Assistance to Firefighters Program:
Distribution of Fire Grant Funding

Lennard G. Kruger
Specialist in Science and Technology Policy
February 22, 2011
Congressional Research Service
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www.crs.gov
RL32341
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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 11th year. The Fire Act statute was reauthorized in 2004 (Title
XXXVI of P.L. 108-375) and provides overall guidelines on how fire grant money should be
distributed. There is no set geographical formula for the distribution of fire grants—fire
departments throughout the nation apply, and award decisions are made by a peer panel based on
the merits of the application and the needs of the community. However, the law does require that
fire grants be distributed to a diverse mix of fire departments, with respect to type of department
(paid, volunteer, or combination), geographic location, and type of community served (e.g.,
urban, suburban, or rural).
The Administration’s FY2011 budget proposed $305 million for AFG and $305 million for
SAFER. For FY2011, the Continuing Appropriations and Surface Transportation Extension Act,
2011 (P.L. 111-322) funds firefighter assistance at FY2010 levels through March 4, 2011. H.R. 1,
the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011, as introduced on February 11, 2011, would
have provided $300 million to AFG and zero funding for SAFER. However, on February 16,
2011, H.Amdt. 223 (offered by Representative Pascrell and agreed to by the House by a vote of
318-113) restored AFG to $390 million and SAFER to $420 million (the FY2010 levels). H.R. 1
was passed by the House on February 18, 2011.
The Administration’s FY2012 budget proposed $670 million for firefighter assistance, including
$250 million for AFG and $420 million for SAFER. According to the budget proposal, the
request would fund 2,200 firefighter positions and approximately 5,000 AFG grants.
In the 111th Congress, reauthorization legislation for AFG and SAFER was passed by the House,
but was not passed by the Senate. Debate over the reauthorization reflected a competition for
funding between career/urban/suburban departments and volunteer/rural departments. The
urgency of this debate was heightened by the proposed reduction of overall AFG funding in
FY2011, and the economic downturn in many local communities increasingly hard pressed to
allocate funding for their local fire departments.
Because the 111th Congress did not enact the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act, it is possible that
the 112th Congress may reconsider the reauthorization bill. The 112th Congress is also likely to
consider appropriate funding levels for firefighter assistance in FY2011 and FY2012.

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Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding

Contents
Background ................................................................................................................................ 1
Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program .................................................................................... 1
First Reauthorization............................................................................................................. 1
Second Reauthorization......................................................................................................... 2
House Reauthorization Bill, H.R. 3791............................................................................ 4
Senate Reauthorization Bill, S. 3267 ............................................................................... 6
Appropriations ...................................................................................................................... 8
FY2010........................................................................................................................... 9
FY2011......................................................................................................................... 10
FY2012......................................................................................................................... 11
Fire Station Construction Grants in the ARRA........................................................................... 11
SAFER Grants .......................................................................................................................... 12
Program Evaluation .................................................................................................................. 13
Distribution of Fire Grants ........................................................................................................ 14
Issues in the 112th Congress....................................................................................................... 16

Tables
Table 1. Major Provisions of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program
Reauthorization Act of 2004..................................................................................................... 2
Table 2. Comparison of Selected Provisions in Fire Grant Reauthorization .................................. 6
Table 3. Appropriations for Firefighter Assistance, FY2001-FY2010 ........................................... 9
Table 4. Recent and Proposed Appropriations for Firefighter Assistance ...................................... 9
Table 5. State-by-State Distribution of Fire Grants, FY2001-FY2009 ........................................ 16
Table 6. State-by-State Distribution of SAFER Grants, FY2005-FY2009.................................. 18
Table 7. Requests and Awards for Fire Grant Funding, FY2009 ................................................. 20

Contacts
Author Contact Information ...................................................................................................... 21

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Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding

Background
Firefighting activities are traditionally the responsibility of states and local communities. As such,
funding for firefighters is provided mostly by state and local governments. During the 1990s,
shortfalls in state and local budgets, coupled with increased responsibilities of local fire
departments, led many in the fire community to call for additional financial support from the
federal government. Although federally funded training programs existed (and continue to exist)
through the National Fire Academy, and although federal money was available to first responders
for counterterrorism training and equipment through the Department of Justice,1 there did not
exist a dedicated program, exclusively for firefighters, which provided federal money directly to
local fire departments to help address a wide variety of equipment, training, and other firefighter-
related needs.
Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program
During the 106th Congress, many in the fire community asserted that local fire departments
require and deserve greater support from the federal government. The Assistance to Firefighters
Grant Program (AFG), also known as fire grants or the FIRE Act grant program, was established
by Title XVII of the FY2001 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 106-398).2 Currently
administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS), the program provides federal grants directly to local fire departments
and unaffiliated Emergency Medical Services (EMS) organizations to help address a variety of
equipment, training, and other firefighter-related and EMS needs.
First Reauthorization
On October 28, 2004, the President signed the FY2005 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L.
108-375). Title XXXVI of P.L. 108-375 is the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program
Reauthorization Act of 2004, which reauthorized the fire grant program through FY2009. Table 1
provides a summary of key provisions of the first reauthorization.

1 For a list of federal programs providing assistance to state and local first responders, see CRS Report R40246,
Department of Homeland Security Assistance to States and Localities: A Summary and Issues for the 111th Congress,
by Shawn Reese.
2 “Firefighter assistance” is codified as section 33 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act (15 U.S.C. 2229).
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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 National Defense Authorization Act
Second Reauthorization
The current authorization of AFG expired on September 30, 2009; the authorization of SAFER
expired September 30, 2010. On July 8, 2009, the House Committee on Science and Technology,
Subcommittee on Technology & Innovation, held a hearing on the reauthorization of the FIRE
grant programs (both AFG and SAFER).3 Testimony was heard from FEMA and many of the
major fire service organizations including the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), the

