CFDA 97.083: Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER)

Objectives

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. The authorizing authority for the program is Section 34 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974, Pub. L. No. 93-498, as amended (15 U.S.C § 2229a). The SAFER Program directly supports Goal 3 of the 2022-2026 FEMA Strategic Plan to Promote and Sustain a Ready FEMA and Prepared Nation. Performance Measures: Grant Recipients: • Number of front-line personnel hired • Number of volunteer firefighters recruited • Number of firefighters retained SAFER Program Office • Number of grants awarded • Number of grants completed

Eligible applicants

This program is restricted to the jurisdictions/organizations described in program guidance documents. In summary, for the purpose of this program, "State" is defined as the fifty States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The Alaska Village Initiative, a nonprofit organization incorporated in the State of Alaska, shall also be considered eligible for purposes of receiving assistance under this program on behalf of Alaska Native villages. A "fire department" is defined as an agency or organization that has a formally recognized arrangement with a State, territory, local, or tribal authority (city, county, parish, fire district, township, town, or other governing body) to provide fire suppression on a first-due basis to a population within a fixed geographical area. Fire departments may be comprised of members who are all volunteer, combination volunteer/career, or all career.

Financial assistance range

Award amounts for the SAFER program vary based on approved project costs, item eligibility, and applicable funding caps. There is no minimum nor maximum funding request. The average previous Hiring Activity awards was $3,253,266 and the lowest award amount was $293,000 while the highest was over $27 million. The average R&R Activity award was $308,960 and the lowest award amount was $5200 while the largest was over $2.8 million.

Reference data sourced from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. The authoritative source for application requirements, deadlines, and award amounts is the official SAM.gov listing linked above. This page is editorial reference, not an official notice.