[Msfdanews] National Volunteer Fire Council's (NVFC) E-Update
Woody Walters
Woody.Walters at so.mnscu.edu
Fri Nov 18 09:24:30 MST 2005
<http://www.nvfc.org>
<http://www.nvfc.org/membership.html>
<http://www.nvfc.org/updates.html#updates>
November 18, 2005
Welcome to the National Volunteer Fire Council's (NVFC) E-Update. The
NVFC
is a non-profit membership association representing the interests of
America's volunteer fire, EMS and rescue personnel.
In this issue:
1. NVFC Revises Legislative Priorities
2. IAFC and NVFC Offer Resolution to Protect Volunteers
3. Information About Public Safety Officers' Benefits
4. NVFC Weighs in on Need for Improved Interoperability
5. NVFC Hosts Delegation of Japanese Volunteer Firefighters
6. NVFC Expresses Concern Over Unfunded Mandates in National
Incident
Management System
7. State Focus: Massachusetts Extends Death Benefits to
Firefighter
Families
8. USSTC Operation Ranger Opens Applications for 2006 Awards
9. Support Those Who Support the Voice of the Volunteer Fire and
Emergency Services
_____
NVFC Revises Legislative Priorities
At its annual fall meeting in Galveston, Texas, last month, the
National
Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) officially revised its legislative
priorities.
The top legislative priority for the NVFC remains funding for the
Assistance
to Firefighters Grant program (AFG). The purpose of the AFG is to bring
fire
departments across the country up to a base line level of readiness by
providing funding to pay for equipment, vehicles, training, and
education.
Since it was created in 2001, the AFG has provided fire departments
with
more than $2.5 billion in grants. For the second year in a row,
Congress
reduced funding for the AFG by at least $100 million, going from $650
million in FY 2005 to $545 million in FY 2006. The NVFC is disturbed by
this
trend and urges Congress to fully fund the AFG at its authorized level
of $1
billion.
A new legislative priority for the NVFC is to clarify the tax status
of
Length of Service Award Programs (LOSAPs). LOSAPs provide benefits in
the
form of deferred payments to volunteers in firefighting and prevention
services. Approximately 20 percent of the 800,000 volunteer
firefighters in
the United States today participate in LOSAPs. The NVFC has developed
legislation that would simplify the requirements for service award
programs
and reduce the administrative burden on both governmental agencies and
potential sponsors by using existing statutory and regulatory
mechanisms.
Passage of the Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act, the Good Samaritan
Volunteer
Firefighter Assistance Act, the Supporting Emergency Responders
Volunteer
Efforts Act, and the Volunteer Responder Incentive Protection Act
continue
to be priorities for the NVFC. The NVFC was pleased to note that the
United
States Fire Administration (USFA) received a line item in
appropriations
legislation for the first time in the FY 2006 Homeland Security
Appropriations Act. The NVFC believes that having a direct funding
stream
for USFA will allow for better transparency and help in our efforts to
increase the agency's funding in future years.
Another new priority for the NVFC is passage of the Volunteer
Firefighter
and EMS Personnel Job Protection Act. This legislation, H.R. 3949, was
introduced by Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE) on September 29, 2005. It would
protect volunteer emergency services personnel responding to a
Presidentially-declared national disaster from termination or demotion
should they miss work for up to 14 days. This protection is similar to
that
provided to members of the National Guard. For further details on NVFC
legislative priorities, visit www.nvfc.org.
_____
IAFC and NVFC Offer Resolution to Protect Volunteers
The National Advisory Committee (NAC) of the Congressional Fire
Services
Institute unanimously adopted a resolution supporting H.R. 3949, the
Volunteer Firefighter and EMS Personnel Job Protection Act, at its
annual
fall meeting on October 26th. The resolution was submitted jointly by
the
National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) and the International
Association of
Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and calls on Congress to pass H.R. 3949, which was
introduced by Congressman Mike Castle (R-DE) on September 29th.
H.R. 3949 would protect volunteer firefighters from being fired,
demoted or
harassed if they miss work because they are activated to respond to a
Presidentially declared emergency. Members of the National Guard
already
enjoy similar job protection under current law.
"When the men and women of the volunteer fire service are asked to
respond
to a national disaster they shouldn't have to jeopardize their
livelihoods
in order to answer the call," said NVFC Chairman Philip Stittleburg.
"This
bill is the right thing to do for our nation's volunteer firefighters
and it
ensures that they will be available to respond as needed."
