11 NCAC 05A .0603. REQUIREMENTS

(a)  The Volunteer Fire Department Fund application forms for requesting grants for equipment purchases and capital expenditures, shall be made available by the Division to all departments registered with the Division and approved by the Division by the first business day of January of each year.

(b)  Applications shall be submitted to the Division and be postmarked or electronic date stamped no later than March 1. Applications bearing postmarks or electronic date stamps later than March 1 are disqualified.  The names of grant recipients shall be announced on May 15.  If May 15 falls on a weekend, the announcement shall be made on the following Monday.

(c)  Any application received by the Division that is incorrect or incomplete shall be returned to the department with a request that the correct or complete information be sent to the Division within 10 business days after receipt by the department.  The failure of the department to return the requested correct or complete information shall result in the forfeiture by the department of its eligibility for a grant during that grant cycle.

(d)  If the application includes a request for a motor vehicle, the vehicle specifications and, if used, the previous year's maintenance records shall accompany the application.

(e)  The following documents shall accompany a grant application:

(1)           A contract verification form showing an agreement between the department and a county for the department to provide fire protection to a district;

(2)           A current roster comprising a list of eligible firemen as defined in G.S. 58-86-25;

(3)           A statement verifying the population that the department serves;

(4)           A financial statement of the department; and

(5)           A statement verifying that the department is financially able to match the grant.

(f)  Statements that there are no overdue taxes, conflict of interest statements as defined in G.S. 143C-6-23(b), payment agreements, and equipment invoices shall be received by the Division no later than September 30 following the announcement of grant recipients.  Departments submitting incorrect invoices, such as sales orders, acknowledgements, and packing slips, on or before September 30 shall be contacted by the Division and given 10 business days to submit correct documents.  The failure of any department to comply shall result in the department forfeiting its eligibility for a grant from the Fund. Equipment or capital improvements that are ordered by a department before May 15 or equipment that is back-ordered by a vendor for a department or equipment not received by a department on or before September 30 shall not be funded by grants from the Fund.

(g)  Equipment purchased with grants is subject to inspection by Division personnel.

 

History Note:        Authority G.S. 58-2-40(1); 58-36-10(3); 58-87-1; 143C-6-23(b);

Eff. February 1, 1993;

Amended Eff. September 1, 2010; January 1, 2007.