AFG awards are typically released on Fridays. Check back here regularly for more updates, and visit FEMA’s AFG Awards page to see all winners from this year and previous award periods.
AFG, SAFER, FP&S, and… a potential fire station construction grant?
As we go deeper (and hotter) into summer, here are some updates and news to keep in mind about federal grant programs from FEMA:
One round of AFG fire grant awards came out June 11, 2021, announcing AFG grants for 27 departments
The FEMA GO system has been affected by some technical issues, but FEMA advises that a large number of applications are ready to be funded once issues are resolved.
Additional AFG rounds should be expected around late July or early August.
All AFG award rounds are expected to be announced by the first week of September.
SAFER and FP&S awards are expected to start in August and be completed during September.
Periods of performance date extensions have been given to 2018–2020 grants.
SF-425 financial reports are now available through FEMA GO for 2018, 2019 AFG, SAFER and FP&S and for the 2020 AFG-S. If this relates to your grant, this report needs to be filed in FEMA GO before July 31, 2021.
FEMA is examining November through December 2021 as the next application period for AFG
SAFER and FP&S application periods may open in early 2022.
Current funding levels for FY 2021 Fire Act grants includes: AFG, $414 million; SAFER, $560 million; FP&S, $46 million; EMPG, $ 100 million.
A current bill in Congress has strong support to move forward: This $1 billion dollar fire station construction would fund upgrades and new construction. Our current understanding is this would be similar to a 2009 fire station construction grant. Our expectation is that the grant, if funded and approved by Congress, would favor “shovel-ready” departments, with a cap of $7.5 million per grant. Note, though, that this current legislation is subject to change and has not yet been approved.
FEMA Grant Programs Directorate has issued the following Informational Bulletins (IB) for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Programs (AFGP) award recipients.
IB No. 455A provided a six-month extension to the subset of FY 2018 Fire Prevention and Safety Grant Program awards with a period of performance expiring before December 31, 2021. The NOFO requirements for extensions will apply for any additional extension requests or for those recipients with a period of performance expiring after January 1, 2022.
IB No. 457A provides a six-month extension to the subset of FY 2018 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response awards with a period of performance expiring before December 31, 2021. The NOFO requirements for extensions to the Recruitment and Retention award recipients will apply for any additional extension requests or for those recipients with a period of performance expiring after January 1, 2022.
IB No. 452A provides an additional six-month extension to FY 2018 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program awards. The NOFO requirements for extensions will apply for any additional extension requests.
FEMA will automatically provide the extension to the current end of the period of performance for the grant awards listed in Informational Bulletins. All recipients will be notified with amended award documentation for their files.
In addition, FEMA is delaying the timelines for submitting the required Program Performance Reports for all FY 2018 AFGP award recipients. Please review the applicable IBs for complete details.
For more information, please contact your AFGP Program Preparedness Officer or the AFGP Program Help Desk at [email protected] or (866) 274-0960, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET
AFG awards are typically released on Fridays. Check back here regularly for more updates, and visit FEMA’s AFG Awards page to see all winners from this year and previous award periods.
FEMA authorizes performance extensions for FY 2019 SAFER, FP&S and FY 2020 AFG-S Programs
Wondering about deadlines for FEMA fire grant performance and reporting requirements?
The FEMA Grant Programs Directorate has authorized a 12-month extension to the period of performance for the following grant programs:
Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) awards with an initial period of performance of 12 months.
FY 2019 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) awards with an initial period of performance of 12 months.
FY 2020 Assistance to Firefighters Grant COVID-19 Supplemental (AFG-S) and (AFG-S2) programs.
FEMA will automatically provide the extension to the current end of the period of performance for the grant awards listed in Informational Bulletin (IB) 463. In addition, FEMA is delaying the timelines for required reports, see IB 463 for complete details.
For more information, please contact your AFG Program Preparedness Officer (PO) or the AFG Program Help Desk at [email protected] or (866) 274-0960, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET.
