Funding for SAFER                                           Click here for information on
                                                                                  the new SAFER rules
Adequately staffed fire departments are critical to
fire fighter and public safety, yet two-thirds of fire departments are understaffed.  SAFER grants can help fire departments hire additional fire fighters, ensuring that they have sufficient numbers of adequately trained personnel to respond to emergency situations quickly and safely.

In Fiscal Year 2009, Congress appropriated $210 million for the SAFER program, only a fraction of the more than $1 billion authorized for the program each year.

In his Fiscal Year 2010 budget proposal, President Obama recommended doubling SAFER funding to $420 million.  Read More...

The IAFF worked with its friends in Congress to ensure that the program was funded at the President's request.  Congress included $420 million for SAFER in its final bill funding the Department of Homeland Security for Fiscal Year 2010, which President Obama recently signed into law.

For more information about SAFER funding and current congressional action, click here:  Fact Sheet

Learn more about why SAFER funding is critical for our nation's fire fighters:  Key Points