(1) There is created the FIRE Grant Committee, which shall provide nonbinding, advisory recommendations to the Department of Finance and Administration regarding the administration, scoring, selection process and authorizing of grant funds from the FIRE Grant Fund created under Section 17-24-1 and the Fire Equipment Grant Fund created under Section 17-24-3. In awarding grants to municipalities and counties from the FIRE Grant Fund and the Fire Equipment Grant Fund, the Department of Finance and Administration shall adhere to the same criteria established and used by the FIRE Grant Committee for making determinations on applications for grant funds in formulating recommendations to be made to the department.
(2) The FIRE Grant Advisory Committee shall be comprised of the following members:(a) The Chair of the Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives, or his or her designee;(b) The Chair of the Appropriations Committee of the Senate, or his or her designee;(c) Four (4) individuals appointed by the Lieutenant Governor, with one (1) of such being from each Congressional District;(d) Four (4) individuals appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, with one (1) of such being from each Congressional District;(e) One (1) representative appointed by the Mississippi Fire Chiefs Association;(f) One (1) representative from the Mississippi Fire Fighters Association;(g) One (1) representative from the Professional Firefighter Association of Mississippi; and(h) The State Fire Coordinator.
(a) The Chair of the Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives, or his or her designee;
(b) The Chair of the Appropriations Committee of the Senate, or his or her designee;
(c) Four (4) individuals appointed by the Lieutenant Governor, with one (1) of such being from each Congressional District;
(d) Four (4) individuals appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, with one (1) of such being from each Congressional District;
(e) One (1) representative appointed by the Mississippi Fire Chiefs Association;
(f) One (1) representative from the Mississippi Fire Fighters Association;
(g) One (1) representative from the Professional Firefighter Association of Mississippi; and
(h) The State Fire Coordinator.
(3) The committee shall adopt rules and grant application guidelines in an effort to achieve its legislative purpose. It shall create a mechanism that scores applicants based on a number of factors, which may be based on, but not limited to: (a) the population served by the fire district; (b) the current condition of the fire truck and equipment; (c) the amount of savings to be incurred by the local government and/or local population residing within the fire district; (d) the timeframe during which changes may be implemented; (e) any coverage gaps that could be reduced or eliminated by receiving funds; (f) emergency call volume; (g) the winning or losing of previous grants and/or awards; and (h) feasibility of being able to sufficiently and timely obtain funds to match FIRE Grant Funds of Fire Equipment Grant Funds, whichever is applicable, having a current Fire Rating Plan on file. The committee shall factor in the amount of matching funds made available by the applicant. The fire protection plan guidelines must be adopted before the expiration of six (6) months following the date appointments are made pursuant to subsection (1) of this section.
(4) A municipality or county desiring to receive an award from the FIRE Grant Fund or Fire Equipment Grant Fund, or both, shall submit an application for the grant to the FIRE Grant Advisory Committee on a form prescribed by the Department of Finance and Administration. In order to be considered for an award in the fiscal year commencing on July 1, an application must be received by the committee before May 1. The committee shall make its recommendations on grant awards to the department before July 1. A determination on each award recommendation received from the committee must be made by the department no later than ninety (90) days following the department’s receipt of the recommendation. The department may promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary which are not inconsistent with the provisions of this act for the purposes of implementing the FIRE Grant Fund and Fire Equipment Grant Funds programs.