Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant Program provides funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter organizations to increase the number of firefighters. This funding supports communities in meeting industry standards, achieving 24-hour staffing, and ensuring adequate protection from fire hazards while supporting the traditional missions of fire departments. SAFER offers grants to support activities in two activities:

1. Hiring of Firefighters

2. Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters

Guidance documents such as application tutorials, Self-Evaluation Guides, and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are also provided to further explain the current SAFER Program, assist with the online grant application, and highlight lessons learned and changes for FY2025. For more details, please visit the SAFER Program website.

Eligibility

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 Recruitment and Retention (R&R) Activity. This includes:

• Federally recognized Native American tribal governments
• City or township governments
• County governments
• Nonprofits non-higher education with 501(c)(3)

Volunteer and combination fire departments may apply for both the Hiring Activity and the R&R Activity, but they must submit separate applications for each.

Match Requirement

For Hiring Activity grants, applicants selected for this award must commit to an acceptable cost share agreement. Otherwise, they will not be funded.

For R&R Activity grants, there is no cost share requirement.

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted to FEMA's grant platform, FEMA GO. There are user guides for FEMA GO available here.

Contact

The Fire Grants Program Help Desk provides technical assistance to applicants for the online completion and submission of applications into FEMA Grants Outcomes (FEMA GO), answers questions concerning applicant eligibility, recipient responsibilities, and helps in the programmatic administration of awards. The Fire Grants Program Help Desk can be contacted at (866) 274-0960 or by email at FireGrants@fema.dhs.gov. Normal hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET.

Fire Program Specialists in FEMA’s regions respond to questions about the program and conduct grant monitoring activities. View regional contacts.

Deadline

The application deadline is 5pm on June 22, 2026.