Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding

Assistance to Firefighters Program:
Distribution of Fire Grant Funding
Updated October 28, 2008
Lennard G. Kruger
Specialist in Science and Technology
Resources, Science, and Industry Division

Assistance to Firefighters Program:
Distribution of Fire Grant Funding
Summary
The Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program, also known as fire grants
or the FIRE Act grant program, was established by Title XVII of the FY2001
National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 106-398). Currently administered by the
Grant Programs Directorate of the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the program provides federal
grants directly to local fire departments and unaffiliated Emergency Medical Services
(EMS) organizations to help address a variety of equipment, training, and other
firefighter-related and EMS needs. A related program is the Staffing for Adequate
Fire and Emergency Response Firefighters (SAFER) program, which provides grants
for hiring, recruiting, and retaining firefighters.
The fire grant program is now in its eighth year. Over $4.25 billion has been
appropriated to the fire grant program since FY2001. The Fire Act statute was
reauthorized in 2004 (Title XXXVI of P.L. 108-375) and provides overall guidelines
on how fire grant money should be distributed. There is no set geographical formula
for the distribution of fire grants — fire departments throughout the nation apply, and
award decisions are made by a peer panel based on the merits of the application and
the needs of the community. However, the law does require that fire grants be
distributed to a diverse mix of fire departments, with respect to type of department
(paid, volunteer, or combination), geographic location, and type of community served
(e.g. urban, suburban, or rural).
The Administration proposed $300 million for fire grants in FY2009, a 46% cut
from the FY2008 level of $560 million. No funding was proposed for SAFER
grants. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved $750 million for firefighter
assistance in FY2009 ($560 million for fire grants and $190 million for SAFER
grants), while the House Appropriations Committee approved $800 million for
firefighter assistance ($570 million for fire grants and $230 million for SAFER
grants). The Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing
Appropriations Act, 2009 (P.L. 110-329) — which contains the FY2009 Department
of Homeland Security Appropriations Act — provided $775 million for firefighter
assistance, including $565 million for fire grants and $210 million for SAFER.
Ongoing issues in the 110^th Congress include how appropriations for fire grants
should compare with authorized levels, and to what extent the focus of the program
should be shifted towards terrorism preparedness and away from the traditional
mission of enhancing basic firefighting needs.
This report will be updated as events warrant.

Contents
Background ......................................................1
Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program...........................1
Reauthorization ...............................................1
Appropriations ................................................2
FY2008 .................................................3
FY2009 .................................................4
SAFER Grants................................................5
Program Evaluation............................................6
Distribution of Fire Grants...........................................7
Issues in the 110^th Congress..........................................9
List of Tables
Table 1. Major Provisions of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program Reauthorization Act....................................2
Table 2. Appropriations for Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program,
FY2001-FY2009 ..............................................3
Table 3. Current Appropriations for Firefighter Assistance.................3
Table 4. Appropriations for SAFER Program, FY2005-FY2009.............6
Table 5. State-by-State Distribution of Fire Grants, FY2001-FY2007........11
Table 6. State-by-State Distribution of SAFER Grants, FY2005-FY2007.....13
Table 7. Requests and Awards for Fire Grant Funding, FY2007............15

Assistance to Firefighters Program:
Distribution of Fire Grant Funding
Background
Firefighting activities are traditionally the responsibility of states and local
communities. As such, funding for firefighters is provided mostly by state and local
governments. During the 1990s, shortfalls in state and local budgets, coupled with
increased responsibilities of local fire departments, led many in the fire community
to call for additional financial support from the federal government. While federally
funded training programs existed (and continue to exist) through the National Fire
Academy, and while federal money was available to first responders for
counterterrorism training and equipment through the Department of Justice,¹ there
did not exist a dedicated program, exclusively for firefighters, which provided federal
money directly to local fire departments to help address a wide variety of equipment,
training, and other firefighter-related needs.
Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program
During the 106^th Congress, many in the fire community asserted that local fire
departments require and deserve greater support from the federal government. The
Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG), also known as fire grants or the
FIRE Act grant program, was established by Title XVII of the FY2001 National
Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 106-398).² Currently administered by the Grant
Programs Directorate of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the program provides federal grants
directly to local fire departments and unaffiliated Emergency Medical Services
(EMS) organizations to help address a variety of equipment, training, and other
firefighter-related and EMS needs.
Reauthorization
On October 28, 2004, the President signed the FY2005 National Defense
Authorization Act (P.L. 108-375). Title XXXVI of P.L. 108-375 is the Assistance
to Firefighters Grant Program Reauthorization Act of 2004, which reauthorizes the

¹ For a list of federal programs providing assistance to state and local first responders, see
CRS Report RL32348, Selected Federal Homeland Security Assistance Programs: A
Summary, by Shawn Reese.
² “Firefighter assistance” is codified as section 33 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control
Act (15 U.S.C. 2229).

