FAQ
Getting grant-ready
The registrations, reporting, and prep that decide whether you can apply when a window opens.
- What is NERIS, and do we really need it?
- NERIS is the National Emergency Response Information System — the free, cloud-based incident-reporting system that replaced NFIRS when NFIRS went offline in February 2026. Yes, you need it: it's a condition of AFG awards (you must report during the grant), and your incident data feeds the call-volume and need narrative every application asks for. Onboarding is free at fsri.org — it's the single cheapest thing a department can do to be grant-ready.
- What federal registrations do we need before applying?
- An EIN from the IRS, a UEI and active SAM.gov registration (free, but you must renew it every year), a login.gov account, and a FEMA GO account for the FEMA programs. The most common last-minute killer is a lapsed SAM.gov registration — it blocks the application entirely. Start weeks ahead, because SAM renewal is slow.
- When should we start prepping for AFG?
- Start when the previous year's awards are announced, not when the new NOFO drops. A department that begins prep at award-announcement time is about six months ahead. Off-season work includes: three years of budget data (for the Maintenance of Effort requirement), NERIS onboarding plus incident data, vendor quotes, a SAM renewal, a needs assessment, and a draft narrative.
- How do we find our state's volunteer fire assistance program?
- Search '[your state] forestry volunteer fire assistance,' or call your state forester. The program name varies by state — Volunteer Fire Assistance, Volunteer Fire Capacity, or Rural Fire Capacity — but it's the same federal money passed through your state forestry agency. Ask the same office about FEPP/FFP surplus equipment while you're at it.
Grant-readiness is mostly off-season paperwork you do once. Get the registrations and NERIS done now, and you can apply the day any window opens. Work through the grant-prep checklist.
Next step
Get matched when we launch
Stalwell is launching soon. Join the waitlist and we'll match your volunteer fire departments to funding the day it opens — no spam, one email.