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Reminder—FIRE Act Grant Applications Due May 4Fairfax, Va., Apr. 27, 2007... More than $490 million in federal grant funding for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program, also known as the FIRE Act Grant program, will soon be distributed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to departments for equipment, training, communications, apparatus and other critical needs. The application period will remain open until May 4 at 5 pm EDT, and departments may apply for grant funding online through the AFG at www.firegrantsupport.com. Since the AFG program’s inception in 2002, the number of grant applications has generally increased gradually each year. In 2006, however, the number of applications bucked this trend and decreased for the first time, dropping by more than 13 percent. At the same time, applications for the SAFER Act Grant program, which helps departments cover the cost of new hires, dropped by more than 40 percent. In Washington, some observers have read this drop in requests to mean that fire departments have fewer needs and that AFG and SAFER funding should be directed to other homeland security programs. Though recent studies conducted by the DHS and the National Fire Protection Association have shown this assumption to be wrong, policymakers are facing tremendous pressure in 2007 to cut down on government spending, potentially including funding for the AFG program. A second year-over-year decline in AFG applications could lead to a major reduction in grant funding for 2008. “The fire service has fought hard to establish a federal grant program that can help departments large and small get funding for the tools they need to protect their communities,” said IAFC President Chief Jim Harmes. He added, “The IAFC understands how important these grants have been for thousands of departments throughout the country, and we will continue to fight for increased funding.” IAFC member Chief Tom Carr, of the Montgomery County (Md.) Fire Rescue Service, testified before Congress on Thursday, April 26, about the importance of the FIRE Act Grant program as an essential element of FEMA’s all-hazards preparedness efforts. “The FIRE Act Grant program goes a long way toward helping departments address the equipment, training and communications shortfalls they face,” Chief Carr said in his statement to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The complete text of Chief Carr’s testimony on the FIRE Act Grant program and other major all-hazards programs operated by FEMA can be found on IAFC’s website in the Government Relations section: Issues: FIRE Act & First Responder Funding (grant). If your department has unmet needs, we strongly urge you to apply for a grant this year. Additional information on how to apply can be found on IAFC’s website in the Government Relations section: Issues: FIRE Act & First Responder Funding (grant). -end- |
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