April 08, 2024

Senator Warren Encourages Massachusetts Fire Departments to Apply for Federal Funding Grants

“Federal SAFER grants are a key resource to ensure that firefighters—and the cities and towns you serve—are appropriately protected from fire-related dangers”  

Career, volunteer, and combination fire departments are eligible to apply for a SAFER grant no later than April 12, 2024. 

Letter to PFFM Text (PDF) | Letter to FCAM Text (PDF) | Letter to MMA Text (PDF)

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent a letter to the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts, Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts, and the Massachusetts Municipal Association, encouraging them to apply for Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) new round of Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) to provide direct federal funding for fire departments in Massachusetts. The funding would help hire new firefighters, retain current employees, provide training and education for firefighters, and purchase equipment and supplies.

“I know that Massachusetts fire departments face funding challenges that can make it difficult for some to train and recruit new firefighters and maintain staffing levels that meet community needs,” said Senator Warren. “To address these needs, [FEMA] recently announced that applications are now open for [SAFER] grant program, with approximately $360 million in funding available for communities across the country.”

Career, volunteer, and combination fire departments are eligible to apply for a SAFER grant no later than April 12, 2024. 

“Federal SAFER grants are a key resource to ensure that firefighters—and the cities and towns you serve—are appropriately protected from fire-related dangers. I highly encourage [these organizations] to make the most of the opportunity provided through FEMA’s new round of SAFER grants, and look forward to working with you to bring this funding home to your community,” concluded Senator Warren. 

Senator Warren has led the charge to bring federal investments back home to Massachusetts that strengthen communities and improve the lives of residents, including: 

  • In March 2024, Senators Warren and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), along with the entire Massachusetts delegation, announced $213.4 million in CDS in the Fiscal Year 2024 spending bills for projects across the state.  
  • In March 2024, Senator Warren, Governor Maura Healey, Mayor Michelle Wu, and the Massachusetts congressional delegation announced they had secured $335 million in federal funding for Allston’s I-90 project.
  • In March 2024, Senators Warren and Markey, along with Congressman Keating, applauded the inclusion of $350 million in federal funding for the Cape Cod Bridges in the Fiscal Year 2024 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act. This followed a December 2023, announcement from the lawmakers that the Department of Transportation had awarded the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and Army Corps a $372 million grant to start replacing the Cape Cod Bridges under its Mega (National Infrastructure Project Assistance) grant program.
  • In February 2024, Senator Warren released a report, The Economic Impact of Federal Investments in Massachusetts, detailing over $50 billion in federal funding that Senator Warren has fought for and helped win for Massachusetts families since taking office in 2013 — funding and investments that have helped build and maintain roads and bridges, improve broadband access to all corners of the Commonwealth, invest in public transit and energy infrastructure, supply electric school buses, fund research and innovation, support firefighters, and enable community projects.
  • In February 2024, Senators Warren and Markey announced $151 million in federal funding for Massachusetts from the Environmental Protection Agency, which invested in drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure upgrades across Massachusetts. 
  • In December 2023, Senator Warren announced the Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission (CMRPC) a $480,000 grant for their Safe Streets for All (SS4A) Regional Action Plan and the Worcester Main South Demonstration Project.
  • In October 2023, Senators Warren and Markey, with Representative Pressley, celebrated the Department of Transportation awarding nearly $4 million — through the first round of the Fiscal Year 2023 Safe Streets and Roads for All grants — to make safe bike paths accessible by developing critical transportation infrastructure, including pavement markings, signs, and biker lanes, which will bolster roadway safety and connectivity in Somerville.

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