SAFER guidance

Program Guidance
for the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency
Response (SAFER) Grants
U . S . D E P A R T M E N T May
O F 2007
HOMELAND SECURITY

This document provides a summary of the priorities for funding of the 2007 Staffing for
Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grants of the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security (DHS). Read this program guidance carefully as it explains how to
apply, what information will be requested, and how applications will be evaluated. The
applicants’
onlineFOR
tutorial, and
the answers to Frequently
Asked Questions
(FAQs)
TAFFING
DEQUATE
IRE AND
MERGENCY
should also be reviewed on the grant program’s website (www.firegrantsupport.com).
Together, these documents will provide
applicants with the information they need to
ESPONSE
complete the online application. The online application will be available on or about
May 30, 2007.

Fiscal Year 2008

S

A

F

E

R

PROGRAM AND APPLICATION GUIDANCE
May 2008

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant

Contents
Highlights…………………………………………………………………………….2
Introduction……………………………………………………………………….…3
Part I. Eligible Program Activities………………………………………………5
Part II. Available Funding and Eligible Applicants…………………….……12
Part III. Evaluation Process………………….…………………………………..16
Part IV. Application Requirements……………………………………………...18
Appendix 1. Definitions…………………………………………………………...26
Appendix 2. Grantee Responsibilities………………………………………….29
Appendix 3. Excess Funds…...……………………………………………….....32

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant

Highlights
The Fiscal Year 2008 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response
(SAFER) grants remain largely unchanged from last year’s program; however,
this year’s guidance has been changed to provide accurate references to
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards regarding the training of
firefighters.
As in last year’s program, cash payments given directly to members for
participation in activities for recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters,
other than those directly linked to operational services, are not eligible. Stipends,
such as pay-on-call, and payments of lost wages resulting from attending training
and/or participating in operational services, are eligible, if included as part of the
grantee’s fringe benefit package and supported by formal personnel policies
and/or standard operating procedures.
Contributions to individual member retirement accounts are eligible if the activity
is highly rated during the application review process and is included as part of the
grantee’s fringe benefit package and supported by formal personnel policies
and/or standard operating procedures. However, incentives for retention (such
as contributions into a retirement account) cannot be retroactive.
Ineligible uses of funds include cash payments for years of service or
membership and payment for travel for pleasure. Costs associated with award
banquets (such as food, facilities, or entertainment) are not eligible; however
costs for non-cash awards are eligible.
The limited funding available for SAFER activities precludes the award of funds
for operational activities, such as the equipment and training of newly hired or
recruited firefighters. Therefore, personal protective clothing, firefighting
equipment, and costs for providing training to the firefighter minimum-staffing
level, as offered in the Assistance to Firefighters (AFG) grant program, are not
eligible. However, applicants receiving SAFER funding will receive priority
consideration in applying for funding under subsequent cycles of the AFG
program. In this case, applicants will be reviewed by the AFG peer evaluation,
provided that the AFG funds would be used to support SAFER-funded activities.
In the FY 2008 program year, applicants seeking funding under the Recruitment
and Retention Activity will be able to apply for regional initiatives as well as
activities targeting internal needs. Applicants seeking funding for both regional
and internal needs must combine their request on one application and clearly
identify the activities as regional or internal.

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant

Introduction
The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants are
managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Assistance to
Firefighters Grants (AFG) Program Office. SAFER grants provide financial
assistance to help fire departments increase their cadre of frontline firefighters.
The goal is to assist the local fire departments’ staffing and deployment
capabilities, in order to respond to emergencies whenever they occur, assuring
that their communities have adequate protection from fire and fire-related
hazards. The SAFER grants have two activities that will help grantees in this
endeavor: (1) hiring of firefighters and (2) recruitment and retention of volunteer
firefighters.
In Fiscal Year 2008, Congress appropriated a total of $190 million to the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for SAFER grants. The authority for
SAFER is derived from the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15
U.S.C. 2201 et seq.), as amended. Appropriated funds are available for award
until September 30, 2009. Once awarded, the funds are available for
expenditure by the grantee for the full period of grant performance.
A. Federal Investment Strategy
The SAFER grants are an important part of the Administration’s larger,
coordinated effort to strengthen homeland security preparedness. Of particular
significance are the National Preparedness Guidelines and its associated work
products. The National Preparedness Guidelines is an all-hazards guide for
meeting the Nation’s four core preparedness objectives: to prevent, protect
against, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks and catastrophic natural
disasters.
The National Preparedness Guidelines defines a vision for what should be
achieved in order to strengthen the security of the Nation and provides guidance
designed to forge a unified national consensus about what to do and how to work
together at all levels of government. First responder participation is integral to
the Guidelines’ success. DHS expects its first responder partners to be familiar
with this national preparedness architecture and to practically incorporate
elements of this architecture into their planning, operations, and investments.
B. Funding Priorities
The goal of the SAFER grants is to enhance the local fire departments’ abilities
to comply with staffing, response, and operational standards established by the
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA). Specifically, the program focuses on standards
included in the deployment and assembly sections of NFPA 1710 and/or NFPA

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant

1720, and the respiratory protection section of OSHA 1910.134 (see
www.nfpa.org/SAFERActGrant for more details).
SAFER funds should assist local fire departments in staffing and deployment
capabilities, in order to respond to emergencies whenever they may occur. As a
result of the enhanced staffing, a SAFER grantee’s response time should be
sufficiently reduced with an appropriate number of trained personnel assembled
at the incident scene. Additionally, the enhanced staffing should provide that all
frontline/first-due apparatus of SAFER grantees have a minimum of four trained
personnel to meet the OSHA standards referenced above. Ultimately, SAFER
grantees should realize more efficient response and a safer incident scene,
ensuring that communities have more adequate protection from fire and firerelated hazards.
Each year, the AFG program office holds a criteria development meeting to
develop the funding priorities for SAFER and its other grant opportunities for the
coming year. To do this, a panel is convened of fire service professionals,
representing the nine major fire service organizations. The organizations that are
represented include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Congressional Fire Service Institute (CFSI)
International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI)
International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC)
International Association of Firefighters (IAFF)
International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI)
National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM)
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC)
North American Fire Training Directors (NAFTD)

The criteria development panel is charged with making recommendations to the
AFG program office, regarding the creation and/or modification of previously
established funding priorities, as well as developing criteria for awarding grants
and proposing any necessary changes to the administration of the SAFER
grants. The content of this Program Guidance reflects implementation of the
criteria development panel’s recommendations, with respect to the priorities,
direction, and criteria for awarding SAFER grants.
SAFER grants are comprised of two primary activities: (1) hiring of firefighters
and (2) the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters. Additional
information regarding both of these activities is provided below.

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant

Part I.

