Pascrell, author of the FIRE Grant Program, calls current staffing situation unconscionable; SAFER Act will provide $7.6 billion over 7 years for staffing
WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ, 8th) today joined colleagues in the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate to announce the inclusion of the SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Resources) Act as an amendment in the final version of the Fiscal Year 2004 National Defense Authorization, which will pass the House of Representatives today.
The SAFER Act of 2003 amends the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to require the establishment of an office within the United States Fire Administration to administer a grant program to make direct four-year grants to State career, volunteer, and combination fire departments for staff increases. The program would allow for a maximum federal contribution of $100,000 over four years (adjusted for inflation beginning in '05) per firefighter and requires grantees to retain the hired career firefighters for at least one year after grant termination.
Pascrell was an original cosponsor of the legislation and was the lead House Democrat supporting the SAFER act, which was sponsored by House Committee on Science Chairman, Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY, 24th). Pascrell has been a leader in meeting the needs of our nation's fire departments since the beginning of his tenure in Congress. He is the sole author of the FIRE (Firefighter Investment and Response Enhancement) Act, the first ever comprehensive federal commitment to our nation's 32,000 local fire departments. His legislation, signed into law in 2000, created the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, which provides dollars for purchasing equipment, providing training and funding other essential fire prevention activities. The program has awarded $450 million in grants to career and volunteer departments in the first two years of the program and is set to deliver $750 million in grants in fiscal year 2003.
"My original draft of the FIRE Act tried to get more firefighters into uniform. The program has been a landmark success, but in order to get the legislation passed, the staffing component had to unfortunately be removed," stated Pascrell. "We are all here to address this omission."
"The dangerous crisis of inadequate staffing in our nation's fire departments is finally being confronted head-on-at a time when it is more crucial than ever.
"With our fire departments required to assume an ever greater role in homeland security these statistics are startling: Currently two-thirds of all fire departments throughout America operate with inadequate staffing. In communities of at least 50,000 people, 38 percent of firefighters are regularly part of a response that is not sufficient to safely initiate an interior attack on a structure fire because of a lack of staffing. Twenty-one percent of rural departments are often unable to deliver the four firefighters needed to safely initiate an interior attack. This is unconscionable.
"Adequate staffing is essential to safe and effective emergency operations-I know of no one who would attempt to refute this. The firefighters whose bravery and valor protect our nation deserve all that we can give them. The consequences of insufficient personnel levels often lead to tragic, heartbreaking results-and it is a moral imperative that Congress addresses this issue and it has finally happened.
"I have been honored to work with my colleagues on the SAFER Act and I wish to thank all of our nation's firefighters for everything they do."
The Safer Act authorizes The Administrator of the U.S. Fire Administration to award $7.6 billion over seven years in annual grants for the purpose of hiring, recruiting and retaining career and volunteer firefighters to help communities meet industry minimum standards and attain 24-hour staffing to provide adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards, including acts of terrorism.
Ten percent of the total amount appropriated for SAFER are reserved for Recruitment and Retention Grants to enhance the number of volunteer firefighters and at least ten percent of the remaining funds are guaranteed for hiring firefighters at volunteer and majority volunteer departments. Any unused amounts are transferred to the Recruitment and Retention Grants.
Grants will be awarded directly to career, volunteer and combination fire departments on the basis of need, modeled after the highly successful Assistance to Firefighters (FIRE Act) Grant Program.
No fire department who accepts funds under this Act may penalize or discriminate against firefighters who chose to volunteer in other jurisdictions during off-duty hours.
SAFER Hiring Grants will last for a period of four years and will be increasingly matched by local dollars to wean local governments from being dependent upon the federal government.
Departments must commit to retaining newly acquired firefighters for one year past the termination of the grant. Employment applications must also specify long-term plans for retaining newly attained firefighters.
The total four year grant for hiring a firefighter may not exceed $100,000; adjusted annually. Authority for the grant program sunsets after 10 years from the date of enactment. SAFER Hiring Grant funds must not be used to supplant existing federal, State or local resources.
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