[Senate Hearing 108-898]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
S. Hrg. 108-898
NEEDS OF THE FIRE SERVICE
=======================================================================
HEARING
before the
COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE,
SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED EIGHTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
APRIL 30, 2003
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation
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SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
ONE HUNDRED EIGHTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
JOHN McCAIN, Arizona, Chairman
TED STEVENS, Alaska ERNEST F. HOLLINGS, South Carolina
CONRAD BURNS, Montana DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii
TRENT LOTT, Mississippi JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, West
KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Texas Virginia
OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, Maine JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts
SAM BROWNBACK, Kansas JOHN B. BREAUX, Louisiana
GORDON SMITH, Oregon BYRON L. DORGAN, North Dakota
PETER G. FITZGERALD, Illinois RON WYDEN, Oregon
JOHN ENSIGN, Nevada BARBARA BOXER, California
GEORGE ALLEN, Virginia BILL NELSON, Florida
JOHN E. SUNUNU, New Hampshire MARIA CANTWELL, Washington
FRANK LAUTENBERG, New Jersey
Jeanne Bumpus, Republican Staff Director and General Counsel
Robert W. Chamberlin, Republican Chief Counsel
Kevin D. Kayes, Democratic Staff Director and Chief Counsel
Gregg Elias, Democratic General Counsel
C O N T E N T S
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Page
Hearing held on April 30, 2003................................... 1
Statement of Senator McCain...................................... 1
Witnesses
Bement, Jr., Hon. Arden L., Director, National Institute of
Standards and Technology, Department of Commerce............... 6
Prepared statement........................................... 7
Bruegman, Randy R., President, International Association of Fire
Chiefs......................................................... 21
Prepared statement........................................... 23
Camp, Hon. Dave, U.S. Representative from Michigan............... 17
Prepared statement........................................... 18
O'Connor, Kevin, Assistant to the General President for
Government and Public Relations, International Association of
Fire Fighters (AFL-CIO-CLC).................................... 26
Prepared statement........................................... 28
Paulison, Hon. R. David, Director, Preparedness Division,
Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate, Department of
Homeland Security.............................................. 9
Prepared statement........................................... 12
Shannon, Hon. James M., President and CEO, National Fire
Protection Association......................................... 33
Prepared statement........................................... 35
Stittleburg, Philip C., Chairman, National Volunteer Fire Council 37
Prepared statement........................................... 39
Weldon, Hon. Curt, U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania......... 3
Appendix
Cantwell, Hon. Maria, U.S. Senator from Washington, prepared
statement...................................................... 47
Response to written questions submitted by Hon. Maria Cantwell
to:
Randy R. Bruegman............................................ 53
Kevin O'Connor............................................... 55
R. David Paulison............................................ 63
Philip C. Stittleburg........................................ 59
Response to written questions submitted by Hon. John McCain to:
Arden L. Bement, Jr.......................................... 48
Randy R. Bruegman............................................ 52
Kevin O'Connor............................................... 53
R. David Paulison............................................ 59
Philip C. Stittleburg........................................ 55
NEEDS OF THE FIRE SERVICE
----------
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2003
U.S. Senate,
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
Washington, DC.
The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:43 a.m. in room
SR-253, Russell Senate Office Building, Hon. John McCain,
Chairman of the Committee, presiding.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN McCAIN,
U.S. SENATOR FROM ARIZONA
The Chairman. Good morning. I welcome my colleagues and
witnesses to this hearing to examine the needs of Fire Services
as we begin the process of reauthorizing the U.S. Fire
Administration.
The role of Fire Service is being transformed. September
11, 2001, we all realized the important new role firefighters
serve on the front line in the fight to preserve our nation's
security. We witnessed the heroism of the firefighters and
emergency services personnel, who selflessly rushed into the
World Trade Center and the Pentagon to save the lives of many
Americans. Tragically, 343 firefighters and EMS technicians
paid the ultimate price in the service of their country.
As we recognize this new role and the dangers it presents
to our firefighters, we also must be aware of the other
challenges they face. Today's firefighter must be prepared to
respond to threats by both urban and wildland fires, natural
disasters, hazardous materials spills and other accidents, as
well as the specter of terrorism. Just last year, I witnessed
the wildland fires that devastated almost 500,000 acres in my
state, including impacting several communities in the White
Mountain Apache Reservation in eastern Arizona.
The Federal agency tasked with the mission of aiding the
Fire Service is the U.S. Fire Administration. However, this
agency has recently faced a number of challenges. The agency
was transferred to the Department of Homeland Security, and
there is uncertainty about the status of the U.S. Fire
Administrator position. The agency also faces a budget
shortfall, which has caused the National Fire Academy to cancel
36 courses.
The President's fiscal year 2004 budget is proposing to
combine the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program with a
$3.5 billion program administered by the Office of Domestic
Preparedness. I look forward to hearing Chief Paulison's
testimony this morning about how he intends to respond to these
challenges and what role the Committee can play to help him.
Another issue that this Committee will continue to examine
concerns public safety communications interoperability. Many of
the first responders in Arizona have contacted me with concerns
that their local communications systems are inadequate for
contacting each other and Federal and State agencies in
emergencies. And we've all heard the stories from September 11,
when the incompatibility of police and firefighters' radios
impeded communications and rescue efforts.
We also must examine issues regarding firefighting
technology. Today's firefighters use a variety of technologies,
including thermal-imaging equipment, devices for locating
firefighters and victims, and state-of-the-art protective suits
to meet today's challenges. The Assistance to Firefighters
Grant Program is authorized for $900 million for fiscal year
2004 to assist local fire departments in purchasing this high-
tech equipment, and we must ensure that the American taxpayers'
funds are used to purchase effective equipment.
Unfortunately, there are no uniform technical standards for
new technology used in combating fires. The January 2003
Consumer Reports article stated that much of the equipment sold
today is not tested or certified by government or independent
labs and that the confusion will get worse as new equipment
floods the market in response to increased government funding.
Senator Hollings, Brownback, Cantwell, Biden, Carper,
DeWine, Graham, and I have introduced S. 321, the Firefighting
Research and Coordination Act, to address this problem.
Representatives Camp and Weldon have introduced a companion
bill in the House. Our bill would allow the Federal Government
to work with the private sector to develop basic uniform
performance criteria and technical standards to ensure the
effectiveness of new technologies purchased with Federal funds.
In addition, it would task the U.S. Fire Administration to
be a resource for state and local governments in developing
mutual aid plans, updating the Federal Response Plan, and
reporting on the need for a strategy for deploying volunteers,
including a national credentialing system. Also, the bill would
authorize training programs at the National Fire Academy to
improve tactics for using new firefighting technology and
responding to terrorist attacks.
I thank the Fire Service organizations, especially those
testifying today, for their support of this legislation. It's
my hope that the Committee can reach a consensus on this bill
and include it in our reauthorization legislation as soon as
possible.
I welcome all the witnesses here today. And, of course, I'm
very pleased to have our dear friend and the best friend of
firefighters in America, Honorable Curt Weldon, in the U.S.
House of Representatives. Thank you for joining us today, and
thank you for all you have done. It's been incredible work you
have done over a many-year period on behalf, not only of our
firefighters, but on all of the efforts you've made to improve
their capabilities to combat natural disasters and also for
planning ahead. Thank you.
Congressman Weldon, welcome.
STATEMENT OF HON. CURT WELDON,
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FROM PENNSYLVANIA
Mr. Weldon. Thank you, Senator. I do not have a formal
statement, and I will keep my remarks brief. But none of our
success would have been possible were it not for your
leadership in the Senate. Way back when this effort started, 17
years ago, to organize the fire caucus, you were one of the
first--in fact, it was you and Al Gore who stepped up and said,
we'll be glad to be co-chairs of the caucus. So for the past
17-years----
The Chairman. That's what caused us to lose, I guess.
[Laughter.]
Mr. Weldon. I would never approach that one, Senator.
But it was your leadership that has allowed us to achieve
the successes that we have achieved today, and we've made many
successes.
And let me say, at the outside, that Dave Paulison, who's
going to speak here in a moment, is an outstanding leader. He
is a true fire-service professional. His loyalties are the Fire
Service first, and that's what you and I both wanted in a USFA
administrator, and he has given that with every breath that he
has breathed over the past several years.
But I want to comment, Senator, on a couple of the issues
you raised. First of all, I think it's outrageous that FEMA
would cut 36 courses at the U.S. Fire Academy affecting 1,000
of the state people who train the other local officials across
America to respond to disasters. What hypocrisy, when we talk
about increasing the Homeland Security budget by billions,
which I support and on which committee I am a member in the
House, and at the same time we tell all the firefighters, our
first responders, ``But, oh, by the way, a thousand of you
aren't going to be trained this year because we just can't find
the measly amount of money to keep those programs intact.'' And
I don't want to hear FEMA come back and tell us that somehow
this was mandated. They could have requested a reprogramming if
they needed more money. They could have come back to us and
have made the case that these programs are vitally important,
and they haven't done that.
So, Mr. Chairman, I think we need to send a signal to the
White House and FEMA that we're not going to accept those kinds
of cuts, which really affect directly the people who are in
command of and are in the leadership positions to all the
disasters that we're going to be facing for the next several
years. And so that's my first and most outrageous comment
regarding the cuts to the USFA.
The second are the grants. You were very instrumental in
helping us get this grant program going. It, Senator, has
become the most well-run program in the Federal Government, and
the reason is there's no bureaucracy, there's no middle person,
there's no siphoning off of the dollars by Federal agencies
looking to build their kingdoms, there's no siphoning off by
the states. 32,000 fire and EMS departments can go online for
30 days each year, and they can apply for this money with a
local match of 10 to 30 percent. And the criteria that were
developed were developed by the peers in the Fire Service. And
the evaluation of the credibility of the grants is done by
firefighters, themselves. I don't think bureaucracy's ever seen
a program that actually works so well and so logically, and
that's why we've had such tremendous success.
My concern is, if we allow the new Office of Homeland
Security to move this program over, I think there's going to be
an attempt to take administrative dollars out of this program,
administrative dollars that are needed to buy handheld
detection units, new turnout suits that can deal with chemical
and biological environments, trucks that are aging that need to
be replaced, healthcare training for firefighters, both
volunteer and paid, to make sure they're properly prepared to
deal with the issue.
And so I would just urge us, using our oversight rule, to
make sure that we don't allow the bureaucracy, this animal that
feeds on the trough, that we allow it to take apart the most
successful program we've seen, and you'll hear that from
everyone, in getting dollars directly out.
There's a backlog of grant money in the Homeland Security
operation. The States haven't spent their money. That is not
the case with the fire grant program. Every dollar is being
spent, and the accountability, as it has been reviewed, has
been outstanding.
Third, Dave Paulison is a good guy. He's been given
expanded responsibilities within the new Office of Homeland
Security. And I support that. But, Mr. Chairman, I would ask
you to please make sure that we don't take away the Office of
the U.S. Fire Administrator. The Fire Service needs a point
person. They need a champion. They need someone who, day in and
day out, is going to be within the Administration saying, ``But
what about the impact on the firefighter? What about the impact
on the paramedic?'' And whether that's Dave Paulison, as a part
of his current job, or--there needs to be that title, and it
needs to be kept in place, because politically that sends a
signal to the 1.2 million men and women across the country that
they have an advocate in Washington, they have someone that's
going to stand up for them in every possible situation and say,
``Wait a minute. How does this impact our local responders
across America?''
A couple of other comments based upon what you said, and
you've always been on the issues. You were the leader on the
issue of interoperability, on frequency spectrum allocation. I
was a supporter of your efforts in past Congresses. You were
out there championing the fact that public safety needs to have
an allocation of frequency spectrum to deal with the needs of
the 21st century. And you were the one who was talking about
the issue of where those dollars are going to go when that
frequency spectrum allocation, in fact, is being allocated.
There's no more important issue than that and the
interoperability issue.
It's unconscionable today that we have fire departments in
neighboring towns that can't talk to each other because they're
on high band or low band or digital frequency systems and don't
have the interoperable capability. So I would just urge you to
continue to press that issue. From the House side, we'll
support you.
You mentioned tech transfer. You've been a leader on
defense issues. I'm the vice chairman of the House committee.
We have developed technology for the military that is not being
transferred aggressively enough. Why should we just have a
system that we put an undergarment on the soldier that tells us
where they are through GPS technology, but also their vital
signs, their heart rate their pulse, when the firefighter or
the paramedic could use that same technology. If we'd have had
that technology up in Boston, we wouldn't have lost six
firefighters. When two went into a warehouse, their air packs
ran out, no one knew where they were, no one knew their
condition, four more went in to rescue them. All six were
killed. We wouldn't have lost the two in Philadelphia in a
high-rise when they were two floors above where the chief
thought they were. So we've go to do a better effort, and with
your leadership this can happen, of transferring technology
that we already pay for in the military and transfer it over to
our domestic defenders.
And one additional point. It's not under your jurisdiction,
but, again, you can help us. We saw the terrible tragedy of the
nightclub fire up in Rhode Island. It's tough to deal with
buildings that were built before codes were enacted, because
they're grandfathered; they don't have to have sprinkler
systems. In some cases, they don't have to comply with the NFPA
life safety code. So what we did, Jim Langevin and I, the
Democrat from Rhode Island, introduced legislation in the House
that provides a tax incentive that says to older
establishments, ``If you install automatic sprinkler systems
within 5 years, you can write off the cost of the installation
of that system.'' When you couple that tax savings with the
savings they would realize from reduced insurance premiums,
within 3 to 5 years, any business in America can retrofit and
protect their property. So these older nightclubs, many of
which are wood frame and which have really no fire-retardant
capability or fire-protection capability, would then be able to
install automatic sprinkler systems.
Mr. Chairman, the records will show that we've never lost a
human being in an occupancy that's been properly protected with
an automatic fire-suppression system. And so I think that
legislation could go a long way. And it also helps protect our
firefighters, because the fire is largely extinguished before
they arrive on the scene.
So, again, I want to thank you. You've been a real hero in
so many ways, and the firefighters continue to recognize you as
one of their own, and we appreciate the role that you've
played. And I thank you for allowing me to come before you
today.
The Chairman. Thank you very much, Congressman Weldon, and
you're all too modest. And I thank you, and I look forward to
seeing you this evening.
Mr. Weldon. Thank you.
The Chairman. Thank you very much.
Our first panel is the Honorable Arden L. Bement, who is
the Director of National Institute of Standards and Technology,
known as NIST; and Honorable R. David Paulison, who's the
director of the Preparedness Division, Emergency Preparedness
and Response Directorate of the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security.
Am I pronouncing your name, right, sir?
Mr. Bement. Yes, sir.
The Chairman. Welcome, and please proceed. We'll take you
first and then Chief Paulison.
Thank you.
STATEMENT OF HON. ARDEN L. BEMENT, JR., DIRECTOR,
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY,
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Mr. Bement. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I would like to submit my written testimony for the record.
The Chairman. Written testimony will be included in the
record.
Mr. Bement. Thank you, sir.
Industry and the U.S. Fire Service look to NFPA and NIOSH
as primary sources of equipment performance standards and
safety information. NFPA has committees that consider the need
for voluntary consensus standards for equipment performance.
Many NIST staff are members of NFPA and serve on their
standards development committees. Technical reports from NIST
provide NFPA committees and NIOSH with data and procedures to
help advance national standards. NIST-developed measurement
methods are also adopted by the American Society for Testing
and Materials and the International Organization for
Standardization.
The Department of Homeland Security's FEMA provides grants
to fire departments allowing firefighters to better equip and
prepare for fires and other emergencies. However, many new
technologies are not yet supported by the existence of
consensus standards. Individual fire departments are forced to
assess the performance of these new technologies or rely solely
on manufacturers' information and demonstrations.
Interoperability of equipment also suffers from lack of
consensus standards.
To help address this issue, NIST and FEMA are working to
aid the development of technology and methods to evaluate
equipment for use by the Nation's first responder and emergency
management communities. Let me give some examples.
Portable thermal images are used by firefighters to enhance
vision and identify hot-spots in cool surroundings, such as
hidden fires, and to identify cool objects, like victims of
fire or downed firefighters. The performance of the sensors
implemented in various products has not yet been measured under
controlled conditions. NIST, with added funding from USFA, is
developing an apparatus to measure how well thermal-imaging
hardware is able to aid vision. Standards built on this
foundation will provide for accurate measurement of the
performance attributes of firefighter equipment.
During firefighting, a firefighter's protective clothing is
wet from the outside by water spray and on the inside by
perspiration. NIST, assisted by funding from USFA, is
performing measurements under a range of thermal exposures and
moisture conditions and has found that wet gear performs
differently than dry gear with respect to burn protection.
Manufacturers have come to NIST to utilize our apparatus to
understand more about the behavior of their products. This data
will be used by manufacturers to improve protective clothing
products and can help in the development of future protective
clothing that has even better resistance to burns.
The fire-alarm panel in buildings, often found in the lobby
near the main entrance, is the heart of the building's fire
information system. Until recently, even the best displays
offered only rows of lights that indicated the zones in the
building where fire was detected. Often a key or map was needed
to interpret the lights. In many cases, it was easier to look
for the fire than to use the information from the panel
display. The development of more powerful and affordable
computer and graphic displays has provided manufacturers with
the opportunity to expand the display capabilities and the
amount of information available at the panel. NIST created a
standard set of graphic icons for these fire command devices.
In this way, firefighters have only to learn the meaning of one
set of symbols.
Last fall, NFPA adopted a set of standard icons for fire
alarm system displays. NIST is now turning its attention to the
standards that will be needed to advance the wireless
transmission of displays of information contained in the
building emergency systems to responding firefighters even
before they arrive at the building.
NIST is the Nation's primary measurement laboratory and has
always provided a critical role in the development of effective
consensus standards in support of industry and public needs. I
expect NIST will continue to contribute substantially to
improved safety and effectiveness of firefighting in America.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I'd be happy to answer any of
your questions.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Bement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Hon. Arden L. Bement, Jr., Director, National
Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of Commerce
Good morning, Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee. My name is
Arden Bement. I am the Director of the National Institute of Standards
and Technology (NIST). I appreciate the opportunity to appear today.
NIST supports the goals of S. 321 and understands the Department of
Homeland Security is working with Committee staff concerning a number
of comments.
NIST conducts research that advances the nation's measurement and
standards infrastructure and works closely with national voluntary
consensus standards organizations to support the development of
consensus standards. These standards are needed by U.S. industry for
continually improving products and services.
Equipment for first responders is very specialized. It also
constitutes a small market that is generally served by small
manufacturers. Producing new equipment for the market in the absence of
generally-accepted standards is a high-risk venture. In addition,
standards that reflect in use conditions for determining the
performance of firefighter equipment would assist industry in providing
equipment that meets or exceeds firefighter needs.
The U.S. fire service looks to the National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health (NIOSH) as its primary sources of equipment performance
standards and safety information. NFPA has established committees that
consider the need for equipment performance standards and develop
consensus standards where views of industry, the fire service,
government and commercial laboratories, and other interested parties
are represented. Many of the staff in the NIST Building and Fire
Research Laboratory and the Office of Law Enforcement Standards at NIST
are members of NFPA and serve on their standards developing committees.
NIST provides technical assistance to NIOSH in firefighter fatality
investigations and thermal sensor evaluation. Technical reports from
NIST on measurement techniques, methodologies, and results, provide
NFPA committees and NIOSH with data and procedures to help advance
national standards. NIST developed measurement methods are also adopted
by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the
International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
In FY2001, FEMA established the Assistance to Firefighter's Grant
Program following passage of the Firefighter Investment and Response
(FIRE) ACT that provides fire departments funding through grants for
needed equipment. These funds are now allowing firefighters to be
better equipped and prepared for fires and other emergencies. However,
many new technologies are not yet supported by the existence of
consensus standards. Individual fire departments are forced to assess
the performance of these new technologies or rely solely on
manufacturers information and demonstrations. Interoperability of
equipment also suffers from lack of consensus standards.
To help address this issue, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
between NIST and FEMA was signed in March 2002 and establishes a
framework for NIST to serve as a standards and measurement science
resource for the Department of Homeland Security's FEMA in the areas of
fire, disaster prevention, and homeland security. One of the purposes
called out in the agreement is to aid the development of standards and
methods to evaluate equipment for use by the Nation's first responder
and emergency management communities. Additionally, NIST will continue
to work with other agencies and directorates of the Department of
Homeland Security. In particular, the Under Secretary of Technology
will soon formalize this cooperation with a memorandum of understanding
between the Technology Administration and the Directorate of Science
and Technology at the Department of Homeland Security.
In order to develop consensus standards for new fire fighting
technologies as described in S. 321, there is a need for several
interrelated activities.
First, priorities must be established for the development of the
standards. In cooperation with the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA),
NIST has hosted workshops with representatives of the fire service,
industry, and other laboratories to establish priorities for fire
service research. Published results of these workshops have helped set
the current research agenda for both NIST and USFA. Similar workshops
should be held to establish priority and a timeline for the development
of measurement techniques, testing methodologies, and consensus
standards.
Second, measurement techniques and testing methodologies need to be
developed for evaluating the performance of firefighter equipment using
new technologies. NIST is the nation's primary measurement laboratory.
Our mission is to develop measurements and standards to enhance
productivity, facilitate trade, and improve the quality of life. NIST
has specialized laboratory facilities and staff expertise ideally
suited for the development of these techniques and methodologies for
many of the new fire fighting technologies.
Third, a network of private sector laboratories and facilities are
needed where the measurement techniques and the methodologies can be
used in a reproducible way, a necessary condition for the success of
any standard. NIST will work with other organizations to assure that
the measurement results are reproducible.
Finally, NIST will work closely with national voluntary consensus
standards organizations to support the development of the consensus
standards. An unbiased source of technical information and data, such
as that supplied by NIST, is critical to the success of this effort.
Current NIST Research in Support of the Fire Service
NIST is proud of its role as a science and technology resource in
helping to improve the effectiveness and safety of fire fighting. Below
is a brief description of its current and recent activities.
Portable thermal imagers are used by firefighters to enhance
vision. They are used to identify hot spots in cool surroundings such
as hidden fires in void space or over-heated fluorescent light ballasts
lights. They are also used to identify cool objects, like victims of
fire incapacitated by smoke or downed firefighters in hot surroundings
during building search and rescue. Unfortunately, the performance of
the sensors implemented in various products has not been measured under
controlled conditions. Furthermore, the minimum level of important
performance attributes, such as image contrast, have not been
determined.
NIST, with added funding from USFA, is developing an apparatus to
measure how well thermal imaging hardware is able to aid vision and
hazard sensing under a variety of realistic conditions. These
laboratory measurements will be compared to measurements made in actual
building fires and in large-scale fire experiments at NIST. The results
will be used to assure that laboratory measurements are reliable
indicators of real-world performance. Standards built on this
foundation will provide for accurate measurement of the important
performance attributes of firefighter equipment essential for quality,
reliability, safe, and effective use.
Another example of our work deals with firefighter protective
clothing. The NFPA Standard on Protective Ensemble for Structural Fire
Fighting (NFPA1971) specifies the minimum design, performance,
certification requirements, and test methods for structural firefighter
protective ensembles. The test method for measurement of thermal
protective performance for firefighter protective garment and the
minimum rating required for safety is part of this NFPA standard. The
Thermal Protective Performance (TPP) rating is determined by exposing
dry materials to a single high intensity exposure condition that is
often related to an extreme fire condition called flashover. This
standard has contributed substantially to improved safety for
firefighters, but firefighters tell us they are being burned through
their gear under lower intensity exposures.
During fire fighting, a firefighter's protective clothing is wet
from the outside by water spray and the inside by perspiration produced
from strenuous activity. NIST, assisted by funding from USFA, is
performing measurements under a range of thermal exposures and moisture
conditions and has found that wet gear performs differently than dry
gear with respect to burn injury protection. Manufacturers have come to
NIST to utilize the NIST apparatus to understand more about the
behavior of their products under conditions different from those
assumed in the present standard. This data generated by manufacturers
working at NIST will be used to improve protective clothing products.
