Senate Majority Leader Schumer Visits Glens Falls to Champion Firefighters

On Tuesday, April 4th, 2023, Senator Chuck Schumer stood along local officials at the Glens Falls Fire Department on Ridge Road. He visited the Glens Falls Fire Department to announce his plan to save a program known as “SAFER’” which helps provide fire departments with funding for crucial equipment and supplies… The funding for this program is expected to run out this year. 

 Senator Schumer is championing the Fire Grants and Safety Act of 2023 to reauthorize funds through the U.S. Fire Administration. This bill would reauthorize appropriations for the operations of the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), and for two grant programs that the organization administers. The Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) funds training and purchases equipment and vehicles. The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) helps state and tribal fire departments hire and retain firefighters and first responders. This bill was introduced to the Senate on February 28th, 2023.

Warren and Washington County have received nearly a million dollars from these programs in the past three years, and Senator Schumer is rallying support to pass the Fire Grants and Safety Act in the Senate by the end of this month: “We really depend on these folks, the Capital region in the last three years has gotten over 16-million dollars to help our firefighters. New York State over the life of the program has gotten 700-million, and they pay for things like up-to-date pumper trucks. The kind of breathing equipment is much better now, so firefighters can breathe pure oxygen. This is a very important program we have to fight for it. We believe in our firefighters and they need the help,” Schumer said at the event. 

This bill would authorize the appropriation of $95-million each year over the 2024 to 2030 period for the USFA’s operations. Congress would collect and provide $58-million for that purpose in the fiscal year of 2023.