The House and Senate have passed FY 2012 appropriations legislation funding several federal agencies including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which administers several programs that benefit emergency responders.

The legislation provides $337.5 million each for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Responder (SAFER) grant program, a collective reduction of $135 million from FY 2011 when both programs were funded at $405 million.

“I’m pleased that Congress was able to pass appropriations legislation before the end of the year but I’m disappointed with the scope of these cuts,” said National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) Chairman Philip C. Stittleburg. “I think we all recognize that because of the budget deficit, difficult decisions have to be made. With that said, a 17 percent reduction in funding, especially for a program like AFG that will now be operating on about a 10-to-1 ratio in terms of funds requested to funds available, doesn’t seem justified.”

The United States Fire Administration (USFA) will receive $44.038 million in FY 2012, a $1.5 million reduction from FY 2011 but $1.5 million more than the President and House of Representatives had originally proposed. USFA provides training and education for emergency services personnel and the public. USFA’s funding level has gradually been reduced from a high of nearly $70 million in FY 2002.

“USFA does a phenomenal job with the resources at their disposal but these little cuts add up over time,” Stittleburg continued. “Three years ago Congress expanded USFA’s core mission substantially to include EMS, wildland, fire and hazardous materials response. This latest funding reduction as USFA is in the midst of implementing an enlarged portfolio of responsibilities could not come at a worse time.”

The largest funding reduction sustained in the DHS budget will occur in FEMA’s state and local grant portfolio, including programs like the State Homeland Security Grant program, the Urban Areas Security Initiative, and Citizen Corps, among others. Collective FY 2012 funding for these programs collectively is reduced to $1.375 billion from $2.229 billion in FY 2011 and more than $3 billion in FY 2010.

According to a press release issued by the House Appropriations Committee, federal discretionary spending across all agencies for FY 2012 is reduced $31 billion from FY 2011 levels. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the federal government’s budget deficit for FY 2011 was $1.3 trillion, or 8.7 percent of gross domestic product.