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WASHINGTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) received a record 19,500 on-line applications from fire departments nationwide for the “Assistance to Firefighters” competitive grant program. The applications were accepted up to the April 5 deadline as part of USFA’s $360 million grant program aimed at improving operations, services and equipment for the first responder communities.

"The response to this program has been outstanding and highlights the needs of our fire service first responders across the country," FEMA Director Joe M. Allbaugh said. “This important program will help meet the critical needs of those men and women who put their lives on the line for their communities each and every day.”

At the local level, RDA prepared applications for the cities of Robinson, Sabetha, and Seneca, as well as Nemaha County Fire District No. 3 (Wetmore area).

Sabetha - Sabetha is applying for a combination brush truck/hazardous materials response (HAZMAT) truck.  If

	Sabetha - Sabetha is applying for a combination brush truck/hazardous materials response (HAZMAT) truck. If awarded, the truck would allow Sabetha to respond more readily rural grass fires in terrain that traditional fire vehicles cannot always access. In addition, Sabetha is hoping to become a Chemical Assessment Team (CAT) in conjunction with a new proposed Hazardous Materials response program sponsored by the Kansas State Fire Marshal's office. If successful, Sabetha would be the only CAT team within 50-70 miles of Brown and Nemaha Counties.
	Robinson - The City of Robinson is applying for basic fire equipment such as hoses and nozzles. In addition, the fire department applying for personal protective gear for its volunteer firefighters and new breathing apparatuses for its crew. Finally, the department hopes to acquire a "Cascade" system that can refill expired oxygen tanks. Currently, Robinson has only five breathing apparatuses that cannot be refilled once they are used. This basic equipment could greatly improve Robinson's ability to protect both the firefighters and potential victims of a fire.
	Seneca - The City of Seneca is applying for a new pumper truck to replace the main tanker that the department uses for its rural fires. The current truck is over twenty years old and is becoming more difficult to repair.
	Bern - Nemaha County Rural Fire District #4 received notice on October 06, 2006 that their application for $266,000 for a Fire Vehicle Acquisition Grant had been approved. The Fire District will match that funding with $14,0000 of their own funds for a total of $280,000.

Applying to the 2003 fire grant program, members in the fire service excelled in using FEMA’s first-time ever on-line participation process. Of the more than 19,500 applications received that year, only about 50 paper applications were submitted to USFA. In addition, the total number of applications this year was almost a thousand more than the previous year. In all, the total of all applications requested more than $2.2 billion for basic firefighting needs.

USFA will hold a series of panels in April and May to review the applications and offer recommendations to FEMA on how to award the grants. The panels include nearly 300 fire service personnel from across the nation. Following the completion of the panel peer review process, FEMA will begin awarding grants in late May or early June and will continue through the fall.

“In the review process, FEMA will be sure to balance the needs of all communities, including rural, suburban, and urban departments around the country,” United States Fire Administrator R. David Paulison said. “In addition, the distribution of funds will also be weighted to include departments with volunteers, career staff or a combination of volunteer and career staff."

USFA is still reviewing applications, but this year’s preliminary data show a broad spectrum of fire departments and needs that include:

Volunteer/Combination fire departments: 17, 786 applications requesting more than $1.9 billion.

Career fire departments: 1,733 applications requesting more than $287 million.

Under the “Assistance to Firefighter” competitive grant program, applications are divided into four program areas. The breakdown below indicates the breakdown of the grant money being requested:

Fire Operations and Firefighter Safety: $882,539,097 representing 58 percent of the applications.

Fire Fighting Vehicles: $1.26 billion representing 37 percent of the applications.

Emergency Medical Services: $35,174,783 representing two percent of the applications.

Fire Prevention Programs: $30,580,741 representing three percent of the applications.

More information on the grant program is available from the USFA Web site at www.usfa.fema.gov/grants, the Grant Office's toll-free information line at 866-274-0960, or e-mailing usfagrants@fema.gov

Seneca Receives Community Capacity Building Grant

Adapted from a News Release from the Kansas Department of Commerce and Housing (KDOCH)

The Kansas Department of Commerce & Housing (KDOC&H) recently announced that the City of Seneca in Nemaha County and the City of Andover will each receive a $10,000 Community Capacity Building Grant to do Comprehensive Plans for their cities.

“We are pleased to provide these two communities with planning assistance to address issues that affect their futures,” said Lt. Governor/KDOC&H Secretary Gary Sherrer. “We congratulate them for their initiative to create stronger communities and greater opportunities for their citizens.”

The Community Capacity Building Grant program encourages long-term planning in various areas that affect the quality of life in a community, including economic development, housing, land use, and transportation. The Community Development Division of the KDOC&H administers the program.

RDA prepared the grant application on behalf of the City of Seneca.

NEMAHA AND BROWN COUNTY MICROLOAN PROGRAMS

The Nemaha County Microloan program was established in early 2001 with a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) award from the Kansas Department of Commerce and Housing (KDOCH). RDA prepared and currently administers the Microloan Program on behalf of Nemaha County. For more information about the Microloan or other business incentives in Nemaha or Brown Counties, contact RDA at (785) 284-3099 or visit the RDA website at http://www.rdanek.com.
Nemaha County is now in a re-lending phase. As interest and principal is repaid by businesses to the program, there is again money to be loaned to other businesses.

The Microloan Program was put on hold in 2003 and reestablished with new guidelines in 2004. Brown County was awarded a $100,000 grant in 2004 to establish a Microloan Program under the new guidelines. RDA of NEK wrote and is the administrator for the program. contact RDA (785-284-3099) for information and applications.

