NVFC sets legislative priorities and elects officers
The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) has adopted its legislative agenda for the 106th Congress at its Spring Meeting held recently in Georgia. The three-day event was hosted by the Georgia State Firefighter`s Association.
Leading the list of priority legislation is Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr.`s Firefighter Investment and Response Enhancement (FIRE) Act (H.R. 1168), introduced in the House in March (published in full in “The `FIRE` Bill: This is the Year,” Fire Engineering, June 1999, page 55). It would authorize the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to make available to volunteer, paid, and combination fire departments grants for the purpose of protecting the public and firefighting personnel against fire and fire-related hazards. Departments must match 10 percent of the grant, and local governments must keep their fire department`s budget at the same level as it has been for the two fiscal years prior to receiving the grant. At press time, the bill had been referred to the House Committee on Science and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure; as of late May, there were 140 co-sponsors.
Volunteer Fire Assistance Program. This federal grant program, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, would provide grants to rural fire departments with populations under 10,000 to subsidize training, equipment, and protective clothing. The NVFC is recommending $10 million in funding for Fiscal Year 2000.
Public Safety Medal of Valor (H.R. 46, S. 39). This bill would create a medal, similar to the Congressional Medal of Honor, to be awarded to nominated public safety officers who act above and beyond the line of duty. At press time, it had passed in the House.
Children`s Sleepwear Safety Act (H.R. 329). It would require that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission revoke amendments it made in 1996 that weakened the original standard, which was passed in 1972. The CPSC is reviewing whether to maintain, revoke, or amend the 1996 standards based on public comment. The legislation was introduced January 19 and has been referred to the House Commerce Committee.
Volunteer Firefighters and Rescue Squad Worker Protection Act. It proposes to alter a U.S. Department of Labor opinion that states that paid firefighters cannot volunteer as firefighters in the same community in which they work. It contains anticoercion language so that a firefighter cannot be coerced into volunteering if he does not wish to do so. It was introduced on April 13 and has been referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Helping Hands Legislation. The NVFC is seeking to have introduced legislation modeled after the Texas “Helping Hands” legislation, passed in 1997, which would allow the donation of used firefighting equipment to fire departments without the risk of liability. This would enable many rural and volunteer departments with very limited funding to acquire the equipment needed to adequately protect their communities.
The NVFC also passed a resolution indicating that it would take a lead in “strongly urging its constituents in the settling tobacco states to participate in negotiating the formula for distribution to partially remediate the costs incurred over the years to the fire service.” The misuse of tobacco products “has led to a substantial loss of life and property, as well as an increase in the cost of fire prevention,” the NVFC notes. The NVFC joined the Fire Safe Cigarette Coalition, organized by the Trauma Foundation, which includes the major fire service organizations and various burn institutes from across the country.
The coalition`s primary objective is to promote the passage of the Fire Safe Cigarette Act of 1999 (H.R. 1130), which directs the Consumer Product Safety Commission to promulgate fire safety standards for cigarettes. The bill was before the House Committee on Commerce at press time.
The NVFC also took the following actions during the Spring Meeting:
The following officers, who ran unopposed, were elected: Fred G. Allinson, Washington State Fire Fighters Association, chairman; Steve Ennis, Virginia State Firefighter`s Association, first vice chairman; Aubrey Boudreaux, Louisiana State Firemens Association, second vice chairman; Allen Metheny, Delaware Volunteer Firemens Association, treasurer; and Paul Lukus, Fireman`s Association of the State of Pennsylvania, secretary.
The following executive committee was announced: Allinson; Ennis; Boudreaux; Metheny; Lukus; Phil Stittleburg, Wisconsin State Firefighters Association; E. James Monihan, Delaware Volunteer Firemens Association; Robert Cumberland, Maryland State Firemens Association; James Gordon, South Dakota Firefighters Association; Phil Sayer, Fire Fighters Association of Missouri; and Walter Drinkard, Alabama State Firefighters Association.
Joe Stambush, a volunteer with the Southern Hills (KY) Fire Department, was awarded the NVFC Marc Mueller Fire Prevention Award of Excellence. Stambush, a firefighter since 1962, has been a staunch advocate of fire prevention education. He was instrumental in implementing programs in 11 elementary and secondary schools and 14 day-care facilities, as well as in establishing a public education team in conjunction with the Erlanger and Point Pleasant Fire Departments. The application deadline for nominations for the 2000 Marc Mueller award is March 1, 2000.
