Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2007

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2007 -- (House of Representatives - May 25, 2006)

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Mr. HOYER. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank Congressmen Martin Sabo and Curt Weldon for their leadership not only on this amendment, but also on so many issues of importance to our nation's fire service.

I also want to express my sincere appreciation to chairman Rogers for his support of our first responders and his assistance in bringing this important amendment to the floor.

Finally, I would be remiss if I did not recognize the contributions that Bill Pascrell has made to our nation's firefighters, notably his authoring of the original legislation to establish the assistance to the firefighters grant program.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment provides much-needed increases to both the fire grant and safer programs, and it moves us closer to fulfilling our obligation to ensure that our nation's firefighters have the resources necessary to guarantee their own safety--and to allow them to better serve each of our communities.

This amendment brings the funding in the bill to $651 million--$541 million for fire grants and $110 million for safer.

This is $357.6 million above the level requested by the president, and is a reflection of congress's commitment to ensuring that our fire departments are properly staffed, trained and equipped.

However, these amounts are still well below the authorized levels, and far from meeting the needs of the fire service.

Thus, we must continue to work to increase the funding levels for each of these programs--this year and in the future.

The fire grant program was established by congress in 2000 to meet the basic equipment, training and firefighter safety requirements of America's fire service, and to bring all fire departments to a baseline of readiness to respond to all hazards.

The fire grant program has been a tremendous success, and congress has provided more than $3.5 billion for infrared cameras, HAZMAT detection devices, modern breathing apparatuses, improved training and physical fitness programs, new turnout gear, fire trucks, and interoperable communications equipment, to name but a few items.

The simple fact is that the equipment and training provided by these grants have saved the lives of firefighters and average citizens in communities across America, and I am proud to have played a role in establishing and funding this program.

The safer program--authorized three years ago and funded for--is a vital complement to the fire grant program because insufficient staffing, defined by the national fire protection association as fewer than four firefighters per apparatus, is a very real problem for far too many of the nation's career and volunteer fire departments.

Responding with fewer than four firefighters per apparatus prevents the first responder unit from complying with OSHA's ``2-in/2-Out'' standard for safe fire ground operation, and adds unnecessary risk to the already dangerous job of fire suppression.

NFPA estimates that an additional 75,000 firefighters are required across the country, and the additional funding we provide today will help move us closer to that goal.

Mr. Chairman, we have an obligation to provide our firefighters with the necessary resources to perform their jobs as safely and effectively as possible.

With the adoption of this amendment, and our continued support of the fire grant and safer programs, we fulfill this obligation made by firefighters across our nation.

Again, I thank Chairman Rogers for accepting this amendment, and for his leadership and continued support of the nation's firefighters.

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