DHS’s SAFER Grant provides financial assistance to help fire departments increase frontline firefighters. SAFER authorizes grants to career, volunteer and combination departments and will be awarded on the basis of need through a competitive, peer-reviewed process. Grant funds cannot be used to supplant, but must instead supplement local funds.
DHS is accepting applications for the FFY 2017 SAFER Program through April 27, 2018. The awards will be announced on a rolling basis starting July 1, 2018 and it is anticipated that all awards will be made no later than September 30, 2018. Under the SAFER grant program, DHS offers the opportunity to apply for two different grant options, a Hiring program as well as a Recruitment and Retention of Volunteers program. FREM respectfully requests permission to submit an application under the Hiring category for the FFY 2017 SAFER opportunity.
Under the hiring of firefighters category, SAFER will provide up to three years of funding to cover the salary and fringe benefits associated with the hiring of firefighters. Grant recipients are required to contribute non-federal funds subject to a position cost limit and/or a cost share limit. For the position cost limit, the amount of federal funding is limited to:
- in the first and second years of the grant, 75% percent of the usual annual costs of the locality’s first-year firefighter at the time the grant application was submitted; and
- in the third year of the grant, 35% of the usual annual costs of the locality’s first-year firefighter at the time the grant application was submitted.
The position cost limit must be compared to the cost share requirement. Subject to the position cost limit, the federal portion of the costs of hiring new SAFER firefighters may not exceed:
- 75% of the actual costs incurred in the first and second years of the grant; and
- 35% of the actual costs incurred in the third year of the grant.
Therefore, the grant recipient is required to contribute at least the following in non-federal funds:
- 25% of the actual costs incurred in each of the first and second years of the grant; and
- 65% of the actual costs incurred in the third year of the grant.
In addition to the local cost share for personnel, the locality must pay for any operational costs associated with hiring new positions to include physicals, uniforms, training, personal protective equipment (PPE), and overtime (except overtime costs routinely paid as a part of the base salary or the firefighter’s regularly scheduled and contracted shift hours in order to comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act).
The locality does not have to commit to retaining these positions beyond the three year grant period. However, no firefighter layoffs are permitted, of either SAFER funded or non-SAFER firefighters during the grant’s period of performance. Additionally, operational staffing levels at the time of the award must be maintained throughout the grant’s period of performance. A default 180 day recruitment period begins when DHS approves a grant application for funding. The three year period of performance automatically starts after the 180 day recruitment period ends regardless of whether or not the grant recipient has successfully hired the requested firefighters. A locality can submit a grant adjustment notice to move up the start of the period of performance but cannot submit a request to defer the start of the period of performance. Extensions to the period of performance will not be permitted.
FREM is requesting permission to submit an application requesting funding for 10 additional Firefighter 24/7 positions. These additional positions will improve FREM’s staffing levels to attain a more effective level of response and provide for a safer incident scene.
If approved, the SAFER application would request $1,149,274 in federal funds for salary and benefits for these positions. The County would need to provide an estimated $990,828 in local funds over three years to cover the additional personnel costs, physicals, personal protective equipment (PPE), uniforms, training, and overtime associated with their shift hours. FREM anticipates that the majority of the operational costs can be covered through their Aid to Locality funding. Although not required, if the County opted to retain these positions after the grant award expired, the estimated annual cost is $735,135 for salary, benefits, and operational costs.
If the grant application was approved for funding, the table below summarizes the anticipated federal and local costs associated with the SAFER award:
The above table assumes an annual salary increase of 2% for COLA. Average health insurance is calculated at $11,337 for FY 2019 with an anticipated 5% increase for each fiscal year thereafter. Rates for VRS are calculated at 9.58% for FY 2019 through FY 2023. VRS Insurance rates are calculated at 1.31% for FY 2019 through FY 2023. Workmen's comp is calculated at 3.82% for FY 2019, 4.02% for FY 2020, 4.22% for FY 2021, 4.42% for FY 2022, and 4.62% for FY 2023. Retirement disability is maintained at .59% for FY 2019 through FY 2023. This table does not take into consideration any additional costs associated with additional overtime above that which is allowed by the grant program, certification pay increases, or promotions.
If SAFER funding is received, the County would be eligible to renegotiate the award.