community Size (2010 2014) Community Size Percent of Departments Receiving Vehicle Awards Percentage of Depts. Showing Need in Any Vehicles Question Q5e Q24e,f Need Sufficiency Percent of Departments Receiving Facility Awards Q23d 500,000 or more 19% 0% 0% 0% 75% 10% 100% 250,000 to 499,999 6% 0% 0% 0% 100% 21% 86% 100,000 to 249,000 6% 0% 0% 0% 33% 15% 67% 50,000 to 99,999 14% 6% 0% 12% 59% 10% 77% 25,000 to 49,999 11% 6% 8% 4% 65% 15% 76% 10,000 to 24,999 12% 17% 13% 21% 76% 12% 46% 5,000 to 9,999 12% 31% 17% 45% 52% 7% 25% 2,500 to 4,999 13% 50% 53% 47% 89% 3% 0% Under 2,500 14% 36% 22% 50% 78% 99% 0% Total 12% 21% 16% 26% 69% 10% 55% Note: Reported needs defined by indicated responses to questions. Need requires positive indication of need; blank answer to question is interpreted as no need. Percent of departments: 159 for Vehicles and 152 for Facilities out of 1,339 matched fire departments awarded grants during 2011 to 2014. Q5e: At least one vehicle is a converted vehicle not designed as fire department apparatus. Q24e: At least one engine or pumper is at least 30 years old. Sufficiency: There are not enough engines to equip enough stations, optimally located, to provide community coverage in accordance with ISO Fire Suppression Rating Schedule formula used in the Needs Assessment reports. Q23d: Any fire station is not equipped for exhaust emission control. Source: DHS files on AFG grant recipients (2010-2014) and matching to NFPA Needs Assessment 2010 survey responses. Matching Assistance to Firefighter Grants to 17 NFPA Research, Quincy, MA 02169
Table 9 Reported Needs versus Grant Amounts for Vehicles and Facility Modification by Community Size (2010 2014) Community Size Percent of Vehicle Dollars Granted Percentage of Depts. Showing Need in Any Vehicles Question Q5e Q24e Need Sufficiency Percent of Facility Dollars Granted Q23d 500,000 or more 6% 0% 0% 0% 78% 9% 100% 250,000 to 499,999 2% 0% 0% 0% 100% 22% 83% 100,000 to 249,000 5% 0% 0% 0% 23% 15% 62% 50,000 to 99,999 14% 7% 0% 13% 62% 13% 88% 25,000 to 49,999 20% 3% 2% 4% 56% 20% 70% 10,000 to 24,999 23% 14% 10% 18% 73% 16% 48% 5,000 to 9,999 16% 24% 12% 35% 53% 5% 43% 2,500 to 4,999 8% 57% 66% 47% 77% 1% 0% Under 2,500 7% 10% 19% 0% 75% 0% NA Total 100% 13% 11% 14% 64% 44% 71% NA Not applicable because there were no such awards. Note: Reported needs defined by indicated responses to questions. Need requires positive indication of need; blank answer to question is interpreted as no need. Q5e: At least one vehicle is a converted vehicle not designed as fire department apparatus. Q24e: At least one engine or pumper is at least 30 years old. Sufficiency. There are not enough engines to equip enough stations, optimally located, to provide community coverage in accordance with formula used in Needs Assessment report. Q23d: Any fire station is not equipped for exhaust emission control. Source: DHS files on AFG grant recipients (2010-2014) and matching to NFPA Needs Assessment 2010 survey responses. Matching Assistance to Firefighter Grants to 18 NFPA Research, Quincy, MA 02169
Table 10 Reported Needs versus Departments receiving Awarded Grants for Training by Community Size (2010 2014) Population of Community Percent of Departments Receiving Training Awards Percentage of Depts. Showing Need in Any Training Question Q13a,b Q15a,b Q16a,b Q17a,b 500,000 or more 38% 41% 0% 50% 50% 71% 250,000 to 499,999 24% 37% 0% 29% 40% 75% 100,000 to 249,000 19% 37% 11% 17% 57% 71% 50,000 to 99,999 17% 49% 30% 45% 58% 69% 25,000 to 49,999 6% 29% 7% 8% 50% 54% 10,000 to 24,999 5% 50% 19% 41% 73% 83% 5,000 to 9,999 5% 42% 9% 33% 67% 71% 2,500 to 4,999 10% 60% 29% 50% 71% 100% Under 2,500 7% 81% 78% 86% 83% 75% Total 9% 46% 21% 38% 62% 73% Note: Reported needs defined by indicated responses to questions. Need requires positive indication of need; blank answer to question is interpreted as no need. Percent of departments: 119 for