fire grant program through FY2009. Table 1 provides a summary of key provisions
of the current reauthorization.
Table 1. Major Provisions of the Assistance to Firefighters
Grant Program Reauthorization Act
Grant recipient limits:
populations over 1 million — lesser of $2.75 million or 0.5% of total appropriation
populations of 500K to 1 million — $1.75 million
populations under 500K — $1 million
no single grant can exceed 0.5% of total funds appropriated for a single fiscal year
DHS can waive the funding limits for populations up to 1 million in instances of
extraordinary need; however the lesser of $2.75 million or 0.5% limit cannot be waived
Nonfederal match requirements:
20% for populations over 50K
10% for populations 20K to 50K
5% for populations less than 20K
No match requirement for non-fire department prevention and firefighter safety grants
Authorized for five years:
FY2005 — $900 million
FY2006 — $950 million
FY2007 — $1 billion
FY2008 — $1 billion
FY2009 — $1 billion
Expands grant eligibility to emergency medical service squads, not less than 3.5% of fire
grant money for EMS, but no more than 2% for nonaffiliated EMS
Provides grants for firefighter health and safety R&D
Requires the USFA Administrator to convene an annual meeting of non-federal fire
service experts to recommend criteria for awarding grants and administrative changes
Requires fire service peer review of grant applications
Requires the USFA, in conjunction with the National Fire Protection Association, to
conduct a $300,000, 18-month study on the fire grant program and the need for federal
assistance to state and local communities to fund firefighting and emergency response
activities
^Source:^A^s^sⁱ^s^t^an^{ce to F}ⁱ^refⁱ^g^h^t^ers^Gran^{t P}^r^og^ram^R^eau^th^orization^A^c^{t of}^2004,^S^ection^XXXVI^of
^P.L^.^108-^{375, F}^Y^{2005 N}^a^tⁱ^oⁿ^a^l^D^e^f^eⁿ^s^{e A}^u^t^h^ori^zatⁱ^oⁿ^A^c^t
Appropriations
From FY2001 through FY2003, the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG)
Program (as part of USFA/FEMA) received its primary appropriation through the
VA-HUD-Independent Agencies Appropriation Act. In FY2004, the Assistance to
Firefighters Program began to receive its annual appropriation through the House and
Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Homeland Security. The fire grant

program is in its eighth year. Table 2 shows the fire grant program’s appropriations
history. Over $4.815 billion has been appropriated to the fire grant program since
FY2001, its initial year. Table 3 shows current and proposed appropriated funding
for firefighter assistance.
Table 2. Appropriations for Assistance to
Firefighters Grant Program, FY2001-FY2009
Fiscal yearAppropriation
FY2001$100 million
FY2002$360 million
FY2003$745 million
FY2004$746 million
FY2005$650 million
FY2006$539 million
FY2007$547 million
FY2008$560 million
FY2009$565 million
Total$4.815 billion
Table 3. Current Appropriations for Firefighter Assistance
(millions of dollars)
F Y 2008 F Y 2009 F Y 2009 F Y 2009 F Y 2009
(P.L.Admin.H.Rept. 110-S.Rept.P.L.
110-161) request 862 110-396 110-329
FIRE Grants560300570560565
SAFER Grants1900230190210
Total750300800 750775
FY2008. The Administration proposed $300 million for fire grants in FY2008,
a 45% cut from the FY2007 level. No funding was proposed for SAFER grants. The
total request for firefighter assistance was 55% below the FY2007 level for fire and
SAFER grants combined. The FY2008 budget proposal would have eliminated
grants for wellness/fitness activities and modifications to facilities for firefighter
safety. The budget justification requested funding for “applications that enhance the
most critical capabilities of local response to fire-related hazards in the event of a

terrorist attack or major disaster.” The budget justification also stated that the
requested level of funding is “an appropriate level of funding given the availability
of significant amounts of funding for first responder preparedness missions from
other Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant programs which are better
coordinated with state and local homeland security strategies and, unlike AFG, are
allocated on the basis of risk.”
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-161) provided $560
million for fire grants and $190 million for SAFER grants, a total of $750 million for
firefighter assistance in FY2008. As stated in the Joint Explanatory Statement
accompanying P.L. 110-161, $3 million was made available for foam firefighter
equipment used in remote areas, to be competitively awarded. GAO was directed to
review the application and award process for fire and SAFER grants, and FEMA was
directed to peer review all grant applications that meet criteria established by FEMA
and the fire service.
FY2009. The Administration proposed $300 million for fire grants in FY2009,
a 46% cut from the FY2008 level of $560 million. No funding was proposed for
SAFER grants. The total request for firefighter assistance was 60% below the
FY2008 level for fire and SAFER grants combined. According to the budget
justification, “the Administration believes that $287 million is an appropriate level
of funding given the availability of significant amounts of funding for first responder
preparedness missions from other DHS grant programs which are coordinated with
state and local homeland security strategies and, unlike AFG, are allocated on the
basis of risk.” Priority will be given to applications that enhance capabilities needed
for terrorism response and other major incidents. Funding will only be available for
critical response equipment, training, and personal protective gear, and will not be
available for wellness/fitness activities or modifications to facilities for firefighter
safety.
On June 19, 2008, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the FY2009
appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security (S. 3181; S.Rept. 110-
396). The bill would provide $750 million for firefighter assistance, including $560
million for fire grants and $190 million for SAFER grants. This is the same funding
level approved for FY2008. The Committee directed DHS to continue the present
practice of funding applications according to local priorities and those established by
the U.S. Fire Administration, and further directed DHS to continue direct funding to
fire departments and the peer review process. Additionally, $3 million was made
available for foam firefighter equipment used in remote areas.
On June 24, 2008, the House Appropriations Committee approved its version
of the FY2009 appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security, and reported
its bill on September 18, 2008 (H.R. 6947; H.Rept. 110-862). The Committee would
provide $800 million for firefighter assistance, consisting of $570 million for fire
grants and $230 million for SAFER grants. The Committee directed FEMA to
continue granting funds directly to local fire departments and to include the U.S. Fire
Administration during the grant administration process, while also maintaining an
all-hazards focus and not limiting the list of eligible activities. The Committee
would continue the requirement that FEMA peer review grant applications that meet
criteria established by FEMA and the fire service, rank order applications according

