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Grant Details:
Amount: $420 Million
Application Due Date: 09/17/2010
Description: Purpose & Intent - The goal of SAFER is to “improve and restore” fire departments staffing so they may more effectively respond to and mitigate emergencies. Improve ability of the fire departments to assemble a sufficient number of firefighters at a structure fire in compliance with NFPA 1710 and 1720.
- Assist fire departments in reaching 4 person staffing on first-arriving suppression unit for structure fires as listed in OSHA 1910.
- Improve firefighter safety by meeting minimum staffing guidelines.
Hiring of Firefighters
Grants for the hiring of new firefighters have a two-year period of performance that provides fire departments with funding to pay 100% of the salaries and benefits of newly-hired firefighters (exclusive of overtime except as required by FLSA). Departments awarded grants for hiring new firefighters are required to commit to retaining the SAFER-funded firefighters for one full year after the two-year period of performance.
Grants for rehiring of firefighters provide fire departments with funding to pay 100% of the salaries and benefits (exclusive of overtime) and have a two-year period of performance. There is no requirement for rehiring grantees to retain the SAFER-funded firefighters after the two-year period of performance. Only positions that were the object of a layoff action between January 1, 2008, and the application deadline, are eligible.
2010 Hiring Priorities
#1 Rehiring of laid-off firefighters
#2 Retention of firefighters who may be laid-off in the future
#3 Filling positions left vacant through attrition that weren’t filled because of economic factors
#4 Hiring of new firefighters
Key Factors
Grantees must maintain: - The number of authorized and funded firefighter positions at the time of application
- The awarded SAFER-funded firefighter positions throughout the performance period.
There is no funding limit or limit to the number of positions eligible for funding.
Volunteer Firefighters Recruitment and Retention
Assist departments that are experiencing a high rate of turnover to maintain and /or increase staffing Increase departments staffing to comply with assembly requirements of NFPA and 4 person staffing per OSHA
- There is no match for recruitment and retention grants
Here are some of the projects volunteer departments can get funding for from this grant: - Insurance packages such as accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D), disability, health, dental, life, etc
- Reimbursement to the member for attending required basic training, i.e., compensation for lost wages, mileage, lodging, per diem.
- Marketing costs to recruit new volunteer members
- Physicals (may be eligible if the applicant can adequately demonstrate that the provision of the physicals would enhance the applicant’s ability to recruit and/or retain volunteer firefighters) , must meet NFPA 1582
- Explorer, cadet, and/or mentoring programs.
- Staffing needs assessment
- Tuition assistance for higher education (including college tuition) and professional certifications. Note: Coursework or certifications in this category should be above and beyond what the department typically funds for required minimum-staffing firefighter certification
- Length of service awards and other retirement benefits
SAFER Funding Limits
10% of funding is designated for hiring of firefighters in volunteer for mostly volunteer departments
10% of funding is designated for recruitment and retention activities for volunteer firefighters
15% of funding is designated for hiring new firefighters Application Grant Writing Assistance 2010 Guidance View SAFER Instructional Video
Organization Information:
Organization: U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security
Website: http://www.dhs.gov/index.shtm
Contact Information:
Contact Email: firegrants@dhs.gov
Contact Phone: 1-866-274-0960 (Help Desk)
More Information:
http://firegrantsupport.com/safer/
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