SAFER NOFO (Grant Guidance)

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)
FY 2016 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER)

NOTE: If you are going to apply for this funding opportunity and have not obtained a
Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and/or are not currently registered in
the System for Award Management (SAM), please take immediate action to obtain a DUNS
Number, if applicable, and then to register immediately in SAM. It may take 4 weeks or
more after you submit your SAM registration before your registration is active in SAM,
then an additional 24 hours for Grants.gov to recognize your information. Information on
obtaining a DUNS number and registering in SAM is available from Grants.gov at:
http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html. Detailed information regarding DUNS and
SAM is also provided in Section D. Application and Submission Information.
A.

Program Description
Issued By
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA), Grant Programs Directorate (GPD)
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number
97.083
CFDA Title
Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER)
Notice of Funding Opportunity Title
Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response
(SAFER)
NOFO Number
DHS-16-GPD-083-000-99
Authorizing Authority for Program
Section 34 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (Pub. L. No.
93-498, as amended) (15 U.S.C. § 2229a)
Appropriation Authority for Program
Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2016 (Pub. L. No. 114113)
Program Type
New
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Program Overview, Objectives, and Priorities
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management
Agency’s (FEMA) Grant Programs Directorate (GPD) is responsible for the
implementation and administration of the Staffing for Adequate Fire and
Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program.
The SAFER grant program is composed of two activities:
•
•

Hiring of Firefighters
o Career, combination, and volunteer fire departments are eligible to
apply
Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters
o Combination fire departments; volunteer fire departments; and
national, state, local, or tribal organizations that represent the interests
of volunteer firefighters are eligible to apply

The goal of the SAFER grant program is to assist local fire departments with
staffing and deployment capabilities in order to respond to emergencies, and
assure that communities have adequate protection from fire and fire-related
hazards. Local fire departments accomplish this by improving staffing and
deployment capabilities so they may more effectively and safely respond to
emergencies. With enhanced staffing levels, recipients should experience a
reduction in response times and an increase in the number of trained personnel
assembled at the incident scene.
While not required for a SAFER grant, it is preferable that the enhanced staffing
levels of all SAFER recipients should ensure that all first-arriving apparatus are
staffed with a minimum of four qualified personnel (to meet National Fire
Protection Association (NFPA) 1710/1720 standards) who are capable of
initiating the suppression response. Ultimately, SAFER recipients should achieve
more efficient responses and safer incident scenes; thereby ensuring communities
have improved protection from fire and fire-related hazards.
In awarding grants, the Administrator of FEMA shall consider the following:
• The findings and recommendations of the Technical Evaluation Panel
(TEP)
• The degree to which an award will reduce deaths, injuries, and property
damage by reducing the risks associated with fire related and other
hazards
• The extent of an applicant’s need for a SAFER grant and the need to
protect the United States as a whole

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The National Preparedness System is the instrument the nation employs to build,
sustain, and deliver core capabilities in order to achieve the National Preparedness
Goal (Goal) of a secure and resilient nation. Complex and far-reaching threats and
hazards require a collaborative and whole community approach to national
preparedness that engages individuals, families, communities, private and
nonprofit sectors, faith-based organizations, and all levels of government. The
guidance, programs, processes, and systems that support each component of the
National Preparedness System allow for the integration of preparedness efforts
that build, sustain, and deliver core capabilities and achieve the desired outcomes
identified in the Goal while maintaining the civil rights of individuals.
The FY 2016 SAFER grant program plays an important role in the
implementation of the National Preparedness System by supporting the building,
sustainment, and delivery of core capabilities essential to achieving the Goal of a
secure and resilient nation. Delivering core capabilities requires the combined
effort of the whole community, rather than the exclusive effort of any single
organization or level of government.
The FY 2016 SAFER grant program’s allowable costs support efforts to build and
sustain core capabilities across the Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response,
and Recovery mission areas. Examples of desired outcomes for the FY 2016
SAFER grant program include building and sustaining core capabilities, such as
Fire Management and Suppression, and Public Health and Medical Services.
Additional details on the National Preparedness Goal can be found at
https://www.fema.gov/national-preparedness-goal
B.

Federal Award Information
Award Amounts, Important Dates, and Extensions
Available Funding for the NOFO:

$345,000,000

Projected number of Awards:

300

Period of Performance:

12-48 Months

Hiring of Firefighters Activity: The period of performance will be 36 months
for all grants awarded under the Hiring of Firefighters Activity. An extension to
the period of performance is not permitted.
Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity: The period of
performance will be between 12 and 48 months for all grants awarded under the
Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity. An extension to the
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period of performance for Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters
Activity grants may be granted when, due to circumstances beyond the control of
the recipient, activities associated with the award cannot be completed within the
stated performance period. For details on the requirements for requesting an
extension to the period of performance, please refer to Section H. Additional
Information.

Projected Period of Performance Start Date(s):

07/01/2017

Projected Period of Performance End Date(s):

06/30/2020-06/30/2021

Funding Instrument
Grant
C.

Eligibility Information
Eligible Applicants
• Volunteer fire departments and combination fire departments may apply for
funding under both the Hiring of Firefighters Activity and the Recruitment
and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity. Separate applications must
be completed for each activity. Applicants are limited to one application per
activity, per application period. If an applicant submits two applications for
the same activity during a single application period, both applications will be
disqualified.
• Career fire departments may only apply for funding under the Hiring of
Firefighters Activity. Applicants are limited to one application per application
period. If an applicant submits two applications, both applications will be
disqualified.
• Municipalities and fire districts may submit applications on behalf of fire
departments lacking the legal status to do so, such as those under the support
of the municipality or district. The municipality or fire district may submit
only one application for hiring per application period for each eligible fire
department within the municipality or fire district.
• National, state, local, or tribal organizations representing the interests of
volunteer firefighters and individual fire departments (volunteer or
combination) may only apply for funding under the Recruitment and
Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity. Applicants are limited to one
application per application period. If an applicant submits two applications,
both applications will be disqualified.
Table 1 identifies, in general, eligible entities that can apply for FY 2016 SAFER
funding within each activity.

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Table 1: Eligible Entities
Entity
Volunteer Fire
Departments

Combination
Fire
Departments

Career Fire
Departments

Activity
Hiring of
Firefighters





Recruitment
and Retention
of Volunteer
Firefighters





National,
state, local, or
tribal
volunteer
firefighter
interest
organization





The following entity types are NOT eligible to apply under this announcement:
• 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 (e.g., fire departments that do not
have specific nonprofit status or that are not municipally based);
• Ambulance services, emergency medical service organizations, rescue squads,
auxiliaries, dive teams, and urban search and rescue teams;
• Non-federal airport 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;
• Fire stations that are part of, controlled by, or under the day-to-day operational
direction of a larger fire department or agency, or that are not otherwise
independent;
• State and local agencies, such as forest service, fire marshals, emergency
management offices, hospitals, and training offices;

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Eligibility Criteria
Minimum Budget Requirement
At the time of application, the applicant’s budget for fire-related programs and
emergency response must not be below 80 percent of the applicant’s average
funding level in the 3 years prior to November 24, 2003.
Applicants experiencing economic hardship may apply for a waiver of this
requirement. Please see Appendix A: FY 2016 SAFER Program Updates for
additional information.
Other Eligibility Criteria
National Incident Management System (NIMS) Implementation
SAFER applicants are not required to be in compliance with the National Incident
Management System (NIMS) to apply for funding or to receive an award.
However, any applicant who receives an FY 2016 SAFER award must achieve
the level of NIMS compliance required by the Authority Having Jurisdiction
(AHJ) over the applicant’s emergency service operations (e.g., a local
government), prior to the end of the grant’s period of performance.
Maintenance of Effort (MOE)
There is no maintenance of effort requirement for the FY 2016 SAFER grant
program.
Cost Share or Match
Recipients of SAFER Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters
Activity grants are not required to contribute non-federal funds.
Recipients of SAFER Hiring of Firefighters Activity grants are required to
contribute non-federal funds subject to a Position Cost Limit and a Cost Share, as
described below.
Position Cost Limit (No Waiver Available):
The amount of federal funding provided to a recipient for hiring a firefighter in
any fiscal year may not exceed—
• in the first year of the grant, 75 percent of the usual annual cost of a firstyear firefighter in that department at the time the grant application was
submitted;
• in the second year of the grant, 75 percent of the usual annual cost of a
first-year firefighter in that department at the time the grant application
was submitted; and
• in the third year of the grant, 35 percent of the usual annual cost of a firstyear firefighter in that department at the time the grant application was
submitted.
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“Usual annual costs” includes the base salary (exclusive of overtime) and
standard benefits package (including the average health cost, dental, vision,
FICA, life insurance, retirement/pension, etc.) offered by fire departments to firstyear firefighters. Please refer to Appendix B regarding eligible and ineligible
costs for SAFER Hiring of Firefighter Activity grants.
The Position Cost Limit is automatically calculated by the eGrant system in the
Budget section of the application.
Cost Share (Waiver Available):
In addition to the Position Cost Limit, the Federal portion of the costs of hiring
new firefighters under this grant may not exceed:
• 75 percent of the actual costs incurred in the first year of the grant;
• 75 percent of the actual costs incurred in the second year of the grant; and
• 35 percent of the actual costs incurred in the third year of the grant.
Therefore, the recipient is required to contribute at least the following in nonFederal funds:
• 25 percent of the actual costs incurred in the first year of the grant;
• 25 percent of the actual costs incurred in the second year of the grant; and
• 65 percent of the actual costs incurred in the third year of the grant.
A Cost Share of non-federal cash is the only allowable recipient contribution.
Example:
The applicant submits a SAFER Hiring of Firefighter Activity grant application
for one (1) new firefighter. At the time the application is submitted, the usual
annual cost of a first year firefighter in that department is $100,000. The federal
funding, due to the Position Cost Limit, will be limited to:
•
•
•

Year 1 = $75,000
Year 2 = $75,000
Year 3 = $35,000

The grant is awarded and the department accrues the following actual costs during
the term of the grant:
•
•
•

Year 1 = $80,000
Year 2 = $95,000
Year 3 = $110,000

In this case, the federal portion will be:
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•

•

•

Year 1
o If the Cost Share requirement is not waived
 Federal funds will be limited to $60,000, or 75% of actual
costs incurred ($80,000)
o If the Cost Share requirement is waived
 Federal funds will cover no more than $75,000, or 75% of
the usual cost of a firefighter at the time of application
($100,000)
Year 2
o If the Cost Share requirement is not waived
 Federal funds will be limited to $71,250, or 75% of actual
costs incurred ($95,000)
o If the Cost Share requirement is waived
 Federal funds will cover no more than $75,000, or 75% of
the usual cost of a firefighter at the time of application
($100,000)
Year 3
o If the Cost Share requirement is not waived
 Federal funds will be limited to $35,000 due to the Position
Cost Limit of 35% of the usual cost of a firefighter at the
time of application ($100,000).
o If the Cost Share requirement is waived
 Federal funds will cover no more than $35,000, or 35% of
the usual cost of a firefighter at the time of application
($100,000).

Economic Hardship Waiver:
Applicants experiencing economic hardship may apply to waive or reduce the
Cost Share requirement. There is no waiver available for the Position Cost Limit.
Please see Appendix A: FY 2016 SAFER Program Updates for additional
information.
D.

