Please Act Now and Tell Congress to Save Important Fire and EMS Programs by October 1
The IAFC has two grassroots campaigns asking Congress to protect fire service programs before October 1. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have yet to make the awards for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG), Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER), and Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) grant programs. In addition, the agencies have not made awards for the FY 2025 Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI), State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSGP), and other homeland security grants. All of these grant funds will expire if they are not awarded by October 1.
In addition, the Medicare add-on payments for ambulance transport also expire at the end of this month if Congress does not act. These payments are based on the population density of the community served by the ambulance provider: 2% for urban services, 3% for rural, and 22.6% for super rural services. These payments have allowed fire departments to be reimbursed closer to the cost of service than the standard Medicare reimbursement. Without Congressional renewal, these payments are scheduled to end on September 30, 2025.
Please ask your members of Congress to act now to protect these programs. IAFC members can use our legislative action tool to contact their Senators and Representatives directly.
The IAFC Submits Hearing Testimony on Public Safety Communications and the Fire Apparatus Problem
This week, the IAFC submitted written testimony to Congress about two vital issues for the nation’s fire and emergency service:
- On September 9, the Communications and Technology Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee hosted a hearing on Public Safety Communications in the United States. The IAFC submitted a written statement on behalf of Chief Steven Locke, CFO, EFO, the IAFC First Vice President, which called for preserving the federal FirstNet Authority by removing the sunset date; asking Congress to authorize the nationwide Next Generation 9-1-1 transition; and passing legislation (H.R. 979/S. 315) to require manufacturers to maintain AM radios in vehicles.
- On September 10, the Subcommittee on Disaster Management, District of Columbia, and Census of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a hearing entitled Sounding the Alarm: America’s Fire Apparatus Crisis. The IAFC submitted a written statement for the hearing on behalf of the chair of the IAFC’s Emergency Vehicle Management Section, Jason Shivers, the Division Chief of Technical Services of the Forsyth County (GA) Fire Department. He chairs a work group with the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association, the Wisconsin State Fire Chiefs Association, the Fire Apparatus Manufacturers Association, and other groups examining the causes of the increased costs of fire apparatus and increased delivery times. He also discussed how these cost increases and delays affect local fire and EMS department operations. He also made recommendations that fire departments, the fire apparatus industry, and the federal government can take to resolve this problem.
FY 2026 Labor/HHS Appropriations bill (H.R. 5304) Marked Up by Committee
On Tuesday, the House Appropriations Committee held a markup on the FY 2026 Labor/HHS appropriations bill (H.R. 5304). The bill provides appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. The Senate Appropriations Committee marked up its version of the bill in July.
Like the Senate bill, the House bill (H.R. 5304) would appropriate an additional $1 million for the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer, bringing the total appropriations to $6.5 million. The Firefighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program is not specifically listed in the bill; the IAFC is working to protect funding for that program. The National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory would be funded at $21.825 million, which is the FY 2025 level and the level proposed by the Senate. The SIREN Grant program for rural EMS would also be funded in the bill.
The IAFC continues to monitor the FY 2026 appropriations process and advocate for fire service priorities.
NTSB Releases Safety Alert for Fighting Marine-Based Fires
On September 10, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued a Safety Alert Land-Based Firefighters: Know the Risks and Challenges Posed by In-Port Vessel Fires for land-based firefighters who are called to fight marine-based fires. The Safety Alert recommended that firefighters familiarize themselves with the resources, skills, and tactics required for large commercial vessels. It also discussed how to use structural fire protection systems and built-in fixed firefighting systems that are built into most commercial ships.