3 See http://science.house.gov/publications/hearings_markups_details.aspx?NewsID=2539.
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International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC),
and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
A major issue surrounding the fire grant reauthorization is whether the current distribution of fire
grant funds should be altered. Under current law, the majority of funding goes to rural and
volunteer fire departments. This is the case because individual fire departments throughout the
nation apply directly for funding, and there are many more volunteer and rural fire departments
than career and urban/suburban fire departments.4 In general, career departments tend to protect
the more densely populated urban and suburban areas, while volunteer departments tend to
protect more rural areas.
Testimony presented by the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), representing career
(paid) firefighters, argued that under current law, “the overwhelming majority of FIRE grants are
awarded to fire departments that protect a relatively small percentage of the population.”5
According to IAFF, a greater proportion of funding should go to career fire departments
protecting the more densely populated suburban and urban areas, and suggested the following
changes in the fire act statute:
• professional, volunteer, and combination departments should each be guaranteed
at least 30% of total grant funding each year (under current statute, volunteer and
combination departments must receive no less than 55% of funding; in practice
career departments have received about 20% of AFG funding);
• funding caps for a single grant should be raised to $10 million for communities
of 1 million population or more, $5 million for communities of 500,000 or more,
$2 million for communities of 100,000 or more, and $1 million for communities
with populations under 100,000 (current statutory caps are $2.75 million for
populations over 1 million, $1.75 million for populations over 500,000, and $1
million for populations under 500,000); and
• the local match requirement for fire grants should be set at 15% for all applicants,
with DHS having the authority to waive the match requirement for needy
departments (the current statutory matching requirements are 20% for
populations over 50,000, 10% for populations over 20,000, and 5% for
populations less than 20,000).6
On the other hand, testimony from the National Volunteer Fire Council (NFVC) stated that its
main priority for reauthorization of AFG (as well as SAFER) is to extend the programs without
substantial changes, and that “the programs are well-run, distributing funding in an efficient
manner to the most deserving awardees.”7 NVFC argued that volunteer departments are

4 According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), there are an estimated 30,185 fire departments in the
United States (2007 data). Of those, 7.5% are career departments, 5.8% are mostly career, 16.5% are mostly volunteer,
and 70.1% are all volunteer. Most career firefighters (74%) are in communities that protect 25,000 or more people,
while most volunteer firefighters (95%) are in departments that protect fewer than 25,000, and more than half are
located in small, rural departments that protect fewer than 2,500 people.
5 Kevin O’Connor, Assistant to the General President, International Association of Fire Fighters, testimony before the
House Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation, Committee on Science and Technology, July 8, 2009, p. 3,
http://gop.science.house.gov/Media/hearings/ets09/july8/oconnor.pdf.
6 Ibid.
7 Jack Carriger, First Vice Chairman of the National Volunteer Fire Council, testimony before the House Subcommittee
on Technology and Innovation, Committee on Science and Technology, July 8, 2009, p. 3,
(continued...)
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concentrated in rural communities with smaller tax bases and higher poverty rates, that “DHS
needs assessments have consistently shown that equipment training and apparatus needs are most
acute in volunteer departments,”8 and that since 2001 DHS first responder grants for terrorism
and disaster response have predominantly gone to urban areas.
Meanwhile, other suggested reauthorization changes to the AFG statute made by the July 8
hearing witnesses included:
• establish DHS waiver authority for the existing local match requirement for
economically challenged jurisdictions (IAFC);
• establish centers of excellence in fire safety research (IAFC);
• allow larger grants for regional projects (IAFC);
• eliminate the cost-share requirement for fire departments in the Fire Prevention
and Firefighter Safety grant program (NFPA and IAFF);
• designate a minimum of 5% of funding for fire service-based emergency medical
services (NFPA);
• utilize funds for training and equipment to meet the latest applicable national
voluntary consensus standards available at the time of application (NFPA); and
• make state training agencies (e.g., state fire academies) eligible for AFG funding
(NVFC).
As manifested in the July 8 hearing, debate over the AFG reauthorization reflected a competition
for funding primarily between career/urban/suburban departments and volunteer/rural
departments. The urgency of this debate was heightened by reductions in FY2010 AFG funding
and by the economic downturn in many local communities increasingly hard pressed to allocate
funding for their local fire departments.
House Reauthorization Bill, H.R. 3791
On October 13, 2009, H.R. 3791, the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2009, was introduced by
Representative Mitchell. The legislation reflected an agreement reached among the major fire
service organizations on the reauthorization language. H.R. 3791 was referred to the House
Committee on Science and Technology, and approved (amended) by the Subcommittee on
Technology and Innovation on October 14, 2009, and by the full committee on October 21, 2009.
H.R. 3791 was reported (amended) by the committee on November 7, 2009 (H.Rept. 111-333,
Part I). H.R. 3791 was amended and passed by the House on November 18, 2009. Adopted
amendments included directing DHS to conduct a survey of fire department compliance with
firefighter safety standards; requiring DHS to give added consideration to applications from areas
with high unemployment; making river rescue organizations eligible for funding; expanding AFG
scope to include equipment that reduces water use; and prohibiting earmarking of funds
appropriated under the act.

