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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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Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant Application Period Now Open Fire Corps National Preparedness Month Update - Americans with Disabilities Fire Corps and the President's Volunteer Service Award IAFC Announces New Fire Institute: Names Officers, Directors Home Day - Illinois Fire Service - September 6, 2007
Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant Application Period Now Open The FY 2007 SAFER Grant application period opened on Monday, July 30. SAFER Program Guidance has been posted at www.firegrantsupport.com, along with an online applicant tutorial, Frequently Asked Questions, and other materials to help applicants prepare grant applications. The application period for SAFER Grants closes at 5:00 p.m. on August 31, 2007. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) administers SAFER Grants, which provide funding to fire departments to hire firefighters. State and local organizations, along with volunteer and combination fire departments, can also apply for funding to implement recruitment and retention programs. For FY 2007, Congress appropriated $115 million for SAFER. DHS is asking applicants with questions about the SAFER Grant program to contact the help desk at 1-866-274-0960 or at firegrants@dhs.gov. During the application period, the help desk will operate Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. EDT and on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. EDT.
Source: NFVC
Fire Corps National Preparedness Month Update - Americans with Disabilities July 26 marks the 17th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which was signed into law in 1990 to guarantee equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities. To recognize the needs of this important part of the population, Fire Corps has added a section to its Fire Corps National Preparedness Month Resource Center to provide Fire Corps teams with information regarding emergency preparedness for those with disabilities. People with disabilities are often at greater risk during an emergency situation, but Fire Corps programs can play an important role in assisting these individuals in preparing for emergencies. These include creating disaster supply kits, gathering data on individuals to help emergency responders locate individuals with disabilities, installing smoke alarms for the hearing-impaired, and spreading awareness. Fire Corps would also like to encourage people with disabilities to volunteer with their local Fire Corps program. As a volunteer, these individuals can assist the Fire Corps program and fire/EMS department in gaining a better understanding of the specific needs of those with disabilities in times of crises. These individuals can perform an unlimited number of Fire Corps tasks, such as fire prevention education, fundraising, event planning, and more. Visit the Fire Corps National Preparedness Month Resource Center to learn how Fire Corps programs can help the community, including those with disabilities, prepare for their own emergencies, as well as those of their neighbors.
Source: Fire Corps Fire Corps and the President's Volunteer Service Award Did you know that Fire Corps is a certifying organization for the President’s Volunteer Service Award? The President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation created the President’s Volunteer Service Award to recognize dedicated volunteers and show gratitude for their efforts. You can recognize your volunteers for their hard work and commitment by nominating them for this honor through the Fire Corps national office. To be eligible to receive the award, individuals, families, and groups must submit a record of their annual or lifetime volunteer service hours to participating certifying organizations, such as Fire Corps. Fire Corps will verify the service described and deliver the award. Eligibility for individuals and groups is based upon the number of volunteer hours served. Requirements are available at www.presidentialserviceawards.gov. To nominate a Fire Corps program or a volunteer for the President’s Volunteer Service Award, send an email to info@firecorps.org that includes the person’s contact information, a detailed description of his or her service, and the number of hours volunteered. The awardee will also be profiled on the Fire Corps web site or in the Fire Corps E-update. To learn more about the President’s Volunteer Service Award, visit www.presidentialserviceawards.gov.
