FASTER Act

The Firefighters Assisting Seniors To Emergency Response (FASTER) Act authorizes the Administrator of FEMA to provide competitive grants directly to career, combination, and volunteer fire departments. These grants are designed to fund programs that improve home safety and prevent falls for older adults, while also reducing response times for in-home emergencies. Grant recipients must demonstrate their inability to implement such programs without federal assistance and outline long-term plans for program sustainability beyond the three-year grant period. Funds from these grants can be utilized for a variety of purposes, including the procurement and installation of lock boxes to facilitate quicker emergency access to homes. They also support the recruitment, retention, salaries, and benefits of community paramedicine personnel , such as firefighters, paramedics, EMTs, and social workers. Additionally, grants cover minor home modifications to reduce fall risks, like installing handrails and removing tripping hazards, along with risk assessments, medication reconciliation, and referrals to fall prevention resources. Grants are awarded with a declining federal cost share over three years (75% for the first two years, 35% for the third), though FEMA can offer waivers for demonstrated economic hardship. The bill prohibits the use of federal funds to supplant existing State, local, or Tribal funding for fire-related programs and prevents grants to entities that have significantly cut their fire-related budgets. FEMA is tasked with establishing a performance assessment system to evaluate the effectiveness of these grants and must report to Congress on their impact.