(...continued)
http://democrats.science.house.gov/Media/file/Commdocs/hearings/2009/Tech/8jul/Carriger_Testimony.pdf.
8 Ibid.
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H.R. 3791, as passed by the House, would have authorized AFG at a level of $1 billion per year
through FY2014 and included the following major provisions:
Grant Money Distribution—directs that grant money should be allocated (to the
extent that there are eligible applicants) as follows: 25% of AFG funding to
career fire departments, 25% to volunteer fire departments, 25% to combination
fire departments, 10% (minimum) for fire prevention, safety, and research grants,
2% (maximum) for volunteer non-fire service EMS and rescue, 3% (maximum)
for fire service training academies, and 10% to be competitive between career,
volunteer and combination departments;
Grant Caps – sets maximum individual grant levels at $9 million for jurisdictions
with populations over 2.5 million, $6 million for populations between 1 million
and 2.5 million, $3 million for populations between 500,000 and 1 million, $2
million for populations between 100,000 and 500,000, and $1 million for
populations under 100,000;
Matching Requirements—keeps the existing 5% matching requirement for
communities of 20K or less, sets the matching requirement for all other
jurisdictions at 10%, and allows an economic hardship waiver whereby in
“exceptional circumstances” DHS may waive or reduce the matching
requirements;
Maintenance of Expenditures – amends the existing maintenance of expenditures
provision to require applicants to maintain budgets at 80% of the average over
the past two years, also allows an economic hardship waiver whereby in
“exceptional circumstances” DHS may waive or reduce the maintenance of
expenditures requirements;
Fire Prevention, Research, and Safety Grants—increases available funding from
5% to 10% of total, raises grant maximum from $1 million to $1.5 million,
eliminates the matching requirement for fire departments, and prohibits any
funding to the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now
(ACORN);
University Fire Safety Research Centers – as part of the fire prevention, research,
and safety grants, authorizes DHS to establish no more than three university fire
safety research centers with funding of any one center at not more than $2
million per fiscal year;
State Fire Training Academies – allows DHS to award up to 3% of grant funding
to state fire training academies, with individual grants not to exceed $1 million;
Voluntary Consensus Standards – directs that grants used for training should be
limited to training that complies with applicable national voluntary consensus
standards, unless a waiver has been granted; and
Survey and Task Force on Firefighter Safety – directs DHS to conduct a
nationwide survey to assess whether fire departments are in compliance with the
national voluntary consensus standards for staffing, training, safe operations,
personal protective equipment, and fitness; establishes a Task Force to Enhance
Firefighter Safety to make recommendations to Congress on ways to increase
compliance with firefighter safety standards.
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H.R. 3791 also reauthorized the SAFER grant program at a level of $1.196 billion per year
through FY2014. The legislation would have modified the SAFER grant program by shortening
the grant period to three years, establishing a 20% local matching requirement for each year,
removing the existing federal funding cap per hired firefighter, making national organizations
eligible for recruitment and retention funds, and allowing DHS in the case of economic hardship
to waive cost share requirements, the three year grant period, and/or maintenance of expenditure
requirements.
Senate Reauthorization Bill, S. 3267
On April 27, 2010, S. 3267, the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2010, was introduced and
referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. On April 28,
the committee ordered S. 3267 to be reported with an amendment favorably. S. 3267 was reported
on July 28, 2010 (S.Rept. 111-235). The Senate bill, while similar to the House bill, had a higher
nonfederal match requirement for communities over 50K and higher match requirements for fire
prevention and safety grants. Regarding SAFER, the Senate bill had a higher match requirement
for hiring grants and would have continued to require applicants to retain hired firefighters for at
least one year after the grant expires (unless a waiver is obtained). For both AFG and SAFER,
certain changes to current law made by the Senate bill would sunset on October 1, 2015. Table 2
shows a comparison of selected provisions in the Senate bill, the House bill, and current law (15
U.S.C. 2229 and 15 U.S.C. 2229a).
Table 2. Comparison of Selected Provisions in Fire Grant Reauthorization
Current Law
H.R. 3791 as passed by House
S. 3267
Grant money distribution
volunteer and combination fire
25% to career fire departments
no less than 25% to career fire
departments shall receive a
departments
proportion of the total grant funding
25% to volunteer fire departments
that is not less than the proportion
no less than 25% to volunteer fire
25% to combination fire departments
of the U.S. population that those
departments
departments protect
10% competitive between career,
no less than 25% to combination and
volunteer, and combination
paid-on-cal fire departments
departments
5% (minimum) to fire prevention and 10% (minimum) to fire prevention
10% (minimum) to fire prevention
safety grants
and safety grants (includes fire safety
and safety grants (includes fire safety
research centers)
research centers)
3.5% (minimum) to EMS provided by
2% (maximum) to volunteer non-fire
3.5% (minimum) to EMS provided by
fire departments and nonaffiliated
service EMS
fire departments and nonaffiliated
EMS organizations
EMS organizations
2% (maximum) to nonaffiliated EMS
organizations
2% (maximum) to nonaffiliated EMS
3% (maximum) to State fire training
3% (maximum) to State training
organizations
academies, no more than 1 grant and academies, no more than $1 million
$1 million per state in a fiscal year
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
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Current Law
H.R. 3791 as passed by House
S. 3267
Grant recipient limits
populations over 1 million—lesser of $9 million—over 2.5m population
$9 million—over 2.5m population
$2.75 million or 0.5% of total
appropriation
$6 million—1m to 2.5m population $6 million—1m to 2.5m population
populations of 500K to 1 million—
$3 million—500K to 1m population
$3 million—500K to 1m population
$1.75 million
$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
no single grant can exceed 0.5% of
total funds appropriated for a single
fiscal year
DHS can waive the funding limits for
DHS can waive funding limits for
FEMA may not award a grant
populations up to 1 million in
populations up to 2.5 million in
exceeding 1% of all available grant
instances of extraordinary need;
instances of extraordinary need
funds, unless FEMA determines
however the lesser of $2.75 million
extraordinary need
or 0.5% limit cannot be waived
Nonfederal match requirements
20% for populations over 50K
10% for populations over 20K
15% for populations over 50K
10% for populations 20K to 50K
5% for populations under 20K
10% for populations 20K to 50K
5% for populations less than 20K
5% for populations under 20K
No match requirement for non-fire
No match requirement for all fire
5% match required for fire
department prevention and
prevention and firefighter safety
prevention and safety grants
firefighter safety grants
grants
Maintenance of expenditures
requires applicants to maintain
requires applicants to maintain
requires applicants to maintain
expenditures at the same level as the expenditures at or above 80% of the
expenditures at or above 80% of the
average over the preceding two fiscal average over the preceding two fiscal average over the preceding two fiscal
years
years
years
Economic hardship waivers
no economic hardship waivers
waivers available for nonfederal
waivers available for nonfederal
available
matching and maintenance of
matching and maintenance of
expenditures requirements, DHS will expenditures requirements, FEMA
develop economic hardship waiver
will develop economic hardship
criteria in consultation with experts
waiver guidelines considering
and interests representing the fire
unemployment rates, percentages of
service and State and local
individuals eligible to receive food
governments
stamps, and other factors as
appropriate.
Authorization
FY2005—$900 million
FY2010—$1 billion
FY2011—$950 million
FY2006—$950 million
FY2011—$1 billion
for each of FY2012 – FY2015, an
amount equal to the amount
FY2007—$1 billion
FY2012—$1 billion
authorized the previous fiscal year,
FY2008—$1 billion
FY2013—$1 billion
increased by the percentage by
which the Consumer Price Index for
FY2009—$1 billion
FY2014—$1 billion
the previous fiscal year exceeds the
preceding year.
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Current Law
H.R. 3791 as passed by House
S. 3267
SAFER
grant period is 4 years, grantees are
shortens the grant period to three
shortens the grant period to three
required to retain for at least 1 year
years, grant recipients are required
years, grantees are required to retain
beyond the termination of their
to retain for at least the entire 3
for at least 1 year beyond the
grants those firefighters hired under
years of the grant period those
termination of their grants those
the grant
firefighters hired under the grant
firefighters hired under the grant
year 1—10% local match
establishes a 20% local matching
establishes a 25% local matching
year 2—20% local match
requirement for each year
requirement for each year
year 3—50% local match
year 4—70% local match
total funding over 4 years for hiring a removes the existing federal funding
the amount of funding provided for
firefighter may not exceed $100K,
cap per hired firefighter
hiring a firefighter in any fiscal year
adjusted annual y for inflation
may not exceed 75% of the usual
annual cost of a first-year firefighter
in that department
state, local, and Indian tribal
additional y makes national
additional y makes national
governments eligible for recruitment
organizations eligible for recruitment organizations eligible for recruitment
and retention funds
and retention funds
and retention funds

