News
President Proposes Dramatic Reduction in Funding for Firefighter Equipment, Training and Apparatus
President Obama’s first fiscal year spending request was made public last week, including the proposed budget for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which houses the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program, the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program, and other programs of critical importance to the nation’s volunteer fire service.
The President’s budget would reduce funding for AFG, a competitive grant program that helps local fire departments purchase equipment, training, and apparatus, from $565 million in FY 2009 to $170 million in FY 2010. Last year alone, more than 21,000 fire departments across the country submitted applications for $3.2 billion in AFG funding. President Obama’s request for AFG is below President Bush’s FY 2009 request of $300 million for the program and the lowest since President Bush proposed eliminating the program in FY 2003.
“I am very disheartened by President Obama’s lack of support for the Assistance to Firefighter’s Grant program,” said National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) Chairman Philip C. Stittleburg. “AFG is the only significant source of federal assistance for the volunteer fire service and has been instrumental in beginning to improve baseline readiness in thousands of communities across the nation.”
According to a 2008 DHS Performance Assessment Rating Tool evaluation, AFG was the most successful grant program in the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the most successful evaluated program in all of DHS outside of the U.S. Secret Service. The overall effectiveness of AFG is the NVFC’s top legislative priority.
President Obama is asking Congress to double funding for SAFER, which provides grants to fire departments to hire career firefighters as well as recruit and retain volunteer firefighters, from $210 million in FY 2009 to $420 million in FY 2010. 1,314 fire departments requested $583.9 million through SAFER last year.
The President’s request includes $45.58 million for the United States Fire Administration (USFA), an increase of $609,000. The mission of USFA is to reduce life and economic losses due to fire and related emergencies by providing training and coordination and performing research. The long-term health of USFA and its National Fire Academy are critical to the fire and emergency service.
The President is also asking for $15 million for the Citizen Corps program, which supports Fire Corps, Medical Reserve Corps, Neighborhood Watch, Volunteers in Police Service, and Community Emergency Medical Response Teams. Fire Corps is a program administered by the NVFC that is designed to recruit citizens to volunteer for their fire/EMS departments in a non-emergency capacity.
More information about the President’s budget request can be found on the Office of Management and Budget’s web site. The budget is just the first step in the process of making funds available for federal activities and programs. Ultimately, Congress will determine how to appropriate federal funding. The NVFC will work closely with our allies in the House and Senate, as we do every year, to ensure that programs providing assistance to the volunteer fire and emergency services receive adequate funding.
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David Finger
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