Eligible Program Activities
A. Hiring of Firefighters Activity
The Hiring of Firefighters Activity involves a grant with a five-year period of
performance that provides fire departments with funding to pay a portion of the
salaries and benefits of newly hired firefighters. These grants are awarded
directly to volunteer, combination, and career fire departments to help the
departments increase their number of frontline firefighters. Having more
firefighters on staff should enhance the local fire department’s abilities to comply
with staffing, response, and operational standards established by NFPA and
OSHA.
A.1. Funding Priorities
Meeting National Standards: The highest priority under this activity is to
provide funding to departments: that are not in compliance with national
standards promulgated by the NFPA and OSHA and adopted by DHS; and, that
can be brought into compliance with the standards in the most economical
manner.
Applications that, if awarded, would result in the largest percentage increase in
compliance with the relevant section of NFPA 1710 and 1720 will receive greater
consideration than applications that would result in smaller percentage increases
in compliance.
•

NFPA 1710 Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire
Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special
Operations to the Public by Career Fire Department (Section 5.2.4.2 –
Initial Full Alarm Assignment Capability). This standard applies
primarily to all-career fire departments and combination departments at
the combination department’s election.

•

NFPA 1720 Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire
Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special
Operations to the Public by Volunteer Fire Departments (Section 4.3 –
Staffing and Deployment). This standard applies primarily to allvolunteer fire departments, but may also apply to combination
departments if the combination department does not elect to comply
with the NFPA 1710 standard.

Note: SAFER grants are focused only on the “Deployment” or “Staffing and
Deployment” sections of these two standards (respectively). Information about
these standards is available on the on the NFPA website at www.nfpa.org. The
National Fire Protection Association has established a special link that provides

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant

information about these two standards. For more information on the standards,
contact NFPA at 1-800-344-3555, or e-mail questions to [email protected].
The specific OSHA Respiratory Protection standards to be addressed under
SAFER are:
•

1910.134(g)(4) Procedures for interior structural firefighting, which
provides for employer assurances, most notably the two-in two-out
rule.

•

1910.134(g)(4)(i) This standard requires that at least two employees
enter the IDLH (immediate danger to life and health) atmosphere and
remain in visual or voice contact with one another at all times.

•

1910.134(g)(4)(ii) This standard requires that at least two employees
are located outside the IDLH atmosphere.

Training Requirements: As a condition of this grant, applicants must provide
assurance that their newly hired firefighters will be certified at the Firefighter I
level within the first six months of employment AND that their new recruits will be
trained to Firefighter II level or equivalent within the first two years of their
employment. Applicants who fail to do so will not be considered for award.
Awardees are required to submit documentation of training and certification
fulfillment within the stated program deadlines. Awardees who fail to follow
through on these requirements may be required to return all or a portion of all of
the Federal funds disbursed under the grant, and may be disqualified from
participation in future AFG and SAFER award cycles. The relevant NFPA
standard is as follows:
•

NFPA 1001 Standard for Firefighter Professional Qualifications
(Firefighter-I and Firefighter-II). This standard identifies the minimum job
performance requirements for career and volunteer firefighters whose
duties are primarily structural in nature. The purpose of this standard is to
specify the minimum job performance requirements for firefighters. It is
not the intent of the standard to restrict any jurisdiction from exceeding
these requirements.

Applicants that will have trained their new recruits to have EMS certification to
the minimum level established by the local agency having jurisdiction will receive
higher consideration.
Call Volume and Population Served: Department call volume and the
population serviced will both be factored into the initial evaluation. Departments
that respond to a high number of incidents and protect higher numbers of people
will receive higher consideration than departments that respond to fewer
incidents or protect a smaller jurisdiction.

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant

Firefighter Health Measures: The criteria development panel also
recommended that, because the health and wellbeing of firefighters is of
paramount importance, applicants who indicate that their newly recruited
firefighters will undergo an entry-level physical and receive immunizations will
receive higher consideration than applications that do not specify that these
benefits will be provided.
Meeting the Four-Firefighter Standard: The criteria development panel
recommended and DHS concurs that, for the purposes of the SAFER grants, a
safe and efficient initial attack requires a minimum of four firefighters. Therefore,
applicants who come into compliance with the minimum four firefighter standard
for the first arriving engine (or vehicle capable of initiating suppression activities),
with the fewest number of additional personnel, will receive higher consideration
than applicants seeking a higher number of additional personnel.
Other Priorities: Fire departments that have formal automatic and/or mutual aid
agreements and applicants whose request is based on a staffing needs
assessment will also receive higher consideration.
A.2. Allowable Expenses
The only eligible costs under the Hiring of Firefighters Activity are the salary and
associated benefits for the new firefighter positions. Overtime costs are not
eligible. However, costs for overtime, in order to comply with the Fair Labor
Standards Act (FLSA) requirements, which fire departments routinely pay as a
part of the base salary or the firefighter’s regularly scheduled and contracted shift
hours, are eligible. Costs to apply for the grant (such as grant-writer fees),
administrative costs, and indirect costs associated with hiring of the firefighters
are not eligible. Costs of training and equipping firefighters are not eligible.
However, the salaries and benefits of firefighters hired under the SAFER grants
while they are engaged in training are eligible. Costs for uniforms and physicals
are not eligible. In addition, funds to support additional hired positions shall not
be used to supplant normal operating budgets or funds received from Federal,
State, or local sources for these purposes.
Other Considerations: No changes in scope will be considered once an
application is submitted. Applicants may NOT reduce the number of positions
requested in their application, nor may they change or modify the grant’s period
of performance. Failure to fully fund awarded positions will be considered as
defaulting on the grant agreement, and may require the return of all the Federal
funds disbursed under the grant.
Only full-time positions will be funded. However, recognizing that many
departments have shifts that exceed a 40-hour workweek, a full-time position is
one that is funded for at least 2,080 hours per year (i.e., 40 hours per week, 52

