Assistance to Firefighters Program:
Distribution of Fire Grant Funding

Updated January 28, 2019
Congressional Research Service
https://crsreports.congress.gov
RL32341

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. AFG also
supports fire prevention projects and firefighter health and safety research and development
through the Firefighter Prevention and Safety (FP&S) grant program. 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 18th year. AFG assistance is distributed to career, volunteer,
combination, and paid-on-call fire departments serving urban, suburban, and rural areas. There is
no set geographical formula for the distribution of fire grants—fire departments throughout the
nation apply, and award decisions are made by a peer panel based on the merits of the application
and the needs of the community.
On January 3, 2018, the President signed the United States Fire Administration, AFG, and
SAFER Program Reauthorization Act of 2017 (P.L. 115-98). P.L. 115-98 extends the AFG and
SAFER authorizations through FY2023; extends the sunset provisions for AFG and SAFER
through September 30, 2024; provides that the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) may develop and
make widely available an online training course on AFG and SAFER grant administration;
expands SAFER hiring grant eligibility to cover the conversion of part-time or paid-on-call
firefighters to full-time firefighters; directs FEMA, acting through the Administrator of USFA, to
develop and implement a grant monitoring and oversight framework to mitigate and minimize
risks of fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement related to the AFG and SAFER grant programs;
and makes various technical corrections to the AFG and SAFER statute.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-141) provided $700 million for firefighter
assistance in FY2018, including $350 million for AFG and $350 million for SAFER. For
FY2019, the Administration requested $688.688 million for firefighter assistance, including
$344.344 million for AFG and $344.344 million for SAFER. In the 115th Congress, the Senate
FY2019 appropriations bill would have provided $700 million for firefighter assistance, including
$350 million for AFG and $350 million for SAFER. The FY2019 House appropriations bill
would have provided the same funding level as the Senate bill.
Firefighter assistance grants were impacted by the partial government shutdown. FEMA
personnel who administer the grants were furloughed. For all firefighter assistance grant
programs, the application and awards process was delayed. For grants already awarded, grant
recipients were unable to draw down funds during the shutdown, which may have disrupted the
ability of the grantees to continue grant-funded activities. This disruption may continue after the
government shutdown has resolved due to a backlog of payment requests that need to be
processed once furloughed FEMA grant personnel return to work.
A continuing issue for the 116th Congress is how equitably and effectively grants are being
distributed and used to protect the health and safety of the public and firefighting personnel
against fire and fire-related hazards. Another continuing issue is budget appropriations for AFG
and SAFER. As is the case with many federal programs, concerns over the federal budget deficit
could impact budget levels for AFG and SAFER. At the same time, firefighter assistance budgets
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Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding

will likely receive heightened scrutiny from the fire service community, given the local budgetary
shortfalls that many fire departments may face.

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Background
Firefighting activities are traditionally the responsibility of states and local communities. As such,
funding for firefighters is provided mostly by state and local governments. During the 1990s,
shortfalls in state and local budgets, coupled with increased responsibilities of local fire
departments, led many in the fire community to call for additional financial support from the
federal government. Although federally funded training programs existed (and continue to exist)
through the National Fire Academy, and although federal money was available to first responders
for counterterrorism training and equipment through the Department of Justice, 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 Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 106-
398).1 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. AFG also
supports fire prevention projects and firefighter health and safety research and development
through the Firefighter Prevention and Safety (FP&S) grant program, which is funded at not less
than 10% of the annual appropriation for AFG.
Since its establishment, the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program has been reauthorized three
times. The first reauthorization was Title XXXVI of the FY2005 Ronald W. Reagan National
Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 108-375), which authorized the program through FY2009. The
second reauthorization was Title XVIII, Subtitle A of the FY2013 National Defense Authorization
Act (P.L. 112-239), which authorized the program through FY2017 and modified program rules
for disbursing grant money. The third and current reauthorization is the United States Fire
Administration, AFG, and SAFER Program Reauthorization Act of 2017 (P.L. 115-98), which
authorizes the program through FY2023.
Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2012
On January 2, 2013, President Obama signed P.L. 112-239, the FY2013 National Defense
Authorization Act. Title XVIII, Subtitle A is the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2012, which
authorized the fire grant program through FY2017 and made significant changes in how grant
money would be disbursed. Table 1 provides a summary of key provisions of the 2012
reauthorization, and provides a comparison with the previously existing statute.

1 “Firefighter assistance” is codified as §33 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act (15 U.S.C. 2229).
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Table 1. Key Provisions of Fire Grant Reauthorization of 2012
Previous Statute
Fire Grant Reauthorization Act of 2012
(15 U.S.C. 2229 and 15 U.S.C. 2229a)
(Title XVIII of P.L. 112-239)
Grant money allocation
volunteer and combination fire departments shall
not less than 25% to career fire departments
receive a proportion of the total grant funding that is
not less than 25% to volunteer fire departments
not less than the proportion of the U.S. population that
those departments protect
not less than 25% to combination and paid-on-call fire
departments
not less than 10% for open competition among career,
volunteer, combination, and paid-on-call fire
departments
5% (minimum) to fire prevention and safety grants
not less than 10% to fire prevention and safety grants
no fire prevention and safety grant may exceed $1.5
mil ion
includes establishment of fire-safety research centers to
conduct research to improve firefighter health and
safety
no fire prevention and safety grant may be provided to
the Association of Community Organizations for
Reform Now (ACORN)
3.5% (minimum) to EMS provided by fire departments
not less than 3.5% to EMS provided by fire departments
and nonaffiliated EMS organizations
and nonaffiliated EMS organizations
2% (maximum) to nonaffiliated EMS organizations
not more than 2% to nonaffiliated EMS organizations

not more than 3% to State training academies, no more
than $1 mil ion per state academy in any fiscal year