allows DHS in the case of economic
allows DHS in the case of economic
hardship to waive cost share
hardship to waive cost share
requirements, the required
requirements, the required
retention period, the prohibition on
retention period, the prohibition on
supplanting local funds, and/or
supplanting local funds, and/or
maintenance of expenditure
maintenance of expenditure
requirements
requirements
authorized for 7 years starting at $1
reauthorizes the SAFER grant
reauthorizes the SAFER grant
billion in FY2004, ending at $1.194
program FY2010 through FY2014 at
program FY2011 through FY2015 at
billion in FY2010
a level of $1.196 billion per year
a level of $950 million per year, with
each year adjusted for inflation
Source: Compiled by CRS.
Ultimately, the 111th Congress did not enact the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act. Therefore, it is
possible that the 112th Congress may reconsider the reauthorization bill.
Appropriations
From FY2001 through FY2003, the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program (as part of
USFA/FEMA) received its primary appropriation through the VA-HUD-Independent Agencies
Appropriation Act. In FY2004, the Assistance to Firefighters Program began to receive its annual
appropriation through the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Homeland
Security. Within the DHS/FEMA budget, the firefighter assistance account (which includes both
AFG and SAFER) is located within State and Local Programs as part of the State and Regional
Preparedness Program.
The fire grant program is in its 11th year. Table 3 shows the appropriations history for firefighter
assistance, including AFG, SAFER, and the Fire Station Construction Grants (SCG) provided in
the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Over $5.2 billion has been appropriated
to the AFG program since FY2001, its initial year. Table 4 shows recent and proposed
appropriated funding for the AFG and SAFER grant programs.
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Table 3. Appropriations for Firefighter Assistance, FY2001-FY2010

AFG
SAFER
SCGa Total
FY2001 $100
million


$100 million
FY2002 $360
million


$360 million
FY2003 $745
million


$745 million
FY2004 $746
million


$746 million
FY2005
$650 million
$65 million

$715 million
FY2006
$539 million
$109 million

$648 million
FY2007
$547 million
$115 million

$662 million
FY2008
$560 million
$190 million

$750 million
FY2009
$565 million
$210 million
$210 million
$985 million
FY2010
$390 million
$420 million

$810 million
FY2011
b
b

b
Total
$5.592 billion
$1.529 billion
$210 million
$7.331 billion
a. Assistance to Firefighters Fire Station Construction Grants (SCG) grants were funded by the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act (P.L. 111-5).
b. The Continuing Appropriations and Surface Transportation Extension Act, 2011 (P.L. 111-322) funds AFG
and SAFER at FY2010 levels through March 4, 2011.
Table 4. Recent and Proposed Appropriations for Firefighter Assistance
(millions of dollars)
FY2009
FY2009
FY2010
FY2010
FY2011
FY2011
FY2012

(Admin.
(P.L. 110-
(Admin.
(P.L. 111-
(Admin.
CR (P.L.
(Admin.
request)
329)
request)
83)
request)
111-322) Request)
FIRE Grants
300 565 170
390 305
a 250
(AFG)
SAFER
Grants 0 210
420 420 305
a 420
Total
300 775 590
810 610
a 670
a. The Continuing Appropriations and Surface Transportation Extension Act, 2011 (P.L. 111-322) funds AFG
and SAFER at FY2010 levels through March 4, 2011.

FY2010
For FY2010, the Obama Administration proposed $170 million for AFG, a 70% decrease from the
FY2009 level, and $420 million for SAFER, double the amount appropriated in FY2009. The
total amount requested for firefighter assistance (AFG and SAFER) was $590 million, a 24%
decrease from FY2009. The FY2010 budget proposal stated that the firefighter assistance grant
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process “will give priority to applications that enhance capabilities for terrorism response and
other major incidents.”9
The House FY2010 Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill (H.R. 2892; H.Rept.
111-157) provided $800 million for firefighter assistance, including $380 million for AFG and
$420 million for SAFER. Although the SAFER level matched the Administration’s request, the
AFG level was more than twice what the Administration proposed. According to the committee
report, the Administration’s request of $170 million for AFG “is woefully inadequate given the
vast needs of fire departments across the nation for equipment.” The committee directed FEMA
to continue granting funds to local fire departments, include the United States Fire Administration
in the grant decision process, and maintain an all-hazard focus while prohibiting the limiting of
eligible activities including wellness.
The House passed H.R. 2892 on June 24, 2009. During floor consideration of H.R. 2892, the
House approved a manager’s amendment that added $10 million to the AFG account. Therefore,
the House-passed total for AFG was $390 million.
The Senate FY2010 Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill (S. 1298; S.Rept. 111-
31) provided $800 million for firefighter assistance, including $380 million for AFG and $420
million for SAFER. The Appropriations Committee directed DHS to continue funding
applications according to local priorities and priorities established by the United States Fire
Administration, and to continue direct funding to fire departments and the peer review process.
The Senate passed H.R. 2892 on July 9, 2009. During floor consideration, the Senate adopted an
amendment (S.Amdt. 1458) that added $10 million to the AFG account. Therefore, the Senate-
passed total for AFG was also $390 million.
The conference report for the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2010
(H.Rept. 111-298) was passed by the House on October 15. H.Rept. 111-298 provided $390
million for AFG and $420 million for SAFER, identical to the levels in both the House- and
Senate-passed H.R. 2892. The conferees directed FEMA to continue the present practice of
funding applications according to local priorities and those established by the USFA, to maintain
an all-hazards focus, to grant funds for eligible activities in accordance with the authorizing
statute, and to continue the current grant application and review process as specified in the House
report. The conference report was passed by the House on October 15, by the Senate on October
20, and signed into law, P.L. 111-83, on October 28, 2009.
Meanwhile, on December 16, 2009, the House considered legislation intended to create jobs and
passed the Senate amendment to H.R. 2847, which would provide $500 million in additional
FY2010 funding for SAFER. H.R. 2847 directs that any unused funds may be transferred to AFG
after notification to the House and Senate appropriations committees.
FY2011
The Administration’s FY2011 budget proposed $305 million for AFG (a 22% decrease from the
FY2010 level) and $305 million for SAFER (a 27% decrease). The total amount requested for
firefighter assistance (AFG and SAFER) was $610 million, a 25% decrease from FY2010. The

