Order Code RL32341
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
Assistance to Firefighters Program:
Distribution of Fire Grant Funding
Updated September 21, 2005
Lennard G. Kruger
Specialist in Science and Technology
Resources, Science, and Industry Division
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress

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Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire
Grant Funding
Summary
The Assistance to Firefighters Program, also known as 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 Office of State and
Local Government Coordination and Preparedness within 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.
The fire grant program is now in its fifth year. Over $2.6 billion has been
appropriated to the fire grant program since FY2001. The Fire Act statute was
reauthorized in 2004 and provides overall guidelines on how fire grant money should
be distributed. There is no set geographical formula for the distribution of fire grants
— fire departments throughout the nation apply, and award decisions are made by a
peer panel based on the merits of the application and the needs of the community.
However, the law does require that fire grants 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).
An ongoing issue likely to receive attention during the 109th Congress is the
focus of the fire grant program. Activities in the preceding Congress included
reauthorization of the Fire Act and enactment of the Staffing for Adequate Fire and
Emergency Response (SAFER) Act. On October 28, 2004, the President signed the
FY2005 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 108-375). Title XXXVI of P.L.
108-375 is the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program Reauthorization Act of 2004,
which reauthorizes the fire grant program through FY2009.

This report will be updated as events warrant.

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Contents
Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
FY2001 Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
FY2002 Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
FY2003 Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
FY2004 Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
FY2005 Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Program Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Distribution of Fire Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Activities in the 108th Congress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Fire Act Reauthorization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
SAFER Act . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Issues in the 109th Congress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

List of Tables
Table 1. Appropriations for Assistance to Firefighters Program,
FY2001 - FY2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Table 2. FY2001 Fire Grant Award Recipients, By Category . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Table 3. FY2002 Awards Recipient, By Category . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Table 4. FY2003 Award Recipients, By Category . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Table 5. Major Provisions of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program Reauthorization Act . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Table 6. State-by-State Distribution of Fire Grants, FY2001-FY2004 . . . . . . . . 13
Table 7. Requests and Awards for Fire Grant Funding, FY2004 . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

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Assistance to Firefighters Program:
Distribution of Fire Grant Funding
Background
The Assistance to Firefighters Program,1 also known as the FIRE Act grant
program, was established by Title XVII of the FY2001 National Defense
Authorization Act (P.L. 106-398).2 Currently administered by the Office of State and
Local Government Coordination Preparedness (SLGCP) within the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS),3 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. On October 28, 2004, the President signed the FY2005 National Defense
Authorization Act (P.L. 108-375). Title XXXVI of P.L. 108-375 is the Assistance
to Firefighters Grant Program Reauthorization Act of 2004, which reauthorizes the
fire grant program through FY2009.
The FIRE Act statute prescribes 14 different purposes for which fire grant
money may be used (see 15 USC 2229(b)(3)). These are: hiring firefighters; training
firefighters; creating rapid intervention teams; certifying fire inspectors; establishing
wellness and fitness programs; funding emergency medical services; acquiring
firefighting vehicles; acquiring firefighting equipment; acquiring personal protective
equipment; modifying fire stations; enforcing fire codes; funding fire prevention
programs; educating the public about arson prevention and detection; and providing
incentives for the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters. The DHS has
the discretion to decide which of those purposes will be funded for a given grant year.
Since the program commenced in FY2001, the majority of fire grant funding has
been used by fire departments to purchase firefighting equipment, personal protective
equipment, and firefighting vehicles. At present, the program does not award
funding for major building construction or for hiring of personnel.
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)
1 See CRS Report RS21302, Assistance to Firefighters Program, by Lennard G. Kruger.
2 “Firefighter assistance” is codified as section 33 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control
Act (15 USC 2229).
3 Previous to FY2004, the fire grant program was administered by the U.S. Fire
Administration (USFA), a component of the Emergency Preparedness and Response
Directorate of DHS.

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activities are eligible for fire grants, including a limited number (no more than 2%
of funds allocated) to EMS organizations not affiliated with fire departments.
Additionally, a separate competition is held for fire prevention and firefighter safety
research and development grants, which are available to national, state, local, or
community fire prevention or safety organizations (including, but not limited to, fire
departments).4 For official program guidelines, frequently-asked-questions, the latest
awards announcements, and other information, see the Assistance to Firefighters
grant program web page at [http://www.firegrantsupport.com/].
The fire grant program is in its fifth year. Table 1 shows the fire grant
program’s appropriations history. Over $2.6 billion has been appropriated to the fire
grant program since FY2001, its first year.