to peer review, fund applications according to their rank order, and provide official
notification detailing why applications do not meet the criteria for review. The
Committee also directed FEMA to encourage regional applications.
The Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations
Act, 2009 (P.L. 110-329) — which contains the FY2009 Department of Homeland
Security Appropriations Act — provided $775 million for firefighter assistance,
including $565 million for fire grants and $210 million for SAFER. The DHS
explanatory statement directed FEMA to continue the present practice of funding
applications according to local priorities and those established by the USFA.
SAFER Grants
In response to concerns over the adequacy of firefighter staffing, the 108^th
Congress enacted the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER)
Act as Section 1057 of the FY2004 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 108-
136; signed into law November 24, 2003). The SAFER grant program is codified as
Section 34 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2229a).
The SAFER Act authorizes grants to career, volunteer, and combination fire
departments for the purpose of increasing the number of firefighters to help
communities meet industry minimum standards and attain 24-hour staffing to provide
adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards. Also authorized are grants to
volunteer fire departments for activities related to the recruitment and retention of
volunteers. P.L. 108-136 authorizes over one billion dollars per year through
FY2010 for SAFER.
Two types of grants are authorized by the SAFER Act: hiring grants and
recruitment and retention grants. Hiring grants cover a four-year term and are cost-
shared with the local jurisdiction. According to the statute, the federal share shall not
exceed 90% in the first year of the grant, 80% in the second year, 50% in the third
year, and 30% in the fourth year. The grantee must commit to retaining the
firefighter or firefighters hired with the SAFER grant for at least one additional year
after the federal money expires. Total federal funding for hiring a firefighter over the
four-year grant period may not exceed $100,000, although that total may be adjusted
for inflation. While the majority of hiring grants will be awarded to career and
combination fire departments, the SAFER Act specifies that 10% of the total SAFER
appropriation be awarded to volunteer or majority-volunteer departments for the
hiring of personnel.
Additionally, at least 10% of the total SAFER appropriation is set aside for
recruitment and retention grants, which are available to volunteer and combination
fire departments for activities related to the recruitment and retention of volunteer
firefighters. Also eligible for recruitment and retention grants are local and statewide
organizations that represent the interests of volunteer firefighters. No local cost
sharing is required for recruitment and retention grants.
Table 4 shows the SAFER program’s appropriations history. $479 million has
been appropriated to the SAFER program since FY2005, its initial year. For more
information on the SAFER program, see CRS Report RL33375, Staffing for
Adequate Fire and Emergency Response: The SAFER Grant Program.

Table 4. Appropriations for SAFER Program, FY2005-FY2009
Fiscal yearAppropriation
FY2005$65 million
FY2006$109 million
FY2007$115 million
FY2008$190 million
FY2009$210 million
Total$689 million
Program Evaluation
On May 13, 2003, the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) released the first
independent evaluation of the Assistance to Firefighters Program. Conducted by the
U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Leadership Development Academy Executive
Potential Program, the survey study presented a number of recommendations and
concluded overall that the program was “highly effective in improving the readiness
and capabilities of firefighters across the nation.”³ Another evaluation of the fire
grant program was released by the DHS Office of Inspector General in September
2003. The report concluded that the program “succeeded in achieving a balanced
distribution of funding through a competitive grant process,”⁴ and made a number of
specific recommendations for improving the program.
At the request of DHS, the National Academy of Public Administration
conducted a study to help identify potential new strategic directions for the
Assistance to Firefighters Grant program and to provide advice on how to effectively
plan, manage, and measure program accomplishments. Released in April 2007, the
report recommended consideration of new strategic directions related to national
preparedness, prevention vs. response, social equity, regional cooperation, and
emergency medical response. According to the report, the “challenge for the AFG
program will be to support a gradual shift in direction without losing major strengths
of its current management approach — including industry driven priority setting and
its well-respected peer review process.”⁵

³ For full report see [http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/affgp-fy01-usda-report.pdf].
⁴ Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspections, Evaluations, and Special
Reviews, “A Review of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program,” OIG-ISP-01-03,
September 2003, p. 3. Available at [http://www.dhs.gov/xoig/assets/mgmtrpts/
OIG_Re vi e w_Fi r e _ As s i s t .pdf ] .
⁵ National Academy of Public Administration, Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program:
Assessing Performance, April 2007, p. xvii. Available at [http://www.napawash.org/
pc_management_studies/Fire_ Grants_Report_April2007.pdf].

The Administration’s FY2008 budget proposal was accompanied by program
evaluations called the Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART). For assessment
year 2007, PART gave the fire grant program a rating of “Effective,” (an
improvement from the previous rating of “Results Not Demonstrated”). The PART
directed DHS to embark on an improvement plan encompassing three elements:
establishing a continuing strategic planning process, improving program
transparency, and increasing outreach.⁶
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-161), in the
accompanying Joint Explanatory Statement, directed the Government Accountability
Office (GAO) to review the application and award process for fire and SAFER
grants. Additionally, FEMA was directed to peer review grant applications that best
address the program’s priorities and criteria as established by FEMA and the fire
service. Those criteria necessary for peer-review must be included in the grant
application package. Applicants whose grant applications are not reviewed must
receive an official notification detailing why the application did not meet the criteria
for review. Applications must be rank-ordered, and funded following the rank order.
Distribution of Fire Grants
The FIRE Act statute prescribes 14 different purposes for which fire grant
money may be used (see 15 U.S.C. 2229(b)(3)). These are: hiring firefighters;
training firefighters; creating rapid intervention teams; certifying fire inspectors;
establishing wellness and fitness programs; funding emergency medical services;
acquiring firefighting vehicles; acquiring firefighting equipment; acquiring personal
protective equipment; modifying fire stations; enforcing fire codes; funding fire
prevention programs; educating the public about arson prevention and detection; and
providing incentives for the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters. The
DHS has the discretion to decide which of those purposes will be funded for a given
grant year. Since the program commenced in FY2001, the majority of fire grant
funding has been used by fire departments to purchase firefighting equipment,
personal protective equipment, and firefighting vehicles. The program does not
award funding for major building construction.
Eligible applicants are limited primarily to fire departments (defined as an
agency or organization that has a formally recognized arrangement with a state, local,
or tribal authority to provide fire suppression, fire prevention and rescue services to
a population within a fixed geographical area). Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
activities are eligible for fire grants, including a limited number (no more than 2%
of funds allocated) to EMS organizations not affiliated with hospitals. Additionally,
a separate competition is held for fire prevention and firefighter safety research and
development grants, which are available to national, state, local, or community fire
prevention or safety organizations (including, but not limited to, fire departments).

