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
June 8, 2012January 10, 2013

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 12th13th year. The Fire Act statute was reauthorized in 20042012 (Title
XXXVIXVIII of P.L. 108-375112-239) and provides overallnew 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).
For FY2012, P.L. 112-74, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, provided $675 million for
firefighter assistance, including $337.5 million for AFG and $337.5 million for SAFER. The
Administration’s FY2013 budget proposed $670 million for firefighter assistance, including $335
million for AFG and $335 million for SAFER. Both the House-passed FY2013 appropriations bill
(H.R. 5855) and the Senate Appropriations Committee bill (S. 3216) provide $675 million
($337.5 million for AFG and $337.5 million for SAFER).
On March 10, 2011, S. 550, the Fire Grants Authorization Act of 2011 was introduced into the
Senate. Previously 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.
On June 22, 2011, H.R. 2269, the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2011, was introduced into
the House. H.R. 2269 is virtually identical to House legislation that was passed in the 111th
CongressThe Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2013
(P.L. 112-175), funds firefighter assistance programs through the first six months of FY2013 at an
increase of 0.612% of the FY2012 level. Therefore, under the FY2013 continuing resolution,
AFG is funded at $339.5 million and SAFER is funded at $339.5 million through March 2013.
The 113th Congress will likely consider FY2013 and FY2014 budget appropriations for AFG and
SAFER. As is the case with many federal programs, concerns 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 local budgetary
cutbacks that many fire departments are facing.

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 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding

Contents
Background ...................................................................................................................................... 1
Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program ........................................................................................ 1
Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2004...................2012 ................................................................................... 1
Current Reauthorization .....................Appropriations ....................................................................................... 2
House Reauthorization Bill: 111th Congress........................................................................ 3
Senate Reauthorization Bill 4
FY2011 ................................................................................................. 6
Appropriations..................................... 5
FY2012 ...................................................................................... 9
FY2011.......................................... 6
FY2013 .................................................................................... 10
FY2012.............................................. 7
Fire Station Construction Grants in the ARRA................................................................................ 11
FY2013................................................8
SAFER Grants .............................................................................. 12
Fire Station Construction Grants in the ARRA.............................................................................. 13
SAFER Grants . 9
Program Evaluation .............................................................................................................................. 14
Program Evaluation ........................................... 9
Reports Mandated by Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2012 ............................................................................ 15 10
Distribution of Fire Grants............................................................................................................. 1611
Issues in the 112th113th Congress ........................................................................................................... 1812

Tables
Table 1. Major Provisions of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program
Reauthorization Act of 2004..................Key Provisions of Fire Grant Reauthorization ....................................................................................... 2
Table 2. Comparison of Selected Provisions in Fire Grant Reauthorization ................................... 7
Table 3 2
Table 2. Appropriations for Firefighter Assistance, FY2001-FY2012FY2013............................................. 104
Table 43. Recent and Proposed Appropriations for Firefighter Assistance ..................................... 10.. 5
Table 54. State-by-State Distribution of AFG Grants, FY2001-FY2010FY2011 ......................................... 1813
Table 65. State-by-State Distribution of SAFER Grants, FY2005-FY2010 .................................... 2015
Table 76. Requests and Awards for AFG Funding, FY2010 ............................................................ 2117

Contacts
Author Contact Information........................................................................................................... 2318

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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  exist
a dedicated program, exclusively for firefighters, which provided federal money directly to
local  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 Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 106398).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.

Reauthorization Act of 2004
On October 28, 2004, the President signed the FY2005 Ronald W. Reagan 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 2004 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 §33 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act (15 U.S.C. 2229).

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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 Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act.

Current Reauthorization
The most recent authorization of AFG expired on September 30, 2009; the authorization of
SAFER expired September 30, 2010. Previously in the 111th Congress, reauthorization legislation
for AFG and SAFER was passed by the House, but was not passed by the Senate. In the 112th
Congress, the Senate reauthorization bill for AFG and SAFER has been reintroduced as S. 550.
The House bill has been reintroduced as H.R. 2269.

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House Reauthorization Bill: 111th Congress
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 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; the organization 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

3

See http://science.house.gov/publications/hearings_markups_details.aspx?NewsID=2539.
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.
4

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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
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.
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
6

Ibid.
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,
http://democrats.science.house.gov/Media/file/Commdocs/hearings/2009/Tech/8jul/Carriger_Testimony.pdf.
8
Ibid.
7

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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.
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

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•

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.

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
On March 10, 2011, S. 550, the Fire Grants Authorization Act of 2011, was introduced by Senator
Lieberman, chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
The Senate bill, while similar to the House bill, has a higher nonfederal match requirement for
communities over 50K and higher match requirements for fire prevention and safety grants.
Regarding SAFER, the Senate bill has a higher match requirement for hiring grants and would
continue to require applicants to retain hired firefighters for at least one year after the grant
expires (unless a waiver is obtained). On May 18, 2011, the Senate Committee on Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs ordered S. 550 to be reported with two amendments (S.Rept.
112-28). One approved amendment is a requirement that the inspector general of DHS submit to
Congress a report detailing whether and to what degree the grant programs are duplicative. The
other adopted amendment would sunset both AFG and SAFER grant programs on October 1,
2016, requiring the programs to subsequently be reauthorized past that date in order to continue.
Table 2 shows a comparison of selected provisions in S. 550 (as reported), H.R. 2269 (as
introduced), and current law (15 U.S.C. 2229 and 15 U.S.C. 2229a).

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Table 2. Comparison of Selected Provisions in Fire Grant Reauthorization
Current Law (15 U.S.C. 2229
and 15 U.S.C. 2229a)

H.R. 2269 as introduced

S. 550 as reported

Grant money allocation
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

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

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Current Law (15 U.S.C. 2229
and 15 U.S.C. 2229a)

H.R. 2269 as introduced

5% for populations less than 20K
No match requirement for non-fire
department prevention and
firefighter safety grants

S. 550 as reported
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.

Authorizations
FY2005—$900 million

FY2012—$1 billion

FY2012—$950 million

FY2006—$950 million

FY2013—$1 billion

FY2007—$1 billion

FY2014—$1 billion

FY2008—$1 billion

FY2015—$1 billion

FY2009—$1 billion

FY2016—$1 billion

for each of FY2013 – FY2016, 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.
sunset: authority to award grants
shall expire on October 1, 2016