In addition, the testing approach used at NIST will be offered for
consideration for adoption as part of the current standard. The
apparatus is also being used in exploratory NIST research to evaluate
the thermal protective attributes of new materials such as carbon nano-
tube composite fabrics. These measurements can help in the development
of future protective clothing that has even better resistance to burn
injury with reduced weight.
NIST works hard to anticipate needs so that information is ready
when needed by industry to advance their products and provide for
interoperability. Four years ago, NIST formed a consortium with several
fire alarm hardware manufacturers. The fire alarm panel in buildings,
often found in the lobby near the main entrance, is the heart of the
building's fire information system. Condition measurements and alarms
from fire detectors placed throughout a building are sent to this
display. Until recently even the best displays offered only rows of
lights that indicated the zones in the building where fire was
detected. Often a key or map was needed to interpret the lights. In
many cases, it was easier to look for the fire than to use the
information from the panel display.
The development of more powerful and affordable computer and
graphic displays have provided manufacturers with the opportunity to
expand the display capabilities and the amount of information available
at the panel using graphic icons. NIST created a standard set of icons
for these panels and other fire command devices. In this way,
firefighters would only have to learn the meaning of one set of symbols
if they were applied on all fire service graphic displays. Last fall,
working from documents submitted by NIST, the NFPA Technical Committee
on Testing and Maintenance of Fire Alarm Systems adopted a set of
standard icons for fire alarm system displays and published these in
the 2002 Edition of National Fire Alarm Code (NFPA 72). NIST is now
turning its attention to the standards that will be needed to advance
the wireless transmission and display of information contained in the
building emergency systems to responding firefighters even before they
arrive at a building.
Interagency research managed by NIST is also helping to protect
firefighters responding to terrorism incidents. Threat analyses and
simulations have been conducted to examine chemical warfare agent
hazard concentrations in a variety of domestic terrorist attack
scenarios, both for respiratory and percutaneous (skin) threats.
Results are being supplied to the NFPA committee revising the Standard
on Protective Ensembles for Chemical/Biological Terrorism Incidents
(NFPA 1994).
Closing Remarks
I am delighted that there is recognition by the committee of the
need for the development of firefighting equipment standards. NIST is
the nation's primary measurement laboratory and has always played a
critical role in the development of effective consensus standards in
support of industry and public needs. I expect NIST to continue to
contribute substantially to improved safety and effectiveness of fire
fighting in America.
Thank you and I would be happy to answer any of your questions.
The Chairman. Thank you, sir.
Mr. Paulison, welcome.
STATEMENT OF HON. R. DAVID PAULISON, DIRECTOR,
PREPAREDNESS DIVISION, EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
AND RESPONSE DIRECTORATE, DEPARTMENT OF
HOMELAND SECURITY
Mr. Paulison. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I've submitted my written comments for the record, and,
with your permission, I'd like to make a few brief oral
comments. Thank you, sir.
As you're aware, I'm the director of preparedness for
Emergency Preparedness and Response in FEMA, but I also serve
as U.S. Fire Administrator for FEMA. I've had the opportunity
to serve in the Fire Service for over 30 years, and I was the
chief of Miami Dade County Fire Department for the last 10
years before coming to Washington, D.C.. I thank you for
allowing me the opportunity to testify before you today on
behalf of Secretary Ridge and represent the U.S. Fire
Administration.
And I also want to thank the people sitting behind us, from
the Fire Service, my friends and colleagues, who have gone way
out of their way to make sure that my term has been as
successful as it has; and the successes we've had have been due
to their support, and I appreciate that very much and want them
to know that.
As you know and the others know in this room, we lose more
people to fires than we do to any other catastrophe in this
country. We lose over 4,000 people a year to fires and also
have over 22,000 injuries due to fire. And last year, we lost
102 firefighters responding to alarms in this country. And as
one who's had to go to someone's house at 3 o'clock in the
morning and tell the wife or children that their father and
husband is not coming home, that is not tolerable, and I would
not like to have any other chief have to go through that
process.
As part of the Department of Homeland Security, we work
with our partners in the Fire Service, the emergency
responders, and State and local governments to prevent deaths,
injuries and damage to property through leadership, advocacy,
coordination, and support in four basic mission areas. The four
mission areas include: the Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program, training, research and data analysis, and, as
important as the rest, public preparedness and awareness.
The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, as
Congressman Weldon so aptly covered earlier, covers training
and safety, apparatus and personnel gear, firefighting
equipment, and wellness and fitness issues for local fire
departments. In the last 3 years, we've received over 60,000
requests from fire departments from across the Nation, totaling
over $6 billion. In the last 3 years Congress gave us a total
of 1.2 billion. This year alone, we've received over 20,000
applications from fire departments for the grants. As we begin
to administer the 2003 grants to successful applicants, and
those moneys will start to be awarded June of this year, and we
will finish that process before June of next year, 2004.
By the way, as Congressman Weldon pointed out, the 2001
dollars that you gave us, 98 percent of that money has been
spent, not just issued by us, but also spent by the fire
departments. Almost 60 percent of the 2002 grants, which we
just finished awarding has been spent. And, in 2003, again,
we're ready to roll those out June 1, and we're excited about
it and so is the Fire Service.
As requested by the President's budget in 2004, the Office
for Domestic Preparedness of the Border and Transportation
Security Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security
will manage the fire grant program to offer one-stop shopping
for grants in the new department. FEMA and I, personally,
commit that we will work with the Office of Domestic
Preparedness to ensure the continued success of this vital
program. This program is vital to the Fire Service.
For more than 20 years, the United States Fire
Administration has trained millions of first responders as
fire, law enforcement, public health, public works people.
We've trained emergency managers, government officials, school
administrators, and citizens on how to prepare, respond, and
recover in all type of disasters. In 2002 alone, we conducted
over 600 courses and have reached over 250,000 responders from
the National Fire Academy and Emergency Management Institute.
And this training was done for all hazards, not just terrorism.
We provide training through various methods. We do resident
training. We train 16,000 people a year at the campus at
Emmitsburg. We do independent study courses through our
relationships with States and through several distance-learning
efforts with several colleges and universities. Emergency
responders, firefighters, emergency managers, and others who
have taken courses at EMI and at NFA have told us these courses
have added value to their job performance and professional
development. The fire chiefs tell us that they have seen a
significant increase in performance in their departments when
their students come back from these classes.
The survey also indicated, and I think it's important, that
95 percent of the skill sets necessary to conduct support for a
WMD or a terrorism catastrophic event are already being taught
at the National Fire Academy with the existing curriculum.
One of the new developmental programs we're working on is
to prepare for regional incident management teams that will be
hosted by the metropolitan fire chiefs around the country and
will provide support for major incidents. They'll either be
there prior to or in lieu of Federal incident management teams.
This provides quicker response capabilities while building
national capability and regional capability for our country.
We also focus on data collection. The Fire Administration
continues to collect, analyze, and publish data in fire
prevention, occurrence of fires, and control of related fields.
We work to define and describe the national fire problem, and
we support the State and local collection of analysis of fire
data.
This past fall, in cooperation with the National Fire
Protection Association, the United States Fire Administration
completed a needs assessment for the U.S. Fire Service so we
could gain an understanding of the fire problem area and to
guide future planning and initiatives. There were no surprises
in this report that came out from the NFPA. It pretty much
mimicked what we're learning with the fire grants through our
applications, that the fire departments in this country need
basic firefighting gear, and they lack that, and we're working
hard to continue to provide funds to do that.
In our research technology area, we work with groups like
NIST, sitting here along side of me, our partners in developing
our emergent needs, and also doing testing on existing
equipment. We also leverage partnerships and technology
developments to improve fire prevention and promote public
safety. One example is our partnership with the fire-sprinkler
community, to re-energize advocacy for residential fire
sprinklers. Our data shows that localized fire sprinklers, just
in kitchens, would dramatically reduce the number of civilian
deaths in this country by as much as 25 percent, and it's an
excellent opportunity to reduce residential fire loss in the
U.S. as well as firefighter death and injuries, since 40
percent of our firefighter deaths in the line of duty occur en
route to residential fires.
In closing, we also focus on public awareness. We think
it's extremely important that the public knows what's going on.
We do this in CERT programs and through public awareness
initiatives for our communities. Citizens learn not only to
respond to others, but also learn how to protect themselves.
Since 1974, when Congress passed the Federal Fire
Prevention Control Act and established the United States Fire
Administration and its National Fire Academy, the United States
Fire Administration has helped reduce fire deaths
significantly. Over the last 10 years, fires have declined by
16 percent, and there's a 22 percent decline in civilian
deaths, and a 31 percent drop in civilian injuries. But it's
not enough. We are committed to continue to see this drop. We
want to end up with zero fire deaths in this country, like we
should have, and zero deaths of our firefighters.
Mr. Chairman, thank you very much for allowing me to have
the opportunity to speak today, and I'm here to answer any of
your questions.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Paulison follows:]
Prepared Statement of Hon. R. David Paulison, Director, Preparedness
Division, Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate,
Department of Homeland Security
Good Morning, Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee. My name is
R. David Paulison. I am the Director of the Preparedness Division in
the Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate of the Department
of Homeland Security. I appreciate the opportunity to appear before you
today on behalf of Secretary Ridge.
Each year, fire injures and kills more Americans than the combined
losses of all other natural disasters. Death rates by fire in the
United States are among the highest in the industrialized world. The
U.S. Fire Administration's mission to reduce loss of life and property
because of fire and related emergencies is a sobering challenge, but
also a hopeful challenge, since most of these deaths are preventable.
As a part of DHS, the staff works diligently to prevent these
deaths, injuries, and the damage to property through leadership,
advocacy, coordination and support in four basic mission areas: fire
service training, public education and awareness, technology and
research, and data analysis.
To accomplish this mission, we work with the fire service, other
emergency responders and state and local governments to better prepare
them to respond to all hazards, including acts of terrorism. We are
also listening to State and local governments, and working with private
industry, to provide standardized, practical, compatible equipment that
works in all possible circumstances. We are assisting first responders
and emergency managers practice and refine their response plans with
partners at the local, State and Federal level. We will continue to
provide training and education programs to prepare for the routine
hazards as well as the emergent threats posed by WMD and terrorist
incidents.
Today, I will focus my remarks on the U.S. Fire Administration, its
programs and services, how to improve the preparedness and
effectiveness and safety of our first responders, and summarize our
current activities and future needs.
Accomplishments
The U.S. Fire Administration is a national leader in fire safety
and prevention and in preparing communities to deal with fires and
other hazards. USFA is working to support the efforts of local
communities to reduce the number of fires and fire deaths and it
champions Federal fire protection issues and coordinates information
about fire programs.
In terms of our preparedness programs, we recognize the importance
of training as a vital step toward a first responder community that is
prepared to respond to any kind of emergency, ranging from a small fire
to a terrorist attack involving a large number of victims. We continue
to administer training and education programs for community leaders and
first responders to help them prepare for and respond to emergencies
regardless of cause or magnitude. We also provide equipment, vehicles,
and training and wellness programs through our Assistance to
Firefighter Grant program to help first responders perform their
duties.
This year, Congress appropriated $750 million for USFA to provide
grants directly to fire departments to build their basic response
capabilities for all types of emergencies, including suppressing fires.
This brings our total funding for this grant program to a little over
$1 billion since the program began three years ago. This benefits the
community as a whole and benefits other first responder entities by
building the base capabilities of local fire departments to respond to
all types of incidents.
FEMA also continues to provide training in emergency management to
our firefighters, law enforcement, emergency managers, healthcare
workers, public works, and state and local officials, at our Emergency
Management Institute. I would like to give you a few more details about
these and other USFA activities.
Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program
The Assistance to Firefighters Grant program provides competitive
grants to address training, safety, prevention, apparatus, personal
protective gear and other firefighting equipment needs as well as
wellness and fitness issues of local fire departments. We have
streamlined the online application process for fire grants and sped up
the flow of resources to first responders, while ensuring that the
funds are used effectively and appropriately. In 2001 and again in
2002, we received nearly 20,000 applications from fire departments
across the country. Beginning with the 2001 Grant Program, the
Emergency Education NETwork (EENET) broadcast valuable information on
the grant programs and process. Prior to the application period in
2003, EENET broadcast an actual applicant workshop, which was
rebroadcast six times during the application period. We heard from many
organizations that this eased the application process. The 2003
application process closed on April 11 and again we received nearly
20,000 applications. We expect to distribute those funds to successful
applicants beginning in June 2003.
In 2004, the Office for Domestic Preparedness in the Border
Transportation and Security Directorate of DHS will manage the fire
grants program to offer one-stop shopping for grants in the new
Department. EP& R will work closely with ODP to ensure the continued
success of this vital program.
Fire Service Training
The National Fire Academy (NFA) and the Emergency Management
Institute (EMI) offer a wide variety of training programs to promote
the professional development of command level firefighters, emergency
managers, emergency responders and technical staff. Fire departments
will continue to receive training to respond to terrorist attacks from
the Department of Homeland Security in addition to training to respond
to other hazards, such as chemical accidents, floods, or hurricanes. We
will continue to develop policy, procedures and training for a cadre of
structural firefighters that will be identified by States in wildland
fire threat zones.
One training program under development is to prepare regional
Incident Management Teams (IMT) to provide support for major incidents
prior to, or in lieu of, the arrival of a Federal IMT. Simultaneously,
we are developing the training for the Federal Incident Management
Teams Program.
In 2002, EMI conducted 278 resident training activities for 8,968
students; participants also completed 143,000 EMI independent study
courses. The National Fire Academy held 340 residential classes for
7,860 students and provided training to another 87,265 through
outreach, regional and direct deliveries, distance learning efforts
with several colleges and universities and on-line training efforts. A
curriculum review for the National Fire Academy curriculum is scheduled
for FY 2004 and we expect to see those results by 2005.
Emergency responders, firefighters, emergency managers and others
who have taken courses at EMI and NFA have told us these courses have
added value to job performance and professional development. In fact,
surveys conducted in FY 2000 and 2001 revealed that our student's
supervisors have reported an 88 percent improvement in the student's
job performance following training. Ninety-three percent report that
EMI and NFA training have contributed to the student's professional
development and almost 87 percent report that the training has improved
the department's performance.
State and local support of fire service training must be increased
and the federal role is to foster that participation. In the future
USFA will:
Coordinate the exchange of training materials and
information among State and local fire training systems;
Focus on distance learning and alternate training delivery
methods such as the National Incident Simulation and Training
network; independent study programs and computer-based courses;
Increase the number of Integrated Emergency Management
Courses with bio-terrorism scenarios aimed at bringing
officials of local jurisdictions together to simulate and
critique their responses to terrorism-driven events;
Revise training courses to include the most updated
information on risk management, public fire safety education
and emergency response;
Partner with associate and bachelor degree programs to align
the national academic fire curricula; and
Include multiple delivery formats in future course
development so that the nexus of the course may be provided to
the field in a variety of adaptable formats.
During 2002 and early 2003, the USFA held summit meetings in the
FEMA regions looking for information that defined the needs of the
first responder community in the new environment that included WMD and
terrorism preparation and response. Our staff also met with focus
groups, course developers, and students at the National Emergency
Training Center for the same purpose. Without exception every outcome
was the same. Each group identified the skill sets necessary to conduct
or support a WMD or terrorism catastrophe. Over 95 percent of those
skills are already being taught in the existing curriculum and courses.
The message is very clear. We need to:
Continue teaching the curriculum we have on hand;
Update our course materials regularly to reflect emerging
issues;
Increase the number of courses available to the first
responder community; and
Continue to maximize learning opportunities for all first
responders.
During the past year, the importance of working directly with the
emergency management, fire service and EMS communities has become even
more apparent. It is critical that we keep the most likely first
responders to any terrorism or WMD event fully advised of information
and circumstances that might affect their response and their
community's preparation. Partnering with the law enforcement community
has enhanced our ability to deliver direct warnings that will result in
improved operations and better outcomes. We look forward to continuing
our partnership in critical infrastructure protection.
Public Education and Awareness
USFA continues to deliver fire safety messages to those most
vulnerable to fire--the very young, the elderly and others. We will
continue to manage Emergency Response Team activities with an eye
toward public outreach and community hazards assessment and mitigation
efforts. USFA will assist communities in establishing Community
Emergency Response Teams.
We will continue to broadcast training information via the
Emergency Education Network (EENET) twice a month to enhance State and
local preparedness for all hazards, including terrorist incidents.
Since 1981, EENET has broadcast more than 400 programs to meet the
needs of all levels of emergency management, from volunteer fire
fighters to State Emergency Management Directors.
EENET is an effective way to get timely information or training out
to a large audience. Coupled with other outreach and training programs,
EENET is a good way to share information about training and education
and to keep first responders abreast of emerging issues.
Data Collection
The Fire Administration continues to collect, analyze, publish and
distribute data and information related to fire prevention, occurrence,
control, and related fields; defines and describes the national fire
problem; and supports State and local collection and analysis of fire
incident data.
This past fall, in cooperation with the National Fire Protection
Association, the USFA completed a needs assessment of the U.S. fire
service to gain a current understanding of problem areas and to guide
future planning and initiatives. Combined with the ongoing national
fire department census, we continue to develop an increasingly complete
and accurate picture of the nation's fire departments' capability to
meet the challenge of expanding roles and responsibilities in response
to all hazards, including acts of terrorism.
Research and Technology
USFA leverages research partnerships and technology developments to
improve fire prevention and promote public safety. In April, the USFA
met with the fire sprinkler community to reenergize our advocacy for
residential fire sprinklers. I am happy to report that industry agreed
to work with USFA on this project. Data suggest that localized fire
suppression systems in kitchens would dramatically reduce the number of
civilian fire deaths in this country by as much as 25 percent. The cost
to retrofit a kitchen is minimal. This is an excellent opportunity to
reduce residential fire losses in the U.S. Since 40 percent of
firefighter deaths in the line of duty occur at or en route to
residential structures; the long-term, benefit is that firefighter
injuries and deaths will also be reduced.
Challenges
Reducing the loss of life and property caused by fire remains a
significant challenge. Each year, fire kills more than 4,000 people and
injures more than 22,000. Annual property losses due to fire are
estimated at nearly $10 billion. And, firefighters pay a high price. In
2002, 102 firefighters died while on duty. These losses are
unacceptable because most can be prevented.
While the numbers are still too high, great progress is being made
to reduce the toll from fires. Since 1974, when Congress passed the
Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act (P.L. 93-498), and established
the United States Fire Administration and its National Fire Academy--
USFA has helped to reduce fire deaths significantly. Over the last 10
years, fires have declined by 16 percent. During this same period, a 22
percent decline in civilian deaths and a 31 percent drop in civilian
injuries were also reported.
Conclusion
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for giving me this opportunity to appear
before you today. Your continued support is greatly appreciated. I will
be glad to answer any questions you and other Members of the Committee
may have.
The Chairman. Thank you very much.
Mr. Bement, let's talk about interoperability again, which
is obviously one of the most compelling difficulties that our
firefighters and enforcement agencies face. Can you tell us a
little bit about what NIST has been able to uncover on that and
recommend?
Mr. Bement. Yes, sir. We have responded in many ways. One
is developing summits and workshops to better understand the
needs for new standards and also to determine how our programs
complement programs among other Federal agencies. We, of
course, are actively involved with NTIA in their spectrum
allocation program in order to better understand how that can
be improved, but we're also working with industry and the
standards organizations in evaluating new-generation land
mobile radio systems, new broadband technology and also cross-
switching technology that will operate among the various bands
that are currently available. We are also looking at a future
generation of radio technology such as software-defined radio
that will be much more interoperable and will provide a
comprehensive solution to the current problems.
That's fundamentally what we're engaged in. We're looking
at both short-term and long-term solutions. We're providing
test beds for industry to come and evaluate their technology.
We're working with them through CRADAs and other mechanisms to
bring new technology into the marketplace.
The Chairman. Well, we appreciate your work, and I don't
have to tell you how important this issue is. It's been
graphically demonstrated quite frequently, and not the least of
which was during 9/11.
Chief Paulison, I won't ask you to comment on Congressman
Weldon's recommendation that we preserve the position of U.S.
Fire Administrator, because now you've become part of the
bureaucracy.
[Laughter.]
The Chairman. How long have you been in your job?
Mr. Paulison. Eighteen months, sir.
The Chairman. In 18 months, what are the two things that
you think you've most accomplished and the two things that you
think we need to focus attention on, including from a
congressional standpoint?
Mr. Paulison. I think that the Fire Grant process is
probably one of our most significant accomplishments. We are
very proud of how we've operated that grant program, and it's
due primarily to the Fire Service itself. Right now we have a
hundred firefighters at Emmitsburg going through those grants,
and we had a hundred last week, and we'll have a hundred next
week. These are people who volunteer their time to come in and
assist us. And the grants go directly to the fire departments.
And it's been a tremendously successful program.
I think the other accomplishment is raising the awareness
of the Fire Administration and what we're capable of doing and
just raising the initiative of the Fire Service itself.
Some of the issues that you've already talked about, the
interoperability, you know, as the preparedness director, I'm
also in charge of administering the interoperability grants
that we have, and those will be going out in probably the
first--next month we'll be getting those out to some of those
cities to develop some best practices, because there is no one
solution to radio interoperability. But interoperability goes
much, much further than just radios. Our equipment also is not
interoperable.
Coming from Miami, I'm a scuba diver, and I can take my
diving regulator anywhere in the world and rent a scuba tank
and it always fits. But our air bottles from one air-pack
manufacturer to another are not interoperable. I was a general
contractor in Florida also, and I can go to Home Depot and buy
a stack of saw blades, and it doesn't matter whether I have a
Skil saw or if I have a Makita or a Homelite or any other saw,
they always work. And our air compressors that we buy
commercially, I can rent one in Florida and drag it to Seattle
and rent a jackhammer and it always fits, but our hydraulic
tools are not interoperable.
Regarding our communications system on scene, we saw what
happened in several major incidents in this country where we
get on the scene and we have a police command post and a fire
command post, and the Government has a command post, and the
mayor has a command post, and on down the line, and we don't
talk to each other. So part of interoperability is also our
setting up an incident command system where we talk to each
other and we work with each other and we work out of the same
command post. And all those things are interoperability issues,
and those are the things we've been dealing with the Fire
Service on, and that's why you see such a crowd behind us,
because these are the issues that you're going to hear from
them. I think those are the two big accomplishments that I'm
proud of and things that we need to continue.
The Chairman. Thank you. And we appreciate your efforts,
Mr. Bement. And I also am keenly aware that spectrum management
is an issue of congressional action, and we have had hearings
and we are proposing legislation, and it's a lot more difficult
than it should be, probably, because of the incredible value
that's associated with the use of this spectrum, and there's
this continuous tension between the reservation of spectrum for
emergency and fire and defense purposes, as opposed to the
commercial use of it. But I think we're making some progress in
sorting that out.
I thank you both. I appreciate you being here. I thank you
for your good work. And, Chief, you should come out to Arizona
and visit us. It's much nicer than the weather in Miami, we
think.
[Laughter.]
The Chairman. Come and see out there, OK?
Mr. Paulison. I think the last time I was out there, you
had a significant amount of fires.
[Laughter.]
The Chairman. That's right.
Thank you. Thanks, again.
Congressman Camp is here, and he would like to say a few
words, and then we will have our next panel.
Congressman Camp, thank you for joining us. Thank you for
your advocacy, and thank you for your great work----
Mr. Camp. Well, thank you.
The Chairman.--for this worthy cause.
STATEMENT OF HON. DAVE CAMP,
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FROM MICHIGAN
Mr. Camp. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman, for allowing me to
testify before your Committee. And, obviously, this subject has
taken greater importance since September 11, and I really
congratulate you for convening today's hearing. America's
firefighters are taking on heightened responsibilities that go
beyond combating fires, and today our first responders must
plan for possible acts of terrorism.
Mr. Chairman, I've introduced the House companion bill to
the bill that you have introduced in the Senate, the
Firefighting Research and Coordination Act. I believe this
legislation will help address current policy questions on how
the Federal Government can most effectively provide
firefighters with training and equipment necessary to protect
lives. And, in my view, this bill gives appropriate weight to
top fire-service needs; more specifically, supporting the
development of voluntary consensus standards for firefighting
equipment and technology, establishing nationwide and state
mutual aid systems for dealing with national emergencies,
authorizing the National Fire Academy to train firefighters to
respond to acts of terrorism and other national emergencies.
