The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has announced the first round of the FY 2006 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grants, awarding 28 grants totaling $10.8 million to fire departments and districts throughout the United States. The El Dorado Hills (Calif.) Fire Department and Fresno (Calif.) Fire Department each received grants of $931,500. The North Okaloosa (Fla.) Fire Department received a grant of $900,379. For a list of all grant recipients and amounts, go to the SAFER Grant Web site.

The purpose of the SAFER grants is to award grants directly to volunteer, combination and career fire departments to help the departments increase their cadre of firefighters. Ultimately, the goal is for SAFER grantees to enhance their ability to attain 24-hour staffing, ensuring their communities have adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards. The SAFER grants have two activities that will help grantees attain this goal:

1. Hiring of firefighters and
2. Recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters.

The Hiring of Firefighters Activity involves a five-year grant to help fire departments pay a portion of the salaries of newly hired firefighters. These newly hired positions must be in addition to authorized and funded active firefighter positions. Volunteer, combination and non-profit career fire departments are all eligible to apply for assistance in hiring new firefighters. These grants require the awardee to match an increasing proportion of the salary over a four-year period; in the fifth year of the grant, the awardee must absorb the entire cost of any positions awarded as a result of the grant.

The Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity provides assistance to awardees for periods of up to four years. The purpose of these grants is to assist with the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters. Volunteer departments, combination departments, and local or statewide organizations that represent the interests of volunteer firefighters are eligible to apply for assistance under this activity.