How to obtain surplus government property to include things like pickup trucks and heavy equipment such as dump trucks.

There is a way for municipalities to obtain many different pieces of equipment from the US government. It is not just military (arm trucks) as some may think. It is also not just the fire dept. that can do this.

It does require some effort on someone's part. It is not 100% free as there is usually some transportation cost involved depending on where it is located.

Eligible Organizations and Activities

The following activities are eligible to receive donations of federal property through the State Agencies for Surplus Property (SASP). SASPs are state-run organizations that coordinate the federal program for the donation of federal surplus property to public, tax-supported entities and eligible, private, nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations. Details on each category follow:

State and Public Agencies

State and public agencies generally include:

States, their departments, divisions, and other instrumentality.
Political subdivisions of states, including cities, counties, and other local government units and economic development districts.
Instrumentality created by compact or other agreements between state or political subdivisions.
Indian tribes, bands, groups, pueblos, or communities located on state reservations.
Instrumentality created by compact or other agreements between state or political subdivisions.

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Nonprofit Educational and Public Health Activities, Including Programs for the Homeless and Impoverished

In order to obtain federal surplus property through donation, nonprofit educational and tax-exempt public health activities must intend to use the surplus personal property to aid education or public health, either directly or through research. Eligible organizations include:

Medical institutions;
Hospitals;
Clinics;
Health centers;
Historic light stations;
Drug abuse treatment centers;
Schools, colleges, and universities;
Schools for persons with mental or physical disabilities;
Child care centers;
Educational radio and television stations licensed by the Federal Communication Commission;
Museums attended by the public; and
Free libraries serving all residents of a community, district, state, or region.

Nonprofit, tax exempt organizations that provide food, shelter, or support services to homeless or impoverished people may also be eligible to receive donations of surplus property. Such organizations include:

Soup kitchens and day centers.
Food banks that supply shelters and soup kitchens serving homeless and/or impoverished individuals.
Overnight, daytime, and around-the-clock shelters helping homeless individuals, regardless of the cause or duration of the homelessness (includes shelters for battered spouses, abused children, and orphans and half-way houses for temporary residence of homeless parolees, recovered mental patients, and recovered substance abusers).

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Nonprofit and Public Programs for the Elderly

Certain state or local government agencies and nonprofit organizations or institutions that serve older individuals can receive donations of surplus personal property. Organizations must receive funds appropriated for programs for older individuals under the Older Americans Act of 1965, Title IV or Title XX of the Social Security Act, Titles VIII and X of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, or Community Services Block Grant Act.
Appropriate programs include:

Adult day care;
Social services;
Transportation services;
Nutrition services;
Legal services; and
Multi-purpose senior centers.

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Public Airports:

Any state, political subdivision, municipality, or tax-supported institutions can receive donations of surplus property if the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) deems it essential, suitable, or desirable for the development, improvement, operation, or maintenance of a public airport. FAA regional offices provide information on FAA-administered programs. Airports can obtain permission to screen for federal property on GSAXcess® by contacting their National Utilization Officer (NUO).
In addition, public airports can, as public agencies, receive property donations through the State Agencies for Surplus Property (SASP).

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Educational Activities of Special Interest to the Armed Services:

Certain schools and the following national organizations are eligible to receive donations of Department of Defense (DoD) surplus property:

American National Red Cross
Armed Services YMCA of the USA
Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America
Boys and Girls Clubs of America
Boy Scouts of America
Camp Fire, Inc.
Center for Excellence in Education
Girl Scouts of the USA
Little League Baseball, Inc.
Marine Cadets of America
National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education
National Civilian Community Corps
National Ski Patrol System, Inc.
Naval Sea Cadet Corps
United Service Organizations, Inc.
U.S. Olympic Committee
Young Marines of the Marine Corps
League/Marine Corps League

These Service Educational Activities (SEAs) have a formal donation agreement with DoD that outlines the general terms and conditions for obtaining DoD surplus property. State Agencies for Surplus Property (SASPs) can provide general information concerning designation of schools or organizations as an SEA. Formal designation as an SEA comes from the Department of Defense.
Individual units of the national organizations, such as Boy Scout or Girl Scout Troops and Red Cross Chapters, should contact their regional or national headquarters for guidance regarding the donation and use of DoD surplus property.
Schools with military training programs (such as military junior colleges, military institutes, high schools that host a Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps unit or a National Defense Cadet Corps unit, naval honor schools, and state maritime academies) should contact their sponsoring military service.

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Special Categories (Other):

The Donation Program also has provisions for donating special types and categories of surplus property. Examples of these programs include:

Donations of forfeited distilled spirits, wine, and beer to charitable institutions for medicinal purposes.
Donations of blood plasma and other property to the American National Red Cross for charitable purposes. Donations are limited to property identified as having been processed, produced or donated by the Red Cross to the federal government. This program is separate and distinct from the program under which the Red Cross may receive DoD surplus property as an SEA.
Donations of surplus equipment and supplies to state and local governments for use in Presidentially declared emergencies or major disasters.
Donations of property with no market value to public bodies (any public agency, Indian tribe, or agency of the federal government) in lieu of abandoning or destroying it.

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