NOT-FOR-PROFIT OR GOVERNMENT ENTITY, OR PARTNERSHIPS OF SUCH ENTITIES, WITH CONSIDERABLE EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCE IN DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING A LARGE-SCALE TRAINING PROGRAM; EXPERTISE WITH FIRST RESPONDERS AND/OR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES OR THEIR CAREGIVERS

One grant of up to $200,000 for the first year and up to $175,000 for each of two additional years will be funded by the DDPC to develop and conduct a statewide disability awareness and sensitivity curriculum and training for First Responders. The applicant's program and budget narratives must provide the justification for the amount requested.

"First Responders" is a term used to describe police, fire, and emergency personnel who are the first to arrive on the scene of medical or other emergencies. Research has indicated that individuals with disabilities are seven times more likely to come in contact with First Responders than other individuals. Yet First Responders seldom have sufficient training to interact effectively with people with developmental disabilities. Historically, most individuals with developmental disabilities who required out of home placement resided in large institutional settings, some of which mirrored self-contained communities with emergency and other personnel available within the institution 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Today, most individuals with developmental disabilities live with their families or with others in communities of their choice. Along with the rewards of community living, people with disabilities face increased risks of needing the assistance of First Responders.

Year one of the grant will focus on development and piloting of the curriculum. Years two and three will focus on implementation, and sustainability. Training must focus on the full range of developmental disabilities, be applicable to all First Responders and be presented via a regional train-the-trainer format. In turn, the regionally trained individuals will then work with local First Responder agencies/organizations to ensure that their members understand the disability awareness and sensitivity training curriculum and are prepared to serve individuals with developmental disabilities. The curriculum should be developed utilizing principles of adult learning and be available to end users as both in-person and/or distance learning modules.

The selected grantee will develop, pilot and implement a disability awareness and sensitivity curriculum and training for First Responders which will include the following:

• Modifying existing curricula or designing new curricula;

• Developing basic disability-related resources for First Responders;

• Involving people with disabilities in design and implementation of all aspects of the training project, including development of the curriculum, piloting and implementation;

• Implementing training regionally throughout New York State; and

• Working collaboratively with the DDPC and the New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD) on all aspects of the curriculum development, implementation and evaluation.

All interested applicants are requested to submit a one-page letter of intent by March 5, 2010 to Robin Worobey, Program Planner at the address above. Letters of intent are preferred, but not required for applications to be accepted for this RFP. All final grant applications should be sent to Sheila Carey, Executive Director, and must be delivered to the DDPC office by close of business (5:00 p.m.) on March 26, 2010.

MUNICIPALITIES INCLUDING COUNTIES, CITIES, TOWNS, VILLAGES, LOCAL PUBLIC AUTHORITIES, LOCAL PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATIONS, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, SUPERVISORY DISTRICTS AND IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS, NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES OR NATIONS RESIDING IN NEW YORK STATE, OR ANY COMBINATION OF THE ABOVE

Applications from municipalities are accepted on an ongoing basis for funding under the Municipal Waste Reduction and Recycling (MWRR) State Assistance Program and the Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) State Assistance Program. Both programs provide up to 50 percent reimbursement to local governments for eligible project costs, with reimbursement limited to $2.0 million per project. Anticipated funding from the Environmental Protection Fund is subject to annual legislative appropriations.

Eligible projects include the following:

MWRR Recycling Capital Projects - The Department is authorized to provide State assistance to communities for projects that enhance municipal recycling infrastructure through purchasing equipment or construction of recycling and composting facilities. Some examples are: construction of municipally-owned materials recycling facilities and composting facilities; recycling containers and recycling vehicles.

MWRR Recycling Coordinator Projects - The Department is authorized to provide State assistance to communities for Recycling Coordinator salaries and public education programs to expand local recycling and waste reduction programs and increase participation in those programs.

Household Hazardous Waste Projects - The Department is authorized to provide funding to communities for HHW collection days and construction of permanent HHW collection facilities in order to provide a safe alternative for recycling or disposal of household hazardous materials.

Applications are available on-line at http://www.dec.ny.gov/pubs/4776.html or you may call (518) 402-8706 to request a paper copy of an application.