Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency
Response: The SAFER Grant Program

Updated January 28, 2019
Congressional Research Service
https://crsreports.congress.gov
RL33375

Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response: The SAFER Grant Program

Summary
In response to concerns over the adequacy of firefighter staffing, the Staffing for Adequate Fire
and Emergency Response Act, known as the SAFER Act, was enacted by the 108th Congress as
Section 1057 of the FY2004 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 108-136). The SAFER Act
authorizes grants to career, volunteer, and combination local 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 recruitment and retention of volunteers.
SAFER is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) of the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
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 SAFER and
AFG authorizations through FY2023; extends the sunset provisions for SAFER and AFG through
September 30, 2024; provides that the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) may develop and make
widely available an online training course on SAFER and AFG 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 SAFER and AFG statute.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-141) provided $700 million for firefighter
assistance in FY2018, including $350 million for SAFER and $350 million for AFG.
Additionally, Section 306 of P.L. 115-141 provides DHS with the authority to waive various
SAFER grant restrictions, including the prohibition on using SAFER funding for retaining or
rehiring firefighters.
For FY2019, the Administration requested $688.688 million for firefighter assistance, including
$344.344 million for SAFER and $344.344 million for AFG. In the 115th Congress, the Senate
DHS appropriations bill would have provided $700 million for firefighter assistance, including
$350 million for SAFER and $350 million for AFG. The FY2019 House DHS appropriations bill
would have provided the same funding level as the Senate bill. The House bill contained the
waiver provision, while the Senate bill did not.
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.
An overall 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
SAFER and AFG. As is the case with many federal programs, concerns over the federal budget
deficit could impact budget levels for SAFER and AFG. 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.
Congressional Research Service

Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response: The SAFER Grant Program

Additionally, a continuing issue related to SAFER hiring grants is whether SAFER statutory
restrictions should be waived to permit grantees to use SAFER funds to rehire laid-off firefighters
and fill positions eliminated through attrition.

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Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response: The SAFER Grant Program

Background and Genesis of SAFER
Firefighting and the provision of fire protection services to the public is traditionally a local
responsibility, funded primarily by state, county, and municipal governments. During the 1990s,
however, shortfalls in state and local budgets—coupled with increased responsibilities (i.e.,
counterterrorism) of local fire departments—led many in the fire community to call for additional
financial support from the federal government. Since enactment of the FIRE Act1 in the 106th
Congress, the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) program (also known as “fire grants” and
“FIRE Act grants”) has provided funding for equipment and training directly from the federal
government to local fire departments.2
Since the fire grant program commenced in FY2001, funding has been used by fire departments
to purchase firefighting equipment, personal protective equipment, and firefighting vehicles.
Many in the fire-service community argued that notwithstanding the fire grant program, there
remained a pressing need for an additional federal grant program to assist fire departments in the
hiring of firefighters and the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters. They asserted that
without federal assistance, many local fire departments would continue to be unable to meet
national consensus standards for minimum staffing levels, which specify at least four firefighters
per responding fire vehicle (or five or six firefighters in hazardous or high-risk areas).3 Fire-
service advocates also pointed to the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program4 as
a compelling precedent of federal assistance for the hiring of local public safety personnel.
In support of SAFER, fire-service advocates cited studies performed by the U.S. Fire
Administration and the National Fire Protection Association,5 the Boston Globe,6 and the National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)7 which concluded that many fire
departments fall below minimum standards for personnel levels. According to these studies, the
result of this shortfall can lead to inadequate response to different types of emergency incidents,
substandard response times, and an increased risk of firefighter fatalities.

