Grant Closeout Report Tutorial Now Available; SAM Registration Reminder

A Grant Closeout Report Tutorial is now available to awardees to help them complete the grant closeout report process. The tutorial goes step by step through the different sections of the Closeout Report and explains the specific information that is required. 

Normally a final closeout report is due when a grant’s period of performance (POP) ends, and it becomes delinquent 90 days after the POP ends. However, FY 2010 and 2011 AFG awardees (EMW-2010-XX and EMW-2011-XX) cannot yet submit closeout reports due to technical delays in updating the AFG e-Grants system. Your grant activities still end when the POP expires, but we ask your patience until deployment of the additional 2010 and 2011 software updates later this year. All other AFG awardees can proceed with submitting final closeout reports.

If you have questions or problems with closing out your grant, please contact the AFG Help Desk toll free at 1-866-274-0960 or by e-mail at firegrants@fema.dhs.gov.

Available Closeout Report Forms:

• AFG: Closeout report forms are now available in the e-Grants system for AFG awardees through FY 2009 (EMW-2009-XX). The closeout report form for FY 2010 awardees will be available in Spring 2013.
• Fire Prevention and Safety Grants (FP&S): Closeout report forms are now available for FP&S grantees through FY 2009. The closeout report forms for FY 2010 awardees will be available in Spring 2013.
• SAFER: Paper closeout forms are now available for FY 2005 through 2006 SAFER grantees. (SAFER closeouts cannot be completed online at this time.) Contact the Help Desk at 1-866-274-0960 (by e-mail: firegrants@fema.dhs.gov) to request a SAFER closeout package. Closeout forms for FY 2007 and 2008 grantees will be available later this year.

An active SAM.gov registration is required to award all FY 2012 AFG funds (EMW-2012-XX) and to process AFG grant actions. Please ensure that your entity has an active registration in SAM.gov. It may take several days for a newly submitted registration to become active. If your SAM.gov registration status is not active, it may significantly delay the approval of your awards, payments, and amendment requests.

Remember that registration on SAM.gov is completely free of charge. There is no fee for you to register or to renew/update your organization’s information on SAM.gov. If you use a search engine to find the SAM.gov website, you may come across the websites of private businesses or contractors that will register your organization in SAM for you — for a fee. These websites often look like government websites at first glance. BUT remember that paying any fee is unnecessary to use SAM.gov and its resources. You can register and update your SAM data on your own by using the resources and Help Desk contacts listed on the AFG website and the SAM.gov website.

SAM Webinar. For help in navigating the SAM.gov website, all grantees and applicants should watch the prerecorded webinar on YouTube, which covers topics like

• Creating a new SAM user account;
• Migrating permissions from the legacy Central Contractors Registry (CCR) system into SAM; and 
• Updating and renewing an existing registration.

As a security precaution, we recommend that applicants and grantees avoid entering personal Social Security Numbers in place of entity Taxpayer or Employer ID numbers on any website, including SAM.gov.

The SAM/Federal Service Desk (Help Desk), can be reached toll-free at 1-866-606-8220, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.  Online help, FAQs, and access to the Federal Service Desk are available anytime via www.fsd.gov

NOTE: All information, including dates and projected application periods are subject to change.  When a conference is listed, the AFG Program either will be exhibiting and/or giving a presentation or workshop.

MARCH

• FY 2012 AFG and SAFER Award Announcements:  (ongoing)

APRIL

• April 23 - 27, 2013.  Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC), Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN.
  • April 25, 2013 - 1:30 to 3:15 p.m. AFG Town Hall, Lucas Oil Stadium Classroom, FDIC.
    AFG will be present an overview of the impact of the recent funding reauthorization by Congress as well as provide an open forum for participants to bring their questions directly to AFG leaders.

SPRING

• FY 2012 Fire Prevention and Safety Grants (FP&S) Award Announcements begin (tentative)
• FY 2013 SAFER Application period opens (tentative)

SUMMER

• FY 2013 AFG Application period opens (tentative)
• July 23 - 27, 2013. Firehouse Expo, Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, Maryland

FALL / WINTER

• FY 2013 Fire Prevention and Safety Grants (FP&S) Application period opens(tentative)

AFG Home Page:

AFG Help Desk: