The SAFER FY 2011 application period will open on Jan. 30 and close on Feb. 24 at 5 p.m. ET, according to FEMA.
The goal of the SAFER Grants is to assist local fire departments with staffing and deployment capabilities in order to respond to emergencies, assuring communities have adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards.
Some of the highlights of the FY2011 program are:
*Salary limits: There are no annual salary limits
*Grantee cost share: There is no prescribed cost-share
*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
*Period of performance: For the Hiring of Firefighters Category grants, the period of performance has been reduced to 2 years.
*Attrition of firefighters: FY 2011 grantees who are unable to back-fill firefighting positions that are vacated due to documentable economic hardship may petition FEMA for a waiver of staffing maintenance requirements. To qualify for this waiver, the economic hardship must affect the entire public safety sector in the jurisdiction and not only the fire department.
*Hiring of Firefighters Category: The priorities for funding will be as follows:
1. First priority: Rehiring laid-off firefighters
2. Second priority: Retention of firefighters who face imminent layoff and/or filling positions vacated through attrition but not filled due to economic circumstances
3. Third priority: Hiring new firefighters