SAFER
grant period is 4 years, grantees are
required to retain for at least 1 year
beyond the termination of their
grants those firefighter positions
hired under the grant

shortens the grant period to 3 years,
grant recipients are required to
retain for at least the entire 3 years
of the grant period those firefighter
positions hired under the grant

shortens the grant period to 3 years,
grantees are required to retain for at
least 1 year beyond the termination
of their grants those firefighter
positions 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

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Current Law (15 U.S.C. 2229
and 15 U.S.C. 2229a)

H.R. 2269 as introduced

S. 550 as reported

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

authorized for 7 years starting at $1
billion in FY2004, ending at $1.194
billion in FY2010

reauthorizes the SAFER grant
program FY2012 through FY2016 at
a level of $1.194 billion per year

reauthorizes the SAFER grant
program FY2012 through FY2016 at
a level of $950 million per year, with
each year adjusted for inflation

authority to make grants shall lapse
10 years from November 24, 2003

authority to make grants shall lapse
10 years after date of enactment

authority to award grants shall
expire on October 1, 2016

Source: Compiled by CRS1 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.
Since its establishment, the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program has been reauthorized twice.
The first reauthorization was Title XXXVI of the FY2005 Ronald W. Reagan National Defense
Authorization Act (P.L. 108-375), which authorized the program through FY2009. The second
and current reauthorization is Title XVIII, Subtitle A of the FY2013 National Defense
Authorization Act (P.L. 112-239), which authorizes the program through FY2017 and modifies
program rules for disbursing grant money.

Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2012
On January 2, 2013, the President signed P.L. 112-239, the FY2013 National Defense
Authorization Act. Title XVIII, Subtitle A is the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2012, which
authorizes the fire grant program through FY2017. Table 1 provides a summary of key provisions
of the 2012 reauthorization, and provides a comparison with the previous statute.

1

“Firefighter assistance” is codified as §33 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act (15 U.S.C. 2229).

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Table 1. Key Provisions of Fire Grant Reauthorization
Previous Statute (15 U.S.C. 2229 and 15 U.S.C.
2229a)

Fire Grant Reauthorization Act of 2012 (Title
XVIII of P.L. 112-239 )

Grant money allocation
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

not less than 25% to career fire departments
not less than 25% to volunteer fire departments
not less than 25% to combination and paid-on-call fire
departments
not less than 10% for open competition among career,
volunteer, combination, and paid-on-call fire departments

5% (minimum) to fire prevention and safety grants

not less than 10% to fire prevention and safety grants
no fire prevention and safety grant may exceed $1.5
million
includes establishment of fire-safety research centers to
conduct research to improve firefighter health and safety
no fire prevention and safety grant may be provided to
the Association of Community Organizations for Reform
Now (ACORN)

3.5% (minimum) to EMS provided by fire departments
and nonaffiliated EMS organizations

not less than 3.5% to EMS provided by fire departments
and nonaffiliated EMS organizations

2% (maximum) to nonaffiliated EMS organizations

not more than 2% to nonaffiliated EMS organizations
not more than 3% to State training academies, no more
than $1 million per state academy in any fiscal year
not more than 25% for purchasing vehicles
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

$9 million—over 2.5m population
$6 million—1m to 2.5m population
$3 million—500K to 1m population
$2 million—100 to 500K population

no single grant can exceed 0.5% of total funds
appropriated for a single fiscal year

$1 million—under 100K population

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

FEMA may not award a grant exceeding 1% of all
available grant funds, unless FEMA determines
extraordinary need

Nonfederal match requirements
20% for populations over 50,000

15% for populations over 1 million

10% for populations 20,000 to 50,000

10% for populations 20,000 to 1 million

5% for populations less than 20,000

5% for populations under 20,000

No match requirement for non-fire department
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

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requires applicants to maintain expenditures at or above
80% of the average over the preceding two fiscal years

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 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding

Previous Statute (15 U.S.C. 2229 and 15 U.S.C.
2229a)

Fire Grant Reauthorization Act of 2012 (Title
XVIII of P.L. 112-239 )

Economic hardship waivers
no economic hardship waivers available

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 levels

FY2005—$900 million

FY2013—$750 million

FY2006—$950 million

for each of FY2014-FY2017, 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.

FY2007—$1 billion
FY2008—$1 billion
FY2009—$1 billion

Congressionally Directed Spending
no funds may be used for any congressionally directed
spending item (as defined under the rules of the Senate
and the House of Representatives)

no provision

Sunset
the authority to award assistance and grants shall expire
five years after the date of enactment

none

SAFER grants
grant period is 4 years, grantees are required to retain
for at least 1 year beyond the termination of their grants
those firefighter positions hired under the grant

shortens the grant period to three years, with no
requirement that fire departments must retain SAFER
funded firefighters for an extra year

year 1—10% local match
year 2—20% local match
year 3—50% local match
year 4—70% local match

year 1—25% local match
year 2—25% local match
year 3—65% local match

total funding over 4 years for hiring a firefighter may not
exceed $100K, adjusted annually for inflation

for the first year, the amount of funding provided for
hiring a firefighter may not exceed 75% of the usual
annual cost of a first-year firefighter in that department
at the time the grant application was submitted
for the second year, the amount of funding provided for
hiring a firefighter may not exceed 75% of the usual
annual cost of a first-year firefighter in that department
at the time the grant application was submitted
for the third year, the amount of funding provided for
hiring a firefighter may not exceed 35% of the usual
annual cost of a first-year firefighter in that department
at the time the grant application was submitted

state, local, and Indian tribal governments eligible for
recruitment and retention funds

additionally makes national organizations eligible for
recruitment and retention funds
allows FEMA, in the case of economic hardship, to waive
cost share requirements, as well as the prohibition on
supplanting local funds and maintenance of expenditure
requirements (which would allow grants to be used for
retention and rehiring laid-off firefighters)

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Previous Statute (15 U.S.C. 2229 and 15 U.S.C.
2229a)

Fire Grant Reauthorization Act of 2012 (Title
XVIII of P.L. 112-239 )

authorized for 7 years starting at $1 billion in FY2004,
ending at $1.194 billion in FY2010

reauthorizes the SAFER grant program at $750 million
for FY2013; for each of FY2014-FY2017, 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
no funds may be used for any congressionally directed
spending item (as defined under the rules of the Senate
and the House of Representatives)

authority to make grants shall lapse 10 years from
November 24, 2003

the authority to award assistance and grants shall expire
five years after the date of enactment

Source: Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2012, Title VIII, Subtitle A of FY2013 National Defense
Authorization Act, P.L. 112-239.

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 (SLP) as part of the First
Responder Assistance Programs (FRAP).
The fire grant program is in its 12th13th year. Table 32 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). Table 43 shows recent and proposed
appropriated funding for the AFG and SAFER grant programs.

