Great news for members of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and the entire fire service community! The Fire Grants and Safety Act (S. 870) has passed in the Senate with an overwhelming vote of 95-2. This is a significant achievement and deserves to be celebrated.
However, the work is not over yet. The bill must now go through the House of Representatives, where it may face some challenges. This is where the IAFC and its members can play a crucial role in ensuring the bill's passage. We need to stay focused, united, and continue our efforts to get the Fire Grants and Safety Act passed into law.
As a reminder, this legislation would:
1. Extend the authorization of funding for the AFG, SAFER and USFA programs through Fiscal Year (FY) 2030.
2. Increase the authorization for the USFA to $95 million. (USFA was authorized at $76.49 million in FY 2023, so that is an almost $20 million increase.)
3. Delay the termination date for the AFG and SAFER programs to September 30, 2032.
As members of the IAFC, we can continue to support this effort by contacting our representatives in the House of Representatives, educating them on the importance of these programs, and asking other members of the fire service to weigh in on this issue. We can also use social media to spread the word and generate support for the Fire Grants and Safety Act.
Our efforts have already paid off, and we were able to get the bill passed in the Senate through a united fire service effort. Let's continue working together to ensure the Fire Grants and Safety Act becomes law. By doing so, we can ensure that the fire service has the resources it needs to protect our communities and keep our firefighters safe.