FY_2018_SAFER_NOFO_Final_Updated_App_Dates_508.pdf

FY 2018 SAFER NOFO

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

FY 2018 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER)

NOTE: If you are going to apply for this funding opportunity and have not obtained a

Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and/or are not currently registered in the System for Award Management (SAM), please take immediate action to obtain a

DUNS Number, if applicable, and then to register immediately in SAM. It may take 4 weeks or more after you submit your SAM registration before your registration is active in SAM, then an additional 24 hours for Grants.gov to recognize your information.

Information on obtaining a DUNS number and registering in SAM is available from

Grants.gov at: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html. Detailed information regarding DUNS and SAM is also provided in Section D of this NOFO, subsection, Content and Form of Application Submission.

A. Program Description

Issued By

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency

(FEMA), Grant Programs Directorate (GPD)

Assistance Listings (formerly Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA)

Number

97.083

Assistance Listings Title

Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER)

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Title Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER)

NOFO Number

DHS-18-GPD-083-000-99

Authorizing Authority for Program

Section 34 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (Pub. L. No. 93-498, as amended) (15 U.S.C. § 2229a)

Appropriation Authority for Program

Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2018 (Pub. L. No. 115-141)

Program Type

New http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html

Program Overview, Objectives, and Priorities

Program Overview

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management

Agency’s (FEMA) Grant Programs Directorate (GPD) is responsible for the implementation and administration of the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency

Response (SAFER) grant program.

The National Preparedness Goal (the Goal) defines what it means to be prepared for diverse and complicated events. The National Preparedness System is the instrument the

Nation employs to build, sustain, and deliver the core capabilities needed to achieve the goal of a more secure and resilient Nation. The development and sustainment of these core capabilities is not exclusive to any single level of government or organization, but rather it requires the combined effort of the whole community. To that end, the FY 2018

SAFER Program represents one part of a comprehensive set of measures authorized by

Congress and implemented by the Administration. Among the five basic homeland security missions noted in the DHS Quadrennial Homeland Security Review, the SAFER

Program supports the goal to Strengthen National Preparedness and Resilience.

The recently released 2018-2022 FEMA Strategic Plan creates a shared vision for the field of emergency management and sets an ambitious, yet achievable, path forward to unify and further professionalize emergency management across the country. The

SAFER Program supports the goal of Readying the Nation for Catastrophic Disasters.

We invite all of our stakeholders and partners to also adopt these priorities and join us in building a stronger Agency and a more prepared and resilient Nation.

Program Objectives

The purpose of the SAFER Grant Program is to provide funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations to assist in increasing the number of firefighters to help communities meet industry minimum standards and attain

24-hour staffing to provide adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards, and to fulfill traditional missions of fire departments.

The objective of the SAFER grant program is to assist local fire departments with staffing and deployment capabilities to respond to emergencies and assure that communities have adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards. Local fire departments accomplish this by improving staffing and deployment capabilities so they may more effectively and safely respond to emergencies. With enhanced staffing levels, recipients should experience a reduction in response times and an increase in the number of trained personnel assembled at the incident scene.

Although not required for a SAFER grant, it is preferable that the enhanced staffing levels of all SAFER recipients should ensure that all first-arriving apparatus are staffed with a minimum of four qualified personnel (to meet National Fire Protection Association https://www.fema.gov/strategic-plan

(NFPA) 1710/1720 standards) who are capable of initiating the suppression response.

Ultimately, SAFER recipients should achieve more efficient responses and safer incident scenes, thereby ensuring communities have improved protection from fire and fire-related hazards.

In awarding grants, the Administrator of FEMA is required to consider the following:

The findings and recommendations of the Technical Evaluation Panel (TEP);

The degree to which an award will reduce deaths, injuries, and property damage by reducing the risks associated with fire related and other hazards; and

The extent of an applicant’s need for a SAFER grant and the need to protect the

United States as a whole.

SAFER offers grants to support projects in two activities. This NOFO provides potential eligible applicants with application requirements and details for processing and evaluating applications for financial assistance for both of these activity areas.

Hiring of Firefighters Activity is to hire new, additional firefighters to improve staffing levels or changing the status of part-time or paid-on-call firefighters to full-time firefighters

Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity is to assist fire departments with the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters who are involved with or trained in the operations of firefighting and emergency response

Priorities

Each activity has specific priorities and objectives. For additional details, please see

Appendix B – Programmatic Information and Priorities, Section IV. Funding Priorities.

Performance Metrics

Performance metrics for the program are as follows:

1. Percent of “majority career” SAFER recipients’ structural fire responses that complied with NFPA 1710 structural response standards.