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Table 32. Appropriations for Firefighter Assistance, FY2001-FY2012FY2013
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

$810 million

FY2011

$405 million

$405 million

$810 million

FY2012

$337.5 million

$337.5 million

$675 million

Total

$5.944 billion

$1.851 billion

a.

$210 million

$210 million

$985 million

$8.005 billion

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$210 million

$985 million

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AFG

SAFER

SCGa

FY2013b

$339.5 million

$339.5 million

Total

$6.283 billion

$2.190 billion

Total
$679 million

$210 million

$8.684 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.

Through March 2013 (P.L. 112-175, Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2013).

Table 3).

Table 4. Recent and Proposed Appropriations for Firefighter Assistance
(millions of dollars)
FY2011
(Admin.
request)

FY2011
(P.L.
112-10)

FY2012
(Admin.
request)

FY2012
(P.L.
112-74)

FY2013
(Admin.
request)

FY2013
(H.R.
5855)

FY2013
(S. 3216)

FIRE
Grants
(AFG)

305

405

250

337.5

335

337.5

337.5

SAFER
Grants

305

405

420

337.5

335

337.5

337.5

Total

610

810

670

675

670

675

675FY2013
(H.R.
5855)

FY2013
(S. 3216)

FY2013
(P.L.
112175)a

335

337.5

337.5

339.5

337.5

335

337.5

337.5

339.5

675

670

675

675

679

FY2011
(Admin.
request)

FY2011
(P.L.
112-10)

FY2012
(Admin.
request)

FY2012
(P.L.
112-74)

FY2013
(Admin.
request)

FIRE
Grants
(AFG)

305

405

250

337.5

SAFER
Grants

305

405

420

Total

610

810

670

a.

The Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2013 funds AFG and SAFER through March 2013.

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

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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.”92
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
2

Office of Management and Budget, Appendix: Budget of the United States Government, FY2011, p. 557.

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the recommendations of the recent GAO report (GAO-10-64) on additional actions which would
improve the grants process.
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. 38 (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. S.Amdt. 149 to H.R. 1—which was rejected by
the full Senate on March 9, 2011—would have funded AFG at $405 million and SAFER at $405
million.
Subsequently, the full-year continuing appropriation bill for FY2011, which was signed into law
on April 15, 2011 (Department of Defense and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011, P.L. 11210), funded AFG at $405 million and SAFER at $405 million for FY2011. P.L. 112-10 also
contained language that removes FY2011 SAFER cost-share requirements and allows SAFER
grants to be used to rehire laid-off firefighters and fill positions eliminated through attrition.
However, P.L. 112-10 did not remove the requirement that SAFER grants fund a firefighter
position for four years, with the fifth year funded wholly by the grant recipient. The law also did
not waive the cap of $100K per firefighter hired by a SAFER grant.

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.”103
The Department of Homeland Security Appropriations, 2012, bill (H.R. 2017) was reported by
the House Appropriations Committee on May 26, 2011. The House Committee bill would have
provided $350 million for firefighter assistance, including $200 million for AFG and $150 million
for SAFER. The House Appropriations bill report (H.Rept. 112-91) directed FEMA to continue
9

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.

10

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granting funds directly to local fire departments and to include the United States Fire
Administration during the grant decision process. FEMA was also directed to maintain an allhazards focus and was prohibited from limiting beyond current law the list of eligible activities,
including those related to wellness.
During the House floor consideration of H.R. 2017, two firefighter assistance amendments were
adopted. The first amendment (offered by Mr. LaTourette and Mr. Pascrell, and agreed to by a
recorded vote of 333-87) raised FY2012 funding levels to $335 million for AFG and $335 million
for SAFER. The total level for firefighter assistance ($670 million) is equal to the level requested
by the Administration.
The second amendment (offered by Mr. Price of North Carolina and agreed to by a recorded vote
of 264-157) prohibited enforcement of various SAFER requirements for grantees. These waivers
would allow FY2012 SAFER grants to be used to rehire laid-off firefighters and fill positions
eliminated through attrition, remove cost-share requirements, allow grants to extend longer than
3

Office of Management and Budget, Appendix: Budget of the United States Government, FY2012, p. 538.

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the current five year duration, and permit the amount of funding per position at levels exceeding
the current limit of $100,000.
The Department of Homeland Security Appropriations, 2012, bill (H.R. 2017) was passed by the
House on June 2, 2011.
On September 7, 2011, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved $750 million for
firefighter assistance in FY2012 (S.Rept. 112-74), which is a 12% increase over the House-passed
level. The total included $375 million for AFG and $375 million for SAFER. As does the House
bill, the Senate bill also waived or prohibited SAFER requirements in FY2012.
P.L. 112-74, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, FY2012, provided $675 million for firefighter
assistance, including $337.5 million for AFG and $337.5 million for SAFER. The conference
report directed FEMA to continue funding applications according to local priorities and those
established by the USFA, to maintain an all hazards focus, and to continue the current grant
application and review process as specified in the House report.

FY2013
The Administration’s FY2013 budget proposed $670 million for firefighter assistance, including
$335 million for AFG and $335 million for SAFER. This is a decrease of $5 million from the
FY2012 level. The Firefighter Assistance Grants would be categorized under First Responder
Assistance Programs (FRAP), one of three activities under FEMA’s State and Local Programs
(SLP) appropriation.
Historically, DHS has requested that a percentage of AFG funding (up to 5%) be set aside for
management and administration of the grant program. Starting in FY2013, grant administration
(for AFG and SAFER) would be shifted to the SLP Management and Administration office.
According to DHS, this will make an additional $28.8 million of the Firefighter Assistance
appropriation available for grants.
On May 16, 2012, The House Appropriations Committee approved its version of the FY2013
Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill (H.R. 5855). While the Committeecommittee mark is
identical to the Administration requested level—$335 million for AFG and $335 million for
SAFER—the Committeecommittee denied the Administration’s request to shift AFG and SAFER into the

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State and Local Programs account. Unlike the Administration request, H.R. 5855 would designate
up to 4.7% of the amount appropriated to firefighter assistance for program administration. The
Committeecommittee report (H.Rept. 112-492) directed FEMA to continue granting funds directly to local
fire departments and to include the United States Fire Administration during the grant decision
process. FEMA was also directed to maintain an all-hazards focus and was prohibited from
limiting beyond current law the list of eligible activities, including those related to wellness. The
Committeecommittee continued the requirement for peer review and directed FEMA to provide official
notifications to rejected applicants who do not meet the criteria for peer review.
During floor action on June 6, 2012, an amendment was offered by Representative Runyan to
increase funding for AFG and SAFER by $2.5 million each, taking its $5 million offset from the
Office of the Undersecretary for Management. The amendment passed by voice vote, bringing the
firefighter assistance account to $675 million ($337.5 million AFG, $337.5 million SAFER),
which is identical to the FY2012 level. H.R. 5855 was passed by the House on June 7, 2012.

