Staffing for adequate fire and emergency response (SAFER)

The City of Dyer, Tennessee received a $250,900 Project Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Headquarters Financial Assistance Awards under the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program (CFDA 97.083), awarded December 19, 2025, with completion expected December 18, 2029. This grant supports firefighter staffing initiatives, specifically funding the hiring of frontline firefighters and recruitment and retention efforts for volunteer firefighters to help the municipality meet industry minimum standards and maintain adequate 24-hour emergency response capacity.

The SAFER program operates as a merit-based competitive grant initiative that prioritizes communities' ability to attain industry-standard staffing levels to provide adequate fire and fire-related hazard protection. Awards are assessed through a multi-phase selection process involving pre-scoring against program priorities, peer review on project narrative quality and cost-benefit analysis, and internal FEMA evaluation of technical feasibility and financial integrity. This award represents one of two recent SAFER Project Grants awarded to the City of Dyer within the FY 2025-2026 funding cycle, reflecting the municipality's sustained focus on strengthening local emergency response capacity through federal staffing support.