Table 1. Appropriations for Assistance to
Firefighters Program, FY2001 - FY2005
Fiscal Year
Appropriation
FY2001
$100 million
FY2002
$360 million
FY2003
$745 million
FY2004
$746 million
FY2005
$650 million
Total
$2.6 billion
FY2001 Grants
On December 21, 2000, President Clinton signed into law the Consolidated
Appropriations Act 2001 (H.R. 5666; P.L. 106-554). P.L. 106-554 provided $100
million in FY2001 funding for the Assistance to Firefighters Program.
For the initial year of the program, the Federal Emergency Management
Agency/U.S. Fire Administration (FEMA/USFA) received 31,295 grant applications
from 18,915 fire departments, totaling $2.99 billion in requests. Between July 23 and
September 30, 2001, FEMA/USFA awarded 1,855 grants to local fire departments
throughout the nation, and 31 grants to fire prevention or safety organizations, for a
total of 1,886 grants worth $96,586,668. Table 2 provides a breakdown of FY2001
award recipients by category.
4 “Fire prevention and safety grants” are distinct from fire grants for prevention activities
given exclusively to fire departments under the primary fire grant program.

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Table 2. FY2001 Fire Grant Award Recipients, By Category

Category
Number of Awards
Amount of Awards
Training
160
$5,199,356
Wellness & Fitness
168
$8,256,720
Vehicles
208
$20,412,605
Fire Prevention
209
$9,071,484
Fire Fighting Equipment
404
$14,919,463
Personal Protective
706
$34,136,809
Equipment
Total, Fire grants
1,855
$91,996,439
Fire Prevention and Safety
31
$4,590,156
Grants
TOTAL
1,886
$96,586,668
Source: U.S. Fire Administration
FY2002 Grants
In its preliminary FY2002 budget document, “Blueprint for a New Beginning,”
the Bush Administration proposed abolishing the fire grant program, arguing that it
did not represent an appropriate responsibility of the federal government. After
intense opposition from the fire community, the Administration reversed its position
and proposed $100 million in FY2002 for the Assistance to Firefighters Program.
The November 6, 2001 House-Senate conference agreement (H.Rept. 107-272) set
the Assistance to Firefighters Program at $150 million for FY2002. The FY2002
VA-HUD appropriations act was signed into law (P.L. 107-73) on November 26,
2001. Supplemental FY2002 funding for the firefighter grant program was provided
in the homeland security package contained in the FY2002 Defense Appropriations
Act (P.L. 107-117, H.R. 3338), signed into law on January 10, 2002. P.L. 107-117
appropriated an additional $210 million in FY2002 funding for the Assistance to
Firefighters grant program. Thus, the total FY2002 appropriation for the fire grant
program was $360 million.
In FY2002, USFA received over 19,900 applications requesting a total of $2.98
billion. Volunteer and combination5 fire departments accounted for approximately
91% of applications, with career departments filing the remaining 9%.6 In all, $334
5 A “combination fire department” is a fire department with a mixture of paid and volunteer
personnel.
6 Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspections, Evaluations, and Special
Reviews, A Review of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, OIG-ISP-01-03,
(continued...)

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million in grant money was awarded in FY2002 in four broad program areas: fire
operations and firefighter safety; firefighting vehicles; emergency medical services;
and fire prevention programs. USFA began announcing FY2002 awards on July 11,
2002.7 Table 3 provides a breakdown of FY2002 award recipients by category.
Table 3. FY2002 Awards Recipient, By Category
Category
Number of Awards
Amount of Awards
Fire Operations &
4,731
$281,091,066
Firefighter Safety
Fire Prevention
215
$10,926,998
Firefighting Vehicles
315
$39,277,630
Emergency Medical
53
$3,069,736
Services
Total, Fire Grants
5,314
$334,365,430
Fire Prevention and Safety
51
$4,806,165
Grants
TOTAL
5,365
$339,171,595
Source: U.S. Fire Administration
FY2003 Grants
The President’s FY2003 budget proposal sought to transfer $150 million of
funding for the Assistance to Firefighter Program into FEMA’s newly formed Office
of National Preparedness, where the fire grant program would be incorporated into
the President’s proposed $3.5 billion First Responder grant program. The 107th
Congress was not able to complete passage of the VA-HUD-Independent Agencies
appropriation for FY2003. In the 108th Congress, the FY2003 Omnibus
Appropriations (P.L. 108-7;H.J.Res 2) was signed into law on February 20, 2003, and
provides $745 million to the Assistance to Firefighters Program. P.L. 108-7
established a separate appropriations account for the program — “Firefighter
Assistance Grants.”
The FY2003 grant application period began on March 10, 2003, and ended on
April 11, 2003. About 19,950 applications were received, requesting approximately
$2.5 billion in funding (including both the federal and nonfederal share).
Approximately $2 billion in federal funding was requested. The first round of
awards was announced on June 12, 2003; the final round (35th Round) was
announced on March 5, 2004 (see Table 4). Separate fire prevention and safety
6 (...continued)
September 2003, p. 39.
7 For award totals and recipients, see [http://www.usfa.fema.gov/fire-service/grants/afgp/
awards/2002awards/02awards.shtm].

