Assistance to Firefighters Grants Program Frequently Asked Questions

This page addresses frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to the AFG, SAFER and Fire Prevention & Safety programs.

It is not required to indicate a project is a resubmission. However, applicants can address in the Appendix how they adapted the proposal to address reviewer comments from a previous year. This information is generally helpful to the reviewers. Both review panels are able to view these comments in the Appendix.

The FP&S Program is separated into two activities:

  • FP&S Activity: Provides federal financial assistance to fire departments and national, regional, state, local, federally recognized tribal, or nonprofit interest organizations that are recognized for their experience and expertise in fire prevention and safety programs to reach high-risk target groups and mitigate the incidence of death and injuries caused by fire and fire-related hazards. Applicants may apply for up to three separate projects within this activity. The period of performance for projects funded under the FP&S Activity is generally 12 months. Eligible applicants who propose complex projects, such as those under the National/State/Regional Programs and Projects category, may apply for up to a 24-month period of performance from the date of award. Eligible project categories include:
    • Community Risk Reduction (Smoke Alarms, Sprinkler Awareness, Risk Assessments, Public Education, Training, General Prevention/Awareness, Juvenile Fire Setter Projects);
    • Wildfire Risk Reduction;
    • Code Enforcement/Awareness;
    • Fire & Arson Investigation; and
    • National/State/Regional Programs and Projects.

Applicants requesting a Risk Assessment project are precluded from applying for or being awarded additional projects. All applicants are subject to a 5% cost share.

  • Firefighter Safety R&D Activity: Provides funding to national, state, local, federally recognized tribal, and non- profit organizations, such as academic (e.g., universities), public health, occupational health, and injury prevention institutions to improve firefighter safety, health, or well-being through research and development that reduces firefighter fatalities and injuries. Fire departments are not eligible to apply for funding in this Activity. Applicants may apply for up to three separate projects within this activity. The period of performance is 12, 24 or 36 months from the date of award. Proposed projects must address the potential for a successful research outcome to be implemented in the fire service and reduce firefighter fatalities or injuries. Eligible project categories include:
    • Clinical Studies;
    • Technology and Product Development;
    • Database System Development;
    • Preliminary Studies; and
    • Early Career Investigator.

All applicants are subject to a 5% cost share.

The FY 2021 SAFER Program NOFO contains changes to definitions, descriptions, and priority categories, including:

  • Under Applicant Eligibility Criteria (page 6)
    • Added information on application submittal and Authorized Organization Representatives
  • Under Narrative Evaluation Criteria (page 20)
    • Added information on the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) review of Narrative Statements
  • Under Programmatic Performance Reporting Requirements (page 28)
    • Changed the reporting frequency of Performance Progress Report from every three months to every six months
  • Under Grant Writer/Preparation Fees (page 68)
    • Added information on allowability of grant writer fees

Applications will only be accepted between 8 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) on Monday, January 3, 2022 and 5 p.m. ET on Friday, February 4, 2022. FEMA GO automatically records proof of timely submission and the system generates an electronic date/time stamp when FEMA GO successfully receives the application. The individual with the Authorized Organization Representative role that submitted the application will also receive the official date/time stamp and a FEMA GO tracking number in an email serving as proof of their timely submission on the date and time that FEMA GO received the application.

Applications not received by the application submission deadline will not be accepted. Applicants using unreliable internet connections, such as dial-up connections, should be aware that submission can take some time before FEMA GO receives your application.

Applicants who experience system-related issues will be addressed until 3 p.m. ET on Friday, February 4, 2022. No new system-related issues will be addressed after this deadline.

The only eligible expenses are the salary and associated benefits (actual payroll expenses) for the positions funded under the SAFER Program grant. Costs are reimbursable if they are included as part of the standard package, available to all operational firefighter positions, contractually obligated, and reimbursed via payroll. Compensation for a firefighter’s normal, contracted work schedule is reimbursable, but overtime costs are not eligible for reimbursement by the SAFER Program grant award (including overtime for holdovers, extra shifts, to attend training, etc.). Only costs for overtime that the fire department routinely pays as a part of the base salary or a firefighter’s regularly scheduled and contracted shift hours, in order to comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act, are eligible.

The available funding for the FY 2023 AFG is $324 million.

The total amount appropriated under the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2023, Pub. L. No. 117-328 is $360 million. However, to meet the statutory requirements of § 33 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974, as amended (codified at 15 U.S.C. § 2229), $36 million (or 10%) of these “available grant funds” will be allocated to the FY 2023 Fire Prevention and Safety Program, which will have a separate funding notice and application period.

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