Beginning May 31, 2005, at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time, the Office of State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will begin accepting applications for SAFER grants. The deadline for receipt of the SAFER grant applications will be 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on June 28, 2005.
The applications will be automated and will be accessible from the website for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program at www.firegrantsupport.com www.firegrantsupport.com.
The Website also provides useful information on the program priorities and process that are discussed in the SAFER Program Guidance.
A list of Frequently Asked Questions is being added, and will be updated as the program staff learns the areas of inquiry that are most often presented. An applicant tutorial on the SAFER grant, designed to instruct users on the preparation and submittal of competitive applications, will also be available at www.firegrantsupport.com by Monday, May 30. Applicants who have questions regarding the SAFER grant opportunities should contact the help desk at 1-866-274-0960 or at [email protected]. During the SAFER application period, the help desk will operate Monday to Friday, from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm (EDT), but is prepared to revise hours of operation based on volume and demand.
Eligible applicants for SAFER grants include fire departments (for the hiring of firefighters) and state or local organizations as well as volunteer and combination fire departments (for volunteer recruitment and retention grants). Applicants will note that the SAFER application is very similar in appearance to the