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awards (totaling $27.5 million) were also awarded. The first round of fire prevention
and safety awards was announced on April 9, 2004.
Table 4. FY2003 Award Recipients, By Category
Category
Number of Awards
Amount of Awards
Fire Operations &
6,901
$492,671,198
Firefighter Safety
Fire Prevention
295
$14,070,509
Firefighting Vehicles
1,367
$184,233,676
Emergency Medical
67
$4,145,676
Services
Total, Fire grants
8,630
$695,121,059
Fire Prevention and Safety
398
$19,469,083
Grants
TOTAL
9,028
$714,590,142
Source: U.S. Fire Administration
FY2004 Grants
The Administration’s FY2004 budget requested $500 million for the Assistance
to Firefighters Program. The budget proposal sought to fund the fire grant program
as part of the $3.5 billion Office for Domestic Preparedness, located within the
Department of Homeland Security’s Directorate of Border and Transportation
Security. The FY2004 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act P.L.
108-90) funded fire grants at $746 million for FY2004, and provided fire grant
funding as a separate appropriation within the Office for Domestic Preparedness.
The Conference Report (H.Rept. 108-280) specified that DHS shall “continue current
administrative practices in a manner identical to the current fiscal year, including a
peer review process of applications, granting funds directly to local fire departments,
and the inclusion of the United States Fire Administration during grant
administration.”
During FY2004, the fire grant program was administered by the Office for
Domestic Preparedness. Funding was available in three categories: fire operations
and firefighter safety, fire prevention, and firefighting vehicles. Grants for
preparedness for weapons of mass destruction (WMD) incidents was specifically
added in all three categories. ODP plans to direct grant money to “WMD Priority
Communities” — primarily high-threat urban areas.8
8 Office of Domestic Preparedness, Department of Homeland Security, 2004 Assistance to
Firefighters Grant Program, Workshop for New Applicants, power point presentation
available at [http://www.firegrantsupport.com/present.aspx]

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The application period for the FY2004 grants opened on March 1 and closed on
April 2, 2004. Over 20,000 applications were received, requesting approximately
$2.664 billion in funding (including both the federal and nonfederal share).
Approximately $2.345 billion in federal funding was requested. To date, 7809
awards have been made, totaling $679,305,159. The Fire Prevention and Safety grant
program issued 532 awards totaling $35,234, 823.
FY2005 Grants
For FY2005, the Administration requested $500 million for the fire grant
program. The House passed the FY2005 Homeland Security Appropriations Act
(H.R. 4567) on June 18, 2004. H.R. 4567 sought to provide $600 million for
firefighter grants in FY2005, while funding the program within the Office for State
and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness (OSLGCP). In its bill report
(H.Rept. 108-541), the House Appropriations Committee expressed concern over
language in the Administration proposal that would shift the grant to terrorism, and
the proposed deletion of several eligible activities for fire grants, specifically,
wellness and fitness programs, emergency medical services, fire prevention
programs, public education programs, and modifications of facilities for health and
safety of personnel. The Committee also emphasized that fire grants must continue
to be administered in a manner identical to FY2003, including a peer review process
of applications, granting funds directly to local fire departments, and the inclusion
of the United States Fire Administration during grant administration.
On June 17, 2004, the Senate Appropriations Committee reported S. 2537
(S.Rept. 108-280), its version of the FY2005 Homeland Security Appropriations bill.
The Senate Appropriations Committee recommended $700 million for fire grants in
FY2005, and, like the House, sought to fund the program under the OSLGCP. Also
similar to the House version, the Senate bill did not include bill language, requested
in the Administration proposal, which would refocus the program on enhancing
terrorism preparedness. The Committee directed DHS “to continue the present
practice of funding applications according to local priorities and those established by
the USFA.” The Senate passed its version of the FY2005 Homeland Security
Appropriations bill on September 14, 2004. During floor consideration of the bill,
an addition of $50 million was approved for fire grants, bringing the Senate level to
$750 million.
The Conference Agreement on H.R. 4567 (H.Rept. 108-774) set the fire grants
program at $650 million for FY2005. The Conferees reiterated concerns over the
Administration’s proposal to shift grant focus from all-hazards to terrorism, and
directed that all currently eligible activities should continue to be funded. The
Conference Report stated that the fire grant program should be administered by the
Office of State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness, and that the
USFA should be included in the grant administration process. The House approved
the Conference Report on October 9, 2004; it was approved by the Senate on October
11. The bill was signed into law (P.L. 108-334) on October 18, 2004.
The application period for the FY2005 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program
opened on March 7, 2005 and closed on April 8, 2005. Fire departments can apply
for grants in one of two programmatic areas: Operations and Firefighter Safety and

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Firefighting Vehicle Acquisition. Unaffiliated EMS organizations can apply for
grants in either EMS Operations and Safety or EMS Vehicle Acquisition. All
applications are evaluated by peer review, although requests for equipment or
training related to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosive devices
(CBRNE) and interoperable communications must undergo additional state technical
review. The Fire Prevention and Safety grant program, is accepting applications
September 6 through October 7, 2005. For official program guidelines, frequently-
asked-questions, and other information, see the Assistance to Firefighters grant
program web page at [http://www.firegrantsupport.com].
Program Evaluation
On May 13, 2003, the 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.”9 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,”10 and made a number of specific
recommendations for improving the program.
The Administration’s FY2005 budget proposal was accompanied by program
evaluations called the Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART). PART gave the
fire grant program a rating of “Results Not Demonstrated,” and found that “the
program is unfocused and has not been able to demonstrate its impact on public
safety, though the grant administration process is generally well-managed.”11
Distribution of Fire Grants
The Fire Act statute provides overall guidelines on how fire grant money will
be distributed and administered. The law directs that volunteer departments receive
a proportion of the total grant funding that is not less than the proportion of the U.S.
population that those departments protect (currently 55%). The Assistance to
Firefighters Grant Program Reauthorization Act of 2004 (Title XXXVI of P.L.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.
9 For full report see [http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/affgp-fy01-usda-report.pdf].
10 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/interweb/assetlibrary/OIG_
Review_Fire_Assist.pdf].
11 Budget of the United States Government, FY2005, p. 177.

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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).12 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.13
According to the FY2005 Program Guidance for the Assistance to Firefighters
Program, career (paid) departments will compete against other career departments for
up to 45% of the available funding, while volunteer and combination departments
will compete for at least 55% of the available funding. However, given that less than
10% of fire grant applications are historically received from career departments,
funding levels are likely not to reach the 45% ceiling for career departments.14
Additionally, each fire department that applies is classified as either urban, suburban,
or rural. The Bush Administration’s Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) that
accompanied the FY2005 budget proposal noted that in FY2002, 9% of fire grant
funds went to urban areas, 20% to suburban areas, and the rest (71%) went to rural
areas.
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.15 Table 6
shows a state-by-state breakdown of fire grant funding for FY2001 through FY2004.
Table 7 provides an in-depth look at the FY2004 grants, showing, for each state, the
number of fire departments in each state,16 the number of fire grant applications, the
total amount requested, the total amount awarded, and the amount of funds awarded
as a percentage of funds requested. As Table 7 shows, fire departments in a given
state cumulatively averaged about 30% of the funds they requested in FY2004.
12 15 U.S.C. 2229(b)(9)
13 44 CFR Part 152.6(c)
14 Department of Homeland Security, 2005 Program Guidance for the Assistance to
Firefighters Grant Program, February 2005, p. 33.
15 Ibid, p. 34.
16 The fire grant program sets a limit of one application per fire department. Thus, the
number of fire departments in a state plays a major factor in the number of fire grant
applications submitted and the amount of total funding awarded within a given state. For
example, because Pennsylvania has — by far — the largest number of fire departments, it
is not surprising that it leads the nation in the number of fire grants applications and the
amount of funding awarded.