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant

weeks per year). DHS will also consider funding the job-sharing of a full-time
position with sufficient justification. A job-share position is a full-time position that
is occupied by more than one person. Example: A department may hire two
part-time staff persons at 28 hours each to fulfill the scheduled work hours of one
56-hour shift position. Please note, however, that since the number of scheduled
shifts that a department typically uses is three or four, the number of individuals
that may share in a SAFER-funded position will be limited to four. Part-time
positions will not be funded unless they are combined to equal a full-time
position.
B. Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters
The purpose of these grants is to assist fire departments with the recruitment and
retention of volunteer firefighters. The grants are intended to create a net
increase in the number of trained, certified, and competent firefighters capable of
safely responding to emergencies likely to occur within the grantee’s geographic
response area. The primary focus of this activity is the recruitment and retention
of volunteer firefighters who are involved with, or trained in, the operations of
firefighting and emergency response.
B.1. Priorities
Meeting Staffing Standards: The highest priority under this SAFER activity is
to assist departments that are experiencing a high rate of turnover and
departments whose staffing levels are significantly below the ideal staffing level
required to comply with NFPA standards 1710 or 1720 (see page 5 of this
document for details regarding these NFPA standards or contact NFPA directly
at 1-800-344-3555, or e-mail questions to [email protected]) and OSHA
Respiratory Protection standards (see page 6 of this document for details
regarding applicable OSHA standards). Departments with the lowest retention
rates and those with the highest vacancy rates will be a high priority for funding.
Volunteer Membership: DHS concurs with the recommendation of the criteria
development panel that departments with the highest percentage of volunteers
and departments or organizations with large numbers of volunteers will benefit
the most from the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters. Therefore,
applicants whose membership is mostly volunteer, or departments with a
significant number of volunteer firefighters, will receive higher consideration than
departments with a low percentage of volunteers or a smaller number of
volunteer members.
Recruitment/Retention Plan: It is critical to have a plan to direct any
recruitment and/or retention activities. Accordingly, applications requesting
funding for recruitment and/or retention programs that are based on formal plans
will receive higher consideration than applications that are not. Applicants who
claim to have a recruitment and retention plan should summarize the plan in their

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant

narrative. A designated project coordinator and a marketing plan are necessary
for the successful implementation of any recruitment and/or retention program.
Therefore, requests that include a coordinator’s position and a marketing plan will
receive higher consideration than requests that do not. In accordance with the
recommendations of the criteria development panel, applications with recruitment
and/or retention plans that include accident and/or injury insurance and lost
wages for members will also receive a higher competitive ranking.
Continuity: Applicants will receive higher consideration if their recruitment and
retention activities are designed to continue beyond the grants’ period of
performance.
Call Volume and Population Served: Department call volume and the
population serviced will both be factored into the initial evaluation. Departments
that respond to a high number of incidents and protect larger numbers of people
will receive higher consideration than departments that respond to fewer
incidents or protect a smaller jurisdiction.
Firefighter Health Measures: The criteria development panel recommended
that, because the health and wellbeing of firefighters is of paramount importance,
applicants who indicate that their newly recruited firefighters will undergo an
entry-level physical and receive immunizations will receive higher consideration
than applications that do not indicate that these benefits will be provided.
Training Requirements: Applicants who indicate that newly recruited
firefighters will meet the minimum fire and EMS certification requirements
prescribed by the locality or State within 12 months of appointment to the
department will receive additional consideration.
Regional Requests: Requests for recruitment and/or retention activities that
have a regional impact (i.e., an impact beyond the immediate boundaries of the
applicant’s first-due area) will receive a higher competitive advantage than
applications that will benefit only the applicant. An applicant may apply for both
regional initiatives as well as internal needs on one application. Please note:
There are no regional projects under the Hiring of Firefighters Activity – only
Recruitment and Retention activities qualify as regional projects.
B.2. Allowable Expenses
Applicants who propose to initiate both a recruitment and retention plan as a part
of their application will receive equal consideration for the recruitment activities
and the retention activities. Proposals in this activity may include providing
incentives for volunteer firefighter members to continue their service in a fire
department. Examples of the type of initiatives that may receive assistance
include, but are not limited to, the following:

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response 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.
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.

With proper justification, applications for assistance in the Recruitment and
Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity could include activities that would
require as many as four years to complete. Additionally, applicants for
Recruitment and Retention activities may include reasonable costs for
administering the grant in their application.
For each activity requested, the applicant must establish the link between the
activities being requested and the identified recruitment and/or retention
problems or issues. DHS will not fund activities where the applicant has not
made a sufficient correlation between the activity and its positive effect on the
recruitment and/or retention of volunteer firefighters.
All funded activities under recruitment and retention must be governed by
formally adopted standard operating procedures (SOPs). Minimally, these SOPs
should specify who qualifies for each of the incentives, specific requirements for
earning the incentives, and the disposition of the awarded incentives if an
individual fails to fulfill the stipulations.
B.3. Ineligible Items
•
•
•
•
•

Cash awards for participation in activities other than those directly
linked to operational services (responding to incidents, attending
training, providing operational stand-by services).
Reimbursement for or payment for travel for pleasure.
Reimbursement for costs associated with award banquets
(reimbursement for actual awards, i.e., plaques, trophies, is eligible).
Personal protective clothing.
Firefighting equipment.

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant

•
•

Costs for training that are regularly paid for within the department’s
normal operating funding, such as tuition or instructor fees for
department-mandated basic-level training.
Costs incurred prior to award.

C. National Standards for Deployment and Staffing
As indicated above, SAFER grants are designed to help fire departments meet
national standards promulgated by the NFPA and the Occupational Health and
Safety Administration. The specific standards to be addressed through SAFER
are detailed in Part I of this document.

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant

Part II.

Available Funding and Eligible Applicants
This section describes the total available FY 2008 SAFER funding, how those
funds are allocated, and departments and organizations that are eligible to apply
for funding under the FY 2008 SAFER grant program. Potential applicants under
either activity must be aware that eligibility for SAFER is contingent upon a stable
budget. Grants will not be awarded to a municipality or other recipient whose
annual operational budget has been reduced below 80 percent of its average
annual funding in the three years prior to the date of application.
A. Available Funding
Congress appropriated a total of $190 million for the FY 2008 SAFER program.
Funds are to be administered as indicated below.
•
•
•

•

•

•
•

Ten percent (10%) of the appropriated amount must be for grants
awarded under the Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters
Activity.
Ten percent (10%) of the appropriated amount must be for grants
awarded to volunteer or mostly volunteer departments for Hiring of
Firefighters Activity.
Recipients of grants in the Hiring of Firefighters Activity must commit to
a five-year period of performance during which the Federal contribution
toward the costs of the salaries will diminish over the course of the
performance period.
For the 2008 program year, the Federal share of salaries and
associated benefits is limited to a total of $108,380 per position over
the course of the performance period (this figure is based on last
year’s limit of $105,425 and adjusted for 2007 inflation at a rounded
rate of 2.8% 1 ).
There is no funding request limit for any application or any limit to the
number of positions eligible for funding per application. However,
applicants requesting large numbers of firefighters must make a strong
case for their request.
There is no local match requirement and no maximum Federal share
limit under the Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters
Activity.
DHS will also limit the Federal share in each of the years of the grant.
Based on a total funding cap of $108,380 over five years, the allocated
amount of Federal funds that Hiring of Firefighters Activity grantees

1

Consumer Price Index for 12 months ending September 2007, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S.
Department of Labor

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant

should budget for under SAFER for salary and benefits for newly hired
firefighters should not exceed the lesser of the following:
Year One:
Year Two:
Year Three:
Year Four:
Year Five:

90 percent of the actual costs or $39,015
80 percent of the actual costs or $34,675
50 percent of the actual costs or $21,670
30 percent of the actual costs or $13,020
No Federal share - all costs funded by grantee

