U.S. Senate Passes Legislation to Save FIRE and SAFER Grants

Today, the U.S. Senate passed the Fire Grants and Safety Act (S. 870). The bill will prevent the termination of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG; commonly known as the “FIRE Grant”) program and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program. It also will authorize funding for programs at the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) like the new National Emergency Response Information System. 

Specifically, the bill would: 

• Authorize $750 million for the AFG and SAFER grant programs from FY 2024 through FY 2028. 

• Delay the sunset date of the programs to September 30, 2030.  

• Authorize $95 million for the USFA to allow it to fund NERIS; develop EMS programs at USFA; and fund an effort to examine the cause of major fires and report on best practices to prevent them in the future. 

The bill also includes provisions to promote the development of nuclear energy in the United States. 

“I thank Congress for passing this critical legislation,” said Fire Chief John S. Butler, President and Board Chair of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. “I would like to thank the leadership of the House and Senate; the Congressional Fire Services Caucus leadership; and the leadership of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee for their dedication to passing this legislation. This legislation confirms our nation’s commitment to firefighters and EMS personnel across the nation, who provide lifesaving service to their communities every day.”  

The next step is for President Biden to sign S. 870. The bill previously passed the Senate on April 20, 2023. It then was amended and passed the House of Representatives on May 8, 2024, by a vote of 393-13, with one member voting “Present.” Today’s vote was for final passage of the bill.