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Activities in the 108th Congress
Fire Act Reauthorization. The authorization for the original Fire Act
(Section 33 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act, 15 USC 2229) extended
through FY2004. On April 1, 2004, Representative Boehlert introduced H.R. 4107
— the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Reauthorization Act of 2004. H.R. 4107
would have extended the authorization (at a yearly level of $900 million) through
FY2007. The USFA Administrator was specifically designated as the entity who
shall administer the program. Additionally, H.R. 4107 sought to increase the current
award caps for grant recipients, while reducing required cost-sharing nonfederal
matches. Of perhaps greatest controversy was a provision which would prohibit
grant recipients from discriminating against or prohibiting firefighters from engaging
in volunteer firefighting activities in other jurisdictions during off-duty hours. The
House Committee on Science held a hearing on H.R. 4107 on May 12, 2004.
On May 11, 2004, the Senate version of the fire grant reauthorization was
introduced by Senator Dodd. S. 2411, the Assistance to Firefighters Act of 2004,
would have authorized the fire grant program through FY2010 and designated the
Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security as the program’s administering
authority. Unlike the House bill, S. 2411 did not contain a provision on volunteer
firefighter discrimination. On June 17, 2004, the text of S. 2411 was adopted as an
amendment (offered by Senator Dodd) to the FY2005 National Defense
Authorization Act (S. 2400, Division D, Sections 4001-4013). On June 23, 2004, S.
2400 was passed by the Senate and incorporated into the House-passed Defense
Authorization bill (H.R. 4200). The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and
Transportation held a hearing on S. 2411 on July 8, 2004.
On October 9, 2004 the House and Senate approved the Conference Agreement
on H.R. 4200 (H.Rept. 108-767). Title XXXVI of H.R. 4200 (Assistance to
Firefighters Grant Program Reauthorization Act of 2004) reauthorizes the fire grant
program at $900 million for FY2005, $950 million for FY2006, and $1 billion for
each of the fiscal years 2007 through 2009. Award caps are raised, nonfederal
matching requirements are lowered, eligibility is extended to include nonaffiliated
emergency medical services (i.e. ambulance services not affiliated with fire
departments), and the scope of grants is expanded to include firefighter safety R&D.
H.R. 4200 does not contain the provision on volunteer firefighter discrimination.
The reauthorization legislation designates the USFA Administrator as the
administering authority of the fire grant program. H.R. 4200 was signed into law
(P.L. 108-375) by the President on October 28, 2004. Table 5 provides a summary
of key provisions.

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Table 5. Major Provisions of the Assistance to Firefighters
Grant Program Reauthorization Act
Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program Reauthorization Act of 2004,
Section XXXVI of P.L. 108-375, FY05 National Defense Authorization Act
Places program under the authority of the USFA Administrator
Grant recipient limits:
$2.75 million — populations over 1 million $1.75 million — 500K to 1 million
$1 million — under 500K
DHS can waive these limits in instances of extraordinary need
Nonfederal match requirements:
20% for populations over 50K
10% for populations 20K to 50K
5% for populations less than 20K
No match requirement for prevention and firefighter safety grants
Authorized for five years:
FY2005 — $900 million
FY2006 — $950 million
FY2007 — $1 billion
FY2008 — $1 billion
FY2009 — $1 billion
Expands grant eligibility to emergency medical service squads, not less than 3.5% of
fire grant money for EMS, but no more than 2% for nonaffiliated EMS
Provides grants for firefighter health and safety R&D
Requires the USFA Administrator to convene an annual meeting of non-federal fire
service experts to recommend criteria for awarding grants and administrative changes
Requires fire service peer review of grant applications

Requires the USFA, in conjunction with the National Fire Protection Association, to
conduct a $300,000, 18-month study on the fire grant program and the need for federal
assistance to state and local communities to fund firefighting and emergency response
activities
SAFER Act. In the first session of the 108th Congress, 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 Act authorizes federal grants of over $1 billion
per year through 2010 directly to career fire departments for the hiring of personnel,
and to volunteer fire departments for recruitment and retention. The SAFER Act
gives the U.S. Fire Administrator authority to issue four-year grants for new hires,
with the condition that the recipient fire department must assume an increasing
percentage of the cost in each year. No money was appropriated for SAFER grants
in FY2004.
Whether the SAFER Act should be funded has proven controversial. The Bush
Administration requested no funding for SAFER grants in FY2005. While

