WASHINGTON — To help departments bolster firefighter staffing levels and enhance safety initiatives, FEMA has announced the availability of $396 million through two fire service grant programs for fiscal year 2024.
The agency is offering $360 million through the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program, which provides funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations. The goal: help departments increase or maintain the number of trained firefighters in their communities.
An additional $36 million is available through the Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) grant program, which supports fire prevention efforts and research to improve firefighter safety, health and wellness.
The application period for both programs opens on May 23, 2025, at 9 a.m. ET and closes on July 3, 2025, at 5 p.m. ET.
Supporting staffing and safety goals
The SAFER program is designed to help departments meet NFPA minimum staffing standards, achieve 24-hour coverage, and ensure they can perform their traditional missions effectively. FEMA will award SAFER funding to help departments increase the number of trained firefighters in order to meet industry staffing standards, ensure 24-hour coverage and support their fire protection missions.
Since its inception in 2005, SAFER has awarded approximately $5.2 billion to departments across the country. Previous recipients have credited the program with improving emergency response outcomes. One example: the Medway Fire Department in Massachusetts used $741,443 in SAFER funds to hire four new firefighters. According to Chief Jeff Lynch, the additional staffing enabled faster response times and directly contributed to the successful rescue of a family’s dog during a 2019 house fire.
Investing in prevention and research
The Fire Prevention and Safety grant program supports national, regional and local efforts aimed at reducing fire risk. Eligible applicants include fire departments, nonprofit organizations, academic institutions and research foundations. Funding priorities include public education campaigns, safety equipment distribution, and research into firefighter health risks — such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and behavioral health.
Since 2002, the FP&S program has awarded nearly $900 million. One notable recipient, the Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firemen’s Association (CVVFA), used FP&S funds to create ResponderSafety.com and the Responder Safety Learning Network. The platform offers more than 48 training modules focused on roadway incident response and has reached responders nationwide with PSAs, training videos and survivor stories.
How to apply
Full application guidance and technical assistance documents are available on grants.gov and the FEMA website. FEMA is also hosting webinars for prospective applicants. Information on those sessions can be found on the agency’s SAFER and FP&S program pages.
For questions related to the grant programs, contact:
- Congressional Affairs: FEMA-Congressional-Affairs@fema.dhs.gov
- Intergovernmental Affairs: FEMA-IGA@fema.dhs.gov
- Tribal Affairs: FEMA-Tribal@fema.dhs.gov
- Private Sector Engagement: nbeoc@max.gov
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