NVFC urges Congress to resolve shutdown affecting fire grants and training

“The nation’s fire service should not be collateral damage to this fight,” says NVFC

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) has called on its members to write to Congress to resolve the Department of Homeland Security funding lapse, stating that the shutdown is delaying fire service grants and disrupting federal training.

NVFC said the shutdown, which began on 14 February, has delayed the application period for the Assistance for Firefighters Grants and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grants and has closed the U.S. Fire Administration and the National Fire Academy.

The funding dispute centres on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, where Congress passed a broader spending measure on 3 February that kept most federal agencies open through 30 September.

Department of Homeland Security funding was extended only through 13 February.

The Senate did not advance a longer-term Department of Homeland Security bill on 12 February.

The department entered a partial shutdown on 14 February.

The fire service is affected because the Federal Emergency Management Agency is part of the Department of Homeland Security.

The U.S. Fire Administration sits within FEMA.

This structure means a funding lapse can interrupt grant administration and training activity relied on by local departments.

NVFC warning follows grant delays and academy closure

The Assistance to Firefighters Grants and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response programmes are authorised, although they still depend on annual appropriations and federal administration.

The International Association of Fire Chiefs stated on 6 February that funding for the U.S. Fire Administration, the National Fire Academy and the AFG and SAFER programmes had only been extended through 13 February.

In its 18 February Washington update, the IAFC said the shutdown affected FEMA and USFA and expected delays to the application periods for AFG, FP&S and SAFER.

The IAFC’s March 2026 Legislative Hot Sheet says Congress has not passed the final FY 2026 Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill.

The document states that this will delay the application periods for AFG and SAFER.

It also says Congress authorised up to $750 million each for the FIRE and SAFER grant programmes through FY 2028 under the Fire Grants and Safety Act.

House and Senate negotiators agreed on FY 2026 funding of $342 million each.

FEMA fire grant pages currently carry lapse-in-funding notices.

These notices indicate that normal grant administration is being disrupted.

On training, the IAFC’s March hot sheet says the National Fire Academy is closed because of the lapse in Department of Homeland Security funding.

Public-facing course pages show cancellations for February 2026 offerings.

National Fire Academy procedures state that campus operations halt during a government shutdown.

Current classes are dismissed.

Scheduled students are told to cancel travel plans until operations resume.

Public evidence also indicates disruption to the U.S. Fire Administration.

USFA and FEMA webpages remain online and carry notices stating that some site updates and transactions may not be processed during the funding lapse.

Congress would need to enact either a full FY 2026 Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill or another stopgap measure to restore normal operations.

NVFC campaign message to members of Congress

NVFC has also shared a pre written message that supporters can send to U.S. senators and representatives calling for the shutdown to be resolved.

The council said the message is intended to be sent by constituents, including volunteer firefighters, to outline the effects the funding lapse is having on federal fire service programmes.

The NVFC message reads: “As a volunteer firefighter and your constituent, I am writing to inform you of the significant damage the current lapse in Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding has had on the nation’s fire service.

“While I understand the controversy surrounding the funding of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) an agreement must be reached as soon as possible or a carve-out for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding must be made.

“The nation’s fire service should not be collateral damage to this fight.

“FEMA houses many programs and grants that are crucial to the success of the nation’s fire service including the National Fire Academy (NFA), Assistance for Firefighter Grants (AFG), and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grants (SAFER).

“The NFA offers the fire service unique specialized and executive training like the U.S. Army and Navy War Colleges provide for our armed services.

“Each year the NFA provides training for approximately 100,000 fire and emergency service personnel.

“Between the NFA’s shutdown from March to June 2025, the Government Shutdown in late 2025, and this latest lapse in funding, the NFA has been closed nearly 5 of the last 12 months.

“This is unacceptable.

“AFG and SAFER are the most important grant programs serving the nation’s fire service.

“They provide funding for critical equipment and recruitment programs that many local tax bases across the country cannot support, this is especially true of rural communities that are mostly served by volunteer departments.

“This lapse in DHS funding has already delayed the rollout of the application period for these grants and will likely delay their required peer review process.

“If swift action is not taken to restore funding, FEMA is going to be hard pressed to get awards for these grants allocated by the end of the fiscal year.

“Much like last year where, because of the undue time related pressure FEMA was under, there was much confusion about grant awards and less flexibility provided to grant recipients.

“Please act immediately to restore funding to DHS to ensure our nation’s security and preparedness, or at minimum fund FEMA so the nation’s fire service and emergency response capabilities are not compromised any further.

“Thank you for your consideration of this important matter.”