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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
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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
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DHS undersecretary Foresman prepares to leave Engineering Guide to Fire Risk Assessment DHS Gives Firefighters More Than $490 Million One in 40 British Police Officers Available for Emergency Response DHS undersecretary Foresman prepares to leave 03/30/07 -- 10:03 AM In accepting Foresman’s resignation with “regret,” Chertoff cited his work in improving the security of national IT, telecommunications and interoperability, as well as other aspects of infrastructure protection and risk management. Information on Foresman’s future plans was not immediately available. Foresman will leave DHS “in the coming weeks,” according to Chertoff’s prepared statement. Foresman had held the preparedness directorate top job since Dec. 18, 2005. Earlier, he worked as Virginia’s senior adviser to the governor for preparedness and homeland security. His executive jobs in emergency preparedness included work as the vice chairman of the Gilmore Commission, which submitted five annual reports on terrorism readiness to Congress between 1998 and 2003. But the preparedness directorate has been shrinking of late. Congress in 2006 directed that FEMA report directly Chertoff as a stand-alone entity. FEMA also is scheduled to begin distributing billions of dollars in preparedness grants to states and localities, a task previously performed by the preparedness directorate. The reorganization is scheduled to occur within days. Also, while Chertoff has proposed moving the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology program under a newly created directorate, which would have been overseen by Foresman, the House Homeland Security Committee approved an amendment this week that may delay the move. Foresman worked for more than 22 years in emergency management, law enforcement and related fields at several levels. Writer Alice Lipowicz contributed to this article. © 1996-2007 1105 Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Source: GCN Engineering Guide to Fire Risk Assessment Introduction to Fire Risk Assessment This complimentary course is presented by the Society of Fire Protection Engineers to improve the understanding of fire risk assessment and how it can be used to reduce the loss of life and property to fire. This five hour equivalent course is presented free of charge by the Society of Fire Protection Engineers. Development of the course was supported by a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This course was developed primarily for fire service and fire prevention officers, but may be of value to many engineers and students would like to understand fire risk assessment and presented by William E. Koffel, Jr., P.E. The full course consists of 19 lecture sessions each of which can be viewed in about 15 minutes. Source: Society of Fire Protection Engineers DHS Gives Firefighters More Than $490 Million The Department of Homeland Security has launched the start of the fiscal year 2007 application period for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program, and it looks like fire departments are eligible to get more than $492.3 million. According to an article by Jim Kouri on the Conservative Voice website, the money goes to fire departments and nonaffiliated emergency management organizations across the nation. “America’s firefighters play a pivotal role in keeping our communities safe and our country secure,” DHS Deputy Secretary Michael Jackson told Kouri. “Local fire departments respond to a wide array of emergencies every day that require special skills, the safest equipment and place responders at great risk of injury and death. The AFG program provides federal resources to supplement local commitments towards ensuring the ability of America’s fire service to be ready for the full range of 21st Century risks.” Kouri says AFG awards assist first-responder organizations in purchasing response equipment, personal protective equipment, and vehicles. The Operations and Safety program prioritizes funding for activities such as training, equipment, personal protective equipment, wellness and fitness, and health and safety modifications to stations and facilities. The Vehicle Acquisition program prioritizes funding for assets such as brush trucks, tankers and tenders, rescue vehicles, ambulances, aerials, foam units, and fireboats. To read the full article, click here: Source: DHS One in 40 British Police Officers Available for Emergency Response A new study says in some British police forces, only one in 40 officers is available to respond to emergency calls. Why are there so few officers allocated to emergency response? According to an article by John Steele in Britain’s Telegraph newspaper, the report from the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) found only 2.5 percent of uniformed officers in one area of Britain were allocated to response duties. “This meant that out of 800 officers at work only 20 were free for emergency response, which included patrolling alcohol-scarred towns and cities at night,” Steele says. Steele adds that the HMIC findings, in a report entitled “Beyond the Call,” will “reignite the debate over bureaucracy and station-bound duties which keep the vast majority of the record 140,000 officers in England and Wales off the streets.” The report also found some patrol officers failed to make good use of their time on duty unless closely supervised by their sergeant. It also found difficulties in the way forces handle the flood of emergency calls, showing that police dispatchers routinely downgraded emergency calls. To read the full article, click here: Source: Disaster Resource Guide Major Communications Push Against Union Organizing Bill. NAM members are aggressively contacting their senators, warning that enactment of the so-called Employee Free Choice Act would deny workers the right to a secret-ballot election for union certification. The NAM-opposed bill, H.R. 800, has already passed the House. The Senate Labor Committee held a hearing on Mar. 27. Further action, including debate on the Senate floor, is likely in April. AFL-CIO members in Washington this week for an annual meeting made this bill their top priority. Under current law, unions must collect signed cards from 30 percent of employees to trigger a secret ballot election supervised by the National Labor Relations Board. Cards are collected face-to-face by union organizers, often at the employee's home. As a result, some employees who sign cards ultimately do not vote for the union since their initial signature involved intimidation. The bill doesn't give the parties adequate time to reach an agreement but would instead impose mandatory arbitration of terms after 120 days. This contract would be in effect for two years, thus undermining fundamental collective bargaining rights. Please contact your senators in opposition to this measure. We have provided a toolkit including sample letters and more for your use. Energy and Environment Nuclear Power. By a 5-0 vote, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Tuesday issued an early site permit to Entergy Corporation for its Grand Gulf Nuclear Station in Mississippi. This permit is the second one announced in the last month, and is evidence that the NAM-supported Energy Policy Act's provisions intended to spur construction of nuclear power plants are working, and is another sign that our nation is undergoing a nuclear renaissance. Like the Clinton, Ill., site, which received a permit last month, Grand Gulf is one of three Early Site Permit projects within DOE's Nuclear Power 2010 program. NP2010 is a joint government/industry cost-sharing effort to identify sites for new nuclear plants, bring to market advanced nuclear plant technologies, and demonstrate untested regulatory processes. Currently, there are 103 commercial nuclear power plants producing electricity in the United States, at 65 sites in 31 states. They are, on average, 24 years old, and are licensed to operate for 40 years with an option to renew for an additional 20. The NAM supports the use of nuclear power as an important part of our energy mix. A copy of the NAM 's comprehensive energy strategy is available here. Commerce Dep't Applies Anti-Subsidy Law to China The U.S. Department of Commerce announced its preliminary decision to apply U.S. anti-subsidy law to coated free sheet paper imports from China. This is the first time countervailing duties will be imposed on imports from a non-market economy. The decision alters a 23-year old bipartisan policy of not applying the countervailing duty (CVD) law to non-market economy countries, and reflects China’s economic development. From 2005 to 2006, imports of coated free sheet paper products from China increased approximately by 177 percent in volume, and were valued at an estimated at $224 million in 2006. U.S. Customs and Border Protection will collect a cash deposit or bond from importers of coated free sheet paper subject to the investigations. Also, Commerce announced its preliminary results of the CVD investigations covering imports of paper from Indonesia and South Korea. Commerce is currently scheduled to announce its final determinations in all three CVD investigations by mid-June, although the law allows postponement until mid-October. More information can be found at www.trade.gov regarding the International Trade Administration and Import Administration. Source: NAM The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has received notice of the following firefighter fatality: Name: Edgar Hamlin Scott Fire Department: Menands Fire Department Incident Description: Fire Police Captain Scott and two other fire Scott passed away from injuries at the scene and the other two fire Investigation continues by the New York State Police into the Funeral Arrangements: Pending Memorial Fund Contact and Address: Pending Tribute is being paid to Fire Police Captain Edgar Hamlin Scott at Source: USFA |
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