Grants for EMS Equipment

Government offices, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), award grants to fire departments and other emergency medical service programs to help them buy needed equipment. In many cases, grant programs focus on helping agencies in specific areas, such as rural or metropolitan communities, but others designed to improve national emergency management are open to an array of recipients.

Assistance to Firefighters

• FEMA awards grants to fire departments and non-fire department EMS programs to broadly cover expenses that can help them improve their services. Along with training, vehicles and other expenses, departments can apply the grants to equipment. The program, which in 2009 awarded grants averaging $160,000 each, emphasizes help to rural and volunteer fire departments and EMS programs. In 2009, 76.6 percent of the grants went to rural recipients and 56.6 percent to volunteer operations. FEMA breaks fire department grants into three related programs: the Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response program, the Fire Protection & Safety program and the Station Construction Grants program.

  Federal Emergency Management Agency

  U.S. Department of Homeland Security

  500 C St., S.W.

  Washington, DC 20472

  202-646-2500

  fema.gov

Homeland Security

• FEMA's Homeland Security Grant Program is a compilation of five sub-programs, some of which can help EMS operations pay for equipment. The program breaks into the State Homeland Security Program, Urban Areas Security Initiative, Metropolitan Medical Response System, Citizens Corps Program and Operation Stonegarden. The programs, which had a budget of almost $1.8 billion in 2010, establish specific guidelines for eligible projects and recipients. FEMA awards the grants to state agencies, which use the money for projects related to homeland security and emergency response. Grants can go toward equipment purchases, as well as expenses such as training or planning.

  Federal Emergency Management Agency

  U.S. Department of Homeland Security

  500 C St., S.W.

  Washington, DC 20472

  202-646-2500

  fema.gov

Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance

• FEMA began the Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance program as part of the National Preparedness Directorate to help emergency responders pay for equipment, training and technical assistance. The grants go to public safety agencies, such as EMS programs, in specified low-population and metropolitan areas. FEMA groups the awards into five equipment categories: extraction; chemical, biological and radiological detection; thermal imaging, night vision and video surveillance; vehicle tracking; and information technology and risk management. FEMA did not budget money for the grant program for its 2010 or 2011 fiscal years.

  Federal Emergency Management Agency

  U.S. Department of Homeland Security

  500 C St., S.W.

  Washington, DC 20472

  202-646-2500

  fema.gov

Rural Access to Emergency Devices

• The Health Resources and Services Administration, an office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, offers grants to EMS programs in rural areas for a specific piece of equipment, automated external defibrillators. The Rural Access to Emergency Devices grant program provides money to emergency responder agencies, such as ambulance services or police departments, to buy AEDs. The largest grant the HRSA awarded in 2010 was for $100,000. The money can go toward the purchase of AEDs, as long as the Food and Drug Administration has approved them, as well as training from an accredited organization such as the American Red Cross.

  Office of Rural Health

  Health Resources and Services

  5600 Fishers Lane, 9A-55

  Rockville, MD 20857

  301-443-0835

  hrsa.gov/ruralhealth