1 Title XVII of the FY2001 Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 106-398).
2 For more information, see CRS Report RL32341, Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant
Funding, by Lennard G. Kruger.
3 These refer to consensus standards developed by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA): NFPA 1710
(“Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and
Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments”), and NFPA 1720 (“Standard for the Organization and
Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by
Volunteer Fire Departments”). NFPA standards are voluntary unless adopted as law by governments at the local, state,
or federal level, and are also often considered by insurance companies when establishing rates. Another applicable
standard to this debate is the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standard on respiratory
protection in structural firefighting situations (29 C.F.R. 1910.134(g)), which requires at least four firefighters (two in
and two for backup) before entering a hazardous environment wearing a Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus.
4 For more information on the COPS program, see CRS Report RL33308, Community Oriented Policing Services
(COPS): In Brief, by Nathan James.
5 National Fire Protection Association, Third Needs Assessment of the U.S. Fire Service, June 2011, available at
http://www.nfpa.org/assets/files//2011NeedsAssessment.pdf. In November 2016, NFPA released the Fourth Needs
Assessment of the U.S. Fire Service, available at https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/News-and-Research/Fire-statistics/
Fire-service/2011needsassessment.ashx?la=en.
6 Dedman, Bill, “Deadly Delays: The Decline of Fire Response,” Boston Globe Special Report, January 30, 2005.
Available at http://www.boston.com/news/specials/fires/.
7 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, “National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH) Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program, 1998-2005,” March 2006, 16 pp. Available at
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2009-100/pdfs/2009-100.pdf?id=10.26616/NIOSHPUB2009100.
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On the other hand, those opposed to SAFER grants have contended that funding for basic local
government functions—such as paying for firefighter salaries—should not be assumed by the
federal government, particularly at a time of high budget deficits. Also, some SAFER opponents
disagree that below-standard levels in firefighting personnel are necessarily problematic, and
point to statistics indicating that the number of structural fires in the United States has continued
to decline over the past 20 years.8
The SAFER Act
In response to concerns over the adequacy of firefighter staffing, the Staffing for Adequate Fire
and Emergency Response Act—popularly called the “SAFER Act”—was introduced into the
107th and 108th Congresses.9 The 108th Congress enacted the SAFER Act as Section 1057 of the
FY2004 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 108-136; signed into law November 24, 2003).
The SAFER provision was added as an amendment to S. 1050 on the Senate floor (S.Amdt. 785,
sponsored by Senator Dodd) and modified in the FY2004 Defense Authorization conference
report (H.Rept. 108-354). 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.
Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2012
On January 2, 2013, the President signed P.L. 112-239, the FY2013 National Defense
Authorization Act. Title XVIII, Subtitle A is the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2012, which
significantly amended the SAFER statute (15 U.S.C. 2229a) and authorized the SAFER program
through FY2017. Table 1 provides a summary of key SAFER provisions in the 2012
reauthorization, and provides a comparison with the previous version of the SAFER statute.
Two types of grants are authorized by the SAFER Act: hiring grants and recruitment and retention
grants. Hiring grants cover a three-year term and are cost shared with the local jurisdiction.
According to the amended statute, the federal share shall not exceed 75% in the first year of the
grant, 75% in the second year, and 35% in the third year. While the majority of hiring grants will
be awarded to career and combination fire departments, the SAFER Act specifies that 10% of the
total SAFER appropriation be awarded to volunteer or majority-volunteer departments for the
hiring of personnel.
Additionally, at least 10% of the total SAFER appropriation is set aside for recruitment and
retention grants, which are available to volunteer and combination fire departments for activities
related to the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters. Also eligible for recruitment and
retention grants are local and statewide organizations that represent the interests of volunteer
firefighters. No local cost sharing is required for recruitment and retention grants.

8 See Lehrer, Eli, “Do We Need More Firefighters?” Weekly Standard, April 12, 2004, pp. 21-22. Available at
http://www.sipr.org/default.aspx?action=PublicationDetails&id=44. See also Easterbrook, Gregg, “Where’s the Fire?”
New Republic Online, August 9, 2004. Available at http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=express&s=easterbrook080904.
9 107th Congress: S. 1617 (Dodd), H.R. 3992 (Boehlert), H.R. 3185 (Green, Gene). 108th Congress: S. 544 (Dodd),
H.R. 1118 (Boehlert).
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Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response: The SAFER Grant Program

Table 1. Key SAFER Provisions of Fire Grant Reauthorization
Fire Grant Reauthorization Act of 2012
Previous Statute (15 U.S.C. 2229a)
(Title XVIII of P.L. 112-239)
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
no provision for economic hardship waivers
allows FEMA, in the case of economic hardship, to
waive cost share requirements, as well as the
prohibition on supplanting local funds and maintenance
of expenditure requirements (which would allow grants
to be used for retention and rehiring laid-off
firefighters)
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 provision on congressionally directed spending
no funds may be used for any congressionally directed
spending item (as defined under the rules of the Senate
and the House of Representatives)
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.
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Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response: The SAFER Grant Program

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.10
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 SAFER reauthorization included H.R. 3881, the AFG and SAFER
Program Reauthorization Act of 2017, introduced by Representative Pascrell, which was identical
to S. 829 as passed by the Senate.
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 SAFER and AFG authorizations through FY2023;
 extends the sunset provisions for SAFER and AFG 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 SAFER and AFG 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 SAFER and AFG
grant programs; and
 makes various technical corrections to the SAFER and AFG statute.

