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Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding

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Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding Lennard G. Kruger Specialist in Science and Technology Policy January 3February 22, 2011 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RL32341 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress 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 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 10th11th year. 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). On February 17, 2009, the President signed P.L. 111-5, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. The ARRA included an additional $210 million in firefighter assistance grants for modifying, upgrading, or constructing state and local non-federal fire stations, provided that 5% be set aside for program administration and provided that no grant shall exceed $15 million. The Administration’s FY2011 budget proposed $305 million for AFG (a 22% decrease from the FY2010 level) and $305 million for SAFER (a 27% decrease). The total amount requested for firefighter assistance (AFG and SAFER) was $610 million, a 25% decrease from FY2010. The Continuing Appropriations and Surface Transportation Extension Act, 2011 (P.L. 111-322) funds firefighter assistance at FY2010 levels through March 4, 2011 ($390 million for AFG and $420 million for SAFER). Meanwhile, on November 18, 2009, the House passed H.R. 3791, the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2009, which would reauthorize AFG and SAFER through FY2014 and modify the distribution of fire grant funds. On April 27, 2010, S. 3267, the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2010, was introduced and referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Debate over the AFG reauthorization has suburban, or rural). The Administration’s FY2011 budget proposed $305 million for AFG and $305 million for SAFER. For FY2011, the Continuing Appropriations and Surface Transportation Extension Act, 2011 (P.L. 111-322) funds firefighter assistance at FY2010 levels through March 4, 2011. H.R. 1, the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011, as introduced on February 11, 2011, would have provided $300 million to AFG and zero funding for SAFER. However, on February 16, 2011, H.Amdt. 223 (offered by Representative Pascrell and agreed to by the House by a vote of 318-113) restored AFG to $390 million and SAFER to $420 million (the FY2010 levels). H.R. 1 was passed by the House on February 18, 2011. The Administration’s FY2012 budget proposed $670 million for firefighter assistance, including $250 million for AFG and $420 million for SAFER. According to the budget proposal, the request would fund 2,200 firefighter positions and approximately 5,000 AFG grants. In the 111th Congress, reauthorization legislation for AFG and SAFER was passed by the House, but was not passed by the Senate. Debate over the reauthorization reflected a competition for funding between career/urban/suburban departments and volunteer/rural departments. The urgency of this debate was heightened by the proposed reduction of overall AFG funding in FY2011, and the economic downturn in many local communities increasingly hard pressed to allocate funding for their local fire departments. Ultimately,Because the 111th Congress did not enact the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act. Therefore, it is likely that , it is possible that the 112th Congress may reconsider the reauthorization bill. The 112th Congress is also likely to consider appropriate funding levels for firefighter assistance in FY2011 and FY2012. Congressional Research Service Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding Contents Background ................................................................................................................................1 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program ....................................................................................1 First Reauthorization.............................................................................................................1 Second Reauthorization.........................................................................................................2 House Reauthorization Bill, H.R. 3791............................................................................4 Senate Reauthorization Bill, S. 3267 ...............................................................................6 Appropriations ......................................................................................................................8 FY2010...........................................................................................................................9 FY2011......................................................................................................................... 10 FY2012......................................................................................................................... 11 Fire Station Construction Grants in the ARRA........................................................................... 11 SAFER Grants .......................................................................................................................... 12 Program Evaluation .................................................................................................................. 1213 Distribution of Fire Grants ........................................................................................................ 1314 Issues in the 112th Congress....................................................................................................... 1516 Tables Table 1. Major Provisions of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program Reauthorization Act of 2004.....................................................................................................2 Table 2. Comparison of Selected Provisions in Fire Grant Reauthorization ..................................6 Table 3. Appropriations for Firefighter Assistance, FY2001-FY2010 ...........................................9 Table 4. Recent and Proposed Appropriations for Firefighter Assistance ......................................9 Table 5. State-by-State Distribution of Fire Grants, FY2001-FY2009 ........................................ 16 Table 6. State-by-State Distribution of SAFER Grants, FY2005-FY2009.................................. 1718 Table 7. Requests and Awards for Fire Grant Funding, FY2009 ................................................. 1920 Contacts Author Contact Information ...................................................................................................... 21 Congressional Research Service 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. Although federally funded training programs existed (and continue to exist) through the National Fire Academy, and although 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 firefighterrelated 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 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. First 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 reauthorized the fire grant program through FY2009. Table 1 provides a summary of key provisions of the first reauthorization. 