9 Office of Management and Budget, Appendix: Budget of the United States Government, FY2010, p. 547.
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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.”10
On June 24, 2010, the House Subcommittee on Homeland Security Appropriations approved
$840 million for firefighter assistance, including $420 million for AFG and $420 million for
SAFER.
On July 19, 2010, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved $810 million for firefighter
assistance (including $390 million for AFG and $420 million for SAFER), the same level as
FY2010 and 33% more than the Administration proposal. In the bill report (S.Rept. 111-222), the
committee directed DHS to continue funding applications according to local priorities and
priorities established by the United States Fire Administration, and to continue direct funding to
fire departments and the peer review process. The committee also directed FEMA to submit the
U.S. Fire Service Needs Assessment, and to brief the committee regarding the implementation of
the recommendations of the recent GAO report (GAO-10-64) on additional actions which would
improve the grants process.
The Administration’s FY2011 budget proposed $305 million for AFG and $305 million for
SAFER. For FY2011, the Continuing Appropriations and Surface Transportation Extension Act,
2011 (P.L. 111-322) funds firefighter assistance at FY2010 levels through March 4, 2011. H.R. 1,
the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011, as introduced on February 11, 2011, would
have provided $300 million to AFG and zero funding for SAFER. However, on February 16,
2011, H.Amdt. 223 (offered by Representative Pascrell and agreed to by the House by a vote of
318-113) restored AFG to $390 million and SAFER to $420 million (the FY2010 levels). H.R. 1
was passed by the House on February 18, 2011.
FY2012
The Administration’s FY2012 budget proposed $670 million for firefighter assistance, including
$250 million for AFG and $420 million for SAFER. According to the budget proposal, the
request would fund 2,200 firefighter positions and approximately 5,000 AFG grants. The FY2012
budget proposal stated that the firefighter assistance grant process “will give priority to
applications that enhance capabilities for terrorism response and other major incidents.”11
Fire Station Construction Grants in the ARRA
Since its inception, the traditional fire grant program has provided money specifically for health
and safety related modifications of fire stations, but has not funded major upgrades, renovations,
or construction. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 (P.L. 111-5)
provided an additional $210 million in firefighter assistance grants for modifying, upgrading, or
constructing state and local non-federal fire stations, provided that 5% be set aside for program
administration and provided that no grant shall exceed $15 million. The conference report
(H.Rept. 111-16) cited DHS estimates that this spending would create 2,000 jobs. The ARRA also

10 Office of Management and Budget, Appendix: Budget of the United States Government, FY2011, p. 557.
11 Office of Management and Budget, Appendix: Budget of the United States Government, FY2012, p. 538.
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included a provision (section 603) that waived the matching requirement for SAFER grants
funded by appropriations in FY2009 and FY2010.
The application period for ARRA Assistance to Firefighters Fire Station Construction Grants
(SCG) opened on June 11 and closed on July 10, 2009. There is no cost share requirement for
SCG grants. Eligible applicants are non-federal fire departments that provide fire protection
services to local communities. Ineligible applicants include federal fire departments, EMS or
rescue organizations, airport fire departments, for-profit fire departments, fire training centers,
emergency communications centers, auxiliaries and fire service organizations or associations, and
search and rescue teams or similar organizations without fire suppression responsibilities.
DHS/FEMA received 6,025 SCG applications for $9.9 billion in federal funds.12 As of October 1,
2010, 119 SCG grants were awarded, totaling $207.461 million to fire departments within the
United States. A complete list of SCG awards is available at http://www.firegrantsupport.com/
content/html/scg/Awards09.aspx/.
On July 26, 2010, the Firefighting Investment, Renewal, and Employment Act or FIRE Act (H.R.
5858) was introduced to authorize $210 million for each of fiscal years 2011 through 2015 for
competitive grants for modifying, upgrading, or constructing nonfederal fire stations. H.R. 5858
was not enacted by the 111th Congress.
SAFER Grants
In response to concerns over the adequacy of firefighter staffing, the 108th Congress enacted the
Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Act as Section 1057 of the
FY2004 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 108-136; signed into law November 24, 2003).
The SAFER grant program is codified as Section 34 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control
Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2229a). The SAFER Act authorizes grants to career, volunteer, and
combination fire departments for the purpose of increasing the number of firefighters to help
communities meet industry minimum standards and attain 24-hour staffing to provide adequate
protection from fire and fire-related hazards. Also authorized are grants to volunteer fire
departments for activities related to the recruitment and retention of volunteers. P.L. 108-136
authorizes over one billion dollars per year through FY2010 for SAFER.
Two types of grants are authorized by the SAFER Act: hiring grants and recruitment and retention
grants. Hiring grants cover a four-year term and are cost shared with the local jurisdiction.
According to the statute, the federal share shall not exceed 90% in the first year of the grant, 80%
in the second year, 50% in the third year, and 30% in the fourth year. The grantee must commit to
retaining the firefighter or firefighters hired with the SAFER grant for at least one additional year
after the federal money expires. Total federal funding for hiring a firefighter over the four-year
grant period may not exceed $100,000, although that total may be adjusted for inflation. While
the majority of hiring grants will be awarded to career and combination fire departments, the
SAFER Act specifies that 10% of the total SAFER appropriation be awarded to volunteer or
majority-volunteer departments for the hiring of personnel.

12 Detailed SCG application statistics are available at http://www.firegrantsupport.com/docs/2009AFSCGAppStats.pdf.
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Additionally, at least 10% of the total SAFER appropriation is set aside for recruitment and
retention grants
, which are available to volunteer and combination fire departments for activities
related to the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters. Also eligible for recruitment and
retention grants are local and statewide organizations that represent the interests of volunteer
firefighters. No local cost sharing is required for recruitment and retention grants.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-5) included a provision (section
603) that waives the matching requirement for SAFER grants in FY2009 and FY2010.
Additionally, the FY2009 Supplemental Appropriations Act (P.L. 111-32) included a provision
(section 605) giving the Secretary of Homeland Security authority to waive certain limitations
and restrictions in the SAFER statute. For grants awarded in FY2009 and FY2010, waivers will
permit grantees to use SAFER funds to rehire laid-off firefighters and fill positions eliminated
through attrition, will allow grants to extend longer than the current five year duration, and will
permit the amount of funding per position at levels exceeding the current limit of $100,000.
For more information on the SAFER program, see CRS Report RL33375, Staffing for Adequate
Fire and Emergency Response: The SAFER Grant Program
, by Lennard G. Kruger.
Program Evaluation
On May 13, 2003, the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) released the first independent evaluation
of the Assistance to Firefighters Program. Conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s
Leadership Development Academy Executive Potential Program, the survey study presented a
number of recommendations and concluded overall that the program was “highly effective in
improving the readiness and capabilities of firefighters across the nation.”13 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,”14 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.”15

