Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding

Order Code RL32341 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding Updated August 6September 22, 2008 Lennard G. Kruger Specialist in Science and Technology Resources, Science, and Industry Division Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding Summary The Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program, also known as fire grants or the FIRE Act grant program, was established by Title XVII of the FY2001 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 106-398). Currently administered by the Grant Programs Directorate of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the program provides federal grants directly to local fire departments and unaffiliated Emergency Medical Services (EMS) organizations to help address a variety of equipment, training, and other firefighter-related and EMS needs. A related program is the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Firefighters (SAFER) program, which provides grants for hiring, recruiting, and retaining firefighters. The fire grant program is now in its eighth year. Over $4.25 billion has been appropriated to the fire grant program since FY2001. The Fire Act statute was reauthorized in 2004 (Title XXXVI of P.L. 108-375) and provides overall guidelines on how fire grant money should be distributed. There is no set geographical formula for the distribution of fire grants — fire departments throughout the nation apply, and award decisions are made by a peer panel based on the merits of the application and the needs of the community. However, the law does require that fire grants be distributed to a diverse mix of fire departments, with respect to type of department (paid, volunteer, or combination), geographic location, and type of community served (e.g. urban, suburban, or rural). The Administration proposed $300 million for fire grants in FY2009, a 46% cut from the FY2008 level of $560 million. No funding was proposed for SAFER grants. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved $750 million for firefighter assistance in FY2009 ($560 million for fire grants and $190 million for SAFER grants), while the House Appropriations Committee approved $800 million for firefighter assistance ($570 million for fire grants and $230 million for SAFER grants). Ongoing issues in the 110th Congress include how appropriations for fire grants should compare with authorized levels, and to what extent the focus of the program should be shifted towards terrorism preparedness and away from the traditional mission of enhancing basic firefighting needs. This report will be updated as events warrant. Contents Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Reauthorization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Appropriations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 FY2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 FY2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 SAFER Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Program Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Distribution of Fire Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Issues in the 110th Congress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 List of Tables Table 1. Major Provisions of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program Reauthorization Act . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Table 2. Appropriations for Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, FY2001-FY2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Table 3. Current and Proposed Appropriations for Firefighter Assistance . . . . . . 3 Table 4. Appropriations for SAFER Program, FY2005-FY2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Table 5. State-by-State Distribution of Fire Grants, FY2001-FY2007 . . . . . . . . 11 Table 6. State-by-State Distribution of SAFER Grants, FY2005-FY2007 . . . . . 13 Table 7. Requests and Awards for Fire Grant Funding, FY2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding Background Firefighting activities are traditionally the responsibility of states and local communities. As such, funding for firefighters is provided mostly by state and local governments. During the 1990s, shortfalls in state and local budgets, coupled with increased responsibilities of local fire departments, led many in the fire community to call for additional financial support from the federal government. While federally funded training programs existed (and continue to exist) through the National Fire Academy, and while federal money was available to first responders for counterterrorism training and equipment through the Department of Justice,1 there did not exist a dedicated program, exclusively for firefighters, which provided federal money directly to local fire departments to help address a wide variety of equipment, training, and other firefighter-related needs. Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program During the 106th Congress, many in the fire community asserted that local fire departments require and deserve greater support from the federal government. The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG), also known as fire grants or the FIRE Act grant program, was established by Title XVII of the FY2001 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 106-398).2 Currently administered by the Grant Programs Directorate of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the program provides federal grants directly to local fire departments and unaffiliated Emergency Medical Services (EMS) organizations to help address a variety of equipment, training, and other firefighter-related and EMS needs. Reauthorization On October 28, 2004, the President signed the FY2005 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 108-375). Title XXXVI of P.L. 108-375 is the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program Reauthorization Act of 2004, which reauthorizes the 1 For a list of federal programs providing assistance to state and local first responders, see CRS Report RL32348, Selected Federal Homeland Security Assistance Programs: A Summary, by Shawn Reese. 2 “Firefighter assistance” is codified as section 33 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act (15 U.S.C. 2229). CRS-2 fire grant program through FY2009. Table 1 provides a summary of key provisions of the current reauthorization. Table 1. Major Provisions of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program Reauthorization Act Places program under the authority of the USFA Administrator Grant recipient limits: $2.75 million — populations over 1 million $1.75 million — 500K to 1 million $1 million — under 500K DHS can waive these limits in instances of extraordinary need Nonfederal match requirements: 20% for populations over 50K 10% for populations 20K to 50K 5% for populations less than 20K No match requirement for prevention and firefighter safety grants Authorized for five years: FY2005 — $900 million FY2006 — $950 million FY2007 — $1 billion FY2008 — $1 billion FY2009 — $1 billion Expands grant eligibility to emergency medical service squads, not less than 3.5% of fire grant money for EMS, but no more than 2% for nonaffiliated EMS Provides grants for firefighter health and safety R&D Requires the USFA Administrator to convene an annual meeting of non-federal fire service experts to recommend criteria for awarding grants and administrative changes Requires fire service peer review of grant applications Requires the USFA, in conjunction with the National Fire Protection Association, to conduct a $300,000, 18-month study on the fire grant program and the need for federal assistance to state and local communities to fund firefighting and emergency response activities Source: Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program Reauthorization Act of 2004, Section XXXVI of P.L. 108-375, FY2005 National Defense Authorization Act Appropriations From FY2001 through FY2003, the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program (as part of USFA/FEMA) received its primary appropriation through the VA-HUD-Independent Agencies Appropriation Act. In FY2004, the Assistance to Firefighters Program began to receive its annual appropriation through the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Homeland Security. The fire grant program is in its eighth year. Table 2 shows the fire grant program’s appropriations CRS-3 history. Over $4.25 billion has been appropriated to the fire grant program since FY2001, its initial year. Table 3 shows current and proposed appropriated funding for firefighter assistance. Table 2. Appropriations for Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, FY2001-FY2008 Fiscal year Appropriation FY2001 $100 million FY2002 $360 million FY2003 $745 million FY2004 $746 million FY2005 $650 million FY2006 $539 million FY2007 $547 million FY2008 $560 million Total $4.25 billion Table 3. Current and Proposed Appropriations for Firefighter Assistance (millions of dollars) FY2008 (P.L. 110-161) FY2009 Administration request FY2009 H. Approp. Comm. FY2009 S. Approp. Comm. FIRE Grants 560 300 570 560 SAFER Grants 190 0 230 190 Total 750 300 800 750 FY2008. The Administration proposed $300 million for fire grants in FY2008, a 45% cut from the FY2007 level. No funding was proposed for SAFER grants. The total request for firefighter assistance was 55% below the FY2007 level for fire and SAFER grants combined. The FY2008 budget proposal would have eliminated grants for wellness/fitness activities and modifications to facilities for firefighter safety. The budget justification requested funding for “applications that enhance the most critical capabilities of local response to fire-related hazards in the event of a terrorist attack or major disaster.” The budget justification also stated that the requested level of funding is “an appropriate level of funding given the availability CRS-4 of significant amounts of funding for first responder preparedness missions from other Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant programs which are better coordinated with state and local homeland security strategies and, unlike