|  | Public Health Safety | Community

Federal Ambulance Grants

Ambulances are expensive purchases for communities. While many hospitals have their own fleets, city and county government agencies have to use tax money to buy the emergency vehicles, which can cost six figures. Several federal agencies offer grants that fire departments, government offices and nonprofits can use to help reduce those costs.

  1. FEMA: Assistance to Firefighters Grants

    • The Federal Emergency Management Agency, an office of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, offers grants to help fire departments buy new equipment and emergency vehicles, including ambulances. The grant program, which began in 2001, in 2009 awarded an average of about $160,000 to fire departments. FEMA received a total of almost $3.2 billion in grant requests that year.

      U.S. Department of Homeland Security/FEMA

      800 K St. NW

      Washington, DC 20472-3620

      1-866-274-0960

      www.firegrantsupport.com

    USDA: Community Facilities Grants

    • The United States Department of Agriculture Office of Rural Development offers grants through its Community Facilities Grants programs that government and nonprofit groups can tap as a source for ambulance funding. The USDA bases grant awards on communities' median incomes. The federal agency can cover up to 75 percent of a project's costs. The grant program is open to any counties, municipalities, special-purpose districts and nonprofits in communities of 20,000 people or fewer.

      USDA Rural Development, Room 205-W

      Mail Stop 0107

      1400 Independence Ave., SW

      Washington, DC 20250

      202-720-4581

      www.rurdev.usda.gov

    HHS: Rural Health Network Development

    • The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers Network Development grants to help rural communities better cover their areas with medical care. The department says rural areas often have gaps where some residents receive little to no protection or rescue response coverage. The grants, which are open to any public or nonprofit agency, can help communities buy ambulances and other response vehicles and equipment to reach areas that they once could not serve adequately.

      HRSA Information Center

      P.O. Box 2910

      Merrifield, VA 22118

      1-888-ASK-HRSA

      www.hrsa.gov

    HUD: Community Development Block Grants

    • The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development offers grants to help communities, especially low-income communities, improve public amenities. Communities can use block grants for several areas, such as land acquisition or building demolition, but the money also can go toward public safety, which encompasses ambulance services. The program also funnels grant funding to state departments.

      U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

      451 7th St. SW, Washington, DC 20410

      202-708-1112

      www.hud.gov

Community - Related Articles