2. Percent of “majority volunteer” SAFER recipients’ structural fire responses that complied with NFPA 1720 structural response standards.

3. Percent of SAFER hiring recipients who reported and provided evidence that the grant funding increased compliance with NFPA 1710 or 1720 assembly and deployment standards.

B. Federal Award Information

Award amounts, important dates, and extensions

Available funding for the NOFO: $350,000,000

Projected number of Awards: 300

Period of performance: 12-48 Months

Hiring of Firefighters Activity: The period of performance will be 36 months for all grants awarded under the Hiring of Firefighters Activity.

Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity: The period of performance will be between 12 and 48 months for all grants awarded under the

Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity.

Projected period of performance start date(s): 07/01/2019

Projected period of performance end date(s): 06/30/2020-06/30/2023

Funding instrument: Grant

Extensions: Extensions to the period of performance under the Recruitment and

Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity generally are not allowable. FEMA will consider extension requests to the period of performance under the Recruitment and

Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity only in extenuating circumstances (such as those fire departments whose operations were significantly impacted due to presidentially declared disasters). Extensions to the period of performance under the Hiring Activity are not allowable.

C. Eligibility Information

Eligible Applicants

Under the FY 2018 SAFER Grant Program, eligible applicants are limited to those entities described below within each activity:

Hiring of Firefighters Activity

Volunteer, combination, and career fire departments are eligible to apply for funding.

National, state, local, or federally recognized tribal organizations representing the interests of volunteer firefighters are not eligible to receive a SAFER Grant

Award under the Hiring of Firefighters Activity.

Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity

Volunteer and combination fire departments and National, state, local, or federally recognized tribal organizations representing the interests of volunteer firefighters are eligible to apply for funding.

Career fire departments are not eligible to receive a SAFER Grant Award under the Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity.

Volunteer fire departments and combination fire departments may apply for funding under both activities; however, departments must complete separate applications for each activity. Applicants are limited to one application per activity, per application period. If an applicant submits two applications for the same activity during a single application period, FEMA will disqualify both applications.

Municipalities and fire districts may submit applications on behalf of fire departments lacking the legal status to do so, such as those under the support of the municipality or district. The municipality or fire district may submit only one application under the

Hiring of Firefighters Activity per application period for each eligible fire department within the municipality or fire district.

The following entities are NOT eligible to apply under this announcement:

Federal fire departments and fire departments under contract to the Federal

Government whose sole responsibility is the suppression of fires on federal installations or lands;

For-profit fire departments and organizations (e.g., fire departments that do not have specific nonprofit status or that are not municipally based);

Ambulance services, emergency medical service organizations, rescue squads, auxiliaries, dive teams, and urban search and rescue teams;

Non-federal airport or port authority fire departments whose sole responsibility is the suppression of fires on the airport grounds or port facilities, unless the airport/port fire department has a formally recognized arrangement with the local jurisdiction to provide fire suppression on a first-due basis outside the confines of the airport or port facilities;

Fire stations that are part of, controlled by, or under the day-to-day operational direction of a larger fire department or agency, or that are not otherwise independent; and

State and local agencies, such as forest service, fire marshals, emergency management offices, hospitals, and training offices.

Each activity has its own application and eligibility requirements, as outlined in

Appendix B – Programmatic Information and Priorities, Section IV. Funding Priorities.

Eligibility Criteria

Minimum Budget Requirement

At the time of application, both SAFER Hiring of Firefighter Activity and Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity grant applicants are required to certify their annual budget for fire-related programs and emergency response must not have been reduced below 80 percent of the applicant’s average funding level in the three years prior to the date it applies for the grant. See 15 U.S.C. § 2229a(c)(2).

Applicants experiencing economic hardship may apply for a waiver of this requirement.

Please see Appendix C: Award Administration Information.

Other Eligibility Criteria

National Incident Management System (NIMS) Implementation

SAFER Grant Program applicants are not required to be in compliance with the National

Incident Management System (NIMS) to apply for funding under this NOFO or to be awarded a grant under this NOFO. However, any applicant that receives an FY 2018

SAFER Grant Program award must achieve the level of NIMS compliance required by the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) over the applicant’s emergency service operations (e.g., a local government), prior to the end of the grant’s period of performance.

Maintenance of Effort (MOE)

There is no maintenance of effort requirement for the FY 2018 SAFER grant program.

Cost Share or Match

Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity Recipients of SAFER Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity grants are not required to contribute a Cost Share or Match (non-federal funds).

