Yeah, I fell asleep watching TV again. I woke up at 4:00 on the couch wide awake and cold. So do you go to bed for an hour or just go ahead and get up? I decided the first thing to do was get warmed up so I'm setting here wrapped up in a blanket doing this. Why where I am? Because I have a space heater under the desk and I can crank it up and get warm quickly.
My first priority today is getting a grant application signed and mailed. Our fire department was given a bunch of MSA composite tank SCBA's a few years ago. Mention was made of the tanks being obsolete soon, but we thought they meant obsolete as in they got newer more modern ones. No ... well, yes, that as well, but obsolete as in after 180 months from manufacture a composite tank cannot be refilled. Replacement cost is $800 to $1000 per tank and we have 28 of them. In case you are out of fingers and toes that takes just about all of $25,000.
The Office of the State Fire Marshal (GREAT folks in case any one is reading this. Seriously, they are great folks to work with. Best state agency to deal with I have ever had the occasion to be involved with) has a small equipment grant program we may qualify for to get help replacing them. But it wants stuff like copies of appropriations ordinances, tax rates, history, etc. For a career dept with a professional secretary that is probably simple. To us volunteer groups out in the sticks it is a hassle. I ended up taking most of a day off to research prices, write the narrative, fill out the application, and hopefully get it all signed this morning.
If you can't dazzle them with brilliance baffle them with ... bovine fertilizer. I ain't brilliant. So I attached all kinds of supporting documentation. My old sales manager would have hated it. He came from the school of thought if a quote takes more than 6 lines it is too long. I'm up to 17 pages.
There was just one question that really bothered me. It asked what legislative district we were in. I answered it but I didn't like it. THAT should have nothing to do with a fire grant application. So I copied the app and have two envelopes addressed to our State Senator and Representative with copies of the apps inside. Told them we were not asking them for anything, just keeping them informed since the app asked what districts we were in.
Well, I'm warm, it's a quarter to 5, I may go sleep in until 6 this morning. Ahh luxury!
2 comments:
From your daughter, who is often up to her eyebrows in grants: when they ask for your legislative district it isn't generally a determinant - it's so if you get the money, they know who to notify so that guy can say, "look at the good stuff happening in my district." Often it's how the award is announced. If that guy's staff is on top of things, you may get a call from them asking for details beforehand, which is a good indicator that you're getting the funds.
Barbara Ann could probably back me up on this one.
P.S. That prevents someone in the Fire Marshal's office from interpreting incorrectly and "guessing" you into the wrong location (like - they're in Southern Illinois? They must be in Champaign-Urbana's district.)
It's also how they can track funding with a map or list. Think Recovery Act funding - haven't you heard stories about districts that don't exist getting money? That's because somebody didn't know what they were doing and put the wrong information into that box.
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