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firefighters argued that inadequate state and local budgets leave many fire
departments critically understaffed and in need of federal assistance, the
Administration argued that funding local firefighter hiring was not an appropriate
federal role. On June 17, 2004, Representative Curt Weldon offered a floor
amendment to the FY2005 Homeland Security Appropriations bill (H.R. 4567) which
would have provided $50 million for SAFER grants in FY2005. The amendment
was adopted and the bill was subsequently passed by the House on June 18, 2004.
On September 14, 2004, the Senate adopted an amendment offered by Senator Dodd
to H.R. 4567 which would have provide $100 million for the SAFER Act. The final
Conference Agreement on H.R. 4567 (H.Rept. 108-774) provides SAFER Act grants
with $65 million for FY2005. The FY2005 Homeland Security Appropriations bill
(P.L. 108-334) was signed by the President on October 18, 2004.
Issues in the 109th Congress
An ongoing issue likely to receive attention during the 109th Congress is the
focus of the fire grant program. Similar to the FY2005 proposal, the Administration’s
FY2006 budget proposal seeks to shift the priority of the fire grant program to
terrorism preparedness. The Administration’s FY2006 budget proposal – which
requests $500 million for fire grants in FY2006, a cut of 23% from the FY2005
appropriated level – would place priority on grant applications enhancing terrorism
capabilities. Grants would be available only for training, vehicles, firefighting
equipment, and personal protective equipment. Under the budget proposal, activities
such as wellness/fitness and fire station modification would not be funded. Activities
such as prevention, public fire safety education and awareness, and fire code
enforcement would be funded under the separate fire prevention and firefighter safety
grant program.
Firefighting groups question this proposed shift, arguing that the original
purpose of the Fire Act (enhancing basic firefighting needs) should not be
compromised or diluted. Firefighting groups also argue that the Administration’s
proposed FY2006 budget for fire grants ($500 million), a cut of 23% from the
FY2005 level, does not adequately meet the needs of fire departments. For
information on House and Senate actions regarding the FY2006 appropriations for
the fire grant program, see CRS Report RS21302, Assistance to Firefighters
Program.
A related issue continues to be the role of the U.S. Fire Administration in the
administration of the fire grant program. At its inception, the program was
administered by the USFA/FEMA and focused on enhancing the basic needs of fire
departments across the nation. In the FY2004 budget request, as part of its effort to
consolidate terrorism preparedness grants under a single entity, the Administration
proposed to relocate the fire grant program within the Office for Domestic
Preparedness (ODP), whose mission is to provide state and local governments with
assistance to improve their readiness for terrorism incidents. The FY2004 DHS
Appropriations Act (P.L. 108-90) acceded to the Administration’s request, and
relocated the fire grants to ODP. The Conferees directed that DHS shall “continue
current administrative practices in a manner identical to the current fiscal year,
including a peer review process of applications, granting funds directly to local fire

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CRS-12
departments, and the inclusion of the United States Fire Administration during grant
administration.”
On January 26, 2004, then-DHS Secretary Ridge informed Congress of his
intention to consolidate ODP, including the Assistance to Firefighters Program, into
the Office of State and Local Government Coordination Preparedness (OSLGCP).
The FY2005 Homeland Security appropriations act (P.L. 108-334) places the fire
grant program within OSLGCP. However, the Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program Reauthorization Act of 2004 (P.L. 108-375) designates administration of the
fire grant program to USFA. According to the FY2006 budget request, the fire grant
program will be administered by the OSLGCP “in cooperation with the USFA.”
On July 13, 2005, DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff announced a restructuring
of DHS, effective October 1, 2005. Under the restructuring plan, the fire grants (as
well as the SAFER grants) will be administered by the Office of Grants and Training
in the new DHS Directorate for Preparedness. Meanwhile, two bills (H.R. 3816,
H.R. 3659), introduced in September 2005 to reestablish FEMA in the wake of
Hurricane Katrina, contain language that would transfer firefighter assistance grants
back to FEMA.
Another issue is the role of the federal government in assisting fire departments
to hire personnel. Firefighters have argued that inadequate state and local budgets
leave many fire departments critically understaffed, and that federal assistance is
needed. On the other hand, the Administration has argued that funding the hiring of
firefighters is not an appropriate federal role.
No money was appropriated for SAFER grants in FY2004, and the
Administration requested no funding for SAFER grants in FY2005. The final
Conference Agreement on P.L. 108-334 (H.Rept. 108-774) provided SAFER Act
grants with $65 million for FY2005.
The FY2005 SAFER program will provide funding to support hiring of
firefighters and recruitment and retention of volunteers. The application period
began on May 31 and ended on June 28, 2005. The program is administered by the
Department of Homeland Security’s Office of State and Local Government
Coordination and Preparedness (SLGCP) in cooperation with the USFA. For SAFER
p r o g r a m g u i d a n c e a n d a p p l i c a t i o n i n f o r m a t i o n , s e e
[http://www.firegrantsupport.com/safer/].
The Administration is requesting no funding of the SAFER grants for FY2006.
The House-passed FY2006 Homeland Security Appropriations bill (H.R. 2360)
would provide $75 million for SAFER grants in FY2006. The Senate-passed H.R.
2360 would provide $115 million.

