South Dakota Firefighter Essentials Grant

The South Dakota Firefighter Essentials Grant Program is administered by the South Dakota Department of Public Safety through the State Fire Marshal’s Office. The program is intended to support firefighter education and training opportunities throughout the state of South Dakota by helping local agencies offset costs associated with Firefighter Essentials Courses. The grant specifically provides reimbursement funding for firefighter educational expenses including books, manuals, instructor fees, Unit I and Unit II testing, and practical competencies associated with firefighter certification training. The State Fire Marshal’s Office is located in Pierre, South Dakota, and serves as the administering agency for the program. The purpose of the grant is to improve firefighter preparedness and training access for firefighters across South Dakota. The grant requires recipient agencies to provide Firefighter Essentials Courses that are open to all South Dakota firefighters. The program is designed to expand statewide access to firefighter education while assisting local departments and agencies with training-related costs. The course structure referenced in the agreement includes Unit I, Unit II testing, and practical competencies, indicating that the grant supports standardized firefighter training and certification activities recognized by the state. Grant funding is provided as a reimbursement award upon successful completion of the approved course. The agreement states that the State will make payment in the amount of $750.00 to the grantee agency after satisfactory completion of the Firefighter Essentials Course. The grant documentation does not specify a broader funding pool, a minimum award amount, or the total number of awards available. The grant also does not identify any matching requirement or cost share obligation for applicants. The funding appears to function as a fixed reimbursement amount rather than a competitive tiered award structure. Eligible applicants are implied to be firefighter agencies or organizations capable of providing Firefighter Essentials Courses within South Dakota. The agreement requires that the designated Project Director be an employee of the agency or the agency’s governing body. The program materials indicate that applications may be submitted for programs or courses that started on or after September 1, 2012, and that applications are accepted on a first come, first served basis. The course must be completed within 12 months from the agreement start date. In addition, applicants must submit a W-9 form with the grant application. The grant materials also include a State of South Dakota Grant Recipient or Subrecipient Attestation requiring organizations to maintain conflict of interest policies, internal controls, IRS Form 990 compliance when applicable, and Single Audit Act compliance where required. The submission process requires applicants to complete the SD Firefighter Essentials Grant Program Project Agreement form. The form requests information including grantee agency name, project title, address, project director, email, phone number, and project dates. The agreement must be signed by an authorized official of the grantee agency and approved by the State Fire Marshal. Following completion of the training program, recipients must submit a reimbursement request form along with a written signed statement certifying that the course was completed before the agreement end date. The reimbursement form must also include the claimant’s signature, printed name, title, and remittance information. The grant materials do not provide a formal application opening date, closing date, evaluation rubric, or award notification timeline. Instead, applications are accepted on a first come, first served basis, indicating a rolling application structure. Because no closing date is identified and applications may be submitted continuously for eligible courses, the opportunity functions as an ongoing reimbursement program rather than a competitive cyclical solicitation. The grant documentation also does not provide formal review criteria beyond satisfactory course completion and compliance with the agreement conditions. Program administration and grant contact information are provided directly in the application materials. Applicants are instructed to submit completed reimbursement forms to Paul Merriman at the Office of the State Fire Marshal, Department of Public Safety, 221 South Central Avenue, Pierre, South Dakota 57501. The listed contact email is Paul.merriman@state.sd.us and the listed fax number is 605-773-3580. The State Fire Marshal’s Office main phone number is 605-773-3562. The official grant form and agreement materials are available through the South Dakota government website.

Ensure the Firefighter Essentials Course is completed within 12 months of the agreement start date and maintain documentation necessary for reimbursement approval.