Source: Fire Corps IAFC Announces New Fire Institute: Names Officers, Directors Fairfax, Va., July 26, 2007... The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) is pleased to announce the formation and inaugural meeting of The International Fire Service Research Center and Policy Institute (The Institute). The Institute was born out of a National Policy Center task force, originally conceived in 2002. The Institute is committed to building the capacity and adaptability of fire rescue organizations. In addition, The Institute will help lead the transformation of fire rescue services through world class research. This will be accomplished by collaborative efforts with other research institutions from around the world to facilitate, coordinate, conduct and disseminate research projects and findings. It is anticipated that the results of the work of The Institute will be used to support the development of informed public policy decisions with regard to the leadership, management, and operations of fire rescue services. “The Institute was created to fill an international need for quality, unbiased research as a component of effective public policy,” said IAFC President Chief Jim Harmes. “It was established by the IAFC because of the importance of the fire rescue services, the amount of resources used in the delivery of these services and the concern over the high rates of civilian and firefighter death rates in the U.S.” Policy and direction for the new institute will be managed by an international board of directors. They will also serve to provide direct and indirect financial support for the organization. In May, during the inaugural meeting of The Institute, the following slate of officers was elected: President: Ernie Mitchell, director, National Firefighter Technology Resource Center, president of the IAFC (2003-2004) and former fire chief, Pasadena (Calif.) Fire Dept. The board of directors includes: Roger Bradley, fire chief, Hanover (N.H.) Fire Department “I believe the International Fire Service Research and Policy Institute is an idea whose time has come and that in 10 years, it will be viewed as an essential and trusted source of fire service policy research and information readily available to all fire and emergency service agencies. Communities will be able to rely less upon local anecdotal evidence and more upon objective, legitimate, credible research led by The Institute in partnership with the entire first responder community,” said Institute President Chief Ernie Mitchell. Former Littleton, Colorado, Fire Chief Bill Pessemier has been named chief executive officer for The Institute and will manage day-to-day operations. Pessemier has been on the IAFC national programs staff for the past three years and is working to complete a doctorate in public affairs at the University of Colorado at Denver. The offices of The Institute will be housed at 4025 Fair Ridge Drive, Fairfax, VA 22033, telephone 703/463-6094. For more information about The Institute, contact Bill at bpessemier@iafc.org.
Source: IAFC Special Member Update: NVFC Calls For Department of Justice to Award Hometown Heroes Claims: Calls For Congressional Investigation Into the Award-Making Process At a press conference on July 11 in Washington, DC, the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) called for the Department of Justice (DoJ) to begin awarding Public Safety Officer’s Benefits (PSOB) to families who applied for the benefit under the Hometown Heroes Survivors Benefits Act. PSOB is a one-time payment of nearly $300,000 to the families of fallen public safety officers. The Hometown Heroes Act, which became law in 2003, was supposed to make it possible for public safety officers who die from heart attack or stroke caused by participation in emergency response to qualify for PSOB. Since passage of the law, DoJ has made seven awards, denied 47 claims and has 199 claims that are still pending. “From the language of the law to the clearly expressed intent of Congress, DoJ should be paying benefits in cases where a public safety officer died from heart attack or stroke within 24 hours of participating in emergency response,” said NVFC Chairman Philip C. Stittleburg. “DoJ needs to start making these payments today, and Congress should investigate why three and a half years after passage of the law so few payments have been made and so many denials and pending cases exist.” The press conference took place in the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Also speaking were Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Congressmen Bob Etheridge (D-NC), Dave Reichert (R-WA), and Spencer Bachus (R-AL). The widows of three fallen firefighters and representatives from other public safety organizations also spoke. DoJ has denied claims in which firefighters suffered a fatal heart attack during emergency response. Their justification is that emergency response doesn’t necessarily constitute “nonroutine stressful or strenuous physical” activity. A report that appeared recently in the New England Journal of Medicine would appear to contradict this, finding that firefighters are at an extremely heightened risk of suffering a heart attack not only during fire suppression but during alarm response and alarm return as well. “I’ve got a news flash for DoJ,” said Stittleburg. “Emergency response by its very nature is nonroutine stressful and strenuous physical activity. Ask anyone who actually knows what it is like to respond to an incident and they’ll