AFG, are allocated on the basis of risk.” The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-161) provided $560 million for fire grants and $190 million for SAFER grants, a total of $750 million for firefighter assistance in FY2008. As stated in the Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying P.L. 110-161, $3 million was made available for foam firefighter equipment used in remote areas, to be competitively awarded. GAO was directed to review the application and award process for fire and SAFER grants, and FEMA was directed to peer review all grant applications that meet criteria established by FEMA and the fire service. FY2009. The Administration proposed $300 million for fire grants in FY2009, a 46% cut from the FY2008 level of $560 million. No funding was proposed for SAFER grants. The total request for firefighter assistance was 60% below the FY2008 level for fire and SAFER grants combined. According to the budget justification, “the Administration believes that $287 million is an appropriate level of funding given the availability of significant amounts of funding for first responder preparedness missions from other DHS grant programs which are coordinated with state and local homeland security strategies and, unlike AFG, are allocated on the basis of risk.” Priority will be given to applications that enhance capabilities needed for terrorism response and other major incidents. Funding will only be available for critical response equipment, training, and personal protective gear, and will not be available for wellness/fitness activities or modifications to facilities for firefighter safety. On June 19, 2008, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the FY2009 appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security (S. 3181; S.Rept. 110396). The bill would provide $750 million for firefighter assistance, including $560 million for fire grants and $190 million for SAFER grants. This is the same funding level approved for FY2008. The Committee directed DHS to continue the present practice of funding applications according to local priorities and those established by the U.S. Fire Administration, and further directed DHS to continue direct funding to fire departments and the peer review process. Additionally, $3 million was made available for foam firefighter equipment used in remote areas. On June 24, 2008, the House Appropriations Committee approved its version of the FY2009 appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security, and reported its bill on September 18, 2008 (H.R. 6947; H.Rept. 110-862). The . The Committee would provide $800 million for firefighter assistance, consisting of $570 million for fire grants and $230 million for SAFER grants. The Committee directed FEMA to continue granting funds directly to local fire departments and to include the U.S. Fire Administration during the grant administration process, while also maintaining an all-hazards focus and not limiting the list of eligible activities. The Committee Committee would continue the requirement that FEMA peer review grant applications that meet criteria established by FEMA and the fire service, rank order applications according to peer review, fund applications according to their rank order, and provide official CRS-5 notification detailing why applications do not meet the criteria for review. The Committee also directed FEMA to encourage regional applications. CRS-5 SAFER Grants In response to concerns over the adequacy of firefighter staffing, the 108th Congress enacted the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Act as Section 1057 of the FY2004 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 108136; signed into law November 24, 2003). The SAFER grant program is codified as Section 34 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2229a). The SAFER Act authorizes grants to career, volunteer, and combination fire departments for the purpose of increasing the number of firefighters to help communities meet industry minimum standards and attain 24-hour staffing to provide adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards. Also authorized are grants to volunteer fire departments for activities related to the recruitment and retention of volunteers. P.L. 108-136 authorizes over one billion dollars per year through FY2010 for SAFER. Two types of grants are authorized by the SAFER Act: hiring grants and recruitment and retention grants. Hiring grants cover a four-year term and are costshared with the local jurisdiction. According to the statute, the federal share shall not exceed 90% in the first year of the grant, 80% in the second year, 50% in the third year, and 30% in the fourth year. The grantee must commit to retaining the firefighter or firefighters hired with the SAFER grant for at least one additional year after the federal money expires. Total federal funding for hiring a firefighter over the four-year grant period may not exceed $100,000, although that total may be adjusted for inflation. While the majority of hiring grants will be awarded to career and combination fire