Minnesota Board of Firefighter Training and Education

Minnesota Board of Firefighter Training and Education

MINNESOTA BOARD OF FIREFIGHTER TRAINING AND EDUCATION

REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM
AUGUST 2009

The Minnesota Board of Firefighter Training and Education (MBFTE) has approximately $1,000,000.00 to reimburse Minnesota fire departments for training and education. The MBFTE will consider Request for Reimbursement for training that has already been conducted as well as applications for training that may happen in the future as long as it happens within the period of July 1, 2009 and June 30, 2010. Fire departments may plan training and education to be conducted prior to June 30, 2010 and conduct that training with reimbursement only if their application is funded by the MBFTE. Applications are due November 1, 2009. Fire departments will be notified by December 1, 2009 if their Request for Reimbursement has been approved and the amount of the funding. Within that funding notification, the MBFTE will provide the fire department with forms to submit for reimbursement.

Copies of this Request for Reimbursement may be obtained at the

  • Board of Firefighter Training and Education website:
  • by emailing ,
  • by calling (763) 635-1080 or
  • by writing MBFTE 13065 Orono Parkway, Elk River, MN 55330.

DEADLINE FOR REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT November 1, 2009

WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR REIMBURSEMENT?

  • Minnesota Fire Departments
    "Fire department" means a regularly organized fire department, fire protection district, or fire company, regularly charged with the responsibility of providing fire protection to the state or a local government and includes a private nonprofit fire department directly serving a local government. It does not include industrial fire brigades. A "Firefighter" means a volunteer, paid on-call, part-time, or career firefighter serving a general population within the boundaries of the state.

ELIGIBLE TRAINING AND EDUCATION

The Minnesota Board of Firefighter Training and Education will consider Requests for Reimbursement applications for training that meets the following requirements:

  1. Reimbursable Classes:
  • All National Fire Academy Classes, all Federal FEMA classes dealing with Incident Command (i.e. IS 100, 200, 300, etc.)
  • NFPA 472 – Standard for Competence of Responders to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Incidents (i.e. Haz-Mat Awareness, Operations)
  • NFPA 1001 - Standards for Firefighter Professional Qualifications (i.e. Firefighter I & II classes - currently only Live Fires that are part of NFPA 1001 course –FF I & II)
  • NFPA 1002 - Standard for Fire Apparatus Driver/Operator Professional Qualifications (i.e. Pumping, Driving, Water Supply, EVOC)
  • NFPA 1003 - Standard for Airport Firefighting Professional Qualifications
  • NFPA 1021 – Standard for Fire Officer Professional Qualifications (i.e. Tactics & Strategies, Command, Leadership)
  • NFPA 1031 – Standard for Professional Qualifications for Fire Inspector & Plan Examiner (i.e. Building Inspections, Construction)
  • NFPA 1033 – Standard for Professional Qualifications for Fire Investigator (i.e. Arson classes, Fire Investigation classes, BCA classes)
  • NFPA 1035 - Standard for Professional Qualification for Public Educator & Life Safety Educator
  • NFPA 1037 – Standard for Professional Qualifications for Fire Marshal
  • NFPA 1041 – Standard for Fire Service Instructor Professional Qualifications
  • NFPA 1051 – Standard for Wildland Firefighter Professional Qualifications (i.e. S-130, S-190)
  • NFPA 1061 – Standard for Professional Qualifications for Public Safety Telecommunicator
  • NFPA 1407 – Standard for Fire Service Rapid Intervention Crews (i.e. RIT training)
  • NFPA 1670 – Standard on Operations and Training for Technical Search & Rescue Incidents. (i.e. Rope Rescue –high & low angle, Structural Collapse Rescue, Confined Space Rescue, Vehicle Rescue, Water & Ice Rescue, Wilderness Search & Rescue, Trench & Excavation Rescue, Machinery Rescue, Cave Rescue, Mine & Tunnel Rescue, Helicopter Rescue), All OSHA Classes Required (i.e. Blood-borne Pathogen, Right-to-Know)
  1. Training and education conducted by an instructor of record with the following credentials:

a)Five years experience as an instructor in the discipline for which reimbursement is requested or

b)Firefighter 1, Firefighter 2, and Instructor 1 Certification or Bachelors or Master’s degree in adult education and certification in discipline and

c)The equivalent of five years active firefighter

  1. Single or multi-jurisdictional training.
  2. Training obtained within or outside the boundaries of the State of Minnesota. Applicants requesting reimbursement for training outside the boundaries of the State of Minnesota must provide a brief explanation of the circumstances that prevent them from obtaining that training in Minnesota.
  3. The MBFTE will not reimburse training paid for with voucher dollars and/or grant dollars.

ELIGIBLE EXPENSES:

  1. Instructor’s fees, course cost or hourly pay for instructor.
  2. 50% or half of fees for 3rd party initial certification if taken within 3 months of course completion.
  3. 50% of the cost of books for the reimbursable courses.
  4. On-line Firefighter 1 and Firefighter 2 only if it is from a Minnesota based training organization and the course is at least 80% hand-on practical and no more than 20% computer mixed-delivery.

INELIGIBLE EXPENSES:

  1. Conferences, key note speakers, presentations.
  2. Hourly wages or perdiem for firefighters while attending training.
  3. Travel; mileage, meals, lodging, and room rental.
  4. Food and beverages.
  5. Recruitment activities, open houses, social gatherings, and any event where alcoholic beverages are provided or served.
  6. Supplies, postage, phone, computer, vehicles and machinery.
  7. Training for college or post-secondary credit.
  8. Training paid for with voucher dollars and/or grant dollars.

REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Complete the Request for Reimbursement Application form. It is available on the MBFTE website: or by calling 763-635-1080 or by emailing
  2. Make two copies of the Request for Reimbursement Application form; one must be signed in ink by the department’s Fire Chief.
  3. Mail the two copies to MBFTE, 13065 Orono Parkway, Elk River, MN 55330 by November 1, 2009.

QUESTIONS:

Prospective responders who have any questions regarding this request for reimbursement should contact the person below.

Nancy Franke Wilson or Barbara Tuccitto Warren

MBFTE

13065 Orono Parkway

Elk River, MN 55330

Phone (763) 635-1080

Information provided from anyone other than the MBFTE Executive Directors is not considered valid. Other personnel are not authorized to answer questions regarding this solicitation.

Questions and their answers will be posted on the MBFTE website and updated as necessary. If you have web access please go to at any time to view questions and answers already addressed by the Executive Directors.

EVALUATION:

All applications received by the November 1, 2009 deadline will be reviewed by representatives of the MBFTE. Preference will be given to Firefighter 1 and Firefighter 2 classes. Overall funding consideration will be given to assure geographic diversity and financial equity among all fire departments in the State of Minnesota.

AUDITS

MBFTE will conduct random audits of applicants funded by this Request for Reimbursement Successful applicants may be contacted to provide additional supporting documentation. Failure to provide supporting documentation or cooperate with MBFTE in the audit process will jeopardize current and future funding applications.

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