Costs Claimed by Chicago Fire Department Under Fire Station Construction Grant Number EMW-2009-FC-05246R

The Chicago Fire Department submitted a grant application that identified six projects: five fire station renovations and one new station construction. The proposed costs for the six projects were $26 million, consisting of a Federal share of $15 million and an applicant share of $11 million. The grant application identified a Federal share of 43 percent and an applicant share of 57 percent. FEMA awarded a grant of $4.8 million to the Chicago Fire Department to construct a new fire station. The grant award did not specify an amount or percentage for the matching share. A FEMA official told us that FEMA had not specified a Federal share in the award because it knew that the cost of the new station would exceed the Federal share and its main concern was that construction of the station be completed.