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Schumer: NY Fire Departments Need Greater Federal Help

WAMC Photo by Dave Lucas

Federal funding for fire departments looking to buy new equipment or train new firefighters is down, putting pressure on local departments to do more with less. U.S. Senator Charles Schumer recently concluded his annual 62-county tour of New York state in Rensselaer County, where he launched a push to increase grant programs for firefighters.

Schumer says local fire departments throughout New York apply for and rely upon federal funds, administered through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant programs. Since their inception in 1999, the two programs have given departments in the state $300 million in grants, according to the Democrat.   "The SAFER Grant program is an addition. It helps our career departments hire new firefighters and our volunteer departments recruit and retain members. So the SAFER Grant is about membership. People. The AFG is about equipment. And we need both."

Schumer worries local fire departments may be forced to choose between waiting another year and using outdated, potentially dangerous equipment, or purchasing equipment immediately and without federal funding, passing the burden along to local taxpayers.  He notes the two grant programs, which have seen decreased funding since 2011,  are vitally important to many cash-strapped local fire departments across the Capital Region.   "We have $130 million less for these programs compared to 2011, which was the height, that's when sequestration started. And under the present budget, which we're gonna vote on before Christmas, they've received the same amount, about $340 million for each, even though every grant only has a 1/5th chance of getting approved. Twenty-two percent.  The Capital Region in 2014 got 22 grants of $3.2 million. This department, Troy, has gotten $1.6 million in six different grants over a 10-year period."

Outgoing Troy Mayor Lou Rosamilia says grants help staff neighborhood fire stations and improve the safety of city residents.   "The SAFER Grant is a very very competitive grant. Unfortunately we did not get the last one. About 19 percent of the companies in the localities and municipalities they did apply were fortunate enough to get some. But we'll continue to work hard and I know the Senator will continue to put more money into that fund, and try to move this forward."

Schumer has called upon the Senate Appropriations Committee to include a combined $810 million for both programs in the fiscal year 2016 appropriations bill, an increase of $130 million from 2015 levels.

A copy of Senator Schumer’s letter to Senate appropriators appears below:

Dear Chairman Cochran and Vice Chair Mikulski:

As we work on funding the federal government for the remainder of the fiscal year 2016, we are contacting you in support of the Assistance to Firefighters (FIRE) grant program and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program.  Firefighting entities are grappling with increased equipment costs and both of these grants help firehouses nationwide defray these rising expenses.  Therefore, we respectfully request that you include at least $405 million each for both the FIRE and SAFER grant programs. 

The SAFER program provides much-needed funding for career and volunteer fire departments across America to hire new firefighters and recruit and retain volunteer firefighters.  Two-thirds of all career and volunteer fire departments in our nation, located in both large cities and small towns, lack the sufficient personnel to adequately protect the public, and this program is critical to the thousands of fire stations nationwide that are currently understaffed.  When adequately funded, SAFER improves the safety of our firefighters and the communities they serve.

Under the SAFER program, fire departments throughout the country are able to apply for federal grants to hire new firefighters.  In addition, grants have been awarded to state and local organizations to recruit and retain volunteer firefighters. As you know, the SAFER program complements the very successful Assistance to Firefighters Grant program, through which the federal government provides funds for training and equipment to fire departments throughout the country.  Ensuring that career and volunteer departments have adequate numbers of firefighters will allow departments to fully utilize the training and equipment funds provided through the FIRE Grant program. 

Through the committee’s past efforts, we clearly demonstrated Congress’ strong bipartisan support for the FIRE grant program, as well as its understanding of the contributions this program has made to our firefighters and the communities they serve.  This program has positively impacted public safety by providing nearly $7 billion since 2001 for infrared cameras, personal protective gear, hazmat detection devices, improved breathing apparatuses, and interoperable communications systems.  This is the basic equipment our fire departments need to effectively respond to a range of situations.  But even that level of funding has failed to keep pace with the more than $3 billion in applications submitted on average annually.  The SAFER and FIRE grant programs have received flat funding for the past four years, and when accounting for inflation, the programs have experienced a reduction in real dollars at a time when costs of personnel, apparatus, and training continue to rise.

We ask and expect a lot from our firefighters as they put their lives on the line to protect others.  It is imperative that we provide these brave men and women with the resources they need to safely and effectively do their job. We appreciate the challenges you face in decreasing the deficit while also making necessary investments within the Homeland Security Appropriations bill.  With that said, we believe the FIRE and SAFER programs are worthwhile programs that deserve our support.

We thank you for your consideration of this request.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Schumer

United States Senator

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.
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