Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise in support of S. 870, the Fire Grants and Safety Act. This critically important legislation reauthorizes several important programs in the Department of Homeland Security--DHS. Specifically, the legislation reauthorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency's--FEMA--Assistance to Firefighters Grants--AFG--grant program, the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response--SAFER--grant program, and the U.S. Fire Administration--USFA. Without action by Congress, the authorizations for these programs will lapse in September 2024. AFG grants help ensure that departments have the resources they need to train and equip their personnel. This includes vital personal protective equipment that firefighters and EMS personnel need to do their jobs safely. SAFER grants help ensure departments can meet staffing requirements through hiring of firefighters and recruitment and retention activities. I am particularly proud of the work of USFA, which is headquartered in Emmitsburg, MD. Its mission is to support and strengthen fire and emergency medical services--EMS--and stakeholders to prepare for, prevent, mitigate and respond to all hazards. USFA ensures that the fire service is prepared to respond to all hazards and is the lead Federal agency for fire data collection, public fire education, fire research, and fire service training.…”