What type of firefighter positions will be funded under the Hiring Activity?

Grants awarded under the Hiring Activity enable all volunteer, combination, and career fire departments to restore staffing levels to attain a more effective level of response and a safer incident scene. FEMA awards Hiring Activity grants directly to volunteer, combination, and career fire departments to help fire departments increase their cadre of frontline firefighters by providing financial assistance in three categories:

• Rehire: Rehiring firefighters who were laid off within the two years prior to the start of the application period
• Retention: Retaining firefighters facing imminent layoff – within 120 days of the close of the application period
• New Hire: Hire new, additional firefighters