Training out of 1,339 matched fire departments awarded grants during 2011 to 2014. Q13a,b. Structural firefighting is a role the department performs and not all personnel who perform this duty have received formal training. Q14a,b. EMS is a role the department performs and not all personnel who perform this duty have received formal training. Q15a,b. Hazmat response is a role the department performs and not all personnel who perform this duty have received formal training. Q16a,b. Wildland firefighting is a role the department performs and not all personnel who perform this duty have received formal training. Q17a,b. Technical rescue is a role the department performs and not all personnel who perform this duty have received formal training. Source: DHS files on AFG grant recipients (2010-2014) and matching to NFPA Needs Assessment 2010 survey responses. Matching Assistance to Firefighter Grants to 19 NFPA Research, Quincy, MA 02169
Table 11 Reported Needs versus Grant Amounts for Training by Community Size (2010 2014) Community Size Percent of Training Dollars Granted Percentage of Depts. Showing Need in Any Training Question Q13a,b Q14a,b Q15a,b Q16a,b Q17a,b 500,000 or more 40% 37% 0% 24% 49% 37% 70% 250,000 to 499,999 13% 32% 0% 0% 18% 54% 63% 100,000 to 249,000 18% 38% 9% 9% 24% 58% 64% 50,000 to 99,999 14% 50% 10% 6% 56% 59% 83% 25,000 to 49,999 5% 16% 2% 0% 1% 35% 29% 10,000 to 24,999 6% 38% 19% 16% 30% 73% 51% 5,000 to 9,999 3% 24% 5% 13% 5% 40% 45% 2,500 to 4,999 1% 56% 42% 61% 34% 61% 100% Under 2,500 0% 93% 89% 53% 96% 94% 94% Total 100% 38% 5% 13% 38% 49% 67% Note: Reported needs defined by indicated responses to questions. Need requires positive indication of need; blank answer to question is interpreted as no need. Q13a,b: Structural firefighting is a role the department performs and not all personnel who perform this duty have received formal training. Q14a,b: EMS is a role the department performs and not all personnel who perform this duty have received formal training. Q15a,b: Hazmat response is a role the department performs and not all personnel who perform this duty have received formal training. Q16a,b: Wildland firefighting is a role the department performs and not all personnel who perform this duty have received formal training. Q17a,b: Technical rescue is a role the department performs and not all personnel who perform this duty have received formal training. Source: DHS files on AFG grant recipients (2010-2014) and matching to NFPA Needs Assessment 2010 survey responses. Matching Assistance to Firefighter Grants to 20 NFPA Research, Quincy, MA 02169
Table 12 Reported Needs versus Departments receiving Awarded Grants for Wellness/Fitness Programs by Community Size (2010 2014) Community Size Percent of Departments Receiving Wellness/Fitness Awards Q18 500,000 or more 14% 33% 250,000 to 499,999 18% 17% 100,000 to 249,000 16% 27% 50,000 to 99,999 7% 50% 25,000 to 49,999 3% 29% 10,000 to 24,999 7% 52% 5,000 to 9,999 3% 17% 2,500 to 4,999 1% NA Under 2,500 1% 100% Total 5% 37% NA Not applicable because there were no such awards. Note: Reported needs defined by indicated responses to questions. Need requires positive indication of need; blank answer to question is interpreted as no need. Percent of departments: 73 for Training out of 1,339 matched fire departments awarded grants during 2011 to 2014. Q18: Department does not have a program to maintain basic firefighter fitness and health. Source: DHS files on AFG grant recipients (2010-2014) and matching to NFPA Needs Assessment 2010 survey responses. Matching Assistance to Firefighter Grants to 21 NFPA Research, Quincy, MA 02169