Application and Submission Information
Key Dates and Times
Date Posted to Grants.gov:

12/22/2016

Application Start Date:

01/09/2017 at 8:00 AM Eastern Time

Application Submission Deadline:

02/10/2017 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time

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In general, DHS/FEMA will not review applications received after the deadline or
consider them for funding. DHS/FEMA may, however, extend the application
deadline on request for any applicant who can demonstrate good cause exists to
justify extending the deadline. Good cause for an extension may include technical
problems outside of the applicant’s control that prevent submission of the
application by the deadline, or other exigent or emergency circumstances. If
applicants experience technical issues, they must notify the FEMA Help Desk as
soon as possible.
Anticipated Funding Selection Date:

05/01/2017

Anticipated Award Date:

06/01/2017

Address to Request Application Package
The online FY 2016 SAFER application is available through the Assistance to
Firefighters Grant Program’s (AFGP) eGrants system application portal at
https://portal.fema.gov/. There are several ways to access application information:
• AFGP website (http://www.fema.gov/firegrants)
• Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov)
• U.S. Fire Administration (http://www.usfa.fema.gov)
Hard copies of the application are not available.
In addition, the Telephone Device for the Deaf (TDD) and/or Federal Information
Relay Service (FIRS) number available for this Notice is: (800) 462-7585.
Application tutorials and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) explain the current
SAFER grant program, assist with the online grant application, and highlight
lessons learned and changes for FY 2016. For more details, please visit the AFGP
website at http://www.fema.gov/firegrants.
Content and Form of Application Submission
DHS makes all funding opportunities available through Grants.gov, accessible on
the Internet at http://www.grants.gov. If applicants experience difficulties
accessing information or have any questions, please call the Grants.gov Contact
Center at (800) 518-4726.
The Grants.gov website will direct applicants to the eGrants system application
portal at https://portal.fema.gov/, which contains the online SAFER application.
All required forms have been incorporated into the online SAFER application.
The eGrants system will allow an authorized representative to log in and create a
user name and password. This user name and password is specific to the
authorized user and must not be shared with other personnel. If the applicant has
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submitted any AFGP applications (including Assistance to Firefighters Grant
(AFG), Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER), Fire
Prevention and Safety (FP&S), or Station Construction Grant (SCG)) in a
previous grant cycle, they must continue to use the same username, password, and
DUNS number for any FY 2016 application(s).
If the applicant has forgotten the password or the primary point of contact has
changed, please visit http://www.fema.gov/assistance-firefighters-grant-programmost-frequently-asked-questions for instructions on how to update and correct the
organization’s information.
The automated application is designed with help screens and drop-down lists to
assist the applicant throughout the process. Applicants can save, retrieve, update,
and revise their work through the end of the application period. Applicants should
save their work often as the electronic application includes a time-out feature. The
automated system does not allow an applicant to submit an incomplete
application. The system alerts the applicant when required information has not
been entered.
NO APPLICATION WILL BE RELEASED AFTER FINAL SUBMISSION
After an application has been completed and submitted, no changes can be made.
There is no appeal process for inaccurate or incomplete information retained by
the system due to improper or multiple browser usage by the applicant. Therefore,
please:
• Do not use any other browsers than Internet Explorer (IE 6 or higher). The
eGrants system can run up to Internet Explorer 11, which should be used if
available to the applicant.
• Do not have multiple browser tabs open when entering information, even
when using Internet Explorer (IE 6 or higher). There are several known
problems entering application information using non-IE browsers or
having multiple browsers open, including but not limited to:
o System failure to recognize correct information
o System failure to capture and retain correct information
o System functions like “cut and paste” being disabled
The primary point of contact listed in the application will automatically be
notified via email, via the eGrants system, once the application is received.
Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)
DHS is participating in the Grants.gov initiative that provides the grant
communities a single site to find grant funding opportunities. Before applying for
a DHS grant, applicants must have a DUNS number and must be registered in
SAM.
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Please allow plenty of time before the grant application submission deadline
to obtain a DUNS number and then to register in SAM. It may take four
weeks or more after the applicant submits the SAM registration before the
registration is active in SAM, then an additional 24 hours for Grants.gov to
recognize the information.
FEMA may not make an award to an entity until the entity has complied with the
requirements to provide a valid DUNS number and maintain an active SAM
registration with current information. If the applicant is noncompliant at the time
of award offer, then FEMA may determine the applicant is not qualified to receive
an award, and award another applicant.
IMPORTANT: Please ensure that applicant organization’s name, address, DUNS
number, and Employer Identification Number (EIN) are up to date in SAM and
that the DUNS number used in SAM is the same one used to apply for all FEMA
applications. The applicant organization’s name in SAM must also match the
organization name provided on the applicant’s SF-1199a Direct Deposit Form.
Future payments will be contingent on the information provided in SAM;
therefore, it is imperative that the information is correct.
DUNS number. Instructions for obtaining a DUNS number can be found at the
following website: http://www.grants.gov//web/grants/applicants/organizationregistration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html. The DUNS number must be
included in the data entry field labeled "Organizational DUNS" on the Standard
Forms (SF)-424 forms submitted as part of this application.
System for Award Management.
Applicant registration in SAM is free. All applicants must register with SAM in
order to apply online. Step-by-step instructions for registering with SAM can be
found here: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organizationregistration/step-2-register-with-sam.html. Please remember that SAM
registration is only active for one year and must be renewed annually.
Existing SAM.gov account holders should check their account to make sure it is
“active.” SAM registration should be completed at the very beginning of the
application period, and renewed annually to avoid being "inactive."
Help with SAM. SAM quick start guide for new recipient registration and SAM
video tutorial for new applicants are tools created by the General Services
Administration (GSA) to assist those registering with SAM. If applicants have
questions or concerns about a SAM registration, please contact the Federal
Support Desk at https://www.fsd.gov/fsd-gov/home.do or call toll free (866) 6068220.

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Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code. To get a CAGE code,
applicants must first be registered in SAM, which is a requirement for doing
business with the Federal Government. Applicants will be assigned a CAGE code
as part of the SAM validation process, and as soon as the registration is active,
applicants can view the CAGE code online by logging in to the SAM account.
Funding Restrictions
Federal funds made available through this program may only be used for the
purpose set forth in the award package and must be consistent with the statutory
authority for the award. Award funds may not be used for matching funds for any
other federal grants/cooperative agreements, lobbying, or intervention in federal
regulatory or adjudicatory proceedings. In addition, federal funds may not be used
to sue the Federal Government or any other government entity. Failure to adhere
to the award conditions will cause the recipient to be considered in default of the
grant agreement, and may require the return of all federal funds disbursed under
the grant.
Program Specific Funding Restrictions. Details on eligible and ineligible costs
are included in Appendix B: Programmatic Information and Priorities – Funding
Priorities.
Construction or Remodeling/Renovation Costs. Construction costs are not
eligible under the SAFER grant program. Construction includes major alterations
to a building that changes the profile or footprint of the structure.
Under the SAFER Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity,
remodeling/renovations to an existing facility are limited to minor interior
alterations costing less than $10,000 and should be requested under Modification
to Facilities. IMPORTANT: Some of these activities may require an
Environmental and Historical Preservation (EHP) review; certain costs associated
with an EHP Review are eligible for reimbursement.
Environmental and Historic Preservation (EHP). As a federal agency, FEMA
is required to consider the effects of its actions on the environment and historic
properties to ensure that all activities and programs funded by the agency,
including grants-funded projects, comply with Federal EHP regulations, laws and
Executive Orders as applicable. Recipients proposing projects that have the
potential to impact the environment, including, but not limited to modification or
renovation of existing buildings, structures and facilities, must participate in the
FEMA EHP Review process. The EHP Review process involves the submission
of a screening form that includes detailed project description that explains the
goals and objectives of the proposed project along with supporting documentation
so that FEMA may determine whether the proposed project has the potential to
impact environmental resources and/or historic properties. In some cases, FEMA
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also is required to consult with other regulatory agencies and the public in order to
complete the review process. The EHP Review process must be completed before
funds are released to carry out the proposed project. FEMA will not fund projects
that are initiated without the required EHP Review.
Additionally, all recipients are required to comply with FEMA EHP Policy
Guidance. This EHP Policy Guidance can be found in FEMA Policy (FP) 108023-1, Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation Policy Guidance, and
FP 108-24-4, Environmental Planning and Historical Preservation Policy.
SAFER projects that involve the installation of equipment not specifically
excluded from a FEMA EHP Review per the GPD Programmatic Environmental
Assessment (PEA); ground-disturbing activities; or modification/renovation of
existing buildings or structures must undergo a FEMA EHP Review.
No facilities modification project can proceed, with the exception of project
planning, prior to formal FEMA approval.
The following activities would not require the submission of the FEMA EHP
Screening Form:
• Planning and development of policies or processes;
• Management, administrative, or personnel actions;
• Classroom-based training; and
• Acquisition of mobile and portable equipment (not involving installation)
on or in a building.
The EHP Screening form and instructions are available at:
http://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/143197016301180ce3cd907072a91295b1627c56d8fd2/gpd_ehp_screening_form_51815.pdf
Complete the EHP Screening form and submit to the EHP Office at
[email protected].
Pre-award Costs. Only costs incurred during the period of performance are
allowable (see Section F: Federal Award Administration Information, Period of
Performance Guidance). However, recipients under the Recruitment and
Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity may request to be reimbursed for
grant writer fees (see Appendix C: Award Administration Information, Section I.
Grant Writer/Preparation Fees; see also Appendix B: Programmatic Information
and Priorities, Section IV. Eligible and Ineligible Projects and Costs).
Management and Administration (M&A) Costs. No more than three (3)
percent of the federal share of SAFER Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer
Firefighters Activity funds may be expended by the recipient for management and
administration (M&A) purposes associated with the SAFER award. M&A are not
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operational costs but are necessary costs incurred in direct support of the grant or
as a consequence of it. As such, these costs can be itemized in financial reports.
M&A expenses should be based only on actual expenses or known contractual
costs; requests that are simple percentages of the award, without supporting
justification, will not be allowed or considered for reimbursement. Salaries and
fringe benefits for personnel directly supporting the grant are not required to be
included in the M&A budget line item. M&A costs under the Hiring of
Firefighters Activity are not eligible.
Indirect Facilities & Administrative (F&A) Costs. Indirect F&A costs are those
costs incurred for a common or joint purpose benefitting more than one cost
objective. These costs are not readily assignable to the costs objectives
specifically benefitted, without effort disproportionate to the results achieved.
Indirect costs are allowable under the Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer
Firefighters Activity, as described in 2 C.F.R. § 200.414. With the exception of
recipients who have never received a negotiated indirect cost rate as described in
2 C.F.R. § 200.414(f), recipients must have an approved indirect cost rate
agreement with their cognizant federal agency to charge indirect costs to this
award. A copy of the approved rate (a fully executed, agreement negotiated with
the applicant’s cognizant federal agency) is required at the time of application,
and must be provided to FEMA before indirect costs are charged to the award.
Copies of the indirect cost rate agreements, along with the SAFER application
number, must be submitted electronically to [email protected].
Indirect costs will be evaluated as part of the application for federal funds to
determine if they are allowable, reasonable, or disproportionally impact an
application’s cost benefit.

E.

Application Review Information
Application Evaluation Criteria
Prior to making a federal award, the federal awarding agency is required by 31
U.S.C. 3321 and 41 U.S.C. 2313 to review information available through any
OMB-designated repositories of government wide eligibility qualification or
financial integrity information. Therefore application evaluation criteria may
include the following risk based considerations of the applicant: (1) financial
stability; (2) quality of management systems and ability to meet management
standards; (3) history of performance in managing federal award; (4) reports and
findings from audits; and (5) ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory,
or other requirements.

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FEMA will rank all complete and submitted applications based on how well they
match the program priorities. Answers to the application’s activity specific
questions provide information used to determine each application’s ranking
relative to the stated program priorities.
Funding priorities and criteria for evaluating SAFER applications are established
by FEMA based on the recommendations from the Criteria Development Panel
(CDP). Each year, FEMA convenes a panel of fire service professionals to
develop funding priorities for the SAFER grant program. The panel makes
recommendations about funding priorities as well as developing criteria for
awarding grants. For details on the funding priorities, please refer to Appendix B:
Programmatic Information and Priorities, Section III. Funding Priorities.
The nine major fire service organizations represented on the panel are:
• International Association of Fire Chiefs
• International Association of Fire Fighters
• National Volunteer Fire Council
• National Fire Protection Association
• National Association of State Fire Marshals
• International Association of Arson Investigators
• International Society of Fire Service Instructors
• North American Fire Training Directors
• Congressional Fire Service Institute
The CDP is charged with making recommendations to FEMA regarding the
creation or modification of previously established funding priorities as well as
developing criteria for awarding grants. The content of this NOFO reflects
implementation of the CDP’s recommendations with respect to the priorities,
direction, and criteria for awards.
Review and Selection Process
SAFER applications are reviewed through a multi-phase process. First,
applications are electronically pre-scored and ranked based on how well they
align with the funding priorities outlined in this notice; then applications are
scored competitively by (no less than three) members of the Peer Panel Review
process. Applications will also be evaluated through a series of internal FEMA
review processes for completeness, adherence to programmatic guidelines,
technical feasibility, and anticipated effectiveness of the proposed project(s).
Below is the process by which applications will be reviewed:
i.
Pre-scoring Process
In the application, fire departments applying for SAFER grants will be asked
general questions about their organization and community, as well as questions
specific to the proposed project. National, state, local, or tribal organizations that
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represent the interests of volunteer firefighters will be asked a number of general
questions regarding their organizations and a series of activity-specific questions
relative to the recruitment and retention projects they propose and the activities
selected. Answers to activity-specific questions as well as information submitted
throughout the application will determine an applicant’s standing relative to
SAFER grant funding priorities. Application narratives are not reviewed during
pre-score. Applications most consistent with the SAFER grant funding priorities
score higher in the automated evaluation. Automated evaluation scores represent
50 percent of the total application score.
ii.
Peer Review Panel Process
A panel of at least three Peer Review Panelists performs the second phase of an
application’s evaluation. The panel is composed of fire service representatives
recommended by the national organizations from the CDP. These panelists
evaluate the application using the Narrative Statement, answers to the general
questions, and answers to the activity-specific questions. Each application is
evaluated on its own merits against established criteria and is not compared to
other applications. The peer review evaluation score represents 50 percent of the
total application score.
iii.
Technical Evaluation Process (TEP)
The highest ranked applications will be deemed in the fundable range.
Applications that are in the fundable range will undergo both a Technical Review
by a Subject Matter Expert (SME) as well as a SAFER Program Office review
prior to being recommended for award. The FEMA Program Office will assess
the request with respect to costs, quantities, feasibility, eligibility, and recipient
responsibility prior to recommending any application for award.
Once the TEP is complete, each application’s cumulative score will be determined
and a final ranking of applications will be created. FEMA will award grants based
on this final ranking and the ability to meet statutorily required funding
limitations outlined in Appendix B, III. Statutorily Required Funding Limitations.
Simplified Acquisition Threshold (currently $150,000)
i.
Prior to making a federal award with a total amount of federal share
greater than the simplified acquisition threshold, DHS is required to
review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the
designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM
(currently FAPIIS).
ii.
An applicant, at its option, may review information in the designated
integrity and performance systems accessible through SAM and comment
on any information about itself that a federal awarding agency previously
entered and is currently in the designated integrity and performance
system accessible through SAM.
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iii.