10 Testimony is available at https://science.house.gov/legislation/hearings/subcommittee-research-and-technology-
hearing-us-fire-administration-and-fire.
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Appropriations
The SAFER grant program receives its annual appropriation through the House and Senate
Appropriations Subcommittees on Homeland Security. Within the appropriations bills, SAFER is
listed under the line item, “Firefighter Assistance Grants,” which is located in Title III—
Protection, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery. “Firefighter Assistance Grants” also includes
the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program.
Although authorized for FY2004, SAFER did not receive an appropriation in FY2004. Table 2
shows the appropriations history for firefighter assistance, including SAFER, AFG, and the Fire
Station Construction Grants (SCG) grants provided in the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act (ARRA). Table 3 shows recent and proposed appropriated funding for the SAFER and AFG
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
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
Total
$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).
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Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response: The SAFER Grant Program

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
FY2015
The Administration’s FY2015 budget proposed $670 million for firefighter assistance, including
$335 million for SAFER and $335 million for AFG. The Administration requested that all
previous SAFER waivers again be enacted for FY2015. Also in the budget proposal, FEMA
“strongly encourages applicants, to the extent practicable, to seek, recruit, and hire post-9/11
veterans to increase their ranks within their department in order to take advantage of the
provisions of the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) to Hire Heroes Act of 2011.”
On June 11, 2014, the House Appropriations Committee approved H.R. 4903, the Department of
Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2015. The bill would provide $680 million in firefighter
assistance, including $340 million for SAFER and $340 million for AFG. The bill also would
continue to grant DHS waiver authority from SAFER requirements in FY2015. In the
accompanying report (H.Rept. 113-481), the committee noted that this annual waiver authority
has been available since FY2009, and that the reauthorization of the SAFER program by the 112th
Congress (P.L. 112-239) provided FEMA with permanent authority to waive certain matching and
nonsupplantation requirements for grantees based on a determination that a grantee meets
economic hardship criteria. Given that FEMA has been working with stakeholders to develop
these criteria and that the agency hopes to soon be able to implement its new waiver authority, the
committee expects that FY2015 should be the last instance in which annual waiver authority will
be provided, and that any waivers in future fiscal years will be limited to the authorization
provided in P.L. 112-239.
On June 26, 2014, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved S. 2534, its version of the
Department of Homeland Security Act, 2015. As did the House committee, the Senate bill would
provide $680 million in firefighter assistance, including $340 million for SAFER and $340
million for AFG. The Senate bill would also continue to grant DHS waiver authority from
SAFER requirements in FY2015.In the accompanying report (S.Rept. 113-198), the committee
expressed its expectation that DHS will take into consideration economic hardship when
exercising the waiver authority.
The Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2015 (P.L. 114-4) was signed by the
President on March 4, 2015, and provided $680 million in firefighter assistance, including $340
million for SAFER and $340 million for AFG.
FY2016
The Administration’s FY2016 budget proposed $670 million for firefighter assistance, including
$335 million for SAFER and $335 million for AFG. The Administration’s FY2016 budget would
maintain SAFER waiver authority for FY2016.
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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 SAFER and $340
million for AFG. In the accompanying report (S.Rept. 114-68), the committee encourages FEMA
to prioritize resources for staffing grants to rural departments that meet both local and regional
needs. As in the past, bill language is included granting the Secretary the authority to waive
certain statutory requirements. However, FEMA is directed to work with stakeholders and present
a recommendation to the committee no later than the submission of the FY2017 budget on the
feasibility of removing these waivers in future appropriations.
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 SAFER and $340 million for AFG. H.R. 3128 did not
include a SAFER waiver provision as in years past.
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 SAFER and $345 million for AFG. P.L. 114-113 did not include a SAFER waiver
provision.
FY2017
For FY2017, the Administration requested $335 million for SAFER and $335 million for AFG, a
reduction of $10 million for each program from the FY2016 enacted level. According to the
budget request, the proposed reduction in SAFER and AFG “reflects FEMA’s successful
investments in prior year grants awarded.” The Administration’s FY2017 budget did not request
SAFER waiver authority for FY2017.
Under the proposed budget, the SAFER and AFG 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 SAFER and $340 million for AFG. 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 encouraged FEMA to consider the need for resources for staffing grants to
rural departments that meet both local and regional needs.
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
SAFER and $345 million for AFG. In the committee report, the committee directed FEMA to
continue administering the fire grants programs as directed in prior year committee reports.
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The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (P.L. 115-31) provided $690 million for firefighter
