Senate panel advances $5 million firefighter training facility grant program

Representative DeMorse told the Senate Local Government Committee that House Bill 511 would create a one-time $5,000,000 firefighter training facility grant program to help departments buy property, construct or repair buildings, and purchase training props and equipment. "This grant will offset the cost to purchase property, construct, remodel, or repair facilities," the sponsor said when he opened the hearing.

Proponents — including George Richards, state president of the Montana State Firefighters Association, and local chiefs — said the money would most benefit volunteer and rural departments that lack tax bases to fund training centers. Richards noted local investments in training facilities and said the program would prevent communities from having to raise property taxes for training infrastructure.

Testimony from Carter Marsh of the Montana Professional Firefighters emphasized the link between training and ISO ratings, which affect homeowners’ insurance. "Roughly about 212 hours a year is what is recommended by ISO to meet their standard," Marsh said, and added that without adequate training departments score worse in ISO audits.

Under the bill as presented, grants above $25,000 may require a 1% match. The sponsor and witnesses described county-level limits: total funding awarded within a single county cannot exceed $500,000 and no more than two applications may be funded per county; the sponsor also described options where several departments in one county could pool applications to receive up to the county cap. The bill specifies single-project maximums and envisions grants to be administered by the department over the biennium.

Committee members questioned administration costs and program rules. Preparedness Bureau Chief Burke Honszel told senators the fiscal note’s estimate of a 3% administration allocation was based on similar grants and that the department would front-load management in early years, but that additional funding or rulemaking could be required if demand exceeded expectations.

After testimony and questions, the committee considered executive action later in the meeting and voted to "do concur" on House Bill 511 by roll call (6–4). Senators recorded as voting yes included Senator Weber, Senator Trevis, Senator Pope, Senator Fern, Senator Lammers and one proxy vote; recorded no votes and proxies were also noted in the roll call. The bill will proceed to the Senate floor; Senator Lammers agreed to carry it.

Why it matters: Supporters framed HB 511 as a targeted capital investment to expand access to live-fire and other hands-on training crucial to firefighter safety and community resilience, particularly in rural areas that lack training infrastructure and face higher costs to send personnel to distant facilities.

What’s next: The committee sent the bill to the Senate floor to await consideration by the full Senate.