Senate Approves Fire Act
Vote: 90 to 3, Goes to President!
On Thursday (10/12/00), the Senate approved a version of the FIRE Act by a
vote of 90-3. The FIRE Act was included in the FY 2001 Defense Authorization Act
(HR 4205). The legislation now goes to the President’s desk, where he is
expected to sign it.
CFSI is currently working with all the national fire service groups to make
sure money is appropriated for this program for FY 2001.
This legislation would authorize $100 million in grants to fire departments
in FY 2001 and $300 million in FY 2002. Volunteer, paid and combination
departments are all eligible for the program. Instead of going through the
states, the money will go directly to fire departments. The grants may be used
for many needs, including personnel, training, wellness and fitness programs,
EMS programs provided by fire departments, apparatus, equipment,
facilities improvement, fire prevention and education programs and recruitment
incentives for volunteer fire fighters. For fire departments that serve
communities over 50,000 people, the matching requirement is thirty percent, but
for fire departments that serve less than 50,000 people, the matching
requirement is only ten percent.
Related to this grant program is a study conducted by the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) with the National Fire Protection Association on fire
fighting needs. This study is an excellent opportunity to provide concrete data
on what state and local governments are doing and what the federal government
needs to do. The legislation authorizes $300,000 for the study. In addition to
the grant program, the legislation authorizes a study first responders exposure
to Hepatitis C among first responders, increased authorization for the Volunteer
Fire Assistance Program, a burn research program, increased access to excess
defense property and identification of defense technology applicable to the fire
service.
The next challenge is to make sure Congress appropriates funds for the
program this year. Currently, the Congressional Fire Caucus Leadership is
addressing this issue with the members of the Senate and House Appropriations
Subcommittees on Veteran’s Affairs, Housing and Urban Development and other
independent Agencies. This subcommittee has the responsibility for funding FEMA.
CFSI encourages the fire service to contact the members of these subcommittees
(see list) and urge them to support the $100 million for the program. Rapid
action is needed since Congress will adjourn within the next week.
Once the president signs the legislation and if Congress appropriates money
for the program, it will take FEMA several months to establish the system for
administering the grants.
Periodically check the CFSI web site (