not more than 25% for purchasing vehicles
Grant recipient limits
populations over 1 mil ion—lesser of $2.75 mil ion or
$9 mil ion—over 2.5m population
0.5% of total appropriation
$6 mil ion—1m to 2.5m population
populations of 500K to 1 mil ion—$1.75 mil ion
$3 mil ion—500K to 1m population
populations under 500K—$1 mil ion
$2 mil ion—100K to 500K population
no single grant can exceed 0.5% of total funds
$1 mil ion—under 100K population
appropriated for a single fiscal year
DHS can waive the funding limits for populations up to
FEMA may not award a grant exceeding 1% of all
1 mil ion in instances of extraordinary need; however
available grant funds, unless FEMA determines
the lesser of $2.75 mil ion or 0.5% limit cannot be
extraordinary need
waived
Nonfederal match requirements
20% for populations over 50,000
15% for populations over 1 mil ion
10% for populations 20,000 to 50,000
10% for populations 20,000 to 1 mil ion
5% for populations less than 20,000
5% for populations under 20,000
No match requirement for nonfire department
5% match required for fire prevention and safety grants
prevention and firefighter safety grants
Maintenance of expenditures
requires applicants to maintain expenditures at the
requires applicants to maintain expenditures at or
same level as the average over the preceding two fiscal
above 80% of the average over the preceding two fiscal
years
years
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Previous Statute
Fire Grant Reauthorization Act of 2012
(15 U.S.C. 2229 and 15 U.S.C. 2229a)
(Title XVIII of P.L. 112-239)

Economic hardship waivers
no economic hardship waivers available
waivers available for nonfederal matching and
maintenance of expenditures requirements, FEMA will
develop economic hardship waiver guidelines
considering unemployment rates, percentages of
individuals eligible to receive food stamps, and other
factors as appropriate.
Authorization levels
FY2005—$900 mil ion
FY2013—$750 mil ion
FY2006—$950 mil ion
for each of FY2014-FY2017, an amount equal to the
FY2007—$1 bil ion
amount authorized the previous fiscal year, increased
by the percentage by which the Consumer Price Index
FY2008—$1 bil ion
for the previous fiscal year exceeds the preceding year.
FY2009—$1 bil ion

Congressionally Directed Spending
no funds may be used for any congressionally directed
no provision
spending item (as defined under the rules of the Senate
and the House of Representatives)
Sunset
the authority to award assistance and grants shall expire
none
five years after the date of enactment
SAFER grants
grant period is 4 years, grantees are required to retain
shortens the grant period to three years, with no
for at least 1 year beyond the termination of their
requirement that fire departments must retain SAFER
grants those firefighter positions hired under the grant
funded firefighters for an extra year
year 1—10% local match
year 1—25% local match
year 2—20% local match
year 2—25% local match
year 3—50% local match
year 3—65% local match
year 4—70% local match

total funding over 4 years for hiring a firefighter may
for the first year, the amount of funding provided for
not exceed $100K, adjusted annually for inflation
hiring a firefighter may not exceed 75% of the usual
annual cost of a first-year firefighter in that department
at the time the grant application was submitted
for the second year, the amount of funding provided for
hiring a firefighter may not exceed 75% of the usual
annual cost of a first-year firefighter in that department
at the time the grant application was submitted
for the third year, the amount of funding provided for
hiring a firefighter may not exceed 35% of the usual
annual cost of a first-year firefighter in that department
at the time the grant application was submitted
state, local, and Indian tribal governments eligible for
additionally makes national organizations eligible for
recruitment and retention funds
recruitment and retention funds

allows FEMA, in the case of economic hardship, to
waive cost share requirements, as well as the
prohibition on supplanting local funds and maintenance
of expenditure requirements (which would allow grants
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Previous Statute
Fire Grant Reauthorization Act of 2012
(15 U.S.C. 2229 and 15 U.S.C. 2229a)
(Title XVIII of P.L. 112-239)
to be used for retention and rehiring laid-off
firefighters)
authorized for 7 years starting at $1 bil ion in FY2004,
reauthorizes the SAFER grant program at $750 mil ion
ending at $1.194 bil ion in FY2010
for FY2013; for each of FY2014-FY2017, an amount
equal to the amount authorized the previous fiscal year,
increased by the percentage by which the Consumer
Price Index for the previous fiscal year exceeds the
preceding year
no funds may be used for any congressionally directed
spending item (as defined under the rules of the Senate
and the House of Representatives)
authority to make grants shall lapse 10 years from
the authority to award assistance and grants shall expire
November 24, 2003
five years after the date of enactment
Source: Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2012, Title VIII, Subtitle A of FY2013 National Defense
Authorization Act, P.L. 112-239.
Fire Grants Reauthorization in the 115th Congress
With the authorizations of both the AFG and SAFER programs expiring on September 30, 2017,
and with sunset dates for both programs of January 2, 2018, the 115th Congress considered
reauthorization legislation.
Senate
On April 5, 2017, S. 829, the AFG and SAFER Program Reauthorization Act of 2017 was
introduced by Senator McCain and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs. On May 17, 2017, the committee ordered S. 829 to be reported (S.Rept.
115-128) with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. On August 2, 2017, the Senate passed
S. 829 by unanimous consent.
House
On July 12, 2017, the House Subcommittee on Research and Technology, Committee on Science,
Space and Technology, held a hearing entitled U.S. Fire Administration and Fire Grant Programs
Reauthorization: Examining Effectiveness and Priorities. Testimony was heard from the USFA
acting administrator and from fire service organizations.2
On December 15, 2017, H.R. 4661, the United States Fire Administration, AFG, and SAFER
Program Reauthorization Act of 2017, was introduced by Representative Comstock. H.R. 4661
was identical to the Senate-passed S. 829, except that while S. 829 repealed the sunset provisions
for AFG and SAFER, H.R. 4661 extended the sunset dates to September 30, 2024. Additionally,
H.R. 4661 reauthorized the USFA through FY2023.
On December 18, 2017, the House passed H.R. 4661 by voice vote under suspension of the rules.
On December 21, 2017, the Senate passed H.R. 4661 without amendment by unanimous consent.
Other legislation related to the fire act reauthorization included H.R. 3881, the AFG and SAFER
Program Reauthorization Act of 2017, introduced by Representative Pascrell, which was identical

