U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Friday announced committee passage of the fiscal year 2014 Homeland Security spending bill, which includes $675 million in funding for our nation’s first responders.
“I support this bill because it’s a jobs bill and it’s a community safety bill,” Senator Mikulski said. “The federal funding helps our firehouses hire and retain the first responders they need to keep our communities safe. Every day when our first responders report for duty, they don’t know what they will face. This funding will provide our protectors with the equipment, training and resources they need to do their jobs.”
The legislation includes $675 million in federal funding for our nation’s firefighters through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFGP). This includes $337.5 million for Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG), which funds firefighting equipment, personal protection equipment, training, firefighting vehicles, firefighter/first responder safety projects and public fire safety education. The total also includes $337.5 million for Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants, which fund staffing, recruitment and retention.
Senator Mikulski helped create the AFGP in 2001, recognizing the importance of federal assistance as both urban and rural communities struggled to meet basic response needs. Since then, Maryland fire departments and Emergency Medical Services units have won 587 awards totaling almost $127 million.
“I know how important this funding is to Maryland communities – often it’s the difference between life and death,” Senator Mikulski said. “First responders protect our homes and communities, and the federal government has a responsibility to protect them by providing them with the tools they need to do their jobs safer and smarter. That’s why I fight every year for the equipment, training and staffing our protectors and communities deserve.”
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