The National Volunteer Fire Council has created an online resource center to help volunteer fire departments write successful narratives for their applications for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant program.

The NVFC has posted copies of narratives from successful past grant applications on its Web site. These narratives are extremely useful examples for departments that have significant need but have had trouble expressing it in past applications. In addition to the model narratives, the NVFC has posted a grant-writing guide created by Department of Homeland Security. Applicants should review the grant criteria for the fiscal year they are applying in to ensure that their narrative reflects current priorities. The AFG and SAFER Grant Narrative Resource Center is available here. Departments that would like to post a successful narrative should contact Dave Finger, director of government relations, at 202-887-5700, ext. 12 or dfinger@nvfc.org.