DHS will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other
information in the designated integrity and performance system, in making
a judgment about the applicant’s integrity, business ethics, and record of
performance under federal awards when completing the review of risk
posed by applicants as described in 2 CFR § 200.205 federal awarding
agency review of risk posed by applicants.

Narrative Evaluation Criteria
The Narrative Statement of the application must provide specific details about the
activity for which applicants are seeking funding, including budget details. The
applicant must explain how the proposed activity is related to the hiring or
recruitment and retention program.
In applications for the Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters
Activity, applicants must also provide details regarding how volunteers will
qualify for the incentives (who is eligible for initiatives funded under the grant
and discuss any prerequisites). For example, an organization might withhold
paying nominal stipends until members participate in a minimum number of
operational activities.
Applicants should save their work often as the electronic application includes a
time-out feature. If no-save activity is detected for a period of time, the
application will time-out and all information that is not saved could be lost.
Therefore, it is recommended that applicants type the Narrative Statement
information offline using a word processing program to avoid losing any
information.
Once the Narrative Statement is complete, applicants can then cut-and-paste the
text into the appropriate sections within the Narrative Statement section of the
online application.
Please note the Narrative Statement blocks do not allow for formatting. Do not
type the narrative using only capital letters. Additionally, do not include tables,
special fonts (e.g., quotation marks, bullets), or graphs.
Space for the Narrative Statement is limited. Each element must have a minimum
of 200 characters and each element will have a character limit; the limit varies
based on the questions being asked. The character count is listed below. Once the
Narrative Statement is saved to the online application, log-out and then log back
in to the application to verify that the information was successfully saved.
Peer Review Panelists will evaluate and score each activity based on the
following narrative elements within each activity:

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i.
Hiring of Firefighters Activity
The Narrative Statement for applications requesting this funding must include
Elements 1 through 4. Each element will be evaluated independently by a Peer
Review Panelist. The relative weight of each element in the determination of the
grant award is listed below.
1) Project Description (30%):
a) Why does the department need the positions requested in this
application? If the request is based on a needs assessment or
Insurance Services Office rating, provide details of those
outcomes. (3000 character limit)
b) Describe how the positions requested in this application will be
used within the department (e.g., fourth firefighter on engine, open
a new station, eliminate browned out stations, reduce overtime).
What are the specific benefits that the positions requested in this
application will provide to the fire department and community?
(2000 character limit)
c) Describe how the awarding of this grant would enhance the
department’s ability to protect critical infrastructure. (1000
character limit)
2) Impact on Daily Operations (30%):
a) Explain how the community and the current firefighters employed
by the department are at risk without the positions requested in this
application. How will that risk will be reduced if awarded? (2000
character limit)
b) Discuss the impact the positions requested in this application will
have on the department’s NFPA compliance. (2000 character limit)
3) Financial Need (30%):
a) Provide additional details about the department’s current operating
budget, including an income versus expenses breakdown of the
current annual budget. (2000 character limit)
b) Describe the department’s budget shortfalls and the inability to
address the financial needs without federal assistance. What other
actions has the department taken to obtain funding elsewhere (e.g.,
state assistance programs, other grant programs)? (2000 character
limit)
c) Discuss how the critical functions of the department are affected
without this funding. (2000 character limit)
4) Cost Benefit (10%):
Describe the benefits (e.g., quantifying the anticipated savings
and/or efficiencies) the department and community will realize if
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awarded the positions requested in this application. (3000 character
limit)
ii.

Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity (Fire
Departments)
The Narrative Statement for applications requesting this funding must include
Elements 1 through 4. Each element will be evaluated independently by a Peer
Review Panelist. The relative weight of each element in the determination of the
grant award is listed below:
1) Project Description (30%):
a) Describe the problems and/or issues the department is experiencing
in recruiting new volunteer firefighters. What are the problems
and/or issues the department is experiencing in retaining current
members? (3000 character limit)
b) Describe the implementation plan to directly address the identified
problems or issues. What are the methods and specific steps that
will be used to achieve this plan? (3000 character limit)
c) Describe how the recruitment of new volunteer firefighters and/or
retention of current volunteer firefighters will impact the
department’s operational needs or capabilities. (1500 character
limit)
d) Describe the specific benefits the new volunteer firefighters and/or
retention of current volunteer firefighters will provide for the fire
department(s) and community. (1000 character limit)
e) If the grant request will have a regional impact, identify the
activities that are part of the regional request and explain which
activities are exclusive to the host applicant, if applicable. (2000
character limit)
2) Impact on Daily Operations (30%):
a) Describe how the community and current volunteer firefighters in
the department are at risk without the items or activities requested
in this application. How will the risk be reduced if awarded? (2000
character limit)
b) Provide details on how often the department currently complies
with the applicable NFPA 1710 or NFPA 1720 standards. Explain
the impact the recruitment of new volunteer firefighters and/or the
retention of current volunteer firefighters will have on the
department’s NFPA compliance, if awarded. (2000 character limit)
3) Financial Need (30%):

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a) Provide additional details about the department’s current operating
budget, including an income versus expenses breakdown of the
department’s current annual budget. (2000 character limit)
b) Describe the department’s budget shortfalls and the inability to
address financial needs without federal assistance. What other
actions has the department taken to obtain funding elsewhere (e.g.,
state assistance programs, other grant programs)? How have
similar projects have been funded in the past? (2000 character
limit)
c) Discuss how the critical functions of the department are affected
without this funding. (1000 character limit)
4) Cost Benefit (10%):
Describe the benefits (e.g., quantifying the anticipated savings
and/or efficiencies) the department and community will realize if
awarded the items or activities requested in this application.
(3000 character limit)
iii.

Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity
(national, state, local, or tribal volunteer firefighters interest
organizations)
The Narrative Statement for applications requesting this funding must include
Elements 1 through 4. Each element will be evaluated independently by a Peer
Review Panelist. The relative weight of each element in the determination of the
grant award is listed below:
1. Project Description (30%):
a) Describe the problems and/or issues the fire departments, who the
organization will be reaching with this grant, are experiencing in
recruiting new volunteer firefighters. What are the problems and/or
issues the same departments are experiencing in retaining current
members? (3000 character limit)
b) Describe the organization’s implementation plan to directly
address the problems or issues identified. What are the methods
and specific steps that will be used to achieve this plan? (3000
character limit)
c) Describe how the recruitment of new volunteer firefighters and/or
retention of current volunteer firefighters will impact the
operational needs or capabilities of the fire departments
participating in this application. (1500 character limit)
d) Describe the specific benefits the new volunteer firefighters and/or
retention of current volunteer firefighters will provide for the fire
departments participating in this application and their respective
communities. (1000 character limit)
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e) Describe the organization’s procurement practices and the
timelines outlining the chronological steps to complete the
activities requested in this application. (2000 character limit)
2. Impact on Daily Operations (30%):
a) Describe how the fire departments participating in this application
and their current volunteer firefighters and communities are at risk
without the items or activities requested in this application. How
will that risk be reduced if awarded? (2000 character limit)
b) Describe the impact that the recruitment of new volunteer
firefighters and/or the retention of current volunteer firefighters
will have on the NFPA compliance of the fire departments
participating in this application, if awarded. (2000 character limit)
3. Financial Need (30%):
a) Provide detail about the organization’s operating budget for the
current (at time of application) fiscal year, including an income
versus expenses breakdown of the current annual budget. Provide
details of the organization’s annual operating budget for the 2001,
2002, and 2003 fiscal years. (2000 character limit)
b) Describe the organization’s budget shortfalls and the inability to
address the financial needs without federal assistance. What other
actions has the organization taken to obtain funding elsewhere
(e.g., state assistance programs, other grant programs)? How have
similar projects have been funded in the past? (2000 character
limit)
c) Discuss how the critical functions of the organization are affected
without this funding. (1000 character limit)
4. Cost Benefit (10%):
Describe the benefits (e.g., quantifying the anticipated savings
and/or efficiencies) the fire departments participating in this
application and their communities will realize if awarded the items
or activities requested in this application. (3000 character limit)
F.

Federal Award Administration Information
Notice of Award
Awards will be announced on a rolling basis until all grant funds are allocated.
Once an award has been approved and recorded in the system, an award package
is sent to the authorized representative. The award package and email notification
will be made within the eGrants system. The authorized representative should
follow the directions in the notification to accept the award documents. The
authorized representative should carefully read the award package for instructions
on administering the grant, whether there has been an adjustment to the award,
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and to become familiar with the terms, conditions and responsibilities of federal
awards.
The offered award will be available for a maximum of 30 days until the recipient
either accepts or declines the award via the online AFGP eGrants system. The
recipient should follow the directions in the notification to confirm acceptance of
the award. Failure to accept the grant award within 30 days of an offer of award
may result in a loss of funds. Recipients may request additional time to accept the
award if needed.
Negotiation of Award. During the review process for a SAFER award, the
application request(s) may have been modified. These modifications will be
identified in the award package, which is provided upon the offer of an award.
If the awarded activities, scope of work, or requested dollar amount(s) do not
match the application as submitted, the recipient shall only be responsible for
completing the activities actually funded by FEMA. The recipient is under no
obligation to start, modify, or complete any activities requested but not funded by
the award.
Turndown Notifications. All applicants who do not receive an FY 2016 SAFER
award will receive a turndown notification within the eGrants system. Turndown
notifications will briefly describe why the application was not recommended for
funding. Due to the historical volume of applications and turndowns, detailed
debriefs for each applicant will not be possible.
Period of Performance Guidance
i.
Hiring of Firefighters Activity
• The period of performance is 36 months for all grants awarded under
this activity.
• A default 180-day recruitment period begins when an application is
approved for award under this activity.
• The 36 month period of performance automatically starts after the 180day recruitment period, regardless of whether the recipient has
successfully hired the requested firefighters. The period of
performance cannot be started later than 180 days after the award date.
• If a recipient is able to hire SAFER-funded firefighters during the 180day recruitment period, the period of performance may begin at that
time. However, recipients must submit an amendment requesting that
the period of performance start before the end of the 180-day
recruitment period.
• An extension to the period of performance is not permitted.
ii.
Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity
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•
•

•

•

•

The period of performance will be between 12 and 48 months for all
grants awarded under this activity.
A default 90-day recruitment period begins when the application is
approved for award. This period allows each recipient time to gather
resources, initiate processes, and to finalize contracts needed to
implement SAFER grant activities before the start of the period of
performance in order to maximize the availability of the funding.
If a recipient is able to begin their recruitment or retention activities
during the 90-day recruitment period, the period of performance may
begin at that time. However, recipients must submit an amendment
requesting that the period of performance start before the end of the
90-day recruitment period.
The period of performance automatically starts after the 90-day
recruitment period, regardless of whether the recipient has begun
implementing their grant award. The period of performance cannot be
started later than 90 days after the award date.
Extensions to the period of performance are permitted.

Administrative and National Policy Requirements
DHS Standard Administrative Terms and Conditions
All successful applicants for all DHS grant and cooperative agreements are
required to comply with DHS Standard Terms and Conditions, which are
available online at:
https://www.dhs.gov/publication/fy15-dhs-standard-terms-and-conditions
The applicable DHS Standard Terms and Conditions will be those in effect for the
year in which the award was originally made.
Before accepting the award, the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR)
should carefully read the award package for instructions on administering the
grant award and the terms and conditions associated with responsibilities under
federal Awards. Recipients must accept all conditions in this NOFO as well as
any Special Terms and Conditions in the Notice of Award to receive an award
under this program.
Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit
Requirements for Federal Awards
On December 26, 2014, DHS adopted the Office of Management and Budget’s
(OMB) Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit
Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 C.F.R. Part 200, which establishes a
uniform set of mandatory requirements for federal awards to non-federal entities.
These requirements apply to all awards made after December 26, 2014, including
FY 2016 SAFER awards. This regulation (also commonly referred to as the
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“Super Circular” or “Omni Circular”) is available at: http://www.ecfr.gov/cgibin/text-idx?tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2cfr200_main_02.tpl
A crosswalk that highlights policy changes, clarifications, and updates to policy
provisions, is available at:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/fedreg/2013/uniformguidance-crosswalk-from-predominate-source-in-existing-guidance.pdf
Reporting
Recipients are required to submit various financial and programmatic reports as a
condition of their award acceptance. Future awards and funds drawdown may be
withheld if these reports are delinquent.
Federal Financial Reporting Requirements
Federal Financial Reports (SF-425). Recipients of SAFER grants awarded on or
after October 1, 2009, are required to submit semi-annual Federal Financial
Reports (FFR) (SF-425). The FFR is to be submitted using the online eGrants
system based on the calendar year beginning with the period after the start of the
period of performance. Recipients are required to submit an FFR throughout the
entire period of performance of the grant. Reports are due:
• July 30 (for period January 1 – June 30)
• January 31 (for period July 1 – December 31)
• Within 90 days after the end of the Period of Performance
The Federal Financial Reporting Form (FFR) and instructions are available at the
following sites:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/grants/approved_forms/SF425.pdf
https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/grants/standard_forms/SF425_instructions.pdf
Financial and Compliance Audit Report. For audits of fiscal years beginning
on or after December 26, 2014, recipients that expend $750,000 or more from all
federal funding sources during their fiscal year are required to submit an
organization-wide financial and compliance audit report. The audit must be
performed in accordance with the requirements of the Government Accountability
Office's (GAO) Government Auditing Standards, located at
http://www.gao.gov/govaud/ybk01.htm, and the requirements of Subpart F of 2
C.F.R. Part 200, located at http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/textidx?SID=876f827f6fae2c4bce610e9427a6d229&node=sp2.1.200.f&rgn=div6.

