WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) issued the statements below after the Senate passed the Fire Grants and Safety Act, bipartisan legislation to continue providing federal funding for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant programs. This bill now goes to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

“Firefighters put their lives on the line every day to save lives. We need to invest in our local fire departments and ensure that they have the funding they need to hire and train firefighters and purchase life-saving equipment,” said Klobuchar. “That’s why I worked to pass the bipartisan Fire Grants and Safety Act which will support fire departments in Minnesota and across the country.” 

“Firefighters do one of the most difficult jobs possible, often at the risk of immense personal injury, to keep our families and loved ones safe. This funding is our way of giving them the support they need to do their jobs as safely and effectively as possible,” said Smith. “This bill means better equipment to protect firefighters on the job, increased funding for departments to hire additional firefighters, and ensures departments get the staff and resources they need to be ready to go in the case of an emergency. I am proud to support this legislation.”

“These programs are vital to us. Fire Grants and Safety Act programs give our cities and fire departments the funding we need to provide firefighters with equipment and staffing to keep people safe. It’s crucial to us that it is in effect and fully funded,” said Thomas Thornberg, 5th District Vice President of the International Association of Fire Fighters. 

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant program helps firefighters and other first responders obtain critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training and other resources. Since 2015, fire departments in Minnesota have received over $59 million in AFG grants.

The SAFER Grants program provides direct funding to fire departments and volunteer firefighter organizations to increase or maintain the number of trained "front line" firefighters and enhance their capacity to comply with staffing, response, and operational standards.  Since 2015, fire departments across Minnesota have received over $33 million in SAFER grants.

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