# The FASTER Act: What It Does

Falls are a serious problem for older Americans. Every year, about 14 million seniors fall, leading to 38,000 deaths and costing over $80 billion in medical expenses. More than 95 percent of hip fractures come from falls, and most of these accidents happen at home. The good news is that many falls can be prevented with simple changes like removing tripping hazards, installing grab bars, and fixing loose rugs. The FASTER Act (Firefighters Assisting Seniors To Emergency Response Act) recognizes that fire departments are already trusted in communities and can play a key role in helping prevent these falls and responding faster when emergencies happen.

The bill creates a grant program run by FEMA that gives money directly to fire departments—whether they're career, volunteer, or combination departments—to start or expand programs focused on keeping older adults safe at home. Fire departments can use this money for practical things like installing grab bars and handrails, removing tripping hazards, setting up lock boxes so emergency responders can get into homes quickly during emergencies, and installing smoke detectors. They can also hire community paramedicine staff (firefighters, paramedics, EMTs, social workers, and case managers) to visit seniors' homes, assess fall risks, review medications, and connect people with fall prevention classes and medical resources.

The grants last three years, with the federal government covering 75 percent of costs in the first two years and 35 percent in the third year, encouraging departments to find local funding to sustain programs long-term. Fire departments have to apply competitively and explain how they'll keep programs going after federal money runs out. The bill includes flexibility for communities facing economic hardship and requires FEMA to track whether these programs actually reduce falls and emergency response times. The program starts small with $1 million per year from 2026 to 2028, growing to $7 million by 2035, and expires in 2036 unless Congress extends it.