A.1. Funding Limitations
There is no maximum award amount. However, DHS has found that applicants
have found it more difficult to justify larger requests than smaller ones. After
completing the evaluation process outlined in Part II of this guidance document,
applications will be ranked on a competitive basis and awards will be made using
rank order as the primary basis of the decision, regardless of the type of SAFER
grant being awarded. However, there are some exceptions to this process. The
law requires that DHS set aside 10 percent of the available funding for hiring
firefighters for volunteer and mostly volunteer fire departments. For the purpose
of fulfilling this statutory requirement, DHS will consider a department to be
“mostly volunteer” if 50 percent or more of its membership is made up of
personnel who do not receive financial compensation for their services, other
than life, health, and worker’s compensation insurance, or a stipend payment
such as paid-on-call. In order to satisfy this statutory requirement, it may be
necessary to go out of rank order to select a sufficient number of applicants in
order to meet the 10 percent requirement.
If less than 10 percent of these available funds are awarded to volunteer and
mostly volunteer fire departments, the remaining funds must be transferred to the
component of SAFER that provides grants for the recruitment and retention of
volunteer firefighters.
Regardless of the merit of an application, applicants are reminded that grants will
not be awarded to a municipality or other recipient whose annual budget has
been reduced below 80 percent of the average annual funding in the three years
prior to the date of application.
SAFER awardees under either the Hiring of Firefighters Activity or the
Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity will receive priority
consideration in order to be reviewed in the peer evaluation process in the next
subsequent cycle of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program. SAFER
awardees will receive priority consideration only in applying for AFG funding for
the following activities:
•
•

Personal Protective Clothing
Wellness and Fitness

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant

•

Training

These AFG requests must be directly linked to costs incurred by the additional
firefighter positions recruited or hired as a result of the SAFER grant award.
Applicants must explain in the AFG application narrative the additional
requirements resulting from the SAFER award. Final decisions on funding rest
with the peer review panel and DHS.
B. Eligibility
B.1. Hiring of Firefighters Activity
Eligible Applicants: Volunteer, career, and combination fire departments are
eligible to apply under the Hiring of Firefighters Activity. Municipalities and fire
districts may submit applications on behalf of fire departments that lack the legal
status to do so, such as departments under the auspices of the municipality or
district. Each eligible applicant is limited to one application per application
period.
Ineligible Applicants
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Federal fire departments and fire departments under contract to the
Federal Government whose sole responsibility is the suppression of
fires on Federal installations or lands.
Local and statewide organizations that represent the interests of
volunteer firefighters.
For-profit fire departments and organizations, such as those that do not
have specific nonprofit status or are not municipally based.
Fire stations that are not independent, or are part of, controlled by, or
under the day-to-day operational direction of a larger fire department or
agency.
Ambulance services, Emergency Medical Services organizations,
rescue squads, auxiliaries, dive teams, and urban search and rescue
teams.
State and local agencies, such as forest service, fire marshals,
emergency management offices, hospitals, and training offices.
Non-Federal airport and/or port authority fire departments whose sole
responsibility is suppression of fires on the airport grounds or port
facilities, unless the airport/port fire department has a formally
recognized arrangement with the local jurisdiction to provide fire
suppression on a first-due basis outside the confines of the airport or
port facilities.

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant

B.2. Recruitment and Retention of Firefighters Activity
Eligible Applicants: Eligibility for this activity is limited to volunteer and
combination fire departments (see “SAFER Grants Definitions”). Statewide or
local organizations that represent the interests of volunteer firefighters and
individual fire departments (volunteer or combination) may apply for assistance
for regional projects. An individual fire department may act as a “host applicant”
and apply for regional projects on behalf of itself and any number of neighboring
fire departments. For example, a host applicant could apply for a regional media
campaign promoting volunteerism.
The applicant must include in the narrative section of the application a list of
participating third-party organizations that will benefit from the regional project if
the project is approved. In completing the “Department Characteristics” section
of the application, the regional applicant must include data that approximates the
characteristics of the entire region affected by the grant. The third-party
organizations that will benefit from the recruitment and retention project may also
apply for funding under SAFER, as long as the third-party organizations do not
apply for a project that could conflict with, or duplicate, the host applicant’s
project. The host applicant also may apply for other needs beyond the regional
project. In the narrative section of the application, the host applicant should
specify which of the activities being requested are for the regional request.
Ineligible Applicants:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Career fire departments are not eligible to receive assistance under
the Recruitment and Retention Activity.
Federal fire departments and fire departments under contract to the
Federal Government whose sole responsibility is the suppression of
fires on Federal installations or lands.
For-profit fire departments and organizations (i.e., do not have specific
nonprofit status or are not municipally based).
Fire stations that are not independent, or are part of, controlled by, or
under the day-to-day operational direction of a larger fire department or
agency.
Ambulance services, Emergency Medical Services organizations,
rescue squads, auxiliaries, dive teams, urban search and rescue
teams.
State and local agencies, such as a forest service, fire marshals,
emergency management offices, hospitals, and training offices.
Non-Federal airport and/or port authority fire departments whose sole
responsibility is suppression of fires on the airport grounds or port
facilities, unless the airport/port fire department has a formally
recognized arrangement with the local jurisdiction to provide fire

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant

suppression on a first-due basis outside the confines of the airport or
port facilities.

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant

Part III.

Evaluation Process
Following the close of the application period, each submitted application will
undergo a two-phase evaluation: an evaluation by the automated grant
application system and peer review. The automated evaluation assesses each
application’s relationship to the program’s priorities. The automated evaluation
assigns each application with a score whereby the highest scores represent the
applications that best match the program’s stated priorities. Subsequently, the
applications will be evaluated by a panel of representatives from the fire service.
Each phase of the evaluation will be equal in value with respect to the final award
determinations.
A. Automated Evaluation Process
All complete and eligible applications will be evaluated based on the substance
of the application relative to the established SAFER grant funding priorities. The
answers to activity-specific questions as well as information under Department
Characteristics provide the basis to determine the application’s standing, relative
to stated priorities. Applications that best address the SAFER grant funding
priorities will score higher in the automated evaluation than those applications
that are not directed toward the priorities. The automated evaluation will account
for one-half of the overall consideration provided each application, with the peer
review accounting for the balance of the consideration.
B. Peer Review Process
A panel of at least three technical evaluation specialists will provide the second
phase of the applications’ evaluation. These panelists will evaluate the
application using the narrative, along with the answers to the general questions
and the activity-specific questions, to determine the worthiness of the request for
an award. Evaluation criteria will be provided to the panelists for use in the
assessment of the applications. Each application will be judged on its own
merits, not compared to other applications.
C. Applications
Volunteer and combination fire departments are eligible to apply under both the
Hiring of Firefighters Activity and the Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer
Firefighters Activity on the same application. Please note, however, that each
department or organization can submit only one application per application
period. Applicants that choose to apply for both the Hiring of Firefighters and the
Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters activities should do so within
one application. Such applications will be scored in their entirety against the
established funding priorities and the recommendation to award the application