1 For a list of federal programs providing assistance to state and local first responders, see CRS Report R40246, Department of Homeland Security Assistance to States and Localities: A Summary and Issues for the 111th Congress, by Shawn Reese. 2 “Firefighter assistance” is codified as section 33 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act (15 U.S.C. 2229). Congressional Research Service 1 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding Table 1. Major Provisions of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program Reauthorization Act of 2004 Grant recipient limits: populations over 1 million—lesser of $2.75 million or 0.5% of total appropriation populations of 500K to 1 million—$1.75 million populations under 500K—$1 million no single grant can exceed 0.5% of total funds appropriated for a single fiscal year DHS can waive the funding limits for populations up to 1 million in instances of extraordinary need; however the lesser of $2.75 million or 0.5% limit cannot be waived Nonfederal match requirements: 20% for populations over 50K 10% for populations 20K to 50K 5% for populations less than 20K No match requirement for non-fire department 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 Second Reauthorization The current authorization of AFG expired on September 30, 2009; the authorization of SAFER expired September 30, 2010. On July 8, 2009, the House Committee on Science and Technology, Subcommittee on Technology & Innovation, held a hearing on the reauthorization of the FIRE grant programs (both AFG and SAFER).3 Testimony was heard from FEMA and many of the major fire service organizations including the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), the 3 See http://science.house.gov/publications/hearings_markups_details.aspx?NewsID=2539. Congressional Research Service 2 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). A major issue surrounding the fire grant reauthorization is whether the current distribution of fire grant funds should be altered. Under current law, the majority of funding goes to rural and volunteer fire departments. This is the case because individual fire departments throughout the nation apply directly for funding, and there are many more volunteer and rural fire departments than career and urban/suburban fire departments.4 In general, career departments tend to protect the more densely populated urban and suburban areas, while volunteer departments tend to protect more rural areas. Testimony presented by the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), representing career (paid) firefighters, argued that under current law, “the overwhelming majority of FIRE grants are awarded to fire departments that protect a relatively small percentage of the population.”5 According to IAFF, a greater proportion of funding should go to career fire departments protecting the more densely populated suburban and urban areas, and suggested the following changes in the fire act statute: • professional, volunteer, and combination departments should each be guaranteed at least 30% of total grant funding each year (under current statute, volunteer and combination departments must receive no less than 55% of funding; in practice career departments have received about 20% of AFG funding); • funding caps for a single grant should be raised to $10 million for communities of 1 million population or more, $5 million for communities of 500,000 or more, $2 million for communities of 100,000 or more, and $1 million for communities with populations under 100,000 (current statutory caps are $2.75 million for populations over 1 million, $1.75 million for populations over 500,000, and $1 million for populations under 500,000); and • the local match requirement for fire grants should be set at 15% for all applicants, with DHS having the authority to waive the match requirement for needy departments (the current statutory matching requirements are 20% for populations over 50,000, 10% for populations over 20,000, and 5% for populations less than 20,000).6 On the other hand, testimony from the National Volunteer Fire Council (NFVC) stated that its main priority for reauthorization of AFG (as well as SAFER) is to extend the programs without substantial changes, and that “the programs are well-run, distributing funding in an efficient manner to the most deserving awardees.”7 NVFC argued that volunteer departments are 4 According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), there are an estimated 30,185 fire departments in the United States (2007 data). Of those, 7.5% are career departments, 5.8% are mostly career, 16.5% are mostly volunteer, and 70.1% are all volunteer. Most career firefighters (74%) are in communities that protect 25,000 or more people, while most volunteer firefighters (95%) are in departments that protect fewer than 25,000, and more than half are located in small, rural departments that protect fewer than 2,500 people. 5 Kevin O’Connor, Assistant to the General President, International Association of Fire Fighters, testimony before the House Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation, Committee on Science and Technology, July 8, 2009, p. 3, http://gop.science.house.gov/Media/hearings/ets09/july8/oconnor.pdf. 6 Ibid. 7 Jack Carriger, First Vice Chairman of the National Volunteer Fire Council, testimony before the House Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation, Committee on Science and Technology, July 8, 2009, p. 3, (continued...) Congressional Research Service 3 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding concentrated in rural communities with smaller tax bases and higher poverty rates, that “DHS needs assessments have consistently shown that equipment training and apparatus needs are most acute in volunteer departments,”8 and that since 2001 DHS first responder grants for terrorism and disaster response have predominantly gone to urban areas. Meanwhile, other suggested reauthorization changes to the AFG statute made by the July 8 hearing witnesses included: • establish DHS waiver authority for the existing local match requirement for economically challenged jurisdictions (IAFC); • establish centers of excellence in fire safety research (IAFC); • allow larger grants for regional projects (IAFC); • eliminate the cost-share requirement for fire departments in the Fire Prevention and Firefighter Safety grant program (NFPA and IAFF); • designate a minimum of 5% of funding for fire service-based emergency medical services (NFPA); • utilize funds for training and equipment to meet the latest applicable national voluntary consensus standards available at the time of application (NFPA); and • make state training agencies (e.g., state fire academies) eligible for AFG funding (NVFC). As manifested in the July 8 hearing, debate over the AFG reauthorization reflected a competition for funding primarily between career/urban/suburban departments and volunteer/rural departments. The urgency of this debate was heightened by reductions in FY2010 AFG funding and by the economic downturn in many local communities increasingly hard pressed to allocate funding for their local fire departments. House