Apply for the FY 2020 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant Program by Mar. 12, 2021
Up to $355M in fire job grants available from FEMA under the FY 2020 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant Program.
The objectives of the SAFER Program are to assist local fire departments with staffing and deployment capabilities to respond to emergencies and assure that communities have adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards.
Local fire departments accomplish this by improving staffing and deployment capabilities, so they may more effectively and safely respond to emergencies. With enhanced staffing levels, recipients should experience a reduction in response times and an increase in the number of trained personnel assembled at the incident scene.
Agencies awarded the FY 2020 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant Program receive funds to recruit and hire firefighters.
Assistance Listings (formerly Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number): 97.083
Grant Deadline: Mar. 12, 2021
300 firefighter job grant awards projected
The Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Staffing for Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant Program (SAFER) is one of 3 grant programs that constitute the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) focus on enhancing the safety of the public and firefighters with respect to fire and fire-related hazards.
The SAFER Program accomplishes this by providing funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations to assist in increasing the number of firefighters to help communities meet industry minimum standards and attain 24-hour staffing to provide adequate fire protection from fire and fire-related hazards, and to fulfill traditional missions of fire departments.
The SAFER Program represents one part of a comprehensive set of measures authorized by Congress and implemented by DHS. Among the 5 basic homeland security missions noted in the DHS Strategic Plan, the SAFER Program supports the goal to Strengthen National Preparedness and Resilience.
In awarding grants, the FEMA Administrator is required to consider:
The findings and recommendations of the Technical Evaluation Panel;
The degree to which an award will reduce deaths, injuries, and property damage by reducing the risks associated with fire-related and other hazards;
The extent of an applicant’s need for a SAFER Program grant and the need to protect the United States as a whole; and,
The number of calls requesting or requiring a firefighting or emergency medical response received by an applicant.
What this grant does for your agency
The objectives of the SAFER Program are to assist local fire departments with staffing and deployment capabilities to respond to emergencies and assure that communities have adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards.
Local fire departments accomplish this by improving staffing and deployment capabilities, so they may more effectively and safely respond to emergencies. With enhanced staffing levels, recipients should experience a reduction in response times and an increase in the number of trained personnel assembled at the incident scene.
Application period opens Monday, Feb. 8, for FY 2020 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program
The FY 2020 SAFER application period will open on Monday, February 8, at 8 a.m. ET and will close on Friday, March 12, at 5 p.m. ET.
SAFER firefighter jobs grant news from FEMA
Start planning your FY 2020 SAFER grant application now by reviewing FEMA’s Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) and application guidance materials. These materials were produced specifically to help potential applicants begin to plan their 2020 grant applications ahead of the application period. These documents can be viewed on the SAFER Program website at FY 2020 SAFER Application Guidance Materials and/or downloaded to your computer:
Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)
Self-Evaluation – Hiring of Firefighters: Career, combination and volunteer fire departments
Self-Evaluation – Recruitment and Retention – Fire Departments: Combination and volunteer fire departments
Self-Evaluation – Recruitment and Retention – Interest Organizations: National, State, Local, or Tribal Volunteer Firefighters Interest Organizations
SAFER Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
FEMA GO Account Creation User Guide
Coming Soon
Applicant Checklist
This checklist will help you prepare to answer questions within the grant application.
Recruitment and Retention – Request Details Description Instructions
This document will provide Recruitment and Retention applicants with a list of the categories and sub-category available in the application as well as information on the level of details needed for each budget line item.
Fire Grants Help Desk: If you have questions about the guidance materials listed above, call or email the Fire Grants Help Desk. The toll-free number is 1-866-274-0960; the e-mail address is for questions is [email protected].The Fire Grants Help Desk is open Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET.
