The Department of Homeland Security will begin accepting applications for FY 2009 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Services, or SAFER, Grants beginning Nov. 16 at 8 a.m. EST. The application period will remain open until Dec. 18 at 5 p.m. EST. The automated applications will be accessible on the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program's SAFER Grants page.

The grants were reauthorized on Oct. 13 under H.R. 3791, the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2009. The provisions in H.R. 3791 are based on a series of policy recommendations that were agreed to by the National Volunteer Fire Council and other national fire service organizations, said David Finger, the NVFC director of government relations. Finger said the SAFER program has approximately $210 million available for grants to fire departments for hiring personnel and to fire departments and regional and state fire associations to implement volunteer recruitment and retention programs.

"Fire departments should apply for these grants in order to support hiring and recruitment goals," Finger said.

According to Finger and the NVFC, the SAFER grants:

• Make national organizations eligible to apply for SAFER recruitment and retention funds.
• Reduce the length of SAFER hiring grants from four to three years.
• Reduce the matching requirement for SAFER hiring grants to 20% each year. Under current law, the local match is low in the first year and increases in each successive year.
• Eliminate the $100,000 cap per firefighter hired using SAFER funds.
• Allow the Grants Preparedness Directorate to waive the matching requirement for fire departments that can demonstrate financial hardship.