Department of Homeland Security: Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER)

The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Grant Programs Directorate is responsible for the implementation and administration of the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Program. The goal of the SAFER Grant Program is to assist local fire departments with staffing and deployment capabilities in order to respond to emergencies, and assure that communities have adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards. With enhanced or restored staffing levels, recipients should experience a reduction in response times and an increase in the number of trained personnel assembled at the incident scene.

The SAFER Grant Program is comprised of two categories:

1. Hiring of Firefighters: Including subcategories for rehiring, retention, attrition, and new hires. Career, combination, and volunteer fire departments are eligible to apply.
2. Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters: Combination fire departments; volunteer fire departments; and national, state, local, or tribal organizations that represent the interests of volunteer firefighters are eligible to apply.

Amount: $340,000,000 is available for up to 300 awards.

Eligibility: Varies by type:

• Volunteer fire departments and combination fire departments may apply for funding under both the Hiring of Firefighters category and the Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters category.
• Career fire departments may apply for funding only under the Hiring of Firefighters category.
• Municipalities and fire districts may submit applications on behalf of fire departments lacking the legal status to do so, such as those under the support of the municipality or district.
• National, state, local, or tribal organizations representing the interests of volunteer firefighters and individual fire departments (volunteer or combination) may only apply for funding under the Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters category.

Link: http://www.fema.gov/welcome-assistance-firefighters-grant-program

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