SAFER: Time To Go

[onebugle]

Even though I have not read the entire PG; one new change just rubs me the wrong way.

No retention commitment: Grantees that are hiring firefighters—whether they be rehires, new hires, or retained firefighters—do not have to commit to retaining the SAFER-funded firefighters beyond the period of performance. However, no firefighter layoffs are permitted—of either SAFER-funded on non-SAFER firefighters—during the grant's period of performance

What is the point of funding such positions when communities no longer have any financial requirement to fund these positions in future years. What once was a graduated 5 year program requiring community funding, to a 1 year requirement following the 2 year grant to now just don't lay off anyone during the POP.

It's time to use the SAFER funds in a manner that best supports the fire service. It's time to eliminate the program and transfer the funds to the AFG where the funds will be better served to provide better equipment and apparatus for the fire service.

[islandfire03]

I just saw that in the e-mail they sent out today> WTF is the incentive to do anything other than suck on the govt teat for the POP & then dump all the newly hired & trained staff by the wayside?
Nothing more than welfare. There is no financial responsibility put on the department anymore to fulfill any part of this program.

[ffp20]

Hell......wtf???? I still have a 2010 hiring app that we've heard nothing on. No questions, no dj....just nothing. Will they still award a 2010 app when the 2011 period is open?

[EastKyFF]

Why no retention? Because the program is no longer intended to improve safety for communities. It is intended only to get past the next election so that Obama et al can tout their successes in preserving firefighter jobs.

THAT is why. That is also why R&R for volunteers scores so low--volunteers don't have the political clout, so nobody really cares if we get anything.

[Station 49]

I don't even see a reason to apply this year. We want to make some FTE positions available, but there's no way we're even going to be competitive with only a 10% minimum grant threshold for volunteer departments and 15% minimum for hiring new firefighters. Until O'Bummer is gone, there's little hope of SAFER being anything more than a giant welfare program for big city mayors who use firefighter and cop layoffs to balance their budget and then expect taxpayers all across the country to pick up the slack for them.

[EastKyFF]

I don't even see a reason to apply this year. We want to make some FTE positions available, but there's no way we're even going to be competitive with only a 10% minimum grant threshold for volunteer departments and 15% minimum for hiring new firefighters. Until O'Bummer is gone, there's little hope of SAFER being anything more than a giant welfare program for big city mayors who use firefighter and cop layoffs to balance their budget and then expect taxpayers all across the country to pick up the slack for them.

You are so incredibly right.