Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined his colleagues in celebrating the Senate passage of the Fire Grant and Safety Act, S. 870, which would reauthorize the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program, the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program, and the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA). These grant programs provide hundreds of millions of dollars of assistance to fire companies across the country each year. The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 95-2 earlier today.
“In Delaware and across the country, fire and emergency services are facing near-record-high call volumes, and local fire departments depend on these funds to fully staff up, invest in new equipment, and make sure they’re ready to respond to emergencies. That’s especially true for volunteer fire departments that account for so many first responders across Delaware,” said Senator Coons. “The Fire Grants and Safety Act reauthorizes critical funding to ensure our firefighters have all the tools and resources to recruit, train, and prepare the best response possible. I am proud to have voted for this bill in the Senate, and I look forward to swift House passage so that President Biden can sign it into law.”
With emergency calls at near-record highs, this bill will provide critical resources to communities across the nation for firefighters, facilities, equipment, and training. The SAFER program provides federal grants to career and volunteer local fire departments to hire more firefighters and attain 24-hour staffing to protect local communities from fire hazards. The AFG program provides federal grants to local fire departments and unaffiliated Emergency Medical Services (EMS) organizations to help address a variety of equipment, training, and other firefighter-related and EMS needs. The USFA is the primary representative of fire and emergency services in the federal government and provides fire research, public safety education, and data collection to help train departments across the nation.
Senator Coons has advocated for supporting and expanding benefits for first responders in Congress with bipartisan bills. Senator Coons led the introduction and unanimous Senate passage last year of the bipartisan Fighting Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Act to aid police, fire, emergency medical, and 911 personnel who face long-term mental health effects as a result of providing life-saving services.
The Fire Grants and Safety Act is supported by numerous fire groups, including the Board of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the National Volunteer Fire Council, the Congressional Fire Service Institute, the International Association of Fire Fighters, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, the National Association of State Fire Marshals, and the International Society of Fire Service Instructors.
The current authorization of appropriations for the AFG program, SAFER program, and USFA expires in 2023, and the AFG and SAFER programs sunset in 2024. The Fire Grants and Safety Act extends funding until 2040 and extends the sunset clause for the AFG and SAFER programs until 2032.
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