U.S. Department of Homeland Security 
Washington, DC 20528 


Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 
(ARRA) Fire Station Construction Grants (SCG) Frequently Asked 
Questions (FAQs) 

1. What is the purpose of the FY 2009 ARRA SCG? 
The ARRA is an economic stimulus package that was designed to jumpstart the U.S. 
economy, create or save millions of jobs, and put a down payment on addressing long-
neglected challenges nationally. Funds received under this Act are intended to support these 
goals, and unprecedented levels of transparency, oversight, and accountability are required of 
the expenditure of Act dollars. 

The purpose of the FY 2009 ARRA SCG specifically is to focus on these goals, and the goals 
of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program, i.e., assisting fire departments in 
improving their basic response capability and capacity, and improving firefighter safety. 

2. How much funding is available under the FY 2009 ARRA SCG? 
The total amount of funds available under the ARRA SCG will be $210,000,000. 

3. How does the FY 2009 ARRA SCG guidance differ from the FY 2009 AFG guidance? 
AFG does not fund new construction or station renovations (with the exception of minor 
modifications for firefighter safety, which includes vehicle exhaust extraction systems and 
the installation of fire sprinklers or alarms). SCG is essentially a new effort for the AFG 
program office. 

4. What are the priorities for the FY 2009 ARRA SCG? 
. 
Projects in areas of the country where unemployment is highest 
. 
Projects that are ready to begin shortly after award (i.e. applicant already owns land 
and has required permits in hand, etc.) 
. 
Projects that improve to emergency response time (NFPA Standards) and firefighter 
safety 

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. 
Projects that are environmentally friendly; conform to national consensus codes and 
standards, provide best value for cost and can be constructed within the proposed 
budget. 

5. 
Who is eligible to apply for FY 2009 ARRA SCG funds? 
Non-federal fire departments and state and local governments that fund/operate fire 
departments are eligible for SCG. 


6. 
What are the eligible uses of FY 2009 ARRA SCG funds? 
The following project types are eligible uses of FY 09 ARRA SCG funds: 
. 
Construction of new fire stations. Funds must support firefighting operations hence 
awards will not support non-fire response or business. 
. 
Renovation of fire stations to enhance response capacity or firefighter safety. 

7. 
How will the FY 2009 ARRA SCG funds be allocated? 
Awards will be made in rank order of competition. Competition will be scored in two phases: 
1) funding priorities; and 2) peer reviews. 

8. 
What are the key milestones associated with the FY 2009 ARRA SCG? 
The key milestones associated with FY 2009 ARRA SCG are: 

. 
May 29, 2009: ARRA SCG Grant Guidance released 
. 
June 8, 2009: Application period opens 
. 
July 10, 2009: End of Application period 
. 
July 27 (week of): Peer review 
. 
September to December: Issue awards 


9. 
What legislation authorizes funding for the FY 2009 ARRA SCG? 
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5) provides funding 
for this program. 

10. Where is the FY 2009 ARRA SCG Guidance and Application Kit located? 
The FY 2009 ARRA SCG Guidance and Application Kit will be located online at 
https://portal.fema.net and accessible through www.grants.gov. 


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11. What other resources are available to address programmatic, technical and financial 
questions? 
. 
For additional program-specific information, please call the AFG Help Desk at (866) 
274-0960 or email at firegrants@dhs.gov. Help Desk hours of operation will be from 

8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday. Weekend hours will be 
established if needed 
. 
To access grant writing technical assistance, including an online tutorial, frequently 
asked questions, and the program guidance, please access refer to 
http://www.firegrantsupport.com, the CFDA number for SCG is 97.115. 

. 
For financially-related questions, including application preparation, pre-and post-
award administration and technical assistance, please contact the FEMA Call Center 
at (866) 927-5646 or via E-mail to ASK-GMD@dhs.gov. 

12. What is the FY 2009 ARRA SCG period of performance? 
The period of performance of the grants will be a maximum of 36 months. Extensions to the 
period of performance will be considered only through formal requests to FEMA with 
specific and compelling justifications why an extension is required. 

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