Senate negotiators still need to convince House counterparts to retain reauthorization language

The Senate late yesterday evening unanimously accepted an amendment to reauthorize the Assistance to Firefighters (FIRE) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant programs as well as the U.S. Fire Administration through Fiscal Year 2017. Specifically, an amendment to S. 3254, the National Defense Authorization Act, reauthorized the FIRE and SAFER grant programs and the USFA.

“This is an important victory for America’s fire and emergency service,” said Chief Hank Clemmensen, IAFC‘s president and chairman, in a statement. “Fire service organizations and their allies in Congress worked many years to bring this legislation to fruition.”

The amendment, sponsored by Senator Joseph Lieberman (CT) and co-sponsored by Senators Susan Collins (ME), Thomas Carper (DE) and Scott Brown (MA), authorizes funding for USFA and the two grant programs through Fiscal Year 2017. In addition, the amendment makes improvements to the AFG and SAFER grant programs, including raising current grant caps, reducing the local match under FIRE, simplifying the local match under SAFER and providing waivers for communities facing significant economic hardship.

Full article here.