Hiring of Firefighters Activity

Recipients of SAFER Hiring of Firefighters Activity grants are required to contribute non-federal funds subject to a Position Cost Limit and a Cost Share, as described below.

All recipients should ensure that they are thoroughly familiar with FEMA’s cost sharing requirements identified below, as well as the appropriate cost principles as identified at 2 C.F.R. § 200.101(b)(1).

FEMA does not require the recipient to have the cost share at the time of application.

However, before FEMA awards a grant, it may contact potential awardees to determine whether the recipient has the funding in hand or if the recipient has a viable plan to obtain the funding necessary to fulfill the cost-sharing requirement.

Position Cost Limit (Waiver Available)

The amount of federal funding provided to a recipient under the SAFER Hiring of

Firefighters Activity for hiring a new firefighter in any fiscal year may not exceed:

in the first and second years of the grant, 75 percent of the usual annual cost of a first-year firefighter in that department at the time the grant application was submitted; and in the third year of the grant, 35 percent of the usual annual cost of a first-year firefighter in that department at the time the grant application was submitted.

“Usual annual costs” includes the base salary (excluding non-FLSA overtime) and the standard benefits package (including the average health cost, dental, vision, FICA, life insurance, retirement/pension, etc.) offered by fire departments to first-year (i.e., https://www.fema.gov/national-incident-management-system https://www.fema.gov/national-incident-management-system entry-level) firefighters. Please refer to Appendix B: Programmatic Information and

Priorities regarding eligible and ineligible costs for SAFER Hiring of Firefighter

Activity grants.

The eGrants system automatically calculates the Position Cost Limit in the Budget section of the application.

Cost Share (Waiver Available)

Under the SAFER Hiring of Firefighters Activity, grant recipients are required to contribute a Cost Share toward the actual cost of hiring firefighters under this program. The Federal portion of the costs of hiring firefighters under this grant may not exceed:

75 percent of the actual costs incurred in each of the first and second years of the grant; and

35 percent of the actual costs incurred in the third year of the grant.

Therefore, the recipient is required to contribute at least the following in non-Federal funds:

25 percent of the actual costs incurred in each of the first and second years of the grant; and

65 percent of the actual costs incurred in the third year of the grant.

A Cost Share of non-federal cash is the only allowable recipient contribution. Grant recipients can apply to waive this requirement.

Example: Position Cost Limit and Cost Share The Position Cost Limit and Cost Share work together, depending on amount expended, to limit the federal share. For example:

Suppose the applicant submits a SAFER Hiring of Firefighter Activity grant application for one new firefighter. At the time that application is submitted, the usual annual cost of a first-year firefighter in that department is $100,000. No matter what the department ends up paying the firefighter (for example, even if the department ends up paying the new hire $110,000), the Position Cost Limit, will cap the federal funding to:

Year 1 = $75,000

Year 2 = $75,000

Year 3 = $35,000.

But, suppose the grant is awarded and the department accrues actual costs that are different from the usual annual cost of a first-year firefighter in the department. If the following actual costs during the term of the grant are:

Year 1 = $80,000

Year 2 = $95,000

Year 3 = $110,000.

Then the Cost Share will further limit the federal contribution, unless this requirement is waived. In other words, the federal portion can neither be more than the Position

Cost Limit nor be more than the Cost Share, and applicants must assess both restrictions to determine where and whether the caps apply. In this example, the federal portion will be:

Year 1 o If the Cost Share requirement is not waived

Federal funds will be limited to $60,000, or 75 percent of actual costs incurred ($80,000) o If the Cost Share requirement is waived

Federal funds will cover no more than $75,000, or 75 percent of the usual cost of a firefighter at the time of application ($100,000)

Year 2 o If the Cost Share requirement is not waived

Federal funds will be limited to $71,250, or 75 percent of actual costs incurred ($95,000) o If the Cost Share requirement is waived

Federal funds will cover no more than $75,000, or 75 percent of the usual cost of a firefighter at the time of application ($100,000)

Year 3 o If the Cost Share requirement is not waived

Federal funds will be limited to $35,000 due to the Position Cost Limit of 35 percent of the usual cost of a firefighter at the time of application

($100,000).

o If the Cost Share requirement is waived

Federal funds will cover no more than $35,000, or 35 percent of the usual cost of a firefighter at the time of application ($100,000).

Economic Hardship Waiver of Cost Share, Position Cost Limit, Supplanting, or

Minimum Budget Requirement

The FEMA Administrator may waive or reduce the Cost Share, Position Cost Limit, Minimum Budget, or Supplanting requirements in cases of demonstrated economic hardship. Please see Appendix C: Award Administration Information.