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On May 22, 2012, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved $675 million for firefighter
assistance for FY2013 (S. 3216). This level includes $337.5 million for AFG and $337.5 million
for SAFER. The Senate level is identical to the FY2012 level. Like the House, the Committeecommittee
denied the Administration’s request to shift AFG and SAFER into the State and Local Programs
account. However, the Committeecommittee has included program and administration costs separately
under  under
the FEMA “Salaries and Expenses” account. The Committeecommittee report (S.Rept. 112-169)
 noted that 
under this scenario, the entire appropriation of $675 million would be used for grants,
while  while
administrative costs ($33.75 million) would be funded by the Salaries and Expenses
 account. The Committee
committee report also directed DHS to continue the practice of funding applications
 according to 
local priorities and those established by the USFA, and to continue direct funding to
fire departments and the peer review process fire
departments and the peer review process.
The Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2013 (P.L. 112-175) funds firefighter assistance
programs through the first six months of FY2013 at an increase of 0.612% of the FY2012 level.
Therefore, under the FY2013 continuing resolution, AFG is funded at $339.5 million and SAFER
is funded at $339.5 million. Meanwhile, the potential sequestration across the federal
government, if implemented, would subject the DHS State and Local Programs account (which
includes AFG and SAFER) to an 8.2% budget reduction on January 2, 2013.

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
included a provision (§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.

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DHS/FEMA received 6,025 SCG applications for $9.9 billion in federal funds.114 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/.
fema.gov/rules-tools/
assistance-firefighters-station-construction-grants.

4

Detailed SCG application statistics are available at http://www.firegrantsupport.com/docs/2009AFSCGAppStats.pdf.

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On February 15, 2011, the Firefighting Investment, Renewal, and Employment Act or FIRE Act
(H.R. 716) was introduced to authorize $210 million for each of fiscal years 2012 through 2016
for competitive grants for modifying, upgrading, or constructing nonfederal fire stations.

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 $1 billion 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.
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.
For more 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.

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Detailed SCG application statistics are available at http://www.firegrantsupport.com/docs/2009AFSCGAppStats.pdf.

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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.”125 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,”136 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
7

5

For full report see http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/affgp-fy01-usda-report.pdf.
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.
7
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.
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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.158 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.
In June 2011, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) released its Third Needs
Assessment of the U.S. Fire Service, which seeks to identify gaps and needs in the fire service,
12

For full report see http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/affgp-fy01-usda-report.pdf.
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.
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and measures the impact that fire grants have had on filling those gaps and needs. According to
the study:
Needs have declined to a considerable degree in a number of areas, particularly personal
protective and firefighting equipment, two types of resource that received the largest shares
of funding from the Assistance to Firefighters grants (AFG). Declines in needs have been
more modest in some other important areas, such as training, which have received much
smaller shares of AFG grant funds.16

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
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
and measures the impact that fire grants have had on filling those gaps and needs. According to
the study:
Needs have declined to a considerable degree in a number of areas, particularly personal
protective and firefighting equipment, two types of resource that received the largest shares
of funding from the Assistance to Firefighters grants (AFG). Declines in needs have been
more modest in some other important areas, such as training, which have received much
smaller shares of AFG grant funds.9

Reports Mandated by Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2012
P.L. 112-239 mandates reports and studies on the AFG and SAFER programs, as well as on the
state of the fire service.
•

FEMA is directed to develop a performance assessment system to evaluate AFG
and SAFER grants. FEMA shall submit annual reports to Congress providing
information on its performance assessment system, an evaluation of AFG and
SAFER grant effectiveness, and recommendations for legislative changes to
improve grant effectiveness.

•

The Comptroller General is directed to submit a report to Congress assessing the
effect of the amendments to the AFG and SAFER statute made by the Fire Grants
Reauthorization of 2012.

•

The United States Fire Administration (USFA) is directed to conduct a study on
the level of compliance with national voluntary consensus standards for staffing,
training, safe operations, personal protective equipment, and fitness among the
fire services of the United States.

8
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.
9
National Fire Protection Association, Third Needs Assessment of the U.S. Fire Service, June 2011, abstract. Available
at http://www.nfpa.org/assets/files//2011NeedsAssessment.pdf.

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•

The Secretary of Homeland Security is directed to establish a Task Force to
Enhance Firefighter Safety, which will review the USFA study on fire service
standards and develop a plan to enhance firefighter safety by increasing fire
service standards compliance. The Task Force will report its findings to Congress
and DHS.

•

USFA is directed to conduct a study and report on the needs of the fire service.

Distribution of Fire Grants
The AFG statute prescribes different purposes for which fire grant money may be used. These are
training firefighting personnel; creating rapid intervention teams; certifying fire inspectors and
building inspectors whose responsibilities include fire safety inspections and who are associated
with a fire department; establishing wellness and fitness programs, including mental health
programs; funding emergency medical services (EMS) provided by fire departments and
nonaffiliated EMS organizations; acquiring firefighting vehicles; acquiring firefighting
equipment; acquiring personal protective equipment; modifying fire stations, fire training
facilities, and other facilities for health and safety; educating the public about arson prevention
and detection; providing incentives for the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters; and
supporting other activities as FEMA determines appropriate. FEMA 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 fire departments; national, state, local, tribal, or
nonprofit organizations recognized for their fire safety or prevention expertise; and to institutions
of higher education, national fire service organizations, or national fire safety organizations to
establish and operate fire safety research centers. For official program and application guidelines,
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/fema.gov/welcome-assistancefirefighters-grant-program.
The FIRE Act statute provides overall guidelines on how fire grant money will be distributed and
administered. The law directs.
Previously, the law directed 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
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.

16

National Fire Protection Association, Third Needs Assessment of the U.S. Fire Service, June 2011, abstract. Available
at http://www.nfpa.org/assets/files//2011NeedsAssessment.pdf.

