Washington, D.C. – Senator John McCain (AZ) will serve as Chairman of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus during the 108th Congress. An original co-chairman of the Fire Caucus, Senator McCain is a major supporter of first responders. He has authored many pieces of legislation benefiting the fire service, including legislation to improve interoperability of public safety communications and to safeguard against the transportation of hazardous materials without proper placarding. Two years ago, he was one of eleven members of Congress who received the CFSI Legislator of the Year Award for his work on the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. Senator McCain serves as chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, which has oversight of the United States Fire Administration (USFA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). He succeeds out going chairman, Senator Paul Sarbanes (MD).
On Wednesday, February 5th, McCain and Congressman Dave Camp (MI-4) reintroduced the Firefighting Research and Coordination Act. The legislation, which was previously introduced in the 107th Congress, directs certain federal agencies and other interested organizations to develop measurement techniques and testing methodologies, and to support the development of voluntary consensus standards through national standards development organizations, for evaluating the performance, compatibility, and safety of new firefighting equipment.
The bill directs the U.S. Fire Administrator to work with state and local fire service officials to establish nationwide and state mutual aid systems for responding to national emergencies. It also instructs USFA to develop a strategy for establishing a national credentialing system and authorizes the National Fire Academy to offer courses in building collapse rescue, the use of technology in response to terrorist attacks, and deployment of new technology for fighting wildfires and fires in coastal ports.