Volunteer firefighters-thousands of whom responded earlier this year
to
hurricanes that ravaged parts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama
and
Florida-make up nearly 75 percent of the nation's fire service. They
receive
little if any compensation for their services and most of them have
full-time jobs away from the firehouse.
"It is critically important that Congress pass this legislation," said
Chief
Bill Killen, the IAFC president. "The IAFC and its Volunteer and
Combination
Officers Section believe that we should protect volunteer firefighters
who
provide such a significant service to their communities."
The NAC is comprised of more than 40 trade groups, issue organizations
and
professional association including the leading fire service
organizations in
the country.
_____
Information About Public Safety Officers' Benefits
The Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) Program provides financial
assistance to the families of first responders who die or are disabled
in
the line of duty. PSOB Forms and information about the program are now
available online at:
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/grant/psob/psob_main.html.
_____
NVFC Weighs in on Need for Improved Interoperability
As Congress continues to debate how to go about transferring radio
spectrum
to first responders, the NVFC joined with other national fire service
organizations in placing this open letter to Congressional Leadership
in USA
Today:
To:
The Honorable Bill Frist
Senate Majority Leader
The Honorable J. Dennis Hastert
Speaker of the House of Representatives
The Honorable Harry Reid
Senate Minority Leader
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
House Minority Leader
On behalf of the one million men and women who serve our nation as
firefighters and emergency services personnel, our organizations call
on
Congress to address one of the most critical issues facing our
nation's
first responders: to guarantee their ability to communicate whenever
they
respond to emergencies.
For the past ten years, our organizations have been urging Congress to
reallocate 24 megahertz of radio spectrum in the 700 MHz band for
public
safety use nationwide. We have provided testimony to congressional
committees discussing the challenges first responders faced at major
incidents. In Oklahoma City during rescue operations at the Murrah
Building
bombing, incident commanders had to resort to runners to transmit
messages.
In New York City at the site of the World Trade Center attacks,
similar
measures were taken because of radio congestion, attributed to a lack
of
spectrum. As one of its recommendations, the 9-11 Commission called on
Congress to set aside forthwith additional radio spectrum for public
safety.
And now we hear of widespread communication problems in the Gulf states
in
the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
We cannot wait any longer for Congress to deliberate over this issue.
Asking
our first responders to place themselves in harm's way is a difficult
decision by itself. But asking them to do so not knowing if they will
be
able to communicate is a risk we can no longer take.
Furthermore, additional spectrum will enable first responders to
utilize new
technologies such as environmental monitors, personnel location
networking,
health and vital signs sensors and on-scene video cameras. These
technologies will help incident commanders make better decisions
faster,
reducing the number of firefighter injuries and fatalities.
Recent statements issued by congressional leaders, including Senator
Frist,
to address interoperability offer hope that Congress will bring
resolution
to this issue. Postponing the transition date will continue to
jeopardize
the safety of our rescue personnel and the victims they aid. Therefore,
we
ask you to support a transition date as close to December 31, 2006 as
possible. This is the date Congress established in 1997. We need a
date
certain; not a soft date.
Please provide the leadership necessary so that voices of first
responders
can be heard.
_____
NVFC Hosts Delegation of Japanese Volunteer Firefighters
On November 9th, a delegation of volunteer firefighters from Japan
touring
the United States came to Washington, DC. NVFC staff joined the
firefighters
at FEMA headquarters for a meeting with Director Dave Paulison. Later,
the
group, which included members of the Japan Firefighters Association and
the
Federation of World Volunteer Firefighters Associations, visited NVFC's
main
office and met with Director of Government Relations Dave Finger and
Director of Public Health and Safety Maggie Wilson. The group also
donated
$5,000 to the NVFC Volunteer Firefighter Support Fund, which was set up
to
aid individual firefighters and their families who have been impacted
by
recent hurricanes in the Gulf coast region. In addition to Washington,
the
group visited Ground Zero in New York City, south Florida, where they
observed the damage caused by Hurricane Wilma, and San Francisco.
____
NVFC Expresses Concern Over Unfunded Mandates in National Incident
Management System
Earlier this month, NVFC Chairman Phillip C. Stittleburg sent a letter
to
FEMA Director David Paulison asking that the Department of Homeland
Security
(DHS) provide funding for annual firefighter physical examinations if
they
are required as part of the National Incident Management System (NIMS).