D. Application and Submission Information

Key Dates and Times Date posted to Grants.gov: 02/15/2019

Application start date: 02/15/2019 at 8:00 AM Eastern Time

Application submission deadline: 03/22/2019 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time

Anticipated funding selection date: 05/01/2019

Anticipated award date: 07/31/2019

In general, DHS/FEMA will not review applications received after the deadline or consider them for funding. However, DHS/FEMA may extend the application deadline on request for any applicant who can demonstrate good cause exists to justify extending the deadline. Good cause for an extension may include technical problems outside of the applicant’s control that prevent submission of the application by the deadline or other exigent or emergency circumstances. If applicants experience technical issues, they must notify the FEMA Help Desk as soon as possible.

Other Key Dates

Event Suggested Deadline for Completion

Obtaining DUNS Number Four weeks before actual submission deadline

Obtaining a valid EIN Eight weeks before actual submission deadline

Updating SAM registration Four weeks before actual submission deadline

Submitting complete application in eGrants One week before actual submission deadline

Address to Request Application Package The online FY 2018 SAFER application is available through the Assistance to

Firefighters Grant Program’s (AFGP) eGrants system application portal, at https://portal.fema.gov/.

There are several ways to access application information:

AFGP website (http://www.fema.gov/firegrants)

Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov)

U.S. Fire Administration (http://www.usfa.fema.gov)

Hard copies of the application are not available. However, the Telephone Device for the

Deaf (TDD) and/or Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) number available for this

Notice is (800) 462-7585.

FEMA will process applications through the eGrants portal. Application tutorials and

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) explain the current SAFER grant program, assist with the online grant application, and highlight lessons learned and changes for FY 2018.

For more details, please visit the AFGP website at http://www.fema.gov/firegrants.

Content and Form of Application Submission DHS makes all funding opportunities available on the internet, accessible at http://www.grants.gov. If applicants experience difficulties accessing information or have any questions, please call the Grants.gov Contact Center at (800) 518-4726.

The Grants.gov website will direct applicants to the eGrants system application portal, at https://portal.fema.gov/, which contains the online SAFER application. The online

SAFER application incorporates all required forms.

https://portal.fema.gov/ http://www.fema.gov/firegrants http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.usfa.fema.gov/ http://www.fema.gov/firegrants http://www.grants.gov/ https://portal.fema.gov/

The eGrants system will allow an authorized representative to log in and create a user name and password. This user name and password is specific to the authorized user and must not be shared with other personnel. If the applicant has submitted any AFGP applications (including Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG), Staffing for Adequate

Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER), Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S), or Station

Construction Grant (SCG)) in a previous grant cycle, they must continue to use the same username, password, and DUNS number for any FY 2018 application(s).

If the applicant’s authorized representative has forgotten the password or the primary point of contact has changed, please visit http://www.fema.gov/assistance-firefighters-grant-program-most-frequently-asked-questions for instructions on how to update and correct the organization’s information.

The automated application contains help screens and drop-down lists to assist applicants throughout the process. Applicants can save, retrieve, update, and revise their work through the end of the application period. Applicants should save their work often as the electronic application includes a time-out feature. The automated system does not allow applicants to submit incomplete applications. The system alerts applicants when required information has not been entered.

Prior to final submission, an online application may be saved, retrieved, or edited, up to the application deadline.

Technological Note: The application system and related websites may have issues with any other browser other than Internet Explorer (IE 6 or higher). The eGrants system is compatible up to Internet Explorer 11, which should be used if available. Do not have multiple browser tabs open when entering information, even when using Internet

Explorer. Several known problems occur when 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 such as “cut and paste” being disabled.

NO APPLICATION WILL BE RELEASED BACK TO THE APPLICANT AFTER

FINAL SUBMISSION

After an application has been completed and submitted, no changes can be made. There is no appeal process for inaccurate or incomplete information retained by the system due to improper or multiple browser usage by applicants.

The primary point of contact listed in an application will receive an automatic email notification via the eGrants system once the system receives their application.

Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

All applicants for this award must:

1. Be registered in SAM before submitting its application;

2. Provide a valid DUNS number in its application; and http://www.fema.gov/assistance-firefighters-grant-program-most-frequently-asked-questions http://www.fema.gov/assistance-firefighters-grant-program-most-frequently-asked-questions

3. Continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active federal award or an application or plan under consideration by DHS FEMA.

DHS is participating in the Grants.gov initiative that provides the grant communities with a single site to find grant funding opportunities. Before applying for a DHS Grant, applicants must have a Data Universal Number System (DUNS) number and must be registered in SAM.