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For audits of fiscal years beginning prior to December 26, 2014, recipients that
expend $500,000 or more from all federal funding sources during their fiscal year
are required to submit an organization-wide financial and compliance audit report.
The audit must be performed in accordance with GAO’s Government Auditing
Standards, located at http://www.gao.gov/govaud/ybk01.htm, and OMB Circular
A-133, Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations,
located at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/a133_compliance_supplement_2012.
Program Performance Reporting Requirements
Quarterly Performance Reports. SAFER grant recipients are responsible for
submitting quarterly programmatic performance reports through the eGrants
system. The programmatic performance report is due every three months after the
start of the grant’s period of performance, and thereafter until the end of the
period of performance.
Monitoring. Recipients will be monitored periodically by FEMA staff, both
programmatically and financially, to ensure that the project goals, objectives,
performance requirements, timelines, milestone completion, budgets, and other
related program criteria are being met.
Monitoring may be accomplished through either a desk-based review or onsite
monitoring visits, or both. Monitoring will involve the review and analysis of the
financial, programmatic, performance, compliance and administrative processes,
policies, activities, and other attributes of each federal assistance award, and will
identify areas where technical assistance, corrective actions, and other support
may be needed.
The recipient is responsible for monitoring all sub-award activities to ensure
compliance with federal and state laws, regulations, and guidance.
Responsibilities include the accounting of receipts and expenditures, cash
management, maintaining of adequate financial records, reporting and refunding
expenditures disallowed by audits, monitoring, or other assessments and reviews.
Close Out Reporting Requirements
Within 90 days after the end of the period of performance, recipients must submit
a final SF-425 and a final performance report (within the closeout module in
eGrants system) detailing all accomplishments and a qualitative summary of the
impact of those accomplishments throughout the period of performance.
After these reports have been reviewed and approved by FEMA, a close-out
notice will be completed to close out the grant. The notice will indicate the period
of performance as closed, list any remaining funds that will be deobligated, and
address the requirement of maintaining the grant records for three years from the
date of the final SF-425.
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The recipient is responsible for returning any funds that have been drawn down
but remain as unliquidated on recipient financial records.

G.

DHS Awarding Agency Contact Information
Contact and Resource Information
SAFER Help Desk
The SAFER Help Desk provides technical assistance to applicants for the online
completion and submission of applications into the eGrant system, answers
questions concerning applicant eligibility and recipient responsibilities, and offers
assistance in the programmatic administration of award. The Help Desk can be
contacted at (866) 274-0960 or by email at [email protected]. Normal
hours of operation are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. All
times listed are Eastern Time.
eGrants System Information
For technical assistance with the eGrants system or SAFER application or award
questions, please email the SAFER Help Desk at: [email protected]. The
Help Desk can also be contacted at (866) 274-0960.

H.

Additional Information
Extensions to SAFER Hiring of Firefighters Activity Grants
Extensions to the period of performance are not permitted.
Extensions to SAFER Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity
Grants
Extensions to the period of performance are permitted.
An award’s period of performance must be active for a recipient to submit a proposed
extension request to FEMA. Recipients should request extensions sparingly and only
under exceptional circumstances. Approval is not guaranteed.
Extensions to the initial period of performance identified in the award will only be
considered through formal requests, via the eGrants system, and must contain specific
and compelling justification as to why an extension is required.
All extension requests must contain:
1. Grant Program, Fiscal Year, and award number;
2. Justification for the extension—this must include details of the legal, policy, or
operational challenges being experienced that prevent the final outlay of awarded
funds by the applicable deadline;
3. Current status of the activity/activities;
4. Approved period of performance termination date and new project completion date;
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5.
6.
7.
8.

Amount of funds drawn down to date;
Remaining available funds, both federal and non-federal;
Budget outlining how remaining federal and non-federal funds will be expended;
Plan for completion, including milestones and timeframes for achieving each
milestone and the position/person responsible for implementing the plan for
completion; and
9. Certification that the activity/activities will be completed within the extended period
of performance without any modification to the original Statement of Work approved
by FEMA.
To be eligible for consideration, extension requests must be submitted via the eGrants
system. Requests should be submitted no earlier than 120 days but no later than 60 days
prior to the end of the award’s period of performance.
In accordance with FEMA policy, extensions are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and
typically granted for no more than a six-month time period. Extension requests will be
granted only due to compelling legal, policy, or operational challenges. The review
process can take up to 30 days or longer. This review period should be factored into the
timing of when to submit a request for an extension.
Example: Recipients may request an extension, when not adjusting the timeline for
liquidating obligations would constitute a verifiable legal breach of contract by the
recipient with vendors or sub-recipients; or where a specific statute or regulation
mandates an environmental review that cannot be completed within this timeframe; or
where other exceptional circumstances warrant a discrete waiver.

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Appendix A: FY 2016 SAFER Program Updates
Appendix A contains detailed information on changes to SAFER between FY 2015
and FY 2016
New For FY 2016

I.

The content of this NOFO reflects DHS’s implementation of Section 34 of the Federal Fire
Prevention and Control Act of 1974, as amended (15 U.S.C. § 2229a). Under this authority, the
FY 2016 SAFER grant program requires the following:
•

Position Cost Limit: SAFER Hiring of Firefighters Activity grant funds may not exceed
a certain percentage of the usual annual cost of a first-year firefighter in that department
at the time of the grant application. There is no waiver available for this requirement.

•

Cost Share: SAFER Hiring of Firefighters Activity grant recipients are now required to
contribute a Cost Share toward the actual cost of hiring firefighters under this program.
Grant recipients can apply to waive this requirement.

•

Minimum Budget Requirement: At the time of application, both SAFER Hiring of
Firefighter Activity and Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity
grant applicants are required to certify that their annual budget for fire-related programs
and emergency response has not been reduced below 80% of the average funding level in
the three years prior to November 24, 2003. Grant recipients can apply to waive this
requirement.

•

No Supplanting Allowed: SAFER Hiring of Firefighter Activity grant funds may only
be used to hire new, additional firefighters and may not be used to supplant funds that
would otherwise be available from State or local sources, or the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Grant recipients can apply to waive this requirement. The Hiring of Firefighters Activity
is no longer sub-divided into “Rehire,” “Retention,” “Attrition,” and “New” positions.

•

Period of Performance: The period of performance has been increased from two to
three years for SAFER Hiring of Firefighter Activity grants. Extensions to the period of
performance are not available for Hiring of Firefighter Activity grants.

Economic Hardship Waiver of Cost Share or Minimum Budget Requirement
In cases of demonstrated economic hardship, and upon the request of the recipient, the
Administrator may waive or reduce the Cost Share requirement, the Minimum Budget
Requirement, and/or the restriction on supplanting. SAFER Hiring of Firefighter Activity grant
recipients may apply for one, two, or all three of the available waivers.
SAFER Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity grant applicants may only
apply to waive or reduce the minimum budget requirement.
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Applicants must indicate their interest in a waiver within the FY 2016 SAFER application. If the
SAFER grant is awarded and accepted, recipients will be directed to submit an amendment
request documenting the waiver within the online eGrants system.
For complete requirements concerning these waivers, including a description of how a recipient
may demonstrate economic hardship and apply for a waiver, please refer to the SAFER
Economic Hardship Waiver policy, which will be posted at: https://www.fema.gov/staffingadequate-fire-emergency-response-grants-documents.

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Appendix B – Programmatic Information and Priorities
Appendix B contains more detailed information on SAFER Program Information
and Priorities. Reviewing this information may help applicants make their
application(s) more competitive.
I.

Supporting Definitions for this NOFO
Attrition: A gradual reduction in work force without laying off of personnel, as when
workers resign or retire and are not replaced.
Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ): (Per NFPA101-2015 Edition: Life Safety Code)
is that person or office charged with enforcing the Life Safety Code.
Automatic Aid: (Per NFPA 1710, 3.3.2.1 - 2010 edition and NFPA 1720 - 2009) is a
plan developed between two or more fire departments for immediate joint response on
first alarms.
Benefits: Includes regular compensation paid to employees during periods of authorized
absences from the job, e.g., vacation leave, sick leave, military leave. These costs are
absorbed by all organization activities in proportion to the relative amount of time or
effort actually devoted to each. Employer contributions or expenses for social security,
employee insurance, workmen’s compensation, pension plan costs, and the like, whether
treated as indirect costs or as direct costs, are also eligible and 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. Overtime expenses, other than those meeting the Fair Labor Standards Act
(FLSA) requirements, are not eligible as benefits costs under the Hiring of Firefighters
Activity. Please also reference 2 CFR §200.431 Compensation—fringe benefits.
Career Fire Department: A fire department that has an all-paid force of firefighting
personnel other than paid-on-call firefighters (fire departments that provide
reimbursement on a paid-on-call basis are considered to be a combination fire department
for the purposes of this program).
Combination Fire Department: A fire department that has paid firefighting personnel
and volunteer firefighting personnel. At minimum, a combination fire department must
have at least one active firefighter who receives financial compensation for services
(including paid-on-call) and at least one active firefighter who does not receive financial
compensation for services, other than life, health, and workers’ compensation insurance.
Emergency Medical Services Organization: A public or private organization that
provides direct emergency medical services, including medical transport.
Fire Department: An agency or organization that has a formally recognized
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arrangement with a state, territory, local government, 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 volunteer, career, or a combination of volunteer and career.
Firefighter: An individual having the legal authority and responsibility to engage in fire
suppression; employed by a fire department of a municipality, county, fire district, or
state, 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.
Formal Layoff Notice: Any layoff notice should align with the local rules and
regulations that govern civil service employment in the jurisdiction. In order to be
reasonable to employees, and to provide employees facing layoff actions a clear
understanding of the impending action, any notice of layoff should be in writing and
delivered to a specific employee affected by the action. The notice should identify a
specific date employment will cease or specific event that would trigger the termination
of employment. The notice should be delivered or otherwise presented directly to the
affected employee in advance of the layoff action in accordance with the civil service
provisions or union agreement in force in the jurisdiction taking action, e.g., 60 days prior
to the effective date of the layoff action. The notice should specify whether the action is
permanent or temporary, as well as provide the anticipated schedule of layoffs. For the
purposes of the SAFER Program, a notice that is not executed within the specified terms
will be considered void unless an additional notice is provided within 14 days of the
original action date.
Initial Full Alarm Assignment: Personnel, equipment, and resources ordinarily
dispatched upon notification of a structural fire.
Majority Career: A department is considered majority career if 50 percent or more of
the active firefighting membership is salaried staff.
Majority Volunteer: A department is considered majority volunteer if more than 50
percent of the active firefighting membership is NOT compensated for service other than
a nominal stipend and/or insurance.
Mutual Aid: (Per NFPA 1710, 3.3.2.1 - 2010 edition and NFPA1720 - 2009) is a written
intergovernmental agreement between agencies and/or jurisdictions stating that they will
assist one another on request by furnishing personnel, equipment, and/or expertise in a
specified manner.

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National, State, Local, or Tribal Organizations that Represent the Interests of
Volunteer Firefighters: Organizations that support or represent the interests of
firefighters in front of legislative bodies at the local, state, tribal, and federal level. Such
organizations include, but are not limited to, state or local firefighter and/or fire chiefs’
associations, volunteer firefighter relief organizations, and associations. FEMA shall
make the final determination as to whether an applicant is an appropriate volunteer
firefighter interest group.
Nominal Stipend: A stipend is nominal if it does not exceed 20 percent of what the fire
department would otherwise pay to hire a full-time firefighter to perform the services for
which the stipend is provided. Whether a stipend falls above or below the 20 percent
threshold may be determined in one of two ways. Departments that maintain paid full
time firefighters on their payrolls may compare the stipend to the salary they pay a full
time firefighter who performs similar services to determine whether the stipend is more
or less than 20 percent of that salary. Departments that do not maintain full time
firefighters on their payrolls may make the determination based on a comparison to the
salary paid to a full time firefighter in a neighboring jurisdiction, elsewhere in the state or
ultimately the nation, and may also utilize data from the Department of Labor’s Bureau
of Labor Statistics. A nominal stipend may also include reimbursements to volunteer
firefighters for approximate out-of- pocket expenses they incur.
If a stipend paid exceeds 20 percent of the prevailing wage calculated as described above,
then the firefighter receiving compensation would not qualify as a volunteer and is
considered an employee who may be covered by the FLSA minimum wage and overtime
provisions.
Operational Budget: The budget supporting fire-related programs and/or emergency
response activities (e.g., salaries, maintenance, equipment, apparatus).
Operational Position: A position with a primary assignment (more than 50 percent of
duties) of fire suppression, which includes staffing a fire suppression vehicle, regardless
of collateral duties, in support of the department's NFPA 1710 or NFPA 1720
compliance.
Paid-on-Call: Firefighters who are paid a stipend for each event to which they respond.
Paid-on-call firefighters may be considered paid firefighters or volunteer firefighters,
depending on whether the stipend they receive is a nominal stipend. For the purposes of
this SAFER Program, a department whose membership is comprised of all volunteer
firefighters, including any paid-on-call firefighters who receive only a nominal stipend,
will be considered a volunteer fire department. Also, for the purposes of this SAFER
Program, a department whose membership is comprised of any paid-on-call firefighters
who receive more than a nominal stipend will be considered a combination fire
department. Also refer to the definition of a nominal stipend.