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant

will be based on the entire application – not on an individual section (for example,
we will not fund only the Recruitment and Retention portion of an application on
an application that requested both Recruitment/Retention and Hiring activities).
It is not necessary for the applicant to write two separate narratives; however,
applicants who request assistance in both activities should be sure to address
both activities under each of the applicable narrative elements. For example,
when composing the narrative segment regarding how the community and
current firefighters are at risk, applicants should make sure to address this
element from both the hiring perspective and the recruitment/retention
perspective.
D. Reasonableness of Requests
The panelists will consider all expenses budgeted as part of the cost-benefit
determination and may recommend appropriate adjustments. Regardless of the
eligibility of any costs requested or the panelists’ determination, DHS reserves
the right to reduce any requests for assistance, in whole or in part, that it deems
to be excessive or otherwise contrary to the best interests of the program.
E. Award Procedure
Once the peer review panel has reviewed the applications, the scores from the
automated evaluation are combined with the peer review scores to determine the
final score. The applications are then ranked according to the final scores.
Applications that make it into the “fundable range” will undergo a technical review
by a subject matter specialist whereby claims made in the application will be
assessed and validated. The ranking will be summarized in a Technical Report
prepared by the AFG program office. AFG program office staff will make award
recommendations to the grants management specialists in DHS. The specialists
will then contact the applicant to discuss and/or negotiate the content of the
application before final award decisions are made.
DHS will select a sufficient number of awardees from this application period to
obligate all of the available FY 2008 funding. Awards will be announced on a
weekly basis until funding is exhausted. Awards will not be made in any
specified order, i.e., not by State, grant activity or type, or any other
characteristic.

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant

Part IV.

Application Requirements
This section summarizes the process for applying for an FY 2008 SAFER grant.
A. Automated Grant Application
Eligible applicants should apply for a SAFER grant online via the DHS “e-grants”
application process. The online application can be accessed through the USFA
website at www.usfa.fema.gov, www.grants.gov, the AFG program website at
www.firegrantsupport.com, or accessed directly at https://portal.fema.gov. (If you
do not have Internet access, see the instructions below for submitting a paper
application.) The SAFER program office staffs a help desk for any applicants
that have questions or needs technical assistance. The help desk is available at
1-866-274-0960.
The automated SAFER grant application is designed with many built-in “Help”
screens and drop-down menus to assist throughout the application process. The
application can be saved and retrieved as many times as necessary until the
deadline or submittal. However, once an application is submitted, it cannot
be changed. The automated system will not allow you to submit an incomplete
application, i.e., the system will alert you if you have not provided required
information. You will be automatically notified via e-mail that DHS has received
your application.
Each department or organization can submit only one application per application
period. Applicants may apply for either the Hiring of Firefighters Activity or for the
Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity, or both on the same
application. However, we will evaluate applications that include requests for both
activities in their entirety and fund them accordingly, i.e., we will not make a
partial award for one of the two activities based on the quality of the grant
application. It is not necessary for applicants to write two separate narratives;
however, applicants that request assistance in both activities should be sure to
address both activities under each of the applicable narrative elements (see
pages 24 – 25 for details regarding the requisite narrative elements).
B. Applicant Tutorial
An applicant tutorial will be available on the AFG program’s website at
www.firegrantsupport.com. This tutorial explains the SAFER grant program and
priorities for funding, describes the application screens, and provides information
to assist applicants in developing a comprehensive, competitive and wellorganized application.

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant

Additionally, the tutorial will be accessible while the applicant completes the
online application. By clicking the “Tutorial” button on the application screen, the
user will be able to view the tutorial information about the specific application
screen on which they are currently working.
C. Application Process
Log-in: The system will allow one authorized representative of a department to
log in and create a username and password for the department. The selection of
the authorized representative is at the discretion of each applicant. Previous
grant applicants for the Assistance to Firefighters, Fire Prevention and Safety, or
SAFER grant programs must use the same username and password that
were used for their previous applications. You may call the SAFER help desk
if you need assistance in this or any other matter (1-866-274-0960).
Application Period: Applications for SAFER grants will be accepted from about
May 27, 2008, through close of business on June 27, 2008. Monitor the AFG
and USFA websites for up-to-date information on application period dates.
Completed applications must be submitted electronically or otherwise received
by the AFG program office on or before the close of business (5 p.m. EDT) on
the last day of the application period. No late, incomplete, or faxed applications
will be accepted. No electronically submitted applications other than those
submitted online via the automated grant application system will be accepted.
Paper Application: If you do not have access to the Internet, contact us directly
(1-866-274-0960) to request a paper copy of the application via regular mail. We
will not send the paper application to you via overnight delivery, fax or email. The only legitimate paper application is the application that the AFG
program office sends you—do not use any paper application that you did not
receive directly from the AFG program office. Do not print the screens from the
online application and submit them as your application. Any paper application
that is not in the correct format will be deemed ineligible.
Paper applications are accepted, but we discourage their use because of the
inherent delays and mistakes associated with processing a paper application.
Also, if awarded, applicants who submit paper applications must continue to
manage their grants via paper, including payment requests, requests for
modifications, reporting, etc., whereas electronic applicants can do all of these
functions online. In addition, paper applications do not have the built-in “Help”
screens that are available to online applicants. Finally, there are no assurances
that your paper application is complete when submitted.
Paper applications submitted by mail must be postmarked no later than four
calendar days before the end of the application period. Assuming a June 27,
2008, end-date, applications that are postmarked after June 24, 2008, will not be
accepted unless they are received before the end of the application period.

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant

Applications that are not submitted electronically must be mailed to the following
address:
SAFER Grant Office Technical Assistance Center
c/o U.S. Fire Administration
16825 South Seton Avenue
Emmitsburg, Maryland 21727-8998
DHS will not accept applications mailed to any address other than the one listed
above.
Fundable Activities: There are two activities in which applicants may request
funding under the SAFER grants: (1) hiring of new firefighters and (2)
recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters. Volunteer and combination fire
departments are eligible to apply for both the Hiring of Firefighters Activity and
the Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity on the same
application. Career fire departments may apply for funding only in the Hiring of
Firefighters Activity. Organizations that support volunteerism or otherwise have
an interest in volunteer firefighters may apply only for the Recruitment and
Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity.
Department Characteristics: The application includes general questions about
your department (or organization) and your community, as well as questions
regarding your proposed activity. After you have completed the general
questions, you will be asked to complete a series of questions relative to the
activity you have selected.
Request Details: Answers to the activity-specific questions will be used for the
initial assessment to determine whether an application warrants further
evaluation. Applicants whose answers indicate that their activity is consistent
with the established SAFER priorities (as outlined on pages 6 – 9) will have a
better chance of reaching the competitive range and the second level of review
than applicants whose activities do not reflect the established priorities.
Applicants that falsify their application or misrepresent their department or
organization in any material manner will have their application deemed ineligible
by the AFG program office and referred for further action as appropriate.
Narrative: After answering all the questions in the application, you will be
required to provide a written narrative statement describing your planned activity.
The narrative portion of your application should provide specifics about your
proposed project or projects. Specific elements that must be addressed in the
narrative are detailed in the appropriate activity sections below (pages 24 – 25).
We recommend that you type your narrative offline in any word processing
software, such as Word, Word Perfect, Notepad, etc. Once your narrative is
complete, you can copy it or “cut-and-paste” it from your word processing

