Unconventional Gas Well Fund Grant Program
The Pennsylvania State Fire Academy, under the authority of the Office of the State Fire Commissioner, offers the Act 13 of 2012 Unconventional Gas Well Fund Grant Program.
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Grant Planning Information
The 2023 grant application is available online for 60 days beginning September 20, 2023 and closing on November 20, 2023.
See recent Act 13 UGWF Grant Program results:
Important dates include:
September 20, 2023 – The FY 2023 Act 13 UGWF Grant application period opens. Applications are only available and accepted online via the osfc.pa.gov website.
November 20, 2023 – Application period closes at 4:00 pm.
January 19, 2024 – The PSFA/OSFC must approve or disapprove all 2023 Act 13 UGWF Grant applications. All notifications will be made by email after this date.
March 22, 2024 – Signed grant agreements must be returned to the PSFA.
April 22, 2024 – Project modification requests must be returned to the PSFA.
June 24, 2024– The final report of grant completion for the 2023 Act 13 UGWF grant year must be completed and returned.
Eligible Organizations
The Act 13 UGWF Grant Program provides grants for volunteer and career fire, emergency medical services, and rescue companies throughout the
40 counties of Pennsylvania (PDF) where unconventional gas well drilling has been permitted, or those counties that directly border the permitted counties and who respond to gas well related emergencies.
You may apply for a grant in only one of the three eligible program projects: certification, equipment, or training. (*See more information below.)
If a grant eligible entity is not currently compliant with this Act 13 Grant Program or the Fire Company and Emergency Medical Service Grant Program (FCEMSGP); is delinquent in loan payments to the Pennsylvania Volunteer Loan Assistance Program (VLAP); or is not reporting to the Pennsylvania Fire Information Reporting System (PennFIRS); then the entity is not eligible to apply for this 2023 Act 13 Grant Program.
Eligible Projects
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Certification: Obtaining professional National Certification for members.
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Equipment: Purchase of firefighting, emergency medical, rescue, or air monitoring equipment used on, or related to, an unconventional gas well pad emergency response. All equipment purchased through the grant program will include training on the equipment provided at no additional costs to the grant recipient(s).
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Training: Training classes and required educational materials paid for with Act 13 UGWF Grant Program funds must be PSFA approved curriculum, and meet a predetermined minimum class size.
Application and Review Process
The grant program provides
2023 Act 13 UGWF Grant Program Guidance (PDF) and offers an online grant application for all eligible applicants.
Based on applicant and project criteria, PSFA staff reviews and approves or disapproves all applications, processes signed grant agreements, and authorizes dispersal of grant funds. Final grant reports are reviewed for compliance with project description and program guidelines.
Distribution of grant funds will be based on a rating system. The rating system will consider the number of grant applications received and the total amount of funds requested by all applicants.
Grant Program Rating System
Grant awards are prorated by the following point system.
Requested by a single entity: one point awarded, joint project with two or more entities, one additional point awarded per additional entity (up to maximum of 5 points). Grant funds for a single application and project cannot exceed $4,000.
For a joint project that includes a single application with up to four (4) cooperating organizations, the grant amount cannot exceed $6,000.
Only the entity submitting the grant application will be awarded the grant funds for the requested project that benefits each cooperating eligible entity. Eligible entities may only appear/apply on one application. Grant awards will be no less than $2,000.
Contact Information
For more information about this program, contact the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy by
email or phone at 717-247-3747.
The academy is located at:
Pennsylvania State Fire Academy
1150 Riverside Drive
Lewistown, PA 17044