Fire Grants Reauthorization Act | House Democrats

Legislation

Fire Grants Reauthorization Act

November 18, 2009

The Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2009 (H.R. 3791), introduced by Representative Harry Mitchell, would reauthorize the Assistance to Firefighter Grant (AFG) program and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program. The AFG program provides funds to local fire departments to purchase equipment, vehicles, and training. The SAFER program helps fire departments hire firefighting personnel and meet voluntary national consensus standards on safe minimum staffing levels. The bill would authorize $1 billion for the AFG program per fiscal year from FY2010 to FY2014, and an additional $1.194 billion per fiscal year from FY2010 to FY2014 for the SAFER program. This federal support is important in this tough economy as local officials struggle to provide services in the face of decreasing budgets.

What our Members are Saying

FIRE Grants provide volunteer and career fire departments across the country with vital funding to increase fire fighting capabilities, better respond to medical emergencies, handle natural disasters, and operate more effectively overall.

Firefighters perform one of the most valuable duties of government, and we owe it to these brave men and women to ensure that they get the funding they need to do their jobs safely.

At a time when our state is facing a budget crunch, additional federal resources for our first responders are more important that ever. Fire grants can help fill gaps in funding and improve public safety at the local level.

The Fire Grants Reauthorization Act strengthens fire departments around the country, making the communities they serve safer and more secure.

Emergency responders spend their lives running into burning buildings when everyone else is running out. It is our responsibility to equip these brave men and women with the resources to keep them safe and allow them to continue saving lives.

Featured Member

Donna Edwards

Representing the 4th District of MD

<a href="/members/donna-edwards">Donna Edwards</a>

Meet Congresswoman Donna Edwards and you’ll immediately sense her strong energy and enthusiasm for her work on behalf of people in her community. According to Edwards – who represents portions of Maryland’s Prince George’s and Montgomery counties – the experience so far has “been really invigorating – exciting.”

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