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CRS-13
Table 6. State-by-State Distribution of Fire Grants,
FY2001-FY2004
(millions of dollars)
FY2001 FY2002
FY2003

FY2004
Total
Alabama
3.085
12.503
23.329
25.097
64.014
Alaska
1.303
2.641
5.242
2.522
11.708
Arizona
1.37
3.6
7.490
9.808
22.268
Arkansas
1.337
4.635
10.675
13.680
30.327
California
5.905
18.978
30.060
29.793
84.736
Colorado
1.003
3.968
6.168
5.585
16.724
Connecticut
1.828
4.675
10.841
9.991
27.335
Delaware
0.132
0.372
1.096
1.755
3.355
District of
0
0.22
0
0
0.22
Columbia
Florida
2.865
10.16
16.344
15.969
45.338
Georgia
2.375
6.079
13.791
11.857
34.102
Hawaii
0
1.182
0.947
0.864
2.993
Idaho
0.916
2.744
6.001
4.828
14.489
Illinois
2.417
13.398
28.810
27.238
71.863
Indiana
2.703
8.739
20.456
18.646
50.544
Iowa
1.301
7.284
16.087
16.430
41.102
Kansas
1.153
5.118
10.850
10.211
27.332
Kentucky
2.215
7.896
19.832
16.150
46.093
Louisiana
3.344
10.084
12.248
11.101
36.777
Maine
1.296
4.319
10.323
10.031
25.969
Maryland
0.739
4.08
8.153
10.227
23.199
Massachusetts
2.301
8.386
15.715
13.958
40.36
Michigan
2.815
8.948
17.247
20.005
49.015
Minnesota
2.133
8.149
17.510
18.609
46.401
Mississippi
1.763
6.755
15.679
11.329
35.526
Missouri
3.079
10.291
19.573
17.757
50.7
Montana
1.164
3.726
8.361
7.271
20.522
Nebraska
1.034
2.392
7.820
6.577
17.823
Nevada
0.282
1.446
3.312
1.405
6.445
New
0.594
1.887
4.584
5.694
12.759
Hampshire
New Jersey
2.596
6.339
19.982
16.488
45.405
New Mexico
1.455
3.463
5.048
3.653
13.619
New York
3.978
14.728
34.320
35.030
88.056

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CRS-14
FY2001 FY2002
FY2003

FY2004
Total
North
1.949
10.239
22.864
22.360
57.412
Carolina
North Dakota
0.546
2.613
5.105
3.391
11.655
Ohio
2.731
13.742
26.997
29.107
72.577
Oklahoma
1.864
4.939
10.540
10.393
27.736
Oregon
1.596
4.892
9.896
10.122
26.506
Pennsylvania
2.89
16.97
45.179
47.898
112.937
Rhode Island
0.407
1.507
2.327
1.917
6.158
South Carolina
1.554
5.257
11.832
14.150
32.793
South Dakota
0.904
3.142
5.602
4.693
14.341
Tennessee
2.46
11.509
19.306
18.686
51.961
Texas
3.697
15.644
29.264
30.118
78.723
Utah
0.9
2.754
4.628
3.880
12.162
Vermont
0.451
1.971
5.163
4.747
12.332
Virginia
2.066
8.79
15.816
16.668
43.34
Washington
1.535
7.544
18.808
19.565
47.452
West Virginia
1.067
3.966
9.942
9.133
24.108
Wisconsin
2.077
7.518
18.234
19.668
47.497
Wyoming
1.09
1.612
3.507
1.811
8.02
Puerto Rico
0.657
0.382
1.643
1.140
3.822
Saipan
0
0.225
0
0
0.225
Rota
0.145
0
0
0
0.145
Guam
0
0.016
0
0
0.016
American
0.164
0
0
0.284
0.448
Samoa
Virgin Islands
0.741
0
0.544
0
1.285
TOTAL
91.972
334.417
695.121
679.305
1800.815
Source: Department of Homeland Security

