On June 18th, 2024, firefighters across America earned a powerful reason to celebrate: by a landslide vote of 88 to 2, the U.S. Senate approved S.870, also known as the Fire Grants and Safety Act. As one of the final acts of the current legislative term, this bill will secure significant funds for fire and emergency services across the country and keep primary administrative operations afloat until 2028.
By protecting these resources, Senators have taken a significant step in keeping citizens safe: now, emergency responders will have the support they need to protect us.
The Fire Grants and Safety Act: A Game Changer for our First Responders
The Fire Grants and Safety Act is an “appropriation bill”: it earmarks and redirects funds to make existing initiatives or bills possible. In this case, S.870 affects approximately $750 million from Federal funds and reallocates them for three specific purposes:
- It extends the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program, which funds training, equipment, and projects that improve the work of emergency responders within a community.
- It provides some of the missing funds for the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant, which directly supports fire departments that need to train or retain frontline firefighters.
- It reserves an additional $95 million for the National Emergency Response Information System, or NERIS, which will collect vital data on fires around the country.
Overall, all three programs represent direct, long-term help for a profession that sorely needs to prepare for the future.
Who’s Behind S.870?
The Fire Grants and Safety Act is an outstanding example of the benefits of bipartisan cooperation. The first drafts of this bill date back to 2022 and the joint workroom of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus.
In this group, Representatives from both parties focus on the needs and demands of the Fire and Emergency Service departments. The original sponsors of this bill were all members of this Caucus: Senators Susan Collins, Tom Carper, Jon Tester, and Lisa Murkowski. They were aided by members of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Chairman Frank Lucas, and Representative Zoe Lofgren.
The final version of the bill was introduced on March 16th, 2023, and, following a few changes, it was eventually approved by the House on May 8th, 2024. In its path toward final approval, the bill was publicly endorsed by the House and Senate Majorities and Minorities.
S.870 Bill Enacted
With the President’s signature, S.870 is now an effective law.
At a time where political polarization is at risk of reaching historic heights, the story behind the Fire Grants and Safety Act should resonate with people from all political backgrounds. When ideology takes a back seat to practicality, we can administer our current resources to protect those who give up the most for their communities.
