COLUMBUS — To help ensure transparency related to its grants programs, the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of State Fire Marshal has unveiled a new interactive online dashboard that allows users to easily, quickly and accurately search for grant funds that have been awarded to fire departments throughout the state. Information on the dashboard is available for each of the past five years.
The new online resource is available to fire departments, media outlets and the general public, allowing easy access to up-to-date information regarding grant funding that has been awarded in support of MARCS (Multi-Agency Radio Communications), equipment and training initiatives. Additional key features of the dashboard include the ability to sort and filter grants by county and grant type, and also search for grants by individual department.
The dashboard is available at com.ohio.gov/SFMDashboard.
“This dashboard is more than just a data visualization tool; it represents our ongoing commitment to innovation, transparency and support for Ohio’s fire service community,” said Ohio Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon. “We believe this dashboard will be an indispensable resource for Ohio fire departments and first responders in helping to inform decisions and demonstrate the significant impact awarded grants have had on their ability to keep their communities safe.”
The process of securing funding for essential services and equipment can be complex and time-consuming, and the grants awarded by SFM play a significant role in the state’s fire departments’ ability to serve Ohio communities.
During the past fiscal year (2023-2024), SFM awarded approximately $6.275 million in grants to fire departments across Ohio for the benefit of the communities they serve. Those funds included:
$436,360 via the Department Training Reimbursement Grant, which helps departments pay for the cost of fire training classes, including the cost of training manuals and student workbooks.
$620,513 via the Firefighter I Grant, which provides funding to pay for the costs of providing Firefighter I or Firefighter I Transition certification courses free of charge at an SFM-approved class.
$1,736,710 via the Equipment Grant, which equips Ohio’s fire departments with funds to purchase personal protective clothing, communications equipment and other miscellaneous gear and equipment.
$3,481,415 via the MARCS Radio Grant, which provides eligible departments with funds to purchase systems, equipment, and services that are part of, integrated into, or otherwise interoperable with MARCS operated by the State of Ohio with respect to providing fire protection services.
By making this information more easily accessible to all Ohioans, but particularly fire departments throughout the state, they can better understand the grants that have been awarded, and what potential opportunities there may be to secure future funding. The Tableau-based platform represents a significant step forward in how SFM shares and utilizes data related to awarded grants.