Reauthorization Bill, H.R. 3791 On October 13, 2009, H.R. 3791, the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2009, was introduced by Representative Mitchell. The legislation reflected an agreement reached among the major fire service organizations on the reauthorization language. H.R. 3791 was referred to the House Committee on Science and Technology, and approved (amended) by the Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation on October 14, 2009, and by the full committee on October 21, 2009. H.R. 3791 was reported (amended) by the committee on November 7, 2009 (H.Rept. 111-333, Part I). H.R. 3791 was amended and passed by the House on November 18, 2009. Adopted amendments included: directing DHS to conduct a survey of fire department compliance with firefighter safety standards; requiring DHS to give added consideration to applications from areas with high unemployment; making river rescue organizations eligible for funding; expanding AFG scope to include equipment that reduces water use; and prohibiting earmarking of funds appropriated under the act. (...continued) http://democrats.science.house.gov/Media/file/Commdocs/hearings/2009/Tech/8jul/Carriger_Testimony.pdf. 8 Ibid. Congressional Research Service 4 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding H.R. 3791, as passed by the House, would have authorized AFG at a level of $1 billion per year through FY2014 and included the following major provisions: • Grant Money Distribution—directs that grant money should be allocated (to the extent that there are eligible applicants) as follows: 25% of AFG funding to career fire departments, 25% to volunteer fire departments, 25% to combination fire departments, 10% (minimum) for fire prevention, safety, and research grants, 2% (maximum) for volunteer non-fire service EMS and rescue, 3% (maximum) for fire service training academies, and 10% to be competitive between career, volunteer and combination departments; • Grant Caps – sets maximum individual grant levels at $9 million for jurisdictions with populations over 2.5 million, $6 million for populations between 1 million and 2.5 million, $3 million for populations between 500,000 and 1 million, $2 million for populations between 100,000 and 500,000, and $1 million for populations under 100,000; • Matching Requirements—keeps the existing 5% matching requirement for communities of 20K or less, sets the matching requirement for all other jurisdictions at 10%, and allows an economic hardship waiver whereby in “exceptional circumstances” DHS may waive or reduce the matching requirements; • Maintenance of Expenditures – amends the existing maintenance of expenditures provision to require applicants to maintain budgets at 80% of the average over the past two years, also allows an economic hardship waiver whereby in “exceptional circumstances” DHS may waive or reduce the maintenance of expenditures requirements; • Fire Prevention, Research, and Safety Grants—increases available funding from 5% to 10% of total, raises grant maximum from $1 million to $1.5 million, eliminates the matching requirement for fire departments, and prohibits any funding to the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN); • University Fire Safety Research Centers – as part of the fire prevention, research, and safety grants, authorizes DHS to establish no more than three university fire safety research centers with funding of any one center at not more than $2 million per fiscal year; • State Fire Training Academies – allows DHS to award up to 3% of grant funding to state fire training academies, with individual grants not to exceed $1 million; • Voluntary Consensus Standards – directs that grants used for training should be limited to training that complies with applicable national voluntary consensus standards, unless a waiver has been granted; and • Survey and Task Force on Firefighter Safety – directs DHS to conduct a nationwide survey to assess whether fire departments are in compliance with the national voluntary consensus standards for staffing, training, safe operations, personal protective equipment, and fitness; establishes a Task Force to Enhance Firefighter Safety to make recommendations to Congress on ways to increase compliance with firefighter safety standards. Congressional Research Service 5 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding H.R. 3791 also reauthorized the SAFER grant program at a level of $1.196 billion per year through FY2014. The legislation would have modified the SAFER grant program by shortening the grant period to three years, establishing a 20% local matching requirement for each year, removing the existing federal funding cap per hired firefighter, making national organizations eligible for recruitment and retention funds, and allowing DHS in the case of economic hardship to waive cost share requirements, the three year grant period, and/or maintenance of expenditure requirements. Senate Reauthorization Bill, S. 3267 On April 27, 2010, S. 3267, the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2010, was introduced and referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. On April 28, the committee ordered S. 3267 to be reported with an amendment favorably. S. 3267 was reported on July 28, 2010 (S.Rept. 111-235). The Senate bill, while similar to the House bill, had a higher nonfederal match requirement for communities over 50K and higher match requirements for fire prevention and safety grants. Regarding SAFER, the Senate bill had a higher match requirement for hiring grants and would have continued to require applicants to retain hired firefighters for at least one year after the grant expires (unless a waiver is obtained). For both AFG and SAFER, certain changes to current law made by the Senate bill would sunset on October 1, 2015. Table 2 shows a comparison of selected provisions in the Senate bill, the House bill, and current law (15 U.S.C. 2229 and 15 U.S.C. 2229a). Table 2. Comparison of Selected Provisions in Fire Grant Reauthorization Current Law H.R. 3791 as passed by House S. 3267 Grant money distribution volunteer and combination fire departments shall receive a proportion of the total grant funding that is not less than the proportion of the U.S. population that those departments protect 25% to career fire departments 25% to volunteer fire departments no less than 25% to career fire departments 25% to combination fire departments no less than 25% to volunteer fire departments 10% competitive between career, volunteer, and combination departments no less than 25% to combination and paid-on-call fire departments 5% (minimum) to fire prevention and safety grants 10% (minimum) to fire prevention and safety grants (includes fire safety research centers) 10% (minimum) to fire prevention and safety grants (includes fire safety research centers) 3.5% (minimum) to EMS provided by fire departments and nonaffiliated EMS organizations 2% (maximum) to volunteer non-fire service EMS 3.5% (minimum) to EMS provided by fire departments and nonaffiliated EMS organizations 2% (maximum) to nonaffiliated EMS organizations 2% (maximum) to nonaffiliated EMS organizations 3% (maximum) to State fire training academies, no more than 1 grant and $1 million per state in a fiscal year 3% (maximum) to