The first objective of the bill focuses on establishing
equipment and technology standards, and it would allow the U.S.
Fire Administrator, in consultation with the National Institute
of Standards and Technology and other such organizations to
develop voluntary consensus standards for evaluating the
performance and compatibility of new firefighting technology,
such as personal-protection equipment, devices for advance
warning, equipment for enhanced vision, other types of new
technology. Equipment purchased under the assistance of the
Firefighters Grant Program must meet or exceed these voluntary
consensus standards.
The second objective of the bill addresses what is called
mutual aid systems or mutual aid compacts, which have been
widely acknowledged to be an effective and efficient means of
sharing emergency management resources among different
jurisdictions. Federal support for mutual aid could better
prepare States and localities for all types of disasters,
including acts of terrorism. This bill directs, again, the U.S.
Fire Administrator, in consultation with the Director of FEMA,
to provide technical assistance and training to State and local
Fire Service officials to establish these mutual aid systems
for responding to national emergencies. Obviously, an important
example of that comes, in part, as a result of our responses to
the September 11 attacks.
The third objective of the Act permits the Superintendent
of the National Fire Academy to coordinate with other Federal,
State, and local officials in developing the curricula of the
academy. New training courses would focus on building collapse
rescue, the use of technology in response to fires, terrorists
incidents, and other national emergencies, and strategies for
dealing with terrorist-caused national catastrophes.
Last December, the National Fire Protection Association
released its needs assessment of the U.S. Fire Service Report
that had some pretty sobering statistics on fire personnel and
their current capabilities. And obviously, the continued
emphasis on formal training in the duties they perform is
essential. This legislation has wide support, as you've heard,
from the Nation's fire groups.
Again, I want to thank you for your leadership and allowing
me to testify today and also thank you for all the efforts that
you've made in this area for a very long time.
Thank you for the opportunity.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Camp follows:]
Prepared Statement of Hon. Dave Camp, U.S. Representative from Michigan
Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the opportunity to testify before the
Committee on a subject that has taken on added importance since the
September 11th terrorist attacks. I applaud your decision to convene
today's hearing on ``Needs of the Fire Services.'' America's fire
fighters are taking on heightened responsibilities that go beyond
combating fires. Today, our first responders must plan for and respond
to possible acts of terrorism.
This morning's hearing comes at an appropriate time for the fire
services. As the U.S. Fire Administration settles into the newly
created Department of Homeland Security, the Administration and
Congress are examining which policy approaches can best meet the
growing needs of the fire services, particularly during this
transitional period. Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee, I would
like to submit an approach that I believe yields significant benefits
to our nation's firefighters.
Mr. Chairman, as you know, I have introduced the House companion to
a bill you introduced in the Senate, the Firefighting Research and
Coordination Act, H.R. 545. I believe this legislation will help
address current policy questions on how the federal government can most
effectively provide firefighters with the training and equipment
necessary to protect lives. In my view, the Firefighting Research and
Coordination Act gives appropriate weight to top fire service needs.
More specifically, the bill seeks to:
1. Support the development of voluntary consensus standards for
firefighting equipment and technology;
2. Establish nationwide and State mutual aid systems for
dealing with national emergencies, and;
3. Authorize the National Fire Academy to train firefighters to
respond to acts of terrorism and other national emergencies.
In large part, the genesis of the Firefighting Research and
Coordination Act came after the September 11th attacks. After the
tragic events of that day, fire departments throughout America began to
grapple with new concerns over how to best train for and respond to
terrorist acts. The needs of the fire service continue to grow as new
threats emerge. As a result, Congress has a responsibility to assist
and protect our firefighters. That is the goal of the Firefighting
Research and Coordination Act.
As mentioned, the first objective of the bill focuses on
establishing equipment and technology standards. It would allow the
U.S. Fire Administrator, in consultation with the National Institute of
Standards and Technology, national voluntary consensus standards
development organizations, and other interested parties to develop
voluntary consensus standards for evaluating the performance and
compatibility of new fire fighting technology. Examples of new
technologies include: personal protection equipment, devices for
advance warning of extreme hazard, equipment for enhanced vision, and
robotics and other remote-controlled devices, among others. Equipment
purchased under the Assistance to Firefighters grant program must meet
or exceed the voluntary consensus standards.
Establishing standards for firefighting equipment and technologies
will help safeguard the lives of firefighters. At present,
manufacturers of emergency equipment can sell their products with no
government testing or certification requirements to ensure their
product meets the needs of firefighters. A January 2003 Consumer
Reports article entitled, ``Safeguards Lacking for Emergency
Equipment,'' highlights the problems associated with a lack of
standards. The article reports ``Firefighter organizations, which also
represent most of the nation's emergency medical technicians, say they
worry that there is no law that requires fire departments to buy
equipment certified for use against chemical or biological agents.''
The second objective of the bill addresses mutual aid systems.
Mutual aid compacts are widely acknowledged to be an effective and
efficient means of sharing emergency management resources among
different jurisdictions. Federal support for mutual aid could better
prepare states and localities for all types of disasters, including
acts of terrorism. The Firefighting Research and Coordination Act
directs the U.S. Fire Administrator, in consultation with the Director
of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to provide technical
assistance and training to state and local fire service officials to
establish nationwide and state mutual aid systems for responding to
national emergencies. An important example of why model mutual aid
systems are important to establish comes in part, as a response to the
September 11th attacks and also to wildfires that have raged in the
western United States.
As this Committee noted in its November 18, 2002 report
accompanying the Firefighting Research and Coordination Act, the Titan
Systems Corporation issued a report on July 23, 2002, on behalf of the
Arlington County, Virginia fire department. The report found that self-
dispatching fire and emergency crews were favorable in some respects,
but were also detrimental. For example, the report states that the
Arlington County fire department ``faced the monumental challenge of
gaining control of the resources already onsite and those arriving
minute-by-minute.'' The report goes on to say that, ``firefighters and
other personnel came and went from other Pentagon entrances with little
or no control. Thus, had there been a second attack, as occurred at the
World Trade Center, it would have been virtually impossible for the
Incident Commander to determine quickly who might have been lost.''
Another example of why model mutual aid plans are important comes
from the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)'s 2001 Annual
Report. On September 11th, approximately 50 public safety agencies
responded to the attack on the Pentagon resulting in 900 radio users
attempting communications with various mission requirements to
consider. The report details how initially, local first responders
experienced no difficulty in establishing an interoperable
communications system. But, as the number of secondary responders
increased at the site, direct interoperability between the first and
secondary responders was unavailable.
The third objective of the Firefighting Research and Coordination
Act permits the Superintendent of the National Fire Academy to
coordinate with other Federal, State, and local officials in developing
curricula for classes offered by the Academy. Over one million students
have received training at the National Fire Academy. Since its
inception in 1975, the Academy has helped firefighters gain vital
education and training to the benefit of the American public. Its
online courses and cooperation with local collages and universities
expand the reach of the Academy to thousands of firefighters across the
nation.
With the nation recovering from acts of terrorism, engulfing
wildfires, and the possibility of future national emergencies,
America's firefighters deserve nothing less than quality educational
opportunities and training to prepare for these disasters. We saw with
the World Trade Center that building collapse rescue is a critical
component of a firefighters job. In a December 1, 2001 article that
appeared in Fire Chief magazine, a member of the Michigan Urban Search
and Rescue team stated that while the federal government has spent
millions of dollars to train local first responders with weapons of
mass destruction, little if any focus has been placed on building
collapse rescue. ``For some time now, I have advocated that every state
should have a structural-collapse response that includes a Urban Search
and Rescue task force system,'' stated the Michigan firefighter.
The Firefighting Research and Coordination Act authorizes the Fire
Academy to conduct new types of training in: building collapse rescue,
the use of technology in response to fires; including terrorist
incidents and other national emergencies; strategies for dealing with
terrorist-caused national catastrophes; and applying new technology and
developing strategies and tactics for fighting forest fires.
Last December the National Fire Protection Association released its
``Needs Assessment of the U.S. Fire Service'' report that included
sobering statistics on fire personnel and their current capabilities.
An estimated 233,000 firefighters are involved in structural
firefighting but lack formal training in those duties. Similarly, an
estimated 40 percent of fire department personnel involved in hazardous
material response lack formal training in those duties. The
Firefighting Research and Coordination Act aims to reduce these
alarming statistics.
Finally, I want to mention that this legislation enjoys wide
support among many of this nation's fire groups including the
Congressional Fire Services Institute, International Association of
Fire Chiefs, International Association of Fire Fighters, and many
others prominent fire organizations.
Thank you again Mr. Chairman for the opportunity to testify before
the Committee.
The Chairman. Thank you very much for taking time from your
very busy schedule to come and join us. Your support and
efforts are important, and I look forward to continuing to work
with you and Congressman Weldon. And I thank you very much.
Mr. Camp. I noticed when you were discussing the weather,
nobody mentioned Michigan.
[Laughter.]
Mr. Camp. But we're starting to move into our good season.
The Chairman. I have great affection for your State. And I
thank you very much.
Mr. Camp. Yes, you do.
The Chairman. Thanks for coming.
Mr. Camp. Thank you.
The Chairman. Our next panel is Chief Randy R. Bruegman,
the president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs;
Mr. Kevin O'Connor, assistant to the general president for
government and public relations, International Association of
Fire Fighters, AFL-CIO-CLC; the Honorable James M. Shannon,
president and chief executive officer, National Fire Protection
Association; and Chief Philip C. Stittleburg, who is the
chairman of the National Volunteer Fire Council.
Welcome, gentlemen. Thank you for taking your time.
Is that the proper pronunciation, Chief Bruegman?
Mr. Bruegman. Yes, thank you.
The Chairman. Thank you. Thank you all for coming, and
we'll begin with you, Chief Bruegman. And if you'll pull that
microphone over so that the stenographer can--Mr. Bruegman:
Thank you.
STATEMENT OF RANDY R. BRUEGMAN, PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL
ASSOCIATION OF FIRE CHIEFS
Mr. Bruegman. Good morning, Mr. Chairman, and Members of
the Committee.
I'm Randy Bruegman, chief of Clackamas County Fire District
Number 1, located just outside of Portland, Oregon. I appear
this morning as president of the International Association of
Fire Chiefs, which represents the leaders and managers of the
American Fire Service consisting of more than 30,000 fire
departments staffed by 1.1 million firefighters and emergency
medical personnel.
America's fire and emergency service is the only organized
group of citizens situated in local communities throughout this
Nation like a fabric across this land, trained and equipped to
deal with all risks and hazards, both natural and manmade.
I'd like to talk about several issues of importance to us
this morning, and the first is the Assistance to Firefighter
Grant Program. I think one of the most important relationships
between the Fire Service and the Federal Government is the
Assistance to Firefighter Grant Program, better known as the
FIRE Act, and you've heard it spoken to several times this
morning. I come before you today to ask for your help in
securing its future.
The FIRE Act has been called, by both congressional and
administration officials, one of the very best Federal grant
programs, and we totally agree with that. And there are good
reasons for its success. And I think Chief Paulison outlined
several of those.
First, when you apply for a grant, the fire chief must
clearly define that he or she has an urgent need. The
application is subject to a rigorous peer review by Fire
Service representatives. And, third, a department, before it's
awarded a grant, the community must agree to a significant co-
payment, and this assures local governmental buy-in. And,
finally, the Federal funds cannot supplant funds from the local
government; they are supplemental only.
The hallmark of the FIRE Act is that funds go directly to
the local fire department for the intended purpose in a timely
manner without being diminished or diverted. That's a Federal
success story that I think our taxpayers can be very, very
proud of.
But, as noted several times this morning, we see problems
ahead. The President's budget proposal for fiscal year 2004
recommends $500 million in funding for the FIRE Act, and it
also moves the program from the U.S. Fire Administration to the
Office for Domestic Preparedness. This transfer is proposed in
accordance with section 430 of the Department of Homeland
Security Act, which states, ``The Office for Domestic
Preparedness shall have the primary responsibility for the
preparedness of the United States for acts of terrorism.''
Mr. Chairman, I bring your attention to the authority for
the FIRE Act, which originated in this Committee and is found
in section 33 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of
1974. That law states that the Director of FEMA shall make
grants for the purpose of protecting the health and safety of
the public and firefighting personnel against fire and fire-
related hazards and provide assistance for fire-prevention
programs.
Mr. Chairman, the FIRE Act was not designed or intended for
the sole purpose of enhancing terrorism response. The FIRE Act
was structured to assist communities to better prepare for all
risks and all hazards, one which could be an act of terrorism.
We ask for your assistance from this Committee to keep the FIRE
Act at the U.S. Fire Administration where it has been so
successfully managed.
Second point, Fire Service presence in the Department of
Homeland Security. We have a very serious concern from the
leaders of this industry, the Fire Service industry. The
emergency services--the continued reduction of our presence in
the Department of Homeland Security is not being addressed. Our
concern about the FIRE Act, the recent elimination of the U.S.
Fire Administrator of the U.S. Fire Administration, the
cancellation, as has been noted several times, of a significant
number of Fire Academy classes, is of real concern to us.
The creation of the new Department of Homeland Security is
a process by which the International Association of Fire Chiefs
and the Fire Service community supported, and we still do, to
this day. This new department has the potential to provide
great advancement for the first responder community.
Unfortunately, we have reasons to be concerned about the
representation the Fire Service has in this whole process.
This Committee understands the important role of the
American Fire Service and the Emergency Service and the first
responder community as it relates to major disasters, natural
or manmade. We ask that you support our request for a voice at
DHS that is appropriate and proportionate to the Fire Service
contribution to homeland security and the safety of our
communities throughout this country.
HazMat placarding. Recently, we've learned that the
Department of Homeland Security may seek to substantially
change or even eliminate the current placarding system for the
transportation of hazardous materials. America's Fire Service,
the primary provider of HazMat response in the U.S., relies
upon the current placarding system to quickly assess a HazMat
incident and initiate appropriate and effective response. This
rapid assessment is critical to protecting nearby residents as
well as the response team from potentially serious effects of a
HazMat incident. In the absence of a proven replacement system,
dismantling the current placarding system would be a
significant mistake that would have serious ramifications for
the safety of America's communities.
It appears that DHS is able to issue these regulations
under emergency regulatory authority vested in the head of the
Transportation Security Administration that precludes the
normal notice and review process. These regulations could take
effect with no outside notice other than consultation with the
Secretary of Transportation and then a review by the
Transportation Secretary Board, which is comprised solely of
Cabinet-level officials from the administration. There's no
opportunity for oversight or input from Congress or the
American public. Mr. Chairman, the IAFC and the American Fire
Service are very concerned about that situation.
Communications. And you've noted it so aptly in your
opening remarks. One of the most persistent problems that
plagues every large-scale emergency response is the issue of
communication interoperability. Fortunately, Senator McCain,
your Committee has jurisdiction over this legislation. It
represents a significant step forward in addressing this for
us.
In 1997, the Congress set aside 24 megahertz of radio
spectrum for public safety agencies. This spectrum is currently
used by TV channels 63, 64, 68, and 69. Congress directed that
transfer to the public safety be completed by December 31 of
2006, conditional on digital television rollout reaching 85
percent of the American households. Presently, only 1 percent,
as you are well aware, have digital TVs; and, therefore, that
rollout doesn't seem to be actually moving forward as we
anticipated.
I see I'm running out of time, so I'm going to go ahead and
end my comments this morning with just a brief thank you for
your legislation that you've proposed for the transfer of
technology to the Fire Service. It's extremely important.
I will end by saying this, Mr. Chairman. We appreciate the
support that you have given to the American Fire Service. We
appreciate the support and the understanding that you have
about the role and responsibility that we have for the safety
of our citizens, not only at the local level, but from a
national perspective, as well.
We have a saying in the Fire Service--or it's not a saying,
but it's noted, as terminology called ``first due.'' And it
talks about--``first due'' denotes the companies that are
dispatched to an alarm and are first to arrive.
And, Mr. Chairman, I would propose to you today that, in
the arena of homeland security, we are ``first due.'' The Fire
Service will be the first to arrive and, in many cases, the
last to leave. And it will be our efforts during the first 15
to 30 minutes to hours of a significant incident in this
country that will dictate the outcome of that incident and will
dictate the psychological impact and the economic impact in
this country. We have to be recognized for the role that we
play in homeland security and the protection of the homeland
within our geographic borders. And I hope that, with your
support in the future, we can address several of the concerns
that we noted this morning.
Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Bruegman follows:]
Prepared Statement of Randy R. Bruegman, President, International
Association of Fire Chiefs
Good morning Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee. I am Randy
Bruegman, Chief of Clackamas County Fire District No. 1 located outside
Portland, Oregon. I appear this morning as the president of the
International Association of Fire Chiefs which represents the leaders
and managers of America's fire service. The fire service consists of
about 30,000 fire departments staffed by 1.1 million firefighters and
emergency medical personnel. America's fire and emergency service is
the only organized group of citizens situated in local communities
throughout the nation--like fabric across the land--trained and
equipped to deal with all risks and all hazards both natural and
manmade.
The Fire and Emergency Service Community
America's fire and emergency service is the only organized group of
citizens situated in local communities throughout the nation trained
and equipped to deal with natural and manmade disasters. Fire
departments respond to all risks, all hazards ranging from earthquakes,
hurricanes, tornadoes and floods, to acts of terrorism, hazardous
materials incidents, technical rescues, fires, and medical emergencies.
The fire service protects America's critical infrastructure--the
electrical grid, interstate highways, railroads, pipelines, petroleum
and chemical facilities--and is, in fact, even considered part of the
critical infrastructure. The fire service protects most federal
buildings, provides mutual aid to most military bases, and protects
interstate commerce. No passenger airliner takes off from a runway that
is not protected by a fire department. Hazardous materials transports
are an integral part of the United States economy, when they spill or
ignite, the fire service responds to protect lives and property and
clean-up the mess.
Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program
One of the most important relationships between the fire service
and the federal government is the Assistance to Firefighters grant
program, better known as the FIRE Act. I come before you today to ask
for your help in securing its future.
The FIRE Act has been called--by both congressional and
administration officials--one of the very best federal grant programs.
We agree. And there are good reasons for its success.
I recently became aware of a document indicating the success of the
FIRE Act grant program. The ``Survey, Assessment, and Recommendations
for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program'' is an independent
report compiled within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This
document explicitly and precisely describes the strengths of the FIRE
Act program.
In their words, ``The USFA Grants to Firefighters Program has been
highly effective in increasing the safety and effectiveness of grant
recipients . . . 99 percent of program participants are satisfied with
the program's ability to meet the needs of their department . . . and
97 percent of program participants reported positive impact on their
ability to handle fire and fire-related incidents. Overall, the results
of the survey and our analysis reflect that the USFA Grant to
Firefighters program was highly effective in improving the readiness
and capabilities of firefighters across the nation.'' I think we all
recognize the value of these words when coming from one federal agency
to another.
I will be happy to provide copies of this document for review upon
request.
The current assistance process works. First, when applying for a
grant, the fire chief must clearly define an urgent need. Then the
application is subject to rigorous peer review by fire service
representatives. Third, for a department to be awarded a grant, the
community must agree to a significant co-payment. This assures local
government buy-in. Finally, federal funds cannot supplant funds from
the local government, they are supplemental only. The hallmark of the
FIRE Act is that funds go directly to the local fire department for the
intended purpose in a timely manner without being diminished or
diverted. That's a federal success story for which the taxpayers can be
proud.
But we see problems ahead. The president's budget proposal for FY
2004 recommends $500 million in funding for the FIRE Act; it also moves
the program from the U.S. Fire Administration to the Office for
Domestic Preparedness. This transfer is proposed in accordance with
Section 430 of the Department of Homeland Security Act which states:
``The Office for Domestic Preparedness shall have the primary
responsibility . . . for the preparedness of the United States for acts
of terrorism . . . ''
Mr. Chairman, I bring your attention to the authority for the FIRE
Act, which originated in this Committee, and is found in Section 33 of
the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974. The law states
that the Director of FEMA shall make grants ``for the purpose of
protecting the health and safety of the public and firefighting
personnel against fire and fire-related hazards and provide assistance
for fire prevention programs . . . '' Mr. Chairman, the FIRE Act is not
designed nor intended for the sole purpose of enhancing terrorism
response. The FIRE Act is structured to assist communities to better
respond to all risks and all hazards--one of which could be an act of
terrorism. Mr. Chairman, we ask for assistance from this Committee to
keep the FIRE Act at the United States Fire Administration (USFA) where
it has been so successfully managed.
Fire Service Presence in the Department of Homeland Security
A very serious concern for the fire and emergency service is the
continued reduction of the fire service presence in the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS). In addition to our concern about the FIRE Act,
the recent elimination of the Administrator of the U.S. Fire
Administration and the cancellation of a significant number of National
Fire Academy classes are matters of real concern. The creation of the
Department of Homeland Security is a process which the IAFC and the
fire community supported. This new department has the potential to
provide great advancement for the first responder community.
Unfortunately, we have reasons to be concerned about the representation
of the fire service in this process.
This Committee understands the important role of America's fire and
emergency service in the first responder community as it relates to
major disasters--natural and manmade. We ask that you support our
request for a voice at DHS that is appropriate and proportionate to the
fire service contribution to homeland security.
Hazardous Material Placarding
Recently, we have learned that the Department of Homeland Security
may seek to substantially change, or even eliminate, the current
placarding system for the transportation of hazardous materials. We
would like to emphasize the critical role that the current placarding
system plays in protecting the safety of American communities and the
safety of HazMat responders. Every year, there are approximately
850,000 shipments of hazardous materials. Statistics indicate that
there will be over 17,000 HazMat incidents each year and that almost
500 of those incidents will be classified as serious--meaning that the
incident resulted in a fatality or major injury.
America's fire service, the primary provider of HazMat response in
the U.S., relies upon the current placarding system to quickly assess a
HazMat incident and initiate an appropriate response. This rapid
assessment is critical to protecting nearby residents as well as the
response team from the potentially serious effects of a HazMat
incident. In the absence of a proven replacement system, dismantling
the current placarding system would be a significant mistake that would
have serious ramifications for the safety of America's communities.
It appears that DHS is able to issue these regulations under
``emergency'' regulatory authority vested in the UnderSecretary of the
Transportation Security Administration that precludes the normal notice
and review process. These regulations could take effect with no outside
notice other than ``consultation'' with the Secretary of Transportation
and then review by the Transportation Security Board which is comprised
solely of cabinet-level officials from the administration. There is no
opportunity for oversight or input from Congress or the American
public. Mr. Chairman, the IAFC and America's fire service is very
concerned about this situation.
Communications
One of the most persistent problems that plagues large-scale
emergency response is the issue of communications interoperability.
Fortunately Senator McCain, your Committee has jurisdiction over
legislation that represents a significant step forward in addressing
this problem.
In 1997, Congress set aside 24 MHz of radio spectrum for public
safety agencies. This spectrum is currently used by TV channels 63, 64,
68, and 69. Congress directed that the transfer to public safety be
completed by December 31, 2006 conditioned on digital television
rollout reaching 85 percent of American households. Presently, only 1
percent of households have digital television. As a result of this
enormous loophole, the public safety community is unable to utilize
this badly needed spectrum.
The IAFC strongly believes that any effort to address the DTV
transition must include a requirement that television stations
operating on channels 60-69 vacate the band as quickly as possible, but
no later than December 31, 2006--the original completion date set by
Congress. We strongly urge this Committee to address this as a priority
issue.
SAFER
Another issue facing fire departments across the country is the
lack of adequate staffing to appropriately respond to our communities'
needs. The ``Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response
Firefighters Act of 2003'', also known as SAFER, would provide federal
assistance to local fire departments for the purpose of hiring new
firefighters. Patterned after the highly successful COPS program, local
governments would jointly share the costs of hiring new firefighters
over a three-year period until the local government assumed all
responsibility for funding the new positions. This legislation has
garnered bipartisan support in both houses of Congress, as well as the
support of the major fire service organizations.
