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House Appropriations Subcommittee Restores Cuts and Adds Funding to the
Fire Act grant Program
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AFG and SAFER Programs Each Funded at $420 million
The House Appropriations Subcommittee for  Homeland Security, Chaired by Rep. David Price (NC), marked-up its Fiscal Year 2011 Appropriations bill for the Homeland Security Department on Thursday, June 24th. In a major development, the Subcommittee funded the Assistance to Fire Grants (Equipment) Program (AFG) at $420 million, a $30 million increase over FY 2010 funding level of $390 million and a $115 million increase over the President's proposed level of $305 million. The SAFER Program also was funded at $420 million, level funding from FY 2010. Funding for both programs totals $840 million, $230 million over the President's request of $610 million.
The U.S. Fire Administration was funded at $45.93 million, $342,000 over its FY 2010 level.
The bill will now move to a full Appropriations Committee mark up. The FAMA/FEMSA GAC will keep you informed of future developments. If you have any questions please contact GAC co-chairs Mike Power at mpower@oshkoshcorp.com, John Granby at jgranby@lionapparel.com, or GAC Sr. Advisor Dave Gatton at dgatton@dinitiatives.com
Thanks to all FAMA/FEMSA members for your work with Congressional members in securing this first step toward more funding for the AFG program. The $420 million funding level is a testament to the strong advocacy of FAMA/FEMSA members and the coalition of fire service organizations. Congratulations to everyone for their combined effort to fight back major cuts to this premiere program for the nation's first responders . Now we must continue these efforts to make sure the $420 million is secured throughout the legislative process.
In addition, a chart is attached with the FY 2011 funding levels of other DHS programs.
Source: FAMA/FEMSA GAC
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Congressman Pascrell Questions a Top DHS Grants Official
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In a hearing held June 29th on the administration of the Department of Homeland Security's State and local
government grant programs, Assistant Administrator Elizabeth M. Harman told the
House Subcommittee on Emergency Communications, Preparedness and Response that
it is "critical ...to show how each grant dollar improves our nation's
capabilities and provides a strong return on our investment." "We must work with our
partners at the state and local level to provide both the outputs and outcomes
of grants, underscoring how our investments are increasing preparedness," she
said.
Ms. Harman directs FEMA's Grant Program Directorate, which administers 52 distinct
disaster and non-disaster grant programs, awarding between 6,000 and 7,000
individual grants, totaling $7 to $10 billion annually. The Post Katrina Management Reform Act
(PKEMRA) centralized most of the Department of Homeland Security's grant
programs under FEMA's administration and oversight.
During questioning from the panel, Rep. William Pascrell
(NJ) told Harman that Congress had worked hard to build up two of the most
"efficient and proficient" programs in DHS-the SAFER and Assistance to Fire Grants (AFG)
programs. He said these programs
go directly to fire departments and are administered extremely efficiently, yet
were slated for cuts in the Department's proposed FY 2011 budget. He pointedly asked Harman, "Can you
tell us what the Department's rationale was for these cuts?" Harman, herself a first
responder, responded that she was not in her position at the time of those
discussions and therefore could not comment. Pascrell then asked her to carry the message of
Congressional support for these
programs back to the Department, to which she agreed.
The complete text of Harman's testimony can be found at http://hsc.house.gov/hearings/index.asp?ID=261
Source: FAMA/FEMSA GAC
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Theme for Fire Prevention Week 2010 Announced
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The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has announced the theme for Fire Prevention Week, October 3-9, 2010. This year's campaign, Smoke Alarms: A sound you can live with, focuses on the importance of smoke alarms in preventing fire deaths, injuries, and property loss.
Read More>>
Source: NVFC
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Recent NJ Two-Hatter Situation Not an Isolated Incident
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In March, an article published on www.mycentraljersey.com and reprinted in the National Volunteer Fire Council's (NVFC) E-update reported the story of Michael Schaffer, a career firefighter who resigned from the Cherry Hill Firefighters Local 2663 under pressure from his union because he serves as a volunteer firefighter in Berlin Township, where he lives, during off-duty hours. The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) prohibits its members from volunteering as emergency responders in jurisdictions where an IAFF local is present and/or looking to expand into.
According to the article, "Rather than risk expulsion by his 'brothers' for doing something that he loves and that runs in the family, Schaffer resigned [in February] from his union..." The article also indicates that the union plans to bring up other members on charges in the future.
Career firefighters who volunteer during off-duty hours (commonly known as "two-hatters") are hardly unique. A Department of Homeland Security survey of close to 17,000 fire departments (slightly more than half of the nation's fire departments) that applied to the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program in FY 2006 identified more than 27,000 career firefighters who serve as volunteers during off-duty hours. Two-hatters were identified in every state in the union, plus Puerto Rico, except for Hawaii and the District of Columbia.
Schaffer's ordeal is only one instance of two-hatters being pressured to quit volunteering or leave the union. In 2006, Vincent Pereira, a career firefighter with the Port Reading Fire District No. 2 and a volunteer firefighter in the Colonia Volunteer Fire Company, was expelled from the Woodbridge Fire Fighters Association, Local 290, for his volunteer activities. Pereira, who like Schaffer lives and works in New Jersey, quit volunteering when he joined Local 290, only to re-join after discovering that a number of fellow union members were volunteering during off-duty hours, despite the IAFF's prohibition.