State training academies, no more than $1 million per state academy in any fiscal year Joint or Regional applications—two or more entities may submit an application to fund a joint or regional program or initiative, including acquisition of shared equipment or vehicles Congressional Research Service 6 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding Current Law H.R. 3791 as passed by House S. 3267 Grant recipient limits populations over 1 million—lesser of $2.75 million or 0.5% of total appropriation $9 million—over 2.5m population $9 million—over 2.5m population $6 million—1m to 2.5m population $6 million—1m to 2.5m population populations of 500K to 1 million— $1.75 million $3 million—500K to 1m population $3 million—500K to 1m population $2 million—100 to 500K population $2 million—100 to 500K population populations under 500K—$1 million $1 million—under 100K population $1 million—under 100K population DHS can waive funding limits for populations up to 2.5 million in instances of extraordinary need FEMA may not award a grant exceeding 1% of all available grant funds, unless FEMA determines extraordinary need no single grant can exceed 0.5% of total funds appropriated for a single fiscal year DHS can waive the funding limits for populations up to 1 million in instances of extraordinary need; however the lesser of $2.75 million or 0.5% limit cannot be waived Nonfederal match requirements 20% for populations over 50K 10% for populations over 20K 15% for populations over 50K 10% for populations 20K to 50K 5% for populations under 20K 10% for populations 20K to 50K 5% for populations less than 20K No match requirement for non-fire department prevention and firefighter safety grants 5% for populations under 20K No match requirement for all fire prevention and firefighter safety grants 5% match required for fire prevention and safety grants Maintenance of expenditures requires applicants to maintain expenditures at the same level as the average over the preceding two fiscal years requires applicants to maintain expenditures at or above 80% of the average over the preceding two fiscal years requires applicants to maintain expenditures at or above 80% of the average over the preceding two fiscal years Economic hardship waivers no economic hardship waivers available waivers available for nonfederal matching and maintenance of expenditures requirements, DHS will develop economic hardship waiver criteria in consultation with experts and interests representing the fire service and State and local governments waivers available for nonfederal matching and maintenance of expenditures requirements, FEMA will develop economic hardship waiver guidelines considering unemployment rates, percentages of individuals eligible to receive food stamps, and other factors as appropriate. Authorization FY2005—$900 million FY2010—$1 billion FY2011—$950 million FY2006—$950 million FY2011—$1 billion FY2007—$1 billion FY2012—$1 billion FY2008—$1 billion FY2013—$1 billion FY2009—$1 billion FY2014—$1 billion for each of FY2012 – FY2015, an amount equal to the amount authorized the previous fiscal year, increased by the percentage by which the Consumer Price Index for the previous fiscal year exceeds the preceding year. Congressional Research Service 7 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding Current Law H.R. 3791 as passed by House S. 3267 SAFER grant period is 4 years, grantees are required to retain for at least 1 year beyond the termination of their grants those firefighters hired under the grant shortens the grant period to three years, grant recipients are required to retain for at least the entire 3 years of the grant period those firefighters hired under the grant shortens the grant period to three years, grantees are required to retain for at least 1 year beyond the termination of their grants those firefighters hired under the grant year 1—10% local match year 2—20% local match year 3—50% local match year 4—70% local match establishes a 20% local matching requirement for each year establishes a 25% local matching requirement for each year total funding over 4 years for hiring a firefighter may not exceed $100K, adjusted annually for inflation removes the existing federal funding cap per hired firefighter the amount of funding provided for hiring a firefighter in any fiscal year may not exceed 75% of the usual annual cost of a first-year firefighter in that department state, local, and Indian tribal governments eligible for recruitment and retention funds additionally makes national organizations eligible for recruitment and retention funds additionally makes national organizations eligible for recruitment and retention funds allows DHS in the case of economic hardship to waive cost share requirements, the required retention period, the prohibition on supplanting local funds, and/or maintenance of expenditure requirements allows DHS in the case of economic hardship to waive cost share requirements, the required retention period, the prohibition on supplanting local funds, and/or maintenance of expenditure requirements reauthorizes the SAFER grant program FY2010 through FY2014 at a level of $1.196 billion per year reauthorizes the SAFER grant program FY2011 through FY2015 at a level of $950 million per year, with each year adjusted for inflation authorized for 7 years starting at $1 billion in FY2004, ending at $1.194 billion in FY2010 Source: Compiled by CRS. Ultimately, the 111th Congress did not enact the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act. Therefore, it is likelypossible that the 112th Congress may reconsider the reauthorization bill. 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. Within the DHS/FEMA budget, the firefighter assistance account (which includes both AFG and SAFER) is located within State and Local Programs as part of the State and Regional Preparedness Program. The fire grant program is in its 10th11th year. Table 3 shows the appropriations history for firefighter assistance, including AFG, SAFER, and the Fire Station Construction Grants (SCG) provided in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Over $5.2 billion has been appropriated to the AFG program since FY2001, its initial year. Table 4 shows recent and proposed appropriated funding for the AFG and SAFER grant programs. Congressional Research Service 8 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding Table 3. Appropriations for Firefighter Assistance, FY2001-FY2010 AFG SAFER SCGa Total FY2001 $100 million $100 million FY2002 $360 million $360 million FY2003 $745 million $745 million FY2004 $746 million $746 million FY2005 $650 million $65 million $715 million FY2006 $539 million $109 million $648 million FY2007 $547 million $115 million $662 million FY2008 $560 million $190 million $750 million FY2009 $565 million $210 million FY2010 $390 million $420 million $420 millionb FY2011 $390 $810 million FY2011 b b b Total $5.592 billion $1.529 billion $210 million $985 million $810 million millionb $810 millionb $1.529 billion $210 million $7.331 billion a. Assistance to Firefighters Fire Station Construction Grants (SCG) grants were funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (P.L. 111-5). b. The Continuing Appropriations and Surface Transportation Extension