In this issue:
- President Slashes First Responder Funding in FY 2009 Budget Request
- Department of Homeland Security Releases National Response Framework
- NVFC Testifies Before Congress on Volunteer Job Protection Legislation
- NVFC Releases Podcast on Retention and Recruitment
- National Junior Firefighter Program Advisory Committee Holds Inaugural Meeting
- Time is Running Out: Nominations for NVFC Fire Prevention Award Due February 15
- NVFC Welcomes New Administrative Assistant
- Calendar of Events
- Support Those Who Support the Voice of the Volunteer Fire and Emergency Services
President Slashes First Responder Funding in FY 2009 Budget Request
On February 4, the President announced his FY 2009 budget request for funding for the federal government. The President’s budget slashes funding to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s State and Local Programs account by more than $1 billion, including a $260 million cut for the FIRE Grant program, elimination of the SAFER grant program, and a six percent reduction in funding for the United States Fire Administration (USFA).
“The President’s budget is an abrupt and dramatic reduction of federal support for our nation’s firefighters and EMS personnel,” said National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) Chairman Philip C. Stittleburg. “The safety of first responders and the communities they serve will suffer if the funding levels proposed by the President are enacted.”
FIRE and SAFER provide funding on a competitive basis directly to fire departments to bring them up to a baseline level of readiness. FIRE grants provide funding to purchase apparatus, equipment and training while SAFER grants pay for hiring and recruitment and retention of volunteers. The President is requesting $300 million for FIRE and nothing for SAFER. FIRE and SAFER are each authorized at approximately $1 billion and receive applications requesting more than twice this amount every year. The NVFC supports full funding for FIRE and SAFER.
The mission of USFA is to reduce life and economic losses due to fire and related emergencies by providing training and coordination and performing research. The long-term health of USFA and its National Fire Academy are critical to the fire service. The President’s request of $41 million for USFA is a reduction of $2.3 million and more than $25 million less than authorized by Congress. Additionally, the President proposes to fund USFA in a manner that would allow FEMA to transfer funds between USFA and other accounts without notifying Congress. The NVFC supports full funding for USFA and opposes allowing the administration to reprogram USFA funding for other purposes.
The President’s funding request includes $15 million for the Citizen Corps program, which supports Fire Corps, Medical Reserve Corps, Neighborhood Watch, Volunteers In Police Service and Community Emergency Response Teams. Fire Corps is a program administered by the NVFC that is designed to recruit citizens to volunteer for their fire/EMS departments in a non-operational capacity.
More information about the President’s budget request can be found on the Office of Management and Budget’s web site. The budget request is just the first step in the process of making funds available for federal activities and programs. Ultimately, Congress will determine how to appropriate federal funding and the NVFC will work closely with our allies in the House and Senate, as we do every year, to ensure that programs providing assistance to the volunteer fire service receive adequate funding.
Department of Homeland Security Releases National Response Framework
On January 22, National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) Chairman Philip C. Stittleburg participated in a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) press conference to announce the National Response Framework (NRF). The stated purpose of the NRF is, “To ensure that government executives, private-sector and nongovernmental organization leaders, and emergency management practitioners across the nation understand the domestic incident response roles, responsibilities, and relationships in order to respond more effectively to any type of incident.”
The NRF is an updated version of the National Response Plan (NRP) which has been in place since 2004. The NRF incorporates input from stakeholders, lessons learned, and best practices developed since the NRP was implemented. The NRF will go into effect on March 22.
Emergency response is primarily a local function. When a local jurisdiction exhausts its available resources it can request additional assistance. This most commonly comes in the form of mutual aid from neighboring jurisdictions. When catastrophic incidents occur, state and federal resources can be deployed. The NRF establishes the roles and responsibilities of the various entities involved in different types of responses. Under the NRF, incident command remains a local function even when federal resources are deployed except in rare incidences where local entities are temporarily unable to lead the response.
The NRF document is available for download at www.fema.gov/NRF. Additional materials such as annexes, appendixes, partner guides, and other reference documents are also available on this web site.
NVFC Testifies Before Congress on Volunteer Job Protection Legislation
On February 12, the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) testified before the House Committee on Education and Labor, Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions in support of a proposal to provide volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel up to 14 days per calendar year of job protection while responding to a state- or federally-declared emergency or disaster.
“Volunteer emergency responders who travel to a different part of the country to dedicate their time and energy assisting fellow citizens in desperate need of help don’t deserve to be rewarded for their efforts with a pink slip,” said NVFC Chairman Philip C. Stittleburg. “The federal government should provide up to 14 days of job protection per year for volunteer emergency responders who respond in an official capacity to a major disaster.”
Legislation providing protection to volunteers responding to federally-declared disasters passed the House of Representatives last year. Subcommittee Chairman Robert Andrews (D-NJ) is proposing legislation that would provide job protection for volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel responding in an official capacity to state-declared disasters as well as federally-declared disasters.
