LON SLEPICKA
Firehouse.Com News
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a Department of Defense (DoD)
appropriations bill last week that provides $290 million to the Firefighter
Investment and Response Enhancement (FIRE) program for Fiscal Year 2002.
This bill and the House version of the DOD appropriation bill will now be
merged into one version by a conference committee.
The House version did not provide any money for the FIRE Act grant program
so the question is will the funding survive in the bill which will go back
to the House and Senate for a final vote. Staff members in Senator Chris
Dodd’s (D-CT) office, felt the additional money would be forthcoming. Dodd
has been a leading advocate of the FIRE Act and worked to add the money in
this Senate version.
On Nov. 26, President George W. Bush signed into law H.R. 2620, the
"Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and
Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2002." Within this appropriation
lies the funding for the next FEMA grant program for fire departments across
the country, $150 million. With the additional money now being discussed,
the funding level would reach $440 million
That too is dependent on other Congressional action being considered at this
time. The maximum authorized to be spent in FY 2002 on the grant program is
$300 million. Changing that to $900 million is part of the reconsideration
being given to the Department of Defense Authorization Bill wherein the
grant program lives.
If that change happens, then the $440 million could be realized. If that
change is not made, it could still grow to $300 million.
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