Erie County Fire/EMS Transformational Grant Program

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

In 2021, Erie County received $52.4 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars from the US Treasury to be used for COVID-19-related efforts. Of this distribution, Erie County has distributed $1.3M in support of Public Safety programs, of which $635,615 was used for the Fire/EMS Transformational Grant Program. Although the ARPA funds have been fully expended, Erie County intends to continue this program by investing gaming dollars into the initiative. 

These funds are being administered by the Erie County Department of Public Safety in partnership with the Erie County Emergency Services Committee and the Erie County Department of Planning & Community Development.

The goal of the Fire/EMS Transformational Grant Program is to incentivize: (1) development of merger/collaboration plans or strategies to improve service area coverage, (2) training and education, (3) recruitment/ pipeline development, (4) retention strategies, and (5) innovative strategies to help address the crisis facing Erie County emergency services.  

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

  • Volunteer fire departments/companies located in Erie County, PA
  • Emergency medical services agencies located in Erie County, PA
  • Municipalities located in Erie County, PA (The City of Erie is ineligible for this funding.)

 

OTHER ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

To be eligible to apply, applicants are required to:

  • Sign on to the Collaborative EMS Response Plan Agreement for Erie County, if the applicant is a licensed EMS provider;
  • Participate in the County's research study regarding potential development of an EMS Authority  

PROGRAM GUIDELINES

  • Eligible uses of funding include development of merger/collaboration plans or strategies to improve service area coverage, training and education, recruitment/ pipeline development, retention strategies, including wage subsidies, and innovative strategies to address the crisis facing emergency services.
  • Ineligible uses of funds include purchases of PPE, debt service, and revenue replacement.
  • To encourage collaboration, available award amounts will be tiered, single applicants will be eligible for up to $50,000, applications with two collaborating entities will be eligible for up to $100,000, applications with three or more collaborating entities will be eligible for up to $150,000. Funds will be disbursed on a reimbursement basis.
  • Applicants awarded funding must use their Erie County Fire/EMS Transformational Grant to cover eligible expenditures that have not been covered by other sources of funding.

 

SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION       Applicants must use the online form available at https://eriecountypa.submittable.com.

Applications to the Erie County Fire/EMS Transformational Grant Program are being accepted on a rolling basis until all available funds have been allocated. 

 

ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS  

Documenting expenditures is essential to managing compliance risk and minimizing the possibility that costs are deemed ineligible, thereby requiring that the grantee return funds to Erie County.

 

QUESTIONS: Questions may be directed to Jayla Christensen jchristensen@eriecountypa.gov at the Erie County Department of Planning and Community Development.

We use Submittable to accept and review our submissions.
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