13 For full report see http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/affgp-fy01-usda-report.pdf.
14 Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspections, Evaluations, and Special Reviews, “A Review of the
Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program,” OIG-ISP-01-03, September 2003, p. 3. Available at http://www.dhs.gov/
xoig/assets/mgmtrpts/OIG_Review_Fire_Assist.pdf.
15 National Academy of Public Administration, Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program: Assessing Performance,
April 2007, p. xvii. Available at http://www.napawash.org/pc_management_studies/
Fire_Grants_Report_April2007.pdf.
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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.16 GAO recommended that FEMA establish a procedure to
track EMS awards, ensure that grant priorities are better aligned with application questions and
scoring values, and provide specific feedback to rejected applicants.
Distribution of Fire Grants
The FIRE Act statute prescribes 14 different purposes for which fire grant money may be used
(see 15 U.S.C. 2229(b)(3)). These are: hiring firefighters; training firefighters; creating rapid
intervention teams; certifying fire inspectors; establishing wellness and fitness programs; funding
emergency medical services; acquiring firefighting vehicles; acquiring firefighting equipment;
acquiring personal protective equipment; modifying fire stations for health and safety; enforcing
fire codes; funding fire prevention programs; educating the public about arson prevention and
detection; and providing incentives for the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters. The
DHS has the discretion to decide which of those purposes will be funded for a given grant year.
Since the program commenced in FY2001, the majority of fire grant funding has been used by
fire departments to purchase firefighting equipment, personal protective equipment, and
firefighting vehicles.
Eligible applicants are limited primarily to fire departments (defined as an agency or organization
that has a formally recognized arrangement with a state, local, or tribal authority to provide fire
suppression, fire prevention and rescue services to a population within a fixed geographical area).
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) activities are eligible for fire grants, including a limited
number (no more than 2% of funds allocated) to EMS organizations not affiliated with hospitals.
Additionally, a separate competition is held for fire prevention and firefighter safety research and
development grants, which are available to national, state, local, or community fire prevention or
safety organizations (including, but not limited to, fire departments). For official program
guidelines, frequently-asked-questions, the latest awards announcements, and other information,
see the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program web page at http://www.firegrantsupport.com/.
The FIRE Act statute provides overall guidelines on how fire grant money will be distributed and
administered. The law directs that volunteer and combination departments receive a proportion of
the total grant funding that is not less than the proportion of the U.S. population that those
departments protect (34% for combination, 21% for all-volunteer). The Assistance to Firefighters
Grant Program Reauthorization Act of 2004 (Title XXXVI of P.L. 108-375) raised award caps

16 U.S. Government Accountability Office, Fire Grants: FEMA Has Met Most Requirements for Awarding Fire
Grants, but Additional Actions Would Improve Its Grant Process
, GAO-10-64, October 2009, http://www.gao.gov/
new.items/d1064.pdf.
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and lowered nonfederal matching requirements (based on recipient community population),
extended eligibility to nonaffiliated emergency medical services (i.e., ambulance services not
affiliated with fire departments), and expanded the scope of grants to include firefighter safety
R&D.
There is no set geographical formula for the distribution of fire grants—fire departments
throughout the nation apply, and award decisions are made by a peer panel based on the merits of
the application and the needs of the community. However, the law does require that fire grants
should be distributed to a diverse mix of fire departments, with respect to type of department
(paid, volunteer, or combination), geographic location, and type of community served (e.g.,
urban, suburban, or rural).17 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 FY2010 Program Guidance for the Assistance to Firefighters Program, career
(paid) departments will compete against other career departments for up to 45% of the available
funding, while volunteer and combination departments will compete for at least 55% of the
available funding.19 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. Additionally, each fire department that applies is classified as either urban,
suburban, or rural. In FY2006, 4.3% of the total number of fire grant awards went to urban areas,
17.8% to suburban areas, and 77.7% to rural areas. Of the total amount of federal funding
awarded, 7.7% went to urban areas, 18.2% to suburban areas, and 73.9% to rural areas.20
Finally, in an effort to maximize the diversity of awardees, the geographic location of an applicant
(using states as the basic geographic unit) is used as a deciding factor in cases where applicants
have similar qualifications. Table 5 shows a state-by-state breakdown of fire grant funding for
FY2001 through FY2009, while Table 6 shows a state-by-state breakdown of SAFER grant
funding for FY2005 through FY2009. Table 7 provides an in-depth look at the FY2009 fire
grants, showing, for each state, the number of fire departments in each state,21 the number of fire
grant applications, the total amount requested, the total amount awarded, and the amount of funds
awarded as a percentage of funds requested. As Table 7 shows, the entire pool of fire department

17 15 U.S.C. 2229(b)(9).
18 44 CFR Part 152.6(c).
19 For the FY2010 round of awards, no less than 33% of AFG funds must be awarded to combination departments, and
no less than 22% of AFG funds must be awarded to all-volunteer departments. See Department of Homeland Security,
Fiscal Year 2010 Assistance to Firefighters Grants: Guidance and Application Kit, April 2010, p. 26.
20 Department of Homeland Security, Grant Programs Directorate, Grant Development and Administration Division,
Report on Fiscal Year 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grants, p. 11.
21 The fire grant program sets a limit of up to three applications per fire department per year (a vehicle application, an
application for operations and safety, and a regional application). Thus, the number of fire departments in a state plays
a major factor in the number of fire grant applications submitted and the amount of total funding awarded within a
given state. For example, because Pennsylvania has—by far—the largest number of fire departments, it is not
surprising that it leads the nation in the number of fire grants applications and the amount of funding awarded.
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applicants received about 16% of the funds they requested in FY2009. This compares to 15% in
FY2008, 16% in FY2007, 21% in FY2006, 22% in FY2005, 28% in FY2004, and 34% in
FY2003. The downward trend reflects the fact that the number of applications and federal funds
requested have trended upward over these years, while appropriations for the fire grant program
have declined over the same period.
Issues in the 112th Congress
Because the 111th Congress did not enact the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act, the 112th Congress
may revisit the issue, and may consider whether and how to modify the reauthorization bills as
passed by the House and reported by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs in the 111th Congress. Debate over the AFG reauthorization has reflected a
competition for funding between career/urban/suburban departments and volunteer/rural
departments. The urgency of this debate could be heightened by possible reductions of overall
AFG funding and the economic downturn in many local communities increasingly hard pressed
to allocate funding for their local fire departments.
Meanwhile, the 112th Congress will determine final FY2011 budget levels for AFG and SAFER,
and will consider the Administration’s FY2012 request. As is the case with many federal
programs, concerns in the 112th Congress over the federal budget deficit could impact budget
levels for AFG and SAFER. At the same time, firefighter assistance budgets will likely receive
heightened scrutiny from the fire community, given the national economic downturn and local
budgetary cutbacks that many fire departments are now facing.
Table 5. State-by-State Distribution of Fire Grants, FY2001-FY2009
(millions of dollars)
FY01 FY02 FY03 FY04 FY05 FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09 Total
AL 3.085 12.503
23.329 25.097
20.836

