FEMA | Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program

SAFER Update (November 19, 2009)

As you may know, the FY2009 SAFER application period is currently ongoing and will end on December 18, 2009. Under the FY2009 program guidance, grants can be awarded to fire departments to rehire firefighters who have been laid off from the fire department due to economic constraints. The AFG program office and help desk have received numerous inquiries regarding the eligibility for grants of those fire departments that have planned layoffs of firefighters, but have not yet implemented the layoffs.

The FY2009 SAFER program guidance states that: “the position must have been the object of a layoff action that was effected between January 1, 2008, and October 31, 2009”. We interpret this to mean that a notice must have been issued between January 1, 2008 and October 31, 2009, even if the actual layoff had not occurred by October 31, 2009. An applicant's narrative should be used to explain the circumstances of the lay off notifications, such as the date of notification and the effective date of the lay off.

2009 SAFER Application Period Open

The application period for the FY 2009 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grants is now open. Applications for these grants must be received by December 18, 2009, at 5:00 p.m. (ET). The Department of Homeland Security has posted the FY 2009 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant Program Guidance on this Web site. The Program Guidance document for the FY 2009 SAFER Grants provides a wealth of information on the SAFER program including the implementation of recent legislative changes and program priorities. The FY 2009 SAFER program has approximately $210 million available for grants.

The purpose of the SAFER Grants is to provide funding to local fire departments to hire and train new firefighters or to help them recruit and retain the participation of volunteer firefighters. SAFER seeks to increase the number of front-line firefighters who are trained, certified, and ready to respond to fires and other emergencies in their communities.

An applicant tutorial for the SAFER Grants is available. The tutorial provides valuable grant information and walks you through the preparation and submittal of competitive applications.

Applicants who have questions regarding the SAFER Grants opportunity should contact the help desk as soon as possible at 1-866-274-0960 or at firegrants@dhs.gov. During the application period, the help desk will operate Monday to Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (ET).

The AFG Program is administered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Grant Programs Directorate in coordination with the U.S. Fire Administration.

November 16, 2009
2009 SAFER Grants - Application Period Now Open
The application period for the FY 2009 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grants is now open. Applications for these grants must be received by December 18, 2009, at 5:00 p.m. (ET).

October 21, 2009
Information Bulletin #334 (PDF, 80kb)
The purpose of the Information Bulletin is to notify all Federal grant and contract recipients that they are prohibited from obligating, awarding, or otherwise providing any Federal funds to the ACORN or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, or allied organizations (collectively “affiliates,” of which this also applies to sub-grantees, subcontractors, or other sub-recipients.

October 2, 2009
Round 1 of the FY 2009 SCG Awards
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today the first round of Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 Assistance to Firefighters Fire Station Construction Grants (SCG), awarding 96 grants totaling $165 million to fire departments within the United States.

Round 47 of the FY 2008 AFG Awards
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today the 47 round of Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 Assistance to Firefighters Grants, awarding 6 grants totaling $480 thousand to fire departments within the United States.

Awards for the 2008 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant Announced
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today awards for the Fiscal Year 2008 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant (SAFER) awarding 5 grants to fire departments in the United States.

Round 8 of the FY 2008 FP&S Awards
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today the 8th round of Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 Fire Prevention and Safety Grants, awarding 2 grants totaling $232k to fire departments within the United States.

June 2008
NFPA 1001/State Equivalent Training Standard for FY2008

In the Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG) a stronger emphasis has been placed on the importance of training. In their recommendations to DHS about priorities and areas of emphasis for AFG, fire service representatives have underscored the criticality of having trained firefighters to carry out daily operations. It improves the effectiveness of the operation, it enhances the safety of the firefighter, and it provides interoperability in the sense that similarly trained individuals have similar concepts of operations and expected roles and responsibilities in the incident command. Read More..