On May 22, the Senate adopted an amendment to the defense authorization bill that will establish a program to assist local governments in hiring additional firefighters.

The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Firefighters Act authorizes $3 billion over three years to facilitate the hiring and retention of needed firefighters to augment safer, more efficient fire service responses to all hazards and risks, including acts of terrorism.

The Senate is expected to complete work on the defense authorization bill shortly. The House already has passed its version, which does not contain the SAFER Act provision. Soon the bill will go to a Senate — House conference to negotiate a single bill.

The Senate measure is not the full $7 billion, seven-year SAFER package originally proposed by the International Association of Fire Fighters and endorsed by the IAFC.