The primary reasons for hiring additional firefighters are very
simple:
1. Greatly enhanced efficiency on-scene,
2. Increased safety, both for firefighters and the victims they
are assisting, and
3. Enhanced planning and training to protect both firefighters
and the communities they serve.
While some jurisdictions require four firefighters to staff a
single piece of fire apparatus, most staff with only three. By
increasing to four firefighters per unit we will generate a 100 percent
increase in operational capacity compared with three-person companies.
Under federal administrative law and proper safety practices,
firefighters must operate in teams of at least two people. Therefore,
fire apparatus staffing of four will yield two working teams of two,
doubling the capacity of apparatus staffed with only three personnel.
Linked to this substantial gain in productivity is a commensurate
increase in safety both for firefighters and for the victims they are
treating. On emergency responses time is critical and minutes, or even
seconds, can often mean the difference between life and death. The
SAFER bill will help local governments provide necessary staffing on
the initial response and not allow precious time to slip away as the
first personnel on-scene wait for additional firefighters to arrive.
Recent economic conditions have forced fire departments to make
significant budget cuts which are forcing staff reductions across the
country. Departments have also been directly affected by the military
call-ups necessary for the war in Iraq. A recent IAFC survey has shown
that the smallest fire departments are disproportionately affected by
the call-up of military personnel. These departments are the least able
to absorb the loss of trained staff.
Firefighting Research and Coordination Act:
I would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of the IAFC and
the fire service, to thank you, Chairman McCain, for introducing the
Firefighting Research and Coordination Act. This act will help
coordinate necessary standards for new technologies and training in
order to better prepare first responders for the challenges they face
daily. Many important groups have been advancing first responder
standards including, the InterAgency Board for Equipment
Standardization and Inter-Operability; national voluntary consensus
standards development organizations, such as the National Fire
Protection Association; the National Institute of Standards and
Technology; and other federal, state, and local agencies.
Chairman McCain has provided Congress with a realistic approach to
the interoperability issues that plague our community. It is time for
Congress to pass this legislation.
Conclusion
Mr. Chairman, the fire service stands today as a bulwark of the
first responder community; ready to quickly respond to, contain, and
resolve nearly all emergencies that arise in our local communities. We
very much appreciate the opportunity to appear before your Committee
today. We also appreciate the personal commitment you have demonstrated
to the fire service through your Committee work and your willingness to
serve as Chairman of the Fire Caucus in Congress.
I would be pleased to respond to any questions you may have.
The Chairman. Thank you very much, Chief, for a very
eloquent statement.
Mr. O'Connor, welcome.
STATEMENT OF KEVIN O'CONNOR, ASSISTANT TO THE
GENERAL PRESIDENT FOR GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC
RELATIONS, INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIRE
FIGHTERS
Mr. O'Connor. Good morning, Mr. Chairman.
I'm Kevin O'Connor, and I serve as the assistant to the
general president of the International Association of Fire
Fighters. Prior to joining the IAFF, I had the honor of being a
professional firefighter and EMT in Baltimore County, and
served concurrently as president of the Baltimore County and
the Maryland State and D.C. Professional Firefighters
Associations.
On behalf of my general president, Harold Schaitberger, and
the 260,000 professional firefighters and EMS personnel we
represent, I am pleased to offer our views on the critical
needs of the Fire Service. While there are many daunting issues
facing us, I will limit my remarks to two specific proposals
that will immediately, significantly, and measurably enhance
our Nation's domestic preparedness.
Unfortunately, as you have pointed out, there has never
been a uniform technical standard for firefighting equipment,
personal protective clothing, and related gear. Much of the
equipment available or in use today is neither tested nor
certified by government or private labs. With the influx of
Federal money and the growing public awareness of homeland-
security issues, the need for such standards is greater than
ever. The Firefighting Research and Coordination Act would do
just that by establishing a scientific basis to evaluate new
firefighting equipment.
Equally as significant that legislation would require
equipment purchased with Federal dollars to comply with these
standards, S. 321 also seeks to address a major deficiency in
our emergency response profile by directing the U.S. Fire
Administration to assist State and local communities in
establishing mutual aid covenants to pool resources and better
coordinate response.
Our lone recommendation is to include the National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in the list of
organizations to be consulted. NIOSH has been doing exemplary
work and has unsurpassed expertise in developing standards for
first responder protective equipment.
Mr. Chairman, before leaving this issue, I would be remiss
if I did not commend you for your leadership and tenacity. The
Nation's firefighters are deeply indebted for your work.
The vital lifesaving work of firefighters long predates the
horrific events of 9/11. Firefighters are on the front line for
America 24/7 each and every day. Today's firefighter is a
multitasked professional, putting out fires, large and small,
responding to hazardous materials incidents, engaging in
technical, high-angle and swift-water rescue. And perhaps most
important to everyone's day-to-day lives, firefighters and
fire-based paramedics are the Nation's primary responders of
pre-hospital emergency medical care. And post 9/11, certainly,
we have assumed the role of the Nation's first responders to
terrorism and weapons of mass destruction.
To successfully fulfill our mission, this Nation must have
a sufficient number of firefighters properly trained and
equipped to do their job. Sadly, we do not. And, as a result,
people die.
Firefighting is not about fancy rigs or polished brass;
it's about people. Our profession is inherently labor
intensive. All studies concur that responding with inadequate
personnel jeopardizes both the safety of firefighters and the
citizens we are charged to protect. To operate safely and
efficiently and to comply with nationally accepted standards,
we must ensure that each rig is staffed with at least four
firefighters and there are a minimum of 14 to 17 firefighters
on every house fire.
Here are the facts. Over two-thirds of all fire departments
operate short staffed. Two-thirds. A recent USFA study points
out that between 60 and 75 percent of all fire departments have
too few stations to meet response guidelines established by the
Insurance Services Office.
How does this relate to terrorism response? The same study
reveals that only 11 percent of our Nation's fire departments
can handle a building collapse involving rescue and EMFs
operations for over 50 people. Consider the enormity of 9/11 or
Oklahoma City or Hurricane Andrew, and then analyze that
statistic about 11 percent. It is a sobering picture.
The exigent fiscal crisis confronting States and local
government has exacerbated an already bad problem. Layoffs,
station closings, and reductions in force are occurring in
every part of the country. Congress would never allow our Army
to engage in a war with two-thirds of its divisions
understaffed. Incredibly, this is exactly what we're asking our
local fire departments to do.
The solution is the adoption of the Safer Firefighters Act,
S. 544. While the Federal Government has begun providing much
needed assistance to local fire departments in recent years,
none of our current programs currently provide any Federal
assistance for the most significant need to the American Fire
Service, firefighting personnel.
In order to address this critical staffing shortage, a
bipartisan coalition has introduced the Staffing for Adequate
Fire and Emergency Response Act. SAFER provides grants to local
fire departments to hire 75,000 additional firefighters over a
7-year period. It creates a 4-year program under which fire
departments would apply for Federal grants, not to exceed
$100,000 per position, to hire additional firefighters. Local
jurisdictions would then be required to maintain those
positions for at least another year. SAFER is a very innovative
approach to solving the Nation's need for additional
firefighters and for improving homeland security.
In closing, Mr. Chairman, as a firefighter, a first
responder, and someone who represents America's bravest, I'm
here to tell you that no investment in homeland security will
do as much to protect our nation and its citizens as the
enactment of SAFER. Additionally, I join the chorus of my
colleagues and Congressman Weldon in urging your Committee to
continue the reauthorization of the U.S. Fire Administration
and the maintenance of the U.S. Fire Administrator as a Senate-
confirmed position.
It is, indeed, time for action. We ask that you give the
resources we need to protect our Nation and its people, and I
ask that my written testimony be submitted for the record.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The Chairman. Without objection, all written testimony will
be included.
[The prepared statement of Mr. O'Connor follows:]
Prepared Statement of Kevin O'Connor, Assistant to the General
President for Government and Public Relations, International
Association of Fire Fighters
Introduction
Good morning, Mr. Chairman. My name is Kevin O'Connor, and I serve
as the Assistant to the General President for the International
Association of Fire Fighters.
Prior to joining the IAFF, I had the honor of being a professional
fire fighter in Baltimore County, Maryland, and I am very proud to say
I was a member of our department's busiest and best ladder company.
During that time, I served concurrently as President of the Baltimore
County Professional Fire Fighters & Paramedics Association and the
Maryland State and District of Columbia Professional Fire Fighters.
On behalf of my General President Harold Schaitberger, and the
260,000 professional fire fighters and emergency medical personnel we
represent throughout the United States, and who collectively provide
fire and emergency response protection to over \3/4\ of the nation's
population, I am pleased to offer our views on the critical needs of
the fire service.
While there are many daunting issues facing the fire service, I
will limit my remarks to two specific pieces of legislation that will
immediately, significantly and measurably enhance our nation's domestic
preparedness. They are: S.321, the Firefighting Research and
Coordination Act and S.544, the SAFER Fire Fighters Act.
Firefighting Research and Coordination
The need for uniform technical standards for firefighting
equipment, personal protective equipment, and other related gear is now
greater than ever. Much of the emergency response equipment available
today is not tested or certified by government or other labs. This
problem is increasing as fire departments prepare to replace old and
worn equipment, and manufacturers flood the market with new equipment
in response to increased government spending and citizen awareness of
homeland security.
S. 321 would finally establish a scientific basis for measurement
and testing methodologies for new firefighting equipment. The
legislation would authorize the United States Fire Administration
(USFA) to work with NIST, the Interagency Board, and other federal,
state, local, and private consensus standards organizations to
accomplish this goal.
Significantly, the legislation would require equipment purchased
with federal dollars--including grants from the highly successful FIRE
Act program--to comply with these standards wherever feasible. In
addition to encouraging communities to purchase quality equipment, we
are optimistic that this language will promote the development of safer
and better equipment as manufacturers strive to comply with new federal
standards.
S. 321 also seeks to address the lack of coordination among
responding agencies by directing the USFA to provide technical
assistance and training for state and local fire service officials to
establish nationwide and state mutual aid systems for responding to
national emergencies.
We are especially supportive of the concept of creating a national
credentialing system for emergency responders. Emergency response and
mutual aid networks have long been plagued by the lack of consensus
about what fire fighters and fire departments should be capable of.
S.321 will seek to rectify this serious deficiency by asking the U.S.
Fire Administration report to consider a credentialing system as part
of its report to Congress on the deployment of emergency responders.
The lone recommendation we wish to make regarding S.321 is to
expressly include the National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH) in the list of organizations to be consulted. NIOSH has
been doing exemplary work certifying respirators for WMD response, and
has unsurpassed expertise in standards for first responder protective
equipment.
Before leaving this issue, I would be remiss if I failed to commend
you, Mr. Chairman, for your pioneering work on this issue. Prior to
your involvement, the world of fire fighting standards was generally
considered outside the scope of the federal government. Your innovative
approach demonstrates that there is a significant role for the federal
government to play in this arena, and for this, the nation's fire
fighters are deeply grateful.
Fire Fighter Staffing
As you well know, Mr. Chairman, the work of fire fighters in
protecting our nation long predates September 11, 2001. For nearly 100
years, the members of the IAFF have been the first on the scene
whenever and wherever people's lives are in jeopardy.
Firefighting, or putting the ``wet stuff on the red stuff,'' is but
one dimension of our work. We are the ones who respond whenever a
hazardous chemical is released into the environment. We search for and
rescue people who are trapped or in danger. We are the nation's primary
providers of pre-hospital emergency medical care. And more recently, in
addition to all we have been doing, we must also assume the role of the
nation's first responders to acts of terrorism.
The mission to protect Americans against terrorist acts poses a
number of unprecedented challenges for the fire service. Each time the
alarm rings, we must be prepared for the possibility that it is an act
of war. Our enemies possess weapons of mass destruction, and appear
unafraid to use them. If a biological, chemical, or radiological attack
is unleashed against Americans, it will be fire fighters who will
respond first. Moreover, terrorism is forcing us to rethink how
personnel are deployed. Rather than viewing incidents as isolated
events, we must confront the possibility that each incident is but one
part of a coordinated attack.
To meet these crucial and growing demands, we need an adequate
number of fire fighters. Firefighting always has been and always will
be essentially about people. It is a labor-intensive operation that
requires large numbers of properly equipped and trained personnel to
perform the myriad tasks that must be undertaken at an emergency scene.
Attempting to respond to a fire or other hazard with only 2 or 3 people
per piece of apparatus is not only ineffective, it is extraordinarily
dangerous. Every year in our nation, fire fighters lose their lives
because there are not enough of them on scene to conduct a safe
response.
Unfortunately, responses with 2 or 3 fire fighters have become the
norm. Studies indicate that 2/3 of all fire departments in America lack
adequate personnel, and the problem is growing. Even after September
11th, municipalities are failing to adequately staff fire departments.
The IAFF receives at least two new requests each week from our locals
seeking assistance to prevent layoffs, and station and company
closings. Examples of short staffing are common in every part of the
country.
In Arizona, due to the $100 billion state deficit, the city
of Phoenix plans to eliminate three engine companies and lay
off 42 fire fighters if it cannot balance its budget.
In South Carolina's largest cities, including Charleston,
fire fighters respond with 3--and sometimes as few as 2--fire
fighters per apparatus.
In New York City, a $47 million reduction to the Fire
Department would force the closure of 35 to 40 of the city's
207 firehouses. Mayor Bloomberg has proposed a plan to reduce
the per piece staffing on 39 FDNY companies.
In Buffalo, New York, the city has already closed four fire
companies. Still being debated are additional proposals to
close more companies and reduce fire fighting personnel by as
many as 200 fire fighters.
In Texas, the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth have proposed
shutting down companies. And Fort Worth is planning to reduce
the number of fire fighters per apparatus from four to three.
Seattle, Washington has proposed eliminating 31 fire
fighters.
In the Midwest, Minneapolis, a dynamic cosmopolitan area and
a commercial and cultural center, has laid off 44 fire
fighters, reducing the fire department size to less than what
it was a decade ago. In Dayton, Ohio, four engine companies
have been eliminated and the city plans to reduce the number of
fire fighters per apparatus from four to three. And, in the
little township of Bellaire, Ohio, the Mayor and Town Council
have proposed eliminating the fire department because of
budgetary woes.
In Springfield Massachusetts, 53 fire fighters have been
laid off. In nearby Worcester, Massachusetts, the city is
honoring the memory of the six fire fighters who died in that
horrific warehouse fire three years ago, by laying off 17 fire
fighters.
These examples are merely the tip of the iceberg. Below the
surface, there is a massive personnel crisis that is the weak link in
our homeland defense. Congress would never allow our Army to engage in
a war with 2/3 of its divisions understaffed. Incredibly, this is
exactly what we are asking our local fire departments to do in this
current war on our home soil.
Quite simply, far too many local fire departments don't have
adequate personnel to perform their mission. With the new dangers posed
by terrorists, this situation has reached crisis proportions. Whether
it be a containment and evacuation mission following release of a
radiological material in Texas, evacuating a skyscraper in Los Angeles,
or providing emergency medical care to Members of Congress following an
explosion in the Capitol, the frightening fact of life is that we
simply do not have enough people to get the job done.
Staffing Studies
Frontline fire fighters have always understood the critical role of
safe staffing. Beyond the anecdotal, numerous studies document the
extent of fire fighter understaffing and the impact it has on fire
fighter safety and community security.
In its seminal report, ``A Needs Assessment of the U.S. Fire
Service,'' USFA/NFPA found that the vast majority of fire departments
cannot respond to emergencies in a timely manner, and when fire
fighters do reach the scene of an emergency, there are not enough
personnel to do the job safely and effectively. The report found that
up to 75 percent of our nation's fire departments have too few fire
stations to meet response time guidelines. In fire departments that
protect communities with a population of less than a million, it is
common to respond to emergencies with less than 4 fire fighters per
apparatus. Further, the report found that only 11 percent of our
nation's fire departments could handle structural collapse involving
rescue and EMS operations for over 50 people. Considering the enormity
of the destruction on September 11th, in Oklahoma City, or caused by
Hurricane Andrew, it is a sobering and sad that only a small segment of
our population has real protection from terrorism or natural disasters.
A study conducted by the Seattle Fire Department found that the
severity of fire fighter injuries declined 35 percent when staffing per
apparatus was increased from 3-person crews to 4-person crews. A study
by the Dallas Fire Department found a direct correlation between
staffing levels and both the safety and effectiveness of emergency
response operations. Specifically, the Dallas study found that
inadequate staffing delays or prevents the performance of critical
tasks, increases the physiological stress on fire fighters, and
increases the risk to both civilians and fire fighters. After analyzing
their data, the authors of the Dallas study concluded, ``staffing below
a crew size of four can overtax the operating force and lead to higher
losses.''
And studies of fire fighter fatalities have consistently identified
inadequate staffing as a key factor in fireground deaths. Since 1997,
NIOSH has investigated every fire fighter line-of-duty death as part of
its Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program. Far too
many of these reports have attributed these deaths to inadequate
personnel on the scene.
NIOSH has been especially critical of the failure of fire
departments to assure that there are adequate numbers of people
stationed outside a dangerous environment during an interior fire
suppression attack. These outside personnel, known as a Rapid
Intervention Team (RIT), are equipped and ready to perform rescue
missions when a fire fighter becomes disoriented or lost during an
interior attack.
A recent NIOSH report concluded that a RIT should respond to every
major fire. The duties of the team were enumerated in the report and
are quoted below.
The team should report to the officer in command and remain at
the command post until an intervention is required to rescue a
fire fighter(s) . . . Many fire fighters who die from smoke
inhalation, from a flashover, or from being caught or trapped
by fire actually become disoriented first. They are lost in
smoke and their SCBA runs out of air, or they cannot find their
way out through the smoke, become trapped, and then fire or
smoke kills them. The RIT will be ordered by the IC to complete
any emergency searches or rescues. It will provide the
suppression companies the opportunity to regroup and take a
roll call instead of performing rescue operations . . . When a
RIT is used in an emergency situation, an additional RIT should
be put into place in case an additional emergency situation
arises. This additional RIT should be comprised of fresh, well-
rested fire fighters.
Staffing Standards
The need for adequate fireground personnel has been formally
recognized by standardsmaking bodies of both the federal government and
the fire service industry. Both the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) and the National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA), the consensus standards making body of the fire service, have
promulgated standards designed to achieve safe staffing levels.
OSHA's ``Two-In/ Two-Out'' Standard
In 1998, OSHA amended its Respirator Standard for employees engaged
in dangerous occupations that require use of breathing apparatus. The
revised standard formally endorsed a safe staffing rule known as ``2-
in/2-out'' that left no doubt about the vital link between sufficient
staffing and fire fighter safety.
The 2-in/2-out regulation requires that whenever fire fighters
enter a burning structure or other dangerous environment, they must do
so in teams of at least two that operate in direct visual or voice
contact. Additionally, for every group of two fire fighters inside the
structure, there must be a corresponding number of at least two other
fully-equipped and trained fire fighters who remain outside the
structure, monitoring those inside and who are prepared to rescue them.
Unfortunately, most fire departments do not currently have adequate
staffing to comply with these safety regulations. The result is that
all too often fire fighters are sent into dangerous environments
without sufficient personnel standing by to rescue them if they become
disoriented, trapped or injured.
NFPA 1710
In the face of the mounting evidence of a severe shortage of fire
fighters, NFPA--the consensus, standard making body of the fire
service--issued its first standard on minimum staffing for fire
departments in the summer of 2001. NFPA Standard 1710, governing
deployment and operations for fire and rescue departments, was the
result of years of thoroughly investigating staffing related line-of-
duty injuries and deaths, and gathering and analyzing data.
Ten years in the making, NFPA 1710 established consensus standards
for minimum safe staffing levels for basic fire fighting operations;
for responses to tactical hazards, high hazard occupancies, and high
incident frequencies; and for overall, integrated fireground
operations. If fully implemented, this standard would result in more
effective and more efficient fire and EMS departments across the United
States--and in our business that means lives saved.
OSHA's 2-in/2-out standard and NFPA 1710 clearly articulate the
minimum staffing levels that fire departments need in order to perform
emergency operations safely and effectively. Yet, as of today,
jurisdictions that comply with these standards are in the minority. It
is for this reason that federal assistance is needed and warranted.
The SAFER Fire Fighters Act
The solution to the staffing crisis is the adoption of S. 544, the
SAFER Fire Fighters Act. In recent years, the federal government has
increasingly recognized its responsibility to assist local governments
with the cost of protecting Americans against hazards. Both the FIRE
Act and the programs run by the Office of Domestic Preparedness (ODP)
have provided training and equipment to local fire departments. Other
federal programs provide funding for emergency response training
involving transportation incidents, superfund sites and nuclear
facilities.
None of these programs, however, currently provides any federal
assistance for the most significant need of America's fire service:
fire fighting personnel. Even the FIRE Act, which was originally
conceived as a staffing proposal and lists staffing as the first of its
13 areas, can not currently be used to hire fire fighters due to the
structure of the program and FEMA's decision to limit its grants to
certain areas.
In order to address the critical staffing shortage, a bi-partisan
group of Members of Congress has introduced the Staffing for Adequate
Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Act. The SAFER Act provides grants
to local fire departments to fund the hiring of 75,000 additional fire
fighters over a seven-year period. SAFER would create a four year
program under which fire departments would apply for federal grants
that would contribute to the costs associated with hiring new fire
fighters, not to exceed $100,000 over four years for each fire fighter
hired. Local jurisdictions would then be required to retain the fire
fighter position(s) for at least one additional year.
The SAFER Fire Fighters Act is an innovative approach to solving
the nation's need for more fire fighters. It is an example of the new
type of federalism that our country needs to combat terrorism. Numerous
federal studies and reports bemoan the lack of coordination between the
different levels of government. The SAFER Fire Fighters Act would be a
step towards better cooperation and coordination amongst local, state,
and federal governments to respond strongly and decisively to terrorism
and other emergencies.
Although we are aware of no organized opposition to the SAFER Act,
some Members of Congress have raised some legitimate questions, which I
would like to address.
Some argue that paying for fire fighter training and equipment may
be a legitimate federal government function, but providing aid to hire
personnel crosses some sort of boundary for appropriate federal
involvement. But the federal government has long provided financial
assistance to local government for the express purpose of hiring
municipal employees, including police officers, teachers and many other
occupations. President Bush's signature domestic issue, the No Child
Left Behind Act, is only the most recent in a long line of federal
programs that provide funding to hire local government workers.
Other Members question the authorized funding level. They argue
that $1 billion a year is too much money at a time of fiscal restraint.
We disagree. Since September 2001, Congress has passed in excess of $55
billion in supplemental appropriations for homeland security and the
war on terrorism. Additionally, the President has proposed over $36
billion for homeland security in FY 2004, which includes the $3.5
billion First Responder proposal. The funding is available. It is
simply a matter of priorities.
As a fire fighter, a first responder, and someone who represents
America's Bravest, I am here today to tell you that no investment in
Homeland Security will do as much to protect Americans as enactment of
the SAFER Fire Fighters Act.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, the IAFF thanks you for your
leadership on firefighting issues and, in particular, for tackling the
need for more research and coordination in the fire service. The need
for S.321 has never been greater. All firefighting equipment should
meet minimum standards. More mutual aid agreements should be signed.
And, fire fighters and departments should be credentialed so that
parties to mutual aid agreements know the capabilities of their
partners. If S.321 were enacted, fire fighters would respond to the
next emergency knowing that their equipment work, and having the
confidence in the capabilities and competency of the fire department
providing mutual aid. This would be a real benefit to frontline fire
fighters.
The other need of the fire service that the federal government must
address is the shortage of fire fighters. This week marks the twenty-
ninth anniversary of the publication of America's Burning, the first
comprehensive analysis of the American fire service. In the nearly
three decades that have past since that hallmark report, the problems
identified continue and have worsened. In those many years, new threats
have expanded our responsibilities, while the resources available to us
have been reduced.
Domestic terrorism was not a real threat in the 1970s. On September
11th, we witnessed one of the ``worst case scenarios'' that terrorism
experts have warned us about. Yet, the string of attacks that we
suffered in the `90s, including the first attack on the World Trade
Center, and the Oklahoma City and the Olympics bombings, should have
alerted us to the threat. We, as a nation, should have been better
prepared for September 11th.
