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Governmetal Affairs Committee |
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GAC Resources
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
Subscribe to the Fire Grant Data website Success Stories RSS (Real Simple Syndication) news feed. Click here.
The FAMA / FEMSA GAC would like to thank all the members who participated in the 2006 Home Day Program. Many of you had incredible results, and we encourage you to share those experiences with your fellow members. The GAC has posted a small website with information about some of the Home Day activities by FAMA and FEMSA member companies. Remember - Every Day is Home Day! Please click here to see the site.
Upcoming Events CFSI Annual Dinner. March 28-29, 2007. Washington, DC Hilton. Get your tickets early! Click here for more information.
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Lieberman proposes adding $3.4B to budget for first responders FEMSA and FAMA will host a hospitality for all members attending the CFSI dinner in Washington, DC IAFC Testifies to Further Public Safety Broadband Trust CPSC and USFA Encourage Consumers to Spring Forward with Fire Safety in Mind S&T Directorate’s Disaster Management Program Wins Excellence.Gov Award Senator Paul S. Sarbanes Fire Safety Leadership Award Recipient Announced New Jersey Police Try Mobile Mesh Government Struggles with Bioterror Defenses Americans Don’t Trust DHS, Survey Finds IMPORTANT WEB ADDRESS: CFSI updates the Congressional Fire Services Caucus member list. Make sure your local representative is on it! Click Here Lieberman proposes adding $3.4B to budget for first responders 03/14/07 -- 10:12 AM Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, an Independent who caucuses with the Democratic party, said he wants to add $479 million for the Urban Area Security Initiative, which provides counterterrorism funding to major cities, bringing the total to $1.2 billion. Other sharp increases Lieberman calls for are: President Bush’s proposed budget does not provide enough support for state and local agencies for training, equipment and planning, Lieberman said. The president’s budget proposal keeps up with the rate of inflation, Lieberman wrote in a news release, but provides no substantial increase. “This is the fourth straight year that the administration has proposed significant reductions in homeland security funds for first responders,” Lieberman said. “If the President’s budget were enacted, overall grant funding would be cut by a staggering 40 percent since FY 2004 — seriously limiting the ability of state and local officials to protect their communities against the ever-present threats of terrorism and natural disasters.” Lieberman criticized DHS for publicizing a new $1 billion grant program for interoperable communications, funded by the Federal Communications Commission’s auctioning of radio spectrum as an offset for reductions in the DHS budget request. Those funds were not intended to replace overall grant assistance, Lieberman said. Alice Lipowicz is a staff writer for Washington Technology, an 1105 Government Information Group publication. © 1996-2007 1105 Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Source: GCN If you plan to invite your local Congressional representatives or staffers to join you at the CFSI dinner on March 29th in DC, here are some guidelines supplied to us by the CFSI that must be followed: TO: All FAMA and FEMSA Members If you plan to invite your local Congressional representatives or staffers to join you at the CFSI dinner on March 29th in DC, here are some guidelines supplied to us by the CFSI that must be followed: All members of Congress have received an invitation to the dinner; however, the CFSI has to initiate an invitation to any Congressional staff. After the CFSI invites a staff member, you may follow up with them. Members and staff are allowed to attend the event because CFSI is the host and is covering their cost. You may be purchasing the tables, but you are not covering the cost of their ticket or meal (this is a very important distinction for the Ethics Committee). You can reach out to members and staff after they have been invited to let them know you have purchased a table, but have not filled every seat, and that they are more than welcome to sit at your table. This way, the seat has been purchased regardless of the member's attendance. The CFSI is simply filling out a table by seating them with you. If you have any questions about this process, please let us know. Thank you, Karen Karen Burnham Source: GAC FEMSA and FAMA will host a hospitality for all members attending the CFSI dinner in Washington, DC Thursday, March 29, 2007 Please join us, and feel free to invite your legislators and staffers. See you there! Karen Karen H. Burnham Source: GAC IAFC Testifies to Further Public Safety Broadband Trust Fairfax, Va., Feb. 9, 2007... On February 8, 2007, Chief Charles Werner, of the Charlottesville (Va.) Fire Department, testified on behalf of the IAFC before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, chaired by Senator Inouye (D-Hawaii). The purpose of the hearing was to receive testimony on the “Present and Future of Public Safety Communications.” The IAFC took this opportunity to stand solidly behind the formation of a Public Safety Broadband Trust to establish a 30 MHz public/private broadband network in the 700 MHz band. This is the proposal put forward last year by Cyren Call Communications and is supported by the IAFC board of directors. Also testifying on behalf of public safety was Chief Harlin McEwen representing the International Association of Chiefs of Police. The balance of the panel included Morgan O’Brien, CEO of Cyren Call; Steve Largent, president of CTIA representing the large telecommunications carriers; and two witnesses representing other business interests. The public safety witnesses made a strong case for the establishment of a commercial broadband network to be managed by public safety for the benefit of public safety. Chief Werner’s testimony can be found on the IAFC website in the Government Relations section, Major Issues Communications. Largent, representing the carriers, took the occasion to say why public safety does not need the 30 MHz of spectrum currently slated for auction by the Federal Communications Commission. The tenor of the hearing, well attended by committee members, was mostly even handed, according to Chief Steven Westermann, IAFC first vice president, who was present at the hearing. “Basically it