agree with me.” “DoJ has been determining on a case-by-case basis whether or not the emergency response described in a PSOB application passes some illusory litmus test,” Stittleburg continued. “This puts tremendous pressure on public safety agencies to create a detailed narrative of the deceased officer’s activities that accurately conveys the physical and emotional strain of emergency response.” For more information on Hometown Heroes, go to www.nvfc.org. The NVFC encourages supporters to contact their Representatives and Senators to call for a Congressional investigation into DoJ’s implementation of the Hometown Heroes Survivor’s Benefits Act. Source: NFVC The U.S. Fire Administration's National Fire Academy is pleased to announce the launch of a new web-based online training system NFAOnline EMMITSBURG, MD. - The U.S. Fire Administration's National Fire Academy is pleased to announce the launch of a new web-based online training system NFAOnline. NFAOnline provides an easy one-stop website where fire and emergency services personnel, first responders, emergency management personnel, and the general public will find free training and education programs that they can complete at their own pace. "Now is the time for us to embrace the future and improve our education through distance learning," said NFA Superintendent, Dr. Denis Onieal. "NFAOnline provides another option to help further the professionalism of the nation's fire and emergency services and strengthen their ability to combat all hazard emergencies." NFAOnline provides a "user-friendly," state-of-the art training system with technical support and the ability for the student to immediately print a certificate and transcript. The primary effort of NFAOnline is to make available training and materials for the fire service, particularly those unable to attend resident courses in Emmitsburg, Maryland. There are currently several courses available in the new NFAOnline. Additional courses are in development and will be added as they become available. Course subjects include Community Safety Educators, Fire Service Supervision, ICS 100 and ICS 200, Emergency Response to Terrorism, and Emergency Medical Services. To enroll in NFAOnline, visit www.nfaonline.dhs.gov and browse the course catalog through the 'New Students' option. Source: USFA Home Day - Illinois Fire Service - September 6, 2007 Thought you'd be interested to know what the Illinois contingent is planning for Home Day this year ... see attached.
Source: FAMA/FEMSA GAC The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has received notice of the following firefighter fatality: Name: Michael Douthitt Fire Department: Broward Sheriff's Office Department of Fire/Rescue Incident Description: Driver/Engineer Douthitt had worked several fires After several days of continuing to feel ill, one at home with flu like After receiving cardiac care and spending several days in the hospital, Funeral Arrangements: Visitation will be held on Tuesday, July 17, from The memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 18 at the Memorial Fund Contact and Address: Donations may be made in memory and Tribute is being paid to Driver/Engineer Michael Douthitt at The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has received notice of the following firefighter fatality: Name: Jon Trainer Fire Department: Mechanicsburg Fire Department Incident Description: Firefighter Trainer passed away from a head injury Funeral Arrangements: Pending Memorial Fund Contact and Address: Pending Tribute is being paid to Firefighter Jon Trainer at The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has received notice of the following firefighter fatality: Name: Dennis Luster Davis Fire Department: U.S. Forest Service Incident Description: A helicopter being flown by Dennis Luster Davis Funeral Arrangements: Pending Memorial Fund Contact and Address: Pending Tribute is being paid to Pilot Dennis Luster Davis at The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has received notice of the following firefighter fatality: Name: Cornelius "Storm" Nolton Fire Department: Newark Fire Department Incident Description: Firefighter Nolton complained of back pain after Funeral Arrangements: Pending Memorial Fund Contact and Address: Pending Tribute is being paid to Firefighter Cornelius Nolton at The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has received notice of the following firefighter fatality: Name: James "Shib" Miller Fire Department: Sesser Fire Protection District Incident Description: Firefighter Miller was struck by a Greyhound bus Funeral Arrangements: Visitation will be Tuesday July 31st 2007 Firefighter walk through will be at 7pm Tuesday evening with line up at All services will be at the First Baptist Church located on Rt. 148 at Memorial Fund Contact and Address: James Miller Memorial Fund, Regions Tribute is being paid to Firefighter James Miller at The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has received notice of the following firefighter fatality: Name: Nemeth F. Sanders Fire Department: North Carolina Division of Forest Resources Incident Description: Firefighter Sanders passed away from injuries Funeral Arrangements: 07/30/2007 Memorial Fund Contact and Address: Pending Tribute is being paid to Firefighter Nemeth F. Sanders at
Source: USFA |
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FAMA/FEMSA GAC Hill Day - September 27, 2007 - Washington, DC |
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