assistance in FY2017, including $345 million for SAFER and $345 million for AFG. The
firefighter assistance account is transferred to FEMA’s broader Federal Assistance account.
FY2018
For FY2018, the Administration requested $688.688 million for firefighter assistance, including
$344.344 million for SAFER and $344.344 million for AFG, slightly below the FY2017 level.
SAFER and AFG 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
SAFER and $345 million for AFG. 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 SAFER and AFG. During floor consideration, the House adopted an
amendment offered by Representative Kildee that added $20 million to SAFER; thus H.R. 3354
would provide $365 million for SAFER and $345 million for AFG.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-141) provided $700 million for firefighter
assistance in FY2018, including $350 million for SAFER and $350 million for AFG. 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 SAFER and $344.344 million for AFG.
On June 21, 2018, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved S. 3109, the Department of
Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2019 (S.Rept. 115-283). The Senate bill would provide
$700 million for firefighter assistance, including $350 million for SAFER and $350 million for
AFG.
On July 25, 2018, the House Appropriations Committee approved its version of the FY2019
Homeland Security appropriations bill (H.R. 6776; H.Rept. 115-676). The House bill would also
provide $700 million for firefighter assistance, including $350 million for SAFER and $350
million for AFG. Unlike the Senate bill, the House bill would continue SAFER waiver authority.
Waiver of SAFER Requirements
In 2009, with the economic turndown adversely affecting budgets of local governments, concerns
arose that modifications to the SAFER statute may be necessary to enable fire departments to
more effectively participate in the program. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of
2009 (P.L. 111-5) included a provision (§603) that waived the matching requirements for SAFER
grants awarded in FY2009 and FY2010.
Subsequently, the FY2009 Supplemental Appropriations Act (P.L. 111-32) included a provision
(§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 permitted
grantees to use SAFER funds to rehire laid-off firefighters and fill positions eliminated through
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attrition, allow grants to extend longer than the five-year duration, and permit the amount of
funding per position at levels exceeding the limit of $100,000.
The Department of Defense and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011 (P.L. 112-10) contained
language that removed cost-share requirements and allowed SAFER grants to be used to rehire
laid-off firefighters and fill positions eliminated through attrition. However, the law did not
remove the requirement that SAFER grants fund a firefighter position for four years, with the
fifth year funded wholly by the grant recipient. P.L. 112-10 also did not waive the cap of
$100,000 per firefighter hired by a SAFER grant. According to fire service advocates, these
unwaived SAFER requirements (the mandatory five-year position duration, the $100,000 cap)
would be a disincentive for many communities to apply for SAFER grants, because localities
would be reluctant to apply for grants that would require future expenditure of local funds.11
P.L. 112-74, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, FY2012, included language (§561) prohibiting
using any funds to enforce all of the SAFER restrictions that have been lifted since FY2009.
Additionally, Section 562 of P.L. 112-74 reinstated DHS waiver authority for the restrictions that
were not lifted in the FY2011 appropriations bill (P.L. 112-10).
Meanwhile, the SAFER reauthorization language in the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2012
(P.L. 112-239) removed the $100,000 cap per firefighter hired, shortened the grant period from
four to three years, removed the requirement to retain SAFER-hired firefighters for one year past
the termination of federal grant support, and provided economic hardship waivers that will give
DHS the authority to waive matching requirements and prohibitions on using SAFER funds for
rehiring laid-off firefighters and filling positions eliminated through attrition.
The Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 (P.L. 113-6) and the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014 (P.L. 113-76) continued to grant DHS waiver authority
from SAFER requirements. Specifically, DHS was allowed to waive cost sharing requirements,
the three-year grant term, cost limits per firefighter hired, and the prohibition on using SAFER
funds for rehiring laid-off firefighters and filling positions eliminated through attrition.
The same SAFER waiver authority was included in the Administration’s FY2015 budget proposal
and in the FY2015 House and Senate Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bills. In
the bill report accompanying H.R. 4903 (H.Rept. 113-481), the House Appropriations Committee
noted that this annual waiver authority has been available since FY2009, and that the
reauthorization of the SAFER program by the 112th Congress (P.L. 112-239) provided FEMA
with permanent authority to waive certain matching and nonsupplantation requirements for
grantees based on a determination that a grantee meets economic hardship criteria. Given that
FEMA had been working with stakeholders to develop these criteria and that the agency hoped to
soon be able to implement its new waiver authority, the committee expected that FY2015 would
be the last instance in which annual waiver authority would be provided, and that any waivers in
future fiscal years would be limited to the authorization provided in P.L. 112-239.
The Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2015 (P.L. 114-4) was signed by the
President on March 4, 2015. Section 557 of P.L. 114-4 provided SAFER waiver authority for
FY2015.
The Administration’s FY2016 budget would have maintained SAFER waiver authority for
FY2016. S. 1619, the Department of Homeland Security Act, 2016, would also have continued
waiver authority. The accompanying bill report (S.Rept. 114-68) directed FEMA to work with