2 Testimony is available at https://science.house.gov/legislation/hearings/subcommittee-research-and-technology-
hearing-us-fire-administration-and-fire.
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to S. 829 as passed by the Senate; and H.R. 1571, the Fire Department Proper Response and
Equipment Prioritization Act, which was introduced by Representative Herrera-Beutler and
would amend the FIRE Act statute to direct FEMA to give high-priority consideration to grants
providing for planning, training, and equipment to firefighters for crude oil-by-rail and ethanol-
by-rail derailment and incident response.
United States Fire Administration, AFG, and SAFER Program
Reauthorization Act of 2017 (P.L. 115-98)
On January 3, 2018, the President signed the United States Fire Administration, AFG, and
SAFER Program Reauthorization Act of 2017 (P.L. 115-98). P.L. 115-98
 extends the AFG and SAFER authorizations through FY2023;
 extends the sunset provisions for AFG and SAFER through September 30, 2024;
 extends the USFA authorization through FY2023;
 provides that the U.S. Fire Administration in FEMA may develop and make
widely available an online training course on AFG and SAFER grant
administration;
 expands SAFER hiring grant eligibility to cover the conversion of part-time or
paid-on-call firefighters to full-time firefighters;
 directs FEMA, acting through the Administrator of USFA, to develop and
implement a grant monitoring and oversight framework to mitigate and minimize
risks of fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement related to the AFG and SAFER
grant programs; and
 makes various technical corrections to the AFG and SAFER statute.
Appropriations
From FY2001 through FY2003, the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program (as part of
USFA/FEMA) received its primary appropriation through the VA-HUD-Independent Agencies
Appropriation Act. In FY2004, the Assistance to Firefighters Program began to receive its annual
appropriation through the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Homeland
Security.
The fire grant program is in its 18th year. Table 2 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 of 2009 (ARRA). Table 3 shows recent and
proposed appropriated funding for the AFG and SAFER grant programs.
Table 2. Appropriations for Firefighter Assistance, FY2001-FY2018

AFG
SAFER
SCGa
Total
FY2001
$100 mil ion

$100 million
FY2002
$360 mil ion

$360 million
FY2003
$745 mil ion

$745 million
FY2004
$746 mil ion

$746 million
FY2005
$650 mil ion
$65 mil ion

$715 million
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AFG
SAFER
SCGa
Total
FY2006
$539 mil ion
$109 mil ion

$648 million
FY2007
$547 mil ion
$115 mil ion

$662 million
FY2008
$560 mil ion
$190 mil ion

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

$810 million
FY2011
$405 mil ion
$405 mil ion

$810 million
FY2012
$337.5 mil ion
$337.5 mil ion

$675 million
FY2013
$321 mil ion
$321 mil ion

$642 million
FY2014
$340 mil ion
$340 mil ion

$680 million
FY2015
$340 mil ion
$340 mil ion

$680 million
FY2016
$345 mil ion
$345 mil ion

$690 million
FY2017
$345 mil ion
$345 mil ion

$690 million
FY2018
$350 mil ion
$350 mil ion

$700 million

$7.975 billion
$3.885 billion
$210 million
$12.1 billion
a. Assistance to Firefighters Fire Station Construction Grants (SCG) grants were funded by the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act (P.L. 111-5).

Table 3. Recent and Proposed Appropriations for Firefighter Assistance
(millions of dollars)
FY2017
FY2018
FY2018
FY2019
FY2019
FY2019
(P.L.
(Admin.
(P.L.
(Admin. (S.Rept.
(H.Rept.

