A House-Senate conference committee last week approved a final version of the Department of Homeland Security appropriation for Fiscal Year 2010 that doubles funding for Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants.

HR 2892 increases the SAFER appropriation to $420 million. The bill passed the House by a vote of 307-114, and is scheduled for a final vote in the Senate. President Obama is expected to sign the bill into law.



A new law expanded the use of SAFER grants, allowing fire departments to use SAFER funds to rehire firefighters who were laid off and restore cuts made to staffing as a result of the financial crisis, in addition to providing grants to grow fire departments. The law also waives the local funding match for SAFER in 2009 and 2010.

HR 2892 also provides $390 million for Assistance to Firefighter grants, $50 million for interoperable communications grants and $887 million in homeland-security grants for urban areas.