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Reflecting concerns that
career fire departments (which are primarily in urban and suburban areas) were not receiving
adequate levels of funding, the Fire Grants Authorization Act of 2012 alters the distribution
formula, directing that not less than 25% of annual AFG funding go to career fire departments,
not less than 25% to volunteer fire departments, not less than 25% to combination and paid-oncall fire departments, and not less than 10% for open competition among career, volunteer,
combination, and paid-on-call fire departments. Additionally, P.L. 112-239 raises award caps (up

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to $9 million) and lowers matching requirements for fire departments serving higher population
areas.
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).1710 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.18

According to the FY2012 Program Guidance for the Assistance to Firefighters Program, career
(paid) departments will compete against other career departments for no more than 48% of the
available funding, combination departments will compete for no less than 33%, and all-volunteer
departments will compete for no less than 19%.19 However, given that less than 15% of fire grant
applications are historically received from career departments, funding levels are likely not to
reach the 48% ceiling for career departments. In FY2010, 14.6% of AFG applications came from
career departments, representing 19.5% of federal funds requested.20
11

Additionally, each fire department that applies is classified as either urban, suburban, or rural. In
FY2010, 75.1% of applications were received from rural fire departments, 17.7% from suburban,
and 7.2% from urban. This translated into rural departments requesting 66.7% of federal funds,
suburban departments requesting 21.5%, and urban departments requesting 11.8%.2112
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 54 shows a state-by-state breakdown of fire grant funding for
FY2001 through FY2010FY2011, while Table 65 shows a state-by-state breakdown of SAFER grant
funding for FY2005 through FY2010. Table 76 provides an in-depth look at the FY2010 fire
grants, showing, for each state, 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 76 shows, the entire pool of fire department applicants received about 13% of the funds
they requested in FY2010. This compares to 16% in FY2009, 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 the amount of federal funds requested have
trended upward over the years, while appropriations for the fire grant program have typically
declined over the same period.

17

15 U.S.C. 2229(b)(9).
44 CFR Part 152.6(c).
19
Department of Homeland Security, Assistance to Firefighters Grants, Guidance and Application Kit, June 2012, p.
66.
20
Department of Homeland Security, Assistance to Firefighters Grants Applications Statistics, available at
http://www.fema.gov/firegrants/afggrants/statistics.shtm.
21
Ibid.
18

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 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding

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. On
March 10, 2011, S. 550, the Fire Grants Authorization Act of 2011, was introduced; on May 18,
2011, S. 550 was ordered to be reported by the committee. On June 22, 2011, a House version of
the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2011 (H.R. 2269) was introduced. 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 second session of the 112th Congress is considering the Administration’s FY2013
request for AFG and SAFER. 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.

Table 5. State-by-State Distribution of AFG Grants, FY2001-FY2010
(millions of dollars)
FY01

