NOFO Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) Grant Program

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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)
Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) Grant Program Fraud, waste, abuse, mismanagement and other criminal or noncriminal misconduct related to this program may be reported to the Office of Inspector General (OIG) Hotline. The toll-free numbers to call are 1 (800) 323-8603 and TTY 1 (844) 889-4357.

Contents

1. Basic Information........................................................................................................................ 4 A. Agency Name ............................................................................................................................. 4 B. NOFO Title ................................................................................................................................ 4 C. Announcement Type .................................................................................................................. 4 D. Funding Opportunity Number .................................................................................................... 4 E. Assistance Listing Number ........................................................................................................ 4 F. Expected Total Funding ............................................................................................................. 4 G. Anticipated Number of Awards ................................................................................................. 4 H. Expected Award Range ............................................................................................................. 4 I. Projected Application Start Date ................................................................................................. 4 J. Projected Application End Date .................................................................................................. 4 K. Anticipated Funding Selection Date .......................................................................................... 4 L. Anticipated Award Date ............................................................................................................. 4 M. Projected Period of Performance (POP) Start Date .................................................................. 5 N. Projected POP End Date ............................................................................................................ 5 O. Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... 5 P. Agency Contact .......................................................................................................................... 5

2. Eligibility .................................................................................................................................... 6 A. Eligible Entities/Entity Types .................................................................................................... 6 B. Project Type Eligibility .............................................................................................................. 7 C. Requirements for Personnel, Partners, and Other Parties .......................................................... 8 D. Maximum Number of Applications ........................................................................................... 8 E. Additional Restrictions ............................................................................................................... 9 F. References for Eligibility Factors within the NOFO ................................................................ 10 G. Cost Sharing Requirement ....................................................................................................... 10 H. C
ost Share Description, Type and Restrictions ....................................................................... 10 I. Cost Sharing Calculation Example............................................................................................ 11 J. Required information for verifying Cost Share ........................................................................ 11

3. Program Description ................................................................................................................. 11 A. Background, Program Purpose, and Program History .......................................................... 11 B. Goals and Objectives ............................................................................................................. 12 C. Program Rationale ................................................................................................................. 12 D. Federal Assistance Type ........................................................................................................ 13 E. Performance Measures and Targets ...................................................................................... 13 2 | Page
F. Program-Specific Unallowable Costs ................................................................................... 13 G. General Funding Requirements ............................................................................................. 13 H. Indirect Costs (Facilities and Administrative Costs) ............................................................. 14 I. Management and Administration (M&A) Costs ................................................................... 14 J. Pre-Award Costs .................................................................................................................... 14 K. Beneficiary Eligibility ........................................................................................................... 15 L. Participant Eligibility ............................................................................................................ 15 M. Authorizing Authority ........................................................................................................... 15 N. Appropriation Authority ........................................................................................................ 15 O. Budget Period ........................................................................................................................ 15 P. Prohibition on Covered Equipment or Services .................................................................... 15

4. Application Contents and Format ............................................................................................. 15 A. Pre-Application, Letter of Intent, and Whitepapers .............................................................. 15 B. Application Content and Format ........................................................................................... 15 C. Application Components ....................................................................................................... 15 D. Program-Specific Required Documents and Information ..................................................... 16 E. Post-Application Requirements for Successful Applicants ................................................... 16

5. Submission Requirements and Deadlines ................................................................................. 16 A. Address to Request Application Package .............................................................................. 16 B. Application Deadline ............................................................................................................. 19 C. Pre-Application Requirements Deadline ............................................................................... 19 D. Post-Application Requirements Deadline ............................................................................. 19 E. Effects of Missing the Deadline ............................................................................................ 19

6. Intergovernmental Review ........................................................................................................ 19 A. Requirement Description and State Single Point of Contact ................................................ 19

7. Application Review Information .............................................................................................. 19 A. Threshold Criteria .................................................................................................................. 19 B. Application Criteria ............................................................................................................... 20 C. F
inancial Integrity Criteria .................................................................................................... 21 D. Supplemental Financial Integrity Criteria and Review ......................................................... 21 E. Reviewers and Reviewer Selection ....................................................................................... 21 F. Merit Review Process ............................................................................................................ 21 G. Final Selection ....................................................................................................................... 28

8. Award Notices .......................................................................................................................... 29 A. Notice of Award .................................................................................................................... 29 B. Pass-Through Requirements .................................................................................................. 29 C. Note Regarding Pre-Award Costs ......................................................................................... 29 D. Obligation of Funds ............................................................................................................... 29 E. Notification to Unsuccessful Applicants ............................................................................... 29

9. Post-Award Requirements and Administration ........................................................................ 29 A. Administrative and National Policy Requirements ............................................................... 30 B. DHS Standard Terms and Conditions ................................................................................... 31 C. Financial Reporting Requirements ........................................................................................ 33 D. Programmatic Performance Reporting Requirements ........................................................... 33 E. Closeout Reporting Requirements ......................................................................................... 33 F. Disclosing Information per 2 C.F.R. § 180.335 .................................................................... 35

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G. Reporting of Matters Related to Recipient Integrity and Performance ................................. 35 H. Single Audit Report ............................................................................................................... 35 I. Monitoring and Oversight ..................................................................................................... 35 J. Program Evaluation ............................................................................................................... 36 K. Additional Performance Reporting Requirements ................................................................ 36 Not applicable. .............................................................................................................................. 36 L. Termination of Federal Award .............................................................................................. 36 M. Best Practices ........................................................................................................................ 38 N. Payment Information ............................................................................................................. 38 O. Immigration Conditions ........................................................................................................... 40

10. Other Information ................................................................................................................... 40 A. POP Extension ....................................................................................................................... 40 B. Other Information .................................................................................................................. 41

11. Appendix A – FY 2025 FP&S Program Updates ................................................................... 47

12. Appendix B – Programmatic Information and Priorities ........................................................ 48 A. Supporting Definitions for this NOFO ..................................................................................... 48 B. Funding Priorities ..................................................................................................................... 49

13. Appendix C – Award Administration Information ................................................................. 57 A. Help FEMA Prevent Fraud, Waste, and Abuse ....................................................................... 58 B. Grant Writer and Preparation Fees ........................................................................................... 58 C. Maintenance and Sustainment ................................................................................................. 59 D. Taxes, Fees, Levies, and Assessments ..................................................................................... 59 E. Excess Funds ............................................................................................................................ 59 F. Payments and Amendments ..................................................................................................... 60 G. Disposition of Grant Funded Equipment ................................................................................. 61

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1. Basic Information
A. Agency Name U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Resilience/Grant Programs Directorate (GPD)
B. NOFO Title Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) Grant Program
C. Announcement
Type
Initial
D. Funding
Opportunity Number
DHS-25-GPD-044-00-97
E. Assistance Listing
Number

97.151
F. Expected Total
Funding
$32.4 million
G. Anticipated
Number of Awards
100 awards
H. Expected Award
Range
$1 – $1.5 million*
*The total amount of funding a recipient may receive under an FP&S Program award is limited to a maximum federal share of $1.5 million set by § 33(d)(2) of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974, Pub. L. 93-498, as amended (15 U.S.C. § 2229(d)(2)).

Research & Development (R&D) Activity applicants applying under the Early Career Investigator category are limited to a maximum federal share of $600,000 per project.

I. Projected
Application Start
Date
May 19, 2026 8 a.m. ET
J. Projected
Application End Date
June 22, 2026 5 p.m. ET
K. Anticipated
Funding Selection
Date
No later than August 31, 2026
L. Anticipated
Award Date
Beginning on approximately September 14, 2026 and continuing thereafter until all FY 2025 FP&S Program grant awards are issued (but no later than September 30, 2026).

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M. Projected Period
of Performance
(POP) Start Date
August 31, 2026 (will vary based on award date and activity type) N. Projected POP
End Date
August 31, 2027 – August 31, 2030 (will vary based on award date and activity type)
O. Executive
Summary
The focus of the FY 2025 FP&S Grant Program is to
help protect the public and firefighters from fire and fire-related hazards. The FP&S Grant Program provides grants directly to eligible entities for fire prevention programs and firefighter safety, health or well-being research and development.

P. Agency Contact

a. Fire Grants Program Office Contact
The Fire Grants Program Help Desk provides technical assistance to applicants for the online completion and submission of applications into FEMA Grants Outcomes (FEMA GO), answers questions
concerning applicant eligibility, recipient responsibilities, and helps in the programmatic administration of awards. The Fire Grants Program Help Desk can be contacted at (866) 274-0960 or by email at [email protected]. Normal hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET.

Guidance documents such as application tutorials, Self-Evaluation Guides, and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are also provided to further explain the current FP&S program, assist with the online grant application, and highlight lessons learned and changes for FY 2025.

For more details, please visit the FP&S Program website.

b. FEMA Grants News
This channel provides general information on all FEMA grant programs and maintains a comprehensive database containing key personnel contact information at the federal, state, and local levels.

FEMA Grants News Team is reachable at fema-grants-
[email protected] OR (800) 368-6498, Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM ET.
c. GPD Award Administration Division
GPD’s Award Administration Division (AAD) provides support regarding financial matters and budgetary technical assistance. AAD can be contacted at [email protected].
d. FEMA Regional Offices
Assistance to Firefighters Grants Regional Contacts also may provide fiscal support, including pre- and post-award administration and technical assistance. Assistance to Firefighters Grants Regional Office contacts are available at Assistance to Firefighters Grants Regional Contacts | FEMA.gov.

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e. Civil Rights
Consistent with Executive Order 14173, Ending Illegal Discrimination & Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity, the FEMA Integration and Coordination Division (ICD) is responsible for ensuring compliance with and enforcement of federal civil rights obligations in connection with programs and services conducted by FEMA. They are reachable at [email protected].

f. Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation (EHP) The FEMA Office of Environmental Planning and Historic
Preservation (OEHP) provides guidance and information about the EHP review process to FEMA programs and recipients and
subrecipients. Send any inquiries regarding compliance for FEMA grant projects under this NOFO to FEMA-OEHP-
[email protected].

g. FEMA GO
For technical assistance with the FEMA GO system, please contact the FEMA GO Helpdesk at [email protected] or (877) 585-3242, Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM ET.

2. Eligibility

A. Eligible
Entities/Entity Types
Only the following entities or entity types are eligible to apply. a. Applicants

1. FP&S Activity

Fire departments operating in any of the 50 states, as well as fire departments in the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico,
1 or any federally
recognized Indian tribe or tribal organization. A fire department is an agency or organization having a formally recognized arrangement with a state, local, tribal, or territorial authority (city, county, parish, fire district, township, town, or other governing body) to provide fire suppression to a population within a geographically fixed primary first due response area. National, regional, state, local tribal Nation and nonprofit interest organizations that are recognized for their experience and expertise in fire prevention and safety programs and activities are eligible applicants.

1 The District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico are all defined as “States” in the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974. See 15 U.S.C. § 2203(10).

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Both private and public nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply for funding under this activity.

2. R&D Activity

National, state, local, federally recognized Tribal Nation and non- profit organizations, such as academic (e.g., universities), research foundations, public safety institutes, public health, occupational health, and injury prevention institutions.

Both private and public non-profit organizations are eligible to apply for funding in this activity. Fire departments are not eligible to apply for funding in this activity.

Each activity has its own application and eligibility requirements, as further outlined in Appendix B – Programmatic Information and Priorities of this NOFO.

b. Subapplicants
Subapplicants and subawards are allowed for both activities.

Subapplicants should not have foreign nationals or noncitizens included. If a subapplicant has foreign nationals, they must be properly vetted and must adhere to all government statutes, policies, and procedures including “staff American, stay in America” and security requirements.

B. Project Type
Eligibility
a. Unallowable Project Types
Please see Appendix B – Programmatic Information and Priorities of this NOFO for additional information on unallowable project types.

b. Allowable Project Types

1. FP&S Activity

The FP&S Activity is designed to reach high-risk target groups 2 and
mitigate the incidence of death and injuries caused by fire and fire- related hazards. The five project categories eligible for funding under this activity are:

1. Community Risk Reduction;

2. Wildfire Risk Reduction;

3. Code Enforcement/Awareness;

2 Per 15 U.S. Code § 2229(j)(3)(A) FEMA shall give priority to applicants who focus on prevention of injuries to high-risk groups from fire. Applicants may choose the following options within the application to include children under 14, adults over 65, firefighters, people with disabilities (e.g., deaf/hard-of hearing), college/university housing, low-income families/neighborhoods, geographic area and/or other populations.

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4. Origin and Cause Investigation; and

5. National/State/Regional Programs and Projects.

2. R&D Activity

The R&D Activity is aimed at improving firefighter safety, health, or well-being through research and development that reduces firefighter fatalities and injuries. The four project categories eligible for funding under this activity are:

1. Clinical Studies;

2. Technology and Product Development;

3. Preliminary Studies; and

4. Early Career Investigator.

C. Requirements for
Personnel, Partners,
and Other Parties
An application submitted by an otherwise eligible non-federal entity (i.e., the applicant) may be deemed ineligible when the person that submitted the application is not: 1) a current employee, personnel, official, staff or leadership of the non-federal entity; and 2) duly authorized to apply for an award on behalf of the non-federal entity at the time of application.

Further, the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) must be a duly authorized current employee, personnel, official, staff or leadership of the recipient and provide an email address unique to the recipient at the time of application and upon any change in assignment during the POP. Consultants or contractors of the recipient are not permitted to be the AOR of the recipient.

FEMA employees are prohibited from serving in any capacity (paid or unpaid) on the development of any proposal submitted under this program.

Subapplicants should not have foreign nationals or noncitizens included. If a subapplicant has foreign nationals, they must be properly vetted and must adhere to all government statues, polices, and procedures including “staff American, stay in America” and security requirements.

Subapplicants/subrecipients must submit short bios and resumes. This should include the type of entity, organizational leadership, and board members along with the both the names and addresses of the individuals. Resumes are subject to approval.

D. Maximum
Number of
Applications
The maximum number of applications that can be submitted under the FP&S Program is:

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1. One application per eligible entity, per activity (up to one application under the FP&S Activity and up to one application under the R&D Activity).

Each application may include up to three projects. Each project within an application must be presented separately as a free-standing proposal. Each project requires its own separate supporting budget and narrative statement.

If an applicant submits two or more applications for the same activity, both applications may be disqualified.

This is different from when an entity is applying on behalf of other organizations that are agencies or instrumentalities of the applicant (e.g., multiple fire departments under the same county, city, borough, parish or other municipality).

In that situation, the applicant may request similar or the same costs as long as the application clearly states which costs (including quantities) are for which agency/instrumentality.

This is permissible even if that entity submits multiple applications across regional versus direct applications.

E. Additional
Restrictions
a. POP Restrictions
The POP may be between 12 and 48 months.

1. FP&S Activity
The POP for projects funded under the FP&S Activity is generally 12 months. Eligible applicants who propose complex projects may apply for up to a 24-month POP from the date of award.

2. R&D Activity
The POP for projects proposed under the R&D Activity will be 12, 24, 36, or 48 months from the date of award.

b. National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS) NERIS reporting is not required to apply for the FP&S Program.

However, fire departments receiving funding must agree to report to NFIRS or NERIS during the performance period. If unable to report at the time of the award, recipients must establish reporting capacity within 24 months and report for at least 12 months once capable.

FEMA may request proof of compliance, and noncompliance during the performance period may result in remedies under 2 C.F.R. § 200.339. Nonaffiliated emergency medical services (EMS) organizations and SFTAs are exempt from NFIRS/NERIS reporting requirements.

