On Wednesday, April 5th, Senator John McCain (AZ), Senator Jon Tester (MT), Senator Susan Collins (ME), and Senator Tom Carper (DE) introducedS. 829, legislation to reauthorize the Assistance to Firefighters (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant programs. These successful grant programs assist local fire departments in meeting staffing needs, purchasing equipment and training, and implementing fire prevention and safety programs.
“The Assistance to Firefighters (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant programs are immensely successful programs focused on protecting the public and the nation’s fire service,” said Bill Webb, Executive Director of theCongressional Fire Services Institute. “Given the expanding missions and increased call volumes of fire departments that are necessitating additional equipment, training and staffing, it is absolutely imperative that Congress reauthorize these programs in the First Session of the 115th Congress. We applaud Senators McCain, Tester, Collins, and Carper for introducing the legislation. It is now imperative that firefighters across the nation reach out to their Senators and ask them to support this important measure.”
赠款方案目前通过本财政年度结束时授权。此外，目前的法规包含一个“日落”条款，除非大会采取行动，否则将在2018年1月2日取消该计划。参议院引入的立法消除了“日落”条款，并延长了2023财年至财政年度的授权。
Similar legislation is expected to be introduced in the House in the near future.