was a good hearing, our first opportunity to state the fire-service case for the Public Safety Broadband Trust. But it’s clear from the questions by senators that there is a lot of hard work ahead of us.” Senator McCain (R-Ariz.) is expected to introduce legislation in support of a public safety broadband network. The next step in the process is for the bill to go to a markup session and then to the Senate floor. The IAFC will push hard to expedite this process. The House has yet to take action on this, although key members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee are being contacted by the IAFC and constituent fire chiefs. This will also be an issue for discussion with members of congress at the end of March, during the time of the Congressional Fire Services Institute Dinner. Source: IAFC CPSC and USFA Encourage Consumers to Spring Forward with Fire Safety in Mind News stories reported at least 200 people killed in home fires in first three weeks of February WASHINGTON, D.C. - Each year, families and homeowners are reminded by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) to ensure that their smoke alarms are working properly and have fresh batteries. With daylight saving time coming up on Sunday, CPSC and USFA are adding a new message: use the time change as an opportunity to take a fresh look at your family's fire escape plan. While smoke alarms have helped save countless lives over the past 30 years, research has shown that children younger than 16 may not reliably wake up when the alarm goes off. The fact that children may sleep through the sound of a smoke alarm must be taken into account when creating the family fire escape plan. CPSC, USFA, the National Fire Protection Association, International Association of Fire Chiefs, and International Association of Fire Fighters all recommend that families conduct a fire escape drill either late at night or early in the morning. This drill will help parents determine if their child/children are awakened by and able to respond to the sound of a smoke alarm. For those children who do not respond, the traditional fire escape plan of everyone meeting at a common location outside the home may leave them at risk. The fire safety community encourages parents and caregivers to assist children in getting to a safe location when an alarm activates at a time when they are asleep. "No community can put a firefighter on every street corner. Everyone can, however, put a firefighter on duty 24 hours a day and 7 days a week by having and using working smoke alarms in their homes," said USFA Acting Administrator Charlie Dickinson. "Smoke alarms save lives - everyone should have working alarms on each floor of their house and inside every bedroom," said CPSC Acting Chairman Nancy Nord. "So that even more lives can be saved in the future, the fire safety community is currently working to improve smoke alarm audibility for children." Consumers should replace their smoke alarms every 10 years since the sensors in these devices can degrade because of environmental contamination and from age. In addition to replacing batteries in smoke alarms at least once every year, CPSC and USFA recommend testing them monthly. Battery backup is an important consideration for those alarms that are powered by your home's electrical system. Between 1999 and 2003, there were an estimated 356,000 unintentionally set residential fires reported to fire departments annually. These fires resulted in an estimated annual average of 2,500 deaths and 14,000 injuries. CPSC staff came to the following conclusions about children and smoke alarms in a 2004 report on this issue: * Children under the age of 16 have longer periods of deep sleep compared to adults. * Current smoke alarms do not reliably wake children under the age of 16. * Various home configurations and locations of smoke alarms can limit the transmission of sound throughout the house. * Interconnected smoke alarms can provide earlier warning of smoke and fire and placing them inside bedrooms may provide improved warning when bedroom doors are closed. CPSC and USFA have produced a new one-minute public service announcement
(PSA) on the importance of having working smoke alarms and an effective
fire escape plan. To view video versions or hear the audio version, and
to see graphics associated with this release, please go to: Source: USFA S&T Directorate’s Disaster Management Program Wins Excellence.Gov Award The DHS Science and Technology Directorate’s Disaster Management (DM) Interoperability Services program has won an Excellence.Gov award for its work in developing interoperable and collaborative information sharing tools for the emergency response community. The Excellence.Gov Award recognized DM’s contributions to the emergency response community as well as citizens nationwide. DM allows dispersed people and organizations to securely communicate across geographical and governmental boundaries, and to share information before, during, and after an incident. Though it uses the Internet, it is not browser-based; if connectivity is lost, responders are able to work until it is regained, and then the information is synchronized. It allows users to share information across geographical and governmental boundaries about wind speed, plume data, hospitals, shelter locations, recovery areas, and roadblocks. Under the S&T Directorate, DM is improving emergency response and recovery by developing tools and messaging standards that help practitioners manage incidents and securely exchange information in real time. Source: USFA Senator Paul S. Sarbanes Fire Safety Leadership Award Recipient Announced Emmitsburg, MD -- The Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) have selected the Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firemen's Association (CVVFA) for the Senator Paul S. Sarbanes Fire Safety Leadership Award. The award will be presented at the 19th Annual National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner on March 29 in Washington DC. Named after Senator Paul S. Sarbanes (retired) of Maryland, a strong advocate of the Nation's fire and rescue personnel during his 36 years in Congress, the award recognizes organizations for their outstanding contributions to firefighter health and safety. State Farm Insurance and VFIS are corporate supporters of the award. Nine years ago, CVVFA established the Emergency Responder Safety Institute to educate and inform first responders about the hazards of roadway operations. It promotes best practices, policies and procedures to minimize injuries