115-31)
request) 115-141) request) 115-283)
115-948)
FIRE Grants (AFG)
345
344.344
350
344.344
350
350
SAFER Grants
345
344.344
350
344.344
350
350
Total
690
688.688
700
688.688
700
700
FY2016
The Administration’s FY2016 budget proposed $670 million for firefighter assistance, including
$335 million for AFG and $335 million for SAFER. Funding for management and administration
would be drawn from a separate FEMA account (Salaries and Expenses). The Firefighter
Assistance Grants would be categorized under First Responder Assistance Programs (FRAP),
which is part of FEMA’s State and Local Programs (SLP) appropriation.
On June 18, 2015, the Senate Appropriations Committee reported S. 1619, the Department of
Homeland Security Act, 2016. Identical to the funding level in FY2015, the Senate bill would
provide $680 million in firefighter assistance, including $340 million for AFG and $340 million
for SAFER. The Senate bill would continue to fund firefighter assistance under its own separate
account. In the accompanying report (S.Rept. 114-68), the committee directed DHS to continue
the present practice of funding applications according to local priorities and those established by
the USFA, and to continue direct funding to fire departments and the peer review process. The
committee stated its expectation that funding for rural fire departments remain consistent with
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their previous five-year history, and directed FEMA to brief the committee if there is a
fluctuation.
On July 21, 2015, the House Appropriations Committee approved H.R. 3128, the Department of
Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2016. The bill would provide $680 million in firefighter
assistance, including $340 million for AFG and $340 million for SAFER. In the committee report
(H.Rept. 114-215), the committee emphasizes the need for local first responders to be adequately
prepared for crude- and ethanol-by-rail incidents and encourages FEMA to categorize AFG
hazmat and other applications related to crude- and ethanol-by-rail preparation and response as
“high priority.”
On December 18, 2015, the President signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (P.L.
114-113). The law provided $690 million for firefighter assistance in FY2016, including $345
million for AFG and $345 million for SAFER. Firefighter assistance continued to be funded
under its own separate appropriations account.
FY2017
For FY2017, the Obama Administration requested $335 million for AFG and $335 million for
SAFER, a reduction of $10 million for each program from the FY2016 enacted level. The budget
justification stated that the proposed reduction in AFG and SAFER “reflects FEMA’s successful
investments in prior year grants awarded.”
Under the proposed budget, the AFG and SAFER grant accounts would be transferred to the
Preparedness and Protection activity under FEMA’s broader “Federal Assistance” account.
According to the budget request, Federal Assistance programs will “assist Federal agencies,
States, Local, Tribal, and Territorial jurisdictions to mitigate, prepare for and recover from
terrorism and natural disasters.”
On May 26, 2016, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved S. 3001, the Department of
Homeland Security Act, 2017. The Senate bill would provide $680 million for firefighter
assistance, including $340 million for AFG and $340 million for SAFER. The committee
maintained a separate budget account for Firefighter Assistance and did not transfer that budget
account to the Federal Assistance account as proposed in the Administration budget request. In
the accompanying report (S.Rept. 114-68), the committee directed DHS to continue the present
practice of funding applications according to local priorities and those established by the USFA,
and to continue direct funding to fire departments and the peer review process. The committee
stated its expectation that funding for rural fire departments remain consistent with their previous
five-year history, and directed FEMA to brief the committee if there is a fluctuation.
On June 22, 2016, the House Appropriations Committee approved its version of the Department
of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2017. Unlike the Senate, the House Committee did
transfer the Firefighter Assistance budget account into a broader Federal Assistance account in
FEMA. The bill provided $690 million for firefighter assistance, including $345 million for AFG
and $345 million for SAFER. In the committee report, the committee directed FEMA to continue
administering the fire grants programs as directed in prior year committee reports, and
encouraged FEMA to ensure that the formulas used for equipment accurately reflect current costs.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (P.L. 115-31) provided $690 million for firefighter
assistance in FY2017, including $345 million for AFG and $345 million for SAFER. Money is to
remain available through September 30, FY2018. The firefighter assistance account was
transferred to FEMA’s broader Federal Assistance account.
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FY2018
For FY2018, the Administration requested $688.688 million for firefighter assistance, including
$344.344 million for AFG and $344.344 million for SAFER, slightly below the FY2017 level.
AFG and SAFER are under Grants in the Federal Assistance budget account.
On July 18, 2017, the House Appropriations Committee approved the Department of Homeland
Security Appropriations Act, 2018 (H.R. 3355; H.Rept. 115-239). The bill provided $690 million
for firefighter assistance under the Federal Assistance budget account, including $345 million for
AFG and $345 million for SAFER. In the bill report, the committee encouraged FEMA to give
high-priority consideration to grants providing for planning, training, and equipment to
firefighters for crude oil-by-rail and ethanol-by-rail derailment and incident response.
On September 14, 2017, the House passed H.R. 3354, a FY2018 omnibus appropriations bill that
includes funding for AFG and SAFER. During floor consideration, the House adopted an
amendment offered by Representative Kildee that added $20 million to SAFER; thus H.R. 3354
would provide $345 million for AFG and $365 million for SAFER.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-141) provided $700 million for firefighter
assistance in FY2018, including $350 million for AFG and $350 million for SAFER. Money is to
remain available through September 30, 2019.
FY2019
For FY2019, the Administration requested $688.688 million for firefighter assistance, including
$344.344 million for AFG and $344.344 million for SAFER.
On June 21, 2018, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved S. 3109, the Department of
Homeland Security Act, 2019 (S.Rept. 115-283). The Senate bill would have provided $700
million for firefighter assistance, including $350 million for AFG and $350 million for SAFER.
On July 25, 2018, the House Appropriations Committee approved its version of the FY2019
Homeland Security appropriations bill (H.R. 6776; H.Rept. 115-948). The House bill would also
have provided $700 million for firefighter assistance, including $350 million for AFG and $350
million for SAFER. In the bill report, the Committee encouraged FEMA to give high priority
consideration to grants providing for planning, training, and equipment to firefighters for crude
oil-by-rail and ethanol-by-rail derailment and incident response. The Committee also encouraged
FEMA to “provide technical assistance, and work more closely with those communities that are
underserved or underrepresented,” and to rate Source Capture Exhaust Extraction Systems as
“high priority” under the AFG program.
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 nonfederal fire stations, provided that 5% be set aside for program
administration, and provided that no grant shall exceed $15 million. The conference report
(H.Rept. 111-16) cited DHS estimates that this spending would create 2,000 jobs. The ARRA also
included a provision (§603) that waived the matching requirement for SAFER grants funded by
appropriations in FY2009 and FY2010.
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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 nonfederal 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.3 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.fema.gov/rules-tools/
assistance-firefighters-station-construction-grants.
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. 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.”4 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,”5 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

3 Detailed SCG application statistics are available at http://www.firegrantsupport.com/docs/2009AFSCGAppStats.pdf.
4 For full report see http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/affgp-fy01-usda-report.pdf.
5 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
https://www.oig.dhs.gov/assets/Mgmt/OIG_Review_Fire_Assist.pdf.
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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.”6
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-161), in the accompanying Joint
Explanatory Statement, directed the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review the
application and award process for fire and SAFER grants. Additionally, FEMA was directed to
peer review 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.7 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.
During 2014 and 2015, the DHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) conducted an audit of
AFG grants for fiscal years 2010 through 2012. On June 9, 2016, the DHS OIG released its report
finding that 64% of AFG grant recipients over that period did not comply with grant guidance and
requirements to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse of grant funds. The report recommended that
FEMA’s Grant Programs Directorate develop and implement an organizational framework to
manage the risk of fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement. According to the report, FEMA has
concurred with the OIG findings and has taken corrective actions to resolve the
recommendations.8
Meanwhile, the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-239) directed GAO to prepare
a report to Congress that includes an assessment of the effect of the changes made by P.L. 112-
239 on the effectiveness, relative allocation, accountability, and administration of the fire grants.
GAO was also directed to evaluate the extent to which those changes have enabled grant
recipients to mitigate fire and fire-related and other hazards more effectively. In September 2016,
GAO released its report, entitled Fire Grants: FEMA Could Enhance Program Administration
and Performance Assessment. The report concluded that FEMA’s fire grant policies and the
awards made in FY2013 and FY2014 generally reflected the changes to the fire grant statute
made by P.L. 112-239, and that FEMA enhanced its assessment of program performance by
establishing and reporting on measures of effectiveness of the grants. However, GAO also
concluded that those performance measures do not include measurable performance targets linked
to AFG and SAFER program goals, and that “aligning the fire grants programs’ use of data on,
and definitions of, critical infrastructure to award fire grants and assess program performance
with the more objective, quantitative approach used by DHS and GPD [the Grants Program
Directorate] for other programs and nonfire preparedness grants could enhance GPD’s efforts to