Fire fighters have learned the lessons of September 11th. The signs
won't be ignored as they were in the last decade. We know that the
nation must confront, and realistically deal with, the next great
threat to our homeland--an attack using weapons of mass destruction. In
order to realistically deal with future terrorist attacks, the nation
must address the staffing crisis in our fire departments. Federal
dollars spent to purchase training and equipment for fire fighters will
only go as far as the number of fire fighters. To fully maximize the
money spent and to ensure adequate homeland security, more fire
fighters need to be hired.
Mr. Chairman, help us do our jobs. Provide the resources and
staffing we need to serve our nation and its people.
The Chairman. Thank you, Mr. O'Connor.
Mr. Shannon?
STATEMENT OF HON. JAMES M. SHANNON, PRESIDENT AND CEO, NATIONAL
FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION
Mr. Shannon. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm honored to appear
before you today.
My name is Jim Shannon, and I'm president and CEO of NFPA.
NFPA is a nonprofit organization founded more than a hundred
years ago with a mission to save lives through fire-and life-
safety education and training, fire research and analysis, and
the development of consensus codes and standards that are
adopted by State and local jurisdictions throughout the United
States and widely used by the Federal Government and
internationally.
As the Congress considers the reauthorization of the U.S.
Fire Administration and its many important functions, I wish to
testify today in support of your legislation, the Firefighting
Research and Coordination Act.
I also want to bring to your attention a congressionally
authorized report that found serious gaps in the training,
staffing, and equipment of the U.S. Fire Service.
First, let me state emphatically that the reauthorization
of the U.S. Fire Administration is extremely important to the
effectiveness of the Fire Service throughout the United States.
For nearly three decades, the USFA and the National Fire
Academy have worked successfully with NFPA and the Fire Service
to reduce the death and destruction caused by fire. While both
civilian and firefighter deaths have decreased dramatically, we
must do more to ensure that our Fire Service can meet the new
challenges of homeland security, including responding
effectively to biological or chemical accidents or attacks.
With the move of the USFA to the Department of Homeland
Security, there are important functions and positions that must
be retained. For example, the USFA must continue to provide
public education in fire-prevention activities in partnership
with safety organizations, particularly those working to reduce
fire deaths among high-risk groups. It's also critical that the
Administrator of the USFA remain a Presidential appointee to
retain that important advocacy position within the executive
branch.
This legislation and the companion bill introduced by
Representative Camp in the House of Representatives will do
much to focus Federal agencies on the needs of our first
responders. It will provide additional research and support for
an already strong process that will inevitably lead to safer
firefighting. By becoming a full partner in the consensus
process, the Federal Government can be assured that first
responders will have the finest equipment and technology
available. And isn't that what we should demand for those who
routinely risk their lives on our behalf?
Now, I ask that you consider the findings from the recently
published needs assessment of the U.S. Fire Service, a study
authorized by Congress and conducted by NFPA in cooperation
with FEMA. The study, which I submit today for the Committee's
full review, is troubling.
Now, allow me to focus on three distinct areas: training,
equipment, and staffing. Here's just a sampling of what we
found.
Only one in every 10 fire departments has the local
personnel and equipment required to respond to a building
collapse or the release of chemical or biological agents.
Fifty percent of our firefighters lack formal training in
technical rescue which involves unique or complex conditions,
precisely the situations that they would encounter in a
terrorist attack.
There are huge gaps in training. There's been no formal
training for 21 percent of those involved in structural
firefighting, for 27 percent of those involved in EMS work, and
for 40 percent who are sent in to deal with hazardous
materials.
And we don't protect our firefighters as we should. One
third of the protective clothing worn by firefighters sent into
a burning building is more than 10 years old.
On a typical fire-department shift, 45 percent of first-
responding firefighters lack portable radios--now,
interoperability is a problem, but 45 percent on a typical fire
department don't have radios at all--36 percent lack self-
contained breathing apparatus, and 42 percent answer an
emergency call without a personal-alert safety-system device
that's critical in locating an injured or trapped firefighter.
Finally, at least 65 percent of cities and towns nationwide
don't have enough fire stations to achieve widely recognized
response-time guidelines, and those guidelines recommend that
firefighters be on the scene of any situation within 4 minutes
90 percent of the time.
Now, not surprisingly, the picture is bleaker in smaller
communities. And, remember, 75 percent of the country's
firefighters are volunteers. Twenty-one percent of rural
communities often respond with too few firefighters to engage
safely in structural firefighting, as do 38 percent of the fire
departments in communities with more than 50,000 residents.
We must do better. We cannot continue to ask our
firefighters to do more with fewer resources. We should not
expect the men and women in our armed services to defend our
nation without proper training, equipment, and staffing; but as
the country braces for the unknown at home, our Nation's
firefighters, who are nearly always the first responders in any
crisis, are woefully unprepared to fully protect our citizenry
or themselves. And so this need is urgent, and it's overdue.
Many of our firefighters, most of our firefighters, face
the same limitations and obstacles that they encountered on
September 11, and we can no longer ask our firefighters and our
fire departments to survive entirely on local tax revenues
supplemented by potluck dinners and auctions and raffle
tickets. The Federal Government must provide adequate
assistance to our firefighters to meet the many challenges,
whether natural, unintentional, or deliberate, as they protect
us and the security of our homeland.
Your legislation, Mr. Chairman, would begin to address
these urgent needs, and NFPA enthusiastically endorses it.
Thank you very much.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Shannon follows:]
Prepared Statement of James M. Shannon, President and CEO, National
Fire Protection Association
Chairman McCain, Senator Hollings and members of the Committee, I
am honored to appear before this Committee today. My name is James M.
Shannon, and I am President and Chief Executive Officer of NFPA (the
National Fire Protection Association). NFPA is a non-profit
organization, founded more than 100 years ago, with a mission to save
lives through fire and life safety education and training, fire
research and analysis, and the development of consensus codes and
standards that are adopted by state and local jurisdictions throughout
the United States and widely used by the federal government.
Today NFPA has nearly 300 codes and standards addressing safety,
each accredited by the American National Standard Institute (ANSI) and
developed by technical experts, the fire service, and others
participating as volunteers in a consensus process. This process
ensures that all interested parties have a say in developing standards.
Congress affirmed its support for voluntary consensus standards in the
National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (P.L.104-113)
and reaffirmed that support in the Homeland Security Act of 2002, the
law that created the new department.
As the Congress considers the reauthorization of the U.S. Fire
Administration (USFA) and its many important functions, I wish, Senator
McCain, to testify today in support of your legislation, Senate Bill
321 the Firefighting Research and Coordination Act. I also want to
bring to your attention--and the attention of your colleagues--a
Congressionally authorized report that found serious gaps in the
training, staffing and equipment of the U.S. fire service.
First, let me state emphatically that the reauthorization of the
U.S. Fire Administration is extremely important to the effectiveness of
the fire service throughout the United States. In May of 1973, nearly
30 years ago to the day, the Chairman of the National Commission on
Fire Prevention and Control, Richard E. Bland, transmitted to President
Nixon its final report ``America Burning.'' In that report the
Commission recommended establishment of the United States Fire
Administration to:
Evaluate the nation's fire problem through data collection
and analysis and research
Create a National Fire Academy to improve training and
education for fire service personnel
Strengthen public awareness of the fire threat
Provide grants to state and local governments
For nearly three decades, the USFA and the National Fire Academy
have been working successfully with NFPA and the fire service to reduce
the death and destruction caused by fire in the U.S. We have made great
strides over the past 30 years. While both civilian and firefighter
deaths have decreased dramatically, we must do much more to ensure that
our fire departments can meet the new challenges of homeland security,
including responding effectively to biological or chemical accidents or
attacks.
While we support the move of the USFA to the new Department of
Homeland Security, there are important functions and positions that
must be retained. For example, the USFA must continue to provide public
education and fire prevention activities in partnership and cooperation
with safety organizations, particularly those working to reduce fire
deaths among high risk groups (children, older adults and persons with
disabilities). It is also critical that the position of Administrator
of the USFA remain a Presidential appointment to retain that important
advocacy position within the Executive Branch.
The staff at USFA has done a tremendous job in administering the
Assistance to Firefighters (FIRE) Grant Program. Since its creation in
FY2001, this program has provided more than $1 billion in financial
resources directly to fire departments. Nonetheless, fire departments
applied for more than $7 billion, demonstrating that the needs are
great. It is crucial that the FIRE Grant Program be maintained as a
separate and distinct funding source where fire departments can receive
direct funding from the USFA and avoid unnecessary red tape. I would
also urge the Congress to fund the program at a level no less than its
authorized amount of $900 million dollars.
This legislation and the companion bill introduced by
Representative Camp in the House of Representatives will do much to
focus federal agencies such as USFA and the National Institute of
Standards and Technology on the needs of our first responders. It will
provide additional research and support for an already strong process
that will inevitably lead to safer firefighting equipment. By becoming
a full partner in the consensus process, the Federal Government can be
assured that first responders will have the finest equipment and
technology available. And isn't that what we should demand for those
who routinely risk their lives on our behalf?
Another key element of your legislation is the requirement that
equipment purchased through the FIRE Grant Program must meet or exceed
applicable voluntary consensus standards. This concept is not new. Many
existing federal grant programs already have similar requirements. For
example, the Department of Justice's Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant
Program requires that vests meet minimum safety and performance
standards. The voluntary consensus process has served the fire service
well for many years, and it should serve as the national model.
However, the development of new technologically-sophisticated
equipment is only one aspect of improving the nation's fire service.
Consider these findings from the recently published ``Needs Assessment
of the U.S. Fire Service,'' a study authorized by Congress and
conducted by NFPA in cooperation with FEMA. The study, which I submit
today for the Committee's full review, delivers some troubling
findings. Allow me to focus on three distinct areas--training,
equipment and staffing. Here's just a sampling of what NFPA and FEMA
found:
Only one in every 10 fire departments has the local
personnel and equipment required to respond to a building
collapse or the release of chemical or biological agents
50 percent of our firefighters involved in ``technical
rescue'' lack formal training, but technical rescue involves
unique or complex conditions, precisely the situation they
would encounter in a terrorist attack
There are other huge gaps in training--There has been no
formal training for 21 percent of those involved in structural
firefighting; for 27 percent of those involved in EMS work; and
for 40 percent who are sent in to deal with hazardous materials
And we don't protect our firefighters as we should. One
third of the protective clothing worn by firefighters sent into
a burning building is more than 10 years old.
On a typical fire department shift, 45 percent of first
responding firefighters lack portable radios; 36 percent lack
self-contained breathing apparatus; and 42 percent answer an
emergency call without a Personal Alert Safety System (PASS)
device that is critical in locating an injured or trapped
firefighter
Finally, at least 65 percent of cities and towns nationwide
don't have enough fire stations to achieve widely recognized
response-time guidelines. Those guidelines recommend that
firefighters be on the scene of any situation within 4 minutes,
90 percent of the time
Not surprisingly, the picture is bleaker in our smaller
communities. And remember seventy-five percent of the country's
firefighters are volunteers. Twenty-one percent of rural communities
often respond with too few firefighters to engage safely in structural
firefighting. Our research also found that thirty-eight percent of fire
departments in communities with more than 50,000 residents often
respond with too few firefighters.
We must improve these numbers. We cannot continue to ask our
firefighters to do more with fewer resources. We would not expect the
men and women in our armed services to defend our nation without proper
training, equipment and staffing. That's how it should be. But as the
country braces for the unknown at home, our nation's firefighters, who
are nearly always the first responders in any crisis, are woefully
unprepared to fully protect our citizenry or themselves. The need is
urgent and overdue.
Our firefighters face the same limitations and obstacles they
encountered on September 11th. We can no longer ask our fire
departments to survive entirely on local tax revenue supplemented by
potluck dinners, auctions and fundraisers. The federal government must
provide adequate resources and support to our firefighters to meet the
many challenges--whether natural, unintentional or deliberate--as they
protect us and the security of our homeland.
Your legislation would begin to address these urgent needs, and
NFPA enthusiastically endorses it.
Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. I
will be happy to answer any questions you or other Members of the
Committee may have.
The Chairman. Thank you very much, Mr. Shannon.
Chief Stittleburg?
STATEMENT OF PHILIP C. STITTLEBURG, CHAIRMAN,
NATIONAL VOLUNTEER FIRE COUNCIL
Mr. Stittleburg. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the
opportunity to be here today.
I represent the National Volunteer Fire Council. There are
approximately 800,000 volunteer firefighters in our nation.
That means that about 75 percent of all firefighters in the
United States are volunteers, and about 90 percent of all fire
departments in the United States are either fully volunteer or
predominantly volunteer.
Now, I mention that for the purpose of demonstrating that
the volunteer sector is a major component of the Nation's Fire
Service. And, clearly, the Nation's Fire Service is a major
component of homeland security.
I'd like to address a number of issues, beginning with the
FIRE Act. A number of the people who preceded me have already
addressed that, so I won't dwell on it at length other than to
say that it's at $1.2 billion now that has been put out to the
Fire Service, and it's gone directly to the fire departments.
Speaking from the volunteer sector, that's particularly
important to us. We serve rural areas. Many of us have small
departments with very, very limited budgets. And this has been
a very good start on meeting our needs. Chief Paulison spoke
about the needs of the Fire Service, in terms of basic gear.
President Shannon mentioned, likewise, the needs in terms of
gear and training. The FIRE Act is clearly a prime vehicle for
trying to address that issue.
This budget year, of course, started with good news and bad
news. The good news was that the administration did put $500
million in its budget for the FIRE Act. The bad news was that
it didn't put in the $900 million that's the authorized level,
of course. And the worst news, in our view, is that it proposes
that it would be administered by the Office of Domestic
Preparedness.
Now, in the past, as you know, it's been administered by
the U.S. Fire Administration. Chief Paulison and his staff have
done an outstanding job in administering that program. They've
administered it quickly. They've administered it efficiently
and are in the process of doing it right now for the third
year.
ODP doesn't have the benefit of that experience, doesn't
have the benefit of that background. They would have to obtain
and train staff to do it. And, in my opinion, that's basically
reinventing the wheel.
The other concern is that ODP tends to work primarily
through the States, and we have a very deep concern that, with
ODP, we may eventually see the FIRE Act end up as a part of a
State-based block-grant program. And that fear is not entirely
unfounded. There was a proposal, of course, in the fiscal year
2003 budget to do precisely that. Congress, of course, in its
wisdom, saw a better way. But that is certainly a deep concern.
We recommend that the FIRE Act be funded at the $900
million level and that it be kept in the U.S. Fire
Administration. It's the best money that could be spent in the
best fashion that it could be spent.
Several previous speakers have already addressed the issue
of the National Fire Academy. I won't, again, go in, at great
length, to that, other than to say that, to the volunteer
sector, the Fire Academy classes are very important. The
training they give, particularly in off-campus training, is
especially important to us, because it accommodates volunteers
in terms of scheduling and travel commitments that are very
helpful to us.
I think it's important that the Fire Academy be properly
funded for its mission, but I would strongly suggest that
classes to the academy not be reinstated by making cuts
elsewhere. For instance, the Fire Academy has a number of
cooperative agreements with various Fire Service organizations,
mine being one of them, and that's a very important part of
what the National Volunteer Fire Council does, is wrapped up in
that cooperative agreement with USFA. It enables both of us to
carry out public education and training and data collection,
things of that nature. So I would certainly hope that we do not
see a situation of robbing Peter to pay Paul, where we--in
other words, solve the problem of how do we make sure that the
Fire Academy has enough money for classes by cutting out, say,
cooperative agreements.
The No. 2 concern I have is the apparent elimination of the
U.S. Fire Administrator position. And, again, that's already
been addressed. But I will simply say that that is a key
position to us. The U.S. Fire Administrator is, indeed, the
voice of the Fire Service to the President, to Secretary Ridge.
And it's very important to us that we maintain that voice and
we keep that fire focus.
We have concern, also, about how funds for terrorism
training and equipment may get distributed. We hear, from our
members, that fire departments at the local level frequently
are not seeing the money arrive there; and this is especially
important to the volunteer sector, where much of what we cover
is suburban and rural areas, which may not be perceived as a
target. But I would suggest to you, sir, that the very
perception that things are not a target makes them especially
vulnerable to becoming a target. There's not a whole lot said
about the fourth airliner that crashed on September 11; but, of
course, that was a major incident, also, and that occurred in a
volunteer, totally volunteer, area. So things can become
targets in inadvertent ways, also.
I would suggest to you, sir, that when the funds are
disbursed to first responders, that we take a very close look
at the definition of first responder. It seems that prior to
September 11, nobody could say first responder, and now
everybody is one. I would suggest to you that the first
responder definition depends on exposure to risk and response
time, and that the first responders are fire, law enforcement,
and EMS, and it's as simple as that.
The SAFER bill, we likewise support that, but I strongly
suggest that it must include a component for the volunteer
sector also. In other words, the SAFER bill is designed for
increasing staffing. We don't increase staffing just by
increasing the paid sector of staffing. We must also provide
that the volunteer sector, which is the largest sector,
benefits from the SAFER bill by increasing staffing also. We
don't want to see a desertion from the volunteer ranks into the
paid ranks and, consequently, a decrease in the volunteer
sector. Clearly, both the career and the volunteer sectors
staying healthy is critical to the well-being of the nation's
Fire Service.
And, last, sir, I would just like to say that we certainly
support the Firefighting Research and Coordination Act. It's
clearly in our interest to make sure that the equipment we get
performs as advertised, and certainly makes good sense from
your standpoint, that the money that's getting spent is not
spent on junk.
I'd like to close simply by thanking you very much, sir,
for your leadership in this fashion and your chairing the
Congressional Fire Service Caucus. Your scheduling this hearing
today, I believe, clearly demonstrates your dedication and
understanding of these issues.
Thank you, sir.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Stittleburg follows:]
Prepared Statement of Philip C. Stittleburg, Chairman, National
Volunteer Fire Council
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, my name is Chief Phil
Stittleburg and I am Chairman of the National Volunteer Fire Council
(NVFC). The NVFC represents the interests of the nation's nearly
800,000 volunteer firefighters, who staff nearly 90 percent of
America's fire departments. I have served in the volunteer fire service
for the last 30 years and have been the Chief of the LaFarge Volunteer
Fire Department in Wisconsin for the last 25 years. I have had
experiences in all phases of the first responder community, including
chemical and hazardous materials incidents, information management,
EMS, rescue and fire.
In addition to serving as NVFC Chairman, I have represented the
NVFC on a variety of national standards-making committees, including
ones that set industry standards on firefighter health and safety. I
also serve on the National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) Board
of Directors and I am an adjunct instructor for the National Fire
Academy. I earn my livelihood as an attorney, which includes serving as
an Assistant District Attorney on a half-time basis for the last 29
years. These positions give me an excellent opportunity to work in
emergency services in both the law enforcement and fire service
professions.
According to NFPA, nearly 75 percent of all firefighters are
volunteers. In most years, more than half of the firefighters that are
killed in the line of duty are volunteers. In addition to the obvious
contribution that volunteer firefighters lend to their communities as
the first arriving domestic defenders, these brave men and women
represent a significant cost saving to taxpayers, a savings sometimes
estimated to be as much as $36 billion annually.
On behalf of the volunteer fire service, I appreciate the
opportunity to comment on the needs of the fire service. More
specifically, I would like to comment on the Assistance to Firefighters
Grant program, the U.S Fire Administration, the National Fire Academy,
the Firefighting Research and Coordination Act (S. 321 / H.R. 545),
terrorism funding for first responders, and the Staffing for Adequate
Fire and Emergency Response Firefighters Act (S. 544 / H.R. 1118).
The events of September 11, 2001 made it clear to all Americans
that the fire service is the first responder to all terrorist attacks
this country may face. Administration officials and Members of Congress
continue to warn Americans of the certainty of a future terrorist
incident. As America's domestic first responders, the fire service will
be on the front lines of any incident and must be prepared to respond
to and defend our citizens from the aftermath of a terrorist attack
involving conventional weapons or weapons of mass destruction. This
expands our normal services beyond the delivery of fire, EMS, rescue,
and technical specialty services to our citizens. These services
already have time and training demands that are escalating annually.
However, the federal government must not forgo its commitment to the
basic needs of America's fire service in the name of Homeland Security.
FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program
One of the largest problems faced by America's volunteer fire
service is funding. Thanks to your leadership Chairman McCain, and the
leadership of many members of this Committee and throughout Congress,
the Federal government took a giant step in addressing the basic needs
of America's fire service by creating the Assistance to Firefighters
Grant program. Every fire department across the country is now eligible
for funding for safety and firefighting equipment, apparatus, training,
fire prevention and education, emergency medical service equipment and
training, and wellness and fitness programs.
The Assistance to Firefighters Grant program has proven to be the
most effective program to date in providing local volunteer and career
fire departments not only with the tools they need to perform their
day-to-day duties, but it has also enhanced their ability to respond to
large disasters as well. As we move to prepare for terrorist incidents
at home, we must first ensure that local fire departments have the
basic tools they need to do their jobs on a daily basis, before we can
ask them to be fully prepared to respond to large-scale incidents.
This program has been successful for a variety of reasons. First,
it is the only federal program that provides funding directly to fire
departments for training and equipment. Far too often federal funds
intended to aid fire departments are diverted to other uses by state
and local officials.
In addition, the U.S Fire Administration (USFA), under the
leadership of Chief R. David Paulison, has spent the last two years
developing and refining the program and has clearly demonstrated the
capability to efficiently distribute these funds to local fire
departments. The USFA Grants Office, which is under extremely tight
deadlines, has performed remarkably in processing the 20,000
applications it receives annually and has been very responsive to the
needs of the fire service. This is no surprise to us because the
personnel at USFA know the fire service like no other agency and many
of their personnel come from emergency services backgrounds themselves.
Finally, members of the fire service have been involved in nearly
every aspect of the program to ensure that it addresses our current
needs. We have helped to write the legislation, set the criteria for
each category, and have staffed panels to grade the applications.
In February, President Bush included $500 million for the
Assistance to Firefighters Grant program in his 2004 budget request.
The Administration also proposed moving the program out of FEMA and
USFA, which are in the Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate
of the Department of Homeland Security, and into the Office of Domestic
Preparedness (ODP), located in the Border and Transportation Security
Directorate.
While $500 million in funding is a good start and this is the first
time that the program has been in an Administration budget, the NVFC
feels that Congress needs to fully fund the program at the $900 million
level. In addition, the NVFC is strongly opposed to the proposal to
move the program into the Border and Transportation Security
Directorate of Homeland Security. The NVFC does not understand the
benefit of moving a program aimed at equipping and training America's
firefighters out of the lead federal agency for the fire service and
into a section of the department that exercises little, if any control,
over federal fire programs.
The move will require the government to reinvent the wheel, with
new staff, new training, and new infrastructure, at a time when the
Federal Government should be completely focused on delivering these
dollars to our local first responders.
In its first year of existence (FY 2001), the program received $100
million in appropriations. In FY 2002, the program received $360
million in appropriations and awarded nearly 5,500 grants to needy fire
departments. In FY 2003, Congress appropriated a total of $750 million
for the program and fire service personnel from across the country are
reviewing applications as we speak at the National Emergency Training
Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
Many of these departments who are receiving aid are rural and
suburban volunteer fire departments that struggle the most to provide
their members with adequate protective gear, safety devices and
training to protect their communities. They are being asked to respond
to emergency calls involving hazardous materials, structural fire
suppression, clandestine drug labs, search and rescue, natural
disasters, wildland fires, emergency medical services, and terrorism.
Many of these emergencies occur at federal facilities and buildings and
on federal lands. In addition, these incidents can damage America's
critical infrastructure, including our interstate highways, railroads,
bridges, tunnels, financial centers, power plants, refineries, and
chemical manufacturing and storage facilities. We as a fire service are
sworn to protect these critical facilities and infrastructure.
Once again, the NVFC strongly urges Congress to fully fund the
Assistance to Firefighters Grant program at the fully-authorized $900
million level in FY 2004 and keep it as a distinct program under the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S Fire
Administration (USFA) in the Emergency Preparedness and Response
Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security.