FY02

FY03

FY04

FY05

FY06

FY07

FY08

FY09

FY10

Total

AL

3.085

12.503

23.329

25.097

20.836

22.027

19.903

23.332

19.966

14.591

184.669

AK

1.303

2.641

5.242

2.522

3.111

0.754

2.454

0.990

0.935

0.568

20.52

AZ

1.37

3.6

7.490

9.808

7.905

4.041

4.932

5.440

4.716

2.873

52.175

AR

1.337

4.635

10.675

13.680

10.402

7.699

7.799

7.107

8.174

5.111

76.619

CA

5.905

18.978

30.060

29.793

25.631

17.856

18.730

26.198

23.644

21.764

218.655

CO

1.003

3.968

6.168

5.585

6.073

3.213

4.742

2.490

6.11

3.369

42.721

CT

1.828

4.675

10.841

9.991

7.287

5.479

6.630

6.925

5.231

3.166

62.053

DE

0.132

0.372

1.096

1.755

1.161

1.107

0.518

0.231

1.251

0.282

7.905

DC

0

0.22

0

0

0.453

0

0.376

1.171

0

0.368

2.588

FL

2.865

10.16

16.344

15.969

17.922

6.787

8.288

6. 738

12.581

12.557

110.211

GA

2.375

6.079

13.791

11.857

10.168

8.887

9.068

7.959

8.981

6.192

85.357

HI

0

1.182

0.947

0.864

1.205

0.264

0.436

0.772

0.609

0.261

6.54

ID

0.916

2.744

6.001

4.828

4.684

2.712

4.297

2.687

2.883

2.361

34.113

IL

2.417

13.398

28.810

27.238

25.433

21.120

21.923

21.325

25.24

14.809

201.713

IN

2.703

8.739

20.456

18.646

15.779

14.447

13.831

13.092

15.179

10.759

133.631

IA

1.301

7.284

16.087

16.430

13.119

10.064

9.298

9.877

9.695

5.818

98.973

KS

1.153

5.118

10.850

10.211

7.165

4.984

5.502

3.928

6.682

3.055

58.648

KY

2.215

7.896

19.832

16.150

14.215

13.308

13.081

17.153

13.108

8.081

125.039

LA

3.344

10.084

12.248

11.101

11.630

6.935

5.473

7.033

8.073

4.414

80.335

ME

1.296

4.319

10.323

10.031

6.124

6.702

5.486

4.904

3.462

1.348

53.995

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FY01

FY02

FY03

FY04

FY05

FY06

FY07

FY08

FY09

FY10

Total

MD

0.739

4.08

8.153

10.227

8.771

10.368

7.712

5.525

5.221

4.545

65.341

MA

2.301

8.386

15.715

13.958

13.529

8.957

11.644

9.532

11.957

8.083

104.062

MI

2.815

8.948

17.247

20.005

15.088

15.798

15.399

15.482

18.045

9.502

138.329

MN

2.133

8.149

17.510

18.609

14.894

14.718

16.600

13.082

17.253

18.923

141.871

MS

1.763

6.755

15.679

11.329

9.856

7.885

8.052

7.761

8.436

5.66

83.176

MO

3.079

10.291

19.573

17.757

14.246

13.202

10.611

11.589

12.973

9.21

122.531

MT

1.164

3.726

8.361

7.271

6.656

5.839

7.330

4.670

5.179

3.204

53.4

NE

1.034

2.392

7.820

6.577

5.116

4.399

4.443

4.324

4.341

0.441

40.887

NV

0.282

1.446

3.312

1.405

1.946

0.857

1.530

0.687

0.855

1.437

13.757

NH

0.594

1.887

4.584

5.694

4.563

3.307

3.219

2.723

2.834

1.496

30.901

NJ

2.596

6.339

19.982

16.488

14.691

12.386

13.266

13.201

15.502

9.687

124.138

NM

1.455

3.463

5.048

3.653

2.259

1.461

1.367

1.101

1.605

1.632

23.044

NY

3.978

14.728

34.320

35.030

36.009

33.804

22.664

30.204

23.235

13.367

247.339

NC

1.949

10.239

22.864

22.360

19.315

18.309

20.031

18.460

20.881

13.137

167.545

ND

0.546

2.613

5.105

3.391

2.673

2.459

3.100

3.297

2.527

1.594

27.305

OH

2.731

13.742

26.997

29.107

27.344

25.380

26.433

26.938

33.164

20.386

232.222

OK

1.864

4.939

10.540

10.393

8.757

10.852

7.220

6.875

7.239

3.527

72.206

OR

1.596

4.892

9.896

10.122

10.014

9.288

5.943

8.438

5.986

6.332

72.507

PA

2.89

16.97

45.179

47.898

39.233

41.259

43.610

41.041

37.231

19.677

334.988

RI

0.407

1.507

2.327

1.917

2.129

2.025

0.855

1.395

2.46

1.533

16.555

SC

1.554

5.257

11.832

14.150

10.544

8.028

10.470

11.040

11.227

8.684

92.786

SD

0.904

3.142

5.602

4.693

3.570

2.989

2.474

2.069

2.527

0.753

28.723

TN

2.46

11.509

19.306

18.686

15.047

11.209

12.955

16.074

13.311

11.259

131.816

TX

3.697

15.644

29.264

30.118

23.480

18.035

17.691

20.458

19.469

9.941

187.797

UT

0.9

2.754

4.628

3.880

2.188

2.213

3.378

0.934

2.295

2.985

26.155

VT

0.451

1.971

5.163

4.747

2.071

1.456

1.820

1.046

1.974

0.689

21.388

VA

2.066

8.79

15.816

16.668

14.357

8.317

10.403

8.370

6.405

5.991

97.183

WA

1.535

7.544

18.808

19.565

15.763

16.150

12.951

13.050

10.064

7.961

123.391

WV

1.067

3.966

9.942

9.133

10.143

5.838

7.164

7.238

5.331

5.074

64.896

WI

2.077

7.518

18.234

19.668

17.685

13.994

19.439

15.216

15.17

9.569

138.57

WY

1.09

1.612

3.507

1.811

2.032

1.197

1.645

1.023

1.427

0.086

15.43

PR

0.657

0.382

1.643

1.140

1.104

0.528

0.019

0.074

1.154

0

6.701

MP

0.145

0.225

0

0

0.220

0.172

0

0

0

0

0.762

GU

0

0.016

0

0

0

0.287

0

0

0

0

0.303

AS

0.164

0

0

0.284

0

0

0

0

0

0

0.448

VI

0.741

0

0.544

0

0

0

0

0.233

0

0

1.518

91.97

334.41

695.12

679.30

585.61

491.37

494.22

492.52

503.25

337.84

4706

Source: Department of Homeland Security.

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Table 6Issues in the 113th Congress
The 113th Congress will likely consider FY2013 and FY2014 budget appropriations for AFG and
SAFER. As is the case with many federal programs, concerns 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 local budgetary
cutbacks that many fire departments are now facing.
10

15 U.S.C. 2229(b)(9).
44 CFR Part 152.6(c).
12
Ibid.
11

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The 113th Congress will also likely examine the impact of new grant distribution guidelines
mandated by P.L. 112-239, the Fire Grant Authorization Act of 2012. The continuing issue is how
effectively grants are being distributed and used to protect the health and safety of the public and
firefighting personnel against fire and fire-related hazards.
Table 4. State-by-State Distribution of AFG Grants, FY2001-FY2011
(millions of dollars)
FY01