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c. National Incident Management System (NIMS) Implementation FP&S Program applicants are not required to comply with NIMS to appl
y for FP&S Program funding or to receive an FP&S Program award. Any applicant who receives a FY 2025 FP&S Program award must achieve the level of NIMS compliance required by the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) over the applicant’s emergency service operations (e.g., a local government) before the end of the grant’s performance period.

Applicants/subapplicants or recipients/subrecipients are required to certify their compliance with federal statutes, DHS directives, polices, and procedures.

F. References for
Eligibility Factors
within the NOFO
Please see the following references provided below:

1. “Responsiveness Review Criteria” subsection

2. “Financial Integrity Criteria” subsection

3. “Supplemental Financial Integrity Criteria and Review” subsection

4. Appendix B – Programmatic Information and Priorities

5. FEMA may request financial information such as Employer Identification Number (EIN) and bank information as part of the potential award selection. This will apply to everyone prospered, including subrecipients.

G. Cost Sharing
Requirement
Applicants selected for this award must agree to an acceptable cost share agreement. Otherwise, they will not be funded.

Please see Section 7.B “Application Criteria” for more information.

H. Cost Share
Description, Type
and Restrictions
Recipient cost sharing is generally required as described below and under 15 U.S.C.§ 2229(k)(1). In general, eligible applicants shall agree to make available non-federal funds to carry out an FP&S Program award in an amount equal to not less than 5 percent of the grant award.

a. Types of Cost Share
Cash (Hard Match): Cost share of non-federal cash is allowable for FP&S Program grants.

In-kind (Soft Match): In-kind cost share is allowable for FP&S Program grants, including the value of the following:
• Complementary activities (such as providing additional smoke alarms for installation or education materials for public education); and
• Provision of staff, facilities, services, materials, equipment.

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In-kind is the value of something received or provided that does not have a cost associated with it. For example, the value of donated services could be used to comply with the match requirement. Also, third party in-kind contributions may count toward satisfying match requirements, if the recipient expends them as allowable costs.

Recipients who use in-kind contributions for their 5 percent cost share must comply with all applicable regulations and 2 C.F.R. § 200.306 regarding matching or cost-sharing.

I. Cost Sharing
Calculation Example
FEMA has developed a cost share calculator tool to assist applicants with determining their cost share. The is available on the FEMA website at Fire Prevention and Safety Documents.

J. Required
information for
verifying Cost Share
Applicants must submit their plan for cost share within the Request Details (Budget) section of the grant application.

Maintenance of Effort
Pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 2229(k)(3), an a pplicant seeking an FP&S Program grant shall agree to maintain, during the term of the grant, the applicant’s aggregate expenditures relating to activities allowable under this NOFO, at not less than 80 percent of the average amount of such expenditures in the two FYs before the FY an FP&S Program grant is awarded.

Applicants must submit budget reports for the year they are applying, as well as the two years prior.

In other words, an applicant agrees that if it receives a grant award, the applicant will keep its overall expenditures during the award’s POP for activities that could be allowable costs under this NOFO at a level that is at least 80% or more of the average of what the applicant spent on such costs for those activities in FY 2023 and 2024. This includes those funded with non-federal funding for activities that could be allowable costs under this NOFO.

3. Program Description

A. Background, Program Purpose, and Program History
The FY 2025 FP&S Grant Program is one of three grant programs that constitute the DHS and FEM
A’s focus on enhancing the safety of the public and firefighters with respect to fire and fire- related hazards. The FP&S Program provides financial assistance directly to eligible fire departments, national, regional, state, local, tribal and non-profit organizations such as academic (e.g. universities), research foundations, public safety institutes, public health, occupational health, and injury prevention institutions for fire prevention programs and firefighter safety, health, or well-being research and development. The funding categories for FP&S are:

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1. Community Risk Reduction;

2. Wildfire Risk Reduction;

3. Code Enforcement/Awareness;

4. Origin and Cause Investigation; and

5. National/State/Regional Programs and Projects.

The funding categories for R&D are:

1. Clinical Studies;

2. Technology and Product Development;

3. Preliminary Studies; and,

4. Early Career Investigator.

Abstracts and results of research and development grants that have been funded under this program can be found at Fire Prevention and Safety | FEMA.gov.

B. Goals and Objectives
Goal: The goal of the FP&S Program is to enhance the safety of the public and firefighters with respect to fire and fire-related hazards by providing grants to eligible fire departments, national, regional, state, local, tribal and non-profit organizations such as academic (e.g., universities) institutions, research foundations, public safety institutes, public health, occupational health, and injury prevention institutions. The FP&S Program strives to strengthen community fire prevention programs and enable innovative solutions to improve firefighter safety, health, and well-being.

Objectives: The objectives of the FP&S Program are to provide resources to:
• Reduce community fire risk through assessments, education and tools; • Reduce wildfire risk through property assessments, education, and fuel reduction; • Increase code awareness, adoption, reinstatement and enforcement; • Increase fire origin and cause investigations;
• Enhance the safety of the public and firefighters through national programs that aim to improve behaviors and decision-making regarding fires; and • Increase research to improve firefighter safety, health or well-being.

Priorities: Information on program priorities and objectives for the FY 2025 FP&S Program can be found in Appendix B – Programmatic Information and Priorities of this NOFO.

C. Program Rationale
The FP&S Program represents part of a comprehensive set of measures authorized by Congress3 and implemented by DHS. By enhancing the safety of the public and firefighters with respect to fire and fire-related hazards, the FP&S program provides critically needed resources to strengthen community fire prevention programs and enables scientific research on innovations that improve firefighter safety, health and well-being.

3 Section 33 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974, Pub. L. No. 93-498, as amended (15 U.S.C. § 2229).

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Through these objectives, FEMA creates a vision for the field of emergency management and sets an ambitious, yet achievable, path forward to unify and further professionalize emergency management across the country. We invite all our stakeholders and partners to join us in building a more prepared and resilient nation.

D. Federal Assistance Type
Grant
E. Performance Measures and Targets
Grant recipients must collect data to help FEMA evaluate the performance of FP&S Program gran
ts. These metrics align with the program’s objectives and priorities. FEMA may request performance data throughout the grant’s POP. At closeout, recipients must submit a final performance report with enough information to show they met the performance goals outlined in their award.

FEMA will assess performance by comparing the items, supplies, projects, and activities requested in the application to those acquired and delivered by the end of the performance period. The following program metrics will be used:

• FP&S Activity:
o Community Risk Reduction: Percentage of target population receiving an intervention. See Section 2.B., Footnote 2, defining certain categories of high-risk target populations for whom the FP&S Program shall give priority under 15 U.S.C. § 2229.
o Wildfire Risk Reduction: Percentage of target population receiving an intervention. o Code Enforcement/Awareness: Percentage of properties inspected. o Origin and Cause Investigation: Percentage of fires where cause is determined. o National/State/Regional Programs and Projects: Number of firefighters receiving interventions.

• R&D Activity:
o All Categories: Percentage of research project aims met.

The target for these measures is set by each applicant within the grant application. For example, “we plan to install smoke alarms in 500 households, reaching a total of 2,000 individuals.” In this case, the measure would be which percentage of 500 households were able to install smoke alarms.

F. Program-Specific Unallowable Costs
Please see Appendix B – Programmatic Information and Priorities for additional information on funding restrictions and allowable costs.

G. General Funding Requirements
Costs charged to federal awards (including federal and non-fed eral cost share funds) must comply with applicable statutes, rules and regulations, policies, this NOFO, and the terms and conditions of the federal award. This includes, among other requirements, that costs must be

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incurred, and products and services must be delivered within the budget period. 2 C.F.R. § 200.403(h).

Recipients may not use federal funds or any cost share funds for the following activities:

1. Matching or cost sharing requirements for other federal grants and cooperative agreements (see 2 C.F.R. § 200.306).

2. Lobbying or other prohibited activities under 18 U.S.C. § 1913 or 2 C.F.R. § 200.450.

3. Prosecuting claims against the federal government or any other government entity (see 2 C.F.R. § 200.435).

H. Indirect Costs (Facilities and Administrative Costs) Indirect costs are allowed for recipients and sub recipients.

Indirect costs (IDC) are costs incurred for a common or joint purpose benefitting more than one cost objective and not readily assignable to specific cost objectives without disproportionate effort. Applicants with a current negotiated IDC rate agreement who desire to charge indirect costs to a federal award must provide a copy of their IDC rate agreement with their applications.

Not all applicants are required to have a current negotiated IDC rate agreement. Applicants that are not required to have a negotiated IDC rate agreement, but are required to develop an IDC rate proposal, must provide a copy of their proposal with their applications. Applicants without a current negotiated IDC rate agreement (including a provisional rate) and wish to charge the de minimis rate must reach out to FEMA for further instructions. Applicants who wish to use a cost allocation plan in lieu of an IDC rate proposal must reach out to FEMA for further instructions.

As it relates to the IDC for subrecipients, a recipient must follow the requirements of 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.332 and 200.414 in approving the IDC rate for subawards.

I. Management and Administration (M&A) Costs
M&A costs are allowed.

Recip
ients may use up to 3% of the federal share of FP&S Program funds for M&A costs directly related to managing and administering the FP&S award, such as financial management and monitoring. These costs must be based on actual expenses or known contractual costs.

Requests based on simple percentages of the award or unsupported estimates will not be approved or reimbursed. Salaries and fringe benefits for personnel directly supporting the grant do not need to be included in the M&A budget line item.

M&A are not overhead costs but are necessary direct costs incurred in direct support of the federal award or as a consequence of it, such as travel, meeting-related expenses, and salaries of full/part-time staff in direct support of the program. As such, M&A costs can be itemized in financial reports.

J. Pre-Award Costs
The following pre-award costs are allowable:

1. Fees for grant writers (capped at $1,500 of federal funds per application).

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Generally, grant funds cannot be used to pay for products and services contracted for or obligated before the effective date of the award.

See Appendix C – Award Administration Information for further information regarding grant writer fees and Section 10.B Other Information for general procurement under grants requirements.

K. Beneficiary Eligibility
There are no program requirements t o be an eligible beneficiary. This NOFO and any subsequent federal awards create no rights or causes of action for any beneficiary.

L. Participant Eligibility
There are no program requirements t o be an eligible participant. This NOFO and any subsequent federal awards create no rights or causes of action for any participant.

M. Authorizing Authority
Section 33 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974, Pub. L. No. 93-498, as amended (15 U.S.C. § 2229).

N. Appropriation Authority
Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025, Pub. L. No. 119-4, § 1101.

O. Budget Period
There will be only a single budget period with the same start and end dates as the POP.

P. Prohibition on Covered Equipment or Services
Recipients, subrecipients, and their contractors or subcontractors must comply with the prohibi
tions set forth in Section 889 of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2019, which restrict the purchase of covered telecommunications and surveillance equipment and services. Please see 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.216, 200.327, 200.471, and Appendix II to 2 C.F.R. Part 200, and FEMA Policy #405-143-1 - Prohibitions on Expending FEMA Award Funds for Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services for more information.

4. Application Contents and Format

A. Pre-Application, Letter of Intent, and Whitepapers
Pre-applications, letters of intent, and whitepapers are not required to be eligible to apply.

B. Application Content and Format
Applications are processed through the FEMA GO system. To access the system, go to https://go.fema.gov/.

Additional application and program guidance documents are available at the FP&S Program website.

C. Application Components

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The following forms or information are required to be submitted via FEMA GO. The Standard Forms (SF) are also available at Forms | Grants.gov.

• SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance
• Grants.gov Lobbying Form, Certification Regarding Lobbying • SF-424A, Budget Information (Non-Construction)
• SF-424B, Standard Assurances (Non-Construction)
• SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

D. Program-Specific Required Documents and Information
The following program-specific d ocument is required to be submitted as an attachment in FEMA GO for each regional project under the FP&S Activity:

1. Regional host applicants and participating partner agencies must execute a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), or equivalent document signed by the host and all participating organizations participating in the award.

The following program-specific documents are required to be submitted as attachments in FEMA GO for each project under the R&D Activity:

1. No more than a five-page Narrative Statement that responds to the Fire Service Panel Evaluation Criteria;

2. No more than a 20-page Narrative Statement that responds to the Science Panel Evaluation Criteria; and

3. No more than a 35-page Appendix.

The required formatting and content instructions for these documents can be found in the Tips and Guidelines for FP&S R&D Applicants.

E. Post-Application Requirements for Successful Applicants Applicants likely to be funded may receive a request for additional information by email before award. A
pplicants must respond to the request to move forward with the grant review process.

5. Submission Requirements and Deadlines

A. Address to Request Application Package
Applications are processed through the FEMA GO system. To access the system, go to https:/
/go.fema.gov/.

Steps Required to Apply For An Award Under This Program and Submit an Application:

To apply for an award under this program, all applicants must:
a. Apply for, update, or verify their Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number and EIN from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS);
b. In the application, provide an UEI number;
c. Have an account with login.gov;
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d. R egister for, update or verify their System for Award Management ( SAM) account and ensure the account is active before submitting the application; e. Register in FEMA GO, add the organization to the system, and establish the AOR. The organization’s electronic business point of contact (eBiz POC) from the SAM registration may need to be involved in this step. For step-by-step instructions, see https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/181607; f. Submit the complete application in FEMA GO; and
g. Continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a federal awarding agency. As part of this, applicants must also provide information on an applicant’s immediate and highest-level owner and subsidiaries, as well as on all predecessors that have been awarded federal contracts or federal financial assistance within the last three years, if applicable.

Per 2 C.F.R. § 25.110(a)(2)(iv), if an applicant is experiencing exigent circumstances that prevents it from obtaining an UEI number and completing SAM registration before receiving a federal award, the applicant must notify FEMA as soon as possible. Contact fema-grants- [email protected] and provide the details of the exigent circumstances.

How to Register to Apply:

General Instructions:

Registering and applying for an award under this program is a multi-step process. Below are instructions for registering to apply for FEMA funds. Read them carefully and prepare the requested information before beginning the registration process. Gathering the required information before starting the process will alleviate last-minute searches for required information.

The registration process can take up to four weeks to complete. To ensure an application meets the deadline, applicants are advised to start the required steps well in advance of their submission.

Organizations must have a UEI number, EIN and an active SAM registration.

Obtain a UEI Number:

All entities applying for funding, including renewal funding, must have a UEI number.

Applicants must enter the UEI number in the applicable data entry field on the SF-424 form. For more detailed instructions for obtaining a UEI number, refer to SAM.gov.

Obtain EIN:

In addition to having a UEI number, all entities applying for funding must provide an EIN. The EIN can be obtained from the IRS by visiting https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses- self-employed/apply-for-an-employer-identification-number-ein-online.

Create a login.gov account:

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Applicants must have a login.gov account in order to register with SAM or update their SAM registration. Applicants can create a login.gov account at https://secure.login.gov/sign_up/enter_email?request_id=34f19fa8-14a2-438c-8323- a62b99571fd.

Applicants only have to create a login.gov account once. For existing SAM users, use the same email address for both login.gov and SAM.gov so that the two accounts can be linked.

For more information on the login.gov requirements for SAM registration, refer to https://www.sam.gov/SAM/pages/public/loginFAQ.jsf.

In addition to having a UEI number, all organizations must register with SAM. Failure to register with SAM will prevent your organization from applying through FEMA GO. SAM registration must be renewed annually and must remain active throughout the entire grant life cycle.

For more detailed instructions for registering with SAM, refer to: Register with SAM Note: per 2 C.F.R. § 25.200 , applicants must also provide the applicant’s immediate and highest-level owner, subsidiaries, and predecessors that have been awarded federal contracts or federal financial assistance within the past three years, if applicable.

