WASHINGTON, D.C., October 9, 2004 – The House of Representatives gave final approval today to a bill to reauthorize the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. The Senate is expected to pass the legislation later today or tomorrow, sending the bill to the President to be signed into law. The measure passed the House as part of the Defense Authorization Conference Report, which was agreed to by a vote of 359-14.

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, commonly known as the FIRE program, provides peer-reviewed, competitively awarded grants to fire departments nationwide for the purchase of equipment, vehicles and training. The program is unique in that it provides the grants directly to the departments, rather than through state bureaucracies. Since its inception, the FIRE program has distributed more than $1 billion to nearly 17,000 paid and volunteer fire departments nationwide. More than 20,000 departments have applied for the $750 million available under the program for fiscal year (FY) 2004.

Authorization for the FIRE program expired on Oct. 1. Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), Rep. Curt Weldon (R-PA), Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Rep. Nick Smith (R-MI), and Rep. Rob Andrews (D-NJ) led members of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus in introducing legislation (H.R. 4107) earlier this year to reauthorize the popular program for an additional five years.

“I am pleased that this vital piece of legislation is receiving final approval from Congress and will soon head to the President to be signed into law,” said Rep. Boehlert. “The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program has been vital to fire departments across America by providing them the resources they need to improve their basic firefighting capabilities. They deserve our help, but, as I have often said, when we help firefighters, we’re not being altruistic or magnanimous. We, after all, are the real beneficiaries. By reauthorizing the FIRE grants program for an additional five years, we are helping to ensure the brave men and women who guard our lives with theirs have the tools and resources they need to do their jobs.”

“This isn’t a Republican or Democratic issue,” said Rep. Pascrell. “Supporting local fire departments is an obligation that cannot be marred by politics. The FIRE Act has been an enormous boost for our firefighters, who deserve nothing less than the full partnership of the federal government. This final legislation furthers our promise to those who make the ultimate commitment to us every day.”

“The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program has made a concerted effort to provide the necessary resources for our firefighters who protect this country everyday,” said Rep. Weldon. “This legislation allows more of our large and high-threat urban fire departments with the access to funds for their basic needs. Protecting and preserving the safety of first responders is accomplished through this vital legislation.”

Rep. Hoyer said, “I am particularly pleased that we return jurisdiction over the Grant Program to the US Fire Administration, which was widely praised for the effective manner in which it administered the program during its first three years. By returning the program to USFA we guarantee that it remains focused on preparing fire departments for all hazards and on meeting the every day needs of the men and women serving our nation in the fire service.”

“The fire grant program is extremely effective,” Rep. Smith said. “The funding goes straight to the departments that need it most without being held up by political considerations, complex formulas or bureaucratic red tape. Firefighters risk their lives every day to keep our communities safe and the continuation of this program ensures that they will have the support they need to carry out their duties.”

“The Fire Grants program provides needed resources to fire services throughout the nation to help them perform their critical public safety role, while also improving firefighter safety,” said Science Committee Ranking Minority Member Bart Gordon (D-TN). “This reauthorization legislation will provide $4.8 billion over five years to support training programs for fire service personnel and to provide resources for the purchase of up-to-date fire fighting and emergency response equipment. The legislation will also make important adjustments to the program, including increasing the maximum size of individual grants and reducing matching requirements for small fire departments. Too often in the past, fire services were taken for granted, and given too low a priority in public resource allocations, despite serious needs. I am pleased that the Congress has taken action to help correct this deficiency.”

“The Assistance to Firefighters Grant program is of paramount importance to Homeland Security,” said Rep. Andrews. “This funding provides these brave men and women with the requisite tools and training to perform their duties safely and effectively.”

The FIRE Act reauthorization is strongly supported by the firefighting community and the Administration. At a May Science Committee hearing, representatives of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), and International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF,) as well as U.S. Fire Administrator R. David Paulison, expressed their strong support of the program and its reauthorization.

Chief Robert A. DiPoli, President of IAFC, said, “The International Association of Fire Chiefs is pleased that Congress has reauthorized the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. This program provides crucial federal assistance in support of the fire service’s all-hazard response. Americans see the positive impact of this program in their local communities every day.”

“The NVFC applauds the reauthoization of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program for another five years,” said NVFC Chairman Philip C. Stittleburg. “Although an important provision protecting the right to volunteer is not in the final version, Congress has still drafted a good piece of legislation and we appreciate the Fire Caucus leadership’s efforts to strengthen and protect America’s volunteer fire service.”

“The nation’s professional fire fighters are indebted to Chairman Sherry Boehlert, Ranking Member Bart Gordon, and all the members of the Science Committee for their efforts on this important issue. The FIRE Act is the single most important federal program benefiting the nation’s fire fighters, and the changes made in this legislation will make a good program even better,” said Harold A. Schaitberger, General President of the International Association of Fire Fighters.

The legislation that was approved today reauthorizes the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program through FY 2009 at a level of $900 million in FY 2005, $950 million in FY 2006, and $1 billion each year thereafter. While the bill leaves the FIRE Act mostly unchanged, it does make several programmatic modifications including transferring the program from the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Domestic Preparedness back to the U.S. Fire Administration; expanding eligibility requirements to include non-profit, non-hospital Emergency Medical Service squads; increasing the grant-size cap; and reducing federal matching requirements for jurisdictions serving more than 50,000 people.

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