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Part-Time Firefighter: A firefighter who works less than 40 hours per week. When
more than one part-time firefighter shares a position that results in work in excess of 40
hours per week, FEMA considers that shared assignment to be a Full-time Equivalent
(FTE) position that must be accounted for in the staffing information provided in the
application.
Salary: A fixed payment made by an employer to an employee to compensate for a
regular work schedule. Typically the payment is made on a monthly, biweekly, or weekly
basis but often expressed as an annual sum. See also 2 C.F.R. § 200.430 compensation—
personal services. The salary structure should be documented in writing by the employer.
Only costs for overtime that an employer routinely pays as a part of the base salary or a
firefighter’s regularly scheduled and contracted shift hours in order to comply with the
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) are eligible salary costs under the Hiring of Firefighters
Activity.
State: 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.
Staffing and Deployment: The minimum staffing requirements to ensure a sufficient
number of members are available to operate safely and effectively as defined in NFPA
1710 and 1720.
Volunteer Fire Department: A fire department that has an all-volunteer force of
firefighting personnel. For a fire department to have an all-volunteer force, no member
may receive financial compensation (in the form of salary or wages) for their services
other than life and health insurance, workers’ compensation insurance, and/or a nominal
stipend per call. FEMA considers a department to be majority volunteer if more than 50
percent of its membership is made up of personnel who do not receive financial
compensation for services.

II.

Funding Limitations
Specific funding parameters are either required by law or are the outcome of
recommendations from the Criteria Development (CDP). The source of each requirement
is identified with a parenthetical that follows each requirement below.
• 10 percent of the funding appropriated for FY 2016 SAFER awards is set aside
for the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters (15 U.S.C. § 2229a
(a)(2))
o No more than 33 percent of the total amount allocated for the recruitment
and retention of volunteers can be awarded to national, state, local, or
tribal organizations that represent the interests of volunteer firefighters
(CDP)
• 10 percent of the funding appropriated for FY 2016 SAFER awards is set aside
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for grants awarded to volunteer or majority volunteer departments for hiring of
firefighters.
o A majority volunteer fire department is made up of more than 50 percent
of personnel who do not receive financial compensation for their services,
other than life, health, and worker’s compensation insurance, or a nominal
stipend payment, including certain paid-on-call personnel. It may be
necessary to go out of rank order to select a sufficient number of
applications in order to meet the 10 percent requirement. (15 U.S.C. §
2229a (a)(1)(H))
o If less than 10 percent of the funds available for the hiring of firefighters
are awarded to volunteer and majority volunteer fire departments, the
remaining funds must be transferred to provide grants for the recruitment
and retention of volunteer firefighters (15 U.S.C. § 2229a (a)(1)(H))

III.

Funding Priorities
Program Priorities Description
This section summarizes the program priorities used to determine grant awards. Program
priorities are listed as High , Medium , or Low . Within each identified program
priority, all the proposed activities have an equal value.
There are separate evaluation criteria for the following applications:
• Hiring of Firefighters
• Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters – Fire Departments
• Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters – National, State, Local, or
Tribal Volunteer Firefighter Interest Organizations
A.

Hiring of Firefighters Activity
Grants awarded under the Hiring of Firefighters Activity enable volunteer,
combination, and career fire departments to improve staffing levels to attain a
more effective level of response and a safer incident scene. Grants are
awarded directly to volunteer, combination, and career fire departments to
help fire departments increase their cadre of frontline firefighters. Hiring of
Firefighter grants provide fire departments with funds to pay new firefighter
salaries and benefits (exclusive of overtime).
1.

Meeting the National Standards
FEMA prioritizes bringing non-compliant (NFPA 1710 or 1720)
departments into compliance in the most cost-effective manner.
Applicants will be asked general questions about the NFPA standard
they are attempting to meet as well as their current ability to meet that
standard (without the use of overtime). Applicants will also be asked
to indicate what their ability will be to meet that same standard if
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awarded grant funds.
Having additional firefighters on staff should improve a local fire
department’s ability to comply with the staffing, response, and
operational standards that enhance community and firefighter safety.
Applications resulting in the largest percentage increases in
compliance with the relevant section of NFPA 1710 (for career
departments) or 1720 (for volunteer departments) receive higher
consideration than applications resulting in smaller percentage
increases in compliance.
Note: SAFER grants focus only on the Deployment or Staffing and
Deployment sections of these two standards, respectively.
•

NFPA 1710 Assembly Requirements: Standard for the
Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations,
Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the
Public by Career Fire Department (Section 5.2.4.1 – SingleFamily Dwelling Initial Full Alarm Assignment Capability).
This standard applies primarily to all-career fire departments
and combination departments if the combination department
chooses it.

•

NFPA 1720 Assembly Requirements: 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 it may also apply to
combination departments if the combination department does
not choose to comply with the NFPA 1710 standard.

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) – “FREE ACCESS”
- As part of its commitment to enhancing public safety and
supporting the emergency responder, the NFPA makes its codes
and standards available online for free. Please visit:
http://www.nfpa.org/freeaccess
The tables below identify the priority levels for current and new compliance with the NFPA
1710/1720 standard.

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Current 1710/1720 Compliance Priorities
Never or 0%

Half the time or 40-59%

Rarely or 1-19%

Very often or 60-79%

Sometimes or 20-39%

Most of the time or 80-99%

New 1710/1720 Compliance Priorities
Always or 100%

Half the time or 40-59%

Most of the time or 80-90%

Sometimes or 20-39%

Very often or 60-79%

Rarely or 1-19%

B.

2.

Call Volume and Population Served
Department call volume and population served are both factors in the
initial application evaluation. Departments responding to a higher
number of incidents and departments who protect a larger jurisdiction
will receive higher consideration than those departments responding to
fewer incidents and protecting smaller jurisdictions.

3.

Firefighter Health Measures
The health and wellbeing of firefighters is of paramount importance.
Therefore, applicants who indicate newly recruited firefighters will
undergo an entry-level physical and receive immunizations and who
indicate they will provide annual medical exams receive higher
consideration than applicants who do not specify these benefits will be
provided. To qualify for this higher consideration, the physicals must
be consistent with those required under NFPA 1582 Chapter 6,
Medical Evaluations of Candidates 6.1 and Chapter 9, Essential Job
Tasks — Specific Evaluation of Medical Conditions in Members.

4.

Training Requirements
Applicants will receive higher consideration if the personnel funded
under the grant will meet the minimum EMS certification
requirements prescribed by the locality or state having jurisdiction.

Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity – Fire
Departments
The purpose of these grants is to assist fire departments with the recruitment
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and retention of volunteer firefighters who are involved with or trained in the
operations of firefighting and emergency response. The grants are intended to
create a net increase in the number of trained, certified, and competent
firefighters capable of safely responding to emergencies within the recipient’s
response area. The following identifies the elements that the applications will
be evaluated on during the pre-scoring process.
1.

Meeting Staffing Standards
The highest priority is to assist departments experiencing a high rate of
turnover and that have staffing levels significantly below the ideal
staffing level required to comply with NFPA standards 1710 or 1720
(for details, see section 1(c) Meeting National Standards).

2.

Volunteer Membership
Departments or organizations with the highest percentage of
volunteers should benefit the most from the recruitment and retention
of volunteer firefighters. Therefore, applicants whose membership is
comprised of mostly volunteer members, or have a significant number
of volunteer firefighters, receive higher consideration.

Percentage of Volunteers
91-100%

41-50%

81-91%

31-40%

71-80%

21-30%

61-70%

11-20%

51-60%

1-10%
3.

Recruitment/Retention Plan
It is critical to have a plan for recruitment and/or retention activities.
Applications requesting funding for recruitment and/or retention
programs should be based on formal plans. Applicants must
summarize the departments’ recruitment and/or retention plans in the
Narrative Statement and explain how the projects/activities will fulfill
the plans and meet organizational goals.

4.

Call Volume
Department call volume is a factor in the initial evaluation.
Departments responding to a higher number of incidents receive
higher consideration.
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5.

Firefighter Health Measures
Applicants who indicate the newly recruited firefighters will undergo
an entry-level physical and receive immunizations, who indicate they
will provide annual medical exams, and who provide worker’s
compensation/Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) benefits
to their members receive higher consideration than applicants who do
not specify these benefits will be provided.

Entry-Level Medical Exams
NFPA 1582-compliant physicals

Non-NFPA-compliant physicals

Annual Medical Exams
NFPA 1582-compliant physicals
6.

Non-NFPA-compliant physicals

Training Requirements

Training and Certification
FF II/EMT

FF I

FF II

First Responder

FF I/EMT
7.

Recruitment and Retention (R&R) Coordinator

R&R Coordinator
Applicants who currently have a coordinator
in place
Applicants who will request grant funding for
a coordinator’s position

Applicants who do not have, or are not
requesting, an R&R Coordinator

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8.

Evaluation Plan

Evaluation Plan
Applicants who will perform a periodic
evaluation of the program’s impact

9.

Applicants who will not perform a period
evaluation of the program’s impact

Marketing Plan

Marketing Plan
Applicants who currently have a marketing
plan in place

Applicants who do not have, or will not
request funding for, a marketing plan

Applicants who will request grant funding for
a marketing plan

10.

Regional Requests
Requests for recruitment or retention that have a regional impact (i.e.,
an impact beyond the immediate boundaries of the applicant’s firstdue area) will receive higher consideration.
An eligible applicant, which can include a fire department, may act as
a “host applicant” and apply for support of both a regional initiative
and its own department’s internal needs on one application. In order to
apply for a regional project, the host fire department must agree, if
awarded, to be responsible for all aspects of the grant. This includes,
but is not limited to, accountability for the assets and all reporting
requirements.
Regional host applicants and participating partner agencies must
execute a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or equivalent
document, signed by all parties participating in the award, prior to
submitting an application under the Regional Program activities. The
agreement should specify the individual and mutual responsibilities of
the participating partners, the participant’s level of involvement in the
project(s), the participating partners’ EIN numbers, and the proposed
distribution of all grant-funded assets or contracted services.
Successful regional applicants shall provide a copy of the signed MOU
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at the time of award. Any entity named in the application as benefiting
from the award shall be a party the MOU or equivalent document.
In completing the Request Details and Narrative Statement sections of
the application, the applicant must include a list of participating thirdparty organizations that will benefit from the regional project if the
project is approved. 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. Applicants must also certify that they will ensure the fire
departments participating in this application have not received grants
for similar items/activities.
All participants of a Regional application must be compliant with
SAFER requirements, including being current with past grants,
closeouts, and other reporting requirements. The host shall not
distribute grant-funded assets or provide grant-funded contractual
services to non-compliant partner organizations.
Note: Only applications submitted under the Recruitment and
Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity qualify for regional
project requests. Regional projects are not eligible under the Hiring of
Firefighters Activity.
C.

Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity – National,
State, Local, or Tribal Volunteer Firefighter Interest Organizations
The purpose of these grants is to assist national, state, local, or tribal
organizations that represent the interests of volunteer firefighters with the
recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters who are involved with or
trained in the operations of firefighting and emergency response. The grants
are intended to create an aggregate increase in the number of trained, certified,
and competent firefighters capable of safely responding to emergencies on
behalf of the fire departments being represented. For this reason, projects that
are comprehensive in nature and based on a clear needs assessment,
implementation plan, evaluation plan, and have, or will establish, fire service
partnerships will receive higher consideration.
In completing the Request Details and Narrative Statement sections of the
application, the applicant must include data that approximates the
characteristics of the entire region and/or all fire departments affected by the
grant. If awarded, recipients may be required to provide documentation of
each fire department’s consent to participate in the application. Applicants
must also certify that they will ensure the fire departments participating in this
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application have not received grants for similar items/activities. The following
identifies the elements that the applications will be evaluated on during the
pre-scoring process.
1.

Meeting Staffing Standards
The goal under this SAFER activity is to assist departments
experiencing a high rate of turnover that have staffing levels
significantly below the ideal staffing level required to comply with
NFPA standards 1710 or 1720 (for details, see Section 1c. Meeting
National Standards). Organizations that currently have the lowest
recruitment and retention rates among the entire region and/or all fire
departments benefiting from the grant funds are given a higher
consideration for funding.

2.

