The FASTER Act directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to award competitive grants to fire departments—including career, combination, and volunteer departments—to implement programs that prevent falls among seniors and enable faster emergency response in homes. Falls among people over 65 cost the nation over $80 billion annually in medical expenses and are the leading cause of injury-related deaths in this age group, with more than 70 percent occurring at home. Grant funds can be used for activities such as installing safety devices like grab bars and handrails, recruiting community paramedicine staff, fitting homes with emergency access boxes, installing smoke detectors, and connecting seniors with fall-prevention classes and medical professionals. The bill authorizes increasing annual funding from $1 million in fiscal years 2026-2028, to $2 million in 2029-2031, $4 million in 2032-2034, and $7 million in 2035, with grants awarded for three-year periods and declining federal cost-sharing over time (75 percent the first two years, 35 percent the third year). The program expires September 30, 2036, and FEMA must report to Congress on effectiveness within two years of enactment.
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