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Your Resource for Fire and EMS Grant Assistance

SAFER - Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response

Grant Details:
Amount: $320 Million
Open Date for Application: July 2013
Application Due Date: July 2013 est

Description: 

Contact FireGrantsHelp NOW to learn more about Grant Writing Services!

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).

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.

2012 Hiring Priorities

  • Rehiring of laid-off firefighters
  • Retention of firefighters who may be laid-off in the future and/or filling positions left vacant through attrition that weren’t filled because of economic factors
  • Hiring of new firefighters

Eligibility:
Volunteer Fire Departments may apply for funding in the following categories:
• Hiring of Firefighters Category (hiring career firefighters)
• Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Category
• Both categories; if the applicant wishes to apply for both categories, two separate applications must be completed, one for each category

Combination Fire Departments may apply for funding in the following categories:
• Hiring of Firefighters Category
• Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Category
• Both categories; if the applicant wishes to apply for both categories, two separate applications must be completed, one for each category

Career Fire Departments may apply for funding in the following category:
• Hiring of Firefighters Category

Eligible Project Examples:
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

Application

Grant Writing Assistance

2012 Guidance


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://www.fema.gov/staffing-adequate-fire-emergency-response-grants


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