I’ve said many times in presentations that emergencies do not discriminate based on political party or bias. While Grandma Jones doesn’t care about your political beliefs when her house is on fire, we know that how firefighters are supported often starts at the very top, through federal funding and emergency response declarations.
And the political neutrality goes both ways. Fire service leaders will continue to advocate for firefighters and fire safe communities no matter who’s in office. In fact, four years ago, as the Biden/Harris administration was still settling in, fire service leaders were actively lobbying for improvements to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), among other issues important to the fire service.
During the ensuing four years, there were several significant legislative victories for the fire service. While not exhaustive, here’s a list of highlights:
- Reauthorization of the USFA through Sept. 30, 2028
- Reauthorization of the AFG and SAFER grant programs
- The first World Fire Congress
- Establishment of the U.S. Fire Administrator’s Summit of Fire Prevention and Control
- Launch of NERIS, replacement of the aged NFIRS reporting system
Now, as the Trump administration steps back into the White House, it’s only natural to consider what this list might look like four years from now. While it is a little like reading the tea leaves, we can look back at the first Trump administration and at the most current campaign trail promises to see how the fire service might be affected.
Funding
Businessman Elon Musk, the director of the proposed presidential advisory commission named the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has indicated that he can achieve a $2 trillion reduction in the federal budget. While we’d all be fine without the alleged $900 toilet seats and $600 hammers, it is difficult to imagine how a $2 trillion reduction in funding would not impact on the fire service.
One example: The Department of the Interior’s Office of Wildland Fire supports wildland fire management across the United States. Even with a $1.75 billion budget, the department is woefully underfunded. Any budget reductions will further undercut this department’s critical efforts. The most recent fires in California only tell a fraction of this funding story.
Other significant federal programs that impact the fire service include Medicare and Medicaid programs. This will adversely affect funding available for departments that depend on funding or support through those programs. You can read more about the potential effects of a new administration on EMS.
State programs that are supported by federal funding are likely to see significant reductions as well. Many of those programs directly impact on the service you provide and the safety of those within our communities. Some of those programs:
- Infrastructure spending (e.g. roads, bridges, water supply systems)
- Public health services
- Nutrition and food/drug programs
- Research capacity and regulatory compliance inspections
As the previous Trump administration was a champion for smaller government, we should expect renewed efforts to pare down sprinkler legislation, which is seen by some as big government. Fire departments need to do everything they can to ensure that the benefits of residential sprinklers are part of their legislative repertoire. This will be an uphill battle, and the naysayers will be coming at all angles in the quest to reduce regulation and reduce building expenses.
Legislative efforts through the Congressional Fire Service Institute will likely be more important than ever to ensure continued funding. Now is the time to get involved with CFSI.
Taxes
Likely part and parcel to the broader cuts, a substantial promise from the campaign trail focused on a reduction in federal taxes. While this would result in a lower tax burden for some of us and many of the citizens we serve, this will also result in less funding available for all federal programs, including the USFA, AFG/SAFER grant programs and more. While these programs were reauthorized through 2028, we all know how fickle the political processes can be when pressure is applied. We’ll have to keep watching this.
Tariffs
Increasing U.S.-based manufacturing is always a popular theme. To that end, President Trump has signaled his intent to establish sweeping tariffs on overseas goods. It won’t take long for those tariffs to have adverse impacts on fire department budgets that depend on international goods. I suspect that the prices of everything from apparatus parts to kitchen faucets to be affected by these tariffs. Perhaps with reduced competition, U.S.-based manufacturers will be able to fill the void – only time will tell.
Immigration
The proposed deportation of millions of illegal immigrants may have a mixed effect on fire departments. Where immigrant populations are high-volume EMS users, departments are likely to see a reduction in EMS support call volumes. Great for provider stress but potentially adverse for local budget justifications. Additionally, rounding up and temporarily housing this volume of people will be a Herculean effort that will cost a tremendous amount of currently unbudgeted money. Those funds need to come from somewhere and go somewhere. Call me a pessimist, but I don’t see any of it coming to the fire service. Rather, I expect we will see billions of dollars for personnel and equipment flowing to law enforcement budgets.
Final thoughts
The turnover of presidential administrations can be a stressful time for fire departments that already seem to be treading budget waters amid a looming $2 trillion reduction in federal funding. Frankly, I can’t think of one area of the fire and EMS services that would not be adversely affected.
As difficult as that is to imagine right now, it is more important to remember that when Grandma Jones calls 911, she doesn’t ask for a partisan response or a reduced response budget. She asks for and deserves the service we provide. We need to ensure that we rise above politics in that service. To achieve that, we will need to preserve funding streams where we can and look for new opportunities when and where they arise.
As I mentioned earlier, the Congressional Fire Services Institute will be more important than ever as we navigate these waters. We’ve been down the road of “less government” before, and we know we’re going to have to find new ways to navigate through the labyrinth. What’s old is definitely going to be new again!