departments, the SAFER Act specifies that 10% of the total SAFER appropriation be awarded to volunteer or majority-volunteer departments for the hiring of personnel. Additionally, at least 10% of the total SAFER appropriation is set aside for recruitment and retention grants, which are available to volunteer and combination fire departments for activities related to the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters. Also eligible for recruitment and retention grants are local and statewide organizations that represent the interests of volunteer firefighters. No local cost sharing is required for recruitment and retention grants. Table 4 shows the SAFER program’s appropriations history. $479 million has been appropriated to the SAFER program since FY2005, its initial year. For more information on the SAFER program, see CRS Report RL33375, Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response: The SAFER Grant Program. CRS-6 Table 4. Appropriations for SAFER Program, FY2005-FY2008 Fiscal year Appropriation FY2005 $65 million FY2006 $109 million FY2007 $115 million FY2008 $190 million Total $479 million Program Evaluation On May 13, 2003, the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) released the first independent evaluation of the Assistance to Firefighters Program. Conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Leadership Development Academy Executive Potential Program, the survey study presented a number of recommendations and concluded overall that the program was “highly effective in improving the readiness and capabilities of firefighters across the nation.”3 Another evaluation of the fire grant program was released by the DHS Office of Inspector General in September 2003. The report concluded that the program “succeeded in achieving a balanced distribution of funding through a competitive grant process,”4 and made a number of specific recommendations for improving the program. At the request of DHS, the National Academy of Public Administration conducted a study to help identify potential new strategic directions for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program and to provide advice on how to effectively plan, manage, and measure program accomplishments. Released in April 2007, the report recommended consideration of new strategic directions related to national preparedness, prevention vs. response, social equity, regional cooperation, and emergency medical response. According to the report, the “challenge for the AFG program will be to support a gradual shift in direction without losing major strengths of its current management approach — including industry driven priority setting and its well-respected peer review process.”5 The Administration’s FY2008 budget proposal was accompanied by program evaluations called the Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART). For assessment 3 For full report see [http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/affgp-fy01-usda-report.pdf]. 4 Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspections, Evaluations, and Special Reviews, “A Review of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program,” OIG-ISP-01-03, September 2003, p. 3. Available at [http://www.dhs.gov/xoig/assets/mgmtrpts/ OIG_Review_Fire_Assist.pdf]. 5 National Academy of Public Administration, Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program: Assessing Performance, April 2007, p. xvii. Available at [http://www.napawash.org/ pc_management_studies/Fire_Grants_Report_April2007.pdf]. CRS-7 year 2007, PART gave the fire grant program a rating of “Effective,” (an improvement from the previous rating of “Results Not Demonstrated”). The PART directed DHS to embark on an improvement plan encompassing three elements: establishing a continuing strategic planning process, improving program transparency, and increasing outreach.6 The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-161), in the accompanying Joint Explanatory Statement, directed the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review the application and award process for fire and SAFER grants. Additionally, FEMA was directed to peer review all grant applications that meet criteria established by FEMA and the fire service. Those criteria necessary for peer-review must be included in the grant application package. Applicants whose grant applications are not reviewed must receive an official notification detailing why the application did not meet the criteria for review. Applications must be rankordered, and funded following the rank order. Distribution of Fire Grants The FIRE Act statute prescribes 14 different purposes for which fire grant money may be used (see 15 U.S.C. 2229(b)(3)). These are: hiring firefighters; training firefighters; creating rapid intervention teams; certifying fire inspectors; establishing wellness and fitness programs; funding emergency medical services; acquiring firefighting vehicles; acquiring firefighting equipment; acquiring personal protective equipment; modifying fire stations; enforcing fire codes; funding fire prevention programs; educating