With Quebec Firefighters Delayed At Border While Responding To Blaze In Rouses Point, Schumer Calls On CBP To Employ New System To Ensure ...

Press Release

With Quebec Firefighters Delayed At Border While Responding To Blaze In Rouses Point, Schumer Calls On CBP To Employ New System To Ensure First-Responders Can Quickly Cross Border

Two days after Quebec firefighters were delayed crossing the U.S.-Canadian border while responding to a fire a few miles away in Rouses Point, NY, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today called on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to employ a regular system that would allow first-responders from the two countries to swiftly cross the border so they can offer mutual assistance. First responders in communities dotting the New York State and Canadian border regularly participate in Mutual Aid calls where first responders from one country will cross the border to provide assistance, when requested, to their counterparts facing an emergency.

However, on Sunday night, Quebec firefighters responding to a fire at Rouses Point's Anchorage restaurant were held up at the border, leaving local firefighters on the scene of the fire without much-needed backup and creating what the Clinton County fire coordinator termed a "risky situation." Today, with DHS threatening to implement new border rules in as little as two months, Schumer called on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to develop and implement a permanent system that will allow responders to swiftly cross the border.

"Sunday's blaze at the Anchorage restaurant has made it crystal clear that we need a better system for moving first responders across so that communities like Rouses Point can have the resources they need in life or death situations, where minutes matter" said Senator Schumer. "Border communities in both New York and Canada rely on each other's first responders to provide vital backup, and Sunday's events served as an unfortunate reminder of the need to incorporate a system that will make sure first responders can swiftly cross the borders while not compromising our border security."

This past Sunday, The Anchorage, a landmark restaurant in Rouses Point, was destroyed by a serious fire. A Mutual Aid call was issued, meaning that nearby firefighters from both the American and Canadian sides of the border were called to battle the blaze. While firefighters from the Rouses Point area quickly arrived at the scene of the fire, firefighters from Lacolle and St. Paul Isle Noix fire departments in Quebec were delayed as they tried to the cross the border en route to the fire. Although it is still unclear how long the trucks were delayed, various reports have placed it between eight minutes and 45 minutes.

It has long been the practice for Canadian and American fire departments to support each other in responding to emergencies. Especially in remote or rural areas, these arrangements are critical to the protection of the American and Canadian populaces. Smaller towns in New York cannot afford to maintain a fire department equipped for larger emergencies, and their safety depends on the assistance of their neighbors across the border.

However, Schumer today noted that he is not aware of any arrangement that CBP has made to ensure that this mutual protection can continue, despite the fact that you have pledged to begin the first phase of WHTI implementation in January 2008.

Schumer today recommended that a permanent system be put in place to ensure first-responders can quickly cross the border, while making sure border security is not compromised. Specifically, Schumer requested that CBP consider establishing a pre-clearance system for first responders and also to allowing emergency vehicles to cross the border immediately, if CBP is notified by the appropriate American authority that emergency assistance has been requested.

Schumer wrote, "CBP urgently needs to develop a plan for first responders that will ensure the security of our borders without sacrificing the safety of our population.

Below is a letter the Senator sent today to the CBP:

November 13, 2007

Dear Secretary Chertoff:

I write to draw your attention to the urgent problem of border crossing access for first responders, and to request that you develop a plan to address this issue before beginning implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). While I support the mission of Customs and Border Protection to ensure that every individual who crosses the border is admissible to the United States, recent events make clear that CBP must develop a better strategy to meet this goal while also ensuring that emergency responders are not delayed at the border.

It has long been the practice for Canadian and American fire departments to support each other in responding to emergencies. Especially in remote or rural areas, these arrangements are critical to the protection of the American and Canadian populaces. Smaller towns in New York cannot afford to maintain a fire department equipped for larger emergencies, and their safety depends on the assistance of their neighbors across the border. To date, I am not aware of any arrangement that CBP has made to ensure that this mutual protection can continue, despite the fact that you have pledged to begin the first phase of WHTI implementation in January 2008.

On November 11, two fire departments from Quebec responded to a call for mutual aid in Clinton County, NY. While the fire raged, the Canadian fire trucks and fire fighters were delayed for many minutes at the border as CBP officers processed the vehicle and its occupants. The fire coordinator for Clinton County Emergency Services reportedly stated that this lengthy delay created a "risky situation" by extending the strain on American firefighters who were battling the flames and needed to be relieved by the Canadian forces. The fire completely destroyed the landmark Anchorage restaurant in Rouses Point, NY.

WHTI could also negatively affect American fire departments that depend on protection contracts in Canada for operating expenses. Based on a constituent report, I am aware that at least one American firefighter has had trouble returning to the United States after responding to an emergency call in Canada. If WHTI compels American fire departments to relinquish their Canadian protection contracts, it will pose a threat to the safety of both Americans and Canadians who are served by these departments.

Given the seriousness of this matter and your pledge to implement WHTI beginning in just a few months, CBP urgently needs to develop a plan for first responders that will ensure the security of our borders without sacrificing the safety of our population. Specifically, I respectfully request that CBP consider whether it would be possible to pre-clear the admissibility of Canadian firefighters and other first responders and then to allow emergency vehicles to cross the border immediately, if CBP is notified by the appropriate American authority that emergency assistance has been requested.

Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter. I ask that CBP report back to me at the earliest opportunity to explain how it plans to address the needs of first responders at the border.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Schumer

United States Senator

Source