Table 13 Reported Needs versus Grant Amounts for Wellness/Fitness Programs by Community Size (2010 2014) Community Size Percent of Wellness/Fitness Dollars Granted Q18 500,000 or more 15% 38% 250,000 to 499,999 14% 18% 100,000 to 249,000 38% 40% 50,000 to 99,999 9% 49% 25,000 to 49,999 8% 10% 10,000 to 24,999 14% 54% 5,000 to 9,999 1% 46% 2,500 to 4,999 0% NA Under 2,500 0% 100% Total 100% 37% NA Not applicable because there were no such awards. Note: Reported needs defined by indicated responses to questions. Need requires positive indication of need; blank answer to question is interpreted as no need. Q18: Department does not have a program to maintain basic firefighter fitness and health. Source: DHS files on AFG grant recipients (2010-2014) and matching to NFPA Needs Assessment 2010 survey responses. Matching Assistance to Firefighter Grants to 22 NFPA Research, Quincy, MA 02169
Appendix A: Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) for All Grant Amounts Awarded (2010 2014) Year Equipment PPE Facility EMS Equipment EMS TrainingWellness Vehicle Training Total 2010 $ 170,378,882 $ 78,250,368 $ 10,489,829 $ 3,453,210 $ 157,075 $ - $ 97,752,397 $ 7,740 $ 360,489,501 2011 $ 199,145,173 $ 65,491,873 $ 10,347,252 $ - $ 435,320 $ 939,193 $ 90,025,360 $ - $ 366,384,171 2012 $ 122,530,138 $ 117,499,481 $ 6,622,844 $ 4,865,009 $ 275,232 $ 5,583,536 $ 33,907,265 $ 21,303,127 $ 312,586,632 2013 $ 75,768,637 $ 7,804,801 $ 2,436,990 $ 255,017 $ 2,914,721 $ 59,879,467 $ 15,285,127 $ 164,344,760 2014 $ 71,945,842 $ 157,007,702 $ 6,953,826 $ 5,342,797 $ 5,342,797 $ 3,930,033 $ 67,468,993 $ 67,468,993 $ 385,460,983 Total Awarded $ 639,768,672 $ 418,249,424 $ 42,218,552 $ 16,098,006 $ 6,465,441 $ 13,367,483 $ 349,033,482 $ 104,064,987 $ 1,589,266,047 Percent Awarded 40% 26% 3% 1% 0% 1% 22% 7% 100% Source: DHS files on AFG grant recipients (2010-2014) and matching to NFPA Needs Assessment 2010 survey responses. Matching Assistance to Firefighter Grants to 23 NFPA Research, Quincy, MA 02169
Appendix B: Number of AFG Grant Awards issued to a given Fire Department by Community Size (2010 2014) Community Size Grant Awards Per Fire Department One Two Three Four Five Six Seven 500,000 or more 2 1 4 5 1 1 1 250,000 to 499,999 5 9 3 2 2 0 0 100,000 to 249,000 31 21 17 4 2 0 0 50,000 to 99,999 58 37 19 6 0 1 1 25,000 to 49,999 127 64 24 2 0 0 0 10,000 to 24,999 208 75 33 8 1 0 0 5,000 to 9,999 148 55 19 3 2 1 0 2,500 to 4,999 121 36 6 6 1 0 0 Under 2,500 124 35 6 0 1 0 0 Total 824 333 131 36 10 3 2 Percent 62% 25% 10% 3% 0.7% 0.2% 0.1% Grand Total 1,339 Source: DHS files on AFG grant recipients (2010-2014) and matching to NFPA Needs Assessment 2010 survey responses. Matching Assistance to Firefighter Grants to 24 NFPA Research, Quincy, MA 02169
Appendix C: Parts of needs assessment survey used to identify needs by category Here are the questions and answers used to define needs for each category of grants: i. Equipment There were three distinguishable types of need in this category. (Note: There were no EMS equipment grants included in the match, thus this type of need is not discussed in this section). The first was equipment required by NFPA standards (specifically, portable radios): Q27a. Not all emergency responders on-duty on a single shift can be equipped with portable radios. (Other needs that could have been derived from survey responses but were not included in this analysis were that (a) not all radios were water-resistant and intrinsically safe in an explosive atmosphere, and (b) there were not reserve portable radios equal to at least 10% of in-service radios.) The second was equipment deemed necessary by the departments to respond to unusually challenging incidents that fell within their scope. These were the homeland-security related needs: Q36a,c. Technical rescue and EMS for a building with 50 occupants after a structural collapse is within fire department scope and could not be handled with local specialized equipment. Q37a,c. Hazmat and EMS for an incident involving chemical/biological agents and 10 injuries is within fire department scope and could not be handled with local specialized equipment. Q38a,c. Wildland/urban interface fire affecting 500 acres is within fire department scope and could not be handled with local specialized equipment. Q39a,c. Mitigation of a developing major flood is within fire department scope and could not be handled with local specialized equipment. The last was equipment deemed useful but not required by any standard (specifically, thermal imaging cameras): Q. 41. Fire department does not own a thermal imaging camera. Matching Assistance to Firefighter Grants to 25 NFPA Research, Quincy, MA 02169
