Legislation and Funding
As part of the FireRescue1 Legislation & Funding topic, we highlight articles that will affect the bottom line of fire department budgets and operations.
The state is sending funding to 114 volunteer fire companies to help pay for wildfire gear, equipment, communications tools and training ahead of peak spring fire season.
A bill that would let unions negotiate earlier retirement and higher pension caps for newly hired public safety workers is drawing support from labor groups and warnings from local governments over rising costs
The National Volunteer Fire Council is calling on firefighters to contact lawmakers as the DHS shutdown has delayed grants and shuttered the National Fire Academy
Vice President JD Vance used the IAFF’s Alfred K. Whitehead Legislative Conference to highlight White House backing for firefighter legislation, including Social Security reform, grant funding and toxic exposure protections
Rock Volunteer Fire Department Chief Charley Pearson declined a $250,000 donation from Google, saying public trust outweighed the needed funding
Volunteer fire departments across New York are pushing for legislation that could allow stipends of up to $12,000 a year as recruitment and retention struggles deepen
Sherman Fire Rescue handled about 600 calls outside city limits in 2025, but officials say the current system funding those responses may not be sustainable
Rock Falls and Sterling fire departments will be able to expand hands-on training and improve public safety across the Sauk Valley
The bill would shield registered fire and rescue employees from employer penalties for legal, off-duty medical cannabis use, while opponents warn the lack of an impairment test could create public safety risks
GRFD used a fleet scorecard, stock and used apparatus purchases, and an in-house EVT program to stabilize operations and reset its replacement plan
Tucson Station 14 features individualized alerting, on-site decontamination and upgraded living and fitness space
As CAL FIRE transitions from a 72-hour to a 66-hour workweek to improve firefighter well-being, overtime is reaching nearly a quarter of the department’s payroll
Gov. Ned Lamont wants to create a mortgage assistance program and offer public college tuition waivers to police officers and firefighters with at least five years of service
The proposed Halo Act would criminalize interfering with Kentucky firefighters, EMTs and law enforcement within 25 feet after a warning
Since launching in May, Carroll County Department of Fire & EMS has administered blood transfusions in the field 17 times, saving 14 lives and securing five years of funding through a new federal grant
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis said the federal funding will support a new Staten Island EMS classroom site, upgrades at Squad 8 and other FDNY firehouses
FEMA says it can continue emergency response early in a shutdown, but prolonged funding gaps could disrupt planning with state and local partners
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Homeland Security officials warned Congress that a funding lapse could delay disaster relief reimbursements, disrupt cybersecurity response and training
Center County plans to replace 1,031 portable radios and 331 mobile radios, citing aging equipment, rural dead zones and rising replacement costs
New FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore says low EMS pay is hurting recruitment and retention as medical calls make up the majority of the department’s workload
Cooper died in June from occupational lung cancer after decades of service, and his family will receive $100,000 in state death benefits
Ill. voters to decide on 131.95% fire district tax rate increase for ambulance staffing
The Bloomington Fire Department says the added day off between shifts has attracted more applicants, including a growing number of EMT-certified recruits
House Bill 4936 would amend state law to reduce the minimum age from 21 and expand eligibility for older first-time applicants
FASNY officials say New York has lost a third of its volunteer firefighters in the past two decades, prompting the association to roll out a volunteer optimization legislative initiative
Loveland Fire Rescue Authority Fire Chief Tim Sendelbach was placed on administrative leave by the board, sparking pushback from members
Facing the loss of an $800,000 federal SAFER grant, the Templeton Community Services District voted to keep two full-time fire engineers on staff
An $866,000 Community Development Grant will fund renovations to Bridgeport’s 54-year-old firehouse, adding decontamination facilities and safety upgrades to improve response and protect firefighters’ health
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