[20190327]IN11022_消防员援助金：第116届国会的国土安全问题.pdf

CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress INSIGHTINSIGHTi i Firefighter Assistance Grants: Homeland Security Issues in the 116th Congress Lennard G. Kruger Specialist in Science and Technology Policy Updated March 27, 2019 Background Structural firefightingwhich typically refers to fighting fires in residential, commercial, and other types of buildingsis primarily the responsibility of local governments. During the 1990s, shortfalls in state and local budgets, coupled with increased responsibilities of local fire departments, led many in the fire service community to call for additional financial support from the federal government. In response, Congress established firefighter assistance grant programs within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide additional support for local fire departments. In 2000, the 106th Congress established the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG), which provides grants directly to local fire departments and unaffiliated Emergency Medical Services (EMS) organizations to help address a variety of equipment, vehicle, training, and other firefighter-related and EMS needs. AFG also supports fire prevention projec