Schumer seeks to keep federal programs that provide aid to fire departments
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer said two federal programs providing funding to fire departments – the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program – are at risk of being eliminated, endangering millions in funding for fire departments in Upstate New York.
“Over the last 20 years, these programs have delivered nearly $700 million in federal funding to NY firefighters and first responders, but if new legislation doesn’t pass, fire departments will not be able to access this funding in 2024,” Schumer said.
Local departments in recent years have received money from the programs, including:
- Village of Medina Fire Department, $530,661 in SAFER in 2017 for hiring
- Shelby Volunteer Fire Co., $82,084 in AFG in 2022 for operations and safety
- Shelby Volunteer Fire Co., $39,855 in AFG in 2015 for operations and safety
- Village of Medina Fire Department, $77,837 in AFG in 2015 for operations and safety
- Village of Albion Fire Department, $37,190 in AFG in 2021 for operations and safety
- Carlton Fire Company, $37,558 in AFG in 2015 for operations and safety
The U.S. Senate on Wednesday introduced the Fire Grants and Safety Act to reauthorize appropriations for the grant programs until 2030, and Schumer said he is now launching an all-out push to ensure Upstate fire departments can continue to receive the federal support they need to purchase the lifesaving equipment and hire new firefighters to keep our firefighters and communities safe.
“Upstate New York’s firefighters are heroes who risk their lives every day to keep our communities safe, we cannot let the critical programs that provide them the support they need simply go up in smoke,” he said in a news release. “That is money for new fire trucks, better equipment, and to hire more firefighters in the Upstate communities that need them most.”
Schumer originally created the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program in 1999, which later expanded to also include the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Program, and the Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) programs.
The funding is only authorized through this year and FEMA has to entirely shut down operations next year without new legislation reauthorizing the programs, Schumer said. If the funding is not continued, firefighters would be left without federal support.
The AFG and SAFER grant programs are both administered by the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide competitive funding directly to fire departments.
