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Governmental Affairs Committee |
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US FIRE GRANT SUPPORT GAC Resources For GAC documents, announcements, and information please click here to visit the microsite. Home Day 2007 Toolkit To download the Home Day 2007 Upcoming Events
HELP THE GAC!
Dear FAMA/FEMSA member: In January, you received an e-mail from the FAMA/FEMSA Governmental Affairs Committee (GAC) asking you to complete a survey that will help the GAC and its consultants learn what congressional relationships FAMA/FEMSA member companies have established. This information is essential to the GAC’s work to increase FAMA/FEMSA’s dialogue with federal government agencies in an effort to educate key officials on the important role our industry plays in providing equipment and services to the nation’s first responders. To help us enhance these efforts, we once again ask you to take a few moments to complete the enclosed survey. Specifically, this survey will help the GAC compile a comprehensive list of FAMA/FEMSA members’ locations and the congressional senators and representatives for those locations, an important step in establishing an educational network with the members of Congress and the administration. Please note that the survey can be conveniently completed online here. We also ask that the survey be completed as soon as possible. We have tried to keep this survey as simple and straightforward as possible. We thank you in advance for your assistance in this important effort. Sincerely, FAMA/FEMSA Governmental Affairs Committee
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FY 2009 Funding Announcement from Department of Homeland Security Debate Over Grant Funding Is Over, and Congress Has Won RSVP: CFSI 2008 Annual Dinner - FEMSA Table(s) Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program featured in Newsweek Special Health Section AFG Issues its Schedule of FY2008 Applicant Workshops NATIONAL RESPONSE FRAMEWORK (NRF) TRAINING RELEASED
FY 2009 Funding Announcement from Department of Homeland Security Click Here to view Key Homeland Security/First Responder Grant Programs
Source: DHS President Proposes 6.8% Budget Increase for DHS President Bush’s fiscal year (FY) 2009 budget request for DHS represents $50.5 billion in funding, which is an increase of 6.8 percent over the FY 2008 level—excluding funds provided in emergency supplemental funding. The request targets the five goals Secretary Chertoff has identified for the department as it carries out its mission of securing America.
Source: DHS Debate Over Grant Funding Is Over, and Congress Has Won Feb. 4, 2008 – 7:37 p.m. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the proposed cuts to grant money in its 2009 budget request would make sure that leftovers from previous years are spent wisely. According to some in the emergency management community, those same cuts would keep funding from those who need it for critical security issues. And according to Congress, the requests for less grant funding are almost certainly moot representatives on both sides of the aisle have already vowed to oppose them, just as they largely ignored them last year, a fact DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff acknowledged even as he rolled out the budget Monday. While there might still be an intellectual argument somewhere out in the hinterlands about the increasing federal role in homeland security spending, in the halls of power it’s a settled notion. Democrats and Republicans assailed almost every proposed cut. Advocacy groups rallied to defend their turf. And Chertoff seemed to exhibit little enthusiasm for any theory resembling one that says ‘it’s time to slow down the federal homeland security money train.’ In fact, the secretary specifically said what he called the “draw down” in grant money requests “is not meant as a criticism.” “It is meant to say that spending the money wisely takes time,” he said. “It’s not a secret that Congress normally appropriates more for grants than we request,” Chertoff added. His statement embodied a widely held sentiment: when Congress wants more Homeland Security grant money than the department, it usually wins. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Joseph I. Lieberman, I-Conn., said he expects that trend to continue. “I am confident that Congress will do what we have done together across party lines over the last four years, which is to restore adequate funding to protect our homeland security,” he said. Aaron Ellis, spokesman for the American Association of Port Authorities, also predicted that outcome. His organization is already gearing up to see that the $210 million DHS requested for the Port Security Grant program winds up being closer to what was appropriated in 2008. While DHS also requested $210 million for the port grant program last year, actual appropriations came out to about $400 million, the full amount authorized inongress=109','billCard',680,430);">PL 109-347). “Congress has a different perspective on this, and the administration approved that perspective when it signed the appropriation,” Ellis said. “We’re going to work with the administration and Congress to try and make it so that it happens again like last year.” DHS says it’s asking for less money than was appropriated in 2008 for a simple reason it still has a “pipeline” of not-yet-disbursed funding and wants to make sure its grant money is spent responsibly. Chertoff emphasized that the request would not represent a cut. Minus a few one-time interoperability grants and with a few changes in how much money some grant programs get, the fiscal 2009 request is similar to last year’s. “This is the same level of funding that we requested last year,” he said. “We have maintained across the board. We’re continuing to put resources where the risk is the greatest.” But the requests for many substantial grant programs fell well short of 2008 appropriations: • The 2009 request for the Urban Area Security Initiative, a program that gives money to high-risk and high-population cities that received $890 million last year, was $825 million. • State Homeland