The
NVFC is concerned that DHS is considering adopting a revised version of
NFPA
1582: Standard on Comprehensive Occupational Medical Program for Fire
Departments, which specifies that firefighters must undergo a physical
examination every year, as a requirement for NIMS compliance.
The NVFC supports improving mechanisms for monitoring the health of
emergency services personnel. However, without federal funding,
implementation of revised NFPA 1582 will prove cost prohibitive for
many
fire departments, and virtually all of the volunteer fire service.
Ideally,
the NVFC would like to see federal funding cover the costs of
implementation
of NFPA 1582. At the very least, provisions should be made so that
fire
departments that are unable to afford annual physical examinations for
their
firefighters can still participate in NIMS.
_____
State Focus: Massachusetts Extends Death Benefits to Firefighter
Families
November 3, 2005
Courtesy of the Associated Press
Boston - A bill that would give death benefits to families of
volunteer
firefighters who die in the line of duty was approved by the
Legislature on
Thursday and is on Gov. Mitt Romney's desk.
The vote comes about two years after a volunteer firefighter in
Lancaster,
Marting McNamara, was killed battling an apartment fire.
His widow wasn't entitled to death benefits, because under state law,
cities
and towns are not required to pay survivor benefits for part-time
firefighters. The issue drew widespread attention after town residents
turned down a tax override that would have paid the family a pension.
Later, voters approved health benefits for the family.
The bill requires cities and towns to provide death benefits for
volunteer
firefighters and part-time EMS workers and police officers.
The Senate version of the bill included a clause that would have
allowed a
town's residents to vote not to provide such benefits.
The House version didn't have the opt-out. The final version approved
Thursday sided with the House and didn't include that provision.
_____
USSTC Operation Ranger Opens Applications for 2006 Awards
Applications for utility vehicles to assist first responders accepted
until
Jan. 6, 2006
GREENWICH, Conn., Oct 19, 2005 -- U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company
(USSTC) is
now accepting applications for versatile Polaris Ranger 6x6 utility
vehicles
to be awarded in 2006 through its Operation Ranger donation program to
assist America's emergency first responders.
The company provided some 70 Rangers to fire-rescue, police, emergency
medical services, emergency management and wildlife law enforcement
organizations in 2005 and has awarded nearly 200 off-road vehicles
nationwide since late 2002. In response to Hurricanes Katrina and
Rita,
Operation Ranger provided 12 vehicles on an expedited basis to fire,
emergency management and police organizations in Louisiana,
Mississippi,
Alabama and Texas.
Applications and supporting materials will be accepted until Jan. 6,
2006.
While the final funding level has not yet been determined, the company
hopes
to award at least 60 vehicles throughout 2006.
The rugged Polaris Ranger 6x6 utility vehicle is the most capable
vehicle in
its class. For 2006, the American-built vehicle will be fuel-injected
and
provide greater horsepower, torque and speed, as well as better
suspension.
The Ranger also can seat three on a bench seat, an advantage in many
emergency situations. For more information on the vehicle's features
visit
http://ranger.polarisindustries.com/ranger and click on "Models" and
then
"6x6."
Operation Ranger will review applications only from the following types
of
emergency organizations:
* Fire-Rescue - Volunteer and Career
* Police/Sheriff - Municipal/County/State
* EMS/Ambulance
* Search & Rescue
* Wildlife Conservation & Law Enforcement
* Park/Forest Ranger
* Emergency Management/Preparedness - Municipal/County/Regional
Vehicles are awarded through a competitive application process. Award
criteria can be easily deduced from the application form itself, which
now
can be downloaded from the "Corporate Giving" section of
www.ussmokelesstobacco.com as a form that applicants may easily fill
out on
a computer.
_____
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 Sustaining
Members
<http://www.nvfc.org/links.html#Corporate_Members> and support them
with
your business.
_____
Mn State Colleges and Universities
Woody Walters, Fire Service Specialist
Fire/EMS/Safety Center
Wells Fargo Place
30 7th St. E., Suite 350
St. Paul, Mn 55101 - 7804
1/800/fireline - w/in state only
1/800/311-3143 - nation wide
651/649-5450 - local
Fx 651/649-5409
EM - woody.walters at so.mnscu.edu
also serving as
National Volunteer Fire Council, Director
Fire Corp, MN Rep.
Minnestota State Fire Dept. Assoc., Director
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