Warren, Markey Secure $15.78 Million for Massachusetts Fire Departments

Boston, MA – U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) announced that they secured $15.78 million in grants for Massachusetts Fire Departments as part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) Program. These awards will support fire departments with personnel management, provide training and education for firefighters, and purchase equipment and supplies. 

“I am deeply grateful for our firefighters’ work to keep our communities safe. These federal funds make a real difference for Massachusetts firefighters to have modern safety equipment and the necessary training to protect our communities. I encouraged local fire departments to apply for these grants, and am glad that these resources are benefiting our communities,” said Senator Warren. 

“Firefighters courageously serve the public every day, so we must make sure we are serving them. That’s why I fought alongside the Massachusetts delegation to bring close to $16 million and counting back to our fire departments in AFG funding. We must make sure firefighters are safely and fully equipped to do their jobs,” said Senator Markey. 

"The Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program is a crucial source of federal funding that enhances the safety of both our communities and the brave firefighters we represent. The nearly $16 million in funding has allowed firefighters to be better equipped and better trained to handle the hazards we face, all while alleviating the financial burdens on local municipalities. The Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts (PFFM) thanks Senators Warren and Markey and their teams for their steadfast advocacy in securing this vital funding for our members and the communities we serve,” said Rich MacKinnon, Jr., President of the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts. 

Earlier this year, Senator Warren encouraged Massachusetts Fire Departments to apply for this most recent round of FEMA’s Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants. 

Senator Warren has led the charge to bring federal investments back home to Massachusetts to strengthen communities and improve the lives of residents, including: 

• In April 2024, Senator Warren sent a letter to the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts, Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts, and the Massachusetts Municipal Association, encouraging them to apply for FEMA’s new round of Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) to provide direct federal funding for fire departments in Massachusetts. The funding would help hire new firefighters, retain current employees, provide training and education for firefighters, and purchase equipment and supplies.
• In March 2024, Senators Warren and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), along with the entire Massachusetts delegation, announced $213.4 million in CDS in the Fiscal Year 2024 spending bills for projects across the state.  
• In March 2024, Senator Warren, Governor Maura Healey, Mayor Michelle Wu, and the Massachusetts congressional delegation announced they had secured $335 million in federal funding for Allston’s I-90 project.
• In March 2024, Senators Warren and Markey, along with Congressman Keating, applauded the inclusion of $350 million in federal funding for the Cape Cod Bridges in the Fiscal Year 2024 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act. This followed a December 2023, announcement from the lawmakers that the Department of Transportation had awarded the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and Army Corps a $372 million grant to start replacing the Cape Cod Bridges under its Mega (National Infrastructure Project Assistance) grant program.
• In February 2024, Senator Warren released a report, The Economic Impact of Federal Investments in Massachusetts, detailing over $50 billion in federal funding that Senator Warren has fought for and helped win for Massachusetts families since taking office in 2013 — funding and investments that have helped build and maintain roads and bridges, improve broadband access to all corners of the Commonwealth, invest in public transit and energy infrastructure, supply electric school buses, fund research and innovation, support firefighters, and enable community projects.
• In February 2024, Senators Warren and Markey announced $151 million in federal funding for Massachusetts from the Environmental Protection Agency, which invested in drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure upgrades across Massachusetts. 
• In December 2023, Senator Warren announced the Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission (CMRPC) a $480,000 grant for their Safe Streets for All (SS4A) Regional Action Plan and the Worcester Main South Demonstration Project.
• In October 2023, Senators Warren and Markey, with Representative Pressley, celebrated the Department of Transportation awarding nearly $4 million — through the first round of the Fiscal Year 2023 Safe Streets and Roads for All grants — to make safe bike paths accessible by developing critical transportation infrastructure, including pavement markings, signs, and biker lanes, which will bolster roadway safety and connectivity in Somerville.

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