FEMA firefighter jobs grants for hiring, recruitment, and retention of paid and volunteer personnel
Over $3 billion in fire jobs grants awarded since 2017
Current application period: FY 2024
We’ll update details on dates, deadlines, and NOFO/grant guidelines once they’re available.
Application period opens
Fri., May 23, 9 a.m. ET
Application deadline
Thur., July 3, 5 p.m. ET
Questions about SAFER or your application?
Our grant consultants are here
Program information
About SAFER fire grants
SAFER is a federal fire services grant program provided via FEMA and DHS. Through SAFER, fire departments nationwide have been able to recruit and hire firefighters. From FY 2017 through FY 2023 alone, SAFER has awarded 2,822 fire jobs grants, totaling $3,384,880,288.
About the FY 2024 SAFER program
- Funding Opportunity Number: DHS-24-GPD-083-00-99
- Assistance Listing Number: 97.083
- Expected Total Funding: $324,000,000
- Anticipated Number of Awards: 300 awards
- Anticipated Funding Selection Date: No later than Aug. 18, 2025
- Anticipated Award Date: Beginning on approximately Aug 18, 2025, and continuing thereafter until all FY 2024 SAFER Program grant awards are issued, but no later than September 30, 2025
Eligible Entities/Entity Types
Only the following entities or entity types are eligible to apply:
- Fire departments
- National, regional, state, local, tribal, and nonprofit interest organizations representing the interests of volunteer firefighters are eligible to receive a SAFER Program award under the R&R Activity
Allowable Project Types
Hiring Activity
The Hiring Activity offers grants to support applications to hire new, additional firefighters (or to change the status of part-time or paid-on-call firefighters to full-time firefighters). National, regional, state, local, Tribal Nation, and nonprofit interest organizations representing the interests of volunteer firefighters are not eligible to receive a SAFER Program award under the Hiring Activity.
R&R Activity
The R&R Activity offers grants to support applications to assist fire departments with the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters who are involved with or trained in the operations of firefighting and emergency response. Career fire departments are not eligible to apply for funding under the R&R Activity.
Things to keep in mind for FY 2024
When applying for FY 2024 SAFER, keep in mind the following considerations should your Fire Service organization receive an award:
- Cost match Year 1 and Year 2: department needs to have 25% per year cost match
- Cost match Year 3: department needs to have a 65% cost match
- FEMA has a cost limit per hired firefighter of $90,000 for Year 1 and Year 2, and a cost limit of $42,000 for Year 3. That is the maximum federal dollars that will be awarded per firefighter
- Minimum budget requirements: In accordance with 15 U.S.C. § 2229a(c)(2), in order to be eligible for SAFER Program funding, applicants are required to certify that their annual budget for fire-related programs and emergency response has not been reduced below 80 percent of the applicant’s average funding level in the 3 years prior to the application date
What does SAFER do?
According to FEMA, “The goal of SAFER is to enhance the local fire departments’ abilities to comply with staffing, response and operational standards established by the NFPA (NFPA 1710 and/or NFPA 1720).”
Since the program’s first awards in 2005, SAFER has provided over $5.2 billion in fire jobs grants for fire departments around the USA, including small, large, rural, and urban departments. This direct funding helps fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations add more firefighters, so that they can:
- Reach industry minimum standards
- Attain 24-hour staffing to provide adequate fire protection from fire and fire-related hazards
- Fulfill traditional missions of fire departments
Additionally, SAFER funds have made it possible for fire departments not only to recruit and hire firefighters, but to:
- Provide critically needed resources that equip and train emergency personnel to recognized standards
- Enhance operational efficiencies
- Foster interoperability, and
- Support community resilience
As of Aug. 23, 2024, under the FY 2023 program, FEMA has awarded 100 SAFER fire jobs grants, totaling $36.4 million.
How to apply
Applicants must set up and maintain an active account in SAM.gov.
To apply for SAFER, use FEMA GO.
Questions about SAFER or your application?
Our grant consultants are here