What the AFG Program Is (And Why Your Department Should Be Applying)

FEMA's Assistance to Firefighters Grant program has been a cornerstone of fire service funding since 2001. In that time, the program has awarded approximately $8.7 billion in grant funding to help departments obtain equipment, protective gear, vehicles, training, and other critical resources (Federal Register, FY 2024 AFG Program Notice). For FY 2024 alone, $291.6 million was distributed across 1,678 awards (FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grants).

The AFG umbrella includes three distinct programs:

• Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG): Funds equipment, training, PPE, wellness programs, vehicle acquisition, and facility modifications
• Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER): Funds hiring and retention of firefighters, including conversion of part-time and paid-on-call positions to full-time
• Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S): Funds fire prevention programs and firefighter safety research

One of AFG's most important design features is that grants are awarded directly to fire departments — not funneled through state agencies that siphon off administrative costs (Congressional Fire Services Institute). Applications are peer-reviewed by fire service personnel who understand department operations. This means your application is being evaluated by people who speak your language.

The program serves departments of all sizes. Volunteer departments, combination departments, and career departments are all eligible. Many of the smallest departments in the country have received AFG awards — but only the ones that actually applied.

Is Response Technology Eligible for AFG Funding?

This is the question that stops many chiefs before they even start the application. The short answer is yes — operational technology falls within AFG's equipment funding activity, which covers a broad range of resources that enhance firefighter safety and operational effectiveness.

Here's how to think about positioning technology purchases within an AFG application:

• Apparatus tablets and mobile data terminals are operational equipment that provides mapping, navigation, preplanning data, and real-time coordination during emergency response
• Response software platforms enhance situational awareness, improve timestamp accuracy for performance documentation, and support NERIS compliance
• Station alerting systems reduce turnout times by providing instant visual and audible notification with mapped call locations and navigation routing
• AVL hardware and integration enables real-time vehicle tracking for deployment analysis, closest-unit dispatching, and ISO evaluation documentation

The key is framing the technology in terms AFG reviewers respond to: firefighter safety, operational efficiency, interoperability, and compliance. A request for "tablets with response software" is weaker than a request for "mobile situational awareness equipment that improves response coordination, reduces turnout times, and provides automated NERIS-compliant timestamp documentation."

The transition to NERIS strengthens the justification considerably. Departments can articulate that their current manual reporting methods cannot meet the data quality standards NERIS requires, and that automated timestamp capture and RMS integration are necessary to comply with the new national reporting framework. For more context on the NERIS transition and its implications, see What Fire Chiefs Need to Know About the NFIRS to NERIS Transition.

One important note: AFG requires a cost-share or matching contribution from the applicant. The match percentage varies based on department type and the population served, but for smaller and volunteer departments, it's typically between 5% and 10% of the total award. This is a manageable commitment for most departments, especially when the alternative is funding the entire purchase out of pocket.

Building a Competitive AFG Application: What Reviewers Want to See

AFG is competitive. Not every application gets funded, and the difference between a successful application and an unsuccessful one usually isn't the type of equipment being requested — it's how well the department makes its case. Here's what moves applications to the top of the review pile:

Demonstrate critical need with your own data. Reviewers want specifics, not generalities. Include your department's call volume and trends, current response time performance, NERIS reporting challenges, and specific incidents or patterns that illustrate the gap between what you have and what you need. A rural department covering 85 square miles with no AVL capability and paper-based reporting tells a compelling story — but only if you actually tell it with numbers.

Explain the measurable impact. Connect the requested technology directly to outcomes: improved timestamp accuracy, faster turnout times through station alerting, enhanced firefighter safety through better situational awareness, more reliable NERIS data submissions. Reviewers are looking for grant dollars that translate into demonstrable improvements, not vague promises of "better technology."

Show how current resources fall short. Paint an honest picture of your current situation. Aging pagers with no two-way communication. Dispatcher-dependent timestamps that skew response time analysis. No preplan access en route. Manual data entry that introduces errors and burdens already-stretched crews. The more specific and concrete your description, the more compelling your case.

Align your language with AFG priorities. Every AFG funding cycle publishes a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) that outlines specific priorities. Read it carefully and mirror its language in your narrative. Terms like interoperability, firefighter safety, operational efficiency, and data-driven decision-making should appear naturally throughout your application — because they genuinely describe what response technology delivers.

Budget accurately and completely. Include all costs: software licensing, hardware (tablets, mounts, charging systems), installation, training, and any recurring subscription fees. Reviewers flag applications that look incomplete or that omit obvious cost components. It's better to request the full amount you need than to submit a low number that doesn't cover actual implementation.

Beyond AFG: Other Grant and Funding Sources for Fire Technology

AFG is the largest federal grant program for fire departments, but it's not the only source of funding. A smart strategy applies to multiple sources simultaneously:

• SAFER grants fund staffing, not equipment — but departments that receive SAFER funding to hire or retain personnel often free up budget that can be redirected toward technology investments
• State-level grant programs are expanding. New York established V-FIRE Grants from a $25 million capital fund specifically for volunteer fire service improvements including apparatus, firehouses, and equipment (Spectrum News, 2024). Tennessee's Volunteer Firefighter Equipment and Training Grant was expanded to $10 million for volunteer departments. Many other states have similar programs — check with your state fire marshal's office.
• USDA Rural Development grants serve departments in communities with populations under 10,000 and can fund equipment purchases through low-interest loans and grants
• Municipal capital improvement budgets sometimes fund technology separately from operating budgets — especially when the technology can be framed as infrastructure rather than a recurring expense
• Matching fund programs at the state level may cover your AFG cost-share requirement, effectively making the federal grant free for qualifying departments

The bottom line: don't put all your eggs in one basket. Apply for AFG, explore state programs, and build technology into your municipal budget conversation simultaneously.