Applicants must register in FEMA GO and add their organization to the system. The organization’s eBiz point of contact (POC) from the SAM registration may need to be involved in this step. For step-by-step instructions, see: FEMA GO Startup Guide Note: FEMA GO will support only the most recent major release of the following browsers:

Google Chrome;
Mozilla Firefox;
Apple Safari; and
Microsoft Edge.

Applicants using tablet type devices or other browsers may encounter issues with using FEMA GO.

Submitting the Final Application:

Applicants will be prompted to submit the standard application information, and any program- specific information required. SFs may be accessed in the Forms tab under the: SF-424 Family | Grants.gov.

Applicants should review these forms before applying to ensure they are providing all required information.
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After submitting the final application, FEMA GO will provide either an error message, or an email to the submitting AOR confirming the transmission was successfully received.

B. Application Deadline
06/22/2026 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time
C. Pre-Application Requirements Deadline
Not applicable.

D. Post-Application Requirements Deadline
Not applicable.

E. Effects of Missing the Deadline
All applications must be completed in FEMA GO by the application deadline. FEMA GO automatically records proof of submission and generates an electronic date/time stamp when FEMA GO successfully receives an application. The submitting AOR will receive via email the official date/time stamp and a FEMA GO tracking number to serve as proof of timely submission prior to the application deadline.

A
pplicants experiencing system-related issues have until 3:00 PM ET on the date applications are due to notify FEMA. No new system-related issues will be addressed after this deadline. Applications not received by the application submission deadline will not be accepted.

6. I
ntergovernmental Review
A. Requirement Description and State Single Point of Contact An intergovernmental review may be required. Applicants must contact their state’s Single Point of Contact (SPOC) to comply with the state’s process under Executive Order 12372.

7. Application Review Information
A. Threshold Criteria
If two or more entities have different funding streams, personnel rosters, and EINs but share the same facil
ities, FEMA considers them as being separate organizations for the purposes of FY 2025 FP&S Program eligibility.

FEMA will review applications for duplication of benefits if two or more organizations share facilities and each submit an application in the same activity.

FEMA reviews a random sample of applications to check for duplication, including narrative statements and statistical data. All narrative statements must be specific and unique to the applicant, and all statistical data must be accurate. Applications with narrative statements that substantially duplicate content from other applications or contain inaccurate data that could mislead reviewers may be disqualified. Any discovery of falsification, fabrication or plagiarism will result in disqualification.

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Note: FEMA evaluates each application based on its merit, accuracy and how well the narrative reflects the applicant’s unique circumstances, risks and needs.

Examples of ineligible applications and/or organizations include:
• For-
profit organizations, federal agencies, and individuals • Fire departments that are a Federal Government entity, or contracted by the Federal Government, and are solely responsible under a formally recognized agreement for suppression of fires on federal installations or land
• Fire departments that are not independent entities but are part of, controlled by, or under the day-to-day operational command and control of a larger department, agency or AHJ o However, if a fire department is considered to be the same legal entity as a municipality or other governmental organization, and otherwise meets the eligibility criteria, that municipality or other governmental organization may apply on behalf of that fire department as long as the application clearly states that the fire department is considered part of the same legal entity • Non-federal airport or port authority fire departments whose sole responsibility is the suppression of fires on the airport grounds or port facilities, unless the airport/port fire department has a formally recognized arrangement with the local jurisdiction to provide fire suppression on a first-due basis outside the confines of the airport or port facilities.

B. Application Criteria
FEMA sets funding priorities and evaluation criteria for FP&S Program applications based on reco
mmendations from the Criteria Development Panel (CDP). Each year, FEMA brings together a panel of fire service professionals to establish these priorities and criteria. The panel provides input on funding priorities and helps develop the criteria used to award grants.

The nine major fire service organizations represented on the panel are:

• International Association of Fire Chiefs
• International Association of Fire Fighters
• National Volunteer Fire Council
• National Fire Protection Association
• National Association of State Fire Marshals
• International Association of Arson Investigators
• International Society of Fire Service Instructors
• North American Fire Training Directors
• Congressional Fire Service Institute

CDP and Application Evaluation
The CDP advises FEMA on creating or updating funding priorities and developing criteria for awarding grants. This NOFO reflects the CDP’s recommendations regarding priorities, direction, and award criteria.

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FEMA ranks all complete applications based on how well they align with the program priorities for the specific activity. Responses to the activity-specific questions in the application are used to determine each application’s ranking relative to these priorities.

More detailed information may be found in 7.F: Merit Review Process.

C. Financial Integrity Criteria
Before making an award, FEMA is re quired to review Office of Management and Budget (OMB)-designated databases for applicants’ eligibility and financial integrity information. This is required by the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 (Pub. L. No. 116-117, § 2 (2020)), 41 U.S.C. § 2313, and the “Do Not Pay Initiative” (31 U.S.C. 3354). For more details, please see 2 C.F.R. § 200.206.

Thus, the Financial Integrity Criteria may include the following risk-based considerations of the applicant:

1. Financial stability;

2. Quality of management systems and ability to meet management standards;

3. History of performance in managing federal award;

4. Reports and findings from audits; and

5. Ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory or other requirements.

D. Supplemental Financial Integrity Criteria and Review Before making an award expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold, defi ned at 41 U.S.C. § 134, over the POP:

1. FEMA is required by 41 U.S.C. § 2313: to review or consider certain information found in SAM.gov. For details, please see 2 C.F.R. § 200.206(a)(2).

2. An applicant may review and comment on any information in the responsibility/qualification records available in SAM.gov.

3. Before making decisions in the risk review required by 2 C.F.R. § 200.206, FEMA will consider any comments by the applicant.

E. Reviewers and Reviewer Selection
A panel of peer reviewers is comprised o f fire service representatives recommended by the CDP.

Peer reviewers are subject-matter experts recommended by the nine major fire service organizations. In their role as Special Government Employees, peer reviewers must certify and observe Federal Conflict of Interests rules.

F. Merit Review Process
a. Peer Review Panel Process
FP
&S Program applications go through the following Peer Review Panel process:

1. FP&S Activity

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Peer reviewers will independently grade each narrative statement within each project. The evaluation elements listed in the “Narrative Evaluation Criteria” below will be used to calculate the score for each project. If needed, peer reviewers will meet as a team to discuss the merits and/or shortcomings of the application. A consensus is not required.

2. R&D Activity

The Peer Review Panel process is composed of a Fire Service Panel Review and a Science Panel Review. Narratives within the application will be evaluated through the following processes:

• Fire Service Panel Review: All eligible project applications will first be reviewed and scored by a panel of fire service experts to assess the need and priority for the research results and the likelihood that the results would be implemented by the fire service in the United States. If needed, peer reviewers will meet as a team to discuss the merits and/or shortcomings of the application. A consensus is not required. The highest scoring projects will be deemed to be in the “competitive range” and will be forwarded to the second level of project review, which is the scientific panel review process. • Science Panel Review: This panel will be comprised of scientists and technology experts who have expertise pertaining to the subject matter of the proposal. Scientific reviewers will independently score projects in the competitive range and, if necessary, discuss the merits or shortcomings of the project to reconcile any major discrepancies identified by fellow reviewers. A consensus is not required. Scientific peer review evaluations will impact the ranking of a project for funding.

b. Narrative Statements
The FP&S Activity and the R&D Activity have different Narrative Statement requirements (see below). Narrative Statements must provide specific details about the activity for which the applicant seeks funding.

During the review process, including the technical review stage, FEMA may request additional documentation.

1. FP&S Activity

Peer review panelists will evaluate and score each project based on the following narrative elements:

• Financial Need (Fire Departments – 10%; Interest Organizations – 0%):
o Applicants must describe with particularity their unique financial need in the Applicant Information section of the application and detail how consistent it is with their need for financial assistance to carry out the proposed project(s).

Applicants may include other unsuccessful attempts to acquire financial assistance. Applicants should provide detail about the applicant’s operating budget, including a high-level breakdown of the budget, the applicant’s inability to address financial needs without federal assistance, and other actions the applicant has taken to meet their needs (e.g., state assistance programs or other grant programs).

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o While interest organizations do not receive points for their financial need, this information is necessary to holistically evaluate and understand the applicant’s financial need in comparison to similarly situated applicants. • Commitment to Hazard (Fire) Mitigation (Fire Departments only – 5%):
o Fire department applicants that can demonstrate their commitment and proactive posture to reducing fire risk will receive higher consideration. Applicants must explain their code adoption and enforcement (to include Wildland Urban Interface [WUI] and commercial/residential sprinkler code adoption and enforcement) and hazard mitigation strategies (including whether or not the jurisdiction has a FEMA-approved hazard mitigation strategy). Applicants can also demonstrate their commitment to reducing fire risk by applying to implement fire mitigation strategies (code adoption and enforcement) via this application. • Vulnerability Statement (Fire Departments – 15%, Interest Organizations – 25%):
o The assessment of fire risk is essential in the development of an effective project goal, as well as meeting FEMA’s goal to reduce risk by conducting a risk assessment as a basis for action. Vulnerability is a “weak link,” demonstrating high-risk behavior, living conditions, or any type of high-risk situation. The Vulnerability Statement should include a detailed description of the steps taken to determine the vulnerability and identify the target audience. The methodology for determination of vulnerability (i.e., how the vulnerability was found) should be discussed in-depth in the application’s Narrative Statement. o The specific vulnerability that will be addressed with the proposed project can be established through a formal or informal risk assessment. FEMA encourages using local statistics to illustrate the applicant’s particular vulnerability, rather than national statistics.
o In a clear, concise statement, the applicant should summarize the precise vulnerability the project will address, including who is at risk, what the risks are, where the risks are, and how the risks can be prevented, reduced or mitigated. o For the purpose of this NOFO, formal risk assessments consist of the use of software programs or recognized expert analysis that assess risk trends. o Informal risk assessments could include an in-house review of available data (e.g., NFIRS) to determine fire loss, burn injuries, or loss of life over a period of time, and the factors that are the cause and origin for each occurrence, including a lack of adoption or enforcement of certain codes.
• Project Description (Fire Departments – 20%, Interest Organizations – 25%):
o Applicants must describe in detail not only the project components but also how the proposed project addresses the identified capability gap due to financial need and/or the specific vulnerabilities identified in the vulnerability statement. The following information should be included:
 Project components;
 Review of any existing programs or models that have been successful;  Detailed description of how the proposed project components fill the identified capability gap; and
 If working with Fire Service Partners/Organizations, identify each partner/organization and the role(s) they will fill in the successful completion of the proposed project.

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• Implementation Plan (Fire Departments – 25 percent, Interest Organizations – 30 percent):
o
Each project proposal should include nuanced details on the implementation plan that discusses the proposed project’s goals and objectives. The following information should be included to support the implementation plan:
 G
oals and objectives;
 Details regarding the methods and specific steps that will be used to achieve the goals and objectives;
 Timelines outlining the chronological project steps (this is critical for determining the likelihood of the project’s completion within the POP);  Where applicable, examples of marketing efforts to promote the project, who will deliver the project (e.g., effective partnerships), and the manner in which materials or deliverables will be distributed;
 Requests for props (i.e., tools used in educational or awareness demonstrations), including specific goals, measurable results, and details on the frequency for which the prop will be utilized. Applicants should include information describing the efforts that will be used to reach the high-risk audience and/or the number of people reached through the proposed project (examples of props include safety trailers, puppets or costumes); and
 Where human subjects are involved, indicate whether the project has obtained exemption from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) (for details see Section

9.A.a – Human Subjects Research of this NOFO).
o Note: Applicants proposing a complex project that may require a 24-month POP should include significant justification and details in the implementation plan that justify the applicant’s need for a POP of more than 12 months. • Evaluation Plan (Fire Departments – 15%, Interest Organizations – 15%:
o Projects should include a plan for evaluation of effectiveness and identify measurable and quantifiable goals. Applicants seeking to carry out awareness and educational projects, for example, should identify how they intend to determine that there has been an increase in knowledge about fire hazards, or measure a change in the safety behaviors of the audience. Applicants should demonstrate how they will measure risk at the outset of the project in comparison to how much the risk decreased after the project is finished. There are many ways to measure the knowledge gained about fire hazards, including the use of surveys, pre- and post-tests, or documented observations. Applicants are encouraged to attend training on evaluation methods, such as the National Fire Academy’s “Demonstrating Your Fire Prevention Program’s Worth.”
o Note: In addition to a detailed evaluation plan as described above, if awarded, grant recipients are required to report on specific performance metrics through performance reports and at closeout (for details see Section 3.E - Performance Measures and Targets of this NOFO).
• Cost-Benefit (Fire Departments – 10%, Interest Organizations – 5%) o Projects will be evaluated and scored by the Peer Review Panelists based on how well the applicant addresses the fire prevention needs of the department or organization in an economic and efficient manner. The applicant should show how it will maximize the level of funding that goes directly into the delivery of the project. The costs

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associated with the project also must be reasonable for the target audience that will be reached, and a description should be included of how the anticipated project benefit(s) (quantified if possible) outweighs the cost(s) of the requested item(s). The application should provide justification for all costs included in the project to assist the Technical Evaluation Panel with their review.

2. R&D Activity

Peer review panelists will evaluate and score each project based on the following narrative elements:

Fire Service Panel Evaluation Criteria

• Purpose (25%)
o Applicants should clearly identify the specific benefits of the proposed research project to improve firefighter safety, health or well-being. The discussion should include: the specific risk to firefighter safety, health or well-being that the project will address; the expected benefits of the project, including how the project could prevent, reduce, or mitigate the specific risk; the gaps in knowledge that will be addressed; and the general project methods planned to produce the intended results. Preliminary Studies projects should include a general description as to the intended larger follow- on project.
• Potential Impact (15%)
o Applicants should discuss the potential impact of the research outcome/product on firefighters. Applicants should discuss who will benefit directly from the research outcome/product, i.e., the entire fire service or specific portions (career, volunteer, structural, wildland, fire investigators, etc.). The discussion should be supported by describing the specific type(s) of impact to the safety, health or well-being of the identified group from use of the results in practice.
• Implementation by Fire Service (25%)
o Applicants should discuss how the outcomes/products of this research, if successful, are likely to be widely/nationally adopted and accepted by the fire service as changes that enhance firefighter safety, health or well-being. The discussion should include the burden of implementation at the fire department level (such as an increase in expenses or changes to operations) and the organizations, manufacturers and/or others that will need to be involved to aid the adoption process. • Barriers (15%)
o Applicants should identify and discuss potential fire service and other barriers to successfully completing the project on schedule, including contingencies and strategies to deal with barriers if they materialize. This may include barriers that could inhibit the proposed fire service participation in the project, or project components most likely to cause delay in successful completion. o If applying under Early Career Investigator, applicants should discuss potential barriers specific to that project, such as if the principal investigator (PI) does not receive the expected mentorship.
• Partners (20%)

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o Applicants should recognize that participation of the fire service as a partner in the research from development to dissemination is regarded as an essential part of all projects. Describe the fire service partners and contractors that will support the project to accomplish the objectives. The specific roles and contributions of the partners to the project also should be described. Partnerships should be formed with national fire-related organizations and local and regional fire departments appropriate for the project. Letters of support and letters of commitment to actively participate in the project should be included in the Appendix attachment. Generally, participants of a diverse population, including both career and volunteer firefighters, are expected to facilitate acceptance of results nationally. In cases where this is not practical, due to the nature of the project or other limitations, these circumstances should be clearly explained.

Science Panel Evaluation Criteria

• Project Purpose, Goals, Objectives, or Specific Aims (All Applicants – 15%) o Applicants should address how the purpose, goals, objectives, or specific aims of the project will lead to results that will improve firefighter safety, health or well-being.