U.S Fire Administration/National Fire Academy
In 1971, this nation lost more than 12,000 citizens and 250
firefighters to fire. Acting to halt these tragic losses, Congress in
1974 passed P.L. 93-498, the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act,
which established the United States Fire Administration (USFA) and its
National Fire Academy. Since that time, through data collection, public
education, research and training efforts, USFA has helped reduce fire
deaths by at least half--making our communities and our citizens safer.
The NVFC strongly supports reauthorization of USFA and asks Congress to
do whatever possible to continue to enhance the agency's mission.
In early April, it was announced that the USFA was forced to take
an 11 percent budget cut in fiscal year 2003. As a result, the Academy
has been forced to cut 36 resident courses. This cut represents an over
40 percent loss in the total amount of courses that will delivered on
campus between the beginning of May and the end of September 2003.
The National Fire Academy is the nation's premier fire service
training facility, which provides our nation's firefighters and
emergency responders with essential skills and leadership needed to
keep pace with our ever-expanding role. Besides training responders to
deal with the new threats of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction,
the Academy also has continued its core mission to enhance the ability
of fire and emergency services to deal more effectively with daily
emergencies in our nation's communities. Much of this training is not
available anywhere else.
Besides delivering courses at its Emmitsburg, Maryland campus, the
Academy offers many courses which are available for direct delivery to
our local communities through our nation's State Training Agencies.
This system is especially beneficial to the many in the volunteer fire
service that do not have the time to attend on-campus programs.
Obviously, this substantial cut is of great concern to the NVFC.
Our organization has spent many years fighting to strengthen the U.S
Fire Administration and the Academy. We find it very disconcerting that
at the same time large sums of money are finally making their way to
the states for homeland security, the Fire Academy is cutting its
budget. Before you can train a firefighter to respond to terrorism
incidents, they must first be trained as firefighters or fire officers.
Firefighters should not have to choose between the Fire Academy and
terrorism training, they need both. These classes must be restored
immediately and Congress must ensure that the Fire Academy's role is
enhanced in future years.
In addition, the cuts have also affected the Fire Administration's
ability to work in partnership with national and local fire and
emergency service organizations through cooperative agreements and with
other Federal agencies. These partnerships help the USFA to accomplish
its charge to provide public education, training, and data collection,
and need to be protected.
Finally, the NVFC is also alarmed at the proposed actions to
eliminate the U.S. Fire Administrator position. The individual who
fills this position, serves as the lead advocate and spokesman for the
fire service within the Administration. He or she is able to carry the
fire service's message to the President and the Secretary of Homeland
Security, and vice-versa. We urge the Department of Homeland Security
to reinstate this position immediately.
Many fire service organizations, including the NVFC, have worked
hard to ensure that the U.S. Fire Administrator played an integral role
in FEMA and now the Department of Homeland Security. We are concerned
that these recent developments indicate a reversal in the fire
service's role and stature in the new Department.
First Responder Terrorism Funding
Terrorism and hazardous materials response training and equipment
are of vital importance to America's fire service. Even the best-
prepared localities lack adequate resources to respond to the full
range of terrorist threats this country faces. Many jurisdictions,
especially those in rural and suburban areas protected by volunteers,
have little or no capability to respond to terrorist attacks using
weapons of mass destruction.
Although the fire service is pleased that Congress has begun to
send real dollars to the States for first responder terrorism training,
equipment, and planning, we do have some concerns that I would like to
address.
First, we are concerned that the proposed move of the Assistance to
Firefighters Grant program to the Office of Domestic Preparedness,
which primarily distributes its funding through the states, will
eventually lead to consolidating the program into other state-based
block grants. This consolidation was proposed by the Administration in
their FY 2003 budget and fortunately was not supported by Congress.
Second, we have heard from fire service personnel across the
country that much of this funding that is being sent to the states by
ODP is not making its way to the local level. This is unacceptable. In
a July 2002 position paper on the creation of the Department of
Homeland Security authored by the major fire service organizations, we
advocated that at least 90 percent of the money reach the local level.
While we see a role for the states in coordination and in some
training, the Department needs to make sure that this funding reaches
local response agencies in an expedited fashion.
Third, the Department of Homeland Security needs to encourage the
states to make sure that the fire service is at the table when
discussing terrorism preparedness and response. In many states law
enforcement, the National Guard, and emergency management will all
receive higher priority than the fire service when it comes to
receiving federal funding.
Fourth, we have had many concerns regarding the use of the term
``first responder.'' The definition must be clearly articulated from
the onset, placing heavy emphasis on response times and exposure to
risks. First responders are fire and rescue, emergency medical services
and law enforcement personnel. Period.
Finally, although we understand the special needs and concerns of
America's large metropolitan areas, the Department of Homeland Security
cannot forget smaller communities, whose fire, rescue and EMS personnel
also need the training and equipment to recognize and respond to these
incidents. While these communities may not seem to be prime terrorist
targets, it is this very perception that makes them especially
vulnerable.
An often overlooked, yet key component to preparing our nation's
fire and rescue personnel are our State Training Agencies. These
agencies are well-established and have a proven track record in the
training of the fire service. Each year the state fire training systems
train over 750,000 students nationally, many of them volunteers.
While ODP's training consortium has developed some excellent
terrorism programs for first responders, these centers service a small
number of students at very high costs. We feel that some first
responder terrorism training dollars need to go to enhance and
strengthen the state training system. Unfortunately, terrorism training
dollars are not going to them at all. In fact, the small amount of
terrorism funding that these agencies received in the past through the
National Fire Academy has been redirected to ODP. The NVFC is again
concerned that the Federal government is reinventing the wheel and not
utilizing the most efficient methods of delivering services to the fire
service, which is already in place, state and local fire service
training agencies.
Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Firefighters Act (S.
544 / H.R. 1118)
Personnel shortages are another large concern of America's fire
service. Many departments, in communities of all sizes, struggle on a
daily basis to adequately staff local fire stations and respond to
calls. Personnel shortfalls endanger the safety of firefighters and
hinder the ability of first responders to effectively protect the
public from fire and other hazards. Many studies and standards indicate
there needs to be a minimum number of personnel on-scene to perform
lifesaving measures safely. Other studies indicate proper staffing is
required to adequately protect property. Simply put, when firefighters
cannot safely work, they are unable to save lives and property. In
fact, Congress and the President verbalized the recognition of this
immediately after the events of September 11, 2001.
The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Firefighters
Act (S. 544 / H.R. 1118) authorizes the U.S. Fire Administrator to make
grants to States and local governments to hire additional career
firefighters. The NVFC supports passage of this legislation.
However, we feel that any initiative by Congress to address the
personnel shortfall in the fire service must include a significant
recruitment and retention component to account for the nearly 90
percent of America's communities that are protected by volunteers. The
recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel
has become the number one challenge facing America's volunteer fire
service. The ranks of the volunteer fire service have decreased over 10
percent in the last 20 years.
The biggest factor contributing to the decline is increased time
demands on the volunteer. This results from increased training hours to
comply with more rigorous training requirements, increased fundraising
demands, people living further away from their jobs, combined with an
increased volume of calls. Many volunteers firefighters become
frustrated because they have to spend much of their time raising money
to buy life-saving equipment, when they could be training or at home
with their families. The increased call volume is a result of the fire
services' ever-expanding role into areas such as EMS, terrorism,
vehicle extrication, natural disaster response and more. In addition,
in many of our communities the lack of affordable housing makes it hard
to keep young firefighters in town.
Some possible solutions that should be considered include: funding
for national and local recruitment campaigns; tax credits and
deductions for volunteers; funding for length of service award programs
and other pension programs for volunteers; incentives for employers to
allow employees, who are volunteers, time off for training or emergency
calls; affordable housing programs; tuition assistance for higher
education; and increased proliferation of on-line training for
volunteers.
Finally, another concern our organization has is the growing trend
of career firefighters being harassed by their local unions for
volunteering as firefighters in their home communities during their
off-duty hours. In the past few years, the NVFC has received reports
from across the country of local union affiliates threatening to take
action against their members if they do not stop volunteering. In many
cases, these firefighters give in to the pressure and quit
volunteering. This situation not only affects the readiness and
response level of fire departments in smaller communities, but also
discourages citizens from selflessly serving their community.
Since September 11, 2001, the President of the United States has
been encouraging all Americans to commit to service of their neighbors
and their nation by becoming volunteers. We hope that we can all work
together to heed the President's call to community service. We
furthermore urge Congress to include language in the SAFER Bill to
ensure that a career firefighter, especially those who are hired under
the provisions of this bill, has the right to volunteer in his or her
community.
Firefighting Research and Coordination Act
Finally Mr. Chairman, the NVFC fully supports your legislation, the
Firefighting Research and Coordination Act, which would allow the U.S.
Fire Administrator, in consultation with other interested parties, to
develop voluntary consensus standards for evaluating the performance
and compatibility of new firefighting technology. The legislation would
also include the establishment of a scientific basis for new
firefighting technology standards, improve coordination among Federal,
State, and local fire officials in training for and responding to
terrorist attacks and other national emergencies. We stand ready to
assist you and your staff in your efforts to pass this important piece
of legislation.
Mr. Chairman, I thank you for your time and your attention to the
views of America's fire service, and I would be happy to answer any
questions you may have.
The Chairman. You're very kind, Chief.
I would like to--in either reauthorization of existing
legislation or in consideration of S. 321, the Firefighting
Research and Coordination Act, I'd like to--besides the
permanent appointment of the Administrator and have it a
Senate-confirmed position, I'd like to have your top two
priorities, beginning with you, Chief.
Mr. Bruegman. First priority is to have a greater role in
the Department of Homeland Security. If we look long-term, all
these other issues, and there will be many more that we'll have
to address, will require a Fire Service presence, Fire Service
knowledge, Fire Service expertise if we're going to have impact
in respect to the Department of Homeland Security in what will
be forthcoming over the next several years.
It's just not about the U.S. Fire Administrator, although I
agree that it needs to be retained and it needs to be Senate-
confirmed, but it's about the placement of Fire Service
leadership throughout DHS. We bring to the table, I think, a
level of expertise, a level of knowledge, that is desperately
needed within the Department of Homeland Security. As I
indicated before, we are a critical link to what will occur
during the next incident, whether it's a terrorist incident or
it's a natural disaster.
The second is, I think, the FIRE Act. We know that it has
been extremely successful. And as President Shannon has
indicated, the report that NFPA conducted recently, on behalf
of Congress and the U.S. Fire Administration, I think shocked
many of us, even in the industry, as to the lack of basic
equipment that many of our, especially smaller, fire agencies
have. And I think we have to focus our efforts and our moneys
on making sure that those agencies are equipped to perform
their day-to-day functions as safely as possible.
The Chairman. Thank you, Chief.
Mr. O'Connor?
Mr. O'Connor. Well, our first priority, is identified in my
testimony, and that is the inadequate staffing throughout the
Nation. I think the second component segues into that, and that
is the issue of training. Mr. Shannon's testimony very
eloquently detailed, in numbers and percentage, the lack of
training in various disciplines that our people undergo,
whether it be in terms of rescue, EMS, hazardous material, or
even simply structural firefighting. And, clearly, in order for
us to be able to do our job effectively, we need that type of
training.
It's ironic that this week is the 30th anniversary of
America's Burning Report that was issued 30 years ago, and it
identified the needs of the Fire Service, and its deficiencies.
And in the three decades that have transpired, the issues
identified in that document still are unmet. And I think that
when you get down to it, the needs of the Fire Service come
under the broad rubric of being able to get the job done, and
that's staffing and training.
The Chairman. And you share Congressman Weldon's specific
concern about cancellation of classes?
Mr. O'Connor. Oh, absolutely. I believe 40 percent of the
classes at National Fire Academy have been canceled, and
clearly that's an issue. And I would also agree with Mr.
Stittleburg that we would like to see that restored, but not at
the expense of other programs.
The Chairman. Mr. Shannon?
Mr. Shannon. Mr. Chairman, I think the broad answer to the
question is, I think what we need more than anything else is a
realistic assessment, a battle plan, if you will, as to what it
would take to get our Nation's first responders fully equipped
and trained and ready to respond to the type of incidents that
we're asking them to respond to.
I cannot tell you how many times in the last 18 months I've
been with a fire chief or fire officer from a major community
or a smaller community when their cell phone or their beeper
has gone off. And when I asked them what it was, it's
responding to some effort to plan for homeland security. And
yet they all tell me the same thing. They're putting more and
more time, they're asked to be better and better prepared, and
they're given no additional resources to do this.
And there might be some people still kicking around who
say, ``Well, this is primarily a local function, and it should
be handled at the local level.'' But this is a unique situation
in American history, because, for the first time in American
history, the people in Washington are best able to assess the
threat that they're asking the first responders to address. And
yet I don't think there has been sufficient follow-through--and
part of it is just because there have been so many conflicting
priorities, and I know what that's all about--but I don't think
that there has been sufficient follow-through since September
11 to ensure that the people we're asking to do the job have
the resources to do that.
So I would say I'd like to see the creation of an agreed-
upon battle plan to bring them up to where we all agree that
they need to be, and I think that has to originate here.
And I think the second thing is, I feel it is very
important that the Administrator of the United States Fire
Administration be a Presidential appointee; because, otherwise,
I think the reality is going to be that, when the attention is
turned to other things, the Fire Service will be forgotten.
And, just as importantly, they'll feel like they're forgotten.
There will be nobody to whom they can turn when they have an
issue of importance.
The Chairman. We take that recommendation very seriously,
Mr. Shannon. Thank you.
Chief Stittleburg?
Mr. Stittleburg. Mr. Chairman, I would say our two
priorities are, one, full funding of the FIRE Act, and
continuing to administer it as it has been in the past. It's
just remarkably efficient.
Second, as to the SAFER bill, I believe would be our second
priority, but a significant component be included, as I'd
mentioned in my testimony, to prevent a diminution of the
volunteer ranks. And I would suggest that various methods can
be done to accomplish that. For instance, we have a 1-800-FIRE-
LINE program that could be promoted nationwide to encourage
people to become volunteer firefighters, tax credits and tax
deductions for volunteers, funding of LOSAP or pension plans,
affordable housing, increase of online training capabilities to
accommodate the flexible work schedules of volunteers.
So I would suggest to you that that is probably a very key
component of what we need to look at when we're talking about
increasing staffing in the Fire Service nationwide.
The Chairman. Thank you.
I want to thank all of you. You represent America's heroes.
We're grateful to you. I want to assure you we will continue
with serious consideration of this issue before this Committee.
I see nothing but support throughout the Congress for what
you're trying to do, and we value immensely your
recommendations and your advice and counsel, and, without that,
I don't believe we could effectively serve this very current
and urgent need that exists throughout the Nation.
Thank you for coming today. I look forward to seeing you
this evening.
This hearing is adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 10:55 a.m., the hearing was adjourned.]
A P P E N D I X
Prepared Statement of Hon. Maria Cantwell,
U.S. Senator from Washington
Mr. Chairman, thank you for the time to address the importance of
increased support for the fire service.
Our country's firefighters are clearly one of the most crucial
lines of first response in the protection of our communities. This was
demonstrated strikingly in the tragedy of September 11, 2001, in which
New York City firefighters, police, and emergency service personnel
answered their call to duty with great heroism in selflessly rushing to
the World Trade Center and saving the lives of many Americans.
Tragically, 343 firefighters and emergency medical services (EMS)
technicians paid the ultimate price in the service of their country.
While we strive to prevent any future attack in the United States,
it is our duty to ensure that we are adequately prepared to respond to
any future catastrophic act of terrorism. In addition, we must
recognize that many of the preparations we make to improve the response
to national emergencies also will aid our firefighters for their
everyday role in protecting our families and homes.
As illustrated by the events of September 11, 2001, fire
departments have substantial responsibilities beyond responding to
fires. Along with EMS components, fire fighters also are usually the
first on the scene at car accidents, medical emergencies, hazardous
materials spills, and acts of terrorism, as well as natural disasters
like earthquakes and floods. The fire service is also one of the most
hazardous professions in the country, as thousands of firefighters are
injured and about one hundred are killed in the line of duty each year.
Despite the essential and heroic role the fire service plays in
protecting our communities, fire departments across the country remain
under-funded and under-staffed. Several proposals before our committee
to address these needs deserve serious consideration.
One of the most important achievements in this area is the FIRE Act
grant program, which, since its 2001 passage, has provided substantial
funding targeted for fire departments across the country. The nearly
700 volunteer and municipal fire districts in Washington state rely on
FIRE Act grant programs to fulfill essential needs. However, this
program clearly does not meet our needs in Washington state and in the
nation.
While $750 million is available for the FIRE Act in fiscal year
2003, in fiscal year 2002 alone, more than 19,500 fire departments
applied for a total of $2.2 billion in assistance.
Disturbingly, in the Administration's fiscal year 2004 budget,
instead of seeking an increase in funding to meet the needs, only $500
million is earmarked for firefighters.
Of further concern, this funding is offered as a portion of the
$3.5 billion grant program for first responders, not through the FIRE
Act grant program. We must work to increase this funding, and ensure
that this funding is not diverted away from the specific needs of
firefighters.
A similar concern arises with the inclusion of the Fire
Administration within the Department of Homeland Security. While I
support the important role of firefighters in responding to terrorism,
we must not lose sight of the essential day-to-day life saving services
our fighters provide for our communities. The deadly and extremely
costly Western forest fire season last year is another reminder of the
need to retain a comprehensive view of the services the Fire
Administration provides, especially in support of protecting rural
communities.
The Firefighting Research and Coordination Act is an important
piece of legislation under consideration in our Committee. As an
original cosponsor, I strongly support this legislation. As many of you
know, this bill would establish and authorize funding for programs
under the Fire Administration to develop voluntary consensus standards
for new firefighting technology; improve coordination between federal,
state, and local fire officials; and authorize the National Fire
Academy to train firefighters for responding to acts of terrorism.
While we will never be able to prevent firefighter deaths because
of the risks involved, it is our obligation to help ensure that future
firefighters are adequately equipped and trained, and are working in
coordination to respond to any future national emergencies.
In addition to providing funding to properly train and equip our
firefighters, America's fire departments need more firefighters to
effective meet the needs of our communities.
Legislation such as the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency
Response Act is an important step for the safety of our communities and
our firefighters. As many of you know, this bill provides matching
grants for up to 75 percent of the costs of hiring 75,000 new
firefighters nationwide. I strongly support this legislation and urge
my colleagues in the committee and the full Senate to support its
passage.
Again, I thank the Chairman for the consideration of this important
issue and thank our witnesses today for their time and insight.
______
Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. John McCain to
Arden L. Bement, Jr.
Question 1. S.321, The Firefighting Research and Coordination Act
would require that equipment purchased through the Assistance to
Firefighters Grant program meet or exceed applicable voluntary
consensus standards. Are you aware of any other federal grant programs
that link federal grant money to standards?
Answer. Yes, NIST developed body armor performance standards for
the National Institute of Justice (NIJ)--NIJ Standard-0101.04 for
ballistic-resistant body armor and NIJ Standard-0115.00 for stab-
resistant body armor. The Office of Justice Programs administers a body
armor grant program (Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 2000,
see more at http://vests.ojp.gov) that covers up to half the cost of
bullet-resistant and/or stab-resistant body armor. To be eligible for
the grant funding, law enforcement or corrections agencies must
purchase body armor that complies with either of the two NIJ body armor
performance standards. For the body armor manufacturers, establishing
compliance with the NIJ standards is voluntary.
There are two more points about these standards. First, NIJ
administers a formal Compliance Testing Program that must be used to
establish compliance with the standards. The Program establishes a
chain of custody for body armor test specimens, uses only approved
laboratories, and requires an independent assessment of test results.
Second, these body armor standards were developed by a Federal
organization, and while many in the armor industry participated in a
comment and review phase, the standards development process did not
require ``consensus.'' In that respect, they differ from the voluntary
consensus standards developed by organizations such as the National
Fire Protection Association (NFPA), ANSI, or ASTM, which do require
consensus. The Federal standards tend to establish a higher level of
performance, while typical voluntary consensus standards seek to
broaden the market for products.
The Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP), formerly with the
Office of Justice Programs, now with the Department of Homeland
Security's Border and Transportation Security Directorate, manages the
grants program for WMD-related equipment for emergency first
responders. Currently ODP funding grants are not conditional upon
procurement of equipment that complies with voluntary consensus
standards. In fact, there are few standards that address the first
responder needs in a CBRNE environment, which seriously hinders linking
grants programs to standards compliance. However, coordination is being
conducted with the objective of ultimately linking the grants program
to equipment that complies with the appropriate standards. One example
is the current effort to incorporate compliance with the NFPA 1994,
``Standard on Protective Ensembles for Chemical/Biological Terrorism
Incidents,'' into the ODP grants program.
Question 2. Could you briefly describe how NIST's research is
factored into the process that standards development organizations use
to formulate voluntary consensus standards?
Answer. NIST's research is integrally linked to the activities of
standards development organizations and their members through a
``cradle-to-grave'' process as follows:
NIST Listens to major national bodies in construction and
fire communities to identify priority issues to address.
NIST typically organizes workshops of interested parties to
define problem, approach and desired products.
NIST and its partners develop technical basis for potential
change to practice or standards, typically in the form of a
measurement, test method, performance prediction tool, etc.
NIST generally seeks development of performance-based tools
and to foster open systems and processes which create the
maximum opportunity for innovation and competitiveness.
Likewise NIST participates in international standardization
activities and works closely with its international counterpart
laboratories to maintain awareness of developments overseas, to
help assure open and free markets, and to spot technical
barriers to trade.
NIST works with intended users to demonstrate value in use
of the emerging product.
NIST participates in technical committees of standards
developing organizations, and publicly disseminates its product
for peer comment.
National professional, engineering, and standards developing
organizations adopt.
Some of the key players NIST works with in this process
include NFPA, ASHRAE, ASTM, ACI, ASCE, NIBS, and the affected
industrial, trade or professional organizations.
The cycle time for this process from problem definition to
change in use--runs from a minimum of a few years to a decade
or more.
Question 3. You mentioned that equipment for first responders is
very specialized and generally produced by small manufacturers.
a) How capable are small manufacturers to continue to provide this
increasingly specialized type of equipment?
Answer. Very much so, in fact small and medium sized manufacturers,
SMEs, tend to be very creative and innovative. They are quite adept
especially at filling initially small new niches for specialized
equipment. Their success often depends on partnering with others and
drawing on the broad array of resources available to them in the
private and public sectors.
NIST works closely with many such firms. For example, some 72
percent of NIST's Advanced Technology Program, ATP, projects involve
SMEs many of which apply in partnership with other firms or
Universities to bring the required capabilities together to deliver
innovative products. For example, the Advanced Technology Program has
recently awarded Valaran Corporation (Princeton, NJ) $1.8 million to
cover the direct cost of developing the software infrastructure that
will overcome problems associated with low or unpredictable bandwidth
and diverse communication appliances. If successful this project will
significantly enhance communications between first responders, law
enforcement agents, and other emergency response personnel using
existing technologies and accelerate the development of new
communication technologies that will enable new markets for the First
Responder industry.
NIST has an active and vital Small Business Innovative Research,
SBIR, program. A number of projects have dealt with equipment for first
responders. One ongoing project involves development of new
communications technology with application to firefighters.
NIST's Manufacturing Extension Partnership, MEP, program has over
400 locations nationwide. MEP provides additional services needed by
many small firms in delivering new products to market and also provides
a link for those firms with technical issues back to resources
available in the NIST and other federal laboratories.
Many small manufactures do not have individual capacity to perform
or fund research. Where there are common interests, manufacturers have
come together to conduct jointly funded studies and share the results.
NIST workshops often stimulate opportunities for such interchange. Many
manufacturers and material suppliers have taken the opportunity to use
specialized or unique measurement facilities at NIST to evaluate the
performance of their present and prototype products. These measurements
generally provide performance information that is not part of the
testing that establishes compliance with present standards. For
example, currently within NIST a new program is being developed to
assist technology developers in this field. ``NIST Distributed Testbed
for 1st Responders'' is a collaborative effort with NIST's Information
Technology Laboratory, Building and Fire Research Laboratory and the
Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory. This project will support private
sector firms developing new integrated communications and networking
technologies to provide critical building situation information to
first responders.