FY 2020 SAFER LIVE WEBINARS
FEMA will host live Adobe Connect webinars to provide an overview of the FY 2020 SAFER grant program. The presentations will outline important information and reminders about cost share requirements, program priorities, eligible costs, how to navigate the grant application, and tips for preparing a SAFER application. FEMA Preparedness Officers will be available to answer your questions.
SAFER Webinar Schedule:
Topic
Day of Week
Date
Time
Conference Line (300 lines max)
FY 2020 SAFER Recruitment and Retention Activity
Tuesday
02/09/2021
1- 3 pm. ET
800-320-4330 Conference Code: 849044
FY 2020 SAFER Hiring of Firefighters Activity
Wednesday
02/10/2021
1- 3 pm. ET
800-320-4330 Conference Code: 849044
FY 2020 SAFER Recruitment and Retention Activity
Wednesday
02/17/2021
1- 3 pm. ET
800-320-4330 Conference Code: 849044
FY 2020 SAFER Hiring of Firefighters Activity
Thursday
02/18/2021
1- 3 pm. ET
800-320-4330 Conference Code: 849044
FY 2020 SAFER Recruitment and Retention Activity
Tuesday
02/23/2021
1- 3 pm. ET
800-320-4330 Conference Code: 849044
FY 2020 SAFER Hiring of Firefighters Activity
Thursday
2/25/2021
1 – 3 pm. ET
800-320-4330 Conference Code: 849044
Live Webinars: Webinar sessions will be broadcast using an Adobe Connect webinar link. We suggest that you save this link to your web browser’s favorites. The Adobe Connect webinar link can be found at https://fema.connectsolutions.com/fy20saferwebinar/
To access the webinar, follow these steps:
Click on the webinar link;
Select “enter as a guest” and provide your name and your department’s name. Click on enter the room;
Agree to the terms of the Adobe Connect system, click on “OK”.
The online SAFER grant application is available through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program’s FEMA GO (FEMA Grants Outcomes) application portal at https://go.fema.gov.
All users must have their own FEMA GO account. Each account is specific to the authorized user and must not be shared with other personnel. A FEMA GO Account Creation User Guide can be viewed on the AFG Program website or downloaded to your computer.
Web Browser Information
FEMA GO will only support the most recent major release of the following browsers:
Google Chrome
Internet Explorer
Mozilla Firefox
Apple Safari
Microsoft Edge
Users who attempt to use tablet type devices or other browsers may encounter issues with using FEMA GO.
SAM.GOV REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED TO APPLY AND RECEIVE GRANTS
All eligible applicants must be registered and active in the System for Award Management (SAM) before you can start an application. Per 2 CFR § 25.205, FEMA may not make an award to an entity until the entity has complied with the requirements to provide a valid DUNS number and maintain an active SAM.gov registration with current information. To register, or validate your SAM.gov information, please visit https://www.sam.gov/SAM/.
SAM.gov Registration Tips:
Please ensure the following items are current in SAM and the DUNS number used in SAM is the same one you use for all FEMA applications:
Organization’s name
Address
Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS)
Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Banking information – type of account (checking or saving), routing number, and account number
The above information should be consistent throughout all registration documents.
Many websites may look official in appearance but are not. As a reminder, registration in the SAM.gov is FREE.
SAM.gov registration is only active for one year and must be renewed annually.
Should you need assistance with your SAM.gov account, there are several ways to get help:
If you have questions or concerns about your SAM.gov registration, please contact the Federal Support desk at https://www.fsd.gov/fsd-gov/home.do.
Submitting Preparer Information
FEMA requires that all applicants identify any individual or organization that assisted with the development, preparation, or review of the application to include drafting or writing the narrative and budget, whether that person, entity, or agent is compensated or not and whether the assistance took place prior to submitting the application. Please ensure that this information is accurate at the time of submission. As a reminder, all applicants must attest that all information contained within the application, including preparer information, to be true, complete, and accurate to the best of your knowledge. If you contract with a grant writer, and they either advise you to not list them in the preparer information section of the application, or refuse to be listed, please notify the SAFER program office.