Describe the specific goals, objectives or specific aims for each year of the project.

The project's goals, objectives and specific aims should be measurable and fit with the project's design and activities to achieve the project outcome. • Literature Review (All Applicants – 10%)
o Applicants should provide a literature review that is relevant to the project’s goals, objectives, and specific aims. The relevant citations should be placed in the narrative text and the complete references listed at the end of the Narrative Statement (and not in the Appendix) of the application. The review should be of sufficient depth to make it clear that the proposed project is necessary, adds to an existing body of knowledge, is different from current and previous studies, and offers a unique contribution.

Applicants may consider previously funded R&D Activity projects. • Project Methods (Early Career Investigator Applicants – 15%, All Other Applicants – 20%)
o Applicants should provide a description of how the project will be carried out, including demonstration of the overall scientific and technical rigor and the merit of the project. Appropriate study design and qualitative and/or quantitative methods should align with study goals, objectives and specific aims. The timing and flow of the study should be explained as well as the sampling and sample size specifics.

Detailed descriptions of study processes such as recruiting participants, developing materials, acquiring equipment, building test structures, or arranging for test sites should be included. The roles and responsibilities of the research team must be described, including the relevant sub-contractors and sub-awardees involved in the project. Applicants should provide supporting information for the research team in the Appendix, including bio sketches and budget information (for details see Tips and Guidelines). Plans to recruit and retain human subjects, where applicable, should be described. Where human subjects are involved, describe plans for submission to the IRB (for details see Section 9.A - Human Subjects Research of this NOFO).

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• Project Measurements (Early Career Investigator Applicants – 15%, All Other Applicants – 20%)
o Applicants should provide evidence of the technical rigor and merit of the project, such as data pertaining to validity, reliability and sensitivity (where established) of the facilities, equipment, instruments, standards and procedures that will be used to carry out the research. The applicant should discuss the data to be collected to evaluate the performance methods, technologies and products proposed to enhance firefighter safety, health or well-being. The applicant should demonstrate that the measurement methods and equipment selected for use are appropriate and sufficient to successfully deliver the proposed project objectives. • Project Analysis (Early Career Investigator Applicants – 15%, All Other Applicants – 20%)
o The applicant should indicate the planned approach for analysis of the data obtained from measurements, questionnaires or computations. Specify within the analytic plan the statistical methods that will be used for each type of data, including qualitative data if appropriate. It should be clear that the PI and research team have the expertise to perform the planned analysis and defend the results in a peer review process. The adequacy of the number of participants, samples, or tests to address the research question should be discussed.
• Dissemination and Implementation (All Applicants – 15%) o Applicants should indicate dissemination plans for both scientific and firefighter audiences (e.g., via publications, conferences and websites). Also, assuming positive results and where applicable, indicate future steps that would support dissemination and implementation throughout the fire service. Describe work with stakeholders and fire service partners to support dissemination. These plans are likely to be beyond the
current project, so those features of the research activity that will facilitate future dissemination and implementation should be discussed.
• Mentoring (Early Career Investigator Applicants Only – 15%) o An important factor in the evaluation of Early Career Investigator projects is the participation of a mentor(s) in the project. A mentor for the PI should be an experienced researcher in areas appropriate to the research project and be able to provide support to the PI for ongoing development of knowledge and skills throughout the project. The mentor needs to have relationships with the fire service community sufficient to assist the PI in building relationships with fire departments and fire service organizations. The mentor should support the applicant from defining the project and submitting the application for funding through the completion of a funded project. The applicant should identify the mentor(s) that has agreed to support the applicant and the proposed mentoring plan. In the plan, the applicant should discuss the role of the mentor(s) in the project and the expected benefits of the mentoring relationship to the applicant and the project. A biographical sketch and letter of commitment/support from the mentor(s) are required to be included in the Appendix document.

Additional Considerations:

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The following considerations are not scored but may impact the evaluation of the entire application. This information may be used by FEMA during technical review prior to making funding decisions.

• Cost vs. Benefit: Cost vs. benefit in this evaluation element refers to the costs of the grant for the R&D project vs. the benefits that are projected for firefighters who would have improved safety, health or well-being. Applicants should demonstrate a high benefit for the cost incurred and effective utilization of federal funds for research activities. • Financial Need: In the Applicant Information section of the application, applicants must provide details on the need for federal financial assistance to carry out the proposed project(s). Included in the description might be other unsuccessful attempts to acquire financial assistance. Applicants should provide details about the organization’s operating budget, including a high-level breakdown of the budget; the organization’s inability to address financial needs without federal assistance; and other actions the organization has taken to meet their staffing needs (e.g., state assistance programs, other grant programs).

G. Final Selection
a. Technical Evaluation Process (TEP)
Th
e highest scoring project(s) for both activities will be considered within the fundable range.

Projects that are in the fundable range will undergo a Technical Review by the FEMA Program Office before being recommended for award. The FEMA Program Office will assess the request with respect to costs, quantities, feasibility, eligibility, and recipient responsibility before recommending any application for award. Additionally, FEMA will review whether the project duplicates other federally funded research or prevention activities. Once the TEP is complete, a final ranking of projects will be created. FEMA will award grants based on this final ranking and the ability to meet statutorily required funding limitations outlined in Appendix B - Programmatic Information and Priorities of this NOFO.

FEMA may not make a federal award until the applicant has complied with all applicable SAM requirements. Therefore, an applicant’s SAM registration must be active not only at the time of application, but also during the application review period and when FEMA is ready to make a federal award. Further, as noted above, an applicant’s or recipient’s SAM registration must remain active for the duration of an active federal award. If an applicant’s SAM registration is expired at the time of application, expires during application review, or expires any other time before award, FEMA may determine the applicant is not qualified to receive a federal award and use that as a basis for making a federal award to another applicant.

In awarding grants, the FEMA Administrator is required to consider:
• The findings and recommendations of the Technical Evaluation Panel; • The degree to which an award will reduce deaths, injuries, and property damage by reducing the risks associated with fire-related and other hazards; • The degree to which an award will improve firefighter safety, health or well-being both in the short term and long term; and
• The extent of an applicant’s need for an FP&S Program grant and the need to protect the United States as a whole.

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8. Award Notices

A. Notice of Award
The AOR should carefully read the federal award package before accepting the federal award.

The f
ederal award package includes instructions on administering the federal award as well as terms and conditions for the award.

By submitting an application, applicants agree to comply with the prerequisites stated in this NOFO and the material terms and conditions of the federal award, should they receive an award.

FEMA will provide the federal award package to the applicant electronically via FEMA GO.

Award packages include an Award Letter, Summary Award Memo, Agreement Articles, and Obligating Document. An award package notification email is sent via the grant application system to the submitting AOR.

Recipients must accept their awards no later than 30 days from the award date. Recipients shall notify FEMA of their intent to accept the award and proceed with work via the FEMA GO system.

Funds will remain on hold until the recipient accepts the award via FEMA GO and all other conditions of the award have been satisfied, or until the award is otherwise rescinded. Failure to accept a grant award within the specified timeframe may result in a loss of funds.

During the review process for an FP&S Program award, FEMA may have modified the application request(s). These modifications will be identified in the award package provided upon the offer of an award. If the awarded activities, scope of work, or requested dollar amount(s) do not match the application as submitted, the recipient shall only be responsible for completing the activities funded by FEMA. The recipient is under no obligation to start, modify, or complete any activities requested but not funded by the award. The award package will identify any differences under the approved scope of work section.

B. Pass-Through Requirements
Standard pass-through requirements in 2 C.F.R. Part 200 apply.

C. Note Regarding Pre-Award Costs
Even if pre-award costs are allowed, beginning performance is at the applicant and/or sub- applicant’s own risk.

D. Obligation of Funds
The grant funds are obligated in accordance with applicable laws, and no later than upon award.

E. Notification to Unsuccessful Applicants
FEMA GO will provide all applicants who do not receive an FY 2025 FP&S Program award wit
h a turndown notification after September 30, 2026.

9. Post-Award Requirements and Administration

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A. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Pre
sidential Executive Orders

Recipients must comply with the requirements of Presidential Executive Orders related to grants (also known as federal assistance and financial assistance), the full text of which are incorporated by reference.

Pursuant to the preliminary injunction order issued on November 21, 2025, in County of Santa Clara et al. v. Noem, et al., No. 25-cv-08330-WHO (N.D. Cal.), this requirement does not apply to awards or subawards issued to any of the plaintiffs subject to the preliminary injunction order while the order remains in effect. If the preliminary injunction is stayed, vacated, or extinguished, this requirement will immediately become effective. Also, pursuant to the preliminary injunction order issued on November 21, 2025, in City of Chicago et al. v. Noem, et al., No. 25-CV-12765 (N.D. Ill.), this requirement does not apply to awards or subawards issued to any of the plaintiffs subject to the preliminary injunction order while the order remains in effect. If the preliminary injunction is stayed, vacated, or extinguished, this requirement will immediately become effective.

In accordance with Executive Order 14305, Restoring American Airspace Sovereignty (June 6, 2025), and to the extent allowed by law, eligible state, local, tribal and territorial grant recipients under this NOFO are permitted to purchase unmanned aircraft systems, otherwise known as drones, or equipment or services for the detection, tracking or identification of drones and drone signals, consistent with the legal authorities of state, local, tribal and territorial agencies.

Recipients must comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, and adhere to any statutory requirements on the use of federal funds for such unmanned aircraft systems, equipment or services.

Subrecipient Monitoring and Management
Pass-through entities must comply with the requirements for subrecipient monitoring and management as set forth in 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.331-333.

Human Subjects Research
The information in this section pertains to both FP&S Activity and R&D Activity applications with projects that include human subjects. See Appendix B – Programmatic Information and Priorities for more information on eligible projects involving human subjects. DHS/FEMA has a responsibility to ensure that mechanisms and procedures are in place to protect the safety of human subjects in DHS/FEMA-supported research. DHS requirements are set forth in 6 C.F.R.

Part 46. A grant recipient must agree to meet all DHS requirements for projects using human subjects (and ensure any subrecipients or subcontractors meet those requirements) before implementing any work with human subjects.

For the definition of “research” and “human subjects,” please see Appendix B – Programmatic Information and Priorities. If a project involves human subjects, the project must undergo review by an Institutional Review Board (IRB). The IRB must provide an approval or exemption determination. In addition, the DHS Compliance Assurance Program Office (CAPO) must

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review and concur with the IRB approval or exemption determination. Both IRB approval/exemption and DHS CAPO concurrence must precede any project activities involving human subjects.

a. R&D Activity – Research Terms and Conditions
These Research Terms and Conditions implement the requirements of the Uniform Guidance (2 C.F.R § 200) issued by the OMB as it applies to research-related grants made by federal awarding agencies to institutions of higher education and nonprofit organizations, and consistent with government-wide research policy.
• Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research - Applicants must have a plan in place to provide appropriate training and oversight in the responsible and ethical conduct of research to undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers who will be supported by FP&S Program funds to conduct research. Training plans should comply with federal laws covering the use of humans in research, and establish procedures for investigating and reporting research misconduct, conflicts of interest, and for managing recipient’s responsibilities under a federal award consistent with the ethical principles of the Belmont Report. (See the National Research Act, Pub. L. 93-348 and the Federal policy for the Protection of Human Subjects or the “Common Rule,” codified at 6 C.F.R.

Part 46.) Training plans are subject to review by the FP&S Program, upon request. The recipient shall ensure that these requirements flow down to all subrecipients or are otherwise appropriately addressed in the subaward.
• Academic Technology Transfer and Commercialization of University Research - Any institution of higher education, such as defined in section 101(A) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. § 1001(a)), that receives FP&S Program support and has received at least $25 million in total federal research grants in the most recently completed federal FY must keep, maintain and make available upon request information concerning its general approach to and mechanisms for transfer of technology and commercialization of research results.
• Annual Meeting - The recipient agrees to participate in each two-day annual meeting that may take place during the POP and should include the primary staff involved with the grant (example: PI and one researcher). The award recipient also agrees to notify and allow participation/attendance by FP&S Program Office staff at key meetings involving grant activities.
• Acknowledgement - For any publication that results from FEMA grant-supported research, the award recipient must include an acknowledgment of FEMA grant support and the grant award number. If the award recipient issues any press releases concerning the outcome of the funded research, FEMA must be notified in advance to allow for coordination.
• Publications - The award recipient agrees to provide full public access to any peer reviewed scholarly publications directly arising from research funded by the Federal Government in whole or in part under this award. This shall be accomplished by the recipient providing FEMA the final published documents no later than 12 months after their initial publication for republication by FEMA, in keeping with FEMA’s rights under 2 C.F.R. §200.315(b).

B. DHS Standard Terms and Conditions

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A recipient under this funding opportunity must comply with the DHS Standard Terms and Conditions in effect as of the date of the federal award, unless a term and condition specifically states otherwise. The DHS Standard Terms and Conditions are available online: DHS Standard Terms and Conditions | Homeland Security. For continuation awards, the terms and conditions for the initial federal award will apply unless otherwise specified in the terms and conditions of the continuation award. The specific version of the DHS Standard Terms and Conditions applicable to the federal award will be in the federal award package. http://www.dhs.gov/publication/dhs-standard-terms-and-conditions

A
recipient under this funding opportunity must comply with the FY 2026 Department of Homeland Security Standard Terms and Conditions, with the following exceptions. The term titled “Communication and Cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration Officials” and paragraph (2)(a)(ii) of the term titled “Federal Anti-Discrimination Laws Material to the Government’s Payment Decisions Under the False Claims Act” do not apply to any federal award under this funding opportunity.

P
ursuant to the preliminary injunction order issued on November 21, 2025, in County of Santa Clara et al. v. Noem, et al., No. 25-cv-08330-WHO (N.D. Cal.), the following terms and conditions do not apply to awards or subawards issued to any of the plaintiffs subject to the preliminary injunction order while the order remains in effect: (1) the term titled “Federal Anti- Discrimination Laws Material to the Government’s Payment Decisions Under the False Claims Act”; and (2) the term titled “All Executive Orders Related to Grants”. If the preliminary injunction is stayed, vacated, or extinguished, both terms and conditions will immediately become effective. As stated above, paragraph (2)(a)(ii) of the term titled “Federal Anti- Discrimination Laws Material to the Government’s Payment Decisions Under the False Claims Act” of the DHS Standard Terms and Conditions will not apply even if the preliminary injunction is stayed, vacated or extinguished.

P
ursuant to the preliminary injunction order issued on November 21, 2025, in City of Chicago et al. v. Noem, et al., No. 25-CV-12765 (N.D. Ill.), the following terms and conditions do not apply to awards or subawards issued to any of the plaintiffs subject to the preliminary injunction order while the order remains in effect: (1) the term titled “Federal Anti-Discrimination Laws Material to the Government’s Payment Decisions Under the False Claims Act”; and (2) the term titled “All Executive Orders Related to Grants”. If the preliminary injunction is stayed, vacated, or extinguished, both terms and conditions will immediately become effective. As stated above, paragraph (2)(a)(ii) of the term titled “Federal Anti-Discrimination Laws Material to the Government’s Payment Decisions Under the False Claims Act” of the DHS Standard Terms and Conditions will not apply even if the preliminary injunction is stayed, vacated or extinguished.

P
ursuant to the preliminary injunction order issued on October 31, 2025, in City of Seattle v.

