Application Period for SAFER Grants Reaches Half-Way Point

Release Date: June 14, 2005

Today marks the half-way point for the application period for Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants. The Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) program office announced that at the mid-point, it has received applications for just over $30M. While the AFG online application system shows that a large number of applications have been started - nearly 3,000 - less than 3% have been completed and submitted. Eligible applicants are encouraged to go to www.firegrantsupport.com in order to access, complete and submit their SAFER applications.

The purpose of SAFER is to award grants directly to volunteer, combination, and career fire departments to help the departments increase their cadre of firefighters. Ultimately, the goal is for SAFER grantees to enhance their ability to attain 24-hour staffing and thus assuring their communities have adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards.

The SAFER grants have two activities that will help grantees attain this goal: 1) hiring of firefighters and 2) recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters.

The Hiring of Firefighters activity involves a five-year grant to assist fire departments pay a portion of the salaries of newly hired firefighters. These newly hired positions must be in addition to authorized and funded active firefighter positions. Grantees must do everything in their power to maintain the number of authorized and funded positions as declared at the time of application PLUS the awarded new firefighter positions throughout the period of performance (five years). Grantees that fail to maintain this level of staffing risk losing all or a portion of their grant. Volunteer, combination, and non-profit career fire departments are all eligible to apply for assistance in hiring new firefighters. These grants require the awardee to match an increasing proportion of the salary over a four-year period; in the fifth year of the grant, the awardee must absorb the entire cost of any positions awarded as a result of the grant.

The Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters activity provides financial assistance for periods of up to four years. The purpose of these grants is to assist with the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters. Volunteer departments, combination departments and local or statewide organizations that represent the interests of volunteer firefighters are eligible to apply for assistance under this activity.

The SAFER application period closes on June 28, 2005 at 5:00 PM eastern daylight time.

FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.