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On July 2, 2024, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced selectees for its Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program. The total funding amount for this cycle? Nearly $1 billion, an astronomically high figure far exceeding a vast majority of authorized federal grant programs.
The BRIC program is one of DHS/FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation grant initiatives, targeting proactive community resilience projects with a special emphasis on infrastructure. It particularly benefits disadvantaged communities, promotes projects incorporating climate resilience and nature-based solutions, and encourages the adoption of hazard-resistant building codes.
Please join the Lexipol Grants Team and current NLC Member City, the City of Rochester, Michigan’s Fire Chief, John Cieslik, as we dive into a closeup case study on important application components to consider when applying. This Q&A aims to demystify the BRIC application process and offer tips on how to be the next successful selectee!
WHAT ATTENDEES LIKED FROM THIS PRESENTATION:
“Learning about a live example city who is actively benefiting from the opportunities.”
“Hearing from a city that successfully applied.”
“Case study, local experience.”
MEET THE SPEAKERS:
Stephanie Bays, MPA, Senior Director of Customer Success for the Lexipol Grants Team, has led in a direct service role and in an administrative capacity for the public and nonprofit sectors for 15 years. Securing and maintaining a competitive award amount of $3.1 million, she managed pre- and post-award grant processes for the Dallas County Juvenile Department. While there, she implemented best practices in grant making, contract monitoring, and spending under the advisement of a community board to distribute juror fund donations of $300,000 annually. At Lexipol, she has served in multiple leadership roles where she managed contract fulfillment, GrantFinder content and customer success teams. To date, Stephanie has secured over $20 million in funding for local governments.
John Cieslik joined the Rochester Fire Department in 1975 as a paid on-call firefighter. He is a certified firefighter I & II, Basic EMT, and Hazmat Technician. While serving as a paid-on call he continued his education and is also a Trench Rescue Technician, Ropes Rescue Technician, Confine Space Technician, and Building Collapse Technician.
Upon his retirement in October 2008 from Ford Motor Company John assumed the position of Fire Chief for the City of Rochester, Michigan. John leads a 40-person combination fire department. He serves as the City’s Emergency Manger with the responsibility of planning and coordinating the City’s all hazards Emergency Response Plan.
John has a bachelor’s degree in human resources from Concordia College. He is a Board-Certified Safety Engineer (BCSP). He teaches for the Michigan Fire Fighter’s Training Council. John served on the National Fire Protection Association Technical Committee for NFPA 33, Standard for Spray Application Using Flammable or Combustible Materials. He serves on the Michigan Urban Search and Rescue Training Foundation as the Board Chair and is Chairperson for the Emergency Response Solutions International Training group.
He is a member and coordinates the Oakland County Incident Management Team and Team Leader for the Oakland County Tech Rescue.
Julie Fisher has a MAEd with a focus in education and training. She joined Lexipol after working 10+ years in education (talent acquisition, school management, policy management, grants compliance, pre- and post-award grant processes). Julie is currently a Manager in Grant Services focusing on Lexipol’s Subscription products – GrantFinder and grant retainer services. In 2023, she helped secure almost $14 million in funding for various public safety, education, and governmental agencies.
Kevin Konczal’s career has spanned over three decades in law enforcement and technology. He served as a Special Agent/Investigator in the Michigan Attorney General’s Office, a Police Officer in Dallas, TX PD and Pleasant Ridge PD, and a Deputy Sheriff in Oakland County, MI. Kevin has held leadership positions in organizations such as the Oceanside Police and Fire Commission, L.A.P.D. Citizen’s Advisory Commission, and Fountain Hills Crisis Response Team. Kevin’s other roles include Chief Revenue Officer at Emerging Digital Concepts, Vice President of Sales at Crime Tech Solutions, and as a Western regional sales manager at Omnigo Software and TriTech Software. Currently, Kevin currently holds the position of Director of Grant Sales.