the public about arson prevention and detection; and providing incentives for the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters. The DHS has the discretion to decide which of those purposes will be funded for a given grant year. Since the program commenced in FY2001, the majority of fire grant funding has been used by fire departments to purchase firefighting equipment, personal protective equipment, and firefighting vehicles. At present, the program does not award funding for major building construction. Eligible applicants are limited primarily to fire departments (defined as an agency or organization that has a formally recognized arrangement with a state, local, or tribal authority to provide fire suppression, fire prevention and rescue services to a population within a fixed geographical area). Emergency Medical Services (EMS) activities are eligible for fire grants, including a limited number (no more than 2% of funds allocated) to EMS organizations not affiliated with fire departments. Additionally, a separate competition is held for fire prevention and firefighter safety research and development grants, which are available to national, state, local, or community fire prevention or safety organizations (including, but not limited to, fire departments). For official program guidelines, frequently-asked-questions, the latest 6 Office of Management and Budget, ExpectMore.gov, Detailed Information on the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Grants and Training Office Assistance to Firefighters Grants Assessment, Assessment Year 2007, available at [http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/ expectmore/detail/10001071.2007.html]. CRS-8 awards announcements, and other information, see the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program web page at [http://www.firegrantsupport.com/]. The FIRE Act statute provides overall guidelines on how fire grant money will be distributed and administered. The law directs that volunteer departments receive a proportion of the total grant funding that is not less than the proportion of the U.S. population that those departments protect (currently 55%). The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program Reauthorization Act of 2004 (Title XXXVI of P.L.108375) raised award caps and lowered nonfederal matching requirements (based on recipient community population), extended eligibility to nonaffiliated emergency medical services (i.e. ambulance services not affiliated with fire departments), and expanded the scope of grants to include firefighter safety R&D. There is no set geographical formula for the distribution of fire grants — fire departments throughout the nation apply, and award decisions are made by a peer panel based on the merits of the application and the needs of the community. However, the law does require that fire grants should be distributed to a diverse mix of fire departments, with respect to type of department (paid, volunteer, or combination), geographic location, and type of community served (e.g. urban, suburban, or rural).7 The Fire Act’s implementing regulation provides that: In a few cases, to fulfill our obligations under the law to make grants to a variety of departments, we may also make funding decisions using rank order as the preliminary basis, and then analyze the type of fire department (paid, volunteer, or combination fire departments), the size and character of the community it serves (urban, suburban, or rural), and/or the geographic location of the fire department. In these instances where we are making decisions based on geographic location, we will use States as the basic geographic unit.8 According to the FY2008 Program Guidance for the Assistance to Firefighters Program, career (paid) departments will compete against other career departments for up to 45% of the available funding, while volunteer and combination departments will compete for at least 55% of the available funding.9 However, given that less than 10% of fire grant applications are historically received from career departments, funding levels are likely not to reach the 45% ceiling for career departments.10 Additionally, each fire department that applies is classified as either urban, suburban, or rural. In FY2005, 6% of the total number of fire grant awards went to urban areas, 17% to suburban areas, and 77% to rural areas. Of the total amount of federal 7 15 U.S.C. 2229(b)(9). 8 44 CFR Part 152.6(c). 9 For the FY2008 round of awards, no less than 33% of AFG funds must be awarded to combination departments, and no less than 22% of AFG funds must be awarded to allvolunteer departments. See Department of Homeland Security, Fiscal Year 2007 Assistance to Firefighters Grants Program and Application Guidance, February 2008, p. 7. 