Safer Submission

[Attack6]

Submitted my SAFER Grant today. I was #00086. There has not been much talk on here, but lets see how the submission numbers stand thru the end of the grant period. As always, good luck to all, and of course, THANK YOU Kurt Bradley!

[ktb9780]

Submitted my SAFER Grant today. I was #00086. There has not been much talk on here, but lets see how the submission numbers stand thru the end of the grant period. As always, good luck to all, and of course, THANK YOU Kurt Bradley!

My pleasure Tom.

[Pelican631]

I got #28 when I submitted on the 15th.

Andy

[whchief61]

Just submitted mine #00098

[BC79er]

Guessing you're on the R&R side, hiring was only at 102 this morning. Either way pretty sure the numbers were a lot higher with 3 days to go last year. I don't remember myself, was in Basic at Lost-in-the-Woods. Hence the reason I didn't remember a lot of the apps that were written last year, I didn't do but 3 or 4 before I left. My CRS isn't as bad as I thought...

[rands1]

Do you think that there might be a chance of extending the closing date again this year?

[BC79er]

Doubt it, SAFER hasn't been a true staffing solution for most departments, and many major areas where they would have expected apps from aren't submitting since the cities see the long-term costs. After all, if they hire for 2 years and then lay off, they have to pay the unemployment. Don't hire with free money, and no unemployment obligations. Those of us in the know that understaffed increases property damage, injuries, overtime costs, etc, but in the general public's mind those are things that only happen to other people in other areas...

Plus extended AFG didn't do much overall for app count. I didn't mind since we picked up a bunch of extra apps we weren't planning on, splurged a little on the Mrs with it. It won't matter here since a small extension won't help when most larger apps require a Council sign-off and 1-2 weeks won't make a difference there. People are getting tight with their money so they won't even pony up for a match on AFG apps, here on hiring they won't commit to a 3rd year even though it's not required. Guess we'll see on Friday what the numbers end up being but don't see it hitting last year's total at all. Which is a sad statement for R&R, it's 4 years of free money with no layoff obligations at the end of it. Just don't understand why that number isn't over 1,000 at this point...

[bernyjrfd]

Doing the R&R side as well, when we submitted it came through as #00031

[echelonff]

Doing the R&R side as well, when we submitted it came through as #00031

When did you submit? I submitted yesterday evening, and was 00162, but not sure if that means that all SAFER together, including both hiring and R&R? Ours was for R&R.

[bernyjrfd]

When did you submit? I submitted yesterday evening, and was 00162, but not sure if that means that all SAFER together, including both hiring and R&R? Ours was for R&R.

Submitted on the 16th actually, so last week. (Knew I wouldn't have time to finish this week if I left it alone.) So numbers really haven't gone up as much as I figured between then and now. Not sure if its both of them together or just the R&R.

[BC79er]

Each side has different app numbers between the FF and FH.

[echelonff]

Thanks Brian. So, the FF is for R&R then, and the FH is for hiring? Interesting. How many R&R apps were there last year total?

Berny, good luck to you. I would have expected more too.

[BC79er]

Si senor. I don't remember them publishing app stats on SAFER but was only a few hundred R&R, but since most of the dough went to the hiring side not many snuck through. Probably different this year, hiring still wins in terms of priority but no where near the amount of apps like last year. Cities realizing they don't want to just take on unemployment costs knowing they're laying everyone off after 2 years.

[echelonff]

.. since most of the dough went to the hiring side not many snuck through. Probably different this year, hiring still wins in terms of priority but no where near the amount of apps like last year.

But, we (volunteers submitting R&R) are guaranteed at least 10% of SAFER funds per the program guidance, so there's a chance, right?

[BC79er]

Yes, and there's a chance that Eva Longoria wants an older non-pro athlete as a part-time boyfriend and my wife gives me permission to interview for that job....

Just kidding, R&R is a minimum of 10% but once the award questions come out and these larger hiring ones have 30 days to get approval or it's pulled I see a lot more money being recycled into R&R. Both 2008 and 2009 we had R&R apps denied and then 2 weeks later they're calling everyone on the phone to see who wants the money so they could reallocate before the deadline.

[echelonff]

LOL! I hear you there... that makes sense. Maybe we'll win one for the little guys then. It sure seems as though SAFER is targeting the right area, but in the wrong way.

[Squrt69]

Submitted today at 14:00. R&R #253...

[BC79er]

Hiring was almost at 500 earlier this afternoon. Always picks up on the last 24 hours but not seeing either side passing the 1000 mark. Way off from last year.

[SLY4420]

Actually saw #557 on this same date last year for hiring and somehow it shot up (un)expectedly in the final hours. Everybody loves to procrastinate

I agree many cities are bowing out on the hiring grants.

[utfd701]

Just submitted mine at 10:30pm 2/23/12, FF00342