Fire Service Officials Calling 9-1-1 for Congress to Save Grant Programs

When someone dials 9-1-1, firefighters respond.

Regardless of the time of day or the type of weather, they put their lives on the line to assist someone.

Now, they are the ones who are calling for help.

The issue, they say, is critical.

It’s imperative that Congress pass legislation to reauthorize the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG) and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant Program (SAFER) as well as adequately fund the U.S. Fire Administration.

That was the message from 39 fire service officials who gathered at a fire station in the nation’s capital Thursday afternoon.

If the measure is not passed, the grants will sunset on Sept. 30, 2024.

“Firefighters and emergency services personnel respond to over 36 million emergency calls annually, including fires, medical emergencies, and both natural and man-made disasters. They are on the front lines during pandemics and the opioid crisis, placing themselves at great risk to save others.  They are called first responders for a reason: because they never hesitate to respond when an emergency call is placed, regardless of the time of year, hour of day or level of threat to their own health and safety,” said Bill Webb, executive director of the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI).

“Congress first authorized the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program in 2000, one year before 9/11, to address the baseline needs of fire departments across the country.  To this day, funds are used to purchase basic equipment such as turnout gear, self-contained breathing apparatus, portable communication systems, and personnel location devices.,” he added.

He and the other officials urge firefighters to contact their local Senators and Representatives and urge them to pass the legislation. 

International Association of Fire Chiefs President John Butler said: “The AFG and SAFER grant programs are lifelines for fire departments across the country. They provide crucial funding to cover operational costs, allowing us to maintain our readiness and effectiveness in serving our communities…They help us secure equipment, vehicles, and training resources that are essential for our daily operations. They provide funds to hire and retain firefighters, ensuring that we have adequate personnel to respond to emergencies promptly. Without this funding, we would struggle to maintain the level of service our communities rely on. We need to preserve these programs in the future.” 

CFSI officials added that in 2003, Congress authorized the SAFER program to address staffing shortages in career, volunteer, and combination across the nation. These shortages prevent departments from meeting industry staffing and response time standards, while placing firefighters at greater risk when they respond to fires and other emergencies.

AFG and SAFER grants are awarded directly to fire departments and other eligible organizations. Grant applications are peer-reviewed, and applicants must agree to a matching requirement.

 “Today, many fire departments are unable to fully staff engines, fully train their members for structural and wildland firefighting, or provide all their firefighters with personal protective clothing and updated self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA),” according to the National Fire Protection Association's Fifth Needs Assessment.

Researchers also noted: “Fire service needs exist for departments of all sizes and in every area, including staffing, training and certification, facilities, apparatus, personal protective equipment (PPE); and health and wellness.”

Seth Statler, NFPA director of government affairs, said: “NFPA joins with our sister organizations in calling on Congress to complete work on the reauthorization of the Fire Administration, AFG and SAFER as soon as possible. 

Every 23 seconds a fire department in the United States responds to a fire somewhere in the nation. And a home fire occurs every 93 seconds. The number of calls is rising at the same time that recruitment faces serious challenges. This bipartisan legislation is an important step towards ensuring that our volunteer and career firefighters have the equipment and other resources to protect their fellow citizens…”

National Fallen Firefighters Foundation CEO Victor Stagnaro said fire and rescue personnel are facing mental health and wellness issues including PTSD.

“Unfortunately, many local fire departments are under-resourced and lack the peer-support and counseling services necessary to address these problems. There is a lack of culturally competent mental health and wellness specialists to assist firefighters, and local Employee Assistance Programs are ill equipped to assist first responders. Local fire departments, and the national fire service organizations represented here, rely on these federal grants and our partners at the US Fire Administration, to conduct programs addressing these unique challenges,” Stagnaro said.

The grant programs are especially important to volunteer fire departments, Chief Kevin Quinn, of the National Volunteer Fire Council said.

“AFG and SAFER grants are essential to the survival of many volunteer departments throughout the country. Without these grants, many volunteer departments would cease to exist."

Quinn added that 98% of departments serving populations of less than 2,500 are either all volunteer or mostly volunteer.”

Washington, D.C. IAFF Local 36 President Dave Hoagland said it’s important to recognize that firefighters can’t work without the tools, vehicles, and equipment.

“Far too many fire fighters around the nation are forced to make do with failing trucks, antiquated safety equipment, and broken tools. AFG grants are an important complement to SAFER and make sure that we have the tools we need to serve our communities.”

He noted that D.C. has received more than $10 million. “There are residents of Washington, DC alive today because a SAFER-funded fire fighter or an AFG-funded truck responded to their call.”