Trump, et al., No. 2:25-cv-01435-BJR (W.D. Wa.), the following terms and conditions do not apply to awards or subawards issued to any of the plaintiffs subject to the preliminary injunction order while the order remains in effect: the term titled “Federal Anti-Discrimination Laws Material to the Government’s Payment Decisions Under the False Claims Act”. If the 33 | Page
preliminary injunction is stayed, vacated, or extinguished, this term and condition will immediately become effective. As stated above, paragraph (2)(a)(ii) of the term titled “Federal Anti-Discrimination Laws Material to the Government’s Payment Decisions Under the False Claims Act” of the DHS Standard Terms and Conditions will not apply even if the preliminary injunction is stayed, vacated or extinguished.

C. Financial Reporting Requirements

1. Re
cipients must report obligations and expenditures through a federal financial report.

The Federal Financial Report (FFR) form, also known as SF-425, is available online at:

SF-425 OMB #4040-0014.

2. Recipients must submit the FFR semi-annually throughout the POP as detailed below:
• No later than July 30 (for the period Jan. 1 – June 30) • No later than January 30 (for the period July 1 – Dec. 31)

3. The final FFR is due within 120 days after the end of the POP.

F
EMA may withhold future federal awards and cash payments if the recipient does not submit timely financial reports or the financial reports submitted demonstrate lack of progress or provide insufficient detail.

D. Programmatic Performance Reporting Requirements

1. A P
erformance Report must be submitted semi-annually throughout the POP. A tutorial is available here: https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/FEMA_GO_SF- 425_and_PPR_User_Guide_508.pdf.

2. A Performance Report must include:
• A brief narrative of overall project(s) status indicating progress toward project objectives;
• A summary of project expenditures;
• A summary of any products from research activities;
• A description of any potential issues that may affect project completion; and • Other information specific to the Activities awarded.

3. The Performance Report must be submitted through FEMA GO.

4. Performance Report Due Dates
• No later than July 30 (for the period Jan. 1 – June 30) • No later than January 30 (for the period July 1 – Dec. 31) E. Closeout Reporting Requirements
W
it
hin 120 days after the end of the POP, or after an amendment has been issued to close out a federal award, recipients must submit the following:

1. The final request for payment, if applicable.

2. The final FFR.

3. The final progress report detailing all accomplishments.

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4. A qualitative narrative summary of the impact of those accomplishments throughout the POP.

5. Other documents required by this NOFO, terms and conditions of the federal award, or other DHS Component guidance.

After FEMA approves these reports, it will issue a closeout notice. The notice will indicate the POP as closed, list any remaining funds to be de-obligated, and address the record maintenance requirement. Unless a longer period applies, such as due to an audit or litigation, for equipment or real property used beyond the POP, or due to other circumstances outlined in 2 C.F.R. § 200.334, this maintenance requirement is three years from the date of the final FFR.

A
lso, pass-through entities are responsible for closing out those subawards as described in 2 C.F.R. § 200.344; subrecipients are still required to submit closeout materials within 90 calendar days of the subaward POP end date. When a subrecipient completes all closeout requirements, pass-through entities must promptly complete all closeout actions in time for the recipient to submit all necessary documentation and information to FEMA during the closeout of their prime award. The recipient is responsible for returning any balances of unobligated or unliquidated funds that have been drawn down that are not authorized to be retained per 2 C.F.R. § 200.344(e).

A
dministrative Closeout

A
dministrative closeout is a mechanism for FEMA to unilaterally execute closeout of an award.

FEMA will use available award information in lieu of final recipient reports, per 2 C.F.R. § 200.344(h)-(i). It is an activity of last resort, and if FEMA administratively closes an award, this may negatively impact a recipient’s ability to obtain future funding.

Additional Reporting Requirements – R&D Activity
As part of the closeout report, R&D Activity recipients must provide a minimum of ten (10) pages that emphasize results derived from the funded project. The format for this document should include the following sections:
• Describe the purpose of the research and the relevance of the results and products to the safety, health, or well-being of firefighters.
• List the specific aims of the research project. After each aim provide the following:
o Describe the study design;
o Describe the procedures/measures to achieve the aim;
o Mention any deviation from the original grant aims or methods; and o State the main outcome for each aim.
• Discuss the general outcome(s) of the entire project. • Discuss implications for policy, practice, safety, health or well-being of firefighters from completion of the project.
• State the highlights of dissemination activities completed or in process • Include a brief listing and description of the partners involved in the conduct of the research.

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Anytime there is a change in personnel for any of the awardees and/or subrecipients, their information needs to be submitted for approval (all the previous personal information identified).

F. Disclosing Information per 2 C.F.R. § 180.335
Before entering into a federal award, th e applicant must notify FEMA if it knows that the applicant or any of the principals (as defined at 2 C.F.R. § 180.995) for the federal award:

1. Are presently excluded or disqualified;

2. Have been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in § 180.800(a) or had a civil judgment rendered against you for one of those offenses within that time period;

3. Are presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal, State, or local) with the commission of any of the offenses listed in § 180.800(a); or

4. Have had one or more public transactions (federal, state or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause or default.

This is requirement is fully described in 2 C.F.R. §180.335.

Additionally, 2 C.F.R. § 180.350 requires recipients to provide immediate notice to FEMA at any time after entering a federal award if:

1. The recipient learns that it failed to earlier disclose information as required by 2 C.F.R. § 180.335; or

2. Due to changed circumstances, the applicant or any of the principals for the federal award now meet the criteria at 2 C.F.R. § 180.335 listed above.

G. Reporting of Matters Related to Recipient Integrity and Performance Appendix XII to 2 C.F.R. Part 200 states the terms and conditions for recipient integrity and performance matters used for this funding opportunity.

If the total value of all active federal grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts for a recipient exceeds $10 million at any time during the POP:

1. The recipient must maintain the currency of information reported in SAM.gov about civil, criminal, or administrative proceedings described in paragraph 2 of Appendix XII;

2. The required reporting frequency is described in paragraph 4 of Appendix XII.

H. Single Audit Report
A recipient expending $1,000,000 or more in federal awards (as defined by 2 C.F.R. § 200.1) during its FY must undergo an audit. This may be either a single audit complying with 2 C.F.R. § 200.514 or a program-specific audit complying with 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.501 and 200.507. Audits must follow 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Subpart F, 2 C.F.R. § 200.501, and the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards.

I. Monitoring and Oversight
Per 2 C.F.R. § 200.337, DHS and its authorized representatives have the right of access to any records of the recipient or subrecipient pertinent to a federal award to perform audits, site visits,

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and any other official use. The right also includes timely and reasonable access to the recipient’s or subrecipient’s personnel for the purpose of interview and discussion related to such documents or the federal award in general.

Pursuant to this right and per 2 C.F.R. § 200.329, DHS may conduct desk reviews and make site visits to review and evaluate project accomplishments and management control systems as well as provide any required technical assistance. Recipients and subrecipients must respond in a timely and accurate manner to DHS requests for information relating to a federal award.

J. Program Evaluation
Title I of the Foundations for Evidence-Bas ed Policymaking Act of 2018, Pub. L. No. 115-435 (2019) (Evidence Act), PUBL435.PS urges federal agencies to use program evaluation as a critical tool to learn, improve delivery, and elevate program service and delivery across the program lifecycle. Evaluation means “an assessment using systematic data collection and analysis of one or more programs, policies, and organizations intended to assess their effectiveness and efficiency.” Evidence Act, § 101 (codified at 5 U.S.C. § 311). OMB A-11, Section 290 (Evaluation and Evidence-Building Activities) further outlines the standards and practices for evaluation activities. Federal agencies are required to specify any requirements for recipient participation in program evaluation activities (2 C.F.R. § 200.301). Program evaluation activities incorporated from the outset in the NOFO and program design and implementation allow recipients and agencies to meaningfully document and measure progress and achievement towards program goals and objectives, and identify program outcomes and lessons learned, as part of demonstrating recipient performance (2 C.F.R. § 200.301).

As such, recipients and subrecipients are required to participate in a Program Office (PO) or a DHS Component-led evaluation, if selected. This may be carried out by a third-party on behalf of the PO or the DHS Component. Such an evaluation may involve information collections including but not limited to, records of the recipients; surveys, interviews or discussions with individuals who benefit from the federal award, rogram operating personnel, and award recipients; and site visits or other observation of recipient activities, as specified in a DHS Component or PO-approved evaluation plan. More details about evaluation requirements may be provided in the federal award, if available at that time, or following the award as evaluation requirements are finalized. Evaluation costs incurred during the POP are allowable costs (either as direct or indirect) in accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.413.

Recipients and subrecipients are also encouraged, but not required, to participate in any additional evaluations after the POP ends, although any costs incurred to participate in such evaluations are not allowable and may not be charged to the federal award.

K. Additional Performance Reporting Requirements
Not applicable.

L. Termination of Federal Award

1. The FY 2026 DHS Standard Terms and Conditions sets forth a term and condition entitled “Te
rmination of a Federal Award”. The termination provision condition listed below applies

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to the grant award and the “Termination of a Federal Award” term and condition in the FY 2026 DHS Standard Terms and Conditions does not.

2. Termination of the Federal Award by FEMA
FEMA may terminate the federal award in whole or in part for one of the following reasons:
a. If the recipient or subrecipient fails to comply with the terms and conditions of the federal award.
b. With the consent of the recipient, in which case FEMA and the recipient must agree upon the termination conditions. These conditions include the effective date and, in the case of partial termination, the portion to be terminated.
c. If the federal award no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities. Under this provision, FEMA may terminate the award for these purposes for any of the following reasons:

i. If DHS/FEMA, in its sole discretion, determines that a specific award objective is ineffective at achieving program goals as described in this NOFO; ii. If DHS/FEMA, in its sole discretion, determines that an objective of the award as described in this NOFO will be ineffective at achieving program goals or agency priorities;
iii. If DHS/FEMA, in its sole discretion, determines that the design of the grant program is flawed relative to program goals or agency priorities; iv. If DHS/FEMA, in its sole discretion, determines that the grant program is not aligned to either the DHS Strategic Plan, the FEMA Strategic Plan, or successor policies or documents;
v. If DHS/FEMA, in its sole discretion, changes or re-evaluates the goals or priorities of the grant program and determines that the award will be ineffective at achieving the updated program goals or agency priorities; or vi. For other reasons based on program goals or agency priorities described in the termination notice provided to the recipient pursuant to 2 C.F.R. § 200.341. vii. If the awardee falls out of compliance with the agency’s statutory or regulatory authority, award terms and conditions, or other applicable laws. d. For convenience, including, but not limited to, when the award no longer advances agency priorities or the national interest.

3. Termination of a Subaward by the Pass-Through Entity

The pass-through entity may terminate a subaward in whole or in part for one of the following reasons identified in 2 C.F.R. § 200.340:

a. If the subrecipient fails to comply with the terms and conditions of the federal award. b. With the consent of the subrecipient, in which case the pass-through entity and the subrecipient must agree upon the termination conditions. These conditions include the effective date and, in the case of partial termination, the portion to be terminated. c. If the pass-through entity’s award has been terminated, the pass-through recipient will terminate its subawards.

4. Termination by the Recipient or Subrecipient

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The recipient or subrecipient may terminate the federal award in whole or in part for the following reason identified in 2 C.F.R. § 200.340: Upon sending FEMA or pass-through entity a written notification of the reasons for such termination, the effective date, and, in the case of partial termination, the portion to be terminated. However, if FEMA or the pass- through entity determines that the remaining portion of the federal award will not accomplish the purposes for which the federal award was made, FEMA or the pass-through entity may terminate the Federal award in its entirety.

5. Impacts of Termination
a. When FEMA terminates the federal award before the end of the POP due to the recipient’s material failure to comply with the terms and conditions of the award, FEMA will report the termination in SAM.gov in the manner described at 2 C.F.R. § 200.340(c).
b. When the federal award is terminated in part or its entirety, FEMA or the pass-through entity and recipient or subrecipient remain responsible for compliance with the requirements in 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.344 and 200.345.

6. Notification requirements
FEMA or the pass-through entity must provide written notice of the termination in a manner consistent with 2 C.F.R. § 200.341. The federal award will be terminated on the date of the notification unless stated otherwise in the notification.

7. Opportunities to Object and Appeal
Where applicable, when FEMA terminates the federal award, the written notification of termination will provide the opportunity and describe the process, to object and provide information challenging the action, pursuant to 2 C.F.R. § 200.342.

8. E
ffects of Suspension and Termination

The allowability of costs to the recipient or subrecipient resulting from financial obligations incurred by the recipient or subrecipient during a suspension or after the termination of a federal award are subject to 2 C.F.R. 200.343.

M. Best Practices
Although not a requirement in the DHS Standard Terms and Conditions, as a best practice:

Ent
ities receiving funds through this program should ensure that cybersecurity is integrated into the design, development, operation, and maintenance of investments that impact information technology and/ or operational technology systems. Additionally, “The recipient and subrecipient must take reasonable cybersecurity and other measures to safeguard information including protected personally identifiable information (PII) and other types of information.” 2 C.F.R. § 200.303(e).

N. Payment Information
Recipients will submit payment requests in FEMA GO for FY 2025 a wards under this program.

Instructions to Grant Recipients Pursuing Payments

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FEMA reviews all grant payments and obligations to ensure allowability in accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.305. These measures ensure funds are disbursed appropriately while continuing to support and prioritize communities that rely on FEMA for assistance. Once a recipient submits a payment request, FEMA will review the request. If FEMA approves a payment, recipients will be notified by FEMA GO and the payment will be delivered pursuant to the recipients SAM.gov financial information. If FEMA disapproves a payment, FEMA will inform the recipient.

P
rocessing and Payment Timeline

F
EMA must comply with regulations governing payments to grant recipients. See 2 C.F.R. § 200.305. For grant recipients other than states, 2 C.F.R. § 200.305(b)(3) stipulates that FEMA is to make payments on a reimbursement basis within 30 days after receipt of the payment request, unless FEMA reasonably believes the request to be improper. For state recipients, 2 C.F.R. § 200.305(a) instructs that federal grant payments are governed by Treasury-State Cash Management Improvement Act (CMIA) agreements ("Treasury-State agreement") and default procedures codified at 31 C.F.R. part 205 and Treasury Financial Manual (TFM) 4A-2000, "Overall Disbursing Rules for All Federal Agencies." See 2 C.F.R. § 200.305(a).

T
reasury-State agreements generally apply to "major federal assistance programs” that are governed by 31 C.F.R. part 205, subpart A and are identified in the Treasury-State agreement. 31 C.F.R. §§ 205.2, 205.6. Where a federal assistance (grant) program is not governed by subpart A, payment and funds transfers from FEMA to the state are subject to 31 C.F.R. part 205, subpart B. Subpart B requires FEMA to "limit a funds transfer to a state to the minimum amounts needed by the state and must time the disbursement to be in accord with the actual, immediate cash requirements of the state in carrying out a federal assistance program or project.

The timing and amount of funds transfers must be as close as is administratively feasible to a state's actual cash outlay for direct program costs and the proportionate share of any allowable indirect costs." 31 C.F.R. § 205.33(a). Nearly all FEMA grants are not “major federal assistance programs.” As a result, payments to states for those grants are subject to the "default” rules of 31 C.F.R. part 205, subpart B.

I
f additional information is needed, a request for information will be issued by FEMA to the recipient; recipients are strongly encouraged to respond to any additional FEMA request for information inquiries within three business days. If an adequate response is not received, the request may be denied, and the entity may need to submit a new reimbursement request; this will re-start the 30-day timeline.

S
ubmission Process

A
ll non-disaster grant program reimbursement requests must be reviewed and approved by FEMA prior to drawdowns.