Recruitment/Retention Plan
It is critical to have a plan for recruitment and retention activities.
Applications requesting funding for recruitment or retention programs
should be based on formal plans. Applicants must summarize the
organization’s recruitment and retention plans in the Narrative
Statement and explain how the projects/activities applied will fulfill
the plans and meet organizational goals.

3.

Recruitment and Retention (R&R) Coordinator/Program
Manager

R&R Coordinator
Applicants who currently have a coordinator
or program manager in place

Applicants who do not have, or are not
requesting, a coordinator or program manager

Applicants who will request grant funding for
a coordinator or program manager’s position

4.

Evaluation Plan

Evaluation Plan
Applicants who will perform a periodic
evaluation of the program’s impact

Applicants who will not perform a period
evaluation of the program’s impact

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5.

Marketing Plan

Marketing Plan
Applicants who currently have a marketing
plan in place

Applicants who do not have, or will not
request funding for, a marketing plan

Applicants who will request grant funding for
a marketing plan

6.

Needs Assessment

Needs Assessment
Applicants with projects based on a needs
assessment

7.

Applicants with projects that are not based on
a needs assessment

Fire Service Partnerships

Fire Service Partnerships
Applicants who have, or will establish, fire
service partnerships as part of this project

IV.

Applicants who will not have, or establish, fire
service partnerships as part of this project

Eligible and Ineligible Projects and Costs
Regardless of the eligibility of any costs requested or the panelists’ determination, FEMA
reserves the right to reduce any requests for funding, in whole or in part, that it deems
excessive or otherwise contrary to the best interests of the program.

Hiring of Firefighters Activity – Eligible Costs
•
•

Funds may only be used to hire new, additional firefighters and shall not be used to supplant
funds. The Hiring of Firefighters Activity is no longer sub-divided into “Rehire,” “Retention,”
“Attrition,” and “New” positions.
SAFER grant funds must be used to increase the amount of funds that would, in the absence
of federal funds received under this grant, be made available from State or local sources, or in
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Hiring of Firefighters Activity – Eligible Costs

•

•

•
•
•
•

the case of Indian tribal governments, from funds supplied by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Recipients may apply for a waiver of this restriction on supplanting. Note that firefighters
hired after the SAFER grant offer of award and are not employees at the time of award will be
considered new hires.
Salary and associated benefits (actual payroll expenses) for the positions funded under the
SAFER grant are eligible. Costs are reimbursable if they are included as part of the standard
new hire package, available to all operational firefighter positions, and contractually
obligated. Refer also to the definitions in Section I of this Appendix.
Only full-time positions are eligible for funding. A full-time position is one position that is
funded for at least 2,080 hours per year, e.g., 40 hours per week, 52 weeks per year. However,
recognizing many departments have shifts exceeding a 40-hour workweek, FEMA also will
consider funding the job-sharing of a full-time position if the grant recipient has sufficient
justification. A job-share position is a full-time position 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.
Salaries and benefits of firefighters hired under SAFER funding while they are engaged in
training are eligible.
Costs for overtime that fire departments routinely pay as a part of the base salary or the
firefighter’s regularly scheduled and contracted shift hours in order to comply with the Fair
Labor Standards Act (FLSA) are eligible.
SAFER grant funds will only pay for operational positions whose primary assignment (more
than 50 percent of duties) is fire suppression, which includes staffing a fire suppression
vehicle, regardless of collateral duties.
Volunteer and mostly volunteer fire departments may also hire individuals to fill officer-level
positions (e.g., chief, fire inspector, training officer, safety officer) in addition to their primary
operational assignment.

Hiring of New Firefighters Activity – Ineligible Costs
•
•
•
•
•
•

The salaries and benefits of firefighters who are employees at the time of grant award are
ineligible to be funded under this grant.
The SAFER grant may not be used to fund promotions (e.g., pay a current member a higher
salary by placing them in a new SAFER-funded position).
Pre-application costs, such as grant writer fees, administrative costs, and indirect costs
associated with hiring firefighters are ineligible.
Costs to train and equip firefighters are ineligible (this does not include the salaries and
benefits of firefighters hired under SAFER Funding while they are engaged in training).
Payments to vendors for uniforms and physicals are ineligible.
Overtime costs are ineligible (except as noted in “eligible costs” above).

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Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity – Eligible Costs
Overview
Applicants must correlate the activities for which funding is being requested and the identified
recruitment or retention problems or issues being addressed. FEMA will not fund a budget line item if
an applicant does not provided sufficient information detailing how it will enhance recruitment and
retention.
Applicants who propose to focus on retention of volunteers will receive equal consideration as
applicants focusing on recruitment of volunteers. A focus on retention may include providing
incentives for volunteer firefighter members to continue service in a fire department.
SAFER grant funds may only be used for volunteer firefighters who are involved with, or trained in,
the operations of firefighting and emergency response.
FEMA recommends that Departments consult their jurisdiction to understand the full legal and
financial implications involved with implementing or sustaining programs that offer benefits or
financial awards to firefighters (e.g., stipends, Length of Service Award Program [LOSAP]).
All grant-related purchases and activities must be incurred, received, and completed within the period
of performance. The period of coverage and/or service delivery on all contracts, and agreements may
not begin prior to and/or extend beyond the period of performance of the grant.
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.
FEMA will not fund any projects, activities, or line items that are covered under a department’s
normal operating budget. Federal funding should not be used to supplant an existing activity or
program.
Applicants should use the Request Details portion of the grant application to provide detailed
information on how each proposed cost was determined or calculated. As much as possible, costs
should be based on reliable market research (for example, earnings information is published by the
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The costs may also be justified in the Narrative Statement section.
Applications for funding in the Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity could
include projects requiring up to four years to complete (with proper justification)

Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity – Eligible High Priority Costs
Examples of high priority initiatives that may receive funding include:
High Priority
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Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity – Eligible High Priority Costs
•

•
•

•

•

•

•

Costs to support a staffing needs assessment identifying the operational staff that are required
to safely and effectively carry out fire department responsibilities (e.g. supplies for data
collection, contractors or personnel to collect and analyze data, software programs, etc.)
o NOTE: If a staffing needs assessment is requested and the application is selected for
funding, the staffing needs assessment will be the only activity that will be funded.
Costs to support a Recruitment and/or Retention Coordinator, a Program Manager, and/or a
Grant Administrator (including reasonable salary, fringe benefits, contract support, supplies,
travel, etc.). Note that computers for these positions are low priority items.
Marketing Program to recruit new volunteer firefighters, such as:
o Media advertising (e.g. television, radio, social media)
o Print advertising (e.g. newspapers, billboards, signs, banners, brochures, flyers)
o LED/electronic sign (NOTE: This is a high priority item only when included as part of
a comprehensive marketing program. Only one LED/electronic sign is allowed per
applicant and 75 percent of usage must be dedicated to Recruitment and Retention
activities – additional restrictions apply; see Section D: Application and Submission
Information - Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation [EHP]).
New Member Costs - Only one entry-level physical per new recruit. Physicals for existing
members are not eligible. All grant-funded physicals (except those for explorers) must meet
NFPA 1582 standards (Chapter 6, Medical Evaluations of Candidates 6.1 and Chapter 9,
Essential Job Tasks — Specific Evaluation of Medical Conditions in Members). The cost of
physicals should be based on local physician or health center prices.
New recruit basic (minimum) training that is not covered under a department’s normal
operating budget (e.g. CPR, First Responder, EMT, Firefighter 1, Firefighter 2)
o Reimbursement to members for lost wages, mileage/transportation, lodging, and/or per
diem while attending required basic training are also eligible. Note that costs for
mileage/transportation, lodging, and per diem must comply with the department’s
written travel policies and procedures. If policies are not established, costs will only be
reimbursed at the Federal Government rate.
Leadership/career development training that is not covered under a department’s normal
operating budget
o Reimbursement to members for lost wages, mileage/transportation, lodging, and/or per
diem while attending leadership/career development training are also eligible. Note
that costs for mileage/transportation, lodging, and per diem must comply with the
department’s written travel policies and procedures. If policies are not established,
costs will only be reimbursed at the Federal Government rate.
Instructor/train-the-trainer training that is not covered under a department’s normal operating
budget
o Reimbursement to members for lost wages, mileage/transportation, lodging, and/or per
diem while attending instructor/train-the-trainer training are also eligible. Note that
costs for mileage/transportation, lodging, and per diem must comply with the
department’s written travel policies and procedures. If policies are not established,
costs will only be reimbursed at the Federal Government rate.
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Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity – Eligible High Priority Costs
•

•

Tuition assistance for higher education (including books, lab fees, and student fees)
o Coursework or certifications in this category should be more advanced than what
departments typically fund for required minimum-staffing requirements.
o Courses are not limited to firefighter training or education.
o Computers for individual students are not eligible for funding.
o Payments for student loans are not eligible for funding.
o Only tuition payments for classes offered during the period of performance are
allowable.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)/Turnout Gear
o PPE may only be funded for new firefighters that are recruited after the date of grant
award, that successfully pass an NFPA 1582 compliant physical, and that are certified
as “fit for duty”. PPE purchased with SAFER grant funding must be utilized by
adequately trained staff.
o Funds are available to acquire OSHA-required and NFPA-compliant PPE for
firefighting personnel. In addition, PPE must meet any national or state standards and
increase firefighter safety. Failure to meet these requirements may result in
ineligibility for PPE funding. Copies of NFPA standards may be reviewed at
http://www.nfpa.org/.
o Only actual costs for PPE are allowed and will be paid on a reimbursable basis.
Allowable costs may be limited to reasonable amounts, as determined by FEMA.
o In order to receive reimbursement, recipients will be required to provide the following
documentation to support the purchase of PPE:
 Invoices/proof of payment for PPE
 Proof that the firefighter(s) have passed an NFPA 1582 compliant physical and
are certified as “fit for duty”.
o Eligible PPE Expenditures:
 One set of PPE for structural or wildland firefighting per new recruit.
 SAFER considers a complete set of structural PPE to be comprised of one
SCBA mask/face piece, one pair of pants, one coat, one helmet, two hoods, one
pair of boots, one pair of gloves, one pair of suspenders, and one pair goggles.
In those jurisdictions where additional PPE, like Personal Safety/Rescue
Bailout Systems are statutorily required, SAFER will consider all statutorily
required items to be part of a complete PPE set.
 SAFER considers a complete set of wildland PPE to be comprised of: one pair
pants, one coat, one jumpsuit, one helmet, one pair boots, one pair gloves, one
pair suspenders, one pair goggles, one fire shelter, web gear, backpack, and
canteen/hydration system.
 American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-approved retro-reflective
highway apparel

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Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity – Eligible Medium Priority Costs
Examples of medium priority initiatives that may receive funding include:
Medium Priority
•

•

•
•
•

Nominal stipends for volunteer firefighters who are involved with, or trained in, the
operations of firefighting and emergency response (e.g. Pay-per-Call, Points Based System,
etc.). Stipends may only be provided for participation in operational (firefighting) activities,
such as duty shifts, operational training, and/or responding to incidents.
Costs to support explorer, cadet, and mentoring programs, such as:
o One set of station duty uniforms (SAFER considers one set of station duty uniform as
one pair of pants, one shirt, one hat, and one pair of boots)
o Training (Non-Immediate Danger to Life and Health or IDLH)
o One set of structural or wildland PPE as defined above, with the following two
exceptions: 1) SCBA mask/face pieces are not eligible because PPE for
explorers/cadets may not be used in an IDLH atmosphere, and 2) physicals for
explorers/cadets are not required to meet NFPA 1582.
o Insurance
o One introductory physical exam per explorer/cadet
New Length of Service Award Programs (LOSAP) or Retirement Program.
Insurance packages (e.g., Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D), workers
compensation, disability, health, dental, life)
Exercise equipment and gym memberships limited to no more than $10,000 (total per grant
award).

Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity – Eligible Low Priority Costs
Examples of low priority initiatives that may receive funding include:
Low Priority
•
•

•

New Member Costs - One set of station duty uniforms for each new recruit only (SAFER
considers one set of station duty uniform as one pair of pants, one shirt, one hat, and one pair
of boots)
Costs for advanced training not currently covered under the department’s operating budget
(e.g. extrication training, specialized equipment training, swift water rescue, etc.). Training
requests must be detailed in the Request Details and Narrative Statement sections of the
application and must closely correlate to the applicant’s recruitment and/or retention goals.
o Reimbursement to members for lost wages, mileage/transportation, lodging, and/or per
diem while attending advanced training are also eligible. Note that costs for
mileage/transportation, lodging, and per diem must comply with the department’s
written travel policies and procedures. If policies are not established, costs will only be
reimbursed at the Federal Government rate.
Individual desk computer or printer for Recruitment and/or Retention Coordinator, Program
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Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity – Eligible Low Priority Costs
•

•
•
•
•
•

Manager, and/or Grant Administrator
Awards/Incentive program for participation in operational (firefighting) activities, such as
operational training and/or responding to incidents (e.g., length of service plaques, gift cards
for top responders, non-uniform clothing)
o Non-uniform clothing (limited to shirts, jackets, or pullovers) as part of an award
program only
LED/electronic sign when it is not included as part of a comprehensive marketing program
Fire service association membership fees
Projector and/or screen to support classroom training
Payments for housing or rent
Station Modifications/Remodeling/Renovation of Existing Facilities
o Remodeling/renovations to an existing facility are allowable (e.g., converting space
into bunkroom). The renovations must be minor interior alterations not to exceed
$10,000 (total per grant award).
o Remodeling/renovations may not change the footprint or profile of the building.
o Any request for modifications to facilities may require Environmental and Historic
Preservation (EHP) review (see Section D: Application and Submission Information Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation [EHP]). Recipients are encouraged
to have completed as many steps as possible for a successful EHP Review in support
of their proposal for funding (i.e., coordination with their State Historic Preservation
Office to identify potential historic preservation issues and to discuss the potential for
project effects; compliance with all state and EHP laws and requirements).
o Written approval must be provided by FEMA prior to the use of any SAFER Funds for
remodeling or renovation. If awarded funds for remodeling or renovation, recipients
may be required to submit evidence of approved zoning ordinances, architectural
plans, any other locally required planning permits, and a notice of interest.

Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity – Eligible Non-Prioritized Costs
Examples of non-prioritized initiatives that may receive funding include:
Non-prioritized Costs
•

•

Management and Administrative (M&A) costs up to three percent of the total awarded
amount in accordance with 2 CFR Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost
Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. Administrative costs must be
identifiable and directly related to the implementation and management of the SAFER grant
program. Salaries and fringe benefits for personnel directly supporting the grant are not
required to be included in the M&A budget line item.
Indirect costs for national, state, local, or tribal volunteer firefighter interest organizations that
are expended pursuant to Section D: Application and Submission Information – Indirect
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Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity – Eligible Non-Prioritized Costs

•

•

Costs. Recipients must have an approved indirect cost rate agreement with their cognizant
federal agency.
Up to $1,500 in grant writer fees for application preparation, but not grant administration. The
fee must have been paid within 30 days of the end of the application period and prior to any
contact with SAFER Program Office staff or an Offer of Award (see Appendix C: Award
Administration Information, Section I. Grant Writer/Preparation Fees).
Audit costs proportional to the total SAFER grant award. Recipients of multiple federal
funding sources can only charge a pro rata share of the audit cost(s) to the SAFER Award.

Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity – Ineligible Costs
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Salary and benefits for firefighters
Retroactive payments or recognition for operational services rendered prior to the grant award
are ineligible.
Costs incurred outside of the period of performance except for grant writer fees; see Appendix
C: Award Administration Information, Section I. Grant Writer/Preparation Fees
Fire suppression equipment
Vehicles
Fire simulators, fire evolution, or fire training props (e.g., burn trailers, forcible entry,
rescue/smoke maze, flashover simulators)
Sirens, warning lights for private vehicles, or other outdoor warning devices
Communication equipment including cell phones, pagers, portable radios, or Computer-Aided
Dispatch (CAD) systems
Retroactive payments or recognition for non-operational activities (including payments, gift
cards, recruitment bonuses, or stipends for recruiting firefighters)
Payments for travel to or participation in leisure or social activities such as theatre tickets,
entertainment tickets, and trips (e.g., professional sporting events)
Costs associated with award banquets, such as food, photographers, refreshments,
entertainment, or rental facilities. Reimbursement for actual awards (e.g., plaques and
trophies) is eligible.
Costs for food or refreshments
Costs for training currently covered under the department’s operating budget, e.g., tuition or
instructor fees for department-mandated, basic-level training.
Services at a member’s personal residence (e.g., internet access, plowing of driveways)
Furniture (except for newly converted bunkrooms), televisions, fixtures, appliances (e.g.,
refrigerators), and entertainment equipment
“Giveaways,” such as pencils, pens, t-shirts, cups, mugs, or balloons, for recruitment events
Fees for courses and training that are available free of charge on the internet or at a state/local
training facilities (e.g., NIMS 100, 700, 800)
Costs to fuel firefighting vehicles
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Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity – Ineligible Costs
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

•

Annual medical exams (not including NFPA 1582 physicals for new recruits) for any member
Payments for student loans
Mileage reimbursement for responding to incidents or periodic operational training at the fire
house (mileage reimbursement is allowed for other types of training as explained under
eligible costs)
Station internet access/user fees and equipment to install internet (such as routers)
Computers in common areas or individual computers for training/education
Copiers/printers
Additional ineligible costs for Explorer/Cadet/Mentoring Programs:
o SCBA, including mask/face piece
o Anything involving the IDLH atmosphere
o Any activities precluded by the authority having jurisdiction
Ineligible PPE expenditures:
o Three-quarter length rubber boots
o Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBAs) (not including SCBA masks/face
pieces)
o PASS Devices
o Spare cylinders
o Bomb disposal suits
o PPE for hazardous materials and other specialized incidents
o More than one set of PPE per member
o PPE for existing members

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Appendix C: Award Administration Information
Appendix C contains detailed information on SAFER Award Administration.
Reviewing this information may help grant recipients in the programmatic and
financial administration of their award(s).
Help FEMA Prevent Fraud, Waste, and Abuse
If applicants or recipients have information about instances of fraud, waste, abuse, or
mismanagement involving FEMA programs or operations, they should contact the DHS OIG
Hotline at (800) 323-8603, by fax at (202) 254-4297, or email [email protected]

I.

Grant Writer/Preparation Fees (Recruitment and Retention of
Volunteer Firefighters Activity Only)
Applicants under the Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity are
allowed to hire and reimburse a grant writer to assist in the application process.
Fees for grant writers may be included as a pre-award expenditure. Fees payable on a
contingency basis are not an eligible expense. For grant writer fees to be eligible as a preaward expenditure, the fees must be specifically identified and listed in the Request
Details section of the application. FEMA will only consider reimbursements for
application preparation, but not administration, up to but not more than $1,500. Pursuant
to 2 CFR Part 180, recipients may not use federal grant funds to reimburse any entity,
including a grant writer or preparer, if that entity is presently suspended or debarred by
the Federal Government from receiving funding under federally funded grants or
contracts. Recipients must verify, through SAM.gov, that the contractor is not suspended
or debarred from participating in specified federal procurement or non-procurement
transactions pursuant to 2 CFR § 180.300.
By submitting the application, applicants are certifying all of the information contained
therein is true and an accurate reflection of the organization and, regardless of the
applicant’s intent, the submission of information that is false or misleading may result in
actions by FEMA that include, but are not limited to, the submitted application not being
considered for award, temporary withholding of funding under the existing award
pending investigation, or referral to the Office of the Inspector General.
Prior to submission of the application, please review all work produced by grant writers
or other third parties for accuracy. In addition, the fees must have been paid within 30
days of the end of the application period and prior to any contact with SAFER Program
Office staff or an offer of award. The following documentation shall be provided upon
request:
o A copy of the grant writer’s contract for services
o A copy of the invoice or purchase order
o A copy of the cancelled check (front and back) and bank statement
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Applicants will be required to provide documentation to support these pre-award
expenditures. Failure to provide the requested documentation may result in the grant
writer fee being deemed ineligible and the grant reduced accordingly.
NOTE: FEMA requires that all grant writer or preparer information must be entered into
the Overview section of the SAFER application, whether that person, entity, or agent is
compensated or not.

II.

Maintenance and Sustainment for SAFER Programs
The use of FEMA preparedness grant funds for the costs of repairs or replacement, as
well as maintenance contracts, warranties, and user fees may be allowable.
The intent of eligible Maintenance and Sustainment activities is to provide direct support
to the critical capabilities developed using FEMA and other DHS grants and support
activities. Routine upkeep and the supplies, expendables, or one-time use items that
support routine upkeep (e.g., gasoline, tire replacement, routine oil changes, monthly
inspections, or grounds and facility maintenance) are the responsibility of the recipient
and may not be funded with SAFER funding.
Generally, when purchasing a maintenance agreement, service contract, or extended
warranty for systems or equipment, the period of coverage provided under such a plan
may not extend beyond the period of performance of the grant with which the agreement,
warranty, or contract is purchased.
The duration of an extended warranty purchased incidental to the original purchase of the
equipment may exceed the period performance as long as the coverage purchased is
consistent with that which is typically provided for, or available through, these types of
agreements, warranties, or contracts. When purchasing a stand-alone warranty, or
extending an existing maintenance contract on an already-owned piece of equipment or
system, coverage purchased may not exceed the period of performance of the award used
to purchase the maintenance agreement or warranty. As with warranties and maintenance
agreements, this policy extends to licenses and user fees as well.
Even if purchased incidental to the original purchase of the equipment, the duration of an
extended maintenance agreement or warranty must also be reasonable for the type of
equipment or system being purchased. For example, if a vendor offers a 10-year extended
warranty incidental to the purchase of a piece of equipment, but the useful life of that
equipment being purchased is five years, the purchase of a 10-year extended warranty
would not be a reasonable cost and may not be charged to the grant.

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III.

Taxes, Fees, Levies and Amendments
Taxes, fees, levies, or assessments that the recipient is legally required to pay and is
directly related to any eligible SAFER program acquisition activity may be charged to an
SAFER award pursuant to 2 C.F.R. § 200.470. These charges shall be identified and
enumerated in the application’s Narrative and the Request Details section of the
acquisition activity.
Any avoidable and unreasonable costs that result from the action or inaction of a recipient
(or recipient’s agent), or that prevent that recipient from enjoying any lawful exemption,
waiver, or reduction of any tax, fee, levy, or assessment directly related to any eligible
SAFER Program acquisition activity, are not chargeable to any SAFER Award.
Example: Governmental entities and Public Safety Agencies are exempt from some
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) fees, but only if the eligible organization
submits an exemption or waiver request to the FCC.
Government entities are not required to pay FCC regulatory fees. Non-profit entities
(exempt under Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code) also may be exempt. The FCC
requires that any entity claiming exempt status submit, or have on file with the FCC a
valid IRS Determination Letter documenting its nonprofit status or certification from a
governmental authority attesting to its exempt status. For more information, please visit
http://www.fcc.gov/.

IV.

Excess Funds
After completing the initial projects proposed in the recipient's application, some
recipients may have unexpended funds remaining in their budget. These excess funds
may result from any combination of hiring delays, under-budget acquisition activities, or
competitive procurement processes.
With prior approval of the SAFER Program Office, these excess funds may be utilized to
enhance or continue the approved project(s). FEMA expects excess funds to be obligated
concurrent with an award’s period of performance to address a known or critical need
related to the awarded project(s).

V.

Procurement Integrity
Through audits conducted by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector
General (OIG) and FEMA grant monitoring, findings have shown that some SAFER
recipients have not fully adhered to the proper procurement requirements when spending
grant funds. Anything less than full compliance with federal procurement policies
jeopardizes the integrity of the grant as well as the grant program. Below we highlight the
federal procurement requirements for SAFER recipients when procuring goods and
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services with federal grant funds. DHS will include a review of recipients’ procurement
practices as part of the normal monitoring activities. All procurement activity must be
conducted in accordance with Federal Procurement Standards at 2 C.F.R. §§
200.317 – 200.326. Select requirements under these standards are listed below. The
recipient must comply with all requirements of these standards, even if they are not listed
below.
With the exception of State governments, which must comply with the terms of 2 C.F.R.
§ 200.317, the non-federal entity must use its own documented procurement procedures
which reflect applicable State, local, and tribal laws and regulations, provided that the
procurements conform to applicable federal law and the standards identified in 2 C.F.R.
Part 200.
When drafting bid specifications recipients (other than States) must ensure that all
procurement transactions are conducted in a manner providing full and open competition.
Pursuant to 2 C.F.R. § 200.319 (a), in order to ensure objective contractor performance
and eliminate unfair competitive advantage, contractors that develop or draft
specifications, requirements, statements of work, or invitations for bids or requests for
proposals must be excluded from competing for such procurements. Some of the
situations considered to be restrictive of competition include but are not limited to:
• Placing unreasonable requirements on firms in order for them to qualify to do
business
• Requiring unnecessary experience and excessive bonding
• Noncompetitive pricing practices between firms or between affiliated companies
• Noncompetitive contracts to consultants that are on retainer contracts
• Organizational Conflicts of Interest
• Specifying only a “brand name” product instead of allowing “an equal” product to
be offered and describing the performance or other relevant requirements of the
procurement
• Any arbitrary action in the procurement process
Generally, a recipient may seek to procure goods or services from prequalified lists of
persons, firms, or products which are used in acquiring goods and services, e.g.,
Government Services Administration (GSA) schedule, a State schedule, or co-operative
or group purchasing, as having satisfied AFG Program requirements for competition. In
order for such procurements by entities other than State governments to be permissible,
the following must be true:
• The procurement of the original contract or purchasing schedule and its use by the
recipient complies with state and local law, regulations, and written procurement
procedures
• The state or other entity that originally procured the original contract or
purchasing schedule with the express purpose of making it available to the
recipient and other similar types of entities; the contract or purchasing schedule
specifically allows for such use and the work to be performed for the local
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•
•

government falls within the scope of work under the contract as to type, amount,
and geography
The procurement of the original contract or purchasing schedule complied with all
of the procurement standards applicable to a local government at 2 C.F.R. §§
200.318 to 326
With respect to the use of a purchasing schedule, the recipient must follow
ordering procedures that adhere to state and local laws and regulations and the
minimum requirements of full and open competition under 2 C.F.R. Part 200