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant

document into the Narrative Statement block in the application. Space for the
narrative is limited; your narrative should not exceed six pages. Do NOT type
your narrative using only capital letters.
Grant Writers: You may decide to hire or engage a grant writer to assist you in
the application process. However, as the applicant, you are responsible for the
cost of these services as well as the information contained in your application.
By submitting the application, you are certifying that all of the information
contained therein is true and an accurate reflection of your department.
Therefore, prior to submission, it is imperative that you review all work produced
by grant writers or other third parties on your behalf. Applicants who falsify their
applications or misrepresent their organizations in any manner will have their
applications deemed ineligible by the AFG program office and referred to the
DHS Office of Inspector General for further action, as appropriate.
D. DUNS Number
Effective October 1, 2003, all Federal grantees must obtain a DUNS number, a
unique nine-character identification number provided by the commercial
company Dun & Bradstreet. The Federal Government uses the DUNS number to
better identify related organizations that receive funding under grants and
cooperative agreements and to provide consistent name and address data for
electronic grant applications. Additional information about DUNS numbers can
be found on the Dun & Bradstreet website
(http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/index.jsp).
There is no charge to obtain a DUNS number, and it is the applicant's
responsibility to obtain one. Applicants are encouraged to apply for a DUNS
number well in advance of the application period because it may take up to two
weeks or more to obtain the number online. It is recommended that applicants
request a DUNS number as soon as possible by calling 1-866-705-5711. When
completing the online SAFER application, there is a special data field for entering
the DUNS number. If applying on paper, use the box entitled “Federal Identifier”
on the SF 424, Application for Federal Assistance, to enter the DUNS number.
This number is required for all Federal grant applications, and extensions will not
be granted for applicants who were unable to obtain their DUNS number prior to
the end of the application period.
E. Project Period
The project period for awards under SAFER will be as follows:
a) Hiring of Firefighters Activity
The Hiring of Firefighters Activity is a five-year grant that provides fire
departments with funding to pay a portion of the salaries of newly hired

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant

firefighters. These newly hired positions must be in addition to authorized and
funded active firefighter positions. Grantees must maintain the number of
authorized and funded positions as declared at the time of application and
maintain the awarded new firefighter positions throughout the five-year period of
performance. Grantees that fail to maintain this level of staffing risk losing their
grant. Volunteer, combination, and non-profit career fire departments are all
eligible to apply for assistance in the Hiring of Firefighters Activity. These grants
require the grantee to match an increasing portion of the salary over a four-year
period; in the fifth year of the grant, the grantee must fund the entire cost of any
positions funded as a result of a grant award. There will be no extensions to any
SAFER grant’s period of performance.
The long-term nature of the eligible activities under these grants makes it
essential that an applicant’s local governing body be involved in the application
process. As such, each applicant must certify in their application that their
governing body has been informed of the applicant’s intention to submit a
SAFER grant request; that the local governing body acknowledges the
commitment required for the grant if awarded; and that appropriate financial
support will be secured for the applicant’s cost-sharing obligations. The
commitment from the local governing body is critical to the success of any grant
awarded under this program. As such, DHS may require that applicants provide
documentation from the local governing body that affirms this support.
A recruitment period of 90 days, which begins when the application is approved
for award, will be provided for all grantees under the Hiring of Firefighters
Activity. The five-year period of performance will start after this recruitment
period. The award documents will provide specifics on the period of
performance. The period of performance will commence whether or not the
grantee has filled the new firefighter positions. If an awardee fills its awarded
firefighter positions during the 90-day recruiting period, it will be afforded credit
toward the final 12 months of the grant performance period, when the grantee
must fund the entire salary. Grantees wishing to receive this credit must submit
an amendment request. Thus, salary and benefits costs incurred during the 90day recruitment period are not eligible for reimbursement.
Costs that may be claimed include the remaining payroll expenses incurred from
any employment gaps, beginning with the start of the period of performance. No
extensions of the grant performance period will be considered. Awardees will
draw the Federal share of the awarded amount on a reimbursement basis no
more frequently than quarterly, i.e., grant funds will reimburse the grantee for
actual salary expenses incurred in the previous quarter. If quarterly
reimbursement becomes a cash flow burden, grantees may request, in writing, a
more frequent reimbursement timeframe to accommodate the cash flow
requirements of their grant. DHS will review each request and provide a written
response.

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant

Performance reports are to be included with each payment request regardless of
frequency but no less frequently than quarterly. If a grantee is submitting
payment requests quarterly, the performance request must be submitted within
30 days of the end of the quarter. A performance report is due quarterly even if
no payment is sought.
Once a SAFER-funded position is filled, the funded position must remain filled
until the end of the period of performance. During the five-year period of
performance, SAFER grantees must also maintain their staffing at a level equal
to, or greater than, their staffing level at the time of the application. In the event
that the staffing level falls below the staffing level at application, or if a funded
position becomes vacant or otherwise inactive, we will consider the grantee to be
in default of their grant agreement if the position is not filled or staffing levels
decline for an extended period of time (e.g., six months or more).
Consequences for grantees that do not fulfill their grant award obligations range
from, at a minimum, deobligating all Federal funds awarded for the period of the
vacancy for each vacant position, to returning the defaulted portion of the Federal
funds disbursed for the funded position, to returning all Federal funds disbursed
under the grant and having the grant cancelled. For example, if one of four
positions funded by SAFER is vacated for an extended period time, DHS would
require the grantee to remit all Federal funds disbursed for that one position. If
staffing levels decline below the required level noted above, and this deficiency is
not corrected within six months, DHS may require the grantee to return all grant
funds.
b) Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity
The Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity provides
assistance to grantees for periods of up to four years. Applicants may request
assistance for any portion of the four-year period in 12-month periods. No
extensions will be granted for any SAFER grant’s period of performance.
The purpose of these grants is to assist with the recruitment and retention of
volunteer firefighters. Volunteer departments, combination departments and
local or statewide organizations that represent the interests of volunteer
firefighters are eligible to apply for assistance under this activity. There are no
non-Federal match requirements for this activity.
A 90-day recruitment period will be provided for all grantees under the
Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity. Specifics regarding
the period of performance will be detailed in the award documents. Payment
requests are reimbursable and will be submitted no less frequently than quarterly
(i.e., grantees may request reimbursement of incurred first-quarter expenses
during the second quarter of the performance period). Performance reports will
be included with each payment requests. If a grantee is operating on a quarterly

