NFPA Journal - Spring 2024 - 13

NEWS FROM NFPA
AND BEYOND
two grant programs-Assistance to Firefighters
Grants (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and
Emergency Response (SAFER)-as well as the U.S.
Fire Administration (USFA).
Through our government affairs office in Washington,
D.C., located just a few blocks from the Capitol
Building, NFPA is calling on Congress
to pass the Fire Grants and Safety Act
(H.R.4090/S.870). The formal reauthorization
for these federal programs
expired last September and they face
a statutory sunset on September 30 of
this year. The Fire Grants and Safety Act
is a strongly bipartisan bill that would
extend the programs through 2032.
Jim Pauley, NFPA president and
CEO, endorsed the reauthorization
legislation when it was first introduced,
saying that " NFPA strongly
supports this bipartisan bill to continue
the important work of the U.S.
Fire Administration as well as the AFG
and SAFER grant programs that are
critical to our first responders. "
The Senate passed its version by an
NFPA.ORG/
DISPATCHES
Learn more about
the Fire Grants
and Safety Act
(H.R.4090/S.870).
Read NFPA's 2021
needs assessment of
the U.S. fire service.
Learn more about
the Assistance to
Firefighters Grants.
Learn more about the
Staffing for Adequate
Fire and Emergency
Response grant
program.
Learn more about the
Fire Prevention and
Safety Grants.
overwhelming vote of 95 to 2 last April,
and the House Committee on Science,
Space, and Technology unanimously
approved a similar bill in September. As
of this writing, however, the full House
of Representatives has not yet acted
on the measure; minor differences between S. 870
and H.R. 4090 must still be resolved, and unhelpful
amendments must be avoided. Time is growing short
to overcome remaining roadblocks and approve legislation
that President Joe Biden, a former co-chair of
the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, is expected
to sign into law.
Learn how you
can support the
reauthorization of
these grants at the
Congressional Fire
Services Institute.
training needs in those areas. The assessment also
identified that, since 2015, most departments have
seen flat staffing levels across various roles even as
call volumes have soared. And programs that support
robust staffing, such as fitness and behavioral
health, are found in far too few fire departments
around the country.
Both grant programs have a long
record of successfully supporting firefighters
and first responders. The AFG
program provides fire departments
across the country with advanced
training and essential equipment,
including emergency vehicles, personal
protective gear, interoperable
communications systems, enhanced
breathing apparatuses, infrared cameras,
and other technologies that help
save lives. Thanks to strong support
in Congress, the AFG program has
delivered more than $9 billion for
local fire departments since 2001.
Much like the AFG program, the
SAFER grant program is also a crucial
resource for local fire departments,
including many volunteer firefighter
organizations. The goal of SAFER is to
enhance the ability of local fire departments
to meet staffing, response, and
operational needs by helping them
cover the cost of recruiting, training,
Long record of support
NFPA's Fifth Needs Assessment of the U.S. Fire
Service, released in 2021, includes some of the
most compelling arguments for continued federal
funding of these grant programs. The assessment
identified many unmet needs related to personal
protective equipment across the fire service, particularly
in departments serving smaller communities.
Nearly two-thirds of departments have firefighters
wearing personal protective clothing that is 10 years
old or older. Too few departments inspect and test
their ensembles yearly. While a large majority of
departments report that they are responsible for
wildland and wildland/urban interface firefighting,
78 percent of those departments have unmet
and retaining the firefighters necessary to keep their
communities safe. Amid firefighter and first responder
shortages in many corners of the country, the SAFER
grant program is important to ensuring that, when you
call 9-1-1, someone is there to respond. The SAFER grant
program complements the AFG program by ensuring
that departments have enough staff to take full advantage
of the advanced training and equipment available
through federal grants.
But the federal grants do not protect just the local
communities; the staffing, training, and equipment
provided are also vital to protecting the health and
safety of the dedicated men and women who answer
those 36 million calls each year. Whether responding
to a fire, car accident, or a natural or man-made
disaster, firefighters are safest and most effective
when they can respond to a crisis with a fully staffed,
fully prepared team.
As we often do on legislation and annual funding
appropriations supporting the first responder
community, NFPA is proud to partner with the
Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) and
its nearly 40 member organizations on advancing
NFPA .ORG/JOURNAL * NFPA JOURNAL | 13
The federal
grants do
not protect
just the local
communities;
the staffing,
training, and
equipment
provided are
also vital to
protecting the
health and
safety of the
dedicated men
and women
who answer
36 million calls
each year.
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NFPA Journal - Spring 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - Spring 2024
