NIRMA’s ASSIST Program established one record and tied another when the 13th round concluded with the Loss Prevention and Safety Committee awarding grant funds during a December 5 meeting.
Fifty members submitted applications seeking funding assistance totaling $402,057 in 2019, establishing a new record that surpassed the one set in 2017. The 113 applications submitted by those 50 members tied the previous high that also was established that year.
When all was said and done following the committee’s telephonic meeting with staff in the NIRMA office, $135,225 in funds were approved. It ranks as the second highest amount awarded, again surpassed only by the 11th round of 2017 when $139,291 in grant funds were approved by the committee.
Refer to the accompanying table for a year-by-year recap. In addition to the table showing the 13 rounds of grants that have been awarded, also shown are lists of the 2019 applicants and some of the items for which they were seeking grant funds.
With this latest round of grant funds, NIRMA has now approved providing nearly $1.3 million in financial assistance to members for their ongoing loss prevention efforts and safety initiatives.
Also during the meeting, committee members approved a motion to recommend to the NIRMA Board of Directors that the ASSIST Program be renewed for 2020 with a funding level of up to $150,000. The board will consider that recommendation at its January 24 meeting in Lincoln.
| Members Applying | Total Applications | Amount Requested | Amount Approved* | |
| 2019 | 50 | 113 | $402,507 | $135,225 |
| 2018 | 34 | 63 | $135,499 | $83,613 |
| 2017 | 54 | 113 | $383,964 | $139,291 |
| 2016 | 38 | 86 | $258,362 | $126,921 |
| 2015 | 39 | 55 | $169,704 | $97,734 |
| 2014 | 35 | 62 | $211,532 | $84,487 |
| 2013 | 38 | 49 | $225,462 | $90,194 |
| 2012 | 37 | 51 | $226,827 | $85,142 |
| 2011 | 37 | 52 | $189,457 | $86,774 |
| 2010 | 45 | 73 | $310,023 | $84,743 |
| 2009 | 37 | 66 | $222,291 | $94,339 |
| 2008 | 34 | 53 | $367,214 | $97,898 |
| 2008 | 18 | 25 | $159,746 | $86,200 |
| $1,292,561 |
| * = Figures do not include amounts awarded to members for specialized training, the cost of annual awards and financial stipends presented during the NIRMA conference, and reimbursement for hotel lodging and travel expenses for award recipients from the prior year to attend the current conference. Note: NIRMA created the ASSIST Program in 2008 to commemorate its 20th anniversary and awarded two rounds of grant funding, first in May and then again in December. |
| 2019 applicants |
| Adams, Boone, Box Butte, Brown, Butler, Cass, Cedar, Cherry, Cheyenne, Cuming, Custer, Dakota, Dawson, Dixon, Dundy, Fillmore, Frontier, Garden, Garfield, Greeley, Hall, Hamilton, Harlan, Hayes, Hitchcock, Hooker, Howard, Kearney, Keith,Keya Paha, Kimball, Knox, Madison, Merrick, Nance, Nemaha, Nuckolls, Pawnee, Phelps, Platte, Polk, Rock, Saline, Saunders, Scotts Bluff, Seward, Sheridan, Sherman, Washington, Webster |
| Funds requested for |
| AEDs, first aid kits, tourniquets, road barricades and signs, retroreflectometer, brush mower attachment, high visibility and safety apparel, steel toe boots, LED lights, safety vests, post drivers, fire extinguisher maintenance, chainsaws, reflective sheeting, welding helmet and jacket, security cameras, panic button systems, metal detectors, door access control system, training equipment, Stop the Bleed supplies, bullet proof vests, transport cages, gun locks, light bars, tire cages, personal protective equipment, tow ropes, fall protection harnesses, respirators, safety flashers, closed circuit television, 2-way radios, equipment inspections, chainsaws |
