The Local Impact of Federal Programs: Arcuri's Message About Fire Grants

Our new Congressman, Michael Arcuri, recently sent a mailer indicating his current legislative priorities. High on his list was full funding for grants to local fire departments.

We called Arcuri’s office to get more details. According to Peter Scalise, on staff in Arcuri’s Utica office, President Bush’s 2008 budget calls for only $300 million for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Programs (Fire Grants) and ZERO funding for Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Firefighters (SAFER) grants. According to Arcuri, for the 2007 year, Congress appropriated $547 million for Fire Grants, and $115 million for SAFER. Funding had been as high as a total of $750 million in fiscal years 2003 and 2004, in the immediate aftermath of 9/11.

The “primary goal” of the Fire Grants program is “to meet the firefighting and emergency response needs of fire departments and nonaffiliated emergency medical services organizations.” (For more about that program, click here.)

City of Geneva firefighters have received Fire Grants funding four of the past five years, including: in 2004, the amount of $96,840, for equipment, including personal protection equipment; in 2005, the amount of $111, 032, for a similar purpose. This is a case of taxpayer money put to good use! Of all the government spending programs, we cannot understand why this one would be in the crosshairs.

Arcuri sent a letter to the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee requesting an increase in federal funding to support our community firefighters. In that letter, he said, “We ask far too many of our firefighters to risk their lives in our defense every day…and we have an obligation to provide them the necessary resources to perform their jobs as safely and effectively as possible.” (For full text of their letter, click here.)

In Geneva, we certainly count on our fire department to be there in an emergency. The coordination of the paid professional members and the three volunteer companies yields a dedicated, well-trained, and fast response system. The federal and state governments create these grant programs with the understanding that public safety is a primary concern. They should continue to fund them.

To send a letter of support to restore funding for Fire Grants and SAFER, visit Congressman Arcuri’s website and send an e-mail.