John I. Alchevsky, Chief of Cassville Volunteer Fire Company #1 in Jackson Township, NJ, also testified on behalf of the NVFC. He recounted the difficulty he has experienced trying to get time off of work to respond to major incidents.
“Over the course of 30 years of volunteer service, I have personally experienced and witnessed situations in which volunteer firefighters have either been prevented from or delayed in responding to an emergency or had to leave the scene of an emergency prematurely for fear of disciplinary action by their employer,” said Alchevsky. “From my perspective, the issue of job protection is a fundamental one for the long-term health of the volunteer fire service.”
The hearing addressed a variety of worker protection issues in addition to job protection for volunteers. The Committee is expected to produce comprehensive legislation dealing with each of the issues discussed at the hearing in the near future.
Read the full testimonies given by Stittleburg and Alchevsky.
NVFC Releases Podcast on Retention and Recruitment
The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) teamed up with Firehouse.com to record a podcast on two of the biggest challenges facing volunteer fire departments – retention and recruitment. The podcast is available as part of Radio@Firehouse.com’s lineup of broadcasts for fire and emergency professionals, online at www.radiofirehouse.com. You can also access the podcast from the NVFC web site at www.nvfc.org and from iTunes. Read full article.
National Junior Firefighter Program Advisory Committee Holds Inaugural Meeting
Criteria Established for Scholarships and Grants
The Advisory Committee for the National Volunteer Fire Council’s (NVFC) National Junior Firefighter Program met for the first time on January 31 at the NVFC headquarters in Greenbelt, MD. The committee developed the criteria for the upcoming National Junior Firefighter Scholarship and Grant program as well as provided guidance and input as to the future direction of the National Junior Firefighter Program. Read full article.
Time is Running Out: Nominations for NVFC Fire Prevention Award Due February 15
Do you know a volunteer firefighter whose achievements in the fire service and in the community exemplify the philosophy of fire prevention? Nominate this outstanding individual for the NVFC Fire Prevention Award. Nominations must be received by February 15.
The NVFC Fire Prevention Award, sponsored by First Alert, was established in the memory of volunteer firefighter and NVFC Board member Marc Mueller, who energetically promoted the causes of volunteer firefighters and supported all efforts to elevate the volunteer fire and emergency services to their highest level. This prestigious national award is presented each year at the NVFC Spring Board Meeting, which will be held this year from April 2-6 in Arlington, VA, just outside of Washington, DC.
To nominate an individual for the NVFC Fire Prevention Award, submit a nomination packet including:
- nomination form (available at www.nvfc.org/fire_prevention_award)
- a background sheet or resume containing an overview of the individual’s experience, education, and other pertinent information
- letters of recommendation supporting the nominee
Email submissions to kettinger@nvfc.org or mail to:
NVFC Fire Prevention Award
Attn: Kimberly Ettinger
7852 Walker Drive, Suite 450
Greenbelt, MD 20770
Visit www.nvfc.org/fire_prevention_award for more information, including award criteria and a nomination form.
NVFC Welcomes New Administrative Assistant
The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) welcomes Donna Clark as the new Administrative Assistant. Donna comes to the NVFC with six years of experience as the Executive Assistant for the Prince George’s County (MD) Volunteer Firefighters Association. She comes from a family with strong roots in the fire and emergency services community and is also involved with her local Citizen Corps Council and Fire Corps.
“We are very happy to have Donna join our staff,” said Heather Schafer, Executive Director of the NVFC. “Her credentials both in administration and in the fire service will certainly be an asset to the organization.”
Allison Moore, the former Administrative Assistant, has been promoted to Government Relations Associate. She will assist Dave Finger, Director of Government Relations, in furthering the legislative goals of the organization. Her focus areas will include EMS, wildland, and radio/wireless issues. Allison is currently pursuing her M.P.S. in Political Management at George Washington University.
Calendar of Events
Below is a list of events that the NVFC will be attending, as well as nationally recognized dates which the NVFC would like to acknowledge.
NVFC Spring Meeting
April 2-6
Washington, DC
CFSI Dinner
April 3, 2008
Washington, DC
FDIC
April 7-12, 2008
Indianapolis, IN
Fire Chief’s Station Style Conference
April 26-29, 2008
Phoenix, AZ
Fire Expo
Harrisburg, PA
May 16-18, 2008
Firehouse Expo
July 22-27, 2008
Baltimore, MD
August 14-16, 2008
Denver, CO
Support Those Who Support the Voice of the Volunteer Fire and Emergency Services
The NVFC relies on the assistance of its corporate and association partners to be able to provide a voice for the volunteer fire and emergency services in Washington. We encourage you to look at a list of our Corporate Members and support them with your business.
Join the NVFC and support the voice of the volunteer. Find out more and join online at www.nvfc.org.
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