⁶ Office of Management and Budget, ExpectMore.gov, Detailed Information on the Federal
Emergency Management Agency, Grants and Training Office Assistance to Firefighters
Grants Assessment, Assessment Year 2007, available at [http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/
expectmore/detail/ 10001071.2007.html ].

For official program guidelines, frequently-asked-questions, the latest awards
announcements, and other information, see the Assistance to Firefighters Grant
program web page at [http://www.firegrantsupport.com/].
The FIRE Act statute provides overall guidelines on how fire grant money will
be distributed and administered. The law directs that volunteer departments receive
a proportion of the total grant funding that is not less than the proportion of the U.S.
population that those departments protect (currently 55%). The Assistance to
Firefighters Grant Program Reauthorization Act of 2004 (Title XXXVI of P.L.108-
375) raised award caps and lowered nonfederal matching requirements (based on
recipient community population), extended eligibility to nonaffiliated emergency
medical services (i.e. ambulance services not affiliated with fire departments), and
expanded the scope of grants to include firefighter safety R&D.
There is no set geographical formula for the distribution of fire grants — fire
departments throughout the nation apply, and award decisions are made by a peer
panel based on the merits of the application and the needs of the community.
However, the law does require that fire grants should be distributed to a diverse mix
of fire departments, with respect to type of department (paid, volunteer, or
combination), geographic location, and type of community served (e.g. urban,
suburban, or rural).⁷ The Fire Act’s implementing regulation provides that:
In a few cases, to fulfill our obligations under the law to make grants to a variety
of departments, we may also make funding decisions using rank order as the
preliminary basis, and then analyze the type of fire department (paid, volunteer,
or combination fire departments), the size and character of the community it
serves (urban, suburban, or rural), and/or the geographic location of the fire
department. In these instances where we are making decisions based on⁸
geographic location, we will use States as the basic geographic unit.
According to the FY2008 Program Guidance for the Assistance to Firefighters
Program, career (paid) departments will compete against other career departments for
up to 45% of the available funding, while volunteer and combination departments⁹
will compete for at least 55% of the available funding. However, given that less than

10% of fire grant applications are historically received from career departments,¹⁰

funding levels are likely not to reach the 45% ceiling for career departments.
Additionally, each fire department that applies is classified as either urban, suburban,
or rural. In FY2005, 6% of the total number of fire grant awards went to urban
areas, 17% to suburban areas, and 77% to rural areas. Of the total amount of federal

⁷ 15 U.S.C. 2229(b)(9).
⁸ 44 CFR Part 152.6(c).
⁹ For the FY2008 round of awards, no less than 33% of AFG funds must be awarded to
combination departments, and no less than 22% of AFG funds must be awarded to all-
volunteer departments. See Department of Homeland Security, Fiscal Year 2007 Assistance
to Firefighters Grants Program and Application Guidance, February 2008, p. 7.
¹⁰ Department of Homeland Security, Fiscal Year 2007 Assistance to Firefighters Grants
Program and Application, March 2007 p. 52.

funding awarded, 11% went to urban areas, 20% to suburban areas, and 69% to rural
areas.¹¹
Finally, in an effort to maximize the diversity of awardees, the geographic
location of an applicant (using states as the basic geographic unit) is used as a
deciding factor in cases where applicants have similar qualifications. Table 5 shows
a state-by-state breakdown of fire grant funding for FY2001 through FY2007, while
Table 6 shows a state-by-state breakdown of SAFER grant funding for FY2005
through FY2007. Table 7 provides an in-depth look at the FY2007 fire grants,¹²
showing, for each state, the number of fire departments in each state, the number
of fire grant applications, the total amount requested, the total amount awarded, and
the amount of funds awarded as a percentage of funds requested. As Table 7 shows,
the entire pool of fire department applicants received, to date, about 16% of the funds
they requested in FY2007. This is down from 21% in FY2006, 22% in FY2005, 28%
in FY2004, and 34% in FY2003. This reflects the fact that the number of
applications and federal funds requested have trended upward over these years, while
appropriations for the fire grant program have declined over the same period.
Issues in the 110^th Congress
A primary issue in the 110^th Congress is how appropriations for fire grants
should compare with the authorized annual levels of $1 billion. The
Administration’s budget proposals have typically recommended significant cuts for
fire grants, as well as zero funding for SAFER grants. Opponents of the cuts have
argued that the reduced levels are inadequate to meet the needs of fire departments,
while the Administration has argued that reduced levels are sufficient to enhance
critical capabilities in the event of a terrorist attack or major disaster. Aside from
budget issues, an ongoing issue has been the focus of the fire grant program.
Administration budget proposals have sought to shift the priority of the fire grant
program to terrorism preparedness. Firefighting groups have questioned this
proposed shift, arguing that the original purpose of the Fire Act (enhancing basic
firefighting needs) should not be compromised or diluted. Similarly, in recent years,
the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have directed the AFG program
to maintain a broad all-hazards focus. S. 608, the Risk-Based Homeland Security
Grants Act of 2007, would direct DHS to conduct a study analyzing the distribution
of fire grant awards and the level of unmet firefighting equipment needs in each state.