FY02

FY03

FY04

FY05

FY06

FY07

FY08

FY09

FY10

FY11

Total

AL

3.085

12.503

23.329

25.097

20.836

22.027

19.903

23.332

19.966

14.591

18.591

203.26

AK

1.303

2.641

5.242

2.522

3.111

0.754

2.454

0.990

0.935

0.568

0.568

21.088

AZ

1.37

3.6

7.490

9.808

7.905

4.041

4.932

5.440

4.716

2.873

4.952

57.127

AR

1.337

4.635

10.675

13.680

10.402

7.699

7.799

7.107

8.174

5.111

4.253

80.872

CA

5.905

18.978

30.060

29.793

25.631

17.856

18.730

26.198

23.644

21.764

35.334

253.893

CO

1.003

3.968

6.168

5.585

6.073

3.213

4.742

2.490

6.11

3.369

5.213

47.934

CT

1.828

4.675

10.841

9.991

7.287

5.479

6.630

6.925

5.231

3.166

3.67

65.723

DE

0.132

0.372

1.096

1.755

1.161

1.107

0.518

0.231

1.251

0.282

0.366

8.271

DC

0

0.22

0

0

0.453

0

0.376

1.171

0

0.368

1.38

3.968

FL

2.865

10.16

16.344

15.969

17.922

6.787

8.288

6. 738

12.581

12.557

16.2

126.411

GA

2.375

6.079

13.791

11.857

10.168

8.887

9.068

7.959

8.981

6.192

5.174

90.531

HI

0

1.182

0.947

0.864

1.205

0.264

0.436

0.772

0.609

0.261

1.534

8.074

ID

0.916

2.744

6.001

4.828

4.684

2.712

4.297

2.687

2.883

2.361

0.439

34.552

IL

2.417

13.398

28.810

27.238

25.433

21.120

21.923

21.325

25.24

14.809

12.753

214.466

IN

2.703

8.739

20.456

18.646

15.779

14.447

13.831

13.092

15.179

10.759

7.728

141.359

IA

1.301

7.284

16.087

16.430

13.119

10.064

9.298

9.877

9.695

5.818

6.629

105.602

KS

1.153

5.118

10.850

10.211

7.165

4.984

5.502

3.928

6.682

3.055

3.072

61.72

KY

2.215

7.896

19.832

16.150

14.215

13.308

13.081

17.153

13.108

8.081

5.426

130.465

LA

3.344

10.084

12.248

11.101

11.630

6.935

5.473

7.033

8.073

4.414

6.337

86.672

ME

1.296

4.319

10.323

10.031

6.124

6.702

5.486

4.904

3.462

1.348

2.118

56.113

MD

0.739

4.08

8.153

10.227

8.771

10.368

7.712

5.525

5.221

4.545

4.524

69.865

MA

2.301

8.386

15.715

13.958

13.529

8.957

11.644

9.532

11.957

8.083

10.679

114.741

MI

2.815

8.948

17.247

20.005

15.088

15.798

15.399

15.482

18.045

9.502

16.904

155.233

MN

2.133

8.149

17.510

18.609

14.894

14.718

16.600

13.082

17.253

18.923

10.638

152.509

MS

1.763

6.755

15.679

11.329

9.856

7.885

8.052

7.761

8.436

5.66

3.694

86.87

MO

3.079

10.291

19.573

17.757

14.246

13.202

10.611

11.589

12.973

9.21

7.594

130.125

MT

1.164

3.726

8.361

7.271

6.656

5.839

7.330

4.670

5.179

3.204

0.725

54.125

NE

1.034

2.392

7.820

6.577

5.116

4.399

4.443

4.324

4.341

0.441

1.378

42.265

NV

0.282

1.446

3.312

1.405

1.946

0.857

1.530

0.687

0.855

1.437

0.564

14.321

NH

0.594

1.887

4.584

5.694

4.563

3.307

3.219

2.723

2.834

1.496

1.69

32.591

NJ

2.596

6.339

19.982

16.488

14.691

12.386

13.266

13.201

15.502

9.687

10.402

134.54

NM

1.455

3.463

5.048

3.653

2.259

1.461

1.367

1.101

1.605

1.632

2.122

25.166

NY

3.978

14.728

34.320

35.030

36.009

33.804

22.664

30.204

23.235

13.367

10.253

257.592

NC

1.949

10.239

22.864

22.360

19.315

18.309

20.031

18.460

20.881

13.137

13.864

181.409

Congressional Research Service

13

 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding

FY01

FY02

FY03

FY04

FY05

FY06

FY07

FY08

FY09

FY10

FY11

Total

ND

0.546

2.613

5.105

3.391

2.673

2.459

3.100

3.297

2.527

1.594

0.71

28.015

OH

2.731

13.742

26.997

29.107

27.344

25.380

26.433

26.938

33.164

20.168

23.281

255.285

OK

1.864

4.939

10.540

10.393

8.757

10.852

7.220

6.875

7.239

3.527

3.187

75.393

OR

1.596

4.892

9.896

10.122

10.014

9.288

5.943

8.438

5.986

6.332

5.59

78.097

PA

2.89

16.97

45.179

47.898

39.233

41.259

43.610

41.041

37.231

19.623

26.227

361.161

RI

0.407

1.507

2.327

1.917

2.129

2.025

0.855

1.395

2.46

1.533

2.314

18.869

SC

1.554

5.257

11.832

14.150

10.544

8.028

10.470

11.040

11.227

8.684

4.948

97.734

SD

0.904

3.142

5.602

4.693

3.570

2.989

2.474

2.069

2.527

0.753

1.135

29.858

TN

2.46

11.509

19.306

18.686

15.047

11.209

12.955

16.074

13.311

11.259

6.268

138.084

TX

3.697

15.644

29.264

30.118

23.480

18.035

17.691

20.458

19.469

9.941

11.031

198.828

UT

0.9

2.754

4.628

3.880

2.188

2.213

3.378

0.934

2.295

2.985

0.883

27.038

VT

0.451

1.971

5.163

4.747

2.071

1.456

1.820

1.046

1.974

0.689

0.498

21.886

VA

2.066

8.79

15.816

16.668

14.357

8.317

10.403

8.370

6.405

5.991

3.5

100.683

WA

1.535

7.544

18.808

19.565

15.763

16.150

12.951

13.050

10.064

7.961

7.341

130.732

WV

1.067

3.966

9.942

9.133

10.143

5.838

7.164

7.238

5.331

5.074

2.173

67.069

WI

2.077

7.518

18.234

19.668

17.685

13.994

19.439

15.216

15.17

9.569

8.635

147.205

WY

1.09

1.612

3.507

1.811

2.032

1.197

1.645

1.023

1.427

0.086

0.488

15.918

PR

0.657

0.382

1.643

1.140

1.104

0.528

0.019

0.074

1.154

0

0.876

7.577

MP

0.145

0.225

0

0

0.220

0.172

0

0

0

0

0

0

GU

0

0.016

0

0

0

0.287

0

0

0

0

0

0

AS

0.164

0

0

0.284

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

VI

0.741

0

0.544

0

0

0

0

0.233

0

0

0

0

91.97

334.41

695.09

679.29

585.59

491.35

494.20

492.50

503.79

337.84

345.85

5051.9

Source: Department of Homeland Security.

Congressional Research Service

14

 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding

Table 5. State-by-State Distribution of SAFER Grants,
FY2005-FY2010
(millions of dollars)
FY2005

