Last Week At A Las Vegas Fire Station, Senator Rosen Called On The Senate To Swiftly Pass This Legislation And Provide Fire Departments With Funding To Hire More Firefighters
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) helped pass the bipartisan Fire Grants and Safety Act in the Senate, which will reauthorize key federal programs that provide robust funding to local fire departments and help them hire more firefighters. Last week, Senator Rosen visited a local fire department in Las Vegas to highlight the need for the Senate to pass this legislation. Earlier this year, Senator Rosen helped advance the Fire Grants and Safety Act out of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
“Whether it’s battling fires that threaten our communities or swiftly responding to emergencies, Nevadans rely on our firefighters to keep our state safe. I’m glad my Senate colleagues followed my call to pass this bipartisan legislation so we can give local fire departments the funding they need to purchase life-saving equipment and hire more firefighters,” said Senator Rosen. “As this legislation heads to the House of Representatives, I’ll continue pushing to ensure it’s signed into law quickly.”
“I joined Senator Rosen last week at Station 108 in Las Vegas to call on Congress to pass the Fire Grants and Safety Act, and I want to thank her for helping pass it today,” said Fernando Gray, Las Vegas Fire and Rescue Chief. “This will bring critical funding for Nevada’s firefighters and allow us to hire more firefighters, as well as give us equipment to be more effective in our life-saving efforts.”
“The Fire Grants and Safety Act will bring needed resources to the local fire departments who work every day to keep our communities safe,” said Reno Fire Chief David Cochran. “We thank Senator Rosen for helping pass this bill to support our firefighters and our departments.”
“These grant programs will allow us to obtain needed protective, life-saving equipment and hire more firefighters, providing an increased ability for fire departments to respond to emergencies,” said Sean Slamon, Carson City Fire Department Chief. “We appreciate Senator Rosen’s work on behalf of Nevada firefighters and helping to see that these critical programs continue.”
Specifically, the Fire Grants and Safety Act would reauthorize the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Program, which help fund fire departments across the United States to purchase equipment and hire more firefighters. This bill would also increase the annual authorization for the U.S. Fire Administration by about $20 million while maintaining the authorized annual funding level for SAFER and AFG at $750 million.
As a leader in the effort to support first responders, Senator Rosen continues to stand up for firefighters in the face of more bruising wildfire seasons in Nevada in recent years. Last year, she helped deliver a historic pay raise and benefits funding for federal wildland firefighters through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Senator Rosen continues pushing the federal government to do more to support federal firefighters.
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