Given the political state of the country, the saying “all politics is local” may seem like it doesn’t apply, but for first responders, every election has the potential to change some aspect of their career, from funding and staffing availability at the local level to legislative changes, benefits expansion and safety regulations at the state or federal level.
The 2024 presidential election between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris is shaping up to be a tight race, so let’s review where the candidates stand on issues that impact firefighters — in their own words.
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“We are behind our firefighters 100%, and we’re going to give them everything they need.”
“Firefighters deserve our respect, our gratitude, and the resources they need to stay safe.”
Honoring first responders
During the Republican National Convention, Trump honored the memory of Corey Comperatore, who was shot and killed during an assassination attempt on the former president at a political rally just days before:
“He was incredible. He was a highly respected former fire chief, respected by everybody, was accompanied by his wife, Helen. Incredible woman I spoke to today, devastated. And two precious daughters. He lost his life selflessly acting as a human shield to protect them from flying bullets. He went right over the top of them and was hit. What a fine man he was.”
During a surprise visit to the IAFF’s legislative conference in March 2024, Harris shared her gratitude for the work firefighters do for their communities each day:
“You are individuals who will work long shifts away from your family, unpredictable hours, will work around the clock in some of the most dangerous conditions anyone could ever work. And your work is the kind of work that also not only exposes you to danger but the kind of health risks that you are exposed to.”
Firefighter pay
During a speech at a Del Rosa, California, fire station in 2022, Harris touted initiatives designed to increase wildfire prevention and an increase to federal firefighter pay:
“There will be $5 billion … for wildfire preparedness and resilience, and it will include, and this requires its own conversation, a pay raise for our federal firefighters. And I invite everyone to become familiar with the history of this issue and for how long they have been underpaid given the nature and value of their work, and so we are very, very excited to acknowledge their work not only in words but with the pay that recognizes the value of the skill and the dignity of the work that they perform.”
Wildfires
In her statements, Harris highlights the increase in wildfire severity and longevity, the risks to fire personnel and the importance of investing in prevention tactics:
“In recent decades, like millions of people who call the West home, I have observed a profound change. You know, we used to talk about wildfire season. Now, wildfire season is all year round. Over the past 30 years, in fact, the number of acres burned per year by wildfire has more than doubled, and this is in large part the result of the climate crisis.”
“For years ... our nation has invested primarily in wildfire response, putting fires out after they start. But to meet this moment, how about if we expand our focus to invest not just in response but in prevention, which is, of course, about preparedness and resilience, because we know the best time to fight a fire is before it starts.”
“I’ve met with our firefighters, who are, without any question, the heroes, and who often work 90-hour shifts when these wildfires are burning. I’ve met firefighters who have been fighting a fire even when they know their own home is burning. And who put their lives on the line to protect our communities.”
During Trump’s presidential term, California experienced some of the worst wildfires in its history, and the former president highlighted the need for more robust forest management to reduce the risk of large-spread conflagrations:
“We go through this every year; we can’t go through this. We’re going to have safe forests. You’ve got to take care of the floors. You know the floors of the forests, it’s very important. [The president of Finland] called [Finland] a forest nation and they spent a lot of time on raking and cleaning and doing things, and they don’t have any problem.”
“Every year, as the fire’s (sic) rage & California burns, it is the same thing - and then he comes to the Federal Government for $$$ help. No more. Get your act together Governor.”
“I see again the forest fires are starting. They’re starting again in California. I said, ‘you gotta clean your floors, you gotta clean your forests — there are many, many years of leaves and broken trees and they’re like, like, so flammable, you touch them and it goes up.’ Maybe we’re just going to have to make them pay for it because they don’t listen to us.”
Budget and legislative efforts
Trump administration
FY2018: In its first presidential budget for 2018, the Trump administration proposed funding most fire service programs at slightly below the previous White House administration’s 2017 budget:
- A decrease of $1 million for AFG grants
- A decrease of $1 million for SAFER grants
- A decrease of $.6 million for the USFA
- A decrease of $157 million for Urban Areas Security Initiative
- A decrease of $10.7 million for the Urban Search and Rescue System
Congress rejected most of the proposed cuts and kept most funding levels the same as the previous year, save for an increase of $5 million to both the AFG and SAFER grant programs.
FY2019: The Trump administration’s proposed budget once again kept funding levels the same, though Congress increased budgets for AFG and SAFER grants by $6 million each and raised the U.S. Forest Service’s budget by $6 billion to combat wildfire threats.
FY2020: The Trump administration’s initial budget for fiscal year 2020 proposed a $948 million cut to the U.S. Forest Service’s budget, which included a 16% decrease in grant funding for state wildfire action plans, the Missoula Current reported. According to the IAFC, the budget proposal would have cut funding to many fire service programs, including:
- A decrease of $5.66 million for AFG grants
- A decrease of $5.66 million for SAFER grants
- A decrease of $213.54 million for the Urban Areas Security Initiative
- A decrease of $193.1 million for the State Homeland Security Grant Program
- A decrease of $6 million for Volunteer Fire Assistance
Congress once again rejected many of these cuts and instead kept funding levels the same as the previous fiscal year, or increased budgets slightly.
FY2021: The proposed White House budget for fiscal year 2021 again suggested cuts to many fire service programs:
- A decrease of $10.6 million for AFG grants
- A decrease of $10.6 million for SAFER grants
- A decrease of $238.6 million for the Urban Areas Security Initiative
- A decrease of $228.1 million for the State Homeland Security Grant Program
Biden/Harris administration
FY2022: The Biden/Harris administration’s first presidential budget for fiscal year 2022 saw Congress adopt fire service funding increases across the board:
- An increase of $4 million for the USFA
- An increase of $10 million for AFG grants
- An increase of $10 million for SAFER grants
In addition, as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed in 2021, the Biden/Harris administration invested $3.5 billion in wildfire management “through a suite of programs aimed at reducing wildfire risks, detecting wildfires, instituting firefighter workforce reforms and increasing pay for federal wildland firefighters,” according to the USDA.
FY2023: The administration continued its support of fire service programs in its 2023 budget request, with Congress approving several increases:
- An increase of $10 million for AFG grants
- An increase of $10 million for SAFER grants
- An increase of ~$10 million for the USFA, including $2 million earmarked for upgrades to the National Fire Academy
FY2024: The president’s proposed budget once again increased funding for fire service programs and wildfire prevention and response, and included solutions for long-standing concerns in the industry that Congress approved:
- Investments to support a permanent $15/hour wage for federal and tribal wildland firefighters
- Funds earmarked for mental health initiatives
- Funding to hire hundreds of firefighters to serve with the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Department of Interior
| VP picks address IAFF
Watch as vice presidential candidates Sen. J.D. Vance and Gov. Tim Walz each address the International Association of Fire Fighters’ 57th convention:
