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Governmental Affairs Committee |
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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 Click Here 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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Defense Researchers Looking for Medical Monitoring Technology
Congressman King reintroduces Volunteer Emergency Services Recruitment and Retention Act Senate and House Pass Resolutions Honoring Charleston Fallen Firefighters and First Responders “Into the Fire” Activities Continue Spring 2007 Employee-Directed Grants
Defense Researchers Looking for Medical Monitoring Technology In its initial solicitation, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) said it wants its “Sensor Tape” initiative to consist of two principal systems: blast dosimeters that would be mounted on a helmet or near the head, and devices that could measure basic vital signs such as heart rate, body temperature, pulse, respiration and blood oxygen saturation. DARPA’s Broad Agency Announcement, open until June 2008, calls for both systems to include handheld monitoring units and includes a call for any “innovative medical devices” that could be incorporated into the technology. Those could include sensors to monitor hydration and blood glucose levels, the BAA said. The agency says the program’s goal is to develop a low-cost medical sensor system that can measure blast exposure and assist with physiological monitoring and medical care after an injury. DARPA is seeking small, lightweight “sensor tape” patches, no bigger than a standard 4-by-4-inch medical pad for both components of the program. The BAA calls for a blast dosimeter that can record and measure several aspects of an explosion. “This sensor must be able to record shock wave (pressure over time), and acceleration over time,” the BAA says. “It is also desirable that the blast dosimeter be able to measure acoustic levels and light intensities that may be associated with any blast or explosion.” The solicitation also requires that any recorded data be easily transferable to a military member’s health records. If a soldier has a significant record of blast exposure, he could be flagged for a follow-up examination. The dosimeter patches should be disposable, working for no more than seven days, with a price goal of less than $1 each, per order of 100,000. Unlike the dosimeter, which would record data after an explosion, the medical monitoring system has a real-time component. DARPA’s solicitation says the system must include a hand-held monitor that can communicate with multiple medical sensors at the same time. The medical sensor patches should be similar in size to the dosimeters, but have different requirements. Each should be able to operate for 72 hours after activation and have an alert to tell the user when its power level is below 40 percent. Each should also be able to communicate with the monitoring system from a minimum of 200 yards away. The sensors share the same price goal with the dosimeters — less than $1 per patch for orders of 100,000. The solicitation is open to all qualified companies. Those seeking to fill the contract would be given several performance benchmarks. For the dosimeters, they would first have to produce 25 patches and show that they would cost no more than $1, then deliver 1,000 of them, demonstrate their performance and achieve the price goal. DARPA set a similar timeline for the medical sensors, with additional requirements concerning the patches’ operational time and ability to communicate with the monitoring unit. Rob Margetta can be reached at rmargetta@cq.com. © 2007 Congressional Quarterly Inc. All Rights Reserved. Source: CQ Homeland Security
NVFC Calls for Citizen Corps and Fire Corps Authorization in Testimony before House Subcommittee National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) Chairman and La Farge, WI, Fire Department Chief Philip C. Stittleburg testified June 13 before the House Subcommittee on Emergency Communications, Preparedness, and Response. Stittleburg’s testimony focused on the Fire Corps program, which is administered on the national level by the NVFC, in conjunction with the International Association of Fire Chiefs. Fire Corps is a component of Citizen Corps, a national grassroots effort under the Department of Homeland Security to involve citizens in helping their communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to natural and man-made disasters and other emergencies. In recent years, fire and emergency response departments have been struggling with the increasing demands of service coupled with inadequate funding. Firefighters not only respond to local fires and emergencies, but are also tasked with responding to major disasters, both natural and manmade. In an effort to help departments face these increasing demands, Fire Corps was launched in December 2004 with a mission to increase the capacity of volunteer, career, and combination fire and EMS departments through the use of community volunteers to assist in non-operational roles. The testimony outlined Fire Corps’ many benefits, with a focus on how it has greatly increased the ability of the nation’s fire and emergency medical services to provide, maintain, and increase services to their communities. One exemplary program highlighted was the Johnson County Rural Fire District #1 Fire Corps in Clarksville, AR, which increased fire safety programming from 100 hours per year pre-Fire Corps to averaging 8,600 hours per year today. Utilizing Fire