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CRS-15
Table 7. Requests and Awards for Fire Grant Funding, FY2004
Number of
Federal Funds
Federal
Funds Awarded
Fire/EMS
Number of
Requested
Funds
as a Percentage
Departmentsa
Applications
($millions)
Awarded
of Funds
($millions)
Requested
Alabama
935
638
68.932
25.097
0.36408344455
Alaska
110
67
10.713
2.522
0.23541491646
Arizona
267
163
23.327
9.808
0.42045698118
Arkansas
818
486
40.306
13.680
0.33940356275
California
757
542
79.897
29.793
0.37289259922
Colorado
354
190
21.051
5.585
0.26530806137
Connecticut
365
234
33.364
9.991
0.29945450186
Delaware
72
30
4.041
1.755
0.43429844098
Dist. of Columbia
11
3
0.883
0
0
Florida
696
328
42.480
15.969
0.3759180791
Georgia
767
343
40.080
11.857
0.29583333333
Hawaii
16
4
1.042
0.864
0.82917466411
Idaho
206
131
17.368
4.828
0.27798249655
Illinois
1041
808
86.377
27.238
0.31533857393
Indiana
621
546
67.907
18.646
0.27458141281
Iowa
856
646
58.475
16.430
0.28097477555
Kansas
664
361
34.298
10.211
0.29771415243
Kentucky
779
550
63.879
16.150
0.2528217411
Louisiana
538
343
37.494
11.101
0.29607403851
Maine
416
302
33.161
10.031
0.30249389343
Maryland
381
223
37.709
10.227
0.27120846482
Massachusetts
398
308
48.551
13.958
0.28749150378
Michigan
824
694
73.734
20.005
0.27131309843
Minnesota
755
520
53.476
18.609
0.34798788241
Mississippi
746
425
39.231
11.329
0.28877673269
Missouri
846
551
55.415
17.757
0.32043670486
Montana
271
227
19.223
7.271
0.3782448109
Nebraska
483
271
27.354
6.577
0.240440155

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CRS-16
Number of
Federal Funds
Federal
Funds Awarded
Fire/EMS
Number of
Requested
Funds
as a Percentage
Departmentsa
Applications
($millions)
Awarded
of Funds
($millions)
Requested
Nevada
151
44
8.657
1.405
0.16229640753
New Hampshire
247
180
20.741
5.694
0.27452871125
New Jersey
988
509
67.441
16.488
0.24448036061
New Mexico
324
126
13.324
3.653
0.27416691684
New York
1815
1260
137.444
35.030
0.25486743692
North Carolina
1372
740
88.622
22.360
0.25230755343
North Dakota
319
185
15.597
3.391
0.21741360518
Ohio
1312
861
102.637
29.107
0.28359168721
Oklahoma
760
420
27.884
10.393
0.37272270836
Oregon
346
206
27.219
10.122
0.371872589
Pennsylvania
2563
1778
245.343
47.898
0.19522872061
Rhode Island
95
60
8.004
1.917
0.23950524738
South Carolina
576
372
44.858
14.150
0.31543983236
South Dakota
341
232
17.348
4.693
0.27052109753
Tennessee
625
484
47.667
18.686
0.39201124468
Texas
1808
894
102.209
30.118
0.29467072371
Utah
218
143
12.733
3.880
0.30472001885
Vermont
248
162
19.600
4.747
0.24219387755
Virginia
769
373
56.221
16.668
0.29647284822
Washington
524
340
46.783
19.565
0.41820746852
West Virginia
465
288
33.334
9.133
0.27398452031
Wisconsin
881
621
62.575
19.668
0.31431082701
Wyoming
128
67
8.576
1.811
0.21117070896
Puerto Rico
Not available
83
8.902
1.140
0.12806110986
Northern Marianas
Not available
2
0.231
0
0
American Samoa
Not available
1
0.525
0.284
0.54095238095
Virgin Islands
Not available
1
0.571
0
0
TOTAL
31,822
20366
2344.814
679.305
28.97%
Source: Department of Homeland Security
a. Data from firehouse.com.

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