Why aren all of the activities listed in the Statute (personnel, station modification, training facilities, etc) eligible for funding?
Congress included a list of fourteen activities eligible for funding under this program in the governing statute. In the first year of the program, because of the limited amount of time to establish the new program, we elected to limit the number of eligible activities to six basic (Training, Wellness and Fitness, Firefighting Equipment, Personal Protective Equipment, Firefighting Vehicles, and Fire Prevention Programs) for fiscal year 2001. After the completion of awards in fiscal 2001, we recognized that there remains an overwhelming need in these six areas. Congress also recognized this need in the conference committee report on FY 2002 appropriations bill for Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development and Independent Agencies (signed into law as Public Law 107-73). Specifically, Congress encouraged us to also consider making grants in the area of emergency medical services, but expansion into other categories should be considered only after substantial progress has been made i
