by
Carly Zoerb
| 04/10/2026
President Trump Releases His Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request
On April 3, President Trump released his Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 budget request. The budget requests $324 million each for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) programs. It also would request approximately $70 million for the U.S. Fire Administration. The budget also would transfer all wildland firefighting programs at the U.S. Forest Service to the new U.S. Wildland Fire Service at the U.S. Department of Interior. The budget proposes eliminating the State and Volunteer Fire Assistance programs. Also, the budget proposes a major reorganization at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that would affect the fire service programs at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The IAFC has published an analysis of President Trump’s FY 2027 budget. Congress must now consider the budget and start work on the annual appropriations bills to fund the federal agencies before October 1.
Congress is Back Next Week – Please Ask Your Senators and Representative to Open the National Fire Academy and Fund the Fire Programs at Department of Homeland Security
The House and Senate will be back in session next week. The House has yet to pass the legislation to fund many of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) components, including USFA, AFG, and the SAFER grant programs, that the Senate passed on April 2. So, please keep up the pressure and ask your Representatives to fund DHS fire service programs.
U.S. Department of Transportation Opens Application Period for Safe Streets for All Grant Program
On March 27, the Department of Transportation (DOT) opened its Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Safe Streets for All (SS4A) grant program. SS4A grants are awarded for the development and implementation of localities' comprehensive action plans to reduce and eliminate serious injury and fatal crashes affecting all roadway users. Last year, DOT included the development and implementation of prehospital blood programs to combat traffic crash fatalities as acceptable uses of the SS4A grants. The deadline to apply under the NOFO is May 26, 2026.