Increased Funding for AFG, SAFER, and USFA
With fiscal year 2006 ending at the end of the month, Congress passed the FY 2007 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act (HR 5441) on September 29, their last day in session before the November election. The bill provides funding for Department of Homeland Security programs and operations, including $547 million for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program, $115 million for the SAFER program, and $47 million for the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA). These a re all increases over FY 2006 funding levels.
AFG provides funding on a competitive basis to fire and EMS departments to purchase equipment, vehicles, and training. While $547 million for AFG is a $2 million increase over last year, it is significantly higher than President Bush's budget request of $293 million. Perhaps more importantly, it stabilizes the program's funding, which had been cut by at least $100 million in each of the previous two years.
SAFER provides funding to fire departments to hire paid personnel and recruit and retain volunteers. The $115 million appropriation is the highest funding level ever for SAFER, which was zeroed out in the President's budget request.
At $47 million, USFA received a $1 million increase over last year. USFA provides training and education for emergency services personnel and the public and also performs research and collects data specific to the fire service and fire service activities. This is the second year in a row that USFA has received a line-item appropriation, something that the NVFC has long advocated for to encourage greater budget transparency and protect against having USFA funds diverted to other agencies.
"The NVFC believes that in order for AFG, SAFER, and USFA to be most effective they need to receive full funding," said NVFC Chairman Philip C. Stittleburg. "However, we also live in the real world and understand that with budget realities being what they are you have to take what you can get."
"I was disappointed at the President's budget request last February," Stittleburg continued. "At the time, I pledged that the NVFC would work with the Congress to get the fire and emergency medical services much needed resources, and we did. I'd like to thank our allies on Capitol Hill for working with us to obtain these important funding increases."
Citizen Corps, which provides funding for the Fire Corps program, received $15 million. Fire Corps promotes the use of citizen volunteers to enhance the capacity of fire and rescue departments by performing non-operational functions. The House-passed version of HR 5441 did not include any Citizen Corps funding, but the NVFC worked with Fire Corps groups and other public safety organizations to get funding included by the Senate.
The bill also contains language that would elevate and strengthen the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) within the Department of Homeland Security. Ever since Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast last August, FEMA reform has been a hot topic. The House, Senate, and the administration each came out with Katrina after-action reports that included recommendations for reforming FEMA. In March, the NVFC along with other fire service groups released a white paper outlining steps that needed to be taken to improve FEMA's ability to assist in efforts to prepare for, mitigate against, respond to, and recover from a disaster.
The language in HR 5441 includes many recommendations made by the NVFC and other fire and emergency services organizations, including elevating FEMA's status, requiring that the FEMA Director and other FEMA employees have emergency management experience, creating regional offices to help coordinate preparation for a disaster among a diverse group of stakeholders, and ensuring that the U.S. Fire Administrator remains an Assistant-Secretary-level position. The bill also creates protections for FEMA to ensure that the agency retains the autonomy to preserve its mission, budget, and resources within DHS.
After passing the House and Senate, HR 5441 goes to the President who is expected to sign it into law.
