Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant Program

Background
The Fiscal Year 2025 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant Program is administered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The SAFER Program aims to enhance public safety by providing financial assistance to fire departments and volunteer firefighter organizations to increase the number of frontline firefighters. This initiative supports communities in meeting industry standards, achieving 24-hour staffing, and ensuring adequate protection from fire hazards. Since its inception in 2005, the SAFER Program has awarded approximately $6.1 billion in grants.

Grant Details
The SAFER grants support two main activities:

1) Hiring of Firefighters - providing funds to fire departments for hiring new firefighters or converting part-time or paid-on-call firefighters to full-time positions. National, regional, state, local, Tribal Nation, and nonprofit organizations representing volunteer firefighters are not eligible for this activity.

2) Recruitment and Retention (R&R) of Volunteer Firefighters - assisting fire departments in recruiting and retaining volunteer firefighters trained in firefighting and emergency response operations. Career fire departments are not eligible for funding under this activity. The program prohibits funding for projects covered under a department's normal operating budget or for lobbying activities.

Eligibility Requirements
Eligible applicants include fire departments and national, regional, state, local, tribal, and nonprofit organizations representing volunteer firefighters. Subapplicants are not allowed. Applicants must certify that their annual budget for fire-related programs has not been reduced below 80% of their average funding level over the past three years.

Period of Performance
The period of performance varies by activity: Hiring Activity grants have a maximum period of performance of 36 months with a default 180-day recruitment period. R&R Activity grants can have periods of performance of 12, 24, 36, or 48 months with a default 90-day recruitment period.

Grant Value
The total expected funding for the FY 2025 SAFER Grant Program is $324 million with an anticipated number of awards totaling approximately 190.

Place of Performance
The grant activities will be performed across various geographic locations as determined by the eligible applicants.