ii. Personal protective equipment Q28a. Not all emergency responders on-duty on a single shift can be equipped with self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). (Other needs that could have been derived from survey responses but were not included in this analysis were that any SCBA were 10 years old or older.) Q29. Not all emergency responders on duty on a single shift are equipped with personal alert safety system (PASS) devices. Q30a. Not all emergency responders are equipped with personal protective clothing. (Other needs that could have been derived from survey responses but were not included in this analysis were that (a) any clothing is at least 10 years old, or (b) there were not reserve clothing to equip 10% of emergency responders. iii. Vehicles Q6e. Any vehicles are converted vehicles not designed as FD apparatus. Q24e. Any engines/pumpers are at least 30 years old. (Other needs that could have been derived from survey responses but were not included in this analysis were lower age thresholds of 20 or 15 years old.) Sufficiency. There were not enough engines to equip enough stations (one engine per station), optimally located, to provide community coverage in accordance with NFPA standards and ISO formulas. This assessment employed the formulas used in the Needs Assessment report, with different distance criteria for smaller vs. larger communities, as described in the report. Note that this was not an assessment of whether there were enough engines for the community s existing stations but rather whether there were enough engines for the number of stations required to appropriately cover the community s entire area. iv. Facility modification Q23d. Any fire station is not equipped with exhaust emission control. v. Training No EMS training was included in the match, because there were no fire departments that matched the EMS category code EMS training. Q13a,b. Structural firefighting is a role the department performs and not all personnel who perform this duty have received formal training. (Other needs that could have been derived from survey responses but were not included in this analysis are some levels of personnel certification.) Q15a,b. Hazmat response is a role the department performs and not all personnel who perform this duty have received formal training. (Other needs that could have been derived from survey responses but were not included in this analysis are some levels of personnel certification.) Matching Assistance to Firefighter Grants to 26 NFPA Research, Quincy, MA 02169
Q16a,b. Wildland firefighting is a role the department performs and not all personnel who perform this duty have received formal training. Q17a,b. Technical rescue is a role the department performs and not all personnel who perform this duty have received formal training. vi. Wellness and fitness Q18. Department does not have a program to maintain basic firefighter fitness and health. Matching Assistance to Firefighter Grants to 27 NFPA Research, Quincy, MA 02169
Appendix D. Matching Assistance to Firefighter Grants to 28 NFPA Research, Quincy, MA 02169
Matching Assistance to Firefighter Grants to 29 NFPA Research, Quincy, MA 02169
Matching Assistance to Firefighter Grants to 30 NFPA Research, Quincy, MA 02169
Matching Assistance to Firefighter Grants to 31 NFPA Research, Quincy, MA 02169
Matching Assistance to Firefighter Grants to 32 NFPA Research, Quincy, MA 02169