FY2006

FY2007

FY2008

FY2009

FY2010

Total

Alabama

1.611

6.215

4.236

7.314

4.288

8.531

32.195

Alaska

1.051

0.205

0.418

1.438

0.328

6.072

9.512

Arizona

1.560

3.559

4.428

6.613

6.768

10.357

33.285

Arkansas

0.394

1.820

0.377

3.834

0.976

2.206

9.607

California

5.221

5.212

4.259

4 .212

31.501

63.13

113.535

Colorado

1.584

3.479

1.730

2.02

0.955

3.384

13.152

Connecticut

0.130

0.191

0.856

3.92

2.214

3.496

10.8071.312

8.623

Delaware

0

0.135

0

0.398

0

1.723

2.256

District of Columbia

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Florida

6.576

9.329

6.217

17.185

24.105

17.721

81.133

Georgia

5.354

2.085

2.842

17.438

4.844

10.384

42.947

0

0

0

1.626

0

0.1

1.726

Idaho

0.063

0.621

0.626

0.774

1.336

2.897

6.317

Illinois

1.340

4.463

9.933

5.85

2.496

10.848

34.93

0

0.099

2.687

4.577

8.295

9.931

25.589

Iowa

0.169

0.144

0.980

1.288

1.045

0.081

3.707

Kansas

0.667

0.045

1.029

1.872

2.806

2.285

8.704

Kentucky

0.152

2.890

0.429

2.466

0.338

0.893

7.168

Louisiana

3.430

3.078

4.728

8.62

10.515

0.182

30.553

Maine

0.081

0

0.316

0.951

0.739

1.047

3.134

Maryland

0.096

1.862

1.526

3.171

4.429

2.145

13.229

Massachusetts

1.300

2.079

4.372

2.690

18.385

34.422

63.248

Michigan

1.759

0.592

0

0.628

13.286

22.493

38.758

Minnesota

0.300

1.089

0.375

3.246

1.256

0.789

7.055

Mississippi

0.756

0.594

0.115

1.608

0

1.209

4.282

Missouri

1.467

3.547

4.551

2.381

1.474

5.618

19.038

Montana

0.034

0.255

2.635

2.955

0.458

0.973

7.31

0

0.873

0.632

1.951

0.802

0.493

4.751

Nevada

1.500

1.714

0.632

0.086

0.577

2.459

6.968

New Hampshire

0.400

1.035

1.528

0.225

0

0.353

3.541

New Jersey

6.374

3.971

2.953

4.389

0.556

56.648

74.891

0

3.123

1.309

0.108

0.499

1.854

6.893

New York

1.540

2.991

2.845

4.412

8.227

18.239

38.254

North Carolina

2.155

5.533

5.371

18.183

2.256

6.375

39.873

Hawaii

Indiana

Nebraska

New Mexico

Congressional Research Service

2015

 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding

FY2005
North Dakota

FY2006

FY2007

FY2008

FY2009

FY2010

Total

0

0.609

0

1.518

1.517

2.139

5.783

Ohio

1.319

1.881

2.255

3.737

29.606

21.04

59.838

Oklahoma

0.147

0.699

0.531

2.782

0

9.127

13.286

Oregon

1.710

2.141

2.649

2.071

0.677

6.166

15.414

Pennsylvania

1.244

1.475

2.633

3.515

1.176

7.926

17.969

Rhode Island

0.400

0

0.105

0

1.561

4.249

6.315

South Carolina

0.456

0.863

3.218

8.158

2.41

2.064

17.169

South Dakota

0.063

0.311

0.211

0.552

0

0.648

1.785

Tennessee

2.700

2.719

3.683

1.856

1.148

7.374

19.48

Texas

0.951

10.961

8.779

19.06

3.158

12.65

55.559

Utah

0.900

3.312

2.098

3.955

1.824

4.583

16.672

0

0.621

0.632

0

0.119

0

1.372

Virginia

2.091

3.554

0.782

1.849

4.891

8.995

22.162

Washington

2.298

2.897

7.340

9.476

2.847

13.779

38.637

West Virginia

0

0.187

0.681

0.16

0.287

0.398

1.713

Wisconsin

0

0.072

1.223

4.502

0

0.12

5.917

Wyoming

0

0

0.316

2.329

0.263

0.997

3.905

Puerto Rico

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Northern Mariana Islands

0

0

0

0

0

1.404

1.404

Marshall Islands

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Guam

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

American Samoa

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Virgin Islands

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Republic of Palau

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

61.356

105.142

113.665

203.964

207.258

413.017

1104.402343

105.13

112.071

203.949

207.238

410.813

1100.544

Vermont

Total

Source: Department of Homeland Security.

Congressional Research Service

16

 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding

Table 6Table 7. Requests and Awards for AFG Funding, FY2010

State
Alabama

Number of
applications

Alabama

Federal funds
requested
($millions)

Federal funds
awarded
($millions)

Funds awarded as
a % of funds
requested

674

96.316

14.591

15.15%

Alaska

45

9.954

0.568

5.71%

Arizona

126

27.556

2.873

10.43%

Arkansas

300

44.642

5.111

11.45%

California

455

105.692

21.764

20.59%

Congressional Research Service

21

 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding

State

Number of
applications

Federal funds
requested
($millions)

Federal funds
awarded
($millions)

Funds awarded as
a % of funds
requested

Colorado

162

30.098

3.369

11.19%

Connecticut

201

37.739

3.166

8.39%

21

3.569

0.282

7.90%

2

0.447

0.368

82.33%

Florida

253

55.369

12.557

22.68%

Georgia

298

49.05

6.192

12.62%

Delaware
District of Columbia

Hawaii

2

0.534

0.261

48.88%

Idaho

94

14.085

2.361

16.76%

Illinois

679

116.024

14.809

12.76%

Indiana

386

58.256

10.759

18.47%

Iowa

369

45.45

5.818

12.80%

Kansas

203

27.591

3.055

11.07%

Kentucky

451

72.725

8.081

11.11%

Louisiana

197

33.435

4.414

13.20%

Maine

192

24.753

1.348

5.45%

Maryland

162

28.625

4.545

15.88%

Massachusetts

301

57.184

8.083

14.14%

Michigan

551

84.256

9.502

11.28%

Minnesota

419

69.131

18.923

27.37%

Mississippi

335

44.81

5.66

12.63%

Missouri

428

53.502

9.21

17.21%

Montana

141

21.442

3.204

14.94%

Nebraska

133

17.792

0.441

2.48%

25

5.142

1.437

27.95%

New Hampshire

110

16.886

1.496

8.86%

New Jersey

484

87.821

9.687

11.03%

New Mexico

63

11.924

1.632

13.69%

Nevada

New York

975

136.33

13.367

9.80%

North Carolina

645

102.416

13.137

12.83%

North Dakota

91

13.401

1.594

11.89%

Congressional Research Service

17

 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding

State

Number of
applications

Federal funds
requested
($millions)

Federal funds
awarded
($millions)

Funds awarded as
a % of funds
requested

Ohio

950

156.989

20.168

12.85%

Oklahoma

241

31.97

3.527

11.03%

Oregon

171

30.766

6.332

20.58%

Pennsylvania

1641

229.005

19.623

8.57%

Rhode Island

57

14.264

1.533

10.75%

South Carolina

378

50.393

8.684

17.23%

South 378

50.393

8.684

17.23%

South Carolina

Congressional Research Service

22

 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding

State

Number of
applications

Federal funds
requested
($millions)

Federal funds
awarded
($millions)

Funds awarded as
a % of funds
requested

South Dakota

117

16.182

0.753

4.65%

Tennessee

517

78.254

11.259

14.39%

Texas

593

94.696

9.941

10.50%

Utah

93

16.076

2.985

18.57%

Vermont

84

11.737

0.689

5.87%

Virginia

237

43.841

5.991

13.67%

Washington

275

46.474

7.961

17.13%

West Virginia

273

44.61

5.074

11.37%

Wisconsin

584

80.314

9.569

11.91%

Wyoming

35

3.623

0.086

2.37%

Puerto Rico

8

1.499

0

0.00%

Northern Marianas

1

0.56

0

0.00%

Virgin Islands

2

0.355

0

0.00%

Guam

1

0.224

0

0.00%

338

13.23%

Total

16,231

255516,231

2555.779

Total

337.840

13.22%

Source: Department of Homeland Security.

Author Contact Information
Lennard G. Kruger
Specialist in Science and Technology Policy
lkruger@crs.loc.gov, 7-7070

Congressional Research Service

2318