APPLICATION PERIOD FOR THE FY 2018 STAFFING FOR ADEQUATE FIRE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE (SAFER) GRANT IS OPEN

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 SAFER Grant application period is now open and will close on Friday, March 22 at 5:00 p.m. ET. We recommend that you start your application today by reviewing the FY 2018 SAFER Application Technical Assistance Tools. These tools were produced specifically to help potential applicants plan their FY 2018 SAFER applications.

Please make sure that you have thoroughly reviewed the FY 2018 SAFER Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), prior to beginning your application. The SAFER Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) should also be reviewed as they provide more detailed information and explanations. As you begin to develop the narrative portion of your application, the Self-Evaluation tools will be beneficial as the peer reviews will use them when scoring your application. If you are applying for a Recruitment and Retention Activity Grant, the Request Details Description Instructions will be extremely important when completing the application.

• Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)
• Economic Hardship Waivers
• SAFER Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• Application Checklist
  • This checklist will help you prepare your SAFER grant application
• Self-Evaluation – Hiring of Firefighters
  • Career, combination, and volunteer fire departments
• Self-Evaluation – Recruitment and Retention – Fire Departments
  • Combination and volunteer fire departments
• Self-Evaluation – Recruitment and Retention – Interest Organizations
  • National, State, Local, or Tribal Volunteer Firefighters Interest Organizations
• Recruitment and Retention – Request Details Description Instructions
  • This document will provide Recruitment and Retention applicants with a list of the categories and sub-category available in the application as well as information on the level of details needed for each budget line item.

SAFER Grants Help Desk: If you have questions about the technical assistance tools listed below, call or e-mail the SAFER Grants help Desk. The toll-free number is 1-866-274-0960; the e-mail address for questions is [email protected].

FY 2018 SAFER LIVE WEBINARS

FEMA will host live Adobe Connect webinars to provide an overview of the FY 2018 SAFER Grant Program, including both the Hiring of Firefighters activity and the Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters activity. The presentations will outline important information and reminders about cost share requirements (hiring activity), program priorities, eligible costs, how to navigate the grant application, and tips for preparing a SAFER application. FEMA Fire Program Specialists will be available to answer your questions.

SAFER Webinar Schedule:

Live Webinars:

To participate: Webinar sessions will be broadcast using an Adobe Connect webinar link with call-in phone number for audio transmission. We suggest that you save this link to your browser’s favorites. The Adobe Connect webinar can be found at https://fema.connectsolutions.com/fy2018safer/

To access the webinar follow these steps:

1. Click on the webinar link
2. Select “enter as a guest” and provide your name and your department’s name. Click on enter the room
3. Agree to the terms of the Adobe Connect system, Click on “OK”

For the audio transmission, the call-in number is: 1-800-320-4330. Enter pin 223598 followed by #.

Not sure if the webinar is working on your computer? Test your webinar access now by signing in as a guest, just visit: https://fema.connectsolutions.com/fy2018safer/

SAM.GOV REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED TO APPLY AND RECEIVE GRANTS

The FY 2018 SAFER application period will open Friday, February 15 at 8:00am ET. All eligible applicants must be registered and active in the System for Award Management (SAM) before you can submit an application. Per 2 CFR § 25.205, FEMA may not make an award to an entity until the entity has complied with the requirements to provide a valid DUNS number and maintain an active SAM.gov registration with current information. SAM.gov consolidates federal procurement systems and the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA). To register, or validate your information, please visit: https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/

SAM.gov Registration Tips:

Please ensure the following items are current in SAM and the DUNS number used in SAM is the same one you use for all FEMA applications:

• Organization’s name
• Address
• Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS)
• Employer Identification Number (EIN)
• Banking information (type of account (checking or saving), routing number, and account number
• Many websites may look official in appearance but are not. As a reminder, registration in the SAM.gov is FREE
• SAM.gov registration is only active for one year and must be renewed annually.
• This information should be consistent in all registration documents

Should you need assistance with your SAM.gov account, there are several ways to get help:

• Submit your SAM.gov question online to the Federal Service Help Desk at https://www.fsd.gov/fsd-gov/home.do
• Call the Federal Service Help Desk toll free at 1-866-606-8220
• SAM Quick Start Guide For New Grantee Registration and SAM Video Tutorial for New Applicants are tools created by the General Services Administration to assist those registering with the System for Award Management (SAM).

If you have questions or concerns about your SAM.gov registration, please contact the Federal Support desk at https://www.fsd.gov

SUBMITTING PREPARER INFORMATION

FEMA requires that all applicants disclose the name, address and contact information of the person or organization, to include contracted grant writers, who are responsible for preparing the SAFER application. Please ensure that this information is accurate at the time of submission. As a reminder, all applicants must attest that all information contained within the application, including preparer information, to be true, complete, and accurate to the best of your knowledge. If you contract with a grant writer, and they either refuse, or provide advice to not list them in the preparer information section of the application, please notify the SAFER program office.

WEB BROWSER REMINDERS

• For best results, use Internet Explorer when completing your online SAFER application. Alternate browsers, such as Chrome, Firefox and Safari, may have limited functionality in the application.
• Avoid opening multiple web browsers or multiple windows when completing and submitting your SAFER application; this has caused technical problems for some users.
• There are several known problems entering application information using non-IE browsers or having multiple browsers open, including but not limited to:
  • system failure to recognize correct information
  • system failure to capture and retain correct information
  • system functions like “cut and paste” being disabled

ISSUES – SPECIAL CHARACTERS IN USERNAME AND PASSWORDS

Applicants may receive password error messages when entering their digital signature in the Assurances and Certifications section of the application and on the Application Submission page. To avoid this issue in your application, if your password contains any special characters (!@#$%^&*()?=+;:), you will need to change your password to remove the characters and include letters and numbers only.

If you need assistance with changing your password, call or e-mail the SAFER Grants Help Desk. The toll-free number is 1-866-274-0960; the e-mail address for questions is [email protected].

If your username contains the @ symbol, you may experience issues locating your FY 2018 SAFER application once it has been started. If your username include the @ symbol, please contact the SAFER Grants Help Desk. Do not attempt to start a new FY 2018 SAFER application after you have already started one.k to edit this placeholder text.

GRANT CLOSEOUT REQUIREMENTS

The FY 2013 closeout module for the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) is now available. The module was deployed on February 13, 2019. If you received funding for a FY 2013 SAFER award, the closeout reports will be due as outlined:

1. If your grant period of performance expired before February 13, 2019, you will have 90 days from February 13, 2019 to submit your closeout report. The due date for the closeout report will be no later than May 14, 2019.
2. If your period of performance has not yet expired, or expired after February 13, 2019, your closeout report will be due within 90 days from the end of the period of performance.

If you require assistance with your closeout report, please review the closeout tutorial (https://www.fema.gov/closeout-report-tutorial-closeout-report-sections) or call the AFGP Help Desk at 1-866-274-0960.

If you have questions, please contact the AFG Help Desk below.

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