Fire Dog Services Program

Today I stumbled upon an amazing company that works to help fire departments and their communities.  Fire Dog Services Program donates turnout gear to departments that are in need.

There aren't many departments around who haven't felt the budgetary cutbacks in our current economy.  For some, these cutbacks have been detrimental...leaving departments with gear that is not only outdated but often times non-compliant with current NFPA standards.  For departments dealing with these types of financial difficulties, getting new NFPA compliant gear would be a dream.  However, many of them would more than happily take in any gear that would be safe enough to use in the field.

This is where your department can help!  If your department has recently upgraded (or is looking to upgrade) turnout gear, you can donate your old (or simply unneeded) gear to Fire Dog Services Program.  They accept gear in any condition.  They have a rigorous screening process that separates the gear into serviceable and recyclable categories.  Serviceable gear is donated for day to day fire fighting operations.  Recyclable gear is donated for Junior/Explorer programs and for training purposes.

There is a use for all of your old and unneeded turnout gear!  Fire Dog Services Program receives 34+ requests per month for gear (gear required for departments to adequately service their communities).  Keeping up with that kind of demand is very challenging, as many departments need full gear for five or more members.  Support others in the fire service community, and please consider recycling your old, worn out turnout gear!  There is also a need for helmets, boots, serviceable quality equipment (such as nozzles, even nonworking ones), and promotional gear.  To make a donation contact Fire Dog Services via their website or email.

 To learn more about how this program affects the departments in need, check out their testimonial page!

How To Afford New(er) Computer Equipment

Most departments would like to fill their police cruisers and emergency vehicles with the newest and greatest technology available.  However, with how often technology changes and advances, it is nearly impossible to afford the continuous process of upgrading.

We've written several blogs about how to finance your purchases through grants.  However, grant money can be difficult to acquire.  Grant requests must be adequately written, and moneys received from grants are only allowed to be spent on very specific items.  This leaves very little leeway in purchasing if inventory at your vendor changes in the time it takes to get your grant approval and funding.

Another option that tends to be overlooked quite frequently is buy back or trade-in.  At Bob Johnson's Computer Stuff we will happily buy back your previously purchased equipment from us when you are ready to upgrade to newer Toughbooks.  If you didn't purchase your current computers or mobile data terminals from us, that's fine too...we will happily take them for trade-in value on the purchase of Toughbooks.

Our buy back/trade-in program is only the beginning of the savings when you purchase from us.  As a refurbishd Panasonic Toughbook dealer, the units that we sell are generally 50-75% less than the cost of new units.  If you are worried about purchasing a "used" Toughbook, you shouldn't.  Used Toughbooks are fully refurbished and are often in like-new condition.  All refurbished units at Bob Johnson's Computer Stuff come fully equipped with a limited lifetime warranty (something a new Panasonic Toughbook does not).  

By combining your trade-in units with the purchase of a refurbished unit, you have the ability to double, triple, or even quadruple the number of units you are able to purchase for the same price!

If you would like more information on our trade-in program or the cost of our refurbished Toughbooks please don't hesitate to contact us.  We can be reached phone at 877-202-7788 or email.  

How To Get Grant Money

Most police and fire departments want to add various technologies to their departments.  These technologies range anywhere from automatic license plate scanners to Panasonic Toughbook computers to specialized computer software or even to new vehicles.  However, these much sought after items can come with a pretty expensive price tag...particularly for departments that are looking to outfit an entire fleet with the same equipment.  This is where grant money is very beneficial, however, some people find the task of writing a grant very daunting.

Unfortunately, the people who make decisions regarding technology purchases (such as town councils) might not be involved in their use, and therefore, they may not understand how important it is.  They might not understand how much the technology may simplify your job or increase your productivity.  When your department is consistently turned down for high-cost technology purchases, you need to have the option to look elsewhere for funding...this is where grant money would allow you to make those purchases.

The hardest part is of applying for grant money is knowing where to look.  It is actually significantly easier then you might think.  Just “Google” the term “Law Enforcement grants” and you’ll come up with a handful of sites that will help you. Of course, there is the Department of Justice (DOJ) Website and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Website. Both websites announce different types of grants and offer a search to find a particular grant or grants. One website you might not think of right away is PoliceOne.

Surf around on PoliceGrantsHelp at the PoliceOne website for a while and you’ll see that there are a great number of grants that agencies can apply for.  When looking for an applying for grants you should be sure to carefully read the criteria of the grant.  For example, some grants may require a matching of funds or that your city/town/municipality has a specific crime rate, demographic, or population in order to qualify for the grant funding.  Adequate explanation of your needs and wording of the grant can significantly affect whether or not you are successfully awarded funding.  Because of this it is highly recommended to have senior leadership assist in the grant writing process (as they most likely have experience in doing so).  For those departments that have never written a grant before, you can look for online training or seminars throughout the country sponsored by the DOJ or DHS.

Most importantly, when you are writing your grant, be sure to have an adequate count of the inventory that you will be needing.  For example, if you are looking to outfit a police fleet with new mobile computers, be sure to take into account any software licensing, additional cabling, if new mounting systems will be required, and if the units you are purchasing will meet the requirements of the software programs that you will be looking to run on them or if you will require upgrades.  Take into account any additional items or upgrades you may need; if you are awarded grant money for computers but then don't have the capability of installing them, you will need to find alternate funding to cover those expenses as well.