10 Department of Homeland Security, Fiscal Year 2007 Assistance to Firefighters Grants Program and Application, March 2007 p. 52. CRS-9 funding awarded, 11% went to urban areas, 20% to suburban areas, and 69% to rural areas.11 Finally, in an effort to maximize the diversity of awardees, the geographic location of an applicant (using states as the basic geographic unit) is used as a deciding factor in cases where applicants have similar qualifications. Table 5 shows a state-by-state breakdown of fire grant funding for FY2001 through FY2007, while Table 6 shows a state-by-state breakdown of SAFER grant funding for FY2005 through FY2007. Table 7 provides an in-depth look at the FY2007 fire grants, showing, for each state, the number of fire departments in each state,12 the number of fire grant applications, the total amount requested, the total amount awarded, and the amount of funds awarded as a percentage of funds requested. As Table 7 shows, the entire pool of fire department applicants received, to date, about 1516% of the funds they they requested in FY2007. This is down from 21% in FY2006, 22% in FY2005, 28% in in FY2004, and 34% in FY2003. This reflects the fact that the number of applications applications and federal funds requested have trended upward over these years, while appropriations for the fire grant program have declined over the same period. Issues in the 110th Congress A primary issue in the 110th Congress is how appropriations for fire grants should compare with the authorized annual levels of $1 billion. The Administration’s budget proposals have typically recommended significant cuts for fire grants, as well as zero funding for SAFER grants. Opponents of the cuts have argued that the reduced levels are inadequate to meet the needs of fire departments, while the Administration has argued that reduced levels are sufficient to enhance critical capabilities in the event of a terrorist attack or major disaster. Aside from budget issues, an ongoing issue has been the focus of the fire grant program. Administration budget proposals have sought to shift the priority of the fire grant program to terrorism preparedness. Firefighting groups have questioned this proposed shift, arguing that the original purpose of the Fire Act (enhancing basic firefighting needs) should not be compromised or diluted. Similarly, in recent years, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have directed the AFG program to maintain a broad all-hazards focus. S. 608, the Risk-Based Homeland Security Grants Act of 2007, would direct DHS to conduct a study analyzing the distribution of fire grant awards and the level of unmet firefighting equipment needs in each state. A related issue is the role of the U.S. Fire Administration in the administration of the fire grant program. At its inception, the program was administered by the 11 Department of Homeland Security, National Preparedness Directorate, Capabilities Division, Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, FY2005 Report, p. 14. 12 The fire grant program sets a limit of up to three applications per fire department per year (a vehicle application, an application for operations and safety, and a regional application). Thus, the number of fire departments in a state plays a major factor in the number of fire grant applications submitted and the amount of total funding awarded within a given state. For example, because Pennsylvania has — by far — the largest number of fire departments, it is not surprising that it leads the nation in the number of fire grants applications and the amount of funding awarded. CRS-10 A related issue is the role of the U.S. Fire Administration in the administration of the fire grant program. At its inception, the program was administered by the USFA/FEMA and focused on enhancing the basic needs of fire departments across the nation. In the FY2004 budget request, as part of its effort to consolidate terrorism preparedness grants under a single entity, the Administration proposed to relocate the fire grant program within the Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP), whose mission was to provide state and local governments with assistance to improve their readiness for terrorism incidents. The FY2004 DHS Appropriations Act (P.L. 10890) acceded to the Administration’s request, and relocated the fire grants to ODP. The Conferees directed that DHS shall “continue current administrative practices in a manner identical to the current fiscal year, including a peer review process of applications, granting funds directly to local fire departments, and the inclusion of the United States Fire Administration during grant administration.” On January 26, 2004, then-DHS Secretary Ridge informed Congress of his intention to consolidate ODP, including the Assistance to Firefighters Program, into the Office of State and Local Government Coordination Preparedness (OSLGCP). The FY2005 Homeland Security appropriations act (P.L. 108-334) placed the fire grant program within OSLGCP. However, the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program Reauthorization Act of 2004 (P.L. 108-375) designated administration of the fire grant program to USFA. According to the FY2006 budget request, the fire grant program would be administered by the OSLGCP “in cooperation with the USFA.” On July 13, 2005, DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff announced a