DUNS

Instructions for obtaining a DUNS number can be found here:

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html

System for Award Management (SAM)

Applicant registration in SAM is free. All applicants must register in order to apply online. Step-by-step instructions for registering with SAM can be found here:

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html. Please remember that SAM registration is only active for one year and must be renewed annually.

Existing SAM.GOV account holders should check their account to make sure it is

“ACTIVE.” SAM registration should be completed at the very beginning of the application period and should be renewed annually to avoid being “INACTIVE.”

Please allow plenty of time before the grant application submission deadline to obtain a DUNS number and then to register in SAM. It may be four weeks or more after an applicant submits the SAM registration before the registration is active in

SAM, and then may be an additional 24 hours before Grants.gov recognizes the information.

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 registration with current information. If the applicant is noncompliant with this requirement at the time FEMA is ready to make a federal award offer, then FEMA may determine the applicant is not qualified to receive an award and may use that determination as a basis for making the federal award to another applicant.

IMPORTANT: Applicants must complete the SAM registration process. It is imperative that the information applicants provide is correct and current. Please ensure that your organization’s name, address, DUNS number, and Employer Identification Number, or

EIN, are up to date in SAM and that the DUNS number used in SAM is the same one used to apply for all other FEMA awards. The organization’s name on the SF 1199A

Direct Deposit Form must be entered as it appears in SAM. Payment under any FEMA award is contingent on the recipient’s having a current SAM registration.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/apply-for-an-employer-identification-number-ein-online https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/apply-for-an-employer-identification-number-ein-online https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/apply-for-an-employer-identification-number-ein-online

Help with SAM

The SAM quick start guide for new recipient registration and SAM video tutorial for new applicants are tools created by the General Services Administration (GSA) to assist those registering with SAM. If applicants have questions or concerns about a SAM registration, please contact the Federal Support Desk at https://www.fsd.gov/fsd-gov/home.do or call toll free (866) 606-8220.

How to Get a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code

To get a CAGE code, applicants must first register with SAM, which is a requirement for doing business with the Federal Government. Applicants will receive a CAGE code as part of the SAM validation process, and as soon as the registration is active, applicants may view the CAGE code online by logging in to their SAM accounts.

Timely Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission

All applications must be received by 03/08/2019 at 5:00:00 PM ET. The AFG eGrants

System automatically records proof of timely submission and the system generates an electronic date/time stamp when AFG eGrants successfully receives the application. This applicant with the Point of Contact (POC) role will also receive the official date/time stamp and an AFG eGrants tracking number in an email serving as proof of their timely submission on the date and time that AFG eGrants received the application. Applications received by AFG eGrants after the established due date for applications will be considered late and will not be considered for funding.

Applicants using slow internet, such as dial-up connections, should be aware that transmission can take some time before AFG eGrants receives your application. AFG eGrants will provide either an error message or a successfully received transmission in the form of an email sent to the applicant with the POC role. The eGrants Support Center reports that some applicants end the transmission because they think that nothing is occurring during the transmission process. Do not do this – it may cause your application to fail to be submitted and consequently not be considered for funding. Please be patient and give the system time to process the application.

Intergovernmental Review

An intergovernmental review may be required. Applicants must contact their State’s

Single Point of Contact (SPOC) to comply with the State’s process under Executive Order

12372. (See https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html; https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/SPOC-Feb.-

2018.pdf).

Funding Restrictions

Applicants may only use the Federal funds made available through this program for the purpose(s) set forth in the award package and this use must be consistent with the statutory authority for the award. Applicants may not use award funds for matching funds for any other federal grants/cooperative agreements, lobbying, or intervention in federal regulatory or adjudicatory proceedings. In addition, applicants may not use federal funds to sue the Federal Government or any other government entity. Failure to adhere to the https://www.fsd.gov/fsd-gov/home.do http://www.fws.gov/policy/library/rgeo12372.pdf http://www.fws.gov/policy/library/rgeo12372.pdf https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/SPOC-Feb.-2018.pdf https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/SPOC-Feb.-2018.pdf award conditions will cause the recipient to be considered in default of the grant agreement and may require the return of all federal funds disbursed under the grant.

Applicants may submit only one application per eligible activity. Any applicant that submits more than one application per activity will have all applications within that activity deemed ineligible.

For more information on restrictions on use of funds, please see Appendix B:

Programmatic Information and Priorities.

