Problem with the SAFER grants is the strings attached. Pays for you to hire firefighters with government funds, yet 4 years down the road the feds wash their hands of the matter and the cost is passed to the local taxpayers.
And even so, all the FEMA grants are directed toward "Large cities with heavy run volumes", which leaves your average rural volunteer riding the tailboard of a 35 year old fire truck with inadequate safety gear.
Answer is simple: Send the money to where the votes are.
Need I say more?
We are served by volunteers. In January, we had a chimney fire. 5 trucks and over 30 volunteers showed up, including the chief. Every one of them in full gear with air cylinders. And a $2300 (IIRC) thermal-imaging camera.
Now, it was just a chimney fire in a ceramic-lined chimney that functioned as it is supposed to. It was, of course, our fault and the stovepipe cleaning was overdue, providing fuel.
All our townships chip in for fire calls. Ours paid half; we paid half. Plus, we all donate every year for the Fireman’s Dance, even if we don’t attend. This is the 2nd poorest county in the state and the governor just cut $1M from our State aids, so he could waste it for the General Fund. (He steals whatever he can find, whenever he can find it.)
My son is a volunteer for a really small department in an even more rural area. He has Nomex, plus everything else he needs and there are constant training exercises. He is one of those people with several jobs, one of them full-time.
The volunteers get paid per call. Some departments pay a small stipend just for the guys who are carrying the pagers that day.
Any township that is under-equipped needs to ask all the residents “WHY?” We are the ones who need the response and we can certainly pay for it without the federal funds. I remember over 30 years ago, when there was zero pay. I don’t think they even had pagers, just a dedicated phone line, radios and one truck. We had a chicken house catch fire and we got superb response, even without a lot of money and equipment. It is just how things get done in the country.
I think the urban departments get all that money because they are union. JMO.