restructuring of DHS, effective October 1, 2005. Under the restructuring plan, the fire grants (as well as the SAFER grants) were to be administered by the Office of Grants and Training in the new DHS Directorate for Preparedness. However, legislation considered in the 109th Congress sought to restructure FEMA within DHS, with the result that fire and SAFER grant programs would be transferred back to FEMA. Ultimately, Title VI of the Conference Agreement on the DHS appropriations bill (P.L. 109-295; H.Rept. 109-699), the Post Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006, transferred most of the existing Preparedness Directorate (including fire and SAFER grants and the USFA) back to an enhanced FEMA. CRS-11 Table 5. State-by-State Distribution of Fire Grants, FY2001-FY2007 (millions of dollars) FY01 FY02 FY03 FY04 FY05 FY06 FY07 Total AL 3.085 12.503 23.329 25.097 20.836 22.027 19.271885 126.148762 AK 1.303 2.641 5.242 2.522 3.111 0.754 2.454 18.027 AZ 1.37 3.6 7.490 9.808 7.905 4.041 3.989 38.2034.932 39.146 AR 1.337 4.635 10.675 13.680 10.402 7.699 7.699799 56.127227 CA 5.905 18.978 30.060 29.793 25.631 17.856 18.300730 146.523953 CO 1.003 3.968 6.168 5.585 6.073 3.213 4.683742 30.693752 CT 1.828 4.675 10.841 9.991 7.287 5.479 6.001630 46.102731 DE 0.132 0.372 1.096 1.755 1.161 1.107 0.519 6.142518 6.141 DC 0 0.22 0 0 0.453 0 0.376 1.049 FL 2.865 10.16 16.344 15.969 17.922 6.787 7.848 77.8958.288 78.335 GA 2.375 6.079 13.791 11.857 10.168 8.887 8.682 61.8399.068 62.225 HI 0 1.182 0.947 0.864 1.205 0.264 0.436 4.898 ID 0.916 2.744 6.001 4.828 4.684 2.712 4.297 26.182 IL 2.417 13.398 28.810 27.238 25.433 21.120 21.509 139.925923 140.339 IN 2.703 8.739 20.456 18.646 15.779 14.447 13.739831 94.509601 IA 1.301 7.284 16.087 16.430 13.119 10.064 9.238298 73.523583 KS 1.153 5.118 10.850 10.211 7.165 4.984 5.427502 44.908983 KY 2.215 7.896 19.832 16.150 14.215 13.308 12.71413.081 86.33697 LA 3.344 10.084 12.248 11.101 11.630 6.935 5.065473 60.407815 ME 1.296 4.319 10.323 10.031 6.124 6.702 5.465486 44.26281 MD 0.739 4.08 8.153 10.227 8.771 10.368 7.571 49.909712 50.05 MA 2.301 8.386 15.715 13.958 13.529 8.957 11.644 74.49 MI 2.815 8.948 17.247 20.005 15.088 15.798 14.155 94.05610.611 90.512 MN 2.133 8.149 17.510 18.609 14.894 14.718 15.236 91.24916.600 92.613 MS 1.763 6.755 15.679 11.329 9.856 7.885 8.052 61.319 MO 3.079 10.291 19.573 17.757 14.246 13.202 10.477611 88.625759 MT 1.164 3.726 8.361 7.271 6.656 5.839 6.569 39.5867.330 40.347 NE 1.034 2.392 7.820 6.577 5.116 4.399 4.443 31.781 NV 0.282 1.446 3.312 1.405 1.946 0.857 1.530 10.778 NH 0.594 1.887 4.584 5.694 4.563 3.307 3.219 23.848 NJ 2.596 6.339 19.982 16.488 14.691 12.386 12.681 85.16313.266 85.748 NM 1.455 3.463 5.048 3.653 2.259 1.461 1.367 18.706 NY 3.978 14.728 34.320 35.030 36.009 33.804 21.540 179.40922.664 180.533 NC 1.949 10.239 22.864 22.360 19.315 18.309 19.069 114.10520.031 115.067 CRS-12 FY01 FY02 FY03 FY04 FY05 FY06 FY07 Total ND 0.546 2.613 5.105 3.391 2.673 2.459 3.046100 19.833887 OH 2.731 13.742 26.997 29.107 27.344 25.380 25.76426.433 151.065734 OK 1.864 4.939 10.540 10.393 8.757 10.852 7.077220 54.422565 OR 1.596 4.892 9.896 10.122 10.014 9.288 4.730 50.5385.943 51.751 PA 2.89 16.97 45.179 47.898 39.233 41.259 42.593 236.02243.610 237.039 RI 0.407 1.507 2.327 1.917 2.129 2.025 0.855 11.167 SC 1.554 5.257 11.832 14.150 10.544 8.028 10.287470 61.652835 SD 0.904 3.142 5.602 4.693 3.570 2.989 2.426474 23.326374 TN 2.46 11.509 19.306 18.686 15.047 11.209 12.955 91.172 TX 3.697 15.644 29.264 30.118 23.480 18.035 16.082 136.3217.691 137.929 UT 0.9 2.754 4.628 3.880 2.188 2.213 3.254378 19.817941 VT 0.451 1.971 5.163 4.747 2.071 1.456 1.820 17.679 VA 2.066 8.79 15.816 16.668 14.357 8.317 10.037403 76.051417 WA 1.535 7.544 18.808 19.565 15.763 16.150 12.484 91.849951 92.316 WV 1.067 3.966 9.942 9.133 10.143 5.838 6.247 46.3367.070 47.159 WI 2.077 7.518 18.234 19.668 17.685 13.994 19.086439 98.262615 WY 1.09 1.612 3.507 1.811 2.032 1.197 1.645 12.894 PR 0.657 0.382 1.643 1.140 1.104 0.528 0.019 5.473 MP 0.145 0.225 0 0 0.220 0.172 0 0.762 GU 0 0.016 0 0 0 0.287 0 0.303 AS 0.164 0 0 0.284 0 0 0 0.448 VI 0.741 0 0.544 0 0 0 0 1.285 91.972 334.417 695.121 679.305 585.619 491.375 475.686 3353.39494.108 3367.023 Tot. Source: Department of Homeland Security. FY2007 awards data not final, current as of 8/69/22/2008. CRS-13 Table 6. State-by-State Distribution of SAFER Grants, FY2005-FY2007 (millions of dollars) FY2005 FY2006 FY2007 Total Alabama 1.611 6.215 3.522822 11.348648 Alaska 1.051 0.205 0.073 1.329418 1.674 Arizona 1.560 3.559 3.479 8.5984.111 9.23 Arkansas 0.394 1.820 0.377 2.591 California 5.221 5.212 4.119 14.552 Colorado 1.584 3.479 1.308 6.371730 6.793 Connecticut 0.130 0.191 0.809 1.13 Delaware 0 0.135 0 0.135 District of Columbia 0 0 0 0 Florida 6.576 9.329 4.354636 20.259541 Georgia 5.354 2.085 2.842 10.281 Hawaii 0 0 0 0 Idaho 0.063 0.621 0.626 1.31 Illinois 1.340 4.463 8.458 14.2619.406 15.209 Indiana 0 0.099 2.687 2.786 Iowa 0.169 0.144 0.770 1.083980 1.293 Kansas 0.667 0.045 1.029 1.741 Kentucky 0.152 2.890 0.429 3.471 Louisiana 3.430 3.078 3.277 9.7854.651 