F
or all non-disaster reimbursement requests (regardless of system), please ensure submittal of the following:

1. Grant ID / Award Number

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2. Total amount requested for drawdown

3. Purpose of drawdown and timeframe covered (must be within the award performance period)

4. Subrecipient Funding Details (if applicable).
• Is funding provided directly or indirectly to a subrecipient? o If no, include statement “This grant funding is not being directed to a subrecipient.”
• If yes, provide the following details:
o The name, mission statement, and purpose of each subrecipient receiving funds, along with the amount allocated and the specific role or activity being reimbursed. o Whether the subrecipient’s work or mission involves supporting aliens, regardless of whether FEMA funds support such activities.
o Whether the payment request includes an activity involving support to aliens. o Whether the subrecipient has any diversity, equity, and inclusion practices.4

5. Supporting documentation to demonstrate that expenses are allowable, allocable, reasonable and necessary under 2 C.F.R. Part 200 and in compliance with the grant’s NOFO, award terms, and applicable federal regulations.

O. Immigration Conditions

The term titled “Communication and Cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration Officials” and paragraph (2)(a)(ii) of the term titled “Federal Anti- Discrimination Laws Material to the Government’s Payment Decisions Under the False Claims Act” in the FY 2026 DHS Standard Terms and Conditions do not a pply to any federal award under this funding opportunity.

10. Other Information

A. POP Extension

4 Pursuant to the preliminary injunction order issued on November 21, 2025, in County of Santa Clara et al. v. Noem, et al., No. 25-cv-08330- WHO (N.D. Cal.),  the DHS Standard Term and Condition titled "Federal Anti-Discrimination Laws Material to the Government’s Payment Decisions Under the False Claims Act" does not apply to awards or subawards issued to any of the plaintiffs subject to the pr eliminary injunction order while the order remains in effect. If the preliminary injunction is stayed, vacated, or extinguished, the term will immediately become effective.

Pursuant to the preliminary injunction order issued on November 21, 2025, in City of Chicago et al. v. Noem, et al., No. 25-CV-12765 (N.D. Ill.), the DHS Standard Term and Condition titled "Federal Anti-Discrimination Laws Material to the Government’s Payment Decisions Under the False Claims Act" does not apply to awards or subawards issued to any of the plaintiffs subject to the preliminary injunction order while the order remains in effect. If the preliminary injunction is stayed, vacated, or extinguished, the term will immediately become effective.

Pursuant to the preliminary injunction order issued on October 31, 2025, in City of Seattle v. Trump, et al., No. 2:25- cv-01435-BJR (W.D. Wa.), the DHS Standard Term and Condition titled "Anti-Discrimination" does not apply to awards or subawards issued to any of the plaintiffs subject to the preliminary injunction order while the order remains in effect. If the preliminary injunction is stayed, vacated, or extinguished, the term will immediately become effective.

As stated above, Paragraph(2)(a)(ii) of the DHS Standard Term and Condition titled "Federal Anti-Discrimination Laws Material to the Government’s Payment Decisions Under the False Claims Act" will not apply even if any of these preliminary injunctions are stayed, vacated, or extinguished.

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Extensions to the POP for this program are allowed.

R
ecipients should consult with their FEMA point of contact for requirements related to a performance period extension.

Extensions to the POP identified in the award will only be considered through formal, written requests via FEMA GO and must contain specific and compelling justifications as to why an extension is required. Recipients should request extensions sparingly and only under exceptional circumstances. Approval is not guaranteed. R&D Activity grants with a four-year POP are not expected to need an extension.

Extension requests will be granted only due to compelling legal, policy, or operational challenges. Extension requests will only be considered for the following reasons:

1. Contractual commitments by the recipient or subrecipient with vendors prevent completion of the project, including delivery of equipment or services, within the existing POP;

2. The project must undergo a complex environmental review that cannot be completed within the existing POP;

3. Projects are long-term by design, and therefore acceleration would compromise core programmatic goals; or

4. Where other special or extenuating circumstances exist.

R
ecipients must submit all proposed extension requests to FEMA for review and approval at least 120 days before the end of the POP to allow sufficient processing time. The review process can take up to 30 days or longer. Recipients should factor this review period into the timing of when to submit a request for an extension. Extensions are typically granted for no more than a six-month period.

All extension requests must address the following:

1. The grant program, FY , and award number;

2. Reason for the delay –including details of the legal, policy, or operational challenges that prevent the final outlay of awarded funds by the deadline;

3. Current status of the activity or activities;

4. Approved POP termination date and new project completion date;

5. Amount of funds drawn down to date;

6. Remaining available funds, both federal and, if applicable, non- federal;

7. Budget outlining how remaining federal and, if applicable, non- federal funds will be expended;

8. Plan for completion, including milestones and timeframes for achieving each milestone and the position or person responsible for implementing the plan for completion; and

9. Certification that the activity or activities will be completed within the extended POP without any modification to the original statement of work, as described in the original statement of work and as approved by FEMA.

B. Other Information

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a. EHP Compliance

FEMA is required to consider effects of its actions on the environment and historic properties to ensure that activities, grants and programs funded by FEMA, comply with federal EHP laws, Executive Orders, regulations and policies.

Recipients and subrecipients proposing projects with the potential to impact the environment or cultural resources, such as the modification, renovation and/or new construction of existing buildings, structures and facilities, must participate in the FEMA EHP review process. This includes conducting early engagement to help identify EHP resources, such as threatened or endangered species, historic properties, or communities with environmental concerns; submitting a detailed project description with supporting documentation to determine whether the proposed project has the potential to impact EHP resources; and, identifying mitigation measures and/or alternative courses of action that may lessen impacts to those resources.

FEMA is sometimes required to consult with other regulatory agencies and the public in order to complete the review process. Federal law requires EHP review to be completed before federal funds are released to carry out proposed projects. FEMA may not be able to fund projects that are not in compliance with applicable EHP laws, Executive Orders, regulations, and policies.

FEMA may recommend mitigation measures and/or alternative courses of action to lessen impacts to EHP resources and bring the project into EHP compliance.

EHP guidance is found at Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation. The site contains links to documents identifying agency EHP responsibilities and program requirements, such as implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act and other EHP laws, regulations, and Executive Orders. DHS and FEMA EHP policy is also found in the EHP Directive & Instruction.

All FEMA actions, including grants, must comply with National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) criteria or any more restrictive federal, state, or local floodplain management standards or building code (44 C.F.R. § 9.11(d)(6)). For actions located within or that may affect a floodplain or wetland, the following alternatives must be considered: a) no action; b) alternative locations; and c) alternative actions, including alternative actions that use natural features or nature-based solutions. Where possible, natural features and nature-based solutions shall be used. If not practicable as an alternative on their own, natural features and nature-based solutions may be incorporated into actions as minimization measures.

The GPD EHP screening form is located at
https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_ehp-screening_form_ff-207-fy-21- 100_5-26-2021.pdf.
b. Procurement Integrity
When purchasing under a FEMA award, recipients and subrecipients must comply with the federal procurement standards in 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.317-200.327.. To assist with determining whether an action is a procurement or instead a subaward, please consult 2 C.F.R. § 200.331.

For detailed guidance on the federal procurement standards, recipients and subrecipients should refer to various materials issued by FEMA’s Procurement Disaster Assistance Team (PDAT).

Additional resources, including an upcoming trainings schedule can be found on the PDAT Website: https://www.fema.gov/grants/procurement.

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Under 2 C.F.R. § 200.317 when procuring property and services under a federal award, states (including territories) and Indian Tribes, must follow the same policies and procedures they use for procurements from their non-federal funds. Additionally, states and Indian Tribes must now follow 2 CFR §200.322, regarding domestic preferences for Procurements and 2 CFR§ 200.327 regarding required contract provisions.

Local government and nonprofit recipients or subrecipients must have and use their own documented procurement procedures that reflect applicable state, local, tribal and territorial (SLTT) laws and regulations, provided that the procurements conform to applicable federal law and the standards identified in 2 C.F.R. Part 200.

1. Important Changes to Procurement Standards in 2 C.F.R. Part 200 On April 22, 2024, OMB updated various parts of Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations, among them the procurement standards. These revisions apply to all FEMA awards with a federal award date or disaster declaration date on or after October 1, 2024, unless specified otherwise. The changes include updates to the federal procurement standards, which govern how FEMA award recipients and subrecipients must purchase under a FEMA award.

More information on OMB’s revisions to the federal procurement standards can be found in Purchasing Under a FEMA Award: 2024 OMB Revisions Fact Sheet.

2. Competition and Conflicts of Interest
2 CFR §200.319(b) , applicable to local government and nonprofit recipients or subrecipients, requires that contractors that develop or draft specifications, requirements statements of work, or invitations for bids or requests for proposals must be excluded from competing for such procurements. FEMA considers these actions to be an organizational conflict of interest and interprets this restriction as applying to contractors that help a recipient or subrecipient develop its grant application, project plans, or project budget. This prohibition also applies to the use of former employees to manage the grant or carry out a contract when those former employees worked on such activities while they were employees of the recipient or subrecipient.

Under this prohibition, unless the recipient or subrecipient solicits for and awards a contract covering both development and execution of specifications (or similar elements as described above), and this contract was procured in compliance with 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.317-200.327, federal funds cannot be used to pay a contractor to carry out the work if that contractor also worked on the development of those specifications. This rule applies to all contracts funded with federal grant funds, including pre-award costs, such as grant writer fees, as well as post- award costs, such as grant management fees.

In addition to organizational conflicts of interest, situations considered to be restrictive of competition include, but are not limited to:
• Placing unreasonable requirements on firms for them to qualify to do business; • Requiring unnecessary experience and excessive bonding; • Noncompetitive pricing practices between firms or between affiliated companies; • Noncompetitive contracts to consultants that are on retainer contracts;

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• Specifying only a “brand name” product instead of allowing “an equal” product to be offered and describing the performance or other relevant requirements of the procurement; and
• Any arbitrary action in the procurement process.

Under 2 C.F.R§ 200.318(c)(1) , local government and nonprofit recipients or subrecipients are required to maintain written standards of conduct covering conflicts of interest and governing the actions of their employees engaged in the selection, award, and administration of contracts. No employee, officer, or agent may participate in the selection, award or administration of a contract supported by a federal award if he or she has a real or apparent conflict of interest. Such conflicts of interest would arise when the employee, officer or agent, any member of his or her immediate family, his or her partner, or an organization that employs or is about to employ any of the parties indicated herein, has a financial or other interest in or a tangible personal benefit from a firm considered for a contract. The officers, employees, and agents of the recipient or subrecipient may neither solicit nor accept gratuities, favors, or anything of monetary value from contractors or parties to subcontracts. However, the recipient or subrecipient may set standards for situations in which the financial interest is not substantial, or the gift is an unsolicited item of nominal value. The recipient’s or subrecipient’s standards of conduct must provide for disciplinary actions to be applied for violations of such standards by officers, employees or agents.

Under 2 C.F.R. 200.318(c)(2), if the local government and nonprofit recipient or subrecipient has a parent, affiliate, or subsidiary organization that is not a SLTT government, the recipient or subrecipient must also maintain written standards of conduct covering organizational conflicts of interest. Organizational conflict of interest means that because of a relationship with a parent company, affiliate, or subsidiary organization, the recipient or subrecipient is unable or appears to be unable to be impartial in conducting a procurement action involving a related organization.

The recipient or subrecipient must disclose in writing any potential conflicts of interest to FEMA or the pass-through entity in accordance with applicable FEMA policy.

3. Supply Schedules and Purchasing Programs
Generally, a recipient or subrecipient may seek to procure goods or services from a federal supply schedule, state supply schedule, or group purchasing agreement.

Information about General Services Administration programs for states, Indian Tribes, and local governments, and their instrumentalities, can be found at Purchasing Resources and Support for State and Local Governments.pdf

4. Procurement Documentation
Per 2 C.F.R. § 200.318(i), local government and nonprofit recipients or subrecipients are required to maintain and retain records sufficient to detail the history of procurement covering at least the rationale for the procurement method, selection of contract type, contractor selection or rejection, and the basis for the contract price. States and Indian Tribes are reminded that for any cost to be allowable, it must be adequately documented per 2 CFR §200.403(g).

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Examples of the types of documents that would cover this information include but are not limited to:
• Solicitation documentation, such as requests for quotes, invitations for bids, or requests for proposals;
• Responses to solicitations, such as quotes, bids, or proposals; • Pre-solicitation independent cost estimates and post-solicitation cost/price analyses on file for review by federal personnel, if applicable;
• Contract documents and amendments, including required contract provisions; and • Other documents required by federal regulations applicable at the time a grant is awarded to a recipient.
c. Financial Assistance Programs for Infrastructure

1. Recipients and subrecipients must comply with FEMA’s implementation requirements of the Build America, Buy America Act (BABAA), which was enacted as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act §§ 70901-70927, Pub. L. No. 117-58 (2021); and Executive Order 14005, Ensuring the Future is Made in All of America by All of America’s Workers. See also 2 C.F.R. Part 184, Buy America Preferences for Infrastructure Projects and OMB Memorandum M-24-02, Implementation Guidance on Application of Buy America Preference in Federal Financial Assistance Programs for Infrastructure.

None of the funds provided under this program may be used for a project for infrastructure unless the iron and steel, manufactured products, and construction materials used in that infrastructure are produced in the United States.

The Buy America preference only applies to articles, materials, and supplies that are consumed in, incorporated into, or affixed to an infrastructure project. As such, it does not apply to tools, equipment, and supplies, such as temporary scaffolding, brought to the construction site and removed at or before the completion of the infrastructure project. Nor does a Buy America preference apply to equipment and furnishings, such as movable chairs, desks and portable computer equipment, that are used at or within the finished infrastructure project but are not an integral part of the structure or permanently affixed to the infrastructure project.

To see whether a particular FEMA federal financial assistance program is considered an infrastructure program and thus required to implement FEMA’s Build America, Buy America requirements, please see Programs and Definitions: Build America, Buy America Act | FEMA.gov

2. Waivers
When necessary, recipients (and subrecipients through their pass-through entity) may apply for, and FEMA may grant, a waiver from these requirements.

A waiver of the domestic content procurement preference may be granted by the agency awarding official if FEMA determines that:
• Applying the domestic content procurement preference would be inconsistent with the public interest, or

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• The types of iron, steel, manufactured products, or construction materials are not produced in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available quantities or of a satisfactory quality, or
• The inclusion of iron, steel, manufactured products, or construction materials produced in the United States will increase the cost of the overall project by more than 25 percent.

The process for requesting a waiver from the Buy America preference requirements can be found on FEMA’s website at: "Buy America" Preference in FEMA Financial Assistance Programs for Infrastructure | FEMA.gov.

3. Definitions
For definitions of the key terms of the Build America, Buy America Act, please visit Programs and Definitions: Build America, Buy America Act | FEMA.gov. d. Mandatory Disclosures
The non-Federal entity or applicant for a federal award must disclose, in a timely manner, in writing to the federal awarding agency or pass-through entity all violations of federal criminal law involving fraud, bribery, or gratuity violations potentially affecting the federal award, 2 CFR §200.113 .
e. Adaptive Support
Pursuant to Section 504, of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 , recipients of FEMA financial assistance must ensure that their programs and activities do not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities.
f. Record Retention

1. Record Retention Period
Financial records, supporting documents, statistical records, and all other non-federal entity records pertinent to a federal award generally must be maintained for at least three years from the date the final FFR is submitted. See 2 C.F.R. §200.334. Further, if the recipient does not submit a final FFR and the award is administratively closed, FEMA uses the date of administrative closeout as the start of the general record retention period.

The record retention period may be longer than three years or have a different start date in certain cases.

2. Types of Records to Retain
FEMA requires that recipients and subrecipients maintain the following documentation for federally funded purchases:
• Specifications
• Solicitations
• Competitive quotes or proposals
• Basis for selection decisions
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• P urchase orders
• Contracts
• Invoices
• Canceled checks
g.

