DFSJW Best Value Grant Award for Joint Hazard Incident Response Team (JHIRT) / HAZ

The Massachusetts Department of Fire Services is awarding Best Value Grants to multiple municipal fire departments to support the Joint Hazard Incident Response Team (JHIRT) within the Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Division. Funded by a 144,295.36 USD grant from the Department of Homeland Security, this initiative reimburses grantees for allowable personnel costs associated with operational incident responses and required training drills. The grant period runs through June 30, 2027, and utilizes rate-based contracts where individual award amounts are not predetermined but based on actual expenses incurred. To qualify for reimbursement, participating personnel must be career firefighters certified as Hazardous Materials Technicians through the Massachusetts Fire Training Council, maintain current medical clearance, and remain in good standing with all Department of Fire Services policies. Grantees are required to provide immediate incident response upon activation and ensure members attend quarterly drills to maintain their appointments. Reimbursement requests must be submitted via a cloud-based form within 10 business days of the activity, with payments typically processed by the 10th of the following month via EFT. Grantees must adhere to federal subrecipient grant conditions and retain all supporting documentation, including signed timesheets, for the life of the grant plus six years.