Making Technology Work Within Your Existing Budget

Not every technology investment requires a grant. For departments that want to start modernizing now rather than waiting for an award cycle, tiered adoption makes the path accessible:

1. Start with a smartphone response app. This is the lowest-cost, highest-impact first step. Individual responders use their personal devices — no hardware purchase required. Immediate improvements in call notification, response coordination, and status tracking. StreetWise Responder is designed specifically for this use case.
2. Add station alerting. SmartBoards are plug-and-play with any HDMI-capable screen. No MDT subscription required, no complex installation. Your station gets instant call alerting with mapped locations, navigation routing, and a chute timer countdown — plus a daily information dashboard in idle mode.
3. Implement automated RMS reporting. Once your crews are capturing status timestamps digitally, route that data directly into your records management system. The reduction in manual data entry is immediate, and StreetWise doesn't charge for RMS integration.
4. Build toward full apparatus MDTs as budget allows. Tablet-based platforms provide the complete suite of mapping, navigation, preplanning, AVL, tactical waypoints, and incident management tools.

An all-in-one platform approach reduces total cost compared to assembling multiple point solutions from different vendors — one integration, one support relationship, one training pipeline. For departments operating within a $3,000–$10,000 annual technology budget, this kind of phased approach makes modernization realistic without waiting for grant funding.

And when a grant does come through, you'll already know exactly what you need and how it fits into your operation — which makes your next application even stronger.

A Sample Timeline: From Application to Implementation

Note: This is a hypothetical example based on typical AFG program cycles. Actual dates, deadlines, and timelines vary by fiscal year.

Understanding the AFG timeline helps you plan ahead rather than scrambling when the application window opens:

• Late Summer / Early Fall: FEMA publishes the AFG Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). Read it immediately. Note priority categories, eligible expenses, cost-share requirements, and any changes from the previous year. Begin drafting your narrative.
• Fall (typically November–December): Application window opens on FEMA GO. Submit your completed application through the online system. Make sure your SAM.gov registration is current and your FEMA GO account is active before the window opens — registration delays have caused departments to miss deadlines.
• Spring / Summer (following year): Awards are announced. If funded, you'll receive a post-award orientation and information about managing your grant.
• Implementation period: Purchase equipment, install, train your personnel. Document everything — FEMA requires semi-annual performance reports throughout the grant period.
• Closeout: Complete final reporting when the project is finished.

The most critical preparation step is one that has nothing to do with writing: register in SAM.gov and create your FEMA GO account well in advance of the application window. These administrative prerequisites trip up departments every single year.

Frequently Asked Questions

What size department can apply for AFG grants?

Departments of all sizes are eligible, including all-volunteer departments, combination departments, and career departments. AFG was specifically designed to serve departments that lack the resources to fund critical needs through their regular budgets. Many of the program's awards go to small and rural departments — the key is submitting a well-structured application that clearly demonstrates need and impact.

How much matching funding does my department need to provide?

The cost-share requirement varies based on your department type and the population you serve. For volunteer and small departments, the match is typically between 5% and 10% of the total grant award. Some state programs will cover the local cost-share requirement for qualifying departments, so check with your state fire marshal's office before assuming the match must come from your operating budget.

Can we include software subscriptions in an AFG application, or only hardware?

AFG covers equipment broadly, and technology platforms that enhance operational capabilities fall within eligible categories. The key is how you frame the request — position software as operational equipment that delivers measurable safety and efficiency improvements, not as an IT purchase. Include all associated costs (hardware, software licensing, installation, training) as a complete package rather than separating them.

What happens if our AFG application isn't funded?

Many successful AFG recipients applied more than once before receiving an award. If your application isn't selected, request reviewer feedback if available, refine your narrative, and reapply in the next cycle. In the meantime, explore the alternative funding sources outlined above and consider the tiered adoption approach to begin modernizing within your existing budget. A department that's already using modern tools has even stronger data to support its next grant application. Reach out to StreetWise if you'd like help understanding how our platform fits into a grant funding strategy.

Your Budget Shouldn't Be the Only Thing Standing Between Your Department and Better Technology

Grant funding isn't guaranteed — but departments that never apply are guaranteed to miss out. The AFG program exists specifically to help departments like yours access the equipment and technology that tight budgets can't cover. A strong application built on real data, aligned with program priorities, and framed around firefighter safety and operational effectiveness has a genuine shot at funding.

And if the grant doesn't come through this cycle, the tiered adoption path means you don't have to wait. Start where your budget allows, build capability over time, and use the data from your new tools to write an even stronger application next year.

Need help understanding how StreetWise products fit into a grant application or a phased technology plan? Let's have that conversation.