ON AFG Funding

The recent news about Obama’s funding for the Safer and AFG grants seems against what he has said about “Yes we Can” speeches. Why would someone cut the findings main areas and place it into where it benefits career departments over the volunteer departments. In the last survey, the volunteer fire service is making a strong showing. About 87% percent of fire departments registered in the national census are predominantly volunteer (70.6% all volunteer and 16.2% mostly volunteer), according to Alex Furr,  director of the USFA National Fire Data Center. Furr said 8.5% of the registered departments are career departments and 4.7% are mostly career departments.  The safer grant is all fine and well for career departments with only 5% going to recruitment and retention for the volunteers.

Seems one sided. While there is no doubt that the safer grants will allow municipalities to staff jobs, then you have to remember they have to fund these jobs after the safer grant runs out. It that when the cuts will come again for those departments. Seems that if the majority of fire departments are volunteer than it would seem that the money should go towards perks for the volunteers by tax breaks, compensation for training etc.

Here is what the NVFC is saying President Proposes Dramatic Reduction in Funding for Firefighter Equipment, Training and Apparatus

Firehouse posted this story DHS Secretary Cites Firefighter Input in Reducing AFG Funding