6 National Academy of Public Administration, Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program: Assessing Performance,
April 2007, p. xvii. Available at http://www.napawash.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/07-06.pdf.
7 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.
8 Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, FEMA’s Grant Programs Directorate Did Not
Effectively Manage Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program—AFG Grants, OIG-16-100, June 9, 2016, 25 pp.,
available at https://www.oig.dhs.gov/assets/Mgmt/2016/OIG-16-100-Jun16.pdf.
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integrate the fire grants program into larger national preparedness efforts and more objectively
assess the impact of fire grants.”9
In November 2016, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) released its Fourth Needs
Assessment of the U.S. Fire Service, which seeks to identify gaps and needs in the fire service,
and assesses the extent to which fire grants target those gaps and needs. According to the study:
For respondent departments, fire service needs are extensive across the board, and in nearly
every area of need, the smaller the community protected, the greater the need.
While some needs have declined, many others have been constant or have shown an
increase. Gaps remain across the board in staffing, training, facilities, apparatus, personal
protective equipment, and health and wellness. Evidence of the need for staffing engines;
training for structural firefighting, Hazmat and wildland firefighting; and updated SCBA
and personal protective clothing is concerning.
Roles and responsibilities of the fire service are expanding apparently at the same time
appears that resources are being cut. EMS and Hazmat are now common responsibilities
while active shooter response, enhanced technical rescue and wildland-urban interface
firefighting are up and coming challenges for many departments.
AFG and SAFER grant funds are targeted towards areas of need. As other resources are
cut back, more departments turn towards these grants for support. If anything, these grant
programs should grow in order to address the considerable multifaceted need that continues
in the fire service.10
Distribution of Fire Grants
The AFG statute prescribes different purposes for which fire grant money may be used. These are
training firefighting personnel; creating rapid intervention teams; certifying fire inspectors and
building inspectors whose responsibilities include fire safety inspections and who are associated
with a fire department; establishing wellness and fitness programs, including mental health
programs; funding emergency medical services (EMS) provided by fire departments and
nonaffiliated EMS organizations; acquiring firefighting vehicles; acquiring firefighting
equipment; acquiring personal protective equipment; modifying fire stations, fire training
facilities, and other facilities for health and safety; educating the public about arson prevention
and detection; providing incentives for the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters; and
supporting other activities as FEMA determines appropriate. FEMA has the discretion to decide
which of those purposes will be funded for a given grant year. This decision is based on a Criteria
Development Panel, composed of fire service and EMS representatives, which annually
recommends criteria for awarding grants.
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 (at least 3.5% of annual

9 Government Accountability Office, Fire Grants: FEMA Could Enhance Program Administration and Performance
Assessment, GAO-16-744, September 2016, p. 33, available at http://gao.gov/assets/680/679787.pdf.
10 National Fire Protection Association, Fourth Needs Assessment of the U.S. Fire Service, November 2016, p. xvii,
available at http://www.nfpa.org/news-and-research/fire-statistics-and-reports/fire-statistics/the-fire-service/
administration/needs-assessment.
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link to page 18 link to page 20 link to page 22 link to page 22 Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding

AFG funding) are eligible for fire grants, including a limited number (no more than 2%) to
nonfire department EMS organizations not affiliated with hospitals.
Additionally, a separate competition is held for fire prevention and firefighter safety research and
development grants, which are available to fire departments; national, state, local, tribal, or
nonprofit organizations recognized for their fire safety or prevention expertise; and to institutions
of higher education, national fire service organizations, or national fire safety organizations to
establish and operate fire safety research centers. For official program and application guidelines,
frequently asked questions, the latest awards announcements, and other information, see the
Assistance to Firefighters Grant program web page at http://www.fema.gov/welcome-assistance-
firefighters-grant-program.
The FIRE Act statute provides overall guidelines on how fire grant money will be distributed.
Previously, the law directed that volunteer and combination departments receive a proportion of
the total grant funding that is not less than the proportion of the U.S. population that those
departments protect (34% for combination, 21% for all-volunteer). Reflecting concerns that
career fire departments (which are primarily in urban and suburban areas) were not receiving
adequate levels of funding, the Fire Grants Authorization Act of 2012 altered the distribution
formula, directing that not less than 25% of annual AFG funding go to career fire departments,
not less than 25% to volunteer fire departments, not less than 25% to combination and paid-on-
call fire departments, and not less than 10% for open competition among career, volunteer,
combination, and paid-on-call fire departments. Additionally, P.L. 112-239 raised award caps (up
to $9 million) and lowered matching requirements for fire departments serving higher population
areas.
There is no set geographical formula for the distribution of fire grants—fire departments
throughout the nation apply, and award decisions are made by a peer panel based on the merits of
the application and the needs of the community. However, in evaluating applications, FEMA may
take into consideration the type of department (paid, volunteer, or combination), geographic
location, and type of community served (e.g., urban, suburban, or rural).11
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 4 shows a state-by-state breakdown of fire grant funding for FY2001
through FY2017, while Table 5 shows a state-by-state breakdown of SAFER grant funding for
FY2005 through FY2017. Table 6 shows the percentage distribution of AFG grant funds by type
of department (career, combination, volunteer, paid-on-call) for FY2009 through FY2014, while
Table 7 shows the percentage distribution of AFG grant funds by community service area (urban,
suburban, rural) for FY2009 through FY2014.
Impact of Government Shutdown
Firefighter assistance grants were impacted by the partial government shutdown. FEMA
personnel who administer the grants were furloughed. For all three grant programs (AFG,
SAFER, and FP&S) the application and awards process was delayed. For the 2018 awards round,
the application windows for AFG and FP&S closed in October and December 2018, respectively,
but the processing of those applications could not move forward. The opening of the 2018 round
application window for SAFER grants was also delayed.

