On July 9, 2024, President Biden signed into law the Fire Grants and Safety Act (S.870). After two years of advocacy by the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) and their National Advisory Committee members, the AFG and SAFER grant programs will continue to be able to deliver vital federal support to fire departments across the nation and enable them to address their baseline needs. Specifically, this bill:
- Reauthorizes the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant programs through fiscal year 2028,
- Reauthorizes the U.S. Fire Administration through fiscal year 2028, and
- Extends the sunset date for AFG and SAFER to September 30, 2030.
The path to reauthorization adds new meaning to the quote, “United we stand, divided we fall.” Working together, CFSI, the National Advisory Committee members, leaders of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus and committees of jurisdiction, and other members of Congress built support for the legislation, which is why the measure achieved strong bipartisan support in both chambers.
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