Construction or Remodeling/Renovation Costs. Construction costs are not eligible under the SAFER grant program. Construction includes major alterations to a building that changes the profile or footprint of the structure. To support eligible awarded activities under the SAFER Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters

Activity, remodeling/renovations to an existing facility are limited to minor interior alterations costing less than $10,000.00 and should be requested under Modification to

Facilities. IMPORTANT: Some of these activities may require an Environmental and

Historic Preservation (EHP) review; certain costs associated with an EHP Review are eligible for reimbursement.

Environmental and Historic Preservation (EHP)

As a federal agency, DHS/FEMA is required to consider the effects of its actions on the environment and historic properties to ensure that all activities and programs funded by the agency, including grants-funded projects, comply with Federal EHP regulations, laws, and Executive Orders as applicable.

Recipients proposing projects that have the potential to impact the environment, including but not limited to modification or renovation of existing buildings, structures, and facilities, must participate in the FEMA EHP Review process. The EHP Review process involves the submission of a screening form that includes a detailed project description that explains the goals and objectives of the proposed project along with supporting documentation so that FEMA may determine whether the proposed project has the potential to impact environmental resources and/or historic properties. In some cases, FEMA must also to consult with other regulatory agencies and the public to complete the review process. The EHP Review process must be completed before funds are released to carry out the proposed project. FEMA will not fund projects that are initiated without the required EHP Review.

Additionally, all recipients are required to comply with FEMA EHP Policy Guidance.

This EHP Policy Guidance is located in FEMA Policy (FP) 108-023-1, Environmental

Planning and Historic Preservation Policy Guidance.

SAFER projects that involve installation of equipment not specifically excluded from a

FEMA EHP Review per the GPD Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA);

ground-disturbing activities; or modification/renovation of existing buildings or structures must undergo FEMA EHP Review.

https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/85376 https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/85376

No facilities modification project can proceed, with the exception of project planning, prior to formal FEMA approval. Recipients may request funds for activities that do not require EHP Review.

The following activities would not require submission of the FEMA EHP Screening

Form:

Planning and development of policies or processes;

Management, administrative, or personnel actions;

Classroom-based training; and

Acquisition of mobile and portable equipment (not involving installation) on or in a building.

The EHP Screening form and instructions are available at https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/90195. If necessary, complete the EHP Screening form and submit to the EHP Office at GPDEHPInfo@fema.dhs.gov.

Indirect Facilities & Administrative (F&A) Costs

Indirect F&A costs are those costs incurred for a common or joint purpose benefitting more than one cost objective. These costs are not readily assignable to the costs objectives specifically benefitted, without effort disproportionate to the results achieved.

Indirect costs are allowable under the Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer

Firefighters Activity, as described in 2 C.F.R. § 200.414. With the exception of recipients who have never received a negotiated indirect cost rate as described in 2 C.F.R. §

200.414(f), recipients must have an approved indirect cost rate agreement with their cognizant federal agency to charge indirect costs to this award. A copy of the approved rate (a fully executed, agreement negotiated with the applicant’s cognizant federal agency) is required at the time of application, and must be provided to FEMA before indirect costs are charged to the award. Applicants must submit copies of the indirect cost rate agreements, along with the SAFER application number, electronically to

FireGrants@fema.dhs.gov.

FEMA will evaluate indirect costs as part of the application for federal funds and these costs must be included as a line item in the Request Details section of the application so

FEMA can determine if they are allowable, if they are reasonable, or if they disproportionally impact an application’s cost benefit.

Management and Administration

Management and administrative (M&A) expenses are not operational costs but are necessary costs incurred in direct support of the grant or as a consequence of it. As such, these costs can be itemized in financial reports. Applicants should base M&A expenses only on actual expenses or known contractual costs; requests that are simple percentages of the award without supporting justification will not be allowed or considered for reimbursement. Salaries and fringe benefits for personnel directly supporting the grant should not be included in the M&A budget line item.

https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/90195 https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/90195 mailto:GPDEHPInfo@fema.dhs.gov mailto:FireGrants@fema.dhs.gov

No more than 3 percent of the federal share of SAFER Recruitment and Retention of

Volunteer Firefighters Activity funds may be expended by the recipient for management and administration (M&A) purposes associated with the SAFER award.

M&A costs are not eligible under the Hiring of Firefighters Activity.

Pre-award Costs

Only costs incurred during the period of performance are allowable. However, recipients under the Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity may request reimbursement for grant writer fees (see Appendix C: Award Administration

Information, Section II. Grant Writer/Preparation Fees; see also Appendix B:

Programmatic Information and Priorities, Section V. Eligible and Ineligible Costs).