¹¹ Department of Homeland Security, National Preparedness Directorate, Capabilities
Division, Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, FY2005 Report, p. 14.
¹² The fire grant program sets a limit of up to three applications per fire department per year
(a vehicle application, an application for operations and safety, and a regional application).
Thus, the number of fire departments in a state plays a major factor in the number of fire
grant applications submitted and the amount of total funding awarded within a given state.
For example, because Pennsylvania has — by far — the largest number of fire departments,
it is not surprising that it leads the nation in the number of fire grants applications and the
amount of funding awarded.

A related issue is the role of the U.S. Fire Administration in the administration
of the fire grant program. At its inception, the program was administered by the
USFA/FEMA and focused on enhancing the basic needs of fire departments across
the nation. In the FY2004 budget request, as part of its effort to consolidate terrorism
preparedness grants under a single entity, the Administration proposed to relocate the
fire grant program within the Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP), whose
mission was to provide state and local governments with assistance to improve their
readiness for terrorism incidents. The FY2004 DHS Appropriations Act (P.L. 108-

90) acceded to the Administration’s request, and relocated the fire grants to ODP.

The Conferees directed that DHS shall “continue current administrative practices in
a manner identical to the current fiscal year, including a peer review process of
applications, granting funds directly to local fire departments, and the inclusion of
the United States Fire Administration during grant administration.”
On January 26, 2004, then-DHS Secretary Ridge informed Congress of his
intention to consolidate ODP, including the Assistance to Firefighters Program, into
the Office of State and Local Government Coordination Preparedness (OSLGCP).
The FY2005 Homeland Security appropriations act (P.L. 108-334) placed the fire
grant program within OSLGCP. However, the Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program Reauthorization Act of 2004 (P.L. 108-375) designated administration of
the fire grant program to USFA. According to the FY2006 budget request, the fire
grant program would be administered by the OSLGCP “in cooperation with the
USFA.”
On July 13, 2005, DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff announced a restructuring
of DHS, effective October 1, 2005. Under the restructuring plan, the fire grants (as
well as the SAFER grants) were to be administered by the Office of Grants and
Training in the new DHS Directorate for Preparedness. However, legislation
considered in the 109^th Congress sought to restructure FEMA within DHS, with the
result that fire and SAFER grant programs would be transferred back to FEMA.
Ultimately, Title VI of the Conference Agreement on the DHS appropriations bill
(P.L. 109-295; H.Rept. 109-699), the Post Katrina Emergency Management Reform
Act of 2006, transferred most of the existing Preparedness Directorate (including fire
and SAFER grants and the USFA) back to an enhanced FEMA.

Table 5. State-by-State Distribution of Fire Grants,
FY2001-FY2007
(millions of dollars)
^FY^{01 FY}⁰²^FY⁰³^FY⁰⁴^FY⁰⁵^FY⁰⁶^FY⁰⁷^T^o^tal
^A^L^3.085^12.503^23.329^25.097^20.836^22.027^19.885^126.762
^A^K^1.303^2.641^5.242^2.522^3.111^0.754^2.454^18.027
^A^Z^1.37^3.6⁷^.490^9.808^7.905^4.041^4.932^39.146
^A^R^1.337^4.635^10.675^13.680^10.402^7.699^7.799^56.227
^C^A^5.905^18.978^30.060^29.793^25.631^17.856^18.730^146.953
^C^O^1.003^3.968^6.168^5.585^6.073^3.213^4.742^30.752
^C^T^1.828^4.675^10.841^9.991^7.287^5.479^6.630^46.731
^D^E^0.132^0.372^1.096^1.755^1.161^1.107^0.518^6.141
^D^C⁰⁰^.22⁰⁰^0.453⁰⁰^.376^1.049
^F^L^2.865^10.16^16.344^15.969^17.922^6.787^8.288^78.335
^G^A^2.375^6.079^13.791^11.857^10.168^8.887^9.068^62.225
^H^I⁰¹^.182^0.947^0.864^1.205^0.264^0.436^4.898
^ID^0.916^2.744^6.001^4.828^4.684^2.712^4.297^26.182
^IL^2.417^13.398^28.810^27.238^25.433^21.120^21.923^140.339
^IN^2.703^8.739^20.456^18.646^15.779^14.447^13.831^94.601
^IA^1.301^7.284^16.087^16.430^13.119^10.064^9.298^73.583
^K^S^1.153^5.118^10.850^10.211^7.165^4.984^5.502^44.983
^K^Y^2.215^7.896^19.832^16.150^14.215^13.308^13.081^86.697
^L^A^3.344^10.084^12.248^11.101^11.630^6.935^5.473^60.815
^ME^1.296^4.319^10.323^10.031^6.124^6.702^5.486^44.281
^MD^0.739^4.08^8.153^10.227^8.771^10.368^7.712^50.05
^MA^2.301^8.386^15.715^13.958^13.529^8.957^11.644^74.49
^MI^2.815^8.948^17.247^20.005^15.088^15.798^10.611^90.512
^MN^2.133^8.149^17.510^18.609^14.894^14.718^16.600^92.613
^MS^1.763^6.755^15.679^11.329^9.856^7.885^8.052^61.319
^MO^3.079^10.291^19.573^17.757^14.246^13.202^10.611^88.759
^MT^1.164^3.726^8.361^7.271^6.656^5.839^7.330^40.347
^N^E^1.034^2.392^7.820^6.577^5.116^4.399^4.443^31.781
^N^V^0.282^1.446^3.312^1.405^1.946^0.857^1.530^10.778
^N^H^0.594^1.887^4.584^5.694^4.563^3.307^3.219^23.848
^N^J^2.596^6.339^19.982^16.488^14.691^12.386^13.266^85.748
^N^M^1.455^3.463^5.048^3.653^2.259^1.461^1.367^18.706
^N^Y^3.978^14.728^34.320^35.030^36.009^33.804^22.664^180.533
^N^C^1.949^10.239^22.864^22.360^19.315^18.309^20.031^115.067

