News
NVFC Testifies Before Congress on Reauthorization of the U.S. Fire Administration
On October 2, the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) testified at a hearing held by the House Science and Technology Committees’ Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation to discuss reauthorization of the United States Fire Administration (USFA). The NVFC was represented by Deputy Chief Gordon Henderson, a Past President of the Georgia State Firefighters Association, which is a state member of the NVFC.
“USFA plays a critical role in educating and training fire, rescue, and emergency personnel throughout the United States,” Henderson told the Subcommittee. “Additionally, USFA collects, analyzes and disseminates data about fires and other emergencies to stakeholders and members of the public.”
The NVFC made several specific recommendations for the reauthorization, including adding advanced emergency medical services (EMS), hazardous materials, and wildland fire to the core mission of USFA; updating the National Fire Incident Reporting System so that reports can be filed electronically; and requiring USFA to work with the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, which operates the National EMS Information System, to ensure the respective data collection systems are capturing data that is accurate and as useful as possible.
In his testimony, Henderson also discussed some of the specific programs that USFA has to help the volunteer fire service. “The most visible and direct benefit that USFA provides to the volunteer fire service is hosting the Volunteer Incentive Program (VIP) at the National Fire Academy,” he said. “VIP combines two weeks’ worth of course work into an intensive six-day session. The compressed course schedule is essential for many volunteers who cannot take two weeks off to attend classes and the course topics are geared specifically toward addressing challenges faced in many volunteer agencies.”
Henderson also told the Committee about Retention and Recruitment for the Volunteer Emergency Services: Challenges and Solutions, a 237-page guide developed jointly by USFA and the NVFC, which identifies the specific challenges to retaining and recruiting volunteers and offers suggestions and best practices on how to overcome each one. Retention and recruitment are two of the most important issues in the volunteer fire service, which has a population that is both declining and aging. The guide is available for free download at www.nvfc.org.
Ultimately, the NVFC believes that in order to be most effective, USFA must receive the funding that it is authorized by Congress to receive. In FY 2007, Congress appropriated less than $42 million for USFA, despite an authorization of more than $68 million.
“USFA should be reauthorized at a funding level that will allow USFA to maintain existing programs, update and develop new programs, and expand their ability to deliver those programs to the fire and other emergency services,” Henderson said.
The full testimony is available on the NVFC web site at www.nvfc.org. The NVFC will continue to work with Congress, the administration and other stakeholder groups to pass legislation reauthorizing USFA.
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