Staffing for Adequate Fireand Emergency Response(SAFER) Hiring ActivityFEMA Grant Application Get Ready Guide 2011 FEMA logo Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG) SAFER Hiring GrantsGrant Application Get Ready Guide 2011Prepare for your grant application todayThe Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program’s (AFG) • What percentage of time does your department meet Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response those assembly requirements with your current staffing (SAFER) application period will be opening soon. This levels? What percentage of time do you anticipate that handy guide will give you a kick-start in preparing your grant your department will meet that same standard with the application and to help you thoroughly answer all the grant additional or restored staffing requested in this application questions. application? The purpose of the Hiring grants is to improve or restore • What is the average, actual staffing level on your first local fire departments’ staffing and deployment capabilities arriving engine company or vehicle capable of initiating so they may more effectively respond to emergencies. suppression activities with your current staffing levels? With the enhanced or restored staffing, a SAFER grantee’s What do you anticipate the average level will be with the response time will be reduced sufficiently and an appropriate additional or restored staffing requested in this number of trained personnel will be assembled at the application? incident scene. • If requesting funding to rehire laid-off firefighters and/ or retain firefighters facing layoff, copies of the layoff Additional Department Information – Use this section notices will be requested at time of application. to start gathering information that will be required for the application so you are ready when the application Be prepared to thoroughly explain, document, and provide period opens.background information on the following five areas as part of your narrative statement: Be prepared to thoroughly address this information: • Project Description• Have you discussed this application and its long-term • Impact on Daily Operations obligations with your governing body? Is your governing body willing to accept this long-term commitment?• Financial Need• Total number of authorized and funded active, full-time • Cost Benefit uniformed/operational career positions employed by your • Performance department as of January 1, 2008, June 30, 2011 and at time of application.Answering the following questions within each of the above • Total number of operational career positions assigned five areas will help you formulate a comprehensive narrative to field or response apparatus positions that directly statement. support NFPA 1710 or NFPA 1720 as of January 1, 2008, June 30, 2011 and at time of application. • What NFPA standard and assembly requirements is your department attempting to meet? Images of firefighters fighting fires Project Description • What type of “hiring” are you requesting? Rehire, retention, attrition, and/or new hires? • If applying for rehire, retention, or attrition, when and why did the vacancies occur? How have the vacancies affected the service to the community? • How will the requested positions be used within the department? • What is the specific benefit these firefighters provide to your department(s) or community? • How will the grant enhance the department’s ability to protect critical infrastructure? Impact on Daily Operations • What effect does your current staffing level have on fireground operations and/or safety? How are your community and firefighters at risk without the requested firefighters? • What effects will the increased staffing/retention, if funded, have on future fireground operations and/or safety? • What impact will the newly funded positions have on NFPA and/or OSHA compliance? Financial Need • Why do you need Federal financial assistance? • What is your current organizational budget? • What are your current and future, if any, funding issues? • What other funding actions have you taken to meet your staffing needs? FEMA logo SAFER Seal 2011 Cost Benefit • What benefit(s) will your department and/or your community gain if the project described is funded (e.g., anticipated savings and/or efficiencies)? Performance • If applicable, do you have a proven track record for timely project completion and satisfactory performance in other AFG, FP&S, and SAFER awards? Coming Soon: Watch the AFG Web site www.fema.gov/firegrants for the SAFER Self-Evaluation tool, which will help you rate your own SAFER application narrative. Questions regarding the SAFER Grants can be directed to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Grant Programs Directorate (GPD) AFG Program staff at 1-866-274-0960 or e-mail firegrants@dhs.gov.