If you have been following the news in the fire service lately, you will already know that the FEMA Fire Investment and Response Enhancement (FIRE) grant program, funded at $360 million in 2002, is possibly on the chopping block.
The authority of this program is derived from the Federal Fire Protection and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2201 et seq.), as amended by the Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002, Pub.L. 107-73. In fiscal year 2002, Congress appropriated a total of $360,000,000 to carry out the activities of this Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. FEMA has until September 30, 2002, to obligate $150,000,000 of the total and FEMA must obligate the $210,000,000 balance by September 30, 2003 -- but, FEMA has plans to obligate as much of the $360,000,000 by the end of September 2002 as possible.
"FIRE Act Grant Program Survival Questioned"
http://www.firehouse.com/funding/fireact/021302.html
The Minnesota Fire Service told Senator Paul Wellstone in Duluth this past fall that a major concern of any federal funding is that it would NOT get to the ground level responders, who are the fire departments, EMS organizations, and other public safety organizations.
After talking with FEMA staff there is a plan to eliminate the FIRE Act Grant program and the DOJ program, the terrorist program and the FIRE grant program money would be folded into one. If you look at the President's budget ... http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/index.html ... there is no money in the fiscal year 2003 for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program.
As evidenced by the President's budget, the Administration's current plans would be to phase out the program after this current year's appropriation has been disbursed to the fire service. The rationale for the phaseout is because of the existence of the first-responders program (the mechanism in place to distribute Federal funds to States for the Office of Home Land Defense), i.e., there was no longer a need to have the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program in place if there is a first-responders program in place.
As a personal observation, it is note worthy of the unbelievable work and extra effort that the FEMA staff did this past year at FEMA to receive the money, put in place the rules and process to apply for it, evaluate the request and disseminate the funds to the LOCAL units of governement (fire departments) in what has to be in record time is simple amazing. My hats off to the staff at Emmitsburg and Washington that worked on this project. Some of you have already voiced your concerns over this issues of the "federal funds not getting directly to those that need them" and "If it ain't broke don't fix it".
As we have been conducting educational workshops, for the FIRE Act Grant program which you will be applying for starting March 1st, many of you have indicated issues and concerns about the program that you want to continue;
1. The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program needs to operate as it is today providing assistance directly to fire departments of all sizes with the same FEMA staff managing the process.
2. The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program needs to have funding increased.
3. The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program needs to remain a stand alone separate focus as intended, i.e., basic firefighting assistance to all departments.
You will notice that this email is a little different then the one I normally send out. The reason for this is, that some of you have requested your Congressional contacts for the FEMA F.I.R.E. grant program (Fire Investment and Response Enhancement) in Washington.
*US Senator - Mark Dayton - Steve Bradach <steve_bradach@dayton.senate.gov>
*US Senator - Paul Wellstone - Sara Nemier <sara.nemier@wellstone.senate.gov>
*US Senator - Paul Wellstone - Lisa Radosevich Pattni <Lisa_Pattni@wellstone.senate.gov>
*USC 1st Dist - Gil Gutknecht - Malachi McNeilus <malachi.mcneilus@mail.house.gov>
*USC 2nd Dist - Mark Kennedy - Meg Louwagie <meg.louwagie@mail.house.gov>
*USC 3rd Dist - Jim Ramstad - <mn03@mail.house.gov>
*USC 4th Dist - Betty McCollum - JD Burton <jd.burton@mail.house.gov>
*USC 4th Dist - Betty McCollum - Chao Lee <chao.lee@mail.house.gov>
*USC 4th Dist - Betty McCollum - Brad Robideau <brad.robideau@mail.house.gov>
*USC 5th Dist - Martin Sabo - Travis Talvitie <travis.talvitie@mail.house.gov>
*USC 6th Dist - Bill Luther - Kelly Hill <kelli.hill@mail.house.gov>
*USC 7th Dist - Collin Peterson - <steve.bekkerus@mail.house.gov>
*USC 8th Dist - James Oberstar - Pete Makowski <peter.makowski@mail.house.gov>
*USC 8th Dist - James Oberstar - Buckley, Marianne" <Marianne.Buckley@mail.house.gov>