The Department of Commerce has discontinued offering the program for 2006. Those already awarded funding will continue until the Counties have loaned all of the funds.

Everest Housing Authority Receives Financing From New Program

The Everest Housing Authority received another award that will be used to complete the proposed 12-unit senior housing complex in Everest. The Partnership Loan Program, established this year by the Kansas Department on Aging with Legislative approval, provides low-interest loans to senior nursing and care facilities as well as housing complexes in cities with populations under than 2500.

The Everest proposal, as prepared by the Rural Development Association of Northeast Kansas (RDA) was a "pilot" project for the program - meaning it was the first of its kind for the new program. The Department on Aging will lend $160,000 to the housing authority payable over twenty years. The receipt of this financing completes the package for the project. The housing authority previously received grants through the State Housing Trust Fund, Low Income Housing Tax Credits, and the Federal Home Loan Bank for the project.

Federal Home Loan Bank Grants $60,000 to Everest Housing Authority

The Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) of Topeka recently announced a grant award of $60,000 to the Everest Housing Authority for the construction of a senior citizen housing complex in Everest, Kansas. The award, combined with a grant from the State Housing Trust Fund and an allocation of Housing Tax Credits over $660,000, will allow the housing authority to construct the units soon. The housing authority has applied to the Kansas Department of Aging's new Partnership Loan Program as the first of its kind in the new program. When financing is finalized, the approximately $800,000 project will begin. RDA completed all of the funding applications on behalf of the housing authority.

KDOC&H Announces Housing Tax Credit Award for Everest Housing Authority

Lt. Governor/Commerce & Housing Secretary Gary Sherrer announced on June 22nd the award of $31.5 million in Housing Tax Credit Program contracts that will result in an additional 771 Kansas rental housing units throughout the state. Included in these contracts was the award of $660,960 of tax credits to the Everest Housing Authority for the construction of a 12-unit senior citizen housing complex in Everest. The award to the Everest Housing Authority was part of a non-profit set aside of $7,002,120 from the program. Under the terms of the program, housing tax credits will be awarded to developers of low-to-moderate income developments over a ten-year period.

"The new rental units will help meet affordable housing requirements in local communities," said Lt. Governor/Secretary Sherrer. "The end result will be a boost in local community and economic development."

The Everest Housing Authority previously received a $60,000 grant from the State Housing Trust Fund and is currently awaiting word on another $60,000 grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Topeka. Everest recently learned that its project will be a pilot project for the Kansas Department of Aging's new Partnership Loan Program, which provides low-interest loans to senior housing developments in rural areas and nursing facilites.

Nemaha County Fire District No. 1 Receives CDBG Award of $368,000!
On Monday, June 4, 2001, Nemaha County Commission received word that Nemaha County District No. 1 will receive a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) in the amount of $368,393 to purchase new emergency vehicles. Fire District No. 1, which covers Goff and the surrounding area, applied for the grant in March after a previous application was rejected in September. The district approached the Rural Development Association of Northeast Kansas (RDA) in the spring to prepare a new application on behalf of the district. This application was successful in securing most of the project funding.

The award, combined with an infusion of $19,000 from the district, will allow the district to purchase much needed emergency vehicles including a new pumper truck, a new brush truck, and a new rescue vehicle.

The Kansas Department of Commerce (KDOC) administers the U.S. Small Cities CDBG program, which annually provides funds to small communities to improve various public facilities such as sewer, water, emergency services, senior centers, libraries, and community centers.

KDOC CDBG PROGRAMS

The Kansas Department of Commerce (KDOC) recently announced proposed changes to the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program..

The CDBG program is available to Kansas municipalities for many uses including, but limited to, housing, water and sewer projects, street projects, fire trucks, libraries, senior/community centers, and many other community functions. Also, the Nemaha County Microloan Fund and the Brown County Microloan Fund is funded through a CDBG grant.

For more information on the CDBG program and how it can help your community, please Contact Us at (785) 284-3099.

Nemaha County Now Accepting Microloan Applications

Nemaha County is now accepting business applications for its Microloan program. New or expanding businesses with five or fewer employees that will create at least one new job in Nemaha County may be eligible for the program. Qualifying businesses can apply for low-interest small business loans of up to $15,000 that may be used to buy real estate, equipment, or working capital. The funds can also be used as a guaranty to a private lender. The funds for the Microloan were obtained through a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) awarded by the Kansas Department of Commerce (KDOC) to Nemaha County. Interested parties may contact the Rural Development Association of Northeast Kansas (RDA) at (785) 284-3099 or by e-mail at rdaneknancy@mewlan.com or officemanager@rdanek.com RDA is the economic development organization for Brown and Nemaha Counties in northeastern Kansas.

Everest Housing Authority Receives Grant

The Kansas Department of Commerce (KDOC&H) recently awarded the Housing Authority of the City of Everest, Kansas with a $60,000 grant from the Kansas State Housing Trust Fund. The grant will be used in the construction of a 12-unit senior housing complex located within Everest. The Rural Development Association of Northeast Kansas (RDA) prepared the application on behalf of the housing authority. The housing authority is currently awaiting word on two more applications. In February, the EHA applied for approximately $700,000 of Housing Tax Credits from KDOC&H. In April, RDA prepared an application for a $60,000 grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank's Affordable Housing Program.

The Everest Housing Authority hopes to turn this vacant lot with an abandoned house into a vibrant 12-unit senior complex. With RDA's help, the city is very close to finally reaching their goal.