Actions to Address Noncompliance
Non-federal entities receiving financial assistance funding from FEMA are required to comply with requirements in the terms and conditions of their awards or subawards, including the terms set forth in applicable federal statutes, regulations, NOFOs, and policies. Throughout the award lifecycle or even after an award has been closed, FEMA or the pass-through entity may discover potential or actual noncompliance on the part of a recipient or subrecipient.

In the case of any potential or actual noncompliance, FEMA may place special conditions on an award per 2 C.F.R.§ 200.208 and 2 C.F.R.§ 200.339. FEMA may place a hold on funds until the matter is corrected, or additional information is provided per 2 C.F.R.§ 200.339. or it may do both. Similar remedies for noncompliance with certain federal civil rights laws are authorized pursuant to 44 C.F.R. Part 7 and 44 C.F.R. Part 19 or other applicable regulations.

If the noncompliance is not able to be corrected by imposing additional conditions or the recipient or subrecipient refuses to correct the matter, FEMA may take other remedies allowed under 2 C.F.R.§ 200.339.
h. Audits
FEMA grant recipients are subject to audit oversight from multiple entities including the DHS OIG, the GAO, the pass-through entity, or independent auditing firms for single audits, and may cover activities and costs incurred under the award. Auditing agencies such as the DHS OIG, the GAO, and the pass-through entity (if applicable), and FEMA in its oversight capacity, must have access to records pertaining to the FEMA award.

11. A
ppendix A – FY 2025 FP&S Program Updates
A
ppendix A contains a brief list of changes between FY 2024 and FY 2025 to the FP&S Program. Changes to the FY 2025 FP&S Program NOFO include:
• U
nder Section 2.A. Eligible Entities/Entity Types, subapplicants and subawards are allowed.
• Under Appendix B.a. FP&S Activity Overview
o Added Wildfire Sprinkler Trailers and Tripod Sprinklers as examples of eligible Wildfire Risk Reduction projects when proposed as part of a WUI education/awareness effort.
o Added salary and overtime expenses paid to backfill for activities during Origin and Cause Investigator training as an eligible project.
o Removed fire extinguisher training for adults over the age of 65 from the list of Ineligible Projects and Items.
• Excess funds restrictions have been updated.

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12. Appendix B – Programmatic Information and Priorities

Appendix B contains details on FP&S Program information and priorities. Reviewing this information may help applicants make their application(s) more competitive.

A. Supporting Definitions for this NOFO
Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) is that person or office charged with enforcing the NFPA codes (Per NFPA101-2024 Edition: Life Safety Code).

Career Fire Department, as defined in 15 U.S.C. § 2229, means a fire department that has an all-paid force of firefighting personnel other than paid-on-call firefighters.

Combination Fire Department, as defined in 15 U.S.C. § 2229, means a fire department that has paid firefighting personnel and volunteer firefighting personnel. FEMA considers a fire department with firefighting personnel paid a stipend on a per-event basis, or paid on-call, to be a combination fire department.

Fire Department is an agency or organization that has a formally recognized arrangement with a state, territory, local government, or tribal authority (city, county, parish, fire district, township, town, village or other governing body) to provide fire suppression on a first-due basis to a fixed geographical area. Fire departments may be comprised of members who are volunteer, career, or a combination of volunteer and career.

Human Subject means a living individual about whom an investigator (whether professional or student) conducting research:

1. obtains information or biospecimens through intervention or interaction with the individual, and uses, studies or analyzes the information or biospecimens; or,

2. obtains, uses, studies, analyzes or generates identifiable private information or identifiable biospecimens.

Human subjects are the living participants involved in the testing of some object, measurement of physiologic or biologic process, providing an opinion about behavior, identifying personal behaviors, or participating in an intervention, either as a test or control person. Human subjects may be a healthy individual or a clinical patient.

Interest Organizations are national, regional, state, local, Tribal Nation and non-profit entities that are recognized for their experience and expertise in fire prevention and safety programs.

Primary First Due is a geographic area surrounding a fire station in which a company from that station is projected to be first to arrive on the scene of an incident.

Research means a systematic investigation, including development, testing, and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge. Research should be conducted in accordance with suitable methodologies set by specific professional fields and academic disciplines. Any research involving human subjects must be reviewed by an IRB (for details see Section 9.A.a.- Human Subjects Research of this NOFO). Only projects determined by an IRB as exempt from further IRB oversight are eligible for FP&S activity funding under the

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National/Regional/State Programs and Projects category.

State, as defined in 6 U.S.C. § 101(17), is any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any possession of the United States Volunteer Fire Department, as defined in 15 U.S.C. § 2229, means a fire department that has an all-volunteer force of firefighting personnel.

B. Funding Priorities
a. FP&S Activity Overview

FEMA desires to provide flexibility to applicants to design innovative strategies and/or unique proposals that reach for a higher level of safety for the public with respect to fire and fire-related hazards. All proposals, as part of the vulnerability statement, will be evaluated on how well the applicant demonstrates the understanding of their actual community fire and safety risks. A community risk assessment should be used to document the “risk” as a basis for mitigation. If the applicant has evidence of a community risk, the application should be based on solving the problem that will reduce the risk. A risk analysis should be the foundation of the application.

Category Priorities and Eligible Projects

The following tables list the eligible categories and priorities under the FP&S Activity.

Community Risk Reduction Category

Community Risk Reduction Category - Program Priorities
According to data available to FEMA and the U.S. Fire Administration, working smoke alarms and residential sprinklers greatly reduce the risk of fire casualties for the nation’s residents. Therefore, under this category there are three distinct, but equal, priorities.

• Smoke Alarm Installations: Programs that target a specific high-risk population to conduct both door-to-door smoke alarm installations and provide home safety inspections, as part of a comprehensive home fire safety campaign. The comprehensive home fire safety campaign must also include an educational program that is delivered to the occupant at the time of the installation and inspection.

Installation may include combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.

Further, additional consideration will be given to applicants who incorporate supplies for deaf/hard-of-hearing alarm installations as part of their comprehensive installation and education effort (hardwiring of deaf/hard-of-hearing smoke alarms is eligible).

FEMA, through its FP&S Program, promotes the use of smoke alarms that are powered by non-removable, long-life batteries, and are enclosed within a tamper- resistant housing. Applicants who do not plan on using smoke alarms powered by non- removable, long-life batteries, and are not enclosed within a tamper-resistant housing, must address the rationale for using alternatives.

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Community Risk Reduction Category - Program Priorities

FEMA requires residential smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to be installed in accordance with the most recent NFPA 72 National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code.

For example, 2022 Edition of NFPA 72, Chapter 29, specifically section 29.7.1 for carbon monoxide detectors and section 29.8.1 for smoke detectors.

• Sprinkler Awareness: Programs that include sprinkler awareness that affect the entire community in this effort, such as educating the public about sprinklers, promoting sprinklers, and demonstrating working models of sprinklers. Installation of sprinkler systems is only eligible if proposed as part of a sprinkler demonstration/educational effort.

Fire sprinkler trailers/side by side trailers for the purpose of public education are eligible. 75 percent of usage must be dedicated to public education.

• Risk Assessments: Community-appropriate comprehensive risk assessments and risk reduction planning. WUI risk assessment projects should be applied for under this category.

Note: Applications that request a risk assessment are precluded from applying for or being awarded additional projects.

Community Risk Reduction - Examples of Other Eligible Projects • Smoke Alarms: Applicants who are unable to meet the above stated funding priority (door-to-door installations and home safety inspections) for this category are still eligible to apply for smoke alarms (or combination smoke and carbon monoxide [CO] alarms). This includes projects that encompass educational components that teach how smoke alarms work to provide early warning in case of a fire, while promoting the installation of smoke alarms and/or inspections to assure that previously installed smoke alarms are operational. Applicants who will not perform installation of the alarms should discuss in their Narrative Statement the methodology for ensuring that the alarms will be properly installed in accordance with the most recent NFPA 72 National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code. For example, 2022 Edition of NFPA 72, Chapter 29, specifically section 29.7.1 for carbon monoxide detectors and section

29.8.1 for smoke detectors. FEMA, through its FP&S Program, promotes the use of smoke alarms that are powered by non-removable, long-life batteries, and are enclosed within a tamper-resistant housing. Applicants who do not plan on using smoke alarms powered by non-removable, long-life batteries, and are not enclosed within a tamper- resistant housing, must address the rationale for using alternatives. • Training: Local or regional projects to educate or train personnel in the area of public education are eligible under this activity.
• General Prevention/Awareness: Projects that include general prevention initiatives, including lock-box installation, CO detectors, address markers, cooking range technologies, etc., are eligible under this activity.

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Community Risk Reduction - Examples of Other Eligible Projects • Public Education: National or local projects that promote the reduction of injury due to fire or other safety hazards are eligible under this activity. Projects may include burn prevention, media/public relations campaigns, injury prevention, or other community risk reductions that could be justified in the Narrative Statement.

Educational props (educational tools), including fire extinguisher trainers, must be part of a comprehensive and detailed public safety education campaign.

An LED/electronic sign is eligible if it is part of a comprehensive and detailed public safety education campaign. Only one LED/electronic sign is allowed per applicant and 75 percent of usage must be dedicated to the comprehensive/detailed public education campaign. Additional restrictions apply (for details see Section 10.B.a - EHP Compliance o f this NOFO).

Eligible items also include escape planning, model homes, and curriculum delivery tools. Projects that will deliver training to the public in the area of automatic external defibrillators (AEDs), Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), or age-appropriate fire extinguisher training will be considered. However, if the projects are for fire department operational staff, these projects should be requested under the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program.

Fire safety trailers/houses for the purpose of educating the public on the basics of fire behavior and residential fire hazards are eligible and must be submitted under the Public Education Category. Seventy-five percent of usage must be dedicated public education.

• Juvenile Fire Setter Prevention Projects: Projects that are designed to mitigate the instances of fire set by children are eligible under this activity. Projects may have treatment and intervention components. The intervention components should be age appropriate.

Wi
ldfire Risk Reduction
Wildfire Risk Reduction - Program Priority
Education and awareness programs that protect lives, property, and natural resources from fire in the WUI (not forestry), including Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP) or programs supporting fire adapted community initiatives, should be applied for under this activity. Fuel reduction demonstrations, in a targeted location as part of an awareness and education effort, are considered but additional restrictions apply (for details see
Section 10.B.a - EHP Compliance of this NOFO). Education and awareness programs should apply to the entire community such as educating the public about fire- related WUI risks, promoting fuel reduction, and may include a community Wood Chipper Program and/or External Home Sprinkler Kits.

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Wildfire Risk Reduction - Examples of Other Eligible Projects • External Home Sprinkler Kits - only eligible if proposed as part of a WUI education/awareness effort.
• Wood Chipper Programs - only eligible if proposed as part of a WUI education/awareness effort. Wood Chipper Programs may include contract services for fuel reduction or removal (community wood chipper) or renting wood chippers plus salary and benefits for employees with dedicated community wood chipper duties.

Wood Chippers may not be purchased through this grant program. • Wildfire Sprinkler Trailers and Tripod Sprinklers – only eligible if proposed as part of a WUI education/awareness effort.

C
ode Enforcement/Awareness Category

Code Enforcement/Awareness Category - Examples of Other Eligible Projects • Assistance for the adoption or awareness of building codes. • Support for conducting inspections or pre-planning (including personnel costs, software, supplies, and training assistance).
• Promotion of code enforcement to improve engineering and/or enacting fire-related ordinances for new construction.

Origin and Cause Investigation Category

Origin and Cause Investigation Category - Program Priority Projects that aim to investigate every fire.

Origin and Cause Investigation - Examples of Other Eligible Projects • Origin and cause investigation trailers (trailers
equipped to conduct/train to conduct fire origin
and cause investigations)
• Origin and cause investigation equipment
(including personal protective equipment)
• Origin and cause investigator training (including
salary and overtime expenses paid to backfill for
activities during investigator training).
• Origin and cause-related surveillance equipment
• Arson prevention training
• Personnel costs
• Educational materials
• Media equipment
• Cancer screenings
• Behavioral and/or mental
health

National/State/Regional Programs and Projects Category
Wildfire Risk Reduction - Program Priority
Note: WUI risk assessment projects should be applied for under the Community Risk Reduction, Risk Assessment Category.

Code Enforcement/Awareness Category - Program Priority
Projects that focus on first time or reinstatement of code adoption and code enforcement, including WUI fire codes for communities with a WUI-wildfire risk. See the U.S. Fire Administration Wildfire and the WUI resources for additional information.

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National/State/Regional Programs and Projects - Program Priority Projects should aim to measurably change behavior and decision-making of the target audience. Projects should communicate and disseminate strategies to measurably effect change.

Projects may include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Projects that focus on residential fire issues, such as:
• Projects that reduce the fire fatality rate;
• Projects that advance the adoption and awareness of current building codes; and,
• Projects that focus on first-time or reinstatement of code adoption and code enforcement.
• Projects that focus on firefighter safety, health or well-being by dissemination and implementation of programs, policies or products from previous research studies that used rigorous scientific methods to determine effectiveness. • Other projects that do not include a research component, such as:
• Projects that address emerging fire risks associated with battery powered devices ;
• Projects that promote code enforcement to improve engineering and/or enacting fire-related ordinances for new construction;
• Projects that address abandoned building issue;
• Projects that improve occupational factors and
injury/illness/disease/death/behavior health.

Projects requiring IRB approval to work with human subjects are not eligible. Projects with an IRB exemption determination may be eligible (for details see Section 9.A - Human Subjects Research of this NOFO). Unless otherwise directed by the FP&S Program Office, the IRB exemption determination letter and IRB application must be provided at time of application.

Applicants proposing to interface with government databases must explain how the systems will interface or data exchange will occur. The narrative must also explain how this effort will not duplicate existing databases or previously funded efforts.

Ineligible Projects and Items

Applicants must correlate the activities for which funding is requested and the identified problems or issues to be addressed. FEMA will not fund a budget line item if an applicant does not provide sufficient information detailing how it will support FP&S Program objectives.

Allowable costs may be limited to reasonable amounts, as determined by FEMA.