and death to first responders. Since then, the Association has spearheaded development of best practices and national standards covering all phases of safety for emergency responders at roadway incidents. CFSI President Bill Jenaway and NFFF Chairman Hall Bruno issued a joint statement recognizing the CVVFA for its achievement. "We are proud to be presenting this award to the Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firemen's Association for their outstanding achievements to enhance firefighter health and safety," said the two leaders. "Through this award program, we hope to encourage greater national support of the NFFF Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives to make the fire service safer for our more than one million first responders. We would also like to acknowledge the many organizations that submitted outstanding nominations, demonstrating the progress being made on this important front." For additional information about the Senator Paul S. Sarbanes Award, please visit the CFSI and NFFF websites (www.cfsi.org and www.firehero.org). Source: CFSI New Jersey Police Try Mobile Mesh Police in Lakewood, New Jersey are hoping a new mobile-mesh broadband network will help them reach the pinnacle of success when it comes to emergency communications. But will the new network really work? In an article on the Wi-Fi planet website, Naomi Graychase says the department has implemented the network to communicate “more rapidly and more extensively during everything from routine patrols to tactical operations and disasters.” Graychase says the department rolled out the 4.9GHz broadband mobile-mesh network during a rock concert, and while the venue “may not seem like the sort of place first-responders would want to test the frequency the FCC has set aside for them in anticipation of another cataclysmic event like September 11th, 2001, it proved to be a valuable exercise,” Graychase reports. The system also allows officers to have access to streaming video inside squad cars, which enables officers to cover more ground more quickly, to be managed from the single command center a significant distance away from the farthest node and to respond more effectively to incidents. To read the full article, click here: http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/columns/article.php/3664726 Source: Disaster Resource Guide Government Struggles with Bioterror Defenses In the past five years, the government has handed public health departments more than $5 billion to better prepare for bioterror attacks and pandemics. So why can’t the government now show we’re better prepared? The Associated Press’ Kevin Freking is reporting that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tasked with evaluating how state departments spend the money, is struggling to see how well they spent the dollars. “We’re not able to demonstrate accountability,” Craig Thomas, chief of the CDC office that evaluates and monitors public health departments, told attendees at a recent conference in Washington. “It’s not just accountability to the CDC. It’s accountability to your community. It’s accountability to your local stakeholders and the people who fund you as well.” Freking says congress responded to 9/11 and its ensuing anthrax-tainted letters sent to lawmakers by putting much more money toward emergency preparedness. “State health departments typically get tens of millions of dollars per year to prepare for bioterrorism; it was in the hundreds of thousands before Sept. 11,” Freking says. “The money came with a catch: Washington had to set criteria to evaluate how well the dollars were spent.” But Freking says there is an acknowledgment that the CDC relies on anecdotal evidence to demonstrate the improvement, while congress demands hard, statistical evidence. To read the full article, click here: Source: Disaster Resource Guide Americans Don’t Trust DHS, Survey Finds The Department of Homeland Security is the least trusted of all 74 federal agencies, according to a new study by the Michigan-based Ponemon Institute. Is there a reason the DHS is once again dead last? UPI’s Shaun Waterman is reporting both the DHS and the Transportation Security Administration ranked the lowest in the survey of more than 7,000 Americans. In addition to the DHS and the TSA, the other agencies least trusted include the National Security Agency, the CIA, the office of the Attorney General, the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Prisons and Citizenship and Immigration Services. “Customs and Border Protection, another homeland security agency, and the Department of Veterans Affairs joined the list of least-trusted agencies for the first time in 2007,” Waterman also reports. But despite coming in last, Waterman reports the DHS’s numbers are actually up from last year, with confidence rising from 17 percent in 2006 to 22 percent in 2007. Former DHS Chief Privacy Officer Maureen Cooney told Waterman the department’s transparency was probably the most important single factor in any explanation of the improvement it experienced. To read the full article, click here: http://www.postchronicle.com/news/security/article_21268232.shtml Source: Disaster Resource Guide Personal Protective Equipment — Should OSHA Mandate Employer Payments? On March 5, the NAM joined with other business groups to urge a federal court to reject an attempt by the AFL-CIO to force OSHA to issue a new regulation that would require employers to pay for nearly all personal protective equipment on the job. While many companies already pay for safety equipment, new OSHA rules would establish another regulatory and litigation labyrinth for those and other employers to navigate. While OSHA has the authority to require safe working conditions, our brief argues that the agency does not have the authority to issue an economic regulation that transfers costs and that interferes with collective bargaining. Who pays for safety equipment is irrelevant to whether the employer is providing a safe workplace. Even if OSHA does have the authority to issue a regulation, it has the discretion to tackle much more significant safety issues on its regulatory agenda first. The proposed rule would have a serious negative impact on all employers. In a related development, on March 6, Rep. Roybal-Allard (D-CA) introduced H.R. 1327, the Protective Equipment for America’s Workers Act, which would require that OSHA issue essentially the 1999 version of a proposed rule within 30 days of enactment. Source: NAM |
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