DHS Makes $648 Million Available to Help Firefighters and First Responders Nationwide

WASHINGTON -- FEMA today announced $648 million in three funding opportunities to help firefighters and other first responders stay safe while protecting lives and communities nationwide. Through these three funding opportunities, FEMA is empowering fire stations and other first responder organizations to get the equipment, staff and support they need.

"When a disaster strikes, firefighters and other first responders are often the first ones on the scene, making them a critical component of every community's emergency response capabilities," said Senior Official Performing the Duties of FEMA Administrator, Robert Fenton. "These heroes put their lives on the line every day for all of us, and FEMA is proud to support them. The funding announced today will help fire departments across the country hire more trained staff, buy better equipment and keep their workforce healthier."

The funding opportunities published today span three separate grant programs:

• FEMA will award $291.6 million though Assistance to Firefighters Grants(AFG) to fire departments and other emergency medical services agencies. Recipients can use the money to acquire personal protective equipment and emergency response vehicles. They can also use it to fund health, wellness and resiliency initiatives to prepare responders for incidents.
• FEMA will award $324 million in Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) funding to fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations. Recipients can use this money to pay salaries for firefighters, enabling them to stay well-staffed. They can also use the money to recruit more people into the fire service and retain them.
• FEMA will award $32.4 million through the Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) grant program to fire departments and non-profit organizations, academic and other research-oriented institutions. Recipients can use this money to fund research and clinical studies focused on community fire prevention and firefighter safety, health and well-being.

The application period for all three grant programs opens on May 19, 2026, and will close on June 22, 2026.

Eligible applicants can review the full funding opportunities for all three programs on Grants.gov. Before applying, FEMA encourages applicants to review the various resources published on FEMA.gov, which will help them develop strong applications. Applicants may also attend live webinars during May to ask questions about the application process. Visit FEMA.gov for more information.