How Can the Grant Process Enhance Preparedness & Response For this discussion, post responses to the following: explain your viewpoint on how the grant process can enhance community preparedness and recovery. be sure to include thoughts on equipment procurement, public assistance grants, and individual assistance grants. You may also use this opportunity to discuss a reimbursement or grant that your home community received. After providing your initial post, respond to at least two other student’s postings. Discussion Participation Tips Your initial post should be a well throughout response that answers all the questions, is adequately detailed, and cites outside sources when necessary to support your post. Typically your post needs to be at least 250 words which should allow you to answer questions, ask follow up questions, provide supplemental information, and to share your own relevant views and experiences which is necessary to draw us into an in-depth and meaningful conversation. Your first response should be posted by midweek and then you should return to this discussion area and respond to two other students during the remaining week(s) of the module. Posting more often is strongly encouraged to improve your learning and discussion grade. Be sure to use APA format to cite sources when putting forth the ideas, opinions, and facts of others.

Students to respond to:

Garrett Wynn 

The grant process can enhance community preparedness and recovery in a variety of different ways. Grant funding can assist greatly in pre and post emergency or disaster related projects bolstering community resiliency. This process can be explained in several steps. The first step is to find a grant that meets the need that you are trying to fulfill. The second step is to assure that the eligibility requirements can be met and reviewing the application process. The third step is to assess if the grant can be afforded if there is a cost share aspect to it. The fourth step is determining the appropriate applicant type. The fifth step is completing a benefit-cost analysis. The sixth and final step is the submission of the grant application. The steps in this process benefit the community in that they identify appropriate grants for the community’s needs, assure the grant writer applies for relevant grants that the community qualifies for, and assures that the grant is beneficial to the community. The grant process can enhance community preparedness and recovery by allocating monies to specific necessities which are deficient within the community. Preparedness efforts are assisted by appropriating necessary equipment for disaster response for the community prior to a disaster occurrence. My fire department received a grant for air packs which fits this description. This is a great mechanism for equipping responders with the necessary tools to combat disaster conditions prior to a disaster’s occurrence. The grant process assists in recovery efforts in supplementing funding for disaster-stricken areas that have significant economic deficiencies. Upon the occurrence of a disaster economic instability can be debilitating for a community. The grant process facilitates a return to normalcy by bolstering economic stimulation. Public assistance grants aid with debris removal, emergency protective measures. They also aid with the restoration of disaster-damaged publicly owned facilities and some facilities of certain private nonprofit organizations. This is hugely important and impactful to disaster-stricken communities who wouldn’t have the resources to rebuild in extreme scenarios. Individual assistance grants provide financial and direct services to eligible individuals and households affected by a disaster. These individuals and households have uninsured or underinsured necessary expenses and serious needs that need to be fulfilled. The is hugely important in supporting these individuals and households who would otherwise not be able to recuperate losses. 

Tyler Restaino 

Preparedness grants are primarily focused on citizens and first responders and are available to a numerous amount of groups including multiple levels of Emergency management, firefighters, intercity, cyber security, and transit. The “tools” tab for grants is a great idea to help with assessing what equipment is needed and how much the plan would cost. It takes a lot of guessing out of the planning and provides an easy to understand checklist of what is needed. What I found most interesting about the grant process was the attention to the environment through the Environmental & Historic Preservation Guidance for FEMA Grant Applications. Being aware of how helping and cause more damage is extremely important. Assistance grants for state, tribal, territorial, and local governments, and certain types of private non-profits communities are amazing resources to have at all levels of assistance and disaster recovery. Once again, tools and resources are provided to help streamline the process of applying and receiving the requested the benefits. Standard operating procedures and the associated manuals are also there to help with that emergencies. These manuals can help train and provide guidance on uncommon disasters. FEMA has also made the steps to speed up the process of requesting and receiving grants based of suggestions. Some of the changes are simplified documentation and deadline adjustments. Overall, these programs are good to have in place to help with any situation that may arise at any level. To have helpful guidelines put in place to help first responder and official planners is key. Once a disaster happens, there is no time to think, just react. Everything should be in place and ready to go.