Rep. Sykes Fights for Federal Funding for Local Fire and EMS Departments
WASHINGTON, D.C.— This week, U.S. Representative Emilia Strong Sykes (OH-13) voted in support of federal funding for local Fire Departments and Emergency Medical Services included in H.R. 4090, the Fire Grants and Safety Act of 2023, during a House Committee on Science, Space and Technology hearing.
“Firefighters are true champions of our communities, and local fire departments across Ohio’s 13th Congressional District rely on federal funding to respond quickly and efficiently to emergencies across our district. I am honored to co-sponsor the bipartisan Fire Grants and Safety Act of 2023, which will continue to provide funds to keep our firefighters safe on the job,” said Rep. Sykes. “I am grateful to be a part of this Committee, where we’re doing what our constituents sent us here to do: prioritize our frontline workers and put taxpayer dollars to good use. I will always fight for those who fight for us and who put their lives on the line to protect our communities.”
H.R. 4090 reauthorizes the U.S. Fire Administration – the primary federal agency for fire data collection, public fire education, fire research and fire service training – and significantly expands federal funding for the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants, which provide critical assistance to address the equipment, training, and resource needs of local fire departments and emergency service providers.
In 2020 and 2021, 649 Ohio fire departments received funding from AFG grants. In Ohio’s 13th Congressional District, Jackson Township received $340,000, the Canton Fire Department Received $329,000, the Akron Fire Department received $320,000, the Munroe Falls Fire Department received $60,000 and the Fairlawn Fire Department received $47,000.
View Rep. Sykes’s remarks here.