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant

basis, the performance report and payment requests would be due within 30
days of the end of the quarter covered in the request. Performance reports are
due no less frequently than quarterly, even if there were no expenditures during
the reporting period.
F. Application Details
The SAFER application has different versions depending on the type of applicant
declared at the beginning of the application. Fire departments applying for Hiring
of Firefighters or fire departments eligible for Recruitment and Retention of
Volunteer Firefighters grants will answer general questions about their
organization and community, as well as questions specific to the proposed
project. The answers to these questions will be used to evaluate the application
and to determine whether the organization serves an urban, suburban, or rural
community. Characteristics such as population served, number of stations, call
volume, and number of civilian and firefighter causalities, along with the number
of firefighter positions, will be requested.
State or local volunteer interest groups will answer a number of general
questions regarding their organization and a series of activity-specific questions
relative to the program area selected and the activities for which they plan to
apply. Answer the questions for each of the activities that support your project.
Lastly, all applicants must provide a written narrative statement describing the
planned project. The specific elements for the narrative statements are as
follows:
a) Narrative Statement for Hiring of Firefighters Activity
The narrative statement for applications requesting assistance in the Hiring of
Firefighters Activity must include the following six elements. Each element will
be evaluated independently by the review panelists:
•

•

•
•

Project description: This statement should describe what the
applicant needs the grant funds for, i.e., how the newly hired
firefighters will be used within the department and a description of the
specific benefit these firefighters will provide for the fire department
and community.
Impact on daily operations: A statement regarding how the
community and current firefighters are at risk without the needed
firefighters, and to what extent that risk will be reduced if the applicant
is awarded.
Cost-benefit analysis: An explanation of the applicant’s inability to
address the need without Federal assistance.
Minority recruitment: A statement relating to how the applicant will
ensure, to the extent possible, that it will seek, recruit, and hire

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant

•

•

members of racial and ethnic minority groups and women to increase
their ranks within the department.
Financial obligation: A statement regarding how the applicant plans
to meet the match requirements for the five-year performance period
should they receive the grant award. This statement should include
any long-term plans to retain the new firefighter positions.
Volunteer discrimination: A statement regarding how the applicant
plans to meet the requirement to ensure that firefighters in positions
filled under SAFER grants are not discriminated against for, or
prohibited from, engaging in volunteer activities in another jurisdiction
during off-duty hours.

Note: These elements carry equal weight when factored into the review
panelists’ scores.
b) Narrative Statement for Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer
Firefighters Activity
The narrative statement for applications requesting assistance in the Recruitment
and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity must include the following four
elements. Each element will be evaluated independently by the review panelists:
•

•

•
•

Project description: This statement should describe how the
applicant will use the grant funds. The project description should
include: how the recruitment of new volunteer firefighters and/or
retention of current volunteer firefighters will be used within the
department or organization to meet identified operational needs; a
description of the specific benefit these firefighters will provide for the
fire department(s) or community; a description of the recruitment
and/or retention problems or issues the department has identified; how
the activities being requested address those identified needs; specifics
about the recruitment and/or retention plan; what specific benefit the
efforts would provide the surrounding community or communities; and,
if the application includes a regional request, specify which of the
activities are for the regional request and which are exclusive to the
host applicant.
Impact on daily operations: A statement regarding how the
community and current firefighters (or geographic area of concern for
an eligible organization) are at risk without the needed firefighters, and
to what extent that risk will be reduced if the applicant is awarded.
Cost-benefit analysis: An explanation of the applicant’s inability to
address the need without Federal assistance.
Minority recruitment: A statement relating to how the applicant will
ensure, to the extent possible, that it will seek, recruit, and retain
members of racial and ethnic minority groups and women to increase
the ranks within their fire department.

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant

Note: These elements carry equal weight when factored into the review
panelists’ scores.

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant

Appendix 1

Definitions
For the purposes of the SAFER grants, the following definitions shall apply:
(1) Automatic-aid: An agreement whereby fire departments are dispatched
simultaneously on the initial alarm or where fire departments participate in
“closest-unit” response dispatching.
(2) Benefits: Includes regular compensation paid to employees during periods
of authorized absences from the job, such as vacation leave, sick leave, military
leave, etc, provided such costs are absorbed by all organization activities in
proportion to the relative amount of time or effort actually devoted to each; and
employer contributions or expenses for social security, employee insurance,
workmen’s compensation, pension plan costs, and the like, provided such
benefits, whether treated as indirect costs or as direct costs, shall be distributed
to particular awards and other activities in a manner consistent with the pattern of
benefits accruing to the individuals or group of employees whose salaries and
wages are chargeable to such awards and other activities. Overtime expenses,
other than those meeting FLSA requirements (page 7), are not eligible as
benefits costs.
(3) Career Fire Department: An agency or organization in which all members
receive financial compensation for their services (organizations that provide
reimbursement on a paid-on-call basis are considered to be a “combination fire
department” for the purposes of this program).
(4) Combination Fire Department: An agency or organization in which at least
one active firefighter receives financial compensation for their services (including
paid-on-call) and/or at least one active firefighter does not receive financial
compensation for their services, other than life, health, and workers’
compensation insurance.
(5) Emergency Medical Services Organization: A public or private
organization that provides direct emergency medical services, including medical
transport.
(6) Fire Department: An agency or organization that has a formally recognized
arrangement with a State, territory, local, or tribal authority (city, county, parish,
fire district, township, town, or other governing body) to provide fire suppression
on a first-due basis to a fixed geographical area. Fire departments may be
comprised of members who are all volunteer, all career, or a combination of
volunteer and career.