Act, 2011 (P.L. 111-322) funds AFG and SAFER at FY2010 levels through March 4, 2011. Table 4. Recent and Proposed Appropriations for Firefighter Assistance (millions of dollars) FY2009 (Admin. request) FIRE Grants (AFG) SAFER Grants Total a. FY2009 (P.L. 110329) FY2010 (Admin. request) FY2010 (P.L. 11183) FY2011 (Admin. request) FY2011 CR (P.L. 111-322) FY2012 (Admin. Request)(P.L. 111322)a 300 565 170 390 305 390a 250 0 210 420 420 305 a 420 300 775 590 810 610 810a 670 The Continuing Appropriations and Surface Transportation Extension Act, 2011 (P.L. 111-322) funds AFG and SAFER at FY2010 levels through March 4, 2011. FY2010 For FY2010, the Obama Administration proposed $170 million for AFG, a 70% decrease from the FY2009 level, and $420 million for SAFER, double the amount appropriated in FY2009. The total amount requested for firefighter assistance (AFG and SAFER) was $590 million, a 24% decrease from FY2009. The FY2010 budget proposal stated that the firefighter assistance grant Congressional Research Service 9 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding process “will give priority to applications that enhance capabilities for terrorism response and other major incidents.”9 9 Office of Management and Budget, Appendix: Budget of the United States Government, FY2010, p. 547. Congressional Research Service 9 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding The House FY2010 Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill (H.R. 2892; H.Rept. 111-157) provided $800 million for firefighter assistance, including $380 million for AFG and $420 million for SAFER. Although the SAFER level matched the Administration’s request, the AFG level was more than twice what the Administration proposed. According to the committee report, the Administration’s request of $170 million for AFG “is woefully inadequate given the vast needs of fire departments across the nation for equipment.” The committee directed FEMA to continue granting funds to local fire departments, include the United States Fire Administration in the grant decision process, and maintain an all-hazard focus while prohibiting the limiting of eligible activities including wellness. The House passed H.R. 2892 on June 24, 2009. During floor consideration of H.R. 2892, the House approved a manager’s amendment that added $10 million to the AFG account. Therefore, the House-passed total for AFG was $390 million. The Senate FY2010 Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill (S. 1298; S.Rept. 11131) provided $800 million for firefighter assistance, including $380 million for AFG and $420 million for SAFER. The Appropriations Committee directed DHS to continue funding applications according to local priorities and priorities established by the United States Fire Administration, and to continue direct funding to fire departments and the peer review process. The Senate passed H.R. 2892 on July 9, 2009. During floor consideration, the Senate adopted an amendment (S.Amdt. 1458) that added $10 million to the AFG account. Therefore, the Senatepassed total for AFG was also $390 million. The conference report for the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2010 (H.Rept. 111-298) was passed by the House on October 15. H.Rept. 111-298 provided $390 million for AFG and $420 million for SAFER, identical to the levels in both the House- and Senate-passed H.R. 2892. The conferees directed FEMA to continue the present practice of funding applications according to local priorities and those established by the USFA, to maintain an all-hazards focus, to grant funds for eligible activities in accordance with the authorizing statute, and to continue the current grant application and review process as specified in the House report. The conference report was passed by the House on October 15, by the Senate on October 20, and signed into law, P.L. 111-83, on October 28, 2009. Meanwhile, on December 16, 2009, the House considered legislation intended to create jobs and passed the Senate amendment to H.R. 2847, which would provide $500 million in additional FY2010 funding for SAFER. H.R. 2847 directs that any unused funds may be transferred to AFG after notification to the House and Senate appropriations committees. FY2011 The Administration’s FY2011 budget proposed $305 million for AFG (a 22% decrease from the FY2010 level) and $305 million for SAFER (a 27% decrease). The total amount requested for firefighter assistance (AFG and SAFER) was $610 million, a 25% decrease from FY2010. The FY2011 budget proposal stated that the firefighter assistance grant process “will give priority to applications that enhance capabilities for terrorism response and other major incidents.”10 109 Office of Management and Budget, Appendix: Budget of the United States Government, FY2011, p. 557FY2010, p. 547. Congressional Research Service 10 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding FY2011 budget proposal stated that the firefighter assistance grant process “will give priority to applications that enhance capabilities for terrorism response and other major incidents.”10 On June 24, 2010, the House Subcommittee on Homeland Security Appropriations approved $840 million for firefighter assistance, including $420 million for AFG and $420 million for SAFER. On July 19, 2010, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved $810 million for firefighter assistance (including $390 million for AFG and $420 million for SAFER), the same level as FY2010 and 33% more than the Administration proposal. In the bill report (S.Rept. 111-222), the committee directed DHS to continue funding applications according to local priorities and priorities established by the United States Fire Administration, and to continue direct funding to fire departments and the peer review process. The committee also directed FEMA to submit the U.S. Fire Service Needs Assessment, and to brief the committee regarding the implementation of the recommendations of the recent GAO report (GAO-10-64) on additional actions which would improve the grants process. The Administration’s FY2011 budget proposed $305 million for AFG and $305 million for SAFER. For FY2011, the Continuing Appropriations and Surface Transportation Extension Act, 2011 (P.L. 111-322) funds firefighter assistance at FY2010 levels through March 4, 2011 ($390 million for AFG and $420 million for SAFER).. H.R. 1, the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011, as introduced on February 11, 2011, would have provided $300 million to AFG and zero funding for SAFER. However, on February 16, 2011, H.Amdt. 223 (offered by Representative Pascrell and agreed to by the House by a vote of 318-113) restored AFG to $390 million and SAFER to $420 million (the FY2010 levels). H.R. 1 was passed by the House on February 18, 2011. FY2012 The Administration’s FY2012 budget proposed $670 million for firefighter assistance, including $250 million for AFG and $420 million for SAFER. According to the budget proposal, the request would fund 2,200 firefighter positions and approximately 5,000 AFG grants. The FY2012 budget proposal stated that the firefighter assistance grant process “will give priority to applications that enhance capabilities for terrorism response and other major incidents.”11 Fire Station Construction Grants in the ARRA Since its inception, the traditional fire grant program has provided money specifically for health and safety related modifications of fire stations, but has not funded major upgrades, renovations, or construction. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 (P.L. 111-5) provided an additional $210 million in firefighter assistance grants for modifying, upgrading, or constructing state and local non-federal fire stations, provided that 5% be set aside for program administration and provided that no grant shall exceed $15 million. The conference report (H.Rept. 111-16) cited DHS estimates that this spending would create 2,000 jobs. The ARRA also 10 11 Office of Management and Budget, Appendix: Budget of the United States Government, FY2011, p. 557. Office of Management and Budget, Appendix: Budget of the United States Government, FY2012, p. 538. Congressional Research Service 11 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding included a provision (section 603) that waived the matching requirement for SAFER grants funded by appropriations in FY2009 and FY2010. The application period for ARRA Assistance to Firefighters Fire Station Construction Grants (SCG) opened on June 11 and closed on July 10, 2009. There is no cost share requirement for SCG grants. Eligible applicants are non-federal fire departments that provide fire protection services to local communities. Ineligible applicants include federal fire departments, EMS or rescue organizations, airport fire departments, for-profit fire departments, fire training centers, emergency communications centers, auxiliaries and fire service organizations or associations, and search and rescue teams or similar organizations without fire suppression responsibilities. DHS/FEMA received 6,025 SCG applications for $9.9 billion in federal funds.1112 As of October 1, 2010, 119 SCG grants were awarded, totaling $207.461 million to fire departments within the United States. A complete list of SCG awards is available at http://www.firegrantsupport.com/ content/html/scg/Awards09.aspx/. On July 26, 2010, the Firefighting Investment, Renewal, and Employment Act or FIRE Act (H.R. 5858) was introduced to authorize $210 million for each of fiscal years 2011 through 2015 for competitive grants for modifying, upgrading, or constructing nonfederal fire stations. 11 Detailed SCG application statistics are available at http://www.firegrantsupport.com/docs/2009AFSCGAppStats.pdf. Congressional Research Service 11 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding H.R. 5858 was not enacted by the 111th Congress. 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. 108-136; 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 cost shared 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. 12 Detailed SCG application statistics are available at http://www.firegrantsupport.com/docs/2009AFSCGAppStats.pdf. Congressional Research Service 12 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding 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. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-5) included a provision (section 603) that waives the matching requirement for SAFER grants in FY2009 and FY2010. Additionally, the FY2009 Supplemental Appropriations Act (P.L. 111-32) included a provision (section 605) giving the Secretary of Homeland Security authority to waive certain limitations and restrictions in the SAFER statute. For grants awarded in FY2009 and FY2010, waivers will permit grantees to use SAFER funds to rehire laid-off firefighters and fill positions eliminated through attrition, will allow grants to extend longer than the current five year duration, and will permit the amount of funding per position at levels exceeding the current limit of $100,000. For more information on the SAFER program, see CRS Report RL33375, Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response: The SAFER Grant Program, by Lennard G. Kruger. 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 Congressional Research Service 12 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding improving the readiness and capabilities of firefighters across the nation.”1213 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,”1314 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.”14 15 13 For full report see http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/affgp-fy01-usda-report.pdf. 14 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. 15 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. Congressional Research Service 13 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding 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 grant applications that best address the program’s priorities and criteria as 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 rank-ordered, and funded following the rank order. In October 2009, GAO sent a report to Congress finding that FEMA has met most statutory requirements for awarding fire grants.1516 GAO recommended that FEMA establish a procedure to track EMS awards, ensure that grant priorities are better aligned with application questions and scoring values, and provide specific feedback to rejected applicants. 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 for health and safety; enforcing fire codes; funding fire prevention programs; educating the public about arson prevention and 12 For full report see http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/affgp-fy01-usda-report.pdf. 13 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. 14 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. 15 U.S. Government Accountability Office, Fire Grants: FEMA Has Met Most Requirements for Awarding Fire Grants, but Additional Actions Would Improve Its Grant Process, GAO-10-64, October 2009, http://www.gao.gov/ new.items/d1064.pdf. Congressional Research Service 13 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding 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. 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 hospitals. 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 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 and combination 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 (34% for combination, 21% for all-volunteer). The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program Reauthorization Act of 2004 (Title XXXVI of P.L. 108-375) raised award caps 16 U.S. Government Accountability Office, Fire Grants: FEMA Has Met Most Requirements for Awarding Fire Grants, but Additional Actions Would Improve Its Grant Process, GAO-10-64, October 2009, http://www.gao.gov/ new.items/d1064.pdf. Congressional Research Service 14 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding 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).1617 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.1718 According to the FY2010 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. 1819 However, given that less than 10% of fire grant applications are historically 16 15 U.S.C. 2229(b)(9). 44 CFR Part 152.6(c). 18 For the FY2010 round of awards, no less than 33% of AFG funds must be awarded to combination departments, and (continued...) 