SAFER, AFG Grants Funded at FY '12 Levels

SAFER and AFG grants will be funded at the same level as last year.

The House passed the FY '13 budget Thursday, a day after the Senate approved the spending plan.

This funds the federal government through Sept. 30.

All local fire service organizations have been lobbying Congressional leaders about the importance of funding the grants to help purchase equipment, hire and retain staff.

A breakdown of the funding shows:

• U.S. Fire Administration: $41.96 million
• FIRE grant program: $320.31 million
• SAFER grant program: $320.31 million
• Urban Search and Rescue: $33.39 million
• State Homeland Security Grant Program: $328.95 million
• Urban Areas Security Initiative: $474.90 million
• U.S. Department of Interior, Wildland Fire Management: $688.5 million
• U.S. Forest Service, Wildland Fire Management: $1.846 billion