^FY^{01 FY}⁰²^FY⁰³^FY⁰⁴^FY⁰⁵^FY⁰⁶^FY⁰⁷^T^o^tal
^N^D^0.546^2.613^5.105^3.391^2.673^2.459^3.100^19.887
^O^H^2.731^13.742^26.997^29.107^27.344^25.380^26.433^151.734
^O^K^1.864^4.939^10.540^10.393^8.757^10.852^7.220^54.565
^O^R^1.596^4.892^9.896^10.122^10.014^9.288^5.943^51.751
^PA^2.89^16.97^45.179^47.898^39.233^41.259^43.610^237.039
^R^I^0.407^1.507^2.327^1.917^2.129^2.025^0.855^11.167
^S^C^1.554^5.257^11.832^14.150^10.544^8.028^10.470^61.835
^S^D^0.904^3.142^5.602^4.693^3.570^2.989^2.474^23.374
^T^N^2.46^11.509^19.306^18.686^15.047^11.209^12.955^91.172
^T^X^3.697^15.644^29.264^30.118^23.480^18.035^17.691^137.929
^U^T^0.9²^.754^4.628^3.880^2.188^2.213^3.378^19.941
^V^T^0.451^1.971^5.163^4.747^2.071^1.456^1.820^17.679
^V^A^2.066^8.79^15.816^16.668^14.357^8.317^10.403^76.417
^WA^1.535^7.544^18.808^19.565^15.763^16.150^12.951^92.316
^WV^1.067^3.966^9.942^9.133^10.143^5.838^7.070^47.159
^WI^2.077^7.518^18.234^19.668^17.685^13.994^19.439^98.615
^WY^1.09^1.612^3.507^1.811^2.032^1.197^1.645^12.894
^PR^0.657^0.382^1.643^1.140^1.104^0.528^0.019^5.473
^MP^0.145^0.225⁰⁰^0.220^0.172⁰⁰^.762
^G^U⁰⁰^.¹⁶⁰⁰⁰⁰^.²⁸⁷⁰⁰^.³
^A^S⁰^.¹⁶⁴⁰⁰⁰^.²⁸⁴⁰⁰⁰⁰^.⁴⁸
^V^I⁰^.⁷⁴¹⁰⁰^.⁵⁴⁴⁰⁰⁰⁰¹^.²⁸⁵
^T^o^t.^91.972^334.417⁶⁹⁵^.¹²¹^679.305^585.619^491.375⁴⁹⁴^.¹⁰⁸^3367.023
^Source:^Dep^a^r^t^m^eⁿ^t^o^f^Ho^m^e^lan^d^Secu^r^ity^. ^F^Y^{2007 aw}^ards^dat^aⁿ^o^t^fⁱⁿ^a^l^,^cu^rren^t^as^of^9/^22/^2008.

Table 6. State-by-State Distribution of SAFER Grants,
FY2005-FY2007
(millions of dollars)
^FY²⁰⁰⁵^FY²⁰⁰⁶^FY²⁰⁰⁷^T^o^tal
^A^l^abam^a¹^.611^6.215^{3.822 11.648}
^A^l^as^k^a^1.051^0.205^0.418^1.674
^A^rⁱ^z^on^a¹^.560^3.559^4.111^9.23
^A^r^k^aⁿ^s^as^0.394^1.820^0.377^2.591
^C^a^lⁱ^f^ornⁱ^a⁵^.221^5.212^4.119^14.552
^C^o^l^o^rado^1.584^3.479^1.730^6.793
^C^oⁿⁿ^ectⁱ^c^u^t^0.130^0.191^0.809^1.13
^D^e^l^a^w^a^re⁰⁰^.135⁰⁰^.135
^Distrⁱ^{ct o}^f^Co^lu^m^b^ia⁰⁰⁰⁰
^F^l^ori^d^a⁶^.576^9.329^4.636^20.541
^G^e^orgⁱ^a⁵^.354^2.085^2.842^10.281
^Haw^aⁱⁱ⁰⁰⁰⁰
^Idah^o⁰^.063^0.621^0.626^1.31
^I^llin^oⁱ^s¹^.3⁴⁰⁴^.⁴⁶³⁹^.⁴⁰⁶¹⁵^.²⁰⁹
^In^di^an^a⁰^0.099^2.687^2.786
^Iow^a^0.169^0.144^0.980^1.293
^K^aⁿ^s^as^0.667^0.045^1.029^1.741
^K^eⁿ^t^u^c^k^y^0.152^2.890^0.429^3.471
^L^o^uⁱ^sⁱ^an^a³^.430^3.078^4.651^11.159
^Maiⁿ^e⁰^.081⁰⁰^.316^0.397
^Mary^l^aⁿ^d^0.096^1.862^1.526^3.484
^Mas^s^ach^u^s^et^t^s^1.300^2.079^4.372^7.751
^Mi^chⁱ^g^an^1.759^0.592⁰²^.351
^Miⁿⁿ^e^s^o^t^a^0.300^1.089^0.375^1.764
^Mi^s^sⁱ^s^sⁱ^ppi^0.756^0.594^0.115^1.465
^Mi^s^s^o^u^rⁱ¹^.467^3.547^4.551^9.565
^Mon^t^an^a⁰^.034^0.255^2.635^2.924
^N^e^bras^k^a⁰⁰^.873^0.632^1.505
^N^e^v^a^da^1.500^1.714^0.632^3.846
^N^e^w^H^a^m^p^s^hⁱ^r^e⁰^.400^1.035^1.528^2.963
^N^e^w^Jers^ey^6.374^3.971^1.688^12.033
^N^e^w^Mexⁱ^co⁰³^.123^0.361^3.484
^N^e^w^Y^o^rk^1.540^2.991^2.845^7.376
^N^o^rt^h^C^a^rolⁱⁿ^a²^.155^5.533^4.631^12.319