As mentioned in our response to question 5 below, the Department of
Commerce's Technology Administration (TA) has recently signed a
Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Homeland Security
(DHS). This agreement develops a formal working relationship with the
DHS Science and Technology Directorate and NIST. This effort will
include a wide range of initiatives including ``interoperability''
standards for first responders' equipment and thereby enhance the
competitiveness of many small manufacturers.
b) How involved are the small manufacturers in the development of
standards for first responders equipment?
Answer. They are quite actively involved since, typically, changes
in existing or new standards or measures of performance are necessary
to gain acceptance of their products, and generally there are no
published performance requirements from first responder organizations
of the sorts of equipment they seek.
In the fire protection field there is no central mechanism or
responsibility for developing performance requirements, test methods,
standards or compliance of new fire fighting equipment. Consequently,
the process of innovation is long and typically frustrating. Similarly,
particularly smaller, fire departments have no place to go for new
equipment performance requirements and guidance on the capabilities on
new products that marketers present to them.
In the fire fighting equipment standards writing committees in
which NIST participates, we find active participation by manufacturers.
Equipment standards adopted nationally establish minimum requirements
for first responder equipment. Often, specialized new equipment is
targeted initially for those seeking better than minimum capabilities.
For years, the NIST Office of Law Enforcement Standards, supported
by the Department of Justice has been serving the law enforcement
community by providing a central source for development of performance
requirements, test methods and equipment standards. The scope of OLES
is now being expanded to include similar support of the new Department
of Homeland Security's Office of Domestic Preparedness, ODP. This
should lead to an extension of the same capabilities to the needs of
all first responders. Our participation in voluntary consensus
standards committees provides a channel for bringing new developments
into broader use.
Question 4. Your testimony describes NIST's research to develop the
capability of having building emergency systems fire information
transmitted through wireless communications to the responding
firefighters before they arrive at a fire. Can you elaborate on the
benefits of the advanced information to the fire fighters?
Answer. Today, when firefighters are called to respond to a
building fire, they know very little about the conditions until they
arrive at the building. The more reliable information that is available
to firefighters, the better and safer their response will be.
Firefighters are killed and injured because they are not fully aware of
fire conditions in buildings and changes that can occur rapidly.
Accurate knowledge of conditions and rate of fire growth at an incident
is critical to fire fighter safety.
The first task after arrival is to ``size up'' the situation.
Information is gathered from observation of the building from the
outside and if it is deemed safe enough, firefighters go into the
building to investigate condition. For example, part of the fire
protection for modern buildings is an automatic fire alarm system. This
system collects data from fire detection devices throughout the
building. Generally, it is an alarm signal from this automatic system
that through a central monitoring station notifies the fire department
of fire in the building. Even though the fire alarm system continues to
monitor conditions in the building after the initial alarm, only the
initial fire signal is sent out of the building. Firefighters have to
respond to the site to extract additional information about fire
conditions from fire alarm system that is located inside the burning
building.
Looking to the future, this situation can be improved with advanced
technology. All of the information contained in the alarm system can be
transmitted by wireless communications to the fire station and to the
responding vehicles. Having a continually updated flow of information
about conditions in the building would allow responders to match the
response to the fire. For example, this will allow for earlier response
of additional equipment when more than the first alarm and pre-
emergency planned response is needed.
Pre-emergency plans prepared by firefighters for buildings in their
area can be cast in an electronic form that can receive and display the
fire information from a building as well as information from other
building systems. The merging of building design information, fire
department pre-emergency plans, and the dynamic data from building
sensors during emergencies, provides the foundation for a future
firefighter decision support systems. These systems can use predictive
fire models, based on the fire science developed at NIST and elsewhere,
to provide reliable guidance to fire officers in their decisions about
how to best utilize limited resources in an emergency response.
Question 5. As you stated, NIST signed a Memorandum of
Understanding with FEMA in March 2002 and is about to sign a memorandum
of understanding with the Science and Technology Directorate of the new
Department of Homeland Security. Could you please describe the research
that NIST will carry out under these agreements?
Answer. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Directorate
of Science and Technology, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and
the Technology Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce was signed
on May 22, 2003. This MOU sets forth the basic principles and
guidelines under which the two organizations will collaborate upon
mutually agreed research and planning activities. The focus will be
upon NIST's unique capabilities and expertise in measurement science
and standards development. NIST is also participating in the newly
chartered ANSI Homeland Security Standards Panel (HSSP), which is
serving as a focal point for integrating DHS priorities for standards
development with activities in key standards development organizations.
Additionally, an Interagency Agreement has been signed between the
Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP), formerly of the Office of
Justice Programs, now part of the Borders and Transportation Security
Directorate, Department of Homeland Security, and NIST's Office of Law
Enforcement Standards (OLES) to continue a program managed by OLES for
the development of a national suite of CBRNE (chemical, biological,
radiological, nuclear, and explosive) protective equipment standards
for emergency first responders. Initial funding for this program was
provided by the Oklahoma City National Memorial Institute for the
Prevention of Terrorism (MIPT), and subsequently funded by the National
Institute of Justice. These earlier efforts led to a NIOSH standard for
Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) and produced an important set
of guides and databases to help emergency first responders in the
evaluation and purchase of chemical and biological detection, personal
protective, and communications equipment. The continuation of this
program under ODP will be significantly expanded to address nuclear/
radiological threats, decontamination standards, and explosive
detection standards.
The Office of Law Enforcement Standards has been working in close
collaboration with DHS S&T to ensure that the two efforts, those
sponsored by S&T and ODP will be mutually supporting. Preliminary
coordination with S&T indicates that OLES will serve as the NIST
technical point of contact and focal point for program coordination for
the S&T sponsored efforts, and this will further ensure that these
efforts will not be in conflict.
Question 6. One issue related to fire safety research is the need
for better research into structural materials and how they react to
fire. Can you describe the research that NIST is conducting in this
area?
Answer. NIST, as part of the multi-year WTC R&D program, is
conducting research into a number of areas to provide the technical
basis for developing improved performance of structural materials and
systems exposed to fire, with the following objectives:
To develop an efficient test method for evaluating the fire
resistance of bare structural steel.
To provide tools and practical guidance for the design and
selection of fire-protective materials and systems, and support
for the development and implementation of performance-based
standards of fire-protective materials and systems for
structural steel.
To develop and support the implementation of significantly
improved standards, tools, and practical guidance for the fire
safety design and retrofit of structures.
To provide the technical basis for accurate measurement and
simulation methodology for inclusion of fire resistance
properties of non-load-bearing, gypsum-based walls and ceilings
in performance-based fire safety design.
The burn-through and collapse of non-loading bearing walls and
ceilings greatly impact the rate at which the fire spreads through a
building, and the thermal load on the structural materials. Hence, the
fourth objective above is a prerequisite to developing predictive
capabilities of the performance of the load bearing structure during a
fire. Unambiguous measurements on real-scale systems are a critical
element of the NIST research. Also, such measurements and tests are
essential to move the results into practice and to achieve timely
adoption of improvements in building and fire codes.
______
Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. John McCain to
Randy R. Bruegman
Question 1. S. 321, the Firefighting Research and Coordination Act
would authorize $2.2 million in FY2004 to allow the federal government
to work with the private sector to develop basic uniform performance
criteria and technology standards for new technologies. How important
are equipment standard for firefighters?
Answer. The fire and emergency service remains one of the only
industries in which mandatory equipment standards have not been
established. These standards are important because they address multi-
dimensional needs for fire departments. Without more stringent
adherence and incentives for manufacturers to meet industry standards
and fire department to buy items with standards, fire departments often
buy equipment and/or components that do not operate with existing
equipment within their own department or in a case where several
departments are working together. There are a growing number of good
consensus standards being developed within the fire community and the
federal government but there remains no means to appropriately test
their applicability and there is not accountability to adhere to these
standards.
Question 2. How does your organization view the transfer of the
U.S. Fire Administration to the Department of Homeland Security?
Answer. The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and the
fire community recognize the vitally import role of first responders
within the new Department of Homeland Security (DHS). First responders
will be at the backbone of the reaction to any homeland security breech
this country may face and we take that position very seriously. A very
serious concern for the fire and emergency service is the continued
reduction of the fire service presence in the DHS. In addition to our
continuing publicly voiced concern about the FIRE Act, the recent
elimination of the Administrator of the U.S. Fire Administration and
the cancellation of a significant number of National Fire Academy
classes sent the wrong message to our community. Although Secretary
Ridge has pledged to temporarily rectify these problems, the fire
service got the message; DHS is not taking the best interests of the
fire service into consideration in making important decisions about
fire programs. We have good reason to be concerned about the
representation of the fire service in this process.
Question 3. In a number of reports, the General Accounting Office
has criticized the duplication of fire responder training programs by
federal agencies. How does this duplication affect firefighters?
Answer. We do not believe there is any, certainly not much,
duplication of fire service training programs sponsored by federal
agencies.
Question 4. It appears that the government is providing some
funding for new equipment, but yet staffing problems persist. Do you
envision nay new technologies that may actually reduce the amount of
staffing needed by fire departments?
Answer. Firefighting, rescue work, hazardous materials handling,
emergency medical services and the other activities performed by
firefighters are labor intensive. New tools, new technologies can
certainly be helpful but can not supplant the trained, human
firefighter.
Question 5. One issue of great concern to me that is discussed in
your statement is the issue of public safety communications
interoperability. Besides the spectrum, issue, are there other actions
that the federal government should take to address this problem?
Answer. Yes there are. At this time SAFECOM, an e-government
initiative, is being established in the Department of Homeland Security
within the Science and Technology Directorate. Emergency first
responder organizations of state and local government are being
included in the decision-making process which is essential. We urge
that your Committee play an active oversight role to ensure that local
and state first responder organization in fact have an appropriate
voice in SAFECOM.
Question 6. From the fire chiefs perspective, do you feel that the
review process for the Assistance to Firefighter Grant program is
working properly? Are there improvements that can be made?
Answer. The peer review process is critical to the success of the
Firefighter Grant program and is working properly. In fact, the single
most significant ``improvement'' that can be made to the program is to
allow it to continue under its present management by FEMA.
Question 7. Many state and local governments are developing mutual
aid plans to deal with terrorist attacks and natural disasters. What
role can the federal government play in efforts by state and local
governments to improve their coordination efforts?
Answer. In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on September 11,
2001, the federal government made much of the financial assistance it
provided to state and local governments contingent upon the development
and implementation of robust mutual aid agreements among local
jurisdictions and regional entities. This policy was consistently
applied by FEMA's Office for National Preparedness and the White House
Office of Homeland Security. As the Department of Homeland Security
reviews the financial assistance it provides to state and local
governments for the purpose of enhancing response to terrorist attacks
and natural disasters, it should continue to enforce this policy.
Question 8. Can you elaborate on how the current placarding system
for the transportation of the hazardous materials works and what the
Department of Homeland Security proposed changes would mean to public
safety?
Answer. The current placarding system for the transportation of
hazardous materials is required by law and administered by the
Department of Transportation. Firefighters and other first responders
have been trained in dealing with hazmat incidents and the placarding
system is very important to the identification of product. Firefighters
are required by federal law, administered by OSHA, to be trained to the
awareness level in hazmat response and need annual recertification. The
IAFC cannot condone the removal of placards from hazmat shipments until
such time as a proven system is in place and America's firefighters,
and other first responders, are trained in its use. Otherwise,
emergency response personnel and the public they protect will be unduly
endangered.
______
Response to Written Question Submitted by Hon. Maria Cantwell to
Randy R. Bruegman
Question 1. Fire departments in my state of Washington, and Across
the United States, are very dependent on the funds provided through the
FIRE Act grant program. By mandating that funding be distributed to
meet the needs of individual fire departments, the FIRE Act program
ensures specific needs are addressed. However, the Administration's
fiscal year 2004 budget not only reduces this funding to $500 million,
but also proposes to shift the program to a separate first responders
grant that would be distributed by states. What effect do you believe
this change will have on local fire departments?
Answer. We strongly believe that moving the FIRE Act program from
the Federal Emergency Management Agency will have a negative impact on
America's fire service. Currently, all of the funds appropriated for
the FIRE Act program reach fire departments for the purposes intended.
Such is not the experience with formula grant programs that run through
the states. Section 430 of the Homeland Security Act for 2002 clearly
states the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall have the primary
responsibility within the executive branch to prepare for and mitigate
the effects of nonterrorist-related disasters in the United States. The
FIRE Act is not a counter terrorism program. It is a program to build
the base of local fire departments to prepare for and respond to all
risks, all hazards. This, of course, better prepares these departments
to respond to incidents caused by terrorists which is just another risk
in our society.
______
Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. John McCain to
Kevin O'Connor
Question 1. S. 321, the Firefighting Research and Coordination Act
would authorize $2.2 million in FY 2004 to allow the federal government
to work with the private sector to develop basic uniform performance
criteria and technical standards for new technologies. How important
are equipment standards for firefighters?
Answer. Given the current condition of incompatible firefighting
equipment afflicting the fire service--largely caused by lack of
equipment standards--it is critical that future equipment meet minimum
standards that would make them interoperable.
Question 2. How does your organization view the transfer of U.S.
Fire Administration to the Department of Homeland Security?
Answer. Transferring of the U.S. Fire Administration to DHS is
generally a positive development. It assures that the fire service will
be recognized as an integral component of our nation's homeland
security system. Our lone concern stems from the current focus on
threats from terrorism. While preparing for a terrorist attack must
remain a top national priority, we must never forget that terrorism is
only one component of national security, and only one job of the fire
service. Every day, firefighters respond to thousands of life
threatening situations throughout the nation. USFA's mandate must
remain broad enough to address the full range of fire service issues.
Question 3. In a number of reports, the General Accounting Office
has criticized the duplication of first responder training programs by
federal agencies. How does this duplication affect firefighters?
Answer. While on the surface some training programs may seem
duplicative, they often address different needs. For instance, both the
Energy and Transportation Departments provide hazardous materials
training programs for first responders. However, the DoT training
program addresses the unique circumstances involved when responding to
hazmat transportation incidents, while the DoE training prepares
firefighters for incidents that occur at Dept of Energy Nuclear
facilities. Care must be taken in any attempts to eliminate seeming
duplication so as not to dismantle programs that serve unique and
important roles.
Question 4. It appears that the government is providing some
funding for new equipment, but yet staffing problems persist. Do you
envision any new technologies that may actually reduce the amount of
staffing needed by fire departments?
Answer. While technology can make firefighters more efficient,
firefighting has always been, and it will continue to be, labor-
intensive, requiring distinctly human traits like agility, mental
dexterity, and overall ability to respond to unforeseen events. We do
not foresee any technology in the near future that can mitigate the
need for adequate staffing.
Question 5. In your testimony, you state that the IAFF is
``especially supportive'' of creating a national credentialing system
for emergency responders.
a) Why is a national credentialing system so important?
Answer. Unlike the other major emergency response disciplines -
police and emergency medical care--states generally do mandate specific
training or skill levels for fire fighters. As a result, firefighters
may be entrusted with responsibilities that they are not adequately
trained for. A recent survey conducted by the National Fire Protection
Association found that 27 percent of fire fighters providing emergency
medical care and 40 percent of fire fighters performing hazardous
materials response had no formal training in these fields. The lack of
a credentialing system poses particular problems during large-scale
disasters. Local emergency management officials who have orchestrated
responses to disasters ranging from the World Trade Center attacks to
Hurricane Andrew have cited the lack of consensus about what afire
fighter is capable of as a key obstacle in making the best use of the
mass influx of fire fighters from around the country, many of whom
arrive on their own, rather than as part of a company.
b) How should such a system be designed?
Answer. We believe the U.S. Fire Administration is the best
organization to examine various options and propose an answer to this
important question. We therefore strongly endorse the approach
contained in S.321: asking USFA to issue a report to Congress on
credentialing and related issues.
Question 6. Some critics of S. 544, the Staffing for Adequate Fire
and Emergency Response (SAFER) Firefighters Act of 2003, have stated
that the grant program for hiring new firefighters will not be
successful, because the new firefighters will simply be laid off after
the federal funding ends in the fourth year. While the bill would
require a grant recipient to keep the firefighter for a fifth year,
what will ensure that the firefighter remains employed after that?
Answer. S. 544 has four safeguards to prevent such occurrences.
First, as part of its application, jurisdictions must include a
detailed plan that answers how the jurisdiction would pay for the
position in out years. A jurisdiction that does not have a viable plan
to retain the position would not receive a grant. Second, the federal
share of the cost decreases each year of the grant so that by the
fourth year, the localities will pay 70 percent of the costs. This
sliding support makes localities more likely to be self-sufficient in
out years. Third, S. 544 requires federal audits. Lastly, the
experience of the COPS program shows that jurisdictions generally
retain personnel with 4 years of experience and training.
Question 7. S. 544, the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency
Response (SAFER) Firefighters Act of 2003 is expected to hire close to
75,000 new firefighters. What evidence do you have that 75,000 is the
number that is required to solve the firefighter staffing problem?
Answer. The National Fire Protection Association recently completed
a comprehensive needs analysis of the U.S. fire service. The NFPA
estimated that between 75,000 to 85,000 additional firefighters are
needed to safely and effectively respond to daily emergencies.
Question 8. If the federal government creates a grant program for
hiring firefighters, what is to prevent the burden for hiring
firefighters from shifting from the state and local governments to the
federal government?
Answer. S. 544 is designed to assist localities with the initial
costs of hiring additional firefighters. Because of the sliding level
of support, it would be virtually impossible to permanently shift the
responsibility of hiring local firefighters to the federal government.
______
Response to Written Question Submitted by Hon. Maria Cantwell to
Kevin O'Connor
Question 1. Fire departments in my state of Washington, and across
the United States, are very dependent on the funds provided through the
FIRE Act grant program. By mandating that funding be distributed to
meet the needs of individual fire departments, the FIRE Act program
ensures specific needs are addressed. However, the Administration's
fiscal year 2004 budget not only reduces this funding to $500 million,
but also proposes to shift the program to a separate first responders
block grant that would be distributed by states. What effect do you
believe this change will have on local fire departments?
Answer. These two proposals would do great harm to the FIRE Act
grant program and effectively end the first federal program that
directly assists the nation's 30,000+ fire departments. The unique
success of the FIRE Act is due to the fact that it is a merit-based,
peer reviewed, direct grants to fire departments. Each application
undergoes at least one level of scrutiny and only the most deserving
departments are awarded grants. If the FIRE Act was converted to
another form of block grants, the purpose of helping those departments
most in need would be lost and the overall impact on the fire service
would diminish. Additionally, funding the FIRE Act at $500 million,
instead of the authorized level of $900 million, would be a step
backwards for the program. Considering that the FIRE Act was funded at
$750 million in the current year and the total requests in just the
first two years of the program amount to $5 billion, the full $900
million is entirely warranted.
______
Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. John McCain to
Philip C. Stittleburg
Question 1. S. 321, the Firefighting Research and Coordination Act
would authorize $2.2 million in FY 2004 to allow the federal government
to work with the private sector to develop basic uniform performance
criteria and technical standards for new technologies. How important
are equipment standards for firefighters?
Answer. Standardization has always been of major importance to the
fire service. With the current efforts toward achieving real
``interoperability'' the need is becoming even more apparent. The fire
service, through standards making bodies such as the National Fire
Protection Association (NFPA), has set standards for our personal
protective equipment, apparatus, training, and management which the
fire service relies on when making purchases. Overdue are standards for
our other firefighting equipment, data collection, credentials, and
terminology. Often we are forced to rely on the integrity of the
manufacturer or the salesman.
Equipment standards are helpful to an incident commander (IC)
because they provide him the knowledge he needs regarding the abilities
and equipment that he has requested. In addition, equipment
standardization saves the department (and the taxpayer) real dollars.
With standards an agency can purchase an item and be confident of
interoperability, equipment capability, and use.
Question 2. How does your organization view the transfer of U.S.
Fire Administration to the Department of Homeland Security?
Answer. From the beginning, the NVFC supported the move of the U.S.
Fire Administration and FEMA to the new Department of Homeland
Security. In fact, in July 2002, the NVFC and other major fire service
organizations released an official position paper on the proposed
Department of Homeland Security. The document, entitled ``Protecting
our Nation: The American Fire Service Position Paper on the Department
of Homeland Security,'' was issued to provide guidance to Congress and
the Administration on the concerns of the fire service regarding the
functions and structure of the proposed new department and our
priorities.
However, we have been concerned that the U.S. Fire Administration,
and by extension the fire service, has not been as vital a part of the
new department as we had envisioned. This has been evident in the
recent attempts to cut classes at the National Fire Academy and the
proposed elimination of the U.S. Fire Administrator position, which
would severely hamper the ability of the fire service to carry our
message to the President and the Secretary of Homeland Security. The
Department cannot forgo the Federal government's commitment to the
basic needs of America's fire service in the name of Homeland Security.
In addition, the NVFC is strongly opposed to the proposal by the
Department of Homeland Security to move the Assistance to Firefighters
Grant program into ODP within its Border and Transportation Security
Directorate. The NVFC does not understand the benefit of moving a
program aimed at equipping and training America's firefighters out of
the lead federal agency for the fire service and into a section of the
department that exercises little, if any control, over federal fire
programs. The move will require the government to reinvent the wheel,
with new staff new training, and new infrastructure, at a time when the
Federal Government should be completely focused on delivering these
dollars to our local first responders.
Question 3. In a number of reports, the General Accounting Office
has criticized the duplication of first responder training programs by
federal agencies. How does this duplication affect firefighters?
Answer. The NVFC continues to be concerned about the duplication of
first responder training programs by federal agencies. More
specifically, we have serious concerns regarding ODP's training pro
grams and their unwillingness to work with state training agencies that
are well-established and have a proven track record in the training of
the fire service such as state fire training agencies and the National
Fire Academy.
Each year the state fire training systems train over 750,000
students nationally, many of them volunteers. While ODP's training
consortium has developed some excellent terrorism programs for first
responders, these centers service a small number of students at very
high costs. We feel that some first responder terrorism training
dollars need to go to enhance and strengthen the state training system.
Unfortunately, terrorism training dollars are not going to them at all.
In fact, the small amount of terrorism funding that these agencies
received in the past through the National Fire Academy has been
redirected to ODP. The NVFC is concerned that the Federal government is
reinventing the wheel and not utilizing the most efficient methods of
delivering services to the fire service, which is already in place,
state and local fire service training agencies.
Question 4. It appears that the government is providing some
funding for new equipment, but yet staffing problems persist. Do you
envision any new technologies that may actually reduce the amount of
staffing needed by fire departments?
Answer. Regardless of the new technologies that may reduce the
amount of staffing needed by fire departments, fire suppression will
continue to be a labor intensive job and able-bodied people are needed
to perform many firefighting tasks. This is true for communities of all
sizes.
However, there is technology already available that would helps to
make a firefighter's work safer and reduce the risk associated with
fire. This technology is fire sprinklers and efforts need to be made at
all levels of government to promote their use. At the Federal level,
legislation has been introduced (H.R. 1824), which would provide tax
incentives for the voluntary installation and retrofitting of buildings
with automated sprinklers. We encourage Congress to pass this
legislation.
Another area where of technology will help increase the
effectiveness of personnel is in the field of resource management. This
includes equipment, supply, and personnel tracking both at the
incident, and during daily routines. This technology exists; the
problem is that many of the fire agencies do not have sufficient
computers, networks, or internet connections that allow them to take
advantage of it.
Finally, Global Positioning Systems (GPS) will soon be able to
provide officers the ability to track their firefighter on the
fireground. However, the fire service lacks the financial resources to
afford this technology, as well as the standardization that would
provide true interoperability.
Question 5. Do you support the development of a national
credentialing system for first responders?
Answer. The NVFC supports the establishment of a national
credentialing system for first responders. In fact, in an August 2002
report by the NVFC entitled ``The Role of the Volunteer Fire Service in
the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks,'' one of the major problems
that was identified was the self-dispatching of agencies to the
incidents.
The importance of command and control on the fireground cannot be
overemphasized. All personnel, career and volunteer, must be aware of
and conform to standard operating procedures for response to major
incidents, his imperative that the IC knows what units and which
personnel are operating on the scene of an emergency incident. Self-
dispatching by fire service personnel is dangerous and should be
actively discouraged.