Security Grants were more than $1 billion lower, at $310 million. • The State and Local Training program went from $219 million to a request of $79 million. • Transportation and infrastructure protection went from $878 million to $405 million. In total, the request for money disbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which handles most DHS grants, dropped from a 2008 appropriation of almost $3.5 billion to a 2009 request of $1.9 billion, while another major program, Firefighter Assistance Grants, went from a $1.9 billion appropriation to a $287 million request. Although they are only proposed numbers, the grant funding requests have the emergency management community worried. “I don’t think it’s in the wisest mode or mood to reduce the many grants to jurisdictions across the nation,” said Ken Murphy, director of Oregon’s Department of Emergency Management and president of the National Emergency Management Association. “We still, in Oregon and other states, have issues we need to deal with. You can’t just spend money up front and then quit. I tell people it’s an insurance policy for the rest of the nation.” Larry Gispert, president of the International Association of Emergency Managers, said he is most concerned about the proposed $200 million in Emergency Management grants. Last year, $300 million was appropriated for that fund. “We’re quite concerned about that,” he said. “People would get less money, and depending on the impact on local programs, they may have to cut programs or staff.” Gispert, head of Emergency Management for Hillsborough County, Fla., said he uses grant money from that fund to employ four of his staff. Murphy said there was “no doubt in my mind that some of the money wasn’t spent properly, but as the Department of Homeland Security matures and as the emergency management community matures, I think that spending is much more focused.” Lieberman suggested that the drop in requested funding implies that complacency among first-responders is acceptable. “I reject the White House justification for these grossly inadequate recommendations,” he said. “The threat to our cities and towns from terrorist attacks and natural disasters has not diminished, and the federal government’s contribution to protecting states and localities should not diminish either. . . . Everything we have experienced in the past seven years tells us we need to keep our guard up for dealing with potential catastrophes. These deep cuts send exactly the wrong message that we can now relax and stand down.” Rob Margetta can be reached at rmargetta@cq.com. DHS Makes Allocations and Releases Guidance for FY 2008 Grant Applications On Friday, at a press conference that was Web cast live, Secretary Chertoff announced the release of allocations and application guidance for 14 federal grant programs whose collective purpose is to strengthen prevention, protection, response, and recovery capabilities at all levels of government. Joining the secretary at TSA headquarters in Arlington, Va., were FEMA Administrator David Paulison, TSA Administrator Kip Hawley, and U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Donald Grant. Click Here to view Press Release FY 2008 Grant Programs What's New 2008 Grant Programs Overall Fact Sheet, FY 2008 Grant Guidance
Source: DHS RSVP: CFSI 2008 Annual Dinner - FEMSA Table(s) The 20th annual National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner and Seminars, presented by the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) will be held April 2 and 3 in Washington, DC. "A Generation of Progress" is the theme for this year's event. The dinner itself is slated for Thursday, April 3rd at The Hilton Washington. FEMSA has filled one table, and with sufficient interest, will order a second table so that individual member representatives may sit together. Tickets are $275 each, on a first-come, first-served basis. If you wish seating at a FEMSA table, please respond by return email by February 15th. Once the table is filled, we will acknowledge your reservation pending payment of the number of tickets you order. Checks must be payable to FEMSA and sent to the address listed below. For more information about the dinner, events and lodging for this 20th year celebration, visit www.cfsi.org. Thank you, Karen H. Burnham
Source: FEMSA Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program featured in Newsweek Special Health Section Newsweek is featuring the NVFC Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program in its special section on Heart-Health. The special Heart-Health section appears in the February 11 issue of Newsweek, and is available on newsstands as of February 4. The article examines some of the core elements of the Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program, including health awareness, nutrition, and fitness. It also looks at a success story from the program – a firefighter who took the Fired Up For Fitness Challenge as one of the steps toward getting heart-healthy. Pick up a copy of Newsweek today and check out the special Heart-Health section to read the full article on the Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program. To learn more about the Program, visit www.healthy-firefighter.org.
Source: NVFC AFG Issues its Schedule of FY2008 Applicant Workshops The AFG program office has placed on its website (www.firegrantsupport.com) its initial schedule of approximately 300 applicant workshops for its FY2008 AFG program. Beginning in the middle of February and continuing through the middle of March 2008, these workshops will be held around the country to provide information about the submission of competitive applications under this competitive grant program. Interested representatives from fire department as well as representatives from non-affiliated EMS organizations are invited to attend the workshops. Information will be presented on program changes, program priorities, eligibility requirements, and on the application process. Also, general assistance in the writing of a competitive narrative for a department's grant application will be discussed. General Workshop Information Registration is NOT necessary.