If a recipient other than a State government seeks to use such a prequalified list,
purchasing schedule, or other similar type of arrangement, it must first contact the
SAFER Program Office.
To the greatest extent possible, FEMA recommends that federal grant funds be used for
the purchase of goods and services manufactured, assembled, and distributed in the
United States.
Pursuant to 2 C.F.R. § 200.319 (b), the recipient (other than States) must conduct
procurements in a manner that prohibits the use of statutorily or administratively imposed
state, local, or tribal geographical preferences in the evaluation of bids or proposals,
except in those cases where applicable Federal statutes expressly mandate or encourage
geographic preference. Nothing in this section preempts state licensing laws. When
contracting for architectural and engineering (A/E) services, geographic location may be
a selection criterion provided its application leaves an appropriate number of qualified
firms, given the nature and size of the project, to compete for the contract.
Pursuant to 2 C.F.R. § 200.318(c)(1), the recipient (other than States) is required to
maintain written standards of conduct covering Conflicts of Interest and governing the
actions of its employees engaged in the selection, award and administration of contracts.
No employee, officer, or agent may participate in the selection, award, or administration
of a contract supported by a federal award if he or she has a real or apparent Conflict of
Interest. Such a Conflict of Interest would arise when the employee, officer, or agent, any
member of his or her immediate family, his or her partner, or an organization which
employs or is about to employ any of the parties indicated herein, has a financial or other
interest in or a tangible personal benefit from a firm considered for a contract. The
officers, employees, and agents of the non- federal entity may neither solicit nor accept
gratuities, favors, or anything of monetary value from contractors or parties to
subcontracts. However, non-federal entities may set standards for situations in which the
financial interest is not substantial or the gift is an unsolicited item of nominal value. The
standards of conduct must provide for disciplinary actions to be applied for violations of
such standards by officers, employees, or agents of the non-federal entity.
If the recipient (other than States) has a parent, affiliate, or subsidiary organization that is
not a state, local government, or Indian tribe, the non-federal entity must also maintain
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written standards of conduct covering organizational Conflicts of Interest. Organizational
Conflicts of Interest means that because of relationships with a parent company, affiliate,
or subsidiary organization, the non-federal entity is unable or appears to be unable to be
impartial in conducting a procurement action involving a related organization. In
accordance with FEMA’s Grant Programs Directorate Information Bulletin No. 400, the
non-federal entity must disclose in writing any potential Conflicts of Interest to FEMA.
The Information Bulletin can be found at https://www.fema.gov/medialibrary/assets/documents/101236
NOTE: For the purposes of Conflicts of Interest under procurements executed by the
recipient, FEMA considers volunteers of an organization and grant writers to be
employees, officers, and/or agents of the recipient. As such, no volunteer or member of
an organization or anyone involved in preparing the application for funding can
participate in, or benefit from, the procurement if federal funds are involved.
Recipients who purchase items with grant funds from vendors who employ any of their
volunteers/members will have to document how they avoided a Conflict of Interest during
the procurement process (i.e., provide specific details regarding how the
members/volunteers removed themselves or how they were prevented from participating
in the process). Recipients may be required to provide this documentation upon request.
Recipients who fail to fully document their purchases may find their expenditures
questioned and subsequently disallowed. Remember that FEMA reserves the right to
request and review any and all bids or specifications prior to purchase. Recipients may be
subject to an audit after award.
Documentation
Recipients are required to maintain and retain the following:
• Backup documentation, such as bids and quotes
• Cost/price analyses on file for review by federal personnel
• Other documents required by federal regulations applicable at the time a grant is
awarded to a recipient
FEMA requires that the recipient maintain the following documentation for federally
funded purchases:
• Specifications
• Solicitations
• Competitive quotes or proposals
• Basis for selection decisions
• Purchase orders
• Contracts
• Invoices
• Cancelled checks
Recipients who fail to fully document their purchases may find their expenditures
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questioned and subsequently disallowed.

VI.

Payments and Amendments
Payments
SAFER payment/drawdown requests are generated using the eGrants system.
SAFER payment/drawdown requests from state, local, or tribal government entities will
be governed by applicable federal regulations in effect at the time a grant is awarded to
the recipient and may be either advances or reimbursements.
Recipients should not expend funds or request drawdowns until all special conditions
listed on the grant award document have been met and request for payment in the eGrants
system has been approved.
Recipients should draw down funds based upon immediate disbursement requirements;
however, FEMA strongly encourages recipients to draw down funds as close to
disbursement or expenditure as possible to avoid accruing interest.
Advances
Recipients shall be paid in advance, provided they maintain or demonstrate the
willingness and ability to maintain procedures to minimize the time elapsing between the
transfer of the funds and their disbursement by the recipient, and financial management
systems that meet the standards for fund control and accountability as established in 2
C.F.R. Part 200.
Although advance drawdown requests are permissible, recipients remain subject to
applicable federal law in effect at the time a grant is awarded to the recipient governing
interest requirements, including the Uniform Administrative Requirements Cost
Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards at 2 C.F.R. Part 200 and the
Cash Management Improvement Act (CMIA) and its implementing regulations at 31
C.F.R. Part 205. Interest under CMIA will accrue from the time federal funds are credited
to a recipient’s account until the time the recipient pays out the funds for program
purposes.
Recipients must follow applicable federal regulations governing interest earned on
payment advances in effect at the time a grant is awarded to the recipient, including 2
C.F.R. § 200.305. For the rate to use in calculating interest, please visit Treasury Current
Value rate at: http://www.fms.treas.gov/cvfr/index.html.
Reimbursement
Payment by reimbursement is the preferred method when the requirements to be paid in
advance, pursuant to 2 C.F.R. § 200.305, cannot be met. In accordance with U.S.
Department of Treasury regulations at 31 CFR Part 205, if applicable, the recipient shall
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maintain procedures to minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of funds and the
disbursement of said funds.
Rebates
Recipients shall disburse program income, rebates, refunds, contract settlements, audit
recoveries, and interest earned on such funds before requesting additional cash payments,
in accordance with pursuant to 2 C.F.R. § 200.305.
The reduction of federal financial participation via rebates/refunds may generate excess
funds for the recipient, if the recipient had already obligated their Cost Share match based
upon the original award figures. If the recipient had already obligated their original Cost
Share prior to the rebate, then the recipient may have minimum excess funds equal to the
difference between the original Cost Share less the rebate adjusted Cost Share.
Payment Requests During Closeout
Up to 90 days after the expiration of the period of performance, during an award’s
closeout reconciliation, a recipient may only submit reimbursement payment requests.
Reimbursement payments are the only eligible type of requests to be submitted after a
grant’s period of performance has expired. The expenditure must have been obligated
during the period of performance of the award. The recipient’s request should contain
clear and specific information certifying that the liquidation of federal funds is
reimbursement for an obligation properly incurred during the active period of
performance; FEMA may request documentation supporting the reimbursement for
review.
Amendments
SAFER award amendments may be approved, on a case-by-case basis, for the following
reasons:
• Extension of the period of performance in order to complete the scope of work
under the Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity
• Changes to the activity, mission, and retroactive approval [pre-award] under
Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity
• Closeout issues and some excess funds requests under both the Hiring of
Firefighters Activity and Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters
Activity
• Staffing Maintenance Level Waivers under the Hiring of Firefighters Activity
• Cost over/under run (adding funds to award/non-closeout deobligation* of funds)
under both the Hiring of Firefighters Activity and Recruitment and Retention of
Volunteer Firefighters Activity
• Economic Hardship Waiver under both the Hiring of Firefighters Activity and
Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity
Amendments will only be considered when submitted via the online eGrants system.
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These requests must contain specific and compelling justifications for the requested
change.
FEMA strongly encourages the timely expenditure of grant funds by recipients to be
consistent with the goals and objectives outlined in this NOFO.
A recipient may deobligate (return) unused funds (those remaining funds drawn down via
payment request and/or remaining award funding that was never requested) to DHS prior
to the end of an award’s Period of Performance. To exercise this option, a recipient must
submit a cost over/under run Amendment via the eGrants system and state in their
amendment that the unliquidated funds (funds to be returned) are not necessary for the
fulfillment or success of the grant’s obligations or mission. The recipient must also
indicate that it understands that the returned funds will be deobligated and unavailable for
any future award expenses.
Deobligation of funds will decrease the federal portion of the grant and the amount of the
recipient’s Cost Share obligation. FEMA will confirm deobligation amendments with all
points of contact; after confirmation of the recipient’s intent to deobligate, FEMA will
hold the approved deobligation request for 14 calendar days as a period for recipient
reconsideration before processing the deobligation request.

VII. Recipient Responsibilities Post Award
SAFER grant recipients must agree to the following:
Recipients must perform all tasks (scope of work) as outlined in the application approved
by FEMA within the period of performance, comply with the terms of this NOFO,
comply with all the terms and conditions of their grant award, including any special
conditions in accordance with the articles of agreement, and comply with all applicable
Federal statutory and regulatory requirements. Recipients that do not fulfill their
obligations under their SAFER grant will be considered in default and may be required to
return the federal funds disbursed under the grant award.
Recipients under the Hiring of Firefighters Activity who lay off any operational
personnel during the three- year period of performance will be considered in default of
their grant and the award will be terminated. Recipients may be required to return the
federal funds disbursed under the grant award.
Recipients under the Hiring of Firefighters Activity must agree to maintain operational
staffing at the level that existed at the time of award and must also retain all SAFERfunded positions throughout the grant’s full three year period of performance unless the
grant recipient has been afforded a waiver of this requirement. At the time of award,
recipients under the Hiring of Firefighters Activity must submit a current (pre-SAFER)
roster listing paid operational/firefighting personnel, in support of NFPA 1710 or NFPA
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1720, who are in full-time or job share positions. The program office will work with a
recipient to establish the correct staffing maintenance number which combines the
number of pre-SAFER and SAFER-funded operational positions. Once this is
established, recipients must agree to maintain this number throughout the period of
performance by taking active and timely steps to fill any vacancies.
Recipients who are unable (due to documentable economic hardship) to backfill nonSAFER operational positions that are vacated through attrition (e.g., resignation,
retirement) after award may petition FEMA for a waiver of staffing maintenance
requirements. An approved waiver allows a recipient to decrease and reestablish the
staffing maintenance number agreed to at the time of award by the number of positions
that a recipient is unable to fill. In order to qualify for this waiver, the economic hardship
must affect the entire public safety sector in a recipient’s jurisdiction, not only the fire
department. Waivers will not be granted for SAFER-funded positions. Recipients who
fail to maintain this level of staffing risk losing the federal funds awarded under this
grant.
Since the goal of the SAFER grant program is to enhance incident scene safety, the
primary assignment (more than 50 percent of duties) of all SAFER-funded firefighters
must be an operational assignment (fire suppression) regardless of collateral duties,
which includes staffing a fire suppression vehicle.
Recipients must retain grant files and supporting documentation in a manner consistent
with 2 C.F.R. § 200.333 – no less than for three years after submission of the closeout
report (see below), and in some cases longer pursuant to 2 C.F.R. § 200.333. FEMA may
require access to any pertinent books, documents, papers, or records belonging to a
recipient. The DHS Office of Inspector General or the Comptroller General of the United
States may also require access to a recipient’s books and records. The required
documentation for federally-funded purchases should include specifications, solicitations,
competitive quotes or proposals, basis for selection decisions, purchase orders or
contracts, invoices, and cancelled checks. Recipients who fail to document purchases
may find their expenditures will be questioned and disallowed.
A recipient must use, manage, and dispose of SAFER-funded equipment in accordance
with the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements
for Federal Awards at 2 C.F.R. § 200.313. With the exception of State governments,
when original or replacement equipment acquired under an AFGP award is no longer
needed for the original project or program or for other activities currently or previously
supported by a federal awarding agency, the recipient must request disposition
instructions from FEMA. FEMA strongly recommends contacting a Fire Program
Specialist or the SAFER Help Desk prior to the disposition of SAFER-funded
equipment.
Recipients must provide periodic performance reports to FEMA. In all years of the
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grant’s period of performance, for both the Hiring of Firefighters and the Recruitment
and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activities, recipients must submit quarterly
performance reports as well as a final performance report at grant closeout. Payments are
requested online using the automated system and payments are based on actual expenses
incurred during the period covered by the payment request. Quarterly performance
reporting is required even if the recipient has not requested funding within the quarter.
At the end of the grant’s period of performance, all recipients are required to produce a
final report on how the grant funding was used and the benefits realized from the award.
Recipients must submit a final financial report and a final performance report (e.g.,
closeout report) within 90 days after the end of the period of performance. After these
reports have been reviewed and approved by FEMA, recipients are given an official
notice that the closeout has been accepted and completed. Any remaining grant funds are
de-obligated. The recipient is responsible for returning any funds that have been drawn
down but remain unspent.
Notwithstanding any provision of other laws, firefighters hired under these grants shall
not be discriminated against, or be prohibited from, engaging in volunteer firefighting
activities in another jurisdiction during off-duty hours.
To the extent possible, recipients should seek, recruit, and appoint women and members
of racial and ethnic minority groups within the applicant’s department.
FEMA strongly encourages applicants, to the extent practicable, to seek, recruit, and hire
military veterans to increase their ranks within their departments.

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