11 International Association of Fire Fighters, News Release, “Budget: Agreement Retains Level Funding for FIRE Act
and SAFER grants, But Restricts Flexibility on SAFER Grants,” April 14, 2011, available at http://www.iaff.org/
11News/041311Waivers.htm.
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stakeholders and present a recommendation to the Senate Appropriations Committee on the
feasibility of removing these waivers in future appropriations. However, neither the House bill
(H.R. 3128), nor the final Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (P.L. 114-113) contained the
SAFER waiver provision for FY2016.
The Administration’s FY2017, FY2018, and FY2019 budgets did not request SAFER waiver
authority, and neither the House nor Senate Appropriations Committee bills contained SAFER
waiver provisions. However, Section 307 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-
141) again contained the previous waiver authority provision, which will go into effect for the
FY2018 round of SAFER awards. Waiver authority would again include the use of SAFER funds
to retain or rehire firefighters. The House FY2019 Homeland Security appropriations bill would
continue the waiver authority in FY2019. The Senate FY2019 Homeland security appropriations
bill does not include the SAFER waiver authority provision.
Implementation of the SAFER Program
For the latest information and updates on the application for and awarding of SAFER grants, see
the official SAFER grant program website at https://www.fema.gov/staffing-adequate-fire-
emergency-response-grants.
Table 4 shows the state-by-state distribution of SAFER grant funds, from FY2005 through
FY2017. Table 5 shows the percentage distribution of SAFER grant funds by type of department
(career, combination, volunteer) for FY2009 through FY2014, while Table 6 shows the
percentage distribution of SAFER grant funds by community service area (urban, suburban, rural)
for FY2009 through FY2014. Of the FY2014 SAFER awards, grants for hiring accounted for
90% of the total federal share of dollars awarded, while recruitment and retention accounted for
10%.
During 2014 and 2015, the DHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) conducted an audit of
SAFER grants for fiscal years 2010 through 2012. On June 8, 2016, the DHS OIG released its
report finding that 63% of SAFER 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.12
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

12 Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, FEMA’s Grant Programs Directorate Did Not
Effectively Manage Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program—SAFER Grants, OIG-16-98, June 8, 2016, 24 pp.,
available at https://www.oig.dhs.gov/assets/Mgmt/2016/OIG-16-98-Jun16.pdf.
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to SAFER and AFG 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 non-fire preparedness grants could enhance GPD’s efforts to
integrate the fire grants program into larger national preparedness efforts and more objectively
assess the impact of fire grants.”13
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.
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.14 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.15 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.16
Issues in the 116th Congress
SAFER grants are 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.

13 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.
14 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
15 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
16 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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Another continuing issue is budget appropriations for SAFER and AFG. As is the case with many
federal programs, concerns over the federal budget deficit could impact budget levels for SAFER
and AFG. 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.

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Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response: The SAFER Grant Program

Table 4. 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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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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link to page 19 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response: The SAFER Grant Program

Table 5. Distribution of Funding from SAFER Awards by Fire Department Type,
FY2009-FY2014

Department Type
Interest

Career
Combination
Volunteer
Organizations
FY2009
77%
15%
2%
5%
FY2010
69%
22%
5%
5%
FY2011
68%
25%
3%
3%
FY2012
67%
26%
4%
4%
FY2013
70%
24%
3%
3%
FY2014
67%
27%
4%
2%
Source: GAO, Fire Grants: FEMA Could Enhance Program Administration and Performance Assessment, p. 48.

Table 6. Distribution of Funding from SAFER Awards by Community Service Area,
FY2009-FY2014

Community Service Area
Interest

Urban
Suburban
Rural
Organizationsa
FY2009
51%
27%
17%
5%
FY2010
55%
29%
11%
5%
FY2011
58%
26%
13%
3%
FY2012
64%
20%
12%
3%
FY2013
63%
23%
11%
3%
FY2014
62%
22%
14%
2%
Source: GAO, Fire Grants: FEMA Could Enhance Program Administration and Performance Assessment, p. 51.
a. Interest Organizations represent other eligible organizations without a community service area affiliation,
such as local, regional, or statewide organizations.

Author Information

Lennard G. Kruger

Specialist in Science and Technology Policy

Disclaimer
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This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan
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