USA: Alabama; Alaska; Arizona; Arkansas; California; Colorado; Connecticut; Delaware; Florida; Georgia; Hawaii; Idaho; Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Kansas; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maine; Maryland; Massachusetts; Michigan; Minnesota; Mississippi; Missouri; Montana; Nebraska; Nevada; New Hampshire; New Jersey; New Mexico; New York City; New York; North Carolina; North Dakota; Ohio; Oklahoma; Oregon; Pennsylvania; Rhode Island; South Carolina; South Dakota; Tennessee; Texas; Utah; Vermont; Virginia; Washington, DC; Washington; West Virginia; Wisconsin; Wyoming
USA Territories: American Samoa (USA); Guam (USA); Puerto Rico (USA); Virgin Islands (USA); Northern Mariana Islands (USA)
Grants to USA and territories fire departments, tribes, and tribal organizations to increase the number of firefighters available in communities throughout the nation. Applicants are advised that required registrations may take at least four weeks to complete. Funding is intended to enable fire departments to hire new, additional firefighters, to rehire laid off firefighters, and to retain firefighters facing layoff, as well as to recruit and retain volunteer firefighters. The purpose of the program is to assist fire departments in responding to emergencies and to assure that communities have adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards.
The SAFER Program supports the goal to Strengthen National Preparedness and Resilience. In awarding grants, the FEMA Administrator is required to consider:
The goal of SAFER is to enhance the local fire departments' abilities to comply with staffing, response and operational standards established by the NFPA (NFPA 1710 and/or NFPA 1720). For details, review the National Fire Protection Association's codes and standards (https://www.nfpa.org/freeaccess).
The SAFER Program supports the goal of Readying the Nation for Catastrophic Disasters.
For funding priorities, see https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_afg-safer-2021-nofo.pdf#page=51.
Estimated Total Program Funding:
Number of Grants:
Period of Performance: 12-48 months
- Hiring of Firefighters (Hiring) Activity: The period of performance for applications funded under the Hiring Activity will be 36 months.
- Recruitment and Retention (R&R) Activity: The period of performance for pplications funded under the R&R Activity will be 12, 24, 36 or 48 months.
Extensions to the period of performance are allowed.
- Projected Period of Performance Start Date(s): June 1, 2022 (will vary based on award date and activity type)
- Projected Period of Performance End Date(s): May 31, 2023 – May 31, 2026 (will vary based on award date and activity type)
For further details on period of performance, see https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_afg-safer-2021-nofo.pdf#page=26.
Apply Online: https://go.fema.gov/login?redirect=%2F
For programmatic or grants management questions, please contact your Preparedness Officer or Grants Management Specialist. If applicants do not know who to contact or if there are programmatic questions or concerns, please contact the SAFER Program Help Desk by phone at (866) 274-0960 or by e-mail at FireGrants@fema.dhs.gov.
For technical assistance with the FEMA GO system, please contact the FEMA GO Help Desk at FEMAGO@fema.dhs.gov or (877) 585-3242.
Fire Program Specialists in FEMA’s regions respond to questions about the program and conduct grant monitoring activities. To reach regional contacts, see: https://www.fema.gov/contact-us.