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Lancaster County misses federal grant deadline after county account lockout; leaders plan reapplication
Summary
Commissioners said the county was locked out of applying for federal grants (AFG/SAFER) in the most recent round, causing a missed opportunity to request a fire truck and delaying SAFER recruitment funding plans; staff will attempt to restore access and reapply.
Lancaster County commissioners and fire staff reported that the county was unable to submit a federal grant application in the recent Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) cycle because a county finance action locked department access, and the deadline passed before the problem was resolved.
Staff told commissioners they discovered the access issue with only eight or nine days remaining before the AFG deadline, and that attempts to fix the account did not complete in time. The commission said that, as a result, the county did not apply for a truck in that AFG cycle.
Commissioners said they have asked county finance to restore access before the next open grant window and plan to attempt to apply for a SAFER grant (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) in the upcoming cycle. Staff noted that SAFER grants focus on personnel rather than apparatus and that Lancaster County has successfully applied for SAFER or recruitment/retention grants in prior years.
No formal vote was taken. Commissioners asked staff to follow up with the county finance group, to confirm whether departmental access will be restored, and to prepare to submit a SAFER application when the portal reopens.
