On April 3, President Trump released his Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 budget request for the U.S. government. This release begins the annual Congressional appropriations process, even though the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has yet to be funded for FY 2026, and programs like the National Fire Academy are closed.
Here is a summary of the President’s request:
U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Federal Emergency Management Agency
President Trump’s request for funding of fire service programs at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is similar to last year’s request. He is requesting $324 million each for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER). The budget request also recommends $351 million for the State Homeland Security Grant Program and $415.5 million for the Urban Areas Security Initiative. The President’s FY 2026 budget request was for the exact same funding levels.
The budget request also recommends $69.6 million for the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA). This funding level is about $5 million more than was requested in FY 2026. The FY 2027 request includes $6 million for replacing the fire suppression and electrical systems at the National Emergency Training Center. It also recommends $5.6 million for the National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS), including technical assistance and user support to help fire departments onboard NERIS.
Federal Wildland Fire Program – The U.S. Wildland Fire Service
One major initiative of President Trump’s FY 2027 budget is the emphasis on the newly created U.S. Wildland Fire Service (USWFS). The budget request would consolidate wildland firefighting operations at the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) within the new USWFS. The FY 2027 budget would move the USFS’ wildland fire preparedness and suppression operations over to the USWFS. Unfortunately, the budget request effectively eliminates the State Fire Assistance and Volunteer Fire Assistance programs.
The budget proposes $3.962 billion for Wildland Fire Service Operations at the USWFS and an additional $2.95 billion for the Wildfire Suppression Operations Reserve Fund at the U.S. Department of the Interior. The total budget authority for the U.S. Wildland Fire Service would be $6.912 billion.
Among the highlights of the USWFS Budget:
- Preparedness - $1.570 billion
- Suppression Operations - $1.395 billion
- Fuels Management – $8.34 million
- The Joint Fire Science Program would be combined with the new Intelligence and Technology subactivity that would receive $123.5 million.
- The Intelligence and Technology subactivity would include $20 million for a Wildland Fire Intelligence Center.
- $2.8 million would fund a Rural Fire Assistance program as part of a new Grants and Partnerships subactivity.
U.S. Department of Transportation – Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
The President’s FY 2027 Budget Request would include $101.6 million at the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration for Hazardous Materials Safety and Emergency Preparedness Grants. This amount would include $66 million for hazmat safety operations and $27.9 million for hazmat training grants to first responders and local governments. The budget proposal continues to list the importance of the Assistance for Local Emergency Response Training (ALERT) grants. The budget proposal also would include $2.5 million for the Pipeline Emergency Response Grants and $2.0 million for the Information Grants to Communities.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
The President’s FY 2027 budget also would make major changes to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). For example, the National Firefighter Registry (NFR) for Cancer would be moved to a new "Center for Chemicals and Toxins.” The FY 2027 budget request would recommend $6.5 million for the firefighter cancer registry, which is equal to the FY 2026 level and $1 million more than the FY 2025 level. The National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL) would stay at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), but would be cut by $7 million to $16 million in FY 2027. The budget is silent on the Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program (FFFIPP), which is a subject of concern.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) would be moved to the new Administration for a Healthy America, along with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Many mental health grants would be consolidated into Behavioral Health Innovation Block grants. First responder training for the opioid overdose program would be kept at the same level of funding, at $59 million. There is no mention of the SIREN grant program for rural EMS in the budget.
FY 2027 begins on October 1. Congress will begin working on the annual appropriations bills over the spring and summer. The IAFC will continue to update you on the federal appropriations process. Meanwhile, you can still contact your Senators and Representative to ask them to reopen the National Fire Academy and appropriate funding for the AFG and SAFER programs.