Corps volunteers, the department has been able to reach out to more members in the community more frequently with messages of fire prevention, resulting in a significant decrease in fire-related property loss in the county. Another program noted was the Mesa (AZ) Fire Department’s Fire Corps, which donates 29,040 service hours each year, providing additional services to the department such as a bilingual assistance program. This program utilizes the time and talents of Mesa’s Fire Corps volunteers as language translators during emergency situations, increasing communication between community members and first responders in time-sensitive situations. The testimony also highlighted the Stayton (OR) Fire District’s Fire Corps, which installed reflective address signs in its 104-square-mile district, allowing the department to increase its response time in the event of an emergency. “A program like Fire Corps that stresses volunteerism and teamwork is a perfect fit in the fire service where those values are prevalent,” Stittleburg said. “Prior to the creation of Fire Corps, Citizen Corps programs did not address the needs of the fire service, leaving out this crucial component of our nation’s emergency services.” Stittleburg concluded his testimony by calling for Congress to pass an authorization for Citizen Corps that would include a sub-authorization for Fire Corps. Citizen Corps was created by the administration and has been funded through appropriations, but has never been authorized. The NVFC believes that a sub-authorization for Fire Corps will allow it to retain its unique characteristics linking Citizen Corps efforts to the fire service. Read the testimony on the NVFC web site at www.nvfc.org/leg/testimony.html. For more information about Fire Corps, visit www.firecorps.org.
Source: Fire Corps Congressman King reintroduces Volunteer Emergency Services Recruitment and Retention Act
The treatment of LOSAPs in the existing tax structure is ambiguous at best and has not been updated legislatively since 1996. In 2002, the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) formed a LOSAP Committee to examine current law and come up with ideas for clarifying how LOSAPs are taxed. The NVFC then worked closely with Congressman King and other fire service groups to develop the Volunteer Emergency Services Recruitment and Retention Act. "This legislation is crucial for the volunteer fire and emergency services," said NVFC Chairman Philip C. Stittleburg. "LOSAPs have no clear place in the current federal tax structure. This creates problems for states and communities that want to provide LOSAPs for their volunteers but face unnecessary complications in setting up programs. For this reason, LOSAP participation is lower than it otherwise would be, and the programs that do exist are more difficult to administer." The point of LOSAP is to provide participants with a financial benefit after they reach a certain age and length of service. As with pension plans, LOSAPs should be taxed when a beneficiary begins drawing from it, not each year when a payment is made into the LOSAP account. HR 2160 would fix this problem. "HR 2160 does not decrease or eliminate taxation of LOSAPs or force any new requirements on existing LOSAPs,” Stittleburg said. “This bill simply clarifies how LOSAPs should be taxed, giving volunteer emergency service organizations and state and local governments a clear legal framework to administer their LOSAP internally." Another major change that HR 2160 makes is to increase the limit on how much can be contributed into an individual's LOSAP account each year from $3,000 to $5,000. The $3,000 limit was established in 1996 and has not been increased since. The bill also creates a mechanism for adjusting the $5,000 limit based on inflation. Some of the other changes that HR 2160 would make include: Clarifies that in any given year a LOSAP sponsor can contribute more to a volunteer's LOSAP plan than it pays that individual for volunteering. Limiting contributions to 100 percent of pay makes sense for traditional pension plans - an employer would not contribute more to an employee's pension plan than the employee makes in wages. However, most volunteers receive little or no direct compensation for their services and the LOSAP contribution would be their largest benefit.
Source: NVFC Senate and House Pass Resolutions Honoring Charleston Fallen Firefighters and First Responders On June 22, the Senate passed S. Res. 251, “A resolution honoring the firefighters and other public servants who responded to the fire in Charleston, South Carolina, on June 18, 2007.” On June 27, the House passed H. Con. Res. 172, “Honoring the life of each of the 9 fallen City of Charleston firefighters who lost their lives in Charleston, South Carolina, on June 18, 2007.” The text of the full Senate and House are available online at http://thomas.loc.gov. The National Volunteer Fire Council joins Congress in mourning this tragic loss.
Source: NVFC “Into the Fire” Activities Continue Fireman's Fund Insurance Company is in the process of calling more than 1,000 fire departments around the country. Why? To let them know that a check is coming. Purchasers of our "Into the Fire" DVD have the opportunity to direct a portion of the sale price to the fire department of their choice. Since the DVD went on sale online early this year, purchasers have directed money to over 1,200 U.S. fire departments. We're calling these fire departments to let them know about the various programs associated with "Into the Fire" — and to confirm where to send the check!