The following table describes the projects and items that are ineligible under the FP&S Activity:

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Ineligible Projects and Items for FP&S Activity
• Educational props (e.g., tools that are
used in educational or awareness
demonstrations) that are not part of a
comprehensive educational program, a
planned educational effort, or lack
description of these elements
• Costumes and/or puppets that are not
part of a comprehensive educational
program
• AED, CPR, or fire extinguisher training
for operational staff
• Fire hydrants/dry hydrants, supplies,
labor, and installation costs
• Weather/disaster notification devices
(e.g., sirens)
• Intruder alerting systems and
deployment notification systems
• Driver simulator training tools that are
not part of a state or national education
effort that leads to driver certifications
compliant to NFPA 1002 or its
equivalent
• Sprinkler head caps
• Development of administrative
documents (e.g., Standard Operating
Procedures, manuals)
• Live animals
• Firearms
• Fire extinguisher training for children
under 14 years old
• Equipment that is considered
entertainment as opposed to educational
tools that are part of a comprehensive
program
• Fire extinguisher training that is not part
of a comprehensive
prevention/education program
• Vehicles (not including tow vehicles,
which are limited to $6,000 per
application)
• Dollar amount for giveaways (plastic
fire helmets, stickers, plastic badges,
coloring books, marketing items, etc.) is
limited to $2,500 per project (or $5,000
• Fire suppression or EMS equipment,
supplies, and vehicles
• Firefighter salary/overtime for fire
suppression and operational activities
• Fire extinguishers
• Firefighting training tools, props or
equipment, personal protective
equipment (PPE), fitness equipment,
immunizations, or firefighter physicals
(NOTE: PPE traditionally worn in fire
suppression may also be appropriate for
origin and cause investigation when a
risk for reignition exists, and is
allowable under the Origin and Cause
Investigation Category if justified in the
Narrative Statement)
• Trailers for the purpose of firefighting
training/suppression (such as burn
trailers or maze trailers)
• Installation of sprinkler systems that do
not include an educational/
demonstration component
• Suppression-related training including
Firefighter I, Firefighter II, wildland
firefighting, training exercises, or drills
for suppression or disasters activities
• Communication equipment, including
portable radios or computer-aided
dispatch (CAD) systems
• Community projects that include the use
of tot finder/child finder, seniors, or pet
finder decals
• Hydrant poles or markers
• Fire-retardant house gel(s)
• Alarm system and alarm system
installation
• Fire safety equipment (e.g., smoke
alarms, CO detectors, surge protectors)
that does not adhere to a fire service
recognized standard (e.g., non-UL,
listed, ANSI fire safety equipment)
• Equipment that has no intrinsic fire
prevention or life safety education
application

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Ineligible Projects and Items for FP&S Activity
for a regional project). The cap does not
apply to state or national projects. Safety
devices are not considered giveaways
(such as potholders) because the
intended purpose of the item is to
directly reduce risk or prevent injury.
• Inflatable bounce houses (this does not
include houses with non-inflatable
floors, commonly used in education
programs)
• Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV),
drones, or related costs
• Creation of new databases
• Projects requiring IRB approval to work
with human subjects
• Code plan review stations
• Technology development/building of
virtual reality games/simulations
• Construction costs, including
constructing buildings or making major
alterations to a building that changes the
profile or footprint of the structure.
• Command Center Packages on fire
safety trailers
• Prescribed burns
• Fuel reduction equipment, such as
purchase of wood chippers
• Vegetation removal equipment
• Fuel or vegetation removal/reduction on
public land
• Entertainment: electronics, events, etc.
• Props (except as required for
educational programs)
• Robotics
• Demonstration tugboats
• Evacuation roads
• Ballistic vests
• Body cameras
• Remodeling/renovations to an existing
facility is only eligible if limited to
minor interior alterations costing less
than $10,000
• Other items or services that do not
directly support the FP&S Program
objectives
• Items/activities intended to be primarily
funded under the AFG Program or
Staffing to Adequate Fire and
Emergency Response (SAFER)
Program. Fire departments that wish to
carry out internal, local, firefighter
safety and well-being projects should
apply under the AFG Program.

R
egional Project

A
regional project is an opportunity for an eligible FP&S Activity organization to act as a host and apply for funding on behalf of itself and any number of other participating FP&S Activity- eligible organizations. Regional activities should achieve cost effectiveness, support regional efficiency and resilience, and have a direct regional or local benefit to more than one local jurisdiction (county, parish, town, township, city or village). Direct regional or local benefit means that other eligible organizations will receive a portion of the grant awarded funds, will receive items purchased with the grant funds, or share an item purchased with grant funds.

N
either the regional host nor any participating partner is prevented from also applying on behalf of their own organization for any FP&S Activity or R&D Activity project; however, it cannot be

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for the same item. For example, a department cannot apply for smoke alarms under its own organization and participate in a regional smoke alarm project.

Regional host applicants and participating partner agencies must execute a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), or equivalent document signed by the host and all participating organizations participating in the award. The MOU must specify the individual and mutual responsibilities of the host and participating partners, the host’s and participants’ level of involvement in the project(s), the participating partners’ EINs, and the proposed distribution of all grant-funded assets or contracted services. Any entity named in the application as benefiting from the award must be an eligible FP&S Program organization and must be a party to the MOU or equivalent document. Copies of the MOU or equivalent document should be submitted as an attachment in the application.

b. R&D Activity Overview

The goal of the R&D Activity is to reduce firefighter line-of-duty fatalities and injuries through research to improve firefighter safety, health, or well-being. Projects that address the National Fire Service Research Agenda with respect to firefighter health and safety are strongly encouraged.

Additionally, the U.S. Fire Administrator, in partnership with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF), has identified critical issues facing the fire service that need immediate attention. For more information, please see the 2024 U.S. Fire Administrator’s Summit on Fire Prevention and Control Workgroup Report.

The following Special Emphasis Topics are not scored but may be used by application reviewers or by FEMA during technical review before making final funding decisions:

• Mental Health and Well-being – Projects that address firefighters' concerns with post- traumatic stress, depression, suicide and related issues. • Occupational Health - Projects that aim to understand the occupational health of firefighters, such as those that study the impact of chemical exposures on firefighter health, safety and well-being.
• WUI - Projects that aim to mitigate the safety and health hazards associated with wildland firefighting.

c. R&D Activity Project Eligibility Information
All proposed projects under the R&D Activity must address the potential for improvement in firefighter safety, health, or well-being both in the short term and long term. Proposed projects must also address the potential for a successful research outcome to be disseminated and implemented in the fire service and reduce firefighter fatalities or injuries. Applicants are strongly encouraged to seek partnerships with the fire service that will support the ongoing project efforts from design through dissemination and implementation.

The following are descriptions of the four R&D Activity categories. These categories are not listed in order of importance. This is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of projects that will

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be considered. Applicants may also find the abstracts of previously funded R&D Activity projects on the FP&S Program Website.

Clinical Studies
This category includes projects that address behavioral or physiological and medical research activities.

Technology and Product Development
This category includes projects that result in outcomes that can enhance safety and effectiveness of firefighter activities. Projects can develop new technology or adapt existing products and technology to new uses.

Preliminary Studies
This category includes projects that may require information, evidence, experimentation, and study to justify a larger and complete project that can impact firefighter safety, health, or well- being. Preliminary studies may be proposed to obtain enough evidence to justify a future larger study.

Early Career Investigator
This category is defined by the qualifications of the PI and includes all types of research projects to improve firefighter safety, health, or well-being This category is reserved for projects led by a PI who received a terminal academic degree (a doctoral level, professional level, or equivalent advanced level research degree) or ended post-graduate training (such as a post-doctoral fellowship or residency, whichever date is later) within 10 years of the opening date of the application period and who has not been a PI on a previous FP&S Program award. These projects are limited to a maximum $600,000 federal share.

Ineligible Projects and Items
The following table describes projects and items that are ineligible under the R&D Activity.

R&D Activity Ineligible Projects and Items
• Projects that focus primarily on
curriculum development and delivery of
education or training materials.
• A descriptive project about the fire
service or any project without reduced
firefighter injury or enhanced firefighter
safety and effectiveness aims.
• Projects that emphasize funding for
service delivery.
• Projects with local emphasis and little or
no indication of application to the
broader fire service.
• Applications that include violations of
intellectual property.
• International travel to attend conferences
or disseminate results.
• Projects to purchase stock in any entity.

13. Appendix C – Award Administration Information

Appendix C contains detailed information on FP&S Program Award Administration. Reviewing this information may help recipients in the programmatic and financial administration of their award(s).

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A. Help FEMA Prevent Fraud, Waste, and Abuse
If applicants or recipients have information about instances of fraud, waste, abuse, or mismanagement involving FEMA programs or operations, they should contact the DHS OIG Hotline at (800) 323-8603, by fax at (202) 254-4297, or email [email protected].

B. Grant Writer and Preparation Fees
Fees for grant writers may be included as a pre-award expenditure. For grant writer fees to be eligible as a pre-award expenditure, the services must be competitively sourced, specifically identified, and listed within the “Grant Request Details” section of the application and must satisfy the requirements under 2 C.F.R. § 200.458. FEMA will only consider reimbursements for application preparation, not administration, up to $1,500 per annum. Grant writer fees must be paid between the 90 days prior to the publication date of this NOFO and up to 30 days after the application period closes. For grant writer fees held either on retainer or subscription basis to be an eligible pre-award cost, the claimed retainer or subscription must have been competitively secured, and the costs are limited to the start of the appropriation period for the underlying award and meet the requirements under 2 C.F.R. § 200.458. Fees payable on a contingency basis are not an eligible expense.

Pursuant to 2 C.F.R. Part 180, recipients may not use federal grant funds to reimburse any entity, including a grant writer or preparer, if that entity is presently suspended or debarred by the Federal Government from receiving funding under federally-funded grants or contracts.

Recipients must verify that the contractor is not suspended or debarred from participating in specified federal procurement or non-procurement transactions pursuant to 2 C.F.R. § 180.300.

Prior to submission of the application, please review all work produced by grant writers or other third parties for accuracy. By submitting the application, applicants are certifying all of the information contained therein is true and an accurate reflection of the organization, and that regardless of the applicant’s intent, the submission of information that is false or misleading may result in actions by FEMA. These actions include but are not limited to the submitted application not being considered for award, temporary withholding of funding under the existing award pending investigation, or referral to the DHS OIG.

The following documentation shall be provided to FEMA upon request:

1. A copy of the grant writer’s contract for services;

2. A copy of the invoice or purchase order;

3. A copy of the canceled check (front and back); and

4. Evidence that the services were competitively procured.

Failure to provide the requested documentation may result in the grant writer fee being deemed ineligible and the grant reduced accordingly.

Note: FEMA requires that all applicants identify the following as “Application Participants” in the “Contact Information” section of the application: Any individual or organization that assisted with the development, preparation, or review of the application to include drafting or writing the

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narrative and budget; whether that person, entity, or agent is compensated or not; and whether the assistance took place prior to submitting the application.

C. Maintenance and Sustainment
The use of FEMA Preparedness Grant funds for the costs of repairs or replacement, as well as maintenance contracts, warranties, and user fees may be allowable.

Routine upkeep and the supplies, expendables, or one-time use items that support routine upkeep (e.g., gasoline, tire replacement, routine oil changes, monthly inspections, or grounds and facility maintenance) are the responsibility of the recipient and may not be funded with FP&S Program funding.

Generally, when purchasing a maintenance agreement, service contract, or extended warranty for systems or equipment, the period of coverage provided under such a plan may not extend beyond the POP of the grant with which the agreement, warranty or contract is purchased.

D. Taxes, Fees, Levies, and Assessments
Taxes, fees, levies or assessments that the recipient is legally required to pay and are directly related to any eligible FP&S Program acquisition activity may be charged to an FP&S Program award pursuant to 2 C.F.R. § 200.470. These charges shall be identified and enumerated in the FP&S Program application narrative, as well as the “Grant Request Details” section of the acquisition activity.

Any avoidable and unreasonable costs that result from the action or inaction of a recipient (or recipient’s agent) or that prevent that recipient from enjoying any lawful exemption, waiver, or reduction of any tax, fee, levy or assessment directly related to any eligible FP&S Program acquisition activity, are not chargeable to any FP&S Program award.

Example: Governmental entities and Public Safety Agencies are exempt from some Federal Communications Commission (FCC) fees, but only if the eligible organization submits an exemption or waiver request to the FCC.

E. Excess Funds
FEMA expects recipients to complete awarded activities within the budget allocated. However, excess funds may remain after completing the original project described in the recipient’s award.

This may be due to cost savings from under-budget acquisition activities or competitive procurement processes. These excess funds are to generally be deobligated and may not be used for additional activities.

FEMA may consider exceptions if urgent and compelling needs are identified that directly relate to a demonstrated event(s) impacting the health and safety of the department's firefighters, such as a presidentially declared disaster. Requests must be submitted at least 120 days before POP expiration.

Note: the opportunity for excess funds is limited when the Scope of Work is changed via an amendment such as reduction in quantities.

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F. Payments and Amendments
FP&S Program payment requests from non-federal entities will be governed by applicable federal regulations in effect at the time a grant is awarded to the recipient and may be either advances or reimbursements. Recipients should not expend funds until all special conditions listed on the grant award document have been met, including completion of EHP review, and the request for payment in FEMA GO has been approved. Recipients should draw down funds based upon immediate disbursement requirements; however, FEMA strongly encourages recipients to draw down funds as close to disbursement or expenditure as possible to avoid accruing interest.

Non-federal entities should keep detailed records of all transactions involving the grant. FEMA may at any time request copies of any relevant documentation and records, including purchasing documentation along with copies of canceled checks for verification. See, e.g., 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.318(i), 200.334, 200.337.

Advances
Recipients shall be paid in advance, provided they maintain or demonstrate the willingness and ability to maintain procedures to minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of funds and disbursement by the recipient (not to exceed 30 days), and the financial management systems that meet the standards for fund control and accountability as established in 2 C.F.R. Part 200.

The recipient shall include all applicable source documentation such as invoice(s), purchase orders, contracts, etc., to support the costs associated with the advance FP&S Program payment/drawdown request. EHP review requirements must be met before advanced payments.

Reimbursement
Payment by reimbursement is the preferred method when the requirements to be paid in advance, pursuant to 2 C.F.R. § 200.305, cannot be met. In accordance with U.S. Department of Treasury regulations at 31 C.F.R. Part 205, if applicable, the recipient shall maintain procedures to minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of funds and the disbursement of said funds. As a prerequisite of FP&S Program approval for reimbursement requests, recipients shall include proof of purchase, in the form of a canceled check or credit card transaction, active SAM.gov registration, and a final invoice(s) in each reimbursement FP&S Program payment/drawdown request.

Rebates
Recipients shall disburse program income, rebates, refunds, contract settlements, audit recoveries, and interest earned on such funds before requesting additional cash payments, in accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.305.

Payment Requests During Closeout
Recipients may submit reimbursement payment requests only during the 120 days following the end of the award’s POP, as part of the closeout reconciliation process under 2 C.F.R. § 200.344.

These requests must be for reimbursement payments only, as no other types of payment requests are allowed after the POP has expired. The expenditure must have been obligated and received during the award’s POP. The request must include clear and specific information certifying that the reimbursement is for an obligation properly incurred during the active POP.

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FEMA may request supporting documentation for the reimbursement at any time for review.

Amendments
FEMA may approve FP&S Program award amendments on a case-by-case basis for the following reasons:

• Extending the POP to complete the scope of.
• Changes to the activity, mission, retroactive approval (pre-award) or closeout issues. • Budget changes, including adding funds to the award or non-closeout deobligation of funds.
• Changes to key personnel.

Amendment requests must be submitted through FEMA GO and include specific, compelling justifications for the change. Amendments or changes to the scope of work may require additional EHP review. FEMA strongly encourages recipients to use grant funds promptly to align with FP&S program goals and objectives.

Deobligation of Funds
Recipients may return unused funds (e.g., funds drawn down but not used or award funding never requested) before the end of the award’s POP. To do this, recipients must submit an amendment through FEMA GO and include the following:

• A statement that the unliquidated funds are not needed to fulfill the grant’s obligations or mission.
• Confirmation that they understand the returned funds will be deobligated and unavailable for future expenses.

Deobligating funds will reduce the federal portion of the grant and the recipient’s cost share obligation. FEMA will confirm deobligation requests with all points of contact. Once confirmed, FEMA will hold the approved request for 14 calendar days to allow the recipient time to reconsider before processing the deobligation.

G. Disposition of Grant Funded Equipment
A recipient must use, manage and dispose of FP&S Program-funded equipment in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards at 2 C.F.R. § 200.313. Except for state governments, when original or replacement equipment acquired under an FP&S Program award is no longer needed for the original project, program or other activities currently or previously supported by a federal awarding agency, the recipient must request disposition instructions from FEMA. FEMA strongly recommends contacting the Fire Grants Program Help Desk before disposing of FP&S Program-funded equipment.

Salinas City CouncilJune 16, 2026

Salinas City Council
June 16, 2026