11 44 C.F.R. Part 152.6(c).
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For grants already awarded (in the 2017 and previous rounds), grant recipients periodically draw
down funds, either to reimburse expenditures already incurred, or in immediate advance of those
expenditures.12 Grant recipients were unable to draw down funds during the shutdown, which
may have disrupted the ability of the grantees to continue grant-funded activities, including
personnel costs covered by SAFER grant awards, which extend for three years.13 This disruption
may continue after the government shutdown has resolved due to a backlog of payment requests
that need to be processed once furloughed FEMA grant personnel return to work.14
Issues in the 116th Congress
AFG assistance is distributed to career, volunteer, combination, and paid-on-call fire departments
serving urban, suburban, and rural areas. A continuing issue is how equitably and effectively
grants are being distributed and used to protect the health and safety of the public and firefighting
personnel against fire and fire-related hazards.
Another continuing issue is budget appropriations for AFG and SAFER. As is the case with many
federal programs, concerns over the federal budget deficit could impact budget levels for AFG
and SAFER. At the same time, firefighter assistance budgets will likely receive heightened
scrutiny from the fire service community, given the local budgetary shortfalls that many fire
departments may face.

12 See section on payments (advances and reimbursements) in Department of Homeland Security, Notice of Funding
Opportunity (NOFO), Fiscal Year 2018 Assistance to Firefighters Grants, p. 63-64, available at https://www.fema.gov/
media-library-data/1537358415609-a41e39f89add13ddb4a1fc7b5f66c036/FY_2018_AFG_NOFO.pdf
13 For examples of impacts on local communities see “Firefighter Recruitment Ads on Hold Due to Funding Because of
Government Shutdown,” local21news, January 24, 2019, available at https://local21news.com/news/local/firefighter-
recruitment-ads-on-hold-due-to-funding-because-of-government-shutdown; “Shutdown Affecting Hopedale Fire
Department,” WTOV9, January 17, 2019, available at https://wtov9.com/news/local/shutdown-affecting-hopedale-fire-
department; “Gov. Shutdown Delays SE Thurston Fire Grant,” Nisqually Valley News, January 17, 2019, available at
http://www.yelmonline.com/news/article_a3631a08-1a95-11e9-b61f-bf486af21d98.html; “Government Shutdown
Affects Fire Department Grants, but Won’t Impact Jobs, Public Safety, Officials Say,” Tennessean, January 14, 2019,
available at https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/sumner/2019/01/14/government-shutdown-affects-fire-
departments-hendersonville-gallatin/2570532002/; and “Govt. Shutdown Puts Hold on Funding for Local Fire
Department,” Western Mass News, January 8, 2019, available at https://www.westernmassnews.com/news/
massachusetts/govt-shutdown-puts-hold-on-funding-for-local-fire-department/article_117487c0-1389-11e9-a7d0-
479138dda8e7.html
14 For additional discussion on the impact of delayed grant payments due to a government shutdown, see CRS Insight
IN11020, Federal Grants to State and Local Governments: Issues Raised by the Partial Government Shutdown, by
Natalie Keegan.
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Table 4. State-by-State Distribution of AFG Grants, FY2001-FY2017
(millions of dollars)
FY2001-
FY2006-

FY2005
FY2010
FY2011
FY2012
FY2013
FY2014
FY2015
FY2016
FY2017
Total
AL
84.85
99.819
18.591
11.943
16.104
14.215
13.531
16.533
13.984
289.57
AK
14.819
5.701
0.568
1.375
0.807
0.759
0.511
0.917
0.524
25.981
AZ
30.173
22.002
4.952
3.781
4.562
4.712
3.377
5.119
5.839
84.517
AR
40.729
35.89
4.253
4.009
2.86
3.365
2.139
3.116
1.229
97.59
CA
110.367
108.192
35.334
21.467
20.481
15.599
18.242
17.782
15.668
363.132
CO
22.797
19.924
5.213
2.175
2.137
3.731
2.827
2.763
2.192
63.759
CT
34.622
27.431
3.67
4.085
4.093
3.487
2.77
4.7769
5.468
90.4029
DE
4.516
3.389
0.366
0.199
0.345
2.742
0.66
0.819
1.96
14.996
DC
0.673
1.915
1.38
0
0
0
1.085
0
0
5.053
FL
63.26
46.951
16.2
9.782
6.687
11.529
9.35
8.195
6.377
178.331
GA
44.27
41.087
5.174
5.849
2.829
5.983
7.541
5.57
3.024
121.327
HI
4.198
2.342
1.534
0.433
2.685
0.906
2.78
0
0.057
14.935
ID
19.173
14.94
0.439
2.069
2.602
2.108
0.887
1.464
2.183
45.865
IL
97.296
104.417
12.753
12.508
8.46
9.717
13.986
9.306
12.764
281.207
IN
66.323
67.308
7.728
4.696
3.247
5.051
5.388
5.474
6.509
171.724
IA
54.221
44.752
6.629
2.978
4.214
3.283
4.036
3.08
5.11
128.303
KS
34.497
24.151
3.072
2.947
2.121
2.297
4.224
1.319
2.196
76.824
KY
60.308
64.731
5.426
4.686
5.48
7.104
7.78
7.779
4.707
168.001
LA
48.407
31.928
6.337
3.369
3.918
3.455
5.346
5.416
3.369
111.545
ME
32.093
21.902
2.118
1.296
1.866
3.622
2.025
2.313
2.516
69.751
MD
31.97
33.371
4.524
6.848
6.737
5.938
4.065
2.999
7.878
104.33
MA
53.889
50.173
10.679
9.365
9.336
9.609
11.629
9.648
16.568
180.896
MI
64.103
74.226
16.904
12.714
9.606
9.206
10.782
15.26
10.594
223.395
MN
61.295
80.576
10.638
5.398
4.959
6.726
5.861
7.193
6.642
189.288
MS
45.382
37.794
3.694
2.617
2.272
4.674
2.255
4.769
3.076
106.533
MO
64.946
57.585
7.594
4.79
7.097
6.272
7.297
8.756
4.523
168.86
MT
27.178
26.222
0.725
1.44
0.569
1.419
1.676
1.465
1.932
62.626
NE
22.939
17.948
1.378
0.674
2.579
0.988
2.712
1.602
1.238
52.058
NV
8.391
5.366
0.564
0.459
1.526
1.575
0.448
0.558
1.28
20.167
NH
17.322
13.579
1.69
1.209
3.403
2.082
2.243
2.369
2.933
46.83
NJ
60.096
64.042
10.402
8.569
5.197
8.658
8.089
8.695
8.627
182.375
NM
15.878
7.166
2.122
1.796
0.975
0.355
0.613
0.975
1.524
31.404
NY
124.065
123.274
10.253
14.595
13.735
17.715
15.186
16.665
17.255
352.743
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FY2001-
FY2006-