11.159 Maine 0.081 0 0.316 0.397 Maryland 0.096 1.862 1.526 3.484 Massachusetts 1.300 2.079 3.950 7.3294.372 7.751 Michigan 1.759 0.592 0 2.351 Minnesota 0.300 1.089 0.375 1.764 Mississippi 0.756 0.594 0.115 1.465 Missouri 1.467 3.547 2.910 7.9244.551 9.565 Montana 0.034 0.255 2.635 2.924 Nebraska 0 0.873 0.632 1.505 Nevada 1.500 1.714 0.632 3.846 New Hampshire 0.400 1.035 1.528 2.963 New Jersey 6.374 3.971 1.688 12.033 New Mexico 0 3.123 0.361 3.484 New York 1.540 2.991 2.423 6.954845 7.376 North Carolina 2.155 5.533 4.224 11.912631 12.319 CRS-14 FY2005 FY2006 FY2007 Total 0 0.609 0 0.609 Ohio 1.319 1.881 2.255 5.455 Oklahoma 0.147 0.699 0.531 1.377 Oregon 1.710 2.141 1.863 5.7142.649 6.5 Pennsylvania 1.244 1.475 2.633 5.352 Rhode Island 0.400 0 0.105 0.505 South Carolina 0.456 0.863 2.164 3.4833.218 4.537 South Dakota 0.063 0.311 0.211 0.585 Tennessee 2.700 2.719 3.569 8.988 Texas 0.951 10.961 6.316564 18.228476 Utah 0.900 3.312 2.003 6.215 Vermont 0 0.621 0.632 1.253 Virginia 2.091 3.554 0.782 6.427 Washington 2.298 2.897 7.024 12.219 West Virginia 0 0.187 0.681 0.868 Wisconsin 0 0.072 1.012 1.084 Wyoming 0 0 0.316 0.316 Puerto Rico 0 0 0 0 Northern Mariana Islands 0 0 0 0 Marshall Islands 0 0 0 0 Guam 0 0 0 0 American Samoa 0 0 0 0 Virgin Islands 0 0 0 0 Republic of Palua 0 0 0 0 61.356 105.142 95.164 261.662104.659 271.157 North Dakota Total Source: Department of Homeland Security. FY2007 awards data not final, current as of 8/69/22/2008. CRS-15 Table 7. Requests and Awards for Fire Grant Funding, FY2007 State Alabama Number of fire/EMS departmentsa Federal funds requested ($millions) Number of applications Federal funds awarded ($millions) Funds awarded as a % of funds requested 958 720 91.230 19.271 0.2112353393885 0.2179655815 Alaska 72 72 13.759 2.454 0.1783559852 Arizona 281 166 36.489 3.989 0.10932061724.932 0.135164022 Arkansas 826 458 58.209 7.699 0.1322647701799 0.1339827174 California 802 499 100.560 18.300 0.1819809069 Colorado 371 197 29.258 4.683 0.1600587873742 0.1620753298 Connecticut 393 220 40.017 6.001 0.1499612665630 0.1656795862 Delaware 77 32 6.217 0.519518 District of Columbia 18 2 0.418 0.376 0.8995215311 Florida 748 293 60.133 7.848 0.13051070138.288 Georgia 792 331 57.090 8.6829.068 0.1588369242 Hawaii 18 4 1.168 0.436 0.3732876712 Idaho 211 111 18.762 4.297 0.2290267562 Illinois 1081 858 130.841 21.509 0.1643903669923 0.1675545127 Indiana 656 480 83.228 13.739 0.1650766569831 0.1661820541 Iowa 862 531 61.512 9.238 0.1501820783298 0.1511574977 Kansas 674 298 36.207 5.427 0.1498881432502 0.1519595658 Kentucky 797 618 86.117 12.714 0.147636355213.081 0.1518979992 Louisiana 555 256 40.891 5.065 0.1238658874473 0.1338436331 Maine 426 300 41.620 5.465 0.1313070639486 Maryland 408 202 40.003 7.571 0.1892608054712 0.1927855411 Massachusetts 407 339 65.842 11.644 0.1768476049 Michigan 858 755 107.539 14.155 0.1316266657 Minnesota 768 574 74.210 15.236 0.205309257516.600 0.2236895297 Mississippi 756 498 64.418 8.052 0.1249961191 Missouri 862 587 76.915 10.477 0.1362153026611 0.1379574855 Montana 279 232 36.531 6.5697.330 0.2006515015 Nebraska 485 201 23.130 4.443 0.1920881971 0.083480779 0.15207567 0.17981987918.730 15.399 0.186256961 0.083319929 0.137827815 0.131811629 0.143194562 CRS-16 State Number of fire/EMS departmentsa Federal funds requested ($millions) Number of applications Federal funds awarded ($millions) Funds awarded as a % of funds requested Nevada 159 27 6.640 1.530 0.2304216867 New Hampshire 255 143 18.716 3.219 0.1719918786 New Jersey 1037 609 93.805 12.681 0.135184691613.266 0.141421033 New Mexico 337 99 14.804 1.367 0.092339908 New York 1880 1238 162.786 21.540 0.132320961322.664 0.1392257319 North Carolina 1407 721 112.471 19.069 0.169545927420.032 0.1781081345 North Dakota 322 163 20.217 3.046 0.1506652817100 0.1533363011 1332 984 160.235 25.764 0.160788841426.433 0.1649639592 Oklahoma 772 478 59.814 7.077221 0.1207242452 Oregon 358 202 31.343 4.730 0.15091088925.943 0.1896117155 Pennsylvania 2624 2031 299.338 42.593 0.142290654743.611 0.1456914926 Rhode Island 98 71 13.980 South Carolina 591 381 53.721 10.287 0.1914893617 South Dakota 345 172 19.604 2.426 0.1237502551 Tennessee 642 634 84.878 12.955 0.1526308348 Texas 1873 826 128.511 16.082 0.125141038517.691 0.1376613675 Utah 219 123 18.785 3.254 0.1732233165378 0.1798243279 Vermont 254 115 17.402 1.820 0.1045856798 Virginia 810 318 56.800 10.037 0.1767077465403 0.1831514085 Washington 538 359 74.687 12.484 0.1671509098951 0.1734036713 West Virginia 476 299 48.579 6.247 0.1285946602 Wisconsin 898 746 103.653 19.086 0.1841335996439 0.1875391933 Wyoming 134 45 8.843 1.645 0.1860228429 Puerto Rico Not available 109 7.420 0.019 0.00256065 Northern Marianas Not available 1 0.204 0 0 Guam Not available 1 0.451 0 0 Total 31,822 20,731 3100.309 475.686 15.34% Ohio 1.367 0.855 0.092339908 0.118316782 0.061158798494.108 15.94% Ohio 0.855 0.061158798 10.471 0.1949144655 2.474 7.069 0.126198735 0.145515552 Source: Department of Homeland Security. FY2007 awards data not final, current as of 8/6/2008. a. Data from [http://firehouse.com], updated January 2008.