Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Recruitment and Retention ActivityFEMA Grant Application Get Ready Guide 2011 FEMA logo Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG) SAFER Recruitment and Retention GrantsGrant Application Get Ready Guide 2011Prepare for your grant application todayThe Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program’s (AFG) • Project DescriptionStaffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response • Impact on Daily Operations(SAFER) application period will be opening soon. This handy guide will give you a kick-start in preparing your grant • Financial Needapplication and to help you thoroughly answer all the grant • Cost Benefit application questions. • PerformanceThe purpose of the Recruitment and Retention grants is to assist fire departments and/or statewide or local volunteer Answering the following questions within each of the above firefighter interest organizations with the recruitment and five areas will help you formulate a comprehensive narrative retention of volunteer firefighters who are involved with, statement. or trained in, the operations of firefighting and emergency response. These grants are intended to create a net Project Description increase in the number of trained, certified, and competent • What recruitment and/or retention problems or issues firefighters capable of safely responding to emergencies have you identified?within the grantee’s geographic response area. • How will recruitment of new volunteer firefighters and/or Additional Department Information - Use this section retention of current volunteer firefighters impact your to start gathering information that will be required for operational needs or capabilities? the application so you are ready when the application • What specific benefits will these firefighters provide to period opens. your department(s) or community? • What is your specific recruitment and/or retention plan? Be prepared with the following statistics: • What types of “recruiting/retention” items are you • Ideal number of active volunteer firefighters needed to requesting (e.g., insurance, classes, incentives, etc? adequately comply with the NFPA standard your How did you determine the costs? department is attempting to meet. • How will the activities being requested address your • Current number of volunteer members in your identified needs? department or organization. • If you are a statewide or local volunteer firefighter • Number of active volunteer firefighters that joined your interest organization or a fire department submitting a department or organization over the last three years, and regional request, a list of participating fire departments number of active volunteer firefighters that left your and/or organizations that will benefit from the regional department or organization over the last three years. project will need to be included. Be prepared to thoroughly explain, document, and provide background information on the following five areas as part of your narrative statement: Images of firefighters fighting fires 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? • What effects will the increased staffing/retention, if funded, have on future fireground operations and/or safety? • What special needs are required to serve your community (e.g., special hazards, geographical areas, etc.)? 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? Cost Benefit • What benefit(s) will your department and/or your community realize if the project described is funded (e.g., anticipated savings and/or efficiencies)? • If funded, what are the long-term values of the staffing/ retention for your department and/or organization? • Is there a high benefit for the cost incurred? Are the costs reasonable? Provide justification for the budget items relating to the cost of the requested items. FEMA logo SAFER Seal 2011 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.