Source: AFG NATIONAL RESPONSE FRAMEWORK (NRF) TRAINING RELEASED WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today released the on-line IS-800.B National Response Framework (NRF), An Introduction training course. The NRF, which focuses on response and short-term recovery, articulates the doctrine, principles and architecture by which our nation prepares for and responds to all-hazard disasters across all levels of government and all sectors of communities. Course Objectives: At the end of this course, students will be able to describe: · The purpose of the National Response Framework. · The response doctrine established by the National Response Framework. · The roles and responsibilities of entities as specified in the National Response Framework. · The actions that support national response. · The response organizations used for multi-agency coordination. · How planning relates to national preparedness. Audience: This course is intended for government executives, private-sector and nongovernmental organization (NGO) leaders, and emergency management practitioners. This includes senior elected and appointed leaders, such as Federal department or agency heads, State Governors, mayors, tribal leaders, and city or county officials – those who have a responsibility to provide for effective response. Senior leaders, emergency management practitioners, disaster workers, and first responders who have previously completed IS-800 or IS-800A are not required to complete IS-800B as part of NIMS compliance activities. However, FEMA strongly urges emergency management professionals across the nation to complete this new independent study course on the NRF. Additional information on the NRF can be obtained from the NRF Resource Center at www.fema.gov/nrf Course Completion: This course is available at http://www.training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/IS800b.asp. When individuals complete the course, they should take the online test, fill out the student information and submit the test for scoring. FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute’s Independent Study office will notify individuals via email of their successful completion of the course and a link will be included to access and print a course certificate. Questions: Individuals may contact the Independent Study office via email Independent.Study@dhs.gov or contact the call center at 301-447-1200 or toll free at 1-800-238-3358, extension 1200. Independent Study Program office hours are 7:30a.m.-7:30p.m. (EDT). Course Length: The overall length of the course will vary for each individual. IS800.B takes approximately 3 hours to complete. Continuing Education Units (CEUs): FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute (EMI) awards 0.3CEUs for successful completion of this course. Additional NRF training will be released soon highlighting the Emergency Support Function (ESFs), Support and Incident Annexes.
Source: FEMA The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has received notice of the following firefighter fatalities: Name: Paul Swander Rank: Fire Chief Age: 73 Gender: Male Status: Volunteer Years of Service: 55 Date of Incident: 01/31/2008 Time of Incident: 1400hrs Date of Death: 02/02/2008
Fire Department: Ohio City Fire Department Address: 103 S Main St., PO Box 246, Ohio City, OH 45874 Fire Department Chief: Pending
Incident Description: Fire Chief Swander passed away from injuries sustained from a fall off of a ladder while he was working in the firehouse on generators in preparation for a pending storm.
Arrangements: Time and date pending. Cowan & Son Funeral Home, 616 S Washington St., Van Wert, OH 45891. (419) 238-6385.
Memorial Fund Contact and Address: Pending
Tribute is being paid to Fire Chief Paul "Rosie" Swander at http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/
Name: Donald W. Hubbel Rank: Captain Age: 42 Gender: Male Status: Career Years of Service: 15+ Date of Incident: 02/01/2008 Time of Incident: 1430hrs Date of Death: 02/01/2008
Fire Department: Baltimore City Fire Department Address: 414 N, Calvert St., Baltimore, MD 21202 Fire Department Chief: Acting Chief Gregory B. Ward Fire Department Website: http://www.ci.baltimore.md.us/government/fire/
Incident Description: Captain Hubbel participated in strenuous fire rescue company training activities at the fire academy throughout the day of 01/31/2008. At his residence at approximately 1430hrs the following day, Captain Hubble suffered an apparent heart attack and passed away.
Arrangements: Viewings will take place at Schimunek Funeral Home - (410) 638-5360 02/04/2008 and 02/05/2008 1400-1600hrs and 1900-2100hrs 610 W Macphail Rd # 24, Bel Air, MD 21014 The Funeral will be 02/06/2008 at 1100hrs Fire Dept. Line up at 0930hrs Mountain Branch Christian Church 1824 Mountain Road, Joppa, MD 21085
Internment: Delaney Valley Memorial Gardens Padonia Rd., Timonium, MD 21094
Memorial Fund Contact and Address: Donations can be made to the “Hubbel Family Trust” as follows: State Farm PO BOX 87 Randallstown, MD 21133 Attention: Melinda Lathe Please make notation: “Hubbel Family Trust Fund” on any donations.
Tribute is being paid to Captain Donald W. Hubbel at http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/ Name: David Sherfick Rank: Captain Age: 40 Gender: Male Status: Career Years of Service: 18 Date of Incident: 02/04/2008 Time of Incident: 1550hrs Date of Death: 02/04/2008
Fire Department: Brown Township Fire - Rescue Address: 471 Old State RD 67 N., Mooresville, IN 46158 Fire Department Chief: David Davis
Incident Description: Captain Sherfick passed away at the scene of a vehicle accident between the fire department ambulance he was operating and a privately owned vehicle. The driver of the POV was also pronounced at the scene. Another Firefighter/EMT passenger was reported to have been sent to a hospital in good condition with unspecified injuries.
Funeral Arrangements: Pending
Memorial Fund Contact and Address: In honor of Captain David Sherfick, C/o Brown Township Fire – Rescue, 471 Old State RD 67 N., Mooresville, IN 46158
Tribute is being paid to Captain David Sherfick at http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/
Source: USFA |
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