17 Congressional Research Service 14 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding received from career departments, funding levels are likely not to reach the 45% ceiling for career departments. Additionally, each fire department that applies is classified as either urban, suburban, or rural. In FY2006, 4.3% of the total number of fire grant awards went to urban areas, 17.8% to suburban areas, and 77.7% to rural areas. Of the total amount of federal funding awarded, 7.7% went to urban areas, 18.2% to suburban areas, and 73.9% to rural areas.1920 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 FY2009, while Table 6 shows a state-by-state breakdown of SAFER grant funding for FY2005 through FY2009. Table 7 provides an in-depth look at the FY2009 fire grants, showing, for each state, the number of fire departments in each state,2021 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 17 15 U.S.C. 2229(b)(9). 44 CFR Part 152.6(c). 19 For the FY2010 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 all-volunteer departments. See Department of Homeland Security, Fiscal Year 2010 Assistance to Firefighters Grants: Guidance and Application Kit, April 2010, p. 26. 20 Department of Homeland Security, Grant Programs Directorate, Grant Development and Administration Division, Report on Fiscal Year 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grants, p. 11. 21 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. 18 Congressional Research Service 15 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding applicants received about 16% of the funds they requested in FY2009. This compares to 15% in FY2008, 16% in FY2007, 21% in FY2006, 22% in FY2005, 28% in FY2004, and 34% in FY2003. The downward trend reflects the fact that the number of 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 112th Congress Because the 111th Congress did not enact the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act, the 112th Congress may revisit the issue, and may consider whether and how to modify the reauthorization bills as passed by the House and reported by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs in the 111th Congress. Debate over the AFG reauthorization has reflected a competition for funding between career/urban/suburban departments and volunteer/rural departments. The urgency of this debate could be heightened by possible reductions of overall AFG funding and the economic downturn in many local communities increasingly hard pressed to allocate funding for their local fire departments. Meanwhile, the 112th Congress will determine final FY2011 budget levels for AFG and SAFER, and will consider the Administration’s FY2012 request. As is the case with many federal programs, concerns in the 112th Congress over the federal budget deficit could impact budget levels for AFG and SAFER. At the same time, firefighter assistance budgets will likely receive heightened scrutiny from the fire community, given the national economic downturn and local budgetary cutbacks that many fire departments are now facing. (...continued) no less than 22% of AFG funds must be awarded to all-volunteer departments. See Department of Homeland Security, Fiscal Year 2010 Assistance to Firefighters Grants: Guidance and Application Kit, April 2010, p. 26. 19 Department of Homeland Security, Grant Programs Directorate, Grant Development and Administration Division, Report on Fiscal Year 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grants, p. 11. 20 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. Congressional Research Service 15 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding Table 5. State-by-State Distribution of Fire Grants, FY2001-FY2009 (millions of dollars) FY01 FY02 FY03 FY04 FY05 FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09 Total AL 3.085 12.503 23.329 25.097 20.836 22.027 19.903 23.332 19.966 170.078 AK 1.303 2.641 5.242 2.522 3.111 0.754 2.454 0.990 0.935 19.952 AZ 1.37 3.6 7.490 9.808 7.905 4.041 4.932 5.440 4.716 49.302 AR 1.337 4.635 10.675 13.680 10.402 7.699 7.799 7.107 8.174 71.508 CA 5.905 18.978 30.060 29.793 25.631 17.856 18.730 26.198 23.644 196.795 CO 1.003 3.968 6.168 5.585 6.073 3.213 4.742 2.490 6.11 39.352 CT 1.828 4.675 10.841 9.991 7.287 5.479 6.630 6.925 5.231 58.887 DE 0.132 0.372 1.096 1.755 1.161 1.107 0.518 0.231 1.251 7.623 DC 0 0.22 0 0 0.453 0 0.376 1.171 0 2.22 FL 2.865 10.16 16.344 15.969 17.922 6.787 8.288 6. 738 12.581 97.654 GA 2.375 6.079 13.791 11.857 10.168 8.887 9.068 7.959 8.981 79.165 HI 0 1.182 0.947 0.864 1.205 0.264 0.436 0.772 0.609 6.279 ID 0.916 2.744 6.001 4.828 4.684 2.712 4.297 2.687 2.883 31.752 IL 2.417 13.398 28.810 27.238 25.433 21.120 21.923 21.325 25.24 186.904 IN 2.703 8.739 20.456 18.646 15.779 14.447 13.831 13.092 15.179 122.872 IA 1.301 7.284 16.087 16.430 13.119 10.064 9.298 9.877 9.695 93.155 Congressional Research Service 16 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding FY01 FY02 FY03 FY04 FY05 FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09 Total KS 1.153 5.118 10.850 10.211 7.165 4.984 5.502 3.928 6.682 55.593 KY 2.215 7.896 19.832 16.150 14.215 13.308 13.081 17.153 13.108 116.958 LA 3.344 10.084 12.248 11.101 11.630 6.935 5.473 7.033 8.073 75.921 ME 1.296 4.319 10.323 10.031 6.124 6.702 5.486 4.904 3.462 52.647 MD 0.739 4.08 8.153 10.227 8.771 10.368 7.712 5.525 5.221 60.796 MA 2.301 8.386 15.715 13.958 13.529 8.957 11.644 9.532 11.957 95.979 MI 2.815 8.948 17.247 20.005 15.088 15.798 15.399 15.482 18.045 128.827 MN 2.133 8.149 17.510 18.609 14.894 14.718 16.600 13.082 17.253 122.948 MS 1.763 6.755 15.679 11.329 9.856 7.885 8.052 7.761 8.436 77.516 MO 3.079 10.291 19.573 17.757 14.246 13.202 10.611 11.589 12.973 113.321 MT 1.164 3.726 8.361 7.271 6.656 5.839 7.330 4.670 5.179 50.196 NE 1.034 2.392 7.820 6.577 5.116 4.399 4.443 4.324 4.341 40.446 NV 0.282 1.446 3.312 1.405 1.946 0.857 1.530 0.687 0.855 12.32 NH 0.594 1.887 4.584 5.694 4.563 3.307 3.219 2.723 2.834 29.405 NJ 2.596 6.339 19.982 16.488 14.691 12.386 13.266 13.201 15.502 114.451 NM 1.455 3.463 5.048 3.653 2.259 1.461 1.367 1.101 1.605 21.412 NY 3.978 14.728 34.320 35.030 36.009 33.804 22.664 30.204 23.235 233.972 NC 1.949 10.239 22.864 22.360 19.315 18.309 20.031 18.460 20.881 154.408 Congressional Research Service 16 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding FY01 FY02 FY03 FY04 FY05 FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09 Total ND 0.546 2.613 5.105 3.391 2.673 2.459 3.100 3.297 2.527 25.711 OH 2.731 13.742 26.997 29.107 27.344 25.380 26.433 26.938 33.164 211.836 OK 1.864 4.939 10.540 10.393 8.757 10.852 7.220 6.875 7.239 68.679 OR 1.596 4.892 9.896 10.122 10.014 9.288 5.943 8.438 5.986 66.175 PA 2.89 16.97 45.179 47.898 39.233 41.259 43.610 41.041 37.231 315.311 RI 0.407 1.507 2.327 1.917 2.129 2.025 0.855 1.395 2.46 15.022 SC 1.554 5.257 11.832 14.150 10.544 8.028 10.470 11.040 11.227 84.102 SD 0.904 3.142 5.602 4.693 3.570 2.989 2.474 2.069 2.527 27.97 TN 2.46 11.509 19.306 18.686 15.047 11.209 12.955 16.074 13.311 120.557 TX 3.697 15.644 29.264 30.118 23.480 18.035 17.691 20.458 19.469 177.856 UT 0.9 2.754 4.628 3.880 2.188 2.213 3.378 0.934 2.295 23.17 VT 0.451 1.971 5.163 4.747 2.071 1.456 1.820 1.046 1.974 20.699 VA 2.066 8.79 15.816 16.668 14.357 8.317 10.403 8.370 6.405 91.192 WA 1.535 7.544 18.808 19.565 15.763 16.150 12.951 13.050 10.064 115.43 WV 1.067 