The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program application period is still open However, only one week remains until the Tuesday, June 28, 5 p.m. EDT filing deadline.

For those of you who may have just learned about the existence of the SAFER program, you should quickly make yourself familiar with its main purpose.

"The purpose of Safer grants is to award grants directly to volunteer, combination, and career fire departments to help the departments increase their cadre of firefighters. Ultimately, the goal is for SAFER grantees to enhance their ability to attain 24-hour staffing and thus assuring their communities have adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards. The SAFER grants have two activities that will help grantees attain this goal: 1) hiring of firefighters and 2) recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters."

Whether you are just starting or have been working at this for a month or so, make sure you visit the application tutorial.

Use the next seven days wisely and you just might be successful in securing a beneficial grant for your department.