Unlike Schaffer, Pereira did not resign from the union and was eventually brought up on formal charges and subjected to a Trial Board hearing on January 5, 2006. Pereira provided the NVFC with a transcript from the hearing, which has been posted on the NVFC's Volunteer Advocacy Committee web site at www.nvfc.org/volunteeradvocacy. Pereira was ultimately expelled from membership in the Local and the IAFF.
Pereira and Schaffer both stood up to IAFF pressure, eventually choosing to continue serving their communities as volunteer firefighters rather than maintaining their union membership. Many two-hatters simply take the path of least resistance and drop out of the volunteer fire service rather than take on their union and face the accompanying personal and professional fallout in the workplace.
In April 2009, at the NVFC's annual spring meeting, the Board of Directors voted to adopt a Statement on the Right to Volunteer, which advocates, among other things, "...the rights of volunteer, career, or paid-on-call firefighters to serve multiple organizations or communities." The Board also directed the NVFC Volunteer Advocacy Committee to establish an awareness campaign to inform the public about the two-hatter issue.
If you are a two-hatter and are under pressure from your union to give up serving your community as a volunteer emergency responder, please visit the NVFC Volunteer Advocacy Committee's web site at www.nvfc.org/volunteeradvocacy. The page includes a form you can submit to alert the Volunteer Advocacy Committee to your situation.
Source: NVFC
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Aid for U.S. Cleanup Isn't Free
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The U.S. is discovering that although it assists other countries free-of-charge, those now offering disaster aid for the BP oil cleanup expect to be paid back.
Read More>>
Source: Disaster Resource Guide
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NVFC Helps Firefighters "Put It Out"
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New Web Site Offers Tools for Individuals, Departments, State Associations
The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), with support from Pfizer, has launched a new web site to help first responders quit smoking and stay quit. The Put It Out campaign web site is now available at www.healthy-firefighter.org/putitout and provides tools and resources for firefighters and emergency personnel who are ready to take the steps to stop smoking and lead a healthier, smoke-free lifestyle.
The new web site contains sections to assist individuals in quitting smoking, family members in supporting first responders who are quitting, departments in establishing a no-smoking policy and smoking cessation program, and state associations in encouraging their members to adopt a smoke-free lifestyle. Tools and resources include a 'quit calendar,' steps for how to quit, statistics and facts about smoking, sample documents such as press releases and no-smoking policies, outreach letters, motivational tools, and more.
According to a recent United States Fire Administration supported NVFC study, 68 percent of firefighters responding said they believed that first responders lived shorter or much shorter than the general population. Smoking has proven negative health effects and can cause or contribute to life-threatening illnesses such as heart attack, lung cancer, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis. There are also significant threats to the health of those exposed to second-hand smoke. Helping firefighters lead a smoke-free life is a critical component to keeping first responders safe and healthy.
The NVFC, through its groundbreaking Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program, has been working to combat the number of line-of-duty firefighter deaths due to heart disease since 2003. Heart attack is the leading cause of on-duty firefighter fatalities, and many other firefighters are diagnosed with heart disease and lung-related illnesses each year. The Put It Out campaign is the latest in the NVFC's ongoing health and safety initiatives.
The Put It Out campaign was piloted in North Carolina in 2009, and the results of the pilot program helped inform the new web site. Visit www.healthy-firefighter.org/putitout today and find out what you can do to stop smoking or help your fellow first responders Put It Out.
Source: NVFC
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| The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has received notice of the following firefighter fatalities:
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Name: Chet Bauermeister
Rank: Fire Chief
Age: 47
Gender: Male
Status: Volunteer
Years of Service: 28
Date of Incident: 06/23/2010
Time of Incident: 1530hrs
Date of Death: 06/23/2010
Fire Department: Franklin County Fire District 4
Address: 510 Bellflower RD, Mesa, WA 99343
Telephone: Pending
Fire Department Chief: Pending
Incident Description: Fire Chief Bauermeister passed away from injuries sustained at a mutual aid wildland fire call in neighboring Adams County when the Firecat (Snowcat conversion) fire apparatus he was operating in steep terrain flipped over backwards. Another firefighter on board the apparatus with Chief Bauermeister at the time, sustained minor injuries and was taken to Othello Community Hospital where he was treated and released.
Incident Location: Wahluke Slope area of the Saddle Mountain National Wildlife Refuge.
Funeral Arrangements: Pending
Memorial Fund Contact and Address: Chet Bauermeister Memorial Fund, Bank of Whitman, PO Box 2776, Pasco, WA 99302-2776
Tribute is being paid to Fire Chief Chet Bauermeister at http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/
Name: Scott W. Davis
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 46
Gender: Male
Status: Career
Years of Service: 14
Date of Incident: 06/19/2010
Time of Incident: Pending
Date of Death: 06/20/2010
Fire Department: Oswego Fire Department
Address: 35 E Cayuga ST, Oswego, NY 13126-1151
Fire Department Chief: Joseph P. Perry
Incident Description: Firefighter Davis passed away from an apparent heart attack shortly after completing a tour of duty that included several emergency responses.
Incident Location: Pending
Funeral Arrangements: A fireman's service will be held at 1800hrs, June 23, at Nelson Funeral Home.
Calling hours will be held from 1400-1800hrs, June 23, prior to the service at the funeral home, 11 W. Albany St., Oswego.
Memorial Fund Contact and Address: In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Oswego Firefighters Association, 35 E. Cayuga St., Oswego, N.Y. 13126.
Tribute is being paid to Firefighter Scott W. Davis at http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/
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