Rep. Tonko Votes To Boost Resources For America's Fire Departments

Press Release

Rep. Tonko (NY-21) voted today to provide local firefighters with the tools and resources they need to prevent and fight fires, and keep our communities safe. At a time when many towns and cities are facing budget shortfalls and cuts to basic services, H.R. 3791, the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2009 invests in vital firefighter assistance programs that allow local fire departments to provide training, purchase equipment and vehicles, and hire personnel.

"This bill provides critical funding to safeguard our homes, our neighborhoods and--first and foremost--our families," said Rep. Tonko.

The bipartisan legislation authorizes a total of $2.2 billion a year in grants for local municipalities to upgrade crucial equipment and maintain adequate levels of personnel. It also makes it easier for local fire departments to access these critical funds by lowering matching requirements and modifying time commitments. It passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 395-31.

The bill reauthorizes the Assistance to Firefighter Grant (AFG) program and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program. The AFG program was created by Congress in 2000 because of concerns that local budgets were unable to handle the mounting responsibilities being assigned to the fire service. It provides funds to local fire departments to purchase equipment, vehicles, and training. Congress created the SAFER program in 2004 to help fire departments hire firefighting personnel and meet voluntary national consensus standards on safe minimum staffing levels. Both the AFG and SAFER programs are administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The bill authorizes $1 billion for the AFG program per fiscal year from FY2010 to FY2014 and apportions the AFG funding between the career, volunteer, and combination fire departments according to a formula that authorizes a minimum of 25 percent of each year's total AFG dollars for each type of department. The bill authorizes an additional $1.2 billion per fiscal year from FY2010 to FY2014 for the SAFER program.

"Our local firefighters--whether they be career or volunteer--must have the best training and equipment at their disposal to keep our communities safe," said Rep. Tonko. "State and local governments may be facing falling revenues and shrinking budgets, but they should never have to choose between adequately trained personnel and functioning equipment. This bill protects against that."

The bill has the support of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the International Association of Fire Fighters, the National Volunteer Fire Council, the National Fire Protection Association, and the Congressional Fire Services Institute.

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