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant

(7) Firefighter: An individual having the legal authority and responsibility to
engage in fire suppression; being employed by a fire department of a
municipality, county, or fire district; being engaged in the prevention, control, and
extinguishing of fires; and/or responding to emergency situations in which life,
property, or the environment is at risk. This individual must be trained in fire
suppression, but may also be trained in emergency medical care, hazardous
materials awareness, rescue techniques, and any other related duties provided
by the fire department.
(8) Initial Full Alarm Assignment: Those personnel, equipment, and resources
ordinarily dispatched upon notification of a structural fire.
(9) Mostly Career: A department is considered mostly career if 50 percent or
more of their active firefighting membership is salaried staff.
(10) Mostly Volunteer: A department is considered mostly volunteer if more
than 50 percent of their active firefighting membership is NOT compensated for
their service other than a nominal stipend and/or insurance.
(11) Mutual-aid: An agreement whereby assisting fire departments are
dispatched into another fire department’s jurisdiction only when the first-arriving
unit on a scene calls for assistance, or when specially requested by dispatch.
(12) Non-supplanting: The SAFER grant will not provide assistance to fund
positions that are currently funded by the applicant. In other words, grantees
cannot use Federal grant dollars to substitute for their own budget. Awardees
must maintain the number of firefighters they stipulated at the time of application,
plus the funded SAFER positions, throughout the period of performance.
(13) Operational Budget: The budget that supports fire-related programs
and/or emergency response activities (salaries, maintenance, equipment,
apparatus, etc.).
(14) State: For the purpose of these grants, “State” is defined as any of the 50
States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam,
American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
(15) Statewide or Local Firefighter Interest Organizations: Statewide and
local firefighter interest groups are organizations that are in existence to support
or represent the interests of firefighters in front of legislative bodies at the local,
State, and Federal level. Such organizations include State or local firefighter
and/or fire chiefs associations, fire department auxiliaries, volunteer firefighter
relief organizations, and associations. DHS shall make the final determination as
to whether an applicant is an appropriate firefighter interest group.

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant

(16) Staffing and Deployment: The minimum staffing requirements to ensure
that a sufficient number of members are available to operate safely and
effectively as defined in NFPA 1710 and 1720, as well as OSHA Respiratory
Protection standard 1910.134(g)(4)(i) and 1910.134(g)(4)(ii).
(17) Volunteer Fire Department: An agency or organization in which no
member receives financial compensation (in the form of salary or wages) for their
services other than life and health insurance, workers’ compensation insurance
and/or stipend per call. We consider a department to be “mostly volunteer” if
more than 50 percent of its membership is made up of personnel who do not
receive financial compensation for their services.

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant

Appendix 2

Grantee Responsibilities
Grant recipients (grantees) must agree to the following:
(1) Perform the tasks (scope of work) outlined in the grantee’s application and
approved by the AFG program office in accordance with the articles of
agreement within the period of performance.
(2) Grantee’s under the Hiring of Firefighters Activity must train their newly hired
firefighters to the Firefighter-I level (NFPA 1001) within the first six months of
employment AND train their new recruits to Firefighter-II level (NFPA 1001 or
equivalent) within the first two years of their employment.
(3) Share in the costs if awarded under the Hiring of Firefighters Activity. The
grantee’s portion of the salary and benefit costs for hiring firefighters under this
grant must be equal to at least the following:
•
•
•
•
•

10 percent of the actual costs in year one
20 percent of the actual costs in year two
50 percent of the actual costs in year three
70 percent of the actual costs in year four
100 percent of the actual costs in year five

If the employee’s salary and benefit costs are greater than the allowable Federal
maximum, the grantee will, in effect, assume a greater cost share. All cost-share
contributions must be cash. No “in-kind” contributions will be considered for the
statutorily required cost-share. No waivers of this requirement will be granted,
except for fire departments of Insular Areas, as provided for in 48 U.S.C. 1469a.
Regardless of the potential for fire departments in Insular Areas to obtain a
waiver of the cost-share requirements, the $108,380 Federal limit will remain in
effect. Grantees that do not fulfill their obligations under these grants will be
considered in default and required to return the Federal funds disbursed under
the grant award.
(4) SAFER grants are intended to supplement grantees’ staffing, NOT supplant
grantees’ staffing. If awarded under the Hiring of Firefighters Activity, grantees
must retain a level of staffing that is equal to the level of staffing at the time of
application, in addition to the staffing of the SAFER-funded positions. Grantees
that fail to maintain this level of staffing risk losing the Federal funds awarded
under this grant.
(5) Maintain operating expenditures for the period of the grant in the areas
funded by this grant at a level equal to or greater than the average of their
operating expenditures in the two years preceding the year in which this
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assistance is received. These grants are meant to supplement rather than
replace an organization’s funding.
(6) Retain grant files and supporting documentation for three years after the
conclusion and closeout of the grant. The AFG program office may require
access to any pertinent books, documents, papers, or records that belong to a
grant recipient. The DHS Office of Inspector General or the Comptroller General
of the United States may also require access to a grantee’s books and records.
(7) Provide periodic performance reports in conjunction with the payment
requests to the AFG program office. In all years of the grant’s period of
performance, for both the Hiring of Firefighters and the Recruitment and
Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activities, grantees must submit performance
reports with each payment request, as well as a final performance report at grant
closeout. All grantees will be required to produce a final report on how the grant
funding was used and the benefits realized from the award. An account of the
grant funds must also be included in the performance reports.
(8) Follow the audit requirements of OMB Circular A-133, Audits of States, Local
Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations, which calls for grantees that expend
$500,000 or more in Federal funds in a year (from all Federal sources) to have a
single audit performed in accordance with the Circular. (For more information
about the Circulars, go to www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars.)
(9) Not withstanding any provision of other laws, firefighters hired under these
grants shall not be discriminated against for, or be prohibited from, engaging in
volunteer activities in another jurisdiction during off-duty hours.
(10) Homeland Security Presidential Directive-5 requires that, beginning October
1, 2005, all recipients of Federal preparedness funds (including recipients of
Federal grants and contracts) adopt the National Incident Management System
(NIMS) as a condition for the receipt of the Federal funds. Recipients of FY 2008
SAFER grants will be considered to be in compliance with the NIMS requirement
if the grantee: (1) has an operational knowledge of the Incident Command
System (ICS); (2) has an understanding of NIMS’ principles and policies; and (3)
agrees to adopt and/or comply with all directives, ordinances, rules, orders,
edicts, etc., passed down by the local or State authorities with respect to incident
management. Responders who have already been trained in ICS do not need
retraining if their previous training is consistent with DHS standards. In order for
us to document compliance, grantees will be required to certify to their
compliance with the NIMS/ICS requirements as part of their grant closeout
process. Grantees may contact their State Emergency Preparedness Officer or
State Fire Marshall for local NIMS compliance requirements.

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(11) To the extent possible, grantees will seek, recruit, and appoint members of
racial and ethnic minority groups and women to increase their ranks within the
applicant’s department.
(12) Failure to fulfill the recipient’s responsibilities may result in requiring the
recipient to return a portion, or all, of the grant funding as per section 24 (15 USC
2229a).

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant

Appendix 3

Excess Funds
Occasionally, due to successful competitive bid processes, breaks in service,
etc., some grantees have funds remaining after the completion of their
obligations outlined above. Grantees awarded under the Hiring of Firefighters
Activity that complete the approved scope of work and still have grant funds
available must return all excess funds to the AFG program office. Grantees
awarded under the Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity
that have completed the approved scope of work and still have grant funds
available may use the excess funds to continue with recruitment or retention
activities consistent with the original scope of work, as long as it is within the
originally approved period of performance. This shall be done through the
amendment request process. Irrespective of any amendment, there will be no
extensions to any SAFER grants.

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