FY2005
FY2010
FY2011
FY2012
FY2013
FY2014
FY2015
FY2016
FY2017
Total
NC
76.727
90.818
13.864
13.583
8.157
12.903
8.166
8.102
11.54
243.86
ND
14.328
12.977
0.71
0.316
0.653
0.947
0.564
1.15
0.231
31.876
OH
99.921
132.083
23.281
20.617
17.512
20.346
21.748
21.216
22.754
379.478
OK
36.493
35.713
3.187
2.142
2.367
1.921
1.476
1.973
2.002
87.274
OR
36.52
35.987
5.59
2.693
2.47
3.275
3.859
5.978
7.009
103.381
PA
152.17
182.764
26.227
21.358
19.697
26.727
27.96
30.835
35.461
523.199
RI
8.287
8.268
2.314
3.75
3.284
4.082
2.57
2.727
4.575
39.857
SC
43.337
49.449
4.948
6.774
4.303
7.635
7.09
6.16
4.681
134.377
SD
17.911
10.812
1.135
0.292
0.682
0.458
2.119
1.198
1.003
35.61
TN
67.008
64.808
6.268
5.37
5.312
7.336
7.092
11.193
6.253
180.64
TX
102.203
85.594
11.031
7.887
2.766
6.525
8.409
8.149
4.743
237.307
UT
14.35
11.805
0.883
0.987
1.584
11.732
0.291
1.488
0.739
43.859
VT
14.403
6.985
0.498
0.775
0.599
0.718
1.913
1.636
0.992
28.519
VA
57.697
39.486
3.5
5.763
1.985
5.466
8.222
6.279
6.838
135.236
WA
63.215
60.176
7.341
8.01
7.327
10.941
8.65
6.574
11.741
183.975
WV
34.251
30.645
2.173
2.232
1.981
6.646
6.892
4.157
5.28
94.257
WI
65.182
73.388
8.635
9.344
3.436
3.72
4.829
5.619
4.791
178.944
WY
10.052
5.378
0.488
0.179
0.429
0.225
0.478
0
0.35
17.579
PR
4.926
1.775
0.876
0.024
0
0.26
0
0.614
0
8.475
MP
0.59
0.172
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0.762
GU
0.016
0.287
0
0.422
0
0
0
0
0
0.725
AS
0.448
0
0
0
0
0
0.124
0
0
0.572
VI
1.285
0.233
0
0
0
0
0.761
0
0
2.279
Total
2386.366 2319.697
345.85
282.64
248.033
300.208
304.558
307.748
310.742 6805.844
Source: CRS. Derived from FEMA AFG awards data available at https://www.fema.gov/assistance-firefighters-
grant-awards.

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Table 5. State-by-State Distribution of SAFER Grants, FY2005-FY2017
(millions of dollars)
FY05-
FY08-