Millions have already seen "Into the Fire," which presents the stories of real firefighters in their own words. Firefighters and film critics alike have commended the film for its authenticity and its emotion. But "Into the Fire" was created not just as compelling entertainment but to actually benefit the fire service—both by helping raise the public's awareness of the many challenges faced by firefighters and by raising money for the fire service. Fireman's Fund is not making a profit from "Into the Fire." Instead, we want the film to benefit firefighters. That's why Fireman's Fund has offered fire departments the opportunity to use "Into the Fire" for fundraising and community education. Since February, hundreds of fire departments have contacted us to learn how to conduct a screening or use the DVD to raise funds. Your department can join them. Get a free copy of a screening playbook, which gives you guidelines and tips to help facilitate a successful screening of "Into the Fire," as well as a draft incident action plan, by emailing heritage@ffic.com or calling 866.440.8716. You can also contact us for bulk orders of DVDs and to learn other ways to use the DVD as a fundraiser.
Source: Firemen's Fund Heritage Spring 2007 Employee-Directed Grants This spring, Fireman's Fund employees awarded 26 grants, totaling $428,000, to fire departments and organizations across the country. Funding for employee-directed grants, part of our employee Bucket Brigade program, is tied directly to our company's performance. The better Fireman's Fund does financially, the more the fire service and the communities they serve benefit. For this issue, we chose to focus on the story of one department in dire need of some of the most basic equipment of all. A list of other employee-directed grants selected this spring, plus those awarded through our independent agents, can be found below. Patch Job After hearing about the Fireman's Fund HeritageSM program, Trainor contacted Meriden-based Webster Insurance, a local agent offering Fireman's Fund products, to seek the agency's help in obtaining a Fireman's Fund Heritage grant. The chief connected with Gail Feinstein, vice president at Webster, who asked Dan Devin, an employee in the Hartford office of Fireman's Fund to submit an application for new hose. "My heart went out to them," says Feinstein. "We knew how much they needed new hoses – and this was crucial to our employees, since this is where we live and work." The city's fire department is chronically underfunded, and is able to allocate just five percent of its yearly budget to new equipment purchases. "We're thrilled that the grant was approved," says Feinstein. "It says so much about the commitment of Fireman's Fund to the fire service, and their commitment to its local agencies." "I've been in the fire service for 36 years — the fire service has always helped the insurance companies in terms of reducing losses," Trainor says. "Only occasionally do you see insurance companies turning around to help us. Now Fireman's Fund is making a concerted effort." Share Your Story
Source: Firemen's Fund Heritage
The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has received notice of the following firefighter fatality: Name: Edward Summers Fire Department: Patchogue Fire Department Incident Description: Firefighter Summers collapsed and passed away from Funeral Arrangements: Viewing 07/02/2007 @ 1400-1600 and 1900-2100 hrs Memorial Fund Contact and Address: In lieu of flowers, donations in Tribute is being paid to Firefighter Edward Summers at
Source: USFA The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has received notice of the following firefighter fatality: Name: Samuel W. Downing Fire Department: Mobile Fire-Rescue Department Incident Description: Captain Downing suffered a heart attack shortly Visitation 07/03/2007 from 1800-2000hrs at the Radney Funeral Home, 3155 Funeral Arrangements: 07/04/2007, the procession will leave Radney Memorial Fund Contact and Address: In memory of Captain Samuel W. Tribute is being paid to Captain Samuel W. Downing at
Source: USFA The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has received notice of the following firefighter fatality: Name: Dennise M. Leslie Fire Department: Coal City Community Volunteer Fire Department Incident Description: Firefighter Leslie was en route to the Coal City According to the Owen County Sheriff's Office, Leslie swerved to avoid a The traffic accident investigation report indicates that the airbags in Firefighter Leslie passed away at the scene. Funeral Arrangements: Details are pending; visit the West & Parrish Memorial Fund Contact and Address: In memory of Firefighter Dennise M. Tribute is being paid to Firefighter Dennise M. Leslie at
Source: USFA |
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FAMA/FEMSA GAC Hill Day - September 27, 2007 - Washington, DC |
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