In the new round of grant money available this year, there will be $547 million available nationally in the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program, administered through Homeland Security.

Robert Waters, a fire program specialist with Homeland Security, spent a few hours Friday morning with area fire officials and grant writers to help them hone their application skills at the Fairfield Fire Training Center.

Wilton Fire Chief Paul Milositz said he's attended such workshops before.

"Every year, the guidance changes," Milositz said. "These workshops help you know what the priorities are."

The guidance Milositz is talking about is basically what the priorities for the grant program are.

For instance, a high priority in 2007 is providing firefighting gear to departments that have none, followed by replacing old or non-compliant gear.

"We won't buy you a second set of turnouts," Waters said.

Bridgeport's grant will allow the city to purchase new gear that is the safest turnout gear available and will equip more than 75 percent of the city's firefighters.

"If Bridgeport had to purchase this equipment on its own it would take years to outfit the department," Fire Chief Brian Rooney said.

The grant program is also open to EMS agencies, and towns can band together and file regional applications.

Waters also told those in attendance not to bother asking for new equipment that no one in a department is trained to use unless the request also includes money for training.

"It's very helpful," said Cliff Burns, the deputy chief for the West Shore Fire Department in West Haven.

"Just in filling out the application itself," Burns said. "He told us how to prioritize and what some common mistakes are."

Genevieve Reilly, who covers Trumbull, can be reached at 330-6256.