22.027
19.903 23.332 19.966 170.078
AK 1.303 2.641
5.242 2.522
3.111

0.754
2.454 0.990 0.935 19.952
AZ 1.37 3.6
7.490
9.808
7.905
4.041
4.932
5.440
4.716
49.302
AR 1.337 4.635
10.675
13.680
10.402
7.699
7.799
7.107 8.174
71.508
CA 5.905
18.978
30.060
29.793
25.631
17.856
18.730
26.198
23.644
196.795
CO 1.003 3.968
6.168 5.585
6.073
3.213
4.742
2.490 6.11 39.352
CT 1.828 4.675
10.841 9.991
7.287
5.479
6.630
6.925 5.231
58.887
DE 0.132 0.372
1.096 1.755
1.161
1.107
0.518
0.231 1.251 7.623
DC
0 0.22
0
0
0.453
0
0.376
1.171 0 2.22
FL 2.865 10.16
16.344 15.969
17.922
6.787
8.288
6.
738 12.581 97.654
GA 2.375 6.079
13.791
11.857
10.168
8.887
9.068
7.959 8.981
79.165
HI
0 1.182
0.947 0.864
1.205
0.264
0.436
0.772 0.609 6.279
ID 0.916 2.744
6.001 4.828
4.684
2.712
4.297
2.687
2.883
31.752
IL 2.417
13.398
28.810
27.238
25.433
21.120
21.923
21.325
25.24
186.904
IN 2.703 8.739
20.456
18.646
15.779
14.447
13.831
13.092
15.179
122.872
IA 1.301
7.284
16.087
16.430
13.119
10.064
9.298
9.877
9.695
93.155
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FY01 FY02 FY03 FY04 FY05 FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09 Total
KS 1.153 5.118
10.850
10.211
7.165
4.984
5.502
3.928 6.682
55.593
KY 2.215 7.896
19.832
16.150
14.215
13.308
13.081
17.153
13.108
116.958
LA 3.344
10.084
12.248
11.101
11.630
6.935
5.473
7.033 8.073
75.921
ME 1.296 4.319
10.323
10.031
6.124
6.702
5.486
4.904 3.462
52.647
MD 0.739 4.08
8.153 10.227
8.771
10.368
7.712
5.525 5.221 60.796
MA 2.301 8.386
15.715 13.958
13.529
8.957
11.644
9.532 11.957 95.979
MI 2.815 8.948
17.247
20.005
15.088
15.798
15.399
15.482
18.045
128.827
MN 2.133 8.149
17.510 18.609
14.894
14.718
16.600
13.082 17.253
122.948
MS 1.763 6.755
15.679
11.329
9.856
7.885
8.052
7.761 8.436
77.516
MO 3.079 10.291
19.573 17.757
14.246
13.202
10.611
11.589 12.973
113.321
MT 1.164 3.726
8.361 7.271
6.656
5.839
7.330
4.670 5.179
50.196
NE 1.034 2.392
7.820 6.577
5.116
4.399
4.443
4.324 4.341
40.446
NV 0.282 1.446
3.312 1.405
1.946
0.857
1.530
0.687 0.855 12.32
NH 0.594 1.887
4.584 5.694
4.563
3.307
3.219
2.723 2.834 29.405
NJ 2.596 6.339
19.982
16.488
14.691
12.386
13.266
13.201
15.502
114.451
NM 1.455 3.463
5.048 3.653
2.259
1.461
1.367
1.101 1.605 21.412
NY 3.978
14.728
34.320
35.030
36.009
33.804
22.664
30.204
23.235
233.972
NC 1.949 10.239
22.864 22.360
19.315
18.309
20.031
18.460
20.881
154.408
ND 0.546 2.613
5.105 3.391
2.673
2.459
3.100
3.297 2.527 25.711
OH 2.731 13.742
26.997 29.107
27.344
25.380
26.433
26.938 33.164
211.836
OK 1.864 4.939
10.540 10.393
8.757
10.852
7.220
6.875 7.239
68.679
OR 1.596 4.892
9.896
10.122
10.014
9.288
5.943
8.438 5.986
66.175
PA 2.89
16.97
45.179
47.898
39.233
41.259
43.610
41.041
37.231
315.311
RI 0.407
1.507
2.327
1.917
2.129
2.025
0.855
1.395 2.46
15.022
SC 1.554 5.257
11.832 14.150
10.544
8.028
10.470
11.040 11.227 84.102
SD 0.904 3.142
5.602 4.693
3.570
2.989
2.474
2.069 2.527 27.97
TN 2.46
11.509
19.306
18.686
15.047
11.209
12.955
16.074
13.311
120.557
TX 3.697
15.644
29.264
30.118
23.480
18.035
17.691
20.458
19.469
177.856
UT
0.9 2.754
4.628 3.880
2.188
2.213
3.378
0.934 2.295 23.17
VT 0.451 1.971
5.163 4.747
2.071
1.456
1.820
1.046 1.974
20.699
VA 2.066 8.79
15.816
16.668
14.357
8.317
10.403
8.370 6.405
91.192
WA 1.535 7.544
18.808 19.565
15.763
16.150
12.951
13.050 10.064 115.43
WV 1.067 3.966
9.942 9.133
10.143
5.838
7.164
7.238 5.331 59.822
WI 2.077 7.518
18.234
19.668
17.685
13.994
19.439
15.216 15.17
129.001
WY 1.09 1.612
3.507 1.811
2.032
1.197
1.645
1.023 1.427
15.344
PR 0.657 0.382
1.643 1.140
1.104
0.528
0.019
0.074 1.154 6.701
MP 0.145 0.225
0
0
0.220
0.172

0
0
0 0.762
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FY01 FY02 FY03 FY04 FY05 FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09 Total
GU
0 0.016
0
0
0
0.287

0
0
0 0.303
AS 0.164
0
0 0.284
0
0
0
0
0 0.448
VI
0.741 0
0.544 0
0
0
0
0.233 0
1.518

91.972 334.41
695.12 679.30
585.61
491.37
494.22 492.52 503.25 4367.8
Source: Department of Homeland Security.

Table 6. State-by-State Distribution of SAFER Grants,
FY2005-FY2009
(millions of dollars)

FY2005 FY2006 FY2007 FY2008 FY2009 Total
Alabama
1.611 6.215 4.236 7.314 4.288 23.664
Alaska
1.051 0.205 0.418 1.438 0.328 3.44
Arizona
1.560 3.559 4.428 6.613 6.768 22.928
Arkansas
0.394 1.820 0.377 3.834 0.976 7.401
California 5.221
5.212
4.259
4
.212
31.501
50.405
Colorado
1.584 3.479 1.730 2.02 0.955 9.768
Connecticut
0.130 0.191 0.856 3.92 2.214 7.311
Delaware
0 0.135
0 0.398
0 0.533
District
of
Columbia 0 0 0 0 0 0
Florida
6.576 9.329 6.217 17.185 24.105 63.412
Georgia
5.354 2.085 2.842 17.438 4.844 32.563
Hawai
0 0 0 1.626
0 1.626
Idaho
0.063 0.621 0.626 0.774 1.336 3.42
Illinois
1.340 4.463 9.933 5.85 2.496 24.082
Indiana
0
0.099 2.687 4.577 8.295 15.658
Iowa
0.169 0.144 0.980 1.288 1.045 3.626
Kansas
0.667 0.045 1.029 1.872 2.806 6.419
Kentucky
0.152 2.890 0.429 2.466 0.338 6.275
Louisiana
3.430 3.078 4.728 8.62 10.515 30.371
Maine
0.081 0
0.316 0.951 0.739 2.087
Maryland
0.096 1.862 1.526 3.171 4.429 11.084
Massachusetts
1.300 2.079 4.372 2.690 18.385 28.826
Michigan 1.759
0.592
0
0.628
13.286
16.265
Minnesota
0.300 1.089 0.375 3.246 1.256 6.266
Mississippi
0.756 0.594 0.115 1.608 0
3.073
Missouri
1.467 3.547 4.551 2.381 1.474 13.42
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Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding


FY2005 FY2006 FY2007 FY2008 FY2009 Total
Montana
0.034 0.255 2.635 2.955 0.458 6.337
Nebraska
0
0.873 0.632 1.951 0.802 4.258
Nevada
1.500 1.714 0.632 0.086 0.577 4.509
New
Hampshire
0.400 1.035 1.528 0.225 0
3.188
New
Jersey
6.374 3.971 2.953 4.389 0.556 18.243
New
Mexico
0
3.123 1.309 0.108 0.499 5.039
New
York
1.540 2.991 2.845 4.412 8.227 20.015
North
Carolina
2.155 5.533 5.371 18.183 2.256 33.498
North
Dakota
0 0.609
0 1.518
1.517
3.644
Ohio
1.319 1.881 2.255 3.737 29.606 38.798
Oklahoma
0.147 0.699 0.531 2.782 0
4.159
Oregon
1.710 2.141 2.649 2.071 0.677 9.248
Pennsylvania
1.244 1.475 2.633 3.515 1.176 10.043
Rhode
Island
0.400 0
0.105 0
1.561 2.066
South
Carolina
0.456 0.863 3.218 8.158 2.41 15.105
South
Dakota
0.063 0.311 0.211 0.552 0
1.137
Tennessee
2.700 2.719 3.683 1.856 1.148 12.106
Texas
0.951 10.961 8.779 19.06 3.158 42.909
Utah
0.900 3.312 2.098 3.955 1.824 12.089
Vermont
0 0.621
0.632
0 0.119
1.372
Virginia
2.091 3.554 0.782 1.849 4.891 13.167
Washington
2.298 2.897 7.340 9.476 2.847 24.858
West
Virginia
0
0.187 0.681 0.16 0.287 1.315
Wisconsin
0
0.072 1.223 4.502 0
5.797
Wyoming
0
0
0.316 2.329 0.263 2.908
Puerto
Rico
0 0 0 0 0 0
Northern
Mariana
Islands
0 0 0 0 0 0
Marshal
Islands
0 0 0 0 0 0
Guam
0 0 0 0 0 0
American
Samoa
0 0 0 0 0 0
Virgin
Islands
0 0 0 0 0 0
Republic
of
Palau
0 0 0 0 0 0
Total
61.356 105.142
113.665 203.964 207.258 691.385
Source: Department of Homeland Security.

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Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding

Table 7. Requests and Awards for Fire Grant Funding, FY2009
Federal
Funds
Number of
Federal funds
funds
awarded as a %
fire/EMS
Number of
requested
awarded
of funds
State
departments
applications
($millions)
($millions)
requested
Alabama 966 779 114.977
19.966
17.37%
Alaska 75
56
11.088
0.935
8.43%
Arizona 283 178 33.907
4.716
13.91%
Arkansas 826 420 51.329
8.174
15.92%
California 823 534 118.658
23.644
19.93%
Colorado 375 166 32.238
6.11
18.95%
Connecticut 401
253
42.249 5.231
12.38%
Delaware 77 34 5.219
1.251
23.97%
District of
18 1
Columbia
2.777 0
0.00%
Florida 755
289 69.808
12.581
18.02%
Georgia 799 395 64.942
8.981
13.83%
Hawai 20 3 0.867
0.609
70.24%
Idaho 212
116
17.805
2.883
16.19%
Illinois
1090 885 135.105
25.24 18.68%
Indiana 670
507 78.287
15.179
19.39%
Iowa 864
560
60.512
9.695
16.02%
Kansas 680
276 33.304
6.682
20.06%
Kentucky 796 630 89.445
13.108
14.65%
Louisiana 557 262 43.072
8.073
18.74%
Maine 431
307
38.283
3.462
9.04%
Maryland 418 205 32.181
5.221
16.22%
Massachusetts 408
349
68.931 11.957
17.35%
Michigan 865 776 114.942
18.045
15.70%
Minnesota 770 521 75.941
17.253
22.72%
Mississippi 756 435 57.183
8.436
14.75%
Missouri 865 520 77.004
12.973
16.85%
Montana 283 193 29.121
5.179
17.78%
Nebraska 486 180 22.743
4.341
19.09%
Nevada 161 32 6.162
0.855
13.88%
New Hampshire
256
145
25.849
2.834
10.96%
New Jersey
1044
618
93.849
15.502
16.52%
New Mexico
341
91
20.932
1.605
7.67%
New York
1894
1315
175.848
23.235
13.21%
North Carolina
1411
728
122.919
20.881
16.99%
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Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding

Federal
Funds
Number of
Federal funds
funds
awarded as a %
fire/EMS
Number of
requested
awarded
of funds
State
departments
applications
($millions)
($millions)
requested
North Dakota
322
153
16.141
2.527
15.66%
Ohio 1338
1062
155.248
33.164
21.36%
Oklahoma 772 397 51.534
7.239
14.05%
Oregon 360 231 36.695
5.986
16.31%
Pennsylvania 2635
2255
296.739 37.231
12.55%
Rhode Island
101
74
14.173
2.46
17.36%
South Carolina
592
419
67.334
11.227
16.67%
South Dakota
345
179
21.155
2.527
11.95%
Tennessee 649 660 96.677
13.311
13.77%
Texas 1883
775
137.322
19.469
14.18%
Utah 221
120
14.46
2.295
15.87%
Vermont 255 104 10.377
1.974
19.02%
Virginia 822
327 59.621
6.405
10.74%
Washington 543 357
63.019
10.064
15.97%
West Virginia
476
365
49.557
5.331
10.76%
Wisconsin 901 713 92.114
15.17
16.47%
Wyoming 135 51
7.748
1.427
18.42%
Puerto Rico
7
8
8.233
1.154
14.02%
Northern
Not available
2
Marianas
0.268 0
0.00%
Virgin Islands
Not available
2
0.565
0
0.00%
Guam Not
available 2
1.524
0 0.00%
Total
30,185
21,015
3167.966
503.253
15.89%
Sources: Department of Homeland Security and firehouse.com (number of firehouse/EMS departments,
updated June 2009).

Author Contact Information

Lennard G. Kruger

Specialist in Science and Technology Policy
lkruger@crs.loc.gov, 7-7070


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