Bill Overview
Title: Fire Grants and Safety Act
Description: This bill reauthorizes through FY2030 the U.S. Fire Administration, the Assistance to Firefighters (AFG) Grants Program, and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant Program. The bill imposes a new sunset date of 2032 for the SAFER and AFG programs.
Sponsors: Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI]
Target Audience
Population: Global population benefiting from improved fire and emergency services
Estimated Size: 330000000
- Firefighters will directly benefit from programs like the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) as they provide necessary funding to improve safety and staffing.
- The general population, especially communities with fire departments that receive funding, will indirectly benefit from improved fire services.
- U.S. Fire Administration personnel are involved as their administration is reauthorized, impacting their operations and potential future planning.
- Community members, including homeowners and business owners, benefit from enhanced firefighting and emergency services.
Reasoning
- The policy primarily targets firefighters through funding grants (AFG and SAFER), which are expected to improve working conditions, equipment, and staffing. This can have a considerable positive impact on firefighters directly involved and, indirectly, on the communities they serve.
- The U.S. population, especially those in rural or underfunded areas, could benefit from improved fire services due to better equipment and more staffing. Such improvements in public safety could raise the well-being of these residents in the long term.
- The funding is quite substantial over the years, allowing for significant improvements. Still, it's a fraction of the larger U.S. budget, which limits the scale of the impact, though ensuring it remains significant for targeted beneficiaries.
- It's crucial to consider geographic and population density variations, as well as existing resource disparities across U.S. fire departments, to assess this policy effectively.
Simulated Interviews
Firefighter (Houston, TX)
Age: 35 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I believe this funding can improve our capacity significantly by giving us access to better equipment and additional training resources.
- It would potentially reduce the stress of shortage of hands on critical calls.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Firefighter (Des Moines, IA)
Age: 41 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 8.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This funding means our department might finally get the gear we desperately need.
- Volunteer fire departments like ours could change for the better with proper resources.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Fire Chief (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Enhancing our funds could allow us to cover more ground and improve our service response time.
- I hope a significant part of this funding is allocated toward urban fire departments which face unique challenges.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 6 |
Homemaker (Portland, ME)
Age: 30 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Knowing that the local fire department will have better resources puts me at ease.
- I hope this policy means faster response times and more security for our community.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Retired (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 62 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- A policy like this means a great deal, especially for older residents in fire-prone areas.
- I expect a quicker and more effective response to wildfire alerts which gives me peace of mind.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Emergency Response Coordinator (Memphis, TN)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- With the right funds, our training programs can be expanded tremendously.
- Stronger collaborations between fire departments and emergency response units will be facilitated.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 6 |
Small Business Owner (Chicago, IL)
Age: 55 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Improved fire services mean reduced risks for my business.
- I'm optimistic that the grants could lower our insurance costs over time by making the area safer.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Construction Worker (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 33 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy could lead to more stringent fire safety codes enforced by better-equipped fire departments.
- Eventually, this policy may increase our compliance work, but it's for a good cause.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Nurse (New York, NY)
Age: 47 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 16/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Enhancements in fire services will contribute to better safety measures in densely populated areas like ours.
- Property owners and residents will feel safer with more proactive fire departments.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Software Developer (Seattle, WA)
Age: 23 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 18/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Though I work primarily indoors, knowing outdoor events will have safer setups is reassuring.
- I don't see a direct impact on me immediately, but community safety improvements are always welcome.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $900000000 (Low: $800000000, High: $1000000000)
Year 2: $900000000 (Low: $800000000, High: $1000000000)
Year 3: $900000000 (Low: $800000000, High: $1000000000)
Year 5: $900000000 (Low: $800000000, High: $1000000000)
Year 10: $900000000 (Low: $800000000, High: $1000000000)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- Historical funding levels for the AFG and SAFER programs have been significant, and reauthorization requires Congressional budgeting.
- The impact on public safety is an indirect economic benefit to ensuring fire departments are adequately staffed and equipped.
- The AFG and SAFER grant competitive nature means that not all fire departments will receive funding, which could lead to regional disparities in benefits observed.
- The U.S. Fire Administration's role in supporting fire services and research continues to be important, potentially necessitating increased usage of advanced technologies that might require additional funding in the future.