E. Application Review Information

1. Application Evaluation Criteria

Each year, FEMA convenes a panel of fire service professionals to develop funding priorities for the SAFER grant program. The panel makes recommendations about funding priorities as well as about developing criteria for awarding grants. The content of this NOFO reflects implementation of this Criteria Development Panel’s (CDP) recommendations with respect to the priorities, direction, and criteria for awards.

The nine major fire service organizations represented on the CDP are:

Congressional Fire Service Institute

International Association of Arson Investigators

International Association of Fire Chiefs

International Association of Fire Fighters

International Society of Fire Service Instructors

National Association of State Fire Marshals

National Fire Protection Association

National Volunteer Fire Council

North American Fire Training Directors

Additionally, prior to making a federal award, DHS/FEMA is required by 31 U.S.C.

§ 3321 note, 41 U.S.C. § 2313, and 2 C.F.R. § 200.205 to review information available through any OMB-designated repositories of government-wide eligibility qualification or financial integrity information. Therefore, application evaluation criteria may include the following risk-based considerations of the applicant:

(1) financial stability;

(2) quality of management systems and ability to meet management standards;

(3) history of performance in managing federal award;

(4) reports and findings from audits; and

(5) ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements.

2. Supplemental Financial Integrity Review

Prior to making a federal award where the anticipated federal share of a federal award will be greater than the simplified acquisition threshold, currently $250,000 (see Section 805 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, Pub. L. No. 115-91, OMB Memorandum M-18-18 at https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/M-18-18.pdf; see also FEMA GPD Information Bulletin No.

434, Increases and Changes to the Micro-Purchase and Simplified Acquisition

Thresholds):

DHS/FEMA is required to review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through the System for Award Management (SAM), which is currently the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System

(FAPIIS) and is also accessible through the SAM website.

An applicant, at its option, may review information in FAPIIS and comment on any information about itself that a federal awarding agency previously entered.

DHS/FEMA will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other information in FAPIIS, when making a judgment about the applicant’s integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in 2

C.F.R. § 200.205.

3. Review and Selection Process

FEMA competitively scores and reviews all applications submitted under this NOFO a through the multi-phase process outlined below:

a. Pre-scoring

FEMA evaluates all complete and eligible applications relative to the SAFER Grant

Program funding priorities (see information on the funding priorities in Appendix B –

Programmatic Information and Priorities, Section IV. Funding Priorities). This review is accomplished through pre-scoring and the peer review panel process.

General and activity-specific information submitted in the application will determine an applicant’s initial standing relative to SAFER grant funding priorities.

Applications most consistent with the SAFER grant funding priorities score higher in the automated pre-score evaluation. The pre-score represents 50 percent of the total application score under the Hiring of Firefighters Activity. The pre-score represents

30 percent of the total application score under the Recruitment and Retention of

Volunteer Firefighters Activity. Application Narrative Statements are not reviewed during pre-score.

b. Peer Review Panel

A panel of at least three peer reviewers performs the second phase of an application’s evaluation. The panel is composed of fire service representatives recommended by the national organizations from the CDP. These panelists evaluate the application https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/M-18-18.pdf https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/M-18-18.pdf https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1535477410796-10abe5c8fc5bb73f170e3025c6fbfc6a/IB_Changes_to_the_Micro_Purch_and_Simp_Acquisition_Thresholds_signed_508.pdf https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1535477410796-10abe5c8fc5bb73f170e3025c6fbfc6a/IB_Changes_to_the_Micro_Purch_and_Simp_Acquisition_Thresholds_signed_508.pdf https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1535477410796-10abe5c8fc5bb73f170e3025c6fbfc6a/IB_Changes_to_the_Micro_Purch_and_Simp_Acquisition_Thresholds_signed_508.pdf using the Narrative Statement, answers to the general questions, and answers to the activity-specific questions provided in the application. The panelists evaluate each application on its own merits against established criteria and not compared to other applications. The peer review panel score represents 50 percent of the total application score. Panelists use the Narrative Evaluation Criteria listed on pages 17-

21 of this NOFO to score each Narrative Statement.

4. Drafting the Narrative Statement

NOTE: Applicants should save their work often as the electronic application includes a time-out feature. If no-save activity is detected for a period of time, the application will time-out and all information that is not saved could be lost. Therefore, FEMA recommends that applicants type Narrative Statements offline using a word processing program to avoid losing any information.

Once the Narrative Statement is complete, applicants can then cut-and-paste the text into the appropriate sections within the Narrative Statement section of the online application.

Please note that the Narrative Statement blocks do not allow for formatting. Do not type the narrative using only capital letters. Additionally, do not include tables, special fonts (e.g., quotation marks, bullets), or graphs.

