The Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) is a foundational DHS and FEMA preparedness program. Originally established in 2000 and expanded in the wake of Sept. 11, the program enhances public safety by providing funding for the mission-critical resources, including training, protective gear, vehicles and specialized equipment, needed to protect their communities from fire and evolving hazards.

Four main categories of organizations are eligible to apply directly to FEMA for AFG funding:

1. Fire departments: 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.
2. Nonaffiliated EMS organizations: A nonaffiliated EMS organization is an agency or organization that is a public or private nonprofit emergency medical service entity providing medical transport that is not affiliated with a hospital/clinic/medical centers/medical colleges and universities/infirmaries/surgery centers and does not serve a geographic area in which emergency medical services are adequately provided by a fire department.
3. State Fire Training Academies (SFTAs): The designated SFTA shall be the only agency, bureau, division or entity within that state, territory, or the District of Columbia, to be an eligible SFTA applicant under the AFG Program.
4. Non-federal airport and/or port authority fire or EMS organizations Only eligible if they have a formally recognized arrangement with the local jurisdiction to provide fire suppression or emergency medical services on a first-due basis outside the confines of the airport or port facilities.

Note for AFG FY25: Ensure your SAM.gov registration and FEMA GO account are active and updated. Eligibility is verified during the technical review process, and an expired registration can disqualify your otherwise competitive application.

With awards often exceeding $150,000 for equipment sets, the AFG program frequently prioritizes solutions that drive interoperability and enhance responder safety. Items are ranked high, medium or low priority. Per recent FEMA guidelines, the following are eligible at various levels of priority for each applicant type:

1. P25 two-way radios & pagers: Portable and mobile radios remain a consistent high priority for replacing non-compliant equipment.
2. Accountability solutions: Tools integrated into radio networks to support fire ground safety and personnel tracking.
3. In-vehicle repeaters & headsets: Essential for maintaining clear communication in extreme environments.

Please note: FEMA has previously stated they will only consider high-priority items for funding projects, so it’s important to check previous priority lists to understand FEMA’s focus for upcoming cycles.

Take advantage of our collaboration with FireRescue1 to maximize your funding potential. We offer a robust range of professional grant resources at little to no cost, including:

1. Tailored research & data: Access the localized stats needed to justify your department’s specific needs.
2. Expert consulting: Work with experts to streamline your application process and build the most competitive proposal possible.
3. Real-time grant notifications: Keep track of the latest on the AFG 2025 opportunities and get technical updates.

Please note: While we provide extensive resources to help you succeed, comprehensive grant writing services are available as a separate, fee-based service depending on your agency’s requirements.

The FY25 AFG application window is currently open. The deadline for applications is June 22, 2026 at 5 PM EST.Pro tip: Always begin your grant application process before the NOFO lands. Because of the budget delays, the application window could be more condensed than usual.

Use pre-funding time to troubleshoot any FEMA GO access issues and update your organization’s Authorized Organization Representative (AOR). This ensures you can hit submit the moment the window opens and avoid last-minute technical disqualifications.

Keeping track of past awards is an excellent way to gauge the competitive average for equipment costs in your region. Information regarding previous AFG awards is available on the official FEMA AFG program page. Most FY24 AFG awards were finalized by late 2025.

AFG funding limits are determined by the population of the jurisdiction served. Based on previous cycles, the following caps are expected for the FY25 cycle:

For populations 1,000,001-2,500,000, the max award is $2.91 million For populations of more than 2.5 million, the max award is $2.91 million Regional applicants will be subject to the funding limitations based on the total population served by the host of the application and the participating partners.

You can start your application package ASAP! Similar documentation is required each year, so take the time now, while the application isn’t open, to get prepared. The open application period typically lasts only a few weeks, and competition is high.

Important warning: Late submissions are never accepted. Common pitfalls like expired SAM.gov registrations, forgotten FEMA GO passwords or last-minute technical malfunctions can disqualify your department. Starting early ensures you have time to troubleshoot technical issues and polish your narrative sections.

To ensure a complete narrative application for the AFG, your application must clearly articulate these six critical narratives:

1. Financial need: Prove your budget shortfall is beyond your control.
2. Project description: Use local statistics and technical language to justify why your radio technology or other equipment requests meet the risks you have identified.
3. Cost/benefit: Show that your project is a high-yield investment of federal dollars.
4. Statement of effect: Detail how this award will improve daily life-saving operations.
5. Critical infrastructure: Identify high-risk areas (hospitals, schools, power plants and more) in your “first-due” response area.
6. Organization description: Clearly explain your community’s unique risks to reviewers who may be unfamiliar with your region.

Important note: Of these, four (Financial Need, Project Description, Cost/Benefit, and Statement of Effect) are scored at peer review, each weighted at 25%. This is averaged with the electronic pre-score to establish the final score.

We partner with FireRescue1 to offer professional grant resources, including tailored research and expert consulting. While we cannot guarantee funding, our specialists help you build the most competitive proposal possible to meet the FY25 AFG requirements.