LoBiondo Announces Open Application Period for SAFER Grants Program

Federal Funds Available for Recruitment, Retention of Firefighters
WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Frank A. LoBiondo (R-2nd) today (Tue., Aug. 17) announced the upcoming open period for local fire departments to apply for federal funding under the Department of Homeland Security’s Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program. The SAFER program provides federal grants to local fire departments to recruit, train and retain firefighters. The application period will run from today thru Friday, September 17, 2010 with awards being announced early next year.
“During this economic recession, we have too often read of funding shortfalls in city and town budgets which threaten the emergency services in the community. The SAFER grant program provides additional options to municipalities to ensure staffing at local fire departments is not jeopardized,” said LoBiondo. “Local communities such as Port Elizabeth and Pleasantville have benefited from the SAFER program in recent years. I strongly encourage the fire departments across South Jersey to take advantage of this critical funding source.”
Similar to the popular Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG) which grants federal funding in one-year grants directly to fire departments to support the nation’s firefighters, the SAFER program will award approximately $420 million in competitive grants to local fire departments specifically for the recruitment and retention of volunteer and professional firefighters. Applications can be found at www.firegrantsupport.com.
The Department of Homeland Security’s Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP) administers both programs in cooperation with the U.S. Fire Administration. For the last eight years, Congressman LoBiondo’s office has hosted local seminars for area fire departments to highlight the benefits of these grant programs.