Fiscal Year 2021 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant

Background
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Grant Programs Directorate implements and administers the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grants. SAFER grants provide financial assistance to help fire departments increase frontline firefighters. The SAFER Program provides funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations to assist in increasing the number of firefighters to help communities meet industry minimum standards and attain 24-hour staffing to provide adequate fire protection from fire and fire-related hazards, and to fulfill traditional missions of fire departments.

Grant Details
The objectives of the SAFER Program are to assist local fire departments with staffing and deployment capabilities to respond to emergencies and assure that communities have adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards. The program supports activities in two areas: Hiring of Firefighters and Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters.

The Hiring Activity offers grants to support applications to hire new, additional firefighters, rehire laid off firefighters, or retain firefighters facing layoff. The period of performance for applications funded under the Hiring Activity will be 36 months.

The Recruitment and Retention (R&R) Activity offers grants to support applications to assist fire departments with the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters who are involved with or trained in the operations of firefighting and emergency response. The period of performance for applications funded under the R&R Activity will be 12, 24, 36 or 48 months.

Eligibility Requirements
Eligible applicants include fire departments operating in any of the 50 states, as well as fire departments in specific territories or federally recognized Indian tribes or tribal organizations. National, regional, state, local, tribal, and nonprofit interest organizations representing the interests of volunteer firefighters are also eligible to receive a SAFER Program award under the R&R Activity.

Period of Performance
The period of performance for applications funded under the Hiring Activity will be 36 months. For applications funded under the R&R Activity, it will be 12, 24, 36 or 48 months.

Grant Value
$560,000,000.00 total available funding with a projected number of awards at 500.

Place of Performance
Fire departments operating in any of the 50 states, as well as specific territories or federally recognized Indian tribes or tribal organizations.