^FY²⁰⁰⁵^FY²⁰⁰⁶^FY²⁰⁰⁷^T^o^tal
^N^o^rt^h^D^a^k^o^t^a⁰⁰^.609⁰⁰^.609
^O^hⁱ^o^1.319^1.881^2.255^5.455
^O^k^l^a^h^o^m^a^0.147^0.699^0.531^1.377
^O^r^eg^on^1.710^2.141^2.649^6.5
^Penⁿ^s^y^l^v^aⁿⁱ^a¹^.244^1.475^2.633^5.352
^R^h^{ode Is}^l^aⁿ^d^0.400⁰⁰^.105^0.505
^S^o^u^t^h^C^a^rolⁱⁿ^a⁰^.456^0.863^3.218^4.537
^S^o^u^t^h^D^a^k^o^t^a^0.063^0.311^0.211^0.585
^T^eⁿⁿ^e^s^s^e^e²^.700^2.719^3.569^8.988
^T^e^x^a^s⁰^.951^10.961^6.564^18.476
^U^t^ah^0.900^3.312^2.003^6.215
^V^e^rm^on^t⁰^0.621^0.632^1.253
^Vⁱ^rgⁱⁿⁱ^a^2.091^3.554^0.782^6.427
^Was^hⁱⁿ^g^t^on^2.298^2.897^7.024^12.219
^Wes^t^Vⁱ^rgⁱⁿⁱ^a⁰⁰^.187^0.681^0.868
^Wi^s^c^on^sⁱⁿ⁰^0.072^1.012^1.084
^Wy^omⁱⁿ^g⁰⁰⁰^.316^0.316
^P^u^{erto R}ⁱ^co⁰⁰⁰⁰
^Nort^h^e^rn^Mari^an^{a Is}^l^aⁿ^d^s⁰⁰⁰⁰
^Mar^s^h^a^{ll I}^s^lan^d^s⁰⁰⁰⁰
^Gu^am⁰⁰⁰⁰
^A^m^erican^Sam^o^a⁰⁰⁰⁰
^Vi^rgⁱⁿ^Is^l^aⁿ^d^s⁰⁰⁰⁰
^R^e^pu^blⁱ^c^of^Pal^u^a⁰⁰⁰⁰
^T^o^tal^61.356^105.142^104.659^271.157
^Source:^D^e^p^a^r^t^m^eⁿ^t^o^f^H^o^m^e^l^aⁿ^d^S^e^c^u^rⁱ^t^y^. ^F^Y^{2007 aw}^ards^dat^aⁿ^o^t^fⁱⁿ^a^l^,^cu^rren^t^as^of^9/^22/^2008.

Table 7. Requests and Awards for Fire Grant Funding, FY2007
^Federal^Federal^F^unds
^Num^b^{er of}^f^unds^f^unds^aw^ard^e^d^as^a
^fire/E^M^S^a^Num^b^{er of}^reques^t^ed^aw^ard^e^d^{% o}^f^f^unds
^St^a^t^e^depa^rt^m^e^nt^s^a^pplica^t^io^ns⁽^$^m^illio^ns)⁽^$^m^illio^ns)^reques^t^ed
^A^l^abam^a⁹⁵⁸⁷²⁰^91.230^19.885^0.2179655815
^A^l^as^k^a⁷²⁷²^13.759^{2.454 0.1783559852}
^A^rⁱ^z^on^a²⁸¹¹⁶⁶^36.489^4.932^0.135164022
^A^r^k^aⁿ^s^as⁸²⁶⁴⁵⁸^58.209^7.799^0.1339827174
^C^a^lⁱ^f^ornⁱ^a⁸⁰²⁴⁹⁹^100.560^18.730^0.186256961
^C^o^l^o^rado³⁷¹¹⁹⁷^29.258^4.742^0.1620753298
^C^oⁿⁿ^ectⁱ^c^u^t³⁹³²²⁰^40.017^6.630^0.1656795862
^D^e^l^a^w^a^re⁷⁷³²^6.217^0.518^0.083319929
^{District o}^f¹⁸²⁰^.418^0.376^0.8995215311
^Co^lu^m^b^ia
^F^l^ori^d^a⁷⁴⁸²⁹³^60.133^8.288^0.137827815
^G^e^orgⁱ^a⁷⁹²³³¹^57.090^9.068^0.1588369242
^H^a^w^aⁱⁱ¹⁸⁴¹^.168^0.436^0.3732876712
^Idah^o²¹¹¹¹¹^18.762^4.297^0.2290267562
^Illin^ois¹⁰⁸¹⁸⁵⁸^130.841^21.923^0.1675545127
^In^di^an^a⁶⁵⁶⁴⁸⁰^83.228^13.831^0.1661820541
^Iow^a⁸⁶²⁵³¹^61.512^9.298^0.1511574977
^K^aⁿ^s^as⁶⁷⁴²⁹⁸^36.207^5.502^0.1519595658
^K^eⁿ^t^u^c^k^y⁷⁹⁷⁶¹⁸^86.117^13.081^0.1518979992
^L^o^uⁱ^sⁱ^an^a⁵⁵⁵²⁵⁶^40.891^5.473^0.1338436331
^Maiⁿ^e⁴²⁶³⁰⁰^41.620^5.486^0.131811629
^Mary^l^aⁿ^d⁴⁰⁸²⁰²^40.003^7.712^0.1927855411
^Mas^s^ach^u^s^et^t^s⁴⁰⁷³³⁹^65.842^11.644^0.1768476049
^Mi^chⁱ^g^an⁸⁵⁸⁷⁵⁵^107.539^15.399^0.143194562
^Miⁿⁿ^e^s^o^t^a⁷⁶⁸⁵⁷⁴^74.210^16.600^0.2236895297
^Mi^s^sⁱ^s^sⁱ^ppi⁷⁵⁶⁴⁹⁸^64.418^8.052^0.1249961191
^Mi^s^s^o^u^rⁱ⁸⁶²⁵⁸⁷^76.915^10.611^0.1379574855
^Mon^t^an^a²⁷⁹²³²^36.531^7.330^0.2006515015
^N^e^bras^k^a⁴⁸⁵²⁰¹^23.130^4.443^0.1920881971

