(1) The Firefighter Assistance Grant Program is created within the division to improve the emergency response capability of volunteer fire departments and combination fire departments. The program shall provide financial assistance to improve firefighter safety and enable such fire departments to provide firefighting, emergency medical, and rescue services to their communities. For purposes of this section, the term “combination fire department” means a fire department composed of a combination of career and volunteer firefighters.
(2) The division shall administer the program and annually award grants to volunteer fire departments and combination fire departments using the annual Florida Fire Service Needs Assessment Survey. The purpose of the grants is to assist such fire departments in providing volunteer firefighter training and procuring necessary firefighter personal protective equipment, self-contained breathing apparatus equipment, and fire engine pumper apparatus equipment. However, the division shall prioritize the annual award of grants to combination fire departments and volunteer fire departments demonstrating need as a result of participating in the annual Florida Fire Service Needs Assessment Survey.
(3) The State Fire Marshal shall adopt rules and procedures for the program that require grant recipients to:(a) Report their activity to the division for submission in the Fire and Emergency Incident Information Reporting System created pursuant to s. 633.136; (b) Annually complete and submit the Florida Fire Service Needs Assessment Survey to the division;
(c) Comply with the Florida Firefighters Occupational Safety and Health Act, ss. 633.502-633.536; (d) Comply with any other rule determined by the State Fire Marshal to effectively and efficiently implement, administer, and manage the program; and
(e) Meet the definition of the term “fire service provider” in s. 633.102. (4) Funds shall be used to:(a) Provide firefighter training to individuals to obtain a Volunteer Firefighter Certificate of Completion pursuant to s. 633.408. Training must be provided at no cost to the fire department or student by a division-approved instructor and must be documented in the division’s electronic database. (b) Purchase firefighter personal protective equipment, including structural firefighting protective ensembles and individual ensemble elements such as garments, helmets, gloves, and footwear, that complies with NFPA No. 1851, “Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting,” by the National Fire Protection Association.
(c) Purchase self-contained breathing apparatus equipment that complies with NFPA No. 1852, “Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Open-Circuit Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus.”
(d) Purchase fire engine pumper apparatus equipment. Funds provided under this paragraph may be used to purchase the equipment or subsidize a federal grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to purchase the equipment.
(e) Purchase other equipment and tools that improve firesafety and fire rescue capabilities for firefighters.
(f) Purchase protective clothing and equipment compliant with NFPA 1977, “Standard on Protective Clothing and Equipment for Wildland Fire Fighting and Urban Interface Fire Fighting.”
