Fire service programs could take a significant hit if President Donald Trump's proposed 2020 budget is approved, according to the Congressional Fire Services Institute.
Under the $4.7 trillion budget, spending for Assistance to Firefighters and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grants has been reduced to $688,688, split evenly between the two programs, from $700 million the previous year. Two other grant programs taking big hits the were State Homeland Security Grant Program and the Urban Area Security Initiative, which face cuts of more than a third of their 2019 levels at $331.393 million and $426.461 million, respectively, the institute said.
Here's a look at other cuts in the proposed budget:
- The U.S. Fire Administration goes to $46,605,000 from $45.679 million.
- No money was provided for State Fire Training Assistance, which lets the National Fire Academy to partner with state fire training academies with classes at the state and local levels.
- Spending for the Volunteer Fire Assistance program goes to 17 million to $11.02 million
- The State Fire Assistance program will be funded at $65.93 million, down from $81 million in 2019.
"The president proposes and the Congress disposes," Bill Webb, the institute's executive director, told Firehouse.com News. "While we were not pleased with the spending figures in the president's budget proposal for federal fire programs, we will not allow this to impact the work that lies ahead; instead, we will apply our energy and efforts to securing support from Congress for the programs that benefits our nation's fire and emergency services. It is Congress that disposes the federal funds and that's an important take-away whenever a president releases a budget."