The need for national credentialing has been apparent to agencies
such as the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of Interior agencies
since the late 1980's. The municipal, police, fire, and to some extent
EMS agencies have been slow to catch up due to the perceived lack of
need for mutual aid and regional planning. The need to work together
has become more necessary as budgets get tighter.
Most agencies can handle the ``average'' incident. They now must
rely on neighboring agencies for assistance on large incidents or
during times of personnel shortages. As no IC should allow a responder
to perform work that they lack training or skills in, they have two
choices. The IC may take a person's word that they are qualified or
they are forced to refuse to use them. A national credentialing system
can serve to promote safety, reduce resource requirements, and reduce
liability.
a. How should such a system be designed?
Answer. A good system should be designed that identifies not only
personal information but training qualifications. The system would take
advantage of machine readable media, computerization, internet based
centralization (for standard ID production), and automated data
collection, credential verification and reporting. The system must be
low cost to access, low cost for identification, easy and simple to
use. Natural control points would be the Department of Homeland
Security, State Emergency Management, through local emergency
management agencies. An internet based system could allow the local
department to produce identification cards at a low cost based on rules
and credentials set by a national system. This could provide both a
national database of emergency responders and standardization for
interoperability on a local or regional basis. If the system used is
optional it will not work. We require a driver's license to drive a
vehicle, why can we not require an ``emergency responder'' ID for
saving lives and property?
Question 6. In your testimony, you recommend that S. 544, the SAFER
Act, should include provisions for a grant program for volunteer
firefighter recruitment and retention.
a) Could you expand on the recruitment and retention programs that
you envision under such a grant program?
Answer. The NVFC feels that any initiative by Congress to address
the personnel shortfall in the fire service must include a significant
recruitment and retention component to account for the nearly 90
percent ofAmerica communities that are protected by volunteers. The
recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel
has become the number one challenge facing America's volunteer fire
service. The ranks of the volunteer fire service have decreased close
to l5 percent in the last 20 years. Combining grant to hire
firefighters with funding for volunteer recruitment and retention will
lead to increased staffing in every firehouse in America.
Some possible programs that could be implemented with recruitment
and retention grants include: national and local recruitment campaigns;
the creation and augmentation of length of service award programs and
other pension pro grams for volunteers; tuition assistance for higher
education; and affordable housing programs. In addition, Congress
should consider tax credits and deductions for volunteers and increased
proliferation of on-line training for volunteers.
Finally, recruitment money included in the SAFER could be directed
towards a national campaign in conjunction with the Citizen Corps
initiative. In the last year, national PSAs and other advertising have
been encouraging Americans to volunteer in their communities. However,
there has been little focus on encouraging citizens to join their local
volunteer fire or EMS departments.
b) How much would such a grant program cost?
Answer. A grant program for recruitment and retention should be
authorized at $75 million per year. That is less than one-tenth of the
proposed hiring grants authorized in the Staffing for Adequate Fire and
Emergency Response Firefighters Act (S. 544 /H.R. 1118).
Question 7. In your statement, you have proposed funding the
Assistance to Firefighters Grant program at $900 million in FY 2004, as
opposed to $500 million as proposed by the President. What is the
impact of the additional $400 million to the nation's volunteer
firefighters?
Answer. The proposed cut in funding by the Administration would
have a very significant impact in our efforts to meet the basic needs
of volunteer fire departments across this country. These needs have
been demonstrated in a variety of ways.
First, on January 22, 2003 FEMA and the National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA) announced a comprehensive study that examined the
needs and response capabilities of the nation's fire service. The study
established a current understanding of problem areas to guide future
planning and initiatives to enhance fire services and firefighter
safety. Among other things, the Needs Assessment Study of the U.S. Fire
Service found:
Just over 13,000 fire engines (pumpers) (16 percent of all
engines) are 15 to 19 years old, another 17,000 (21 percent)
are 20 to 29 years old, and just over 10,000 (13 percent) are
at least 30 years old. Therefore, half of all engines are at
least 15 years old.
An estimated one-third of firefighters per shift are not
equipped with self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). Nearly
half of SCBA units are at least 10 years old.
Nearly half of the emergency responders per shift are not
equipped with personal alert system (PASS) devices.
An estimated 57,000 firefighters lack personal protective
clothing, most in departments protecting communities with less
than 2,500 population. An estimated one-third of personal
protective clothing is at least 10 years old.
In general, fire departments do not have enough portable
radios to equip more than about half of the emergency
responders on a shift and most radios lack intrinsic safety in
an explosive atmosphere are and not water-resistant.
An estimated 40 percent of fire department personnel
involved in hazardous material response lack formal training in
those duties, most of them serving in smaller communities.
In addition, in the current FY 2003 Assistance to Firefighters
grant cycle nearly 20,000 fire departments requested close to $2.1
billion to meet basic needs. At a time when billions of federal dollars
are being spent on preparing first responders for terrorism incidents,
the federal government cannot lose sight of the fact that fire
departments must have local fire departments have the basic tools they
need to do their jobs on a daily basis, before we can ask them to be
fully prepared to respond to large-scale incidents.
Question 8. You have mentioned that the USFA has cut 36 courses
from its curriculum due to budget cuts. Can you discuss the practical
impact of these reductions to the local fire departments?
Answer. A few weeks after the NVFC testified before the Senate
Commerce Committee, the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA
announced that the cancelled classes had been reinstated. The NVFC is
obviously very encouraged by these developments but is concerned that
the Department of Homeland Security has simply diverted funds from
other fire programs to cover the shortfall. At the same time billions
of dollars are going to the states for terrorism training, the U.S.
Fire Administration should not have to choose between funding classes
at the Academy and funding public education or other key programs.
Question 9. Are there any special needs that apply specifically to
districts that rely upon volunteer firefighters?
Answer. One of the largest problems faced by America's volunteer
fire service is funding. Many volunteer fire departments struggle to
provide their members with adequate protective clothing, safety devices
and training to protect their communities, as mandated by regulations
and standards. These fire companies, in towns across America, are being
asked to respond to emergency calls involving hazardous materials,
structural fire suppression, search and rescue, natural disasters,
wildland fires, emergency medical services, and terrorism.
In these difficult times, while volunteer fire departments are
already struggling to handle their own needs and finances, they are now
forced to provide more services. Often, local governments are unable to
afford the extensive training and specialized equipment that these
activities require. In addition, many volunteer fire companies receive
little or no tax money and must use fundraising to pay for these items.
______
Response to Written Question Submitted by Hon. Maria Cantwell to
Philip C. Stittleburg
Question 1. Fire departments in my state of Washington, and across
the United States, are very dependent on the funds provided through the
FIRE Act grant program. By mandating that funding be distributed to
meet the needs of individual fire departments, the FIRE Act program
ensures specific needs are addressed. However, the Administration's
fiscal year 2004 budget not only reduces this funding to $500 million,
but also proposes to shift the program to a separate first responders
block grant that would be distributed by states.
What effect do you believe this change will have on local fire
departments?
Answer. Thanks to the leadership of many members of Congress, the
Federal government took a giant step in addressing the basic needs of
America's fire service by creating the Assistance to Firefighters Grant
program. Every fire department across the country is now eligible for
direct funding for equipment, apparatus, training, fire prevention and
education, and wellness and fitness programs.
The Assistance to Firefighters Grant program has proven to be the
most effective program to date in providing local volunteer and career
fire departments not only with the tools they need to perform their
day-to-day duties, but it has also enhanced their ability to respond to
large disasters as well. As we move to prepare for terrorist incidents
at home, we must first ensure that local fire departments have the
basic tools they need to do their jobs on a daily basis, before we can
ask them to be fully prepared to respond to large-scale incidents.
This program has been successful for a variety of reasons. Most
importantly, it is the only federal program that provides funding
directly to fire departments for training and equipment. Far too often
federal funds intended to aid fire departments are diverted to other
uses by state and local officials.
As you stated, in February, President Bush included $500 million
for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program in his 2004 budget
request. The Administration also proposed moving the program out of
FEMA and USFA, which are in the Emergency Preparedness and Response
Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security, and into the Office
of Domestic Preparedness (ODP), located in the Border and
Transportation Security Directorate.
While $500 million in funding is a good start and this is the first
time that the program has been in an Administration budget, the NVFC
feels that Congress needs to fully fund the program at the $900 million
level to meet the increased responsibilities that we face and the
staggering demand for grant funds.
In addition, the NVFC is strongly opposed to the proposal to move
the program into the Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP), located in
the Border and Transportation Security Directorate of Homeland
Security. The NVFC does not understand the benefit of moving a program
aimed at equipping and training America's firefighters out of the lead
federal agency for the fire service and into a section of the
department that exercises little, if any control, over federal fire
programs. The move will require the government to reinvent the wheel,
with new staff, new training, and new infrastructure, at a time when
the Federal Government should be completely focused on delivering these
dollars to our local first responders.
In addition, we are concerned that the proposed move will
eventually lead to consolidating the program into other state-based
block grants that ODP currently administers. This consolidation was
proposed by the Administration in their FY 2003 budget and fortunately
was not supported by Congress.
Finally, many of these departments who are receiving aid through
the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program are rural and suburban
volunteer fire departments that struggle the most to provide their
members with adequate protective gear, safety devices and training to
protect their communities. They are being asked to respond to emergency
calls involving hazardous materials, structural fire suppression,
search and rescue, natural disasters, wildland fires, emergency medical
services, terrorism, and more. Our recent experience tells us that
these small and mid-sized departments will receive little or no funding
if the program combined with a separate first responders block grant
that would be distributed by states.
______
Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. John McCain to
R. David Paulison
Question 1. This Committee held the confirmation hearings for your
nomination to the position of U.S. Fire Administrator on November 1,
2001. Now there is some question about the status of the position of
U.S. Fire Administrator after the transfer of the U.S. Fire
Administration to the Department of Homeland Security.
a) What is the status of the position of U.S. Fire Administrator?
Answer. While the position of U.S. Fire Administrator was retained
by the enactment of H.R.5005, its status as a Senate-confirmed
appointment was not. However, S, 1152, the U.S. Fire Administration
Reauthorization of 2003 (P.L. 108-169), reauthorized the Senate
confirmed position of U.S. Fire Administrator through FY 2008.
b) If the U.S. Fire Administrator position is eliminated, who is
actually running the agency?
Answer. The U.S. Fire Administrator position was not eliminated. R.
David Paulison, who had been Senate-confirmed as the U.S. Fire
Administrator prior to the creation of the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) remains so today.
Question 2. The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) is suffering from a
budget shortfall for fiscal year 2003, which almost resulted in the
canceling of 36 classes at the National Fire Academy. What caused this
shortfall, and what role did Congressional earmarks play in this
shortfall?
Answer. While there were relatively few ``earmarks'' within the FY
2003 appropriation for the FEMA account that funds the Fire
Administration, Congress did reallocate existing funds to various other
programs. USFA costs have increased on an annual basis, while funding
has remained level. In order to maintain existing classes at the
National Fire Academy (NFA), the final 2003 program allocations
required an across-the-board reduction in other programs, particularly
within Mitigation, Response, and Information Technology programs.
Question 3. S. 544, the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency
Response (SAFER) Firefighters Act of 2003, was referred to this
Committee. Last year, Secretary Ridge said that the ``hiring of
personnel for emergency response has been, is now, and should be either
a state or local responsibility.'' What is the Administration's
position on this legislation?
Answer. Both President Bush and Secretary Ridge have stated that
the hiring of local personnel such as firefighters should be viewed as
a local matter and a local responsibility, and not dependent upon
Federal funding. Furthermore, the SAFER Act grants are not target based
on threats and vulnerabilities to terrorism, which is the
Administration's top priority for responder assistance. The
Administration believes Federal funding is more appropriate for
developing new capabilities through equipment, training, and exercises.
Providing short-term salary grants to fire departments will impose a
hidden burden on the local governments and communities that will assume
the long-term payroll costs when the grant funds expire, as dictated in
the statute.
Question 4. This Committee is beginning the process of
reauthorizing the USFA. What issues should this Committee consider as
we draft this legislation?
Answer. The U.S. Fire Administration is now fully authorized. The
President signed into law S. 1152, the U.S. Fire Administration
Reauthorization Act of 2003 on December 6, 2003.
Question 5. In its fiscal year 2004 budget, the Administration has
proposed transferring the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program to
the Office of Domestic Preparedness. What is the Administration's
rationale for this move?
Answer. In FY 2004, the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program
was consolidated with other DHS grant programs in the one stop shop for
grants in DHS, the Office of State and Local Government Coordination
and Preparedness, of which the Office of Domestic Preparedness is a
part. The purpose of this consolidation was to enhance overall
coordination among all of the grant programs and improve efficiency
wherever possible.
Question 6. Senators Hollings, Brownback, Cantwell, Biden, Carper,
DeWine, Graham and I have introduced S. 321, the Firefighting Research
and Coordination Act. Are there any recommendations that you have for
changes that should be made to this legislation as we consider it?
Answer. S. 321 became Title II of S. 1152, the ``United States Fire
Administration Reauthorization Act of 2003'' and was signed into law on
December 6, 2003, and became Public Law 108-126. Title II may be cited
as the ``Firefighting Research and Coordination Act.''
Question 7. State and local fire departments in Arizona and across
the country have raised concerns about the need for communications
equipments that will allow fire departments to talk to police
departments, other fire departments, and federal government agencies.
What role is USFA playing in meeting the public safety communications
interoperability challenge?
Answer. The Assistance to Firefighters Grants encourage the
coordination of specifications with items of equipment purchased under
the grants. Currently we are waiting for the development and
implementation of a covering standard or standards regarding equipment,
training, and communications interoperability. As these are developed,
we will incorporate those standards into grants and programs.
Question 8. You have mentioned that a localized fire suppression
system in kitchens would dramatically reduce the number of civilian
fire deaths by 25 percent. You further stated that the cost of
retrofitting a kitchen would be minimal. Can you be more specific about
the cost of retrofitting and would insurance companies recognize the
reduced risks through lower premiums?
Answer. On the average, it is estimated that the cost to provide
localized sprinkler protection in a typical residential kitchen would
cost about $500 (labor and materials). The $500 estimate is provided by
the American Fire Sprinkler Association and is based on localized
retrofitting (over a stove perhaps) one sprinkler head in an average
kitchen. Costs would vary depending on the geographic location and the
size of the kitchen to be protected. It is a fact that most residential
fires start in the kitchen. It is our hope that the insurance industry
will give the homeowner a credit for installing localized sprinkler
protection in the kitchen much the same as some insurance companies do
for a complete residential sprinkler system. However, in addition, USFA
is working with NIST and will have a report in November 2004 on the
efficacy of retrofitting kitchens, design parameters, including
available water supply, room characteristics, etc. One additional
comment regarding Q8: USFA is not on record as stating that localized
fire suppression systems in kitchens would reduce the number of
civilian fire deaths by 25 percent.
Question 9. A growing problem is the spread of wildland fires into
urban areas. What actions are USFA taking to deal with this problem?
Answer. USFA is a member of the National Wildfire Coordinating
Group, consisting of policy-makers in the area of wildfire response.
The wildfire community has the lead on these issues with USFA providing
support.
USFA has been working with the national wildfire community
as well as with State and local wildfire and structural fire
departments to improve training and coordination. USFA has
developed, in conjunction with the above listed communities,
five training programs that are designed to meet the needs of
fire departments in the wildland/urban interface. They include
command and control, leadership, and firefighting. These
programs seek to improve the understanding, safety, and
operations of structural fire departments operating within
wildland/urban interfaces and at wildfires in general.
USFA now has a full-time permanent staff person assigned to
the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, ID, to maintain
a continual presence/liaison between the USFA and the wildfire
community.
USFA has an ongoing affiliation with the National
Association of State Foresters to further the efforts of both
organizations in safety, prevention, and control of wildland
fires.
Other USFA wildfire-related projects include the FIREWISE
Program and FIRESCOPE Incident Command System. USFA
collaborated on the United States Department of Agriculture's
draft report to Congress titled, ``The Changing Role and Needs
of Local, Rural, and Volunteer Fire Departments Suppressing
Wildland Fires in the Wildland-Urban Interface''. In addition,
the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program has begun
coordinating with other Federal wildfire agencies.
Question 10. The Federal Response Plan currently makes the
Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Forest Service the primary
agencies for responding to a fire-related disaster. The terrorist
attacks on September 11, 2001, occurred in urban areas, where USFA may
have greater expertise. What steps are the Administration taking to
revise the Federal Response Plan and create a National Response Plan
that will handle fire-related disasters or terrorist attacks in urban
areas?
Answer. USFA is actively participating in the finalization of the
National Response Plan and was closely involved in the development of
the National Incident Management System (NIMS). USFA does not directly
respond to fire-related emergencies, and components of these systems
need to continue to rely on the State/local responders within fire,
rescue, EMS, arson, hazardous materials, and incident management
cadres. Specific issues USFA is working on include development of
national standards for all risk incident management teams (IMTs) and
training programs geared specifically toward the use of IMTs have been
developed and are currently being used in Pennsylvania and Rhode
Island.
Question 11. Both the General Accounting Office and fire service
organizations have cited duplication in the training programs of the
different federal agencies as a source of confusion for firefighters
and other first responders. What steps have USFA taken to address this
issue?
Answer. It is important to note that in the 2001 Report to
Congress--A Comprehensive Curriculum Review for the United States Fire
Administration, the study examined 119 NFA courses, and 753 courses
delivered in State, local, and college curriculums. The analysis found,
in some instances, that some USFA/NFA courses were available in local
colleges or fire training academies, but the local college or academy
wasn't accessible to every firefighter and officer in the country, only
those in that particular region/area.
Duplication in Federal agency training is a common complaint, and
one that we have wrestled with for several years. Both the National
Strategy for Homeland Security and Homeland Security Presidential
Directives 5 and 8 called for better integration of Federal training
programs. The DHS Office of State and Local Government Coordination and
Preparedness will be examining this issue in an effort to bring greater
coherence and coordination to Federally sponsored training.
Question 12. S. 321, the Firefighting Research and Coordination Act
would require that equipment purchased through the Assistance to
Firefighters Grant program would have to meet or exceed applicable
voluntary consensus standards. What role do voluntary consensus
standards currently play in the application review process for the
Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program?
Answer. The AFG program currently gives competitive advantage to
grant proposals that include equipment that meets either National Fire
Protection Association standards or OSHA requirements, as appropriate.
However, P.L. 108-126 provides that applicants may request that the
U.S. Fire Administrator waive the requirement (see Title II, Sec. 202).
Question 13. Has the $1 billion provided in the Assistance to
Firefighters Grant program accomplished its purpose? Are the fire
departments better prepared because of it?
Answer. A voluntary survey of the recipients from 2001 indicated
that grantees felt better prepared to attack fires. Empirical data is
still being collected on the extent to which actual response
capabilities have been enhanced by these funds.
Question 14. You have mentioned the success of the streamlined
grant application process for the fire departments. Will this process
be maintained if the grant program is transferred to the Border
Transportation and Security Directorate of the Department of Homeland
Security?
Answer. As stated previously, the Assistance to Firefighters Grant
program has been consolidated with other grant programs in the Office
of State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness, which is
now under the Office of the Secretary. USFA works closely with OSLGCP,
including ODP, on the implementation of the Assistance to Firefighter
grants, and the automated system has been maintained.
Question 15. Based upon your work with the firefighters and their
needs, what would you say is the most pressing need at the moment for
the nation's fire departments?
Answer. Basic equipment and training for capacity building
continues to be the most pressing need for the nations fire service,
Even as the Department of Homeland Security provides funding to meet
some of this need, it is critical that local communities continue to
make investments in their fire service.
Question 16. Some members of the fire service have raised concerns
that the mission of the U.S. Fire Administration will change now that
it is part of the Department of Homeland Security. The concern is that
the agency will concentrate its focus on anti-terrorism efforts to the
detriment of its other traditional roles. What is your response to
these concerns?
Answer. There is no question that terrorism has become an important
part of the Department's mission. We are working closely with the
Department to continue USFA programs for all-hazards planning and
response while ensuring that our programs also enhance the nation's
terrorism preparedness. In fact, the Homeland Security Act placed the
Office for Domestic Preparedness outside of EP&R in order to preserve
its focus on all-hazards preparedness. Our commitment to that has been
confirmed repeatedly by Secretary Ridge, and we will work with the
Secretary and the Office for Domestic Preparedness to fulfill all of
those important missions.
The decision to move the administration of the Assistance to
Firefighters Grant Program (Fire Act) to DHS's Office of State and
Local Government Coordination and Preparedness, which includes the
Office for Domestic Preparedness, from the Emergency Preparedness and
Response Directorate is part of the Department's efforts to provide
first responders a ``one-stop shop'' for grants and other forms of
assistance. The purpose of this consolidation was to enhance overall
coordination among all of the grant programs and improve efficiency
wherever possible, not to reduce the focus on all-hazard preparedness.
Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Maria Cantwell to
R. David Paulison
Question 1. Mr. Paulison, in February 2003, I proudly cosponsored
Chairman McCain's Firefighter Research and Coordination Act that
focused on the crucial importance of developing effective training and
coordination among firefighters. I believe that these needs are
amplified by the events of September 11, 2001, and the anthrax attacks
of October 2001, a concern that firefighters and other first responders
in my state of Washington have expressed.
Can you provide additional insight into how your office is
addressing these training and coordination needs?
Answer. The United States Fire Administration (USFA) National Fire
Academy's (NFA's) strength is its partnership and coordination with
State and local fire training systems. The USFA/NFA provides many
courses to each State, as well as $25,000 in grants to support the
delivery of NFA curriculum. In addition, each State receives nine 2-day
courses, and each FEMA region receives three 6-day courses per year.
The USFA/NFA provides the costs for instructors and texts, the States
and local organization provides the training facilities in that
partnership.
To highlight the increased capability of the NFA, in fiscal year
(FY) 1995, the USFA/NFA trained 8,000 students in residence on the
Emmitsburg campus, and 7,000 students in off-campus courses. In FY
2002, we trained the same number in residence, 8,000, but we trained
87,000 first responders through State and local systems and Distance
Education methods. Over that same period, the budget has remained
relatively flat. We are taking better advantage of partnerships and
technology. We work very closely with Washington State Fire Marshal
Mary Corso (who is responsible for training in Washington), and with
each State training director in the country.
Between 1997 and 2002, the USFA/NFA administered $5 million in
terrorism training grants each year. In addition to new course
development, this fund provided $80,000 per State to conduct terrorism
awareness and response training, including incident command and
hazardous materials training. In FY 2002, our State Fire Service
Training Agency partners trained 55,508 students in courses specific to
terrorism.
Question 2. Mr. Paulison, the Fire Administration is part of the
Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is now part of the
Department of Homeland Security. This has raised concerns that the Fire
Administration's training, assistance, and research programs may become
overly focused on terrorism response and prevention. While I strongly
endorse support for these functions of the Fire Administration, I share
concerns that traditional Fire Administration services may be
neglected.
Please express your thoughts on the future direction of the
services provided by the Fire Administration in light of its location
within the Department of Homeland Security.
Answer. There is no question that terrorism has become an important
part of the Department's mission. We are working closely with the
Department to continue USFA programs for all-hazards planning and
response while ensuring that our programs also enhance the nation's
terrorism preparedness. In fact, the Homeland Security Act placed the
Office for Domestic Preparedness outside of EP&R in order to preserve
EP&Rs focus on all-hazards preparedness. Our commitment to that has
been confirmed repeatedly by Secretary Ridge, and we will work with the
Secretary and the Office for Domestic Preparedness to fulfill all of
those important missions.
The decision to move the administration of the Assistance to
Firefighters Grant Program (Fire Act) to DHS's Office of State and
Local Government Coordination and Preparedness, which includes the
Office for Domestic Preparedness, from the Emergency Preparedness and
Response Directorate is part of the Department's efforts to provide
first responders a ``one-stop shop'' for grants and other forms of
assistance. The purpose of this consolidation was to enhance overall
coordination among all of the grant programs and improve efficiency
wherever possible, not to reduce the focus on all-hazard preparedness.