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Grant Details:
Amount: $380 Million
Open Date for Application:
01/30/2012
Application Due Date: 02/24/2012
Description: Contact FireGrantsHelp NOW to learn more about Grant Writing assistance and check out our SAFER page to learn more about SAFER and help get your application approved!
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.
2011 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 2011 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/firegrants/
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