U.S. House Committee releases 2015 appropriations bill

At the beginning of January, the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee released the Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 Homeland Security Appropriations bill (H.R. 240) http://1.usa.gov/1wMxjoa (It was to be considered on the House floor later in January, after press time.) The bill would fund the Department of Homeland Security for the remainder of the current fiscal year.

According to Hal Rogers, House Appropriations chairman, “The funding in this bill is targeted to critical security and law enforcement efforts that keep our nation and people safe, and ensure the laws of the land are strongly enforced ….”

Among the highlights of the bill are the following:

• Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Funded at $4.8 billion, it includes passenger security, cargo inspections, intelligence functions, and Federal Flight Deck officers. Also, it increases canine detection teams and privatized screening operations, includes reforms in passenger screening operations, reduces TSA’s federal screener workforce, and supports TSA’s shift to more risk-based screening.
• Cybersecurity. The National Programs and Protection Directorate bill is allocated $753.2 million for cybersecurity operations.
• Federal Emergency Management Agency. The agency’s request for $7 billion for disaster relief would be fully funded. Included also would be $2.5 billion for first responder grants, which includes $1.5 billion for state and local grants; $680 million for Assistance to Firefighter Grants; and $350 million for Emergency Management Performance Grants.

According to the Congressional Fire Services Institute, the Assistance to Firefighters (FIRE) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant programs would be funded at $340 million each, the United States Fire Administration (USFA) at $44 million, and the Urban Search and Rescue System at $35.18 million; these amounts are the same as those allotted in FY 2014. Visit http://bit.ly/1yUONmI for updates on bills affecting the fire service.

PPACA legislation: volunteer firefighters not employees

In early January, the House of Representatives passed the Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act (H.R.33), introduced by Congressman Lou Barletta (PA-11). The legislation would not require volunteer fire departments to provide health insurance to their members under the “employer mandate” of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). http://1.usa.gov/1CjOO6k. The Internal Revenue Service had released regulations in February 2014 that stated fire departments and municipal governments will not have to include volunteers when determining the number of full-time employees (or full-time equivalents) for the purposes of PPACA. The bill will be sent to the Senate for consideration.

Congressman Pascrell to chair Congressional Fire Services Caucus

Congressman Bill Pascrell Jr. (NJ-9) will chair the Congressional Fire Services Caucus for the 114th Congress, the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) recently announced. According to the CFSI, Pascrell has been a tireless advocate for the nation’s fire and emergency services, and he sponsored numerous bills to address their needs.

He was a principal author of the legislation that established the Assistance to Firefighters (FIRE) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant programs. He was recognized for his leadership and support of the fire and emergency services in 2001 and 2005 when he was named a co-recipient of the CFSI Legislator of the Year Award. CFSI Executive Director Bill Webb notes, “Congressman Pascrell has been a tireless leader for the fire service on Capitol Hill.”

Pascrell, noting that it was an honor to serve as chairman of “one of the most important caucuses in Congress,” said he looks forward to working in a bipartisan manner to ensure first responders are adequately prepared to protect their communities. He added that he would continue to fight and ensure that the FIRE and SAFER grant programs are fully funded.

According to Webb, the present number of 214 members of the Caucus is the lowest since the Caucus was formed, even though the Caucus still remains one of the largest caucuses in Congress. He is asking firefighters to invite the congressional members representing their districts to join the Caucus. The list of Caucus members is at http://bit.ly/1Dfh7zu.

NVFC completes research phase of recruitment campaign

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) has completed the research phase of its national volunteer firefighter recruitment and retention campaign. The project was funded by a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant.

The research phase has yielded very informative results, according to the NVFC.

The NVFC has been working with Salter>Mitchell, a behavior change marketing firm, to develop the campaign branding, messaging, and strategy. Key findings of the initial phase, which included reviewing existing research, conducting in-person interviews, online discussion groups, and a national survey among current volunteers and nonvolunteers, follow:

• Almost a third of the U.S. population (29 percent) is either “definitely interested” or “might be interested” in volunteering as responders in the fire and emergency services. The highest interest is among the 18-34 age bracket.
• Minority groups have expressed considerable interest (seven percent definitely interested and 29 percent possibly interested). The current makeup of the fire service suggests that this is an untapped recruiting market.
• Using a target of younger, interested individuals, Salter>Mitchell has identified the initial target market as more than 34 million individuals (adults in the 18-34 age range who have shown at least some interest in volunteering and adults in the 35-49 age range who have shown a high interest in volunteering).
• The research confirmed that there is low awareness of the volunteer fire and emergency services and a lack of knowledge about the national need for volunteers.
• Survey respondents listed boredom, poor leadership, lack of recognition, time requirements, and poor communication as some of the barriers to volunteering.

The research showed that sampling, or allowing potential volunteers to gain firsthand experience of the emergency services, is more likely to lead to a commitment to serve. Sampling activities can include ride-alongs, interacting with current firefighters, or programs such as Juniors/Explorers and Fire Corps.

More information on the campaign will be available in the coming months. Contact the NVFC at nvfcoffice@nvfc.org to ask questions or share best practices your department has identified in connection with recruitment and retention. The full NVFC release is at http://bit.ly/1KeEyvz.

TRANSCAER® prepares ND responders for hazmat incidents

Members of the North Dakota Firefighter’s Association (NDFA) secured training for an eight-stop Anhydrous Ammonia Training Tour held in the state. There were 469 participants. According to Renee Loh, North Dakota director of the National Volunteer Fire Council, in 2002, Minot, North Dakota, had experienced a train derailment that involved 31 freight cars, including 15 with anhydrous ammonia. This tour, she explains, “was an important training reminder for the first responders.”

TRANSCAER, or Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response, is a national outreach effort that focuses on assisting communities to prepare for and respond to hazardous materials transportation incidents. The group, made up of volunteer representatives from the chemical manufacturing, transportation, distributor, and response industries and government, trains first responders.

Another TRANSCAER training program, the Petrotroleum Crude Oil Training Tour, held in July 2014, included six stops in six North Dakota locations. In addition to firefighters and EMS personnel, the training included law enforcement, emergency managers, and other city officials and corporate entities, such as hospital personnel, who would be involved if an incident occurred. First responders, who rated the training “excellent,” were able to earn continuing education credits. This training provided responders with the opportunity to work together and network and to interact with representatives and instructors from BNSF Railway, a major U.S. rail service, enabling firefighters to fine-tune the protocols needed for the most effective responses.

This training was especially vital for the North Dakota firefighters, since more than one million gallons of oil are pumped and transported daily throughout the state. All of the firefighters in the state had the opportunity to attend both of these training events. Firefighters received hands-on instruction in a BNSF locomotive and its hazmat training car; they were given training materials and DVDs with pertinent information. More importantly, they were given national telephone numbers that will allow them to connect with CHEMTREC® for the timely and pertinent information required during an incident. To learn more about TRANSCAER and to access online training, visit www.transcaer.com. To find out how to set up a training tour in your state, go to http://www.transcaer.com/state.aspx.