Space for the Narrative Statement is limited to no more than 2,000 characters unless otherwise noted below, and each element must have a minimum of at least 200 characters in order to submit the application.

Once the applicant saves the Narrative Statement to the online application, log-out and then log back in to the application to verify that the information saved successfully.

5. Narrative Evaluation Criteria

The Narrative Statement must provide specific details about the activity for which the applicants seek funding, including budget details. Applicants must explain how the proposed activity(ies) relate to the Hiring of Firefighters Activity or the Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity. FEMA reviews and compares applications for duplication. Therefore, all elements of the Narrative Statement must be original.

In applications for the Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity, applicants must provide details regarding how volunteers will qualify for the incentives (i.e., who will be eligible for initiatives funded under the grant and discuss any prerequisites). For example, an organization might withhold paying nominal stipends until members participate in a minimum number of operational activities.

This type of information needs to be in the Narrative Statement.

Panelists will evaluate and score each activity based on the following narrative elements within each activity described in the Narrative Statement:

i. Hiring of Firefighters Activity

The Narrative Statement for applications requesting Hiring of Firefighters

Activity funding must include all four elements. The panelists will evaluate each element independently. Each element’s relative weight in the determination of the grant award is listed below:

1) Project Description (30 percent):

a) Why does the department need the positions requested in this application?

b) How will the positions requested in this application be used within the department (e.g., fourth firefighter on engine, open a new station, eliminate browned out stations, reduce overtime).

c) What specific services will the requested positions provide to the fire department and community?

d) Describe how funds awarded through this grant enhance the department’s ability to protect critical infrastructure within the primary response area?

2) Impact on Daily Operations (30 percent):

a) Explain how the community and the current firefighters employed by the department are at risk without the positions requested in this application.

b) How will that risk will be reduced if awarded?

3) Financial Need (30 percent):

a) Provide an income versus expenses breakdown of the current annual budget.

b) Describe the department’s budget shortfalls and inability to address financial needs without federal assistance.

c) What other actions has the department taken to obtain funding elsewhere

(e.g. state assistance programs, other grant programs)?

d) Discuss how the critical functions of the department are affected without this funding.

4) Cost Benefit (10 percent):

Describe the benefits (e.g., quantifying the anticipated savings and/or efficiencies) the department and community will realize if awarded the positions requested in this application.

ii. Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity (Fire

Departments)

The Narrative Statement for applications requesting this funding must include all four elements. The panelists will evaluate each element independently. Each element’s relative weight in the determination of the grant award is listed below.

The peer review evaluation score represents 70 percent of the total application score.

1) Project Description (30 percent):

a) Describe the problems and issues the department is experiencing in recruiting new volunteer firefighters.

b) What are the problems and issues the department is experiencing in retaining current members?

c) Describe the implementation plan, including the goals, objectives, methods, specific steps, and timelines to directly address the identified problems or issues.

d) Describe the current marketing plan already in place or the marketing program to be put in place with grant funds.

e) Describe how the program will be evaluated for its impact on identified recruitment and retention problems and issues. How will the overall effectiveness of the grant will be measured?

f) Describe the specific services the new volunteer firefighters and/or retention of current volunteer firefighters will provide for the fire department(s) and community.

g) If the grant request will have a regional impact, discuss how the regional partners will benefit and which activities they will benefit from.

a) Describe how the community and current volunteer firefighters in the department are at risk without the items or activities requested in this application.

b) How will the risk be reduced if awarded?

c) Explain the impact the recruitment of new volunteer firefighters and/or the retention of current volunteer firefighters will have on the department’s

NFPA compliance.

a) Provide an income versus expenses breakdown of the department’s current annual budget.

b) Describe the department’s budget shortfalls and its inability to address financial needs without federal assistance.

c) What other actions has the department taken to obtain funding elsewhere

(e.g., state assistance programs, other grant programs)? How have similar projects have been funded in the past?

d) Discuss how the critical functions of the department are affected without this funding.

efficiencies) the department and community will realize if awarded the items or activities requested in this application.

iii. Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity (national, state, local, or federally recognized tribal volunteer firefighters interest organizations)

The Narrative Statement for applications requesting this funding must include all four elements. The panelists will evaluate each element independently. Each element’s relative weight in the determination of the grant award is listed below.

The peer review evaluation score represents 70 percent of the total application score.

1) Project Description (30 percent):

a) Describe the problems and issues the fire departments that the organization will be reaching with this grant are experiencing in recruiting new volunteer firefighters.

b) What are the problems and issues the same…