3.966 9.942 9.133 10.143 5.838 7.164 7.238 5.331 59.822 WI 2.077 7.518 18.234 19.668 17.685 13.994 19.439 15.216 15.17 129.001 WY 1.09 1.612 3.507 1.811 2.032 1.197 1.645 1.023 1.427 15.344 PR 0.657 0.382 1.643 1.140 1.104 0.528 0.019 0.074 1.154 6.701 MP 0.145 0.225 0 0 0.220 0.172 0 0 0 0.762 GUCongressional Research Service 17 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding FY01 GU FY02 FY03 FY04 FY05 FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09 Total 0 0.016 0 0 0 0.287 0 0 0 0.303 AS 0.164 0 0 0.284 0 0 0 0 0 0.448 VI 0.741 0 0.544 0 0 0 0 0.233 0 1.518 91.972 334.41 695.12 679.30 585.61 491.37 494.22 492.52 503.25 4367.8 Source: Department of Homeland Security. Table 6. State-by-State Distribution of SAFER Grants, FY2005-FY2009 (millions of dollars) FY2005 FY2006 FY2007 FY2008 FY2009 Total Alabama 1.611 6.215 4.236 7.314 4.288 23.664 Alaska 1.051 0.205 0.418 1.438 0.328 3.44 Arizona 1.560 3.559 4.428 6.613 6.768 22.928 Arkansas 0.394 1.820 0.377 3.834 0.976 7.401 California 5.221 5.212 4.259 4 .212 31.501 50.405 Colorado 1.584 3.479 1.730 2.02 0.955 9.768 Connecticut 0.130 0.191 0.856 3.92 2.214 7.311 Congressional Research Service 17 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding FY2005 FY2006 FY2007 FY2008 FY2009 Total Delaware 0 0.135 0 0.398 0 0.533 District of Columbia 0 0 0 0 0 0 Florida 6.576 9.329 6.217 17.185 24.105 63.412 Georgia 5.354 2.085 2.842 17.438 4.844 32.563 Hawaii 0 0 0 1.626 0 1.626 Idaho 0.063 0.621 0.626 0.774 1.336 3.42 Illinois 1.340 4.463 9.933 5.85 2.496 24.082 Indiana 0 0.099 2.687 4.577 8.295 15.658 Iowa 0.169 0.144 0.980 1.288 1.045 3.626 Kansas 0.667 0.045 1.029 1.872 2.806 6.419 Kentucky 0.152 2.890 0.429 2.466 0.338 6.275 Louisiana 3.430 3.078 4.728 8.62 10.515 30.371 Maine 0.081 0 0.316 0.951 0.739 2.087 Maryland 0.096 1.862 1.526 3.171 4.429 11.084 Massachusetts 1.300 2.079 4.372 2.690 18.385 28.826 Michigan 1.759 0.592 0 0.628 13.286 16.265 Minnesota 0.300 1.089 0.375 3.246 1.256 6.266 Mississippi 0.756 0.594 0.115 1.608 0 3.073 Missouri 1.467 3.547 4.551 2.381 1.474 Congressional Research Service 13.42 18 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding FY2005 FY2006 FY2007 FY2008 FY2009 Total Montana 0.034 0.255 2.635 2.955 0.458 6.337 Nebraska 0 0.873 0.632 1.951 0.802 4.258 Nevada 1.500 1.714 0.632 0.086 0.577 4.509 New Hampshire 0.400 1.035 1.528 0.225 0 3.188 New Jersey 6.374 3.971 2.953 4.389 0.556 18.243 New Mexico 0 3.123 1.309 0.108 0.499 5.039 New York 1.540 2.991 2.845 4.412 8.227 20.015 North Carolina 2.155 5.533 5.371 18.183 2.256 33.498 North Dakota 0 0.609 0 1.518 1.517 3.644 Ohio 1.319 1.881 2.255 3.737 29.606 38.798 Oklahoma 0.147 0.699 0.531 2.782 0 4.159 Oregon 1.710 2.141 2.649 2.071 0.677 9.248 Pennsylvania 1.244 1.475 2.633 3.515 1.176 10.043 Rhode Island 0.400 0 0.105 0 1.561 2.066 South Carolina 0.456 0.863 3.218 8.158 2.41 15.105 South Dakota 0.063 0.311 0.211 0.552 0 Tennessee 2.700 2.719 3.683 1.856 1.148 12.106 Texas 0.951 10.961 8.779 3.158 42.909 Congressional Research Service 19.06 13.42 1.137 18 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding FY2005 FY2006 FY2007 FY2008 FY2009 Total Utah 0.900 3.312 2.098 3.955 1.824 12.089 Vermont 0 0.621 0.632 0 0.119 1.372 Virginia 2.091 3.554 0.782 1.849 4.891 13.167 Washington 2.298 2.897 7.340 9.476 2.847 24.858 West Virginia 0 0.187 0.681 0.16 0.287 1.315 Wisconsin 0 0.072 1.223 4.502 0 5.797 Wyoming 0 0 0.316 2.329 0.263 2.908 Puerto Rico 0 0 0 0 0 0 Northern Mariana Islands 0 0 0 0 0 0 Marshall Islands 0 0 0 0 0 0 Guam 0 0 0 0 0 0 American Samoa 0 0 0 0 0 0 Virgin Islands 0 0 0 0 0 0 Republic of Palau 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 61.356 105.142 113.665 19.06 203.964 207.258 1.137 691.385 Source: Department of Homeland Security. Congressional Research Service 19 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding Table 7. Requests and Awards for Fire Grant Funding, FY2009 State Alabama Number of fire/EMS departments Number of applications Federal funds requested ($millions) Federal funds awarded ($millions) Funds awarded as a % of funds requested 966 779 114.977 19.966 17.37% Alaska 75 56 11.088 0.935 8.43% Arizona 283 178 33.907 4.716 13.91% Arkansas 826 420 51.329 8.174 15.92% California 823 534 118.658 23.644 19.93% Colorado 375 166 32.238 6.11 18.95% Connecticut 401 253 42.249 5.231 12.38% Delaware 77 34 5.219 1.251 23.97% District of Columbia 18 1 2.777 0 Florida 755 289 69.808 12.581 18.02% Georgia 799 395 64.942 8.981 13.83% Hawaii 20 3 0.867 0.609 70.24% Idaho 212 116 17.805 2.883 16.19% Illinois 1090 885 135.105 Congressional Research Service 25.24 0.00% 18.68% 19 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding State Number of fire/EMS departments Number of applications Federal funds requested ($millions) Federal funds awarded ($millions) Funds awarded as a % of funds requested25.24 18.68% Indiana 670 507 78.287 15.179 19.39% Iowa 864 560 60.512 9.695 16.02% Kansas 680 276 33.304 6.682 20.06% Kentucky 796 630 89.445 13.108 14.65% Louisiana 557 262 43.072 8.073 18.74% Maine 431 307 38.283 3.462 9.04% Maryland 418 205 32.181 5.221 16.22% Massachusetts 408 349 68.931 11.957 17.35% Michigan 865 776 114.942 18.045 15.70% Minnesota 770 521 75.941 17.253 22.72% Mississippi 756 435 57.183 8.436 14.75% Missouri 865 520 77.004 12.973 16.85% Montana 283 193 29.121 5.179 17.78% Nebraska 486 180 22.743 4.341 19.09% Nevada 161 32 6.162 0.855 13.88% New Hampshire 256 145 25.849 2.834 10.96% New Jersey 1044 618 93.849 15.502 16.52% New Mexico 341 91 20.932 1.605 7.67% New York 1894 1315 175.848 23.235 13.21% North Carolina 1411 728 122.919 20.881 16.99% North DakotaCongressional Research Service 0.00% 20 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding State North Dakota Number of fire/EMS departments Number of applications Federal funds requested ($millions) Federal funds awarded ($millions) Funds awarded as a % of funds requested 322 153 16.141 2.527 15.66% 1338 1062 155.248 33.164 21.36% Oklahoma 772 397 51.534 7.239 14.05% Oregon 360 231 36.695 5.986 16.31% Pennsylvania 2635 2255 296.739 37.231 12.55% Rhode Island 101 74 14.173 2.46 17.36% South Carolina 592 419 67.334 11.227 16.67% South Dakota 345 179 21.155 2.527 11.95% Tennessee 649 660 96.677 13.311 13.77% Texas 1883 775 137.322 19.469 14.18% Utah 221 120 14.46 2.295 15.87% Vermont 255 104 10.377 1.974 19.02% Virginia 822 327 59.621 6.405 10.74% Washington 543 357 63.019 10.064 15.97% West Virginia 476 365 49.557 5.331 10.76% Ohio Congressional Research Service 20 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding State Number of fire/EMS departments Number of applications Federal funds requested ($millions) Federal funds awarded ($millions) Wisconsin 901 713 92.114 Wyoming 135 51 7.748 1.427 18.42% 7 8 8.233 1.154 14.02% 0.268 0 0.00% Ohio Puerto Rico 15.17 Funds awarded as a % of funds requested 16.47% Northern Marianas Not available 2 Virgin Islands Not available 2 0.565 0 0.00% Guam Not available 2 1.524 0 0.00% Total 30,185 21,015 3167.966 503.253 15.89% Sources: Department of Homeland Security and firehouse.com (number of firehouse/EMS departments, updated June 2009). Author Contact Information Lennard G. Kruger Specialist in Science and Technology Policy lkruger@crs.loc.gov, 7-7070 Congressional Research Service 21