^Federal^Federal^F^unds
^Num^b^{er of}^f^unds^f^unds^aw^ard^e^d^as^a
^fire/E^M^S^a^Num^b^{er of}^reques^t^ed^aw^ard^e^d^{% o}^f^f^unds
^St^a^t^e^depa^rt^m^e^nt^s^a^pplica^t^io^ns⁽^$^m^illio^ns)⁽^$^m^illio^ns)^reques^t^ed
^N^e^v^a^da¹⁵⁹²⁷^6.640^1.530^0.2304216867
^New²⁵⁵¹⁴³^18.716^3.219^0.1719918786
^Ham^p^sh^ire
^N^e^w^Jers^ey¹⁰³⁷⁶⁰⁹^93.805^13.266^0.141421033
^N^e^w^Mexⁱ^co³³⁷⁹⁹^14.804^1.367^0.092339908
^N^e^w^Y^o^rk¹⁸⁸⁰¹²³⁸^162.786^22.664^0.1392257319
^N^o^rt^h^C^a^rolⁱⁿ^a¹⁴⁰⁷⁷²¹^112.471^20.032^0.1781081345
^N^o^rt^h^D^a^k^o^t^a³²²¹⁶³^20.217^3.100^0.1533363011
^O^hⁱ^o¹³³²⁹⁸⁴^160.235^26.433^0.1649639592
^O^k^l^a^h^o^m^a⁷⁷²⁴⁷⁸^59.814^7.221^0.1207242452
^O^r^eg^on³⁵⁸²⁰²^31.343^5.943^0.1896117155
^Penⁿ^s^y^l^v^aⁿⁱ^a²⁶²⁴²⁰³¹^299.338^43.611^0.1456914926
^R^h^{ode Is}^l^aⁿ^d⁹⁸⁷¹^13.980^0.855^0.061158798
^S^o^u^t^h^C^a^rolⁱⁿ^a⁵⁹¹³⁸¹^53.721^10.471^0.1949144655
^S^o^u^t^h^D^a^k^o^t^a³⁴⁵¹⁷²^19.604^2.474^0.126198735
^T^eⁿⁿ^e^s^s^e^e⁶⁴²⁶³⁴^84.878^12.955^0.1526308348
^T^e^x^a^s¹⁸⁷³⁸²⁶^128.511^17.691^0.1376613675
^U^t^ah²¹⁹¹²³^18.785^3.378^0.1798243279
^V^e^rm^on^t²⁵⁴¹¹⁵^17.402^1.820^0.1045856798
^Vⁱ^rgⁱⁿⁱ^a⁸¹⁰³¹⁸^56.800^10.403^0.1831514085
^Was^hⁱⁿ^g^t^on⁵³⁸³⁵⁹^74.687^12.951^0.1734036713
^Wes^t^Vⁱ^rgⁱⁿⁱ^a⁴⁷⁶²⁹⁹^48.579^7.069^0.145515552
^Wi^s^c^on^sⁱⁿ⁸⁹⁸⁷⁴⁶^103.653^19.439^0.1875391933
^Wy^omⁱⁿ^g¹³⁴⁴⁵^8.843^1.645^0.1860228429
^Pu^ert^o^Rⁱ^co^N^o^t^av^ai^l^a^bl^e¹⁰⁹^7.420^0.019^0.00256065
^Nort^h^e^rn^N^o^t^av^ai^l^a^bl^e¹^0.204⁰⁰
^Marian^as
^G^u^am^N^o^t^av^ai^l^a^bl^e¹^0.451⁰⁰
^To^t^a^l^31,822^20,731^3100.309^494.108^15.94%
^Source:^D^e^part^m^eⁿ^t^of^H^o^m^e^l^aⁿ^d^S^ecu^ri^t^y^.^F^Y²⁰⁰⁷^aw^ards^dat^aⁿ^o^t^fⁱⁿ^a^l^,^cu^rren^t^as^of^8/^6/^2008.
^{a. Data f}^r^om^[h^ttp://f^ireh^ou^s^e^.com^{], u}^{pdated J}^aⁿ^u^a^ry^2008.