FY07
FY10
FY2011 FY2012 FY2013 FY2014 FY2015 FY2016 FY2017
Total
AL
12.062
20.133
1.293
6.923
3.73
3.895
1.721
3.966
7.917
61.64
AK
1.674
7.838
0.074
0.951
0.066
0.738
0.76
0
0.82
12.921
AZ
9.547
23.738
2.809
7.895
14.135
11.379
17.17
11.816
10.094
108.583
AR
2.591
7.016
1.136
1.019
0.208
2.632
1.007
2.345
1.886
19.84
CA
14.692
98.843
56.356
49.992
50.12
35.522
30.877
44.585
30.884
411.871
CO
6.793
6.359
5.432
1.636
0.85
4.106
1.823
5.646
4.467
37.112
CT
1.177
7.446
5.099
4.474
5.278
0
4.789
17.898
3.278
49.439
DE
0.135
2.121
0
0.946
0
0
0
0.446
0.126
3.774
DC
0
0
0
3.468
0
5.675
0
0
0
9.143
FL
22.122
59.011
30.494
26.243
37.927
22.83
19.527
45.623
20.112
283.889
GA
10.281
32.666
1.273
4.606
3.076
3.944
8.156
13.433
7.377
84.812
HI
0
1.726
0
0
0.944
0
0
0
0
2.67
ID
1.31
5.007
4.068
1.323
0
0
0
0.234
2.268
14.21
IL
15.736
19.194
2.456
5.704
4.806
4.843
5.39
5.16
8.842
72.131
IN
2.786
22.803
4.587
6.777
5.735
8.595
2.711
1.29
8.838
64.122
IA
1.293
2.414
1.604
0.08
1.104
0.498
3.227
2.621
2.498
15.339
KS
1.741
6.963
0.381
1.991
0.833
0
1.237
0.727
5.791
19.664
KY
3.471
3.697
0.155
1.164
2.574
0.973
2.307
3.036
2.374
19.751
LA
11.236
19.317
1.672
3.509
1.724
1.326
2.018
3.479
1.984
46.265
ME
0.397
2.737
0.518
1.183
1.442
0
0
1.206
0.516
7.999
MD
3.484
9.745
4.299
2.488
6.154
14.304
15.068
8.251
13.227
77.02
MA
7.751
55.497
23.127
4.955
17.336
25.612
14.681
12.996
17.466
179.421
MI
2.351
36.407
47.646
25.161
33.87
14.374
19.792
18.315
8.493
206.409
MN
1.764
5.291
4.463
0.797
0.871
1.026
2.107
0.653
0.492
17.464
MS
1.465
2.817
0.488
0.093
0.088
1.613
0.19
4.151
3.56
14.465
MO
9.565
9.473
10.619
2.86
1.284
2.196
5.271
2.791
5.662
49.721
MT
2.924
4.386
1.252
1.046
0
0.737
0.456
1.446
2.256
14.503
NE
1.505
3.246
0
0.37
3.779
0
3.417
1.871
3.647
17.835
NV
3.846
3.122
13.438
2.702
6.564
3.654
4.435
1.126
3.396
42.283
NH
2.963
0.578
1.479
0.976
0.651
0.666
0
1.957
2.762
12.032
NJ
13.298
61.593
18.073
34.462
23.791
55.874
38.484
5.03
7.447
258.052
NM
4.432
2.461
0
0
1.357
0.586
0.824
0.563
2.955
13.178
NY
7.376
30.878
6.142
8.949
2.149
8.164
10.63
4.123
5.673
84.084
NC
13.059
26.814
5.833
2.472
4.502
5.703
6.064
15.324
9.565
89.336
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Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding

FY05-
FY08-

FY07
FY10
FY2011 FY2012 FY2013 FY2014 FY2015 FY2016 FY2017
Total
ND
0.609
5.174
0.048
0.066
0
0
3.298
0.264
0
9.459
OH
5.455
54.383
18.654
18.266
15.748
14.564
27.307
5.951
22.001
182.329
OK
1.377
11.909
1.435
0.676
0.83
1.091
6.574
11.96
3.149
39.001
OR
6.5
8.914
8.354
4.437
11.402
6.418
6.479
9.114
3.014
64.632
PA
5.352
12.617
13.831
27.608
4.462
27.122
4.915
9.249
24.395
129.551
RI
0.505
5.81
3.108
8.716
0
0.544
17.777
6.215
3.869
46.544
SC
4.537
12.632
2.147
4.757
6.763
1.869
6.886
5.743
4.027
49.361
SD
0.585
1.2
0.255
0
0.272
0.58
1.469
0
0
4.361
TN
9.102
10.378
0.993
3.034
3.58
1.97
4.324
9.501
18.695
61.577
TX
20.691
34.868
2.881
5.225
5.401
11.715
5.157
17.074
39.659
142.671
UT
6.31
10.362
0.208
0.598
0
0
0.17
0.603
3.798
22.049
VT
1.253
0.119
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1.372
VA
6.427
15.735
4.978
9.883
7.691
12.48
9.441
8.235
6.355
81.225
WA
12.535
26.102
16.139
13.293
8.511
9.763
16.648
15.277
11.049
129.317
WV
0.868
0.845
0
0.46
0.311
1.921
13.694
2.581
1.22
21.9
WI
1.295
4.622
3.101
2.205
0
1.087
0.144
3.453
0
15.907
WY
0.316
3.589
1.148
0
0.24
0
0.978
0.3
0.389
6.96
PR
0
0
0
0
0
0
2.506
0
3.477
5.983
MP
0
1.404
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1.404
MH
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
GU
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
AS
0
0
0.474
0
0
0
0
0
0
0.474
VI
0
0
0
0
0
0
1.881
0
0
1.881
PW
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Total
280.16
822.05
334.03
316.44
304.24
332.59
341.47
347.63
351.78
3430.4
Source: CRS. Derived from FEMA SAFER awards data available at https://www.fema.gov/staffing-adequate-fire-
emergency-response-grants-awards.
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Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding

Table 6. Distribution of Funding from AFG Awards by Department Type,
FY2009-FY2014

Department Type
Paid on

Career
Combination
Volunteer
call/stipend
FY2009
26%
25%
43%
5%
FY2010
27%
34%
33%
6%
FY2011
38%
34%
25%
3%
FY2012
34%
30%
31%
4%
FY2013
34%
31%
32%
4%
FY2014
35%
31%
31%
3%
Source: GAO, Fire Grants: FEMA Could Enhance Program Administration and Performance Assessment, p. 47.

Table 7. Distribution of Funding from AFG Awards by Community Service Area,
FY2009-FY2014

Community Service Area
State Fire
Training

Urban
Suburban
Rural
Academies
FY2009
19%
19%
62%
0
FY2010
19%
24%
58%
0
FY2011
31%
26%
44%
0
FY2012
24%
27%
50%
0
FY2013
23%
21%
53%
3%
FY2014
21%
22%
54%
3%
Source: GAO, Fire Grants: FEMA Could Enhance Program Administration and Performance Assessment, p. 50.

Author Information

Lennard G. Kruger

Specialist in Science and Technology Policy

Disclaimer
Congressional Research Service
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Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding

This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan
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under the direction of Congress. Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other
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