[cifnmedia] FW: [Nvfc-members] House Leadership of Congressional Fire Services Caucus Laments Cuts to Fire Grant Program -----------------Your help is needed.
- From: "Randall W. Ruble" <randallruble@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <president@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2004 00:42:42 -0600
Please Read and Pass on..
_____
Your Help is needed....
We need to stand together and let the President know that these funds have
done a lot of good,
He many not be getting all the information he needs to make judgment on
this.
This one project has benefited so many small departments and has given new
hope to these small, under funded departments.
I know a lot of people do not realize what the small Volunteer Department is
or how they struggle to survive.
Let President Bush know that this money is important and has done massive
good for the fire service.
Seventy four percent of these nations' fire fighters are volunteer or
combination and most do not have the resources they need. We need the Fire
Act funded to the full $750 Million and then some.
Stand up and be heard. Write the President, your Senator and Congressman.
Let them know we need this and their support and thank them for their past
support.
Pass this on.
Thanks
Randy
President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Randall W. Ruble
Secretary
Pittsfield Fire Department
President
Twin Pike Mutual Aide Association
624 North Dutton
Pittsfield, Il 62363
217-370-1051
Fax: 303-736-7079
Email: randallruble@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
_____
From: nvfc-members-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:nvfc-members-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Craig Sharman
Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2004 11:03 AM
To: nvfc-members@xxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Nvfc-members] House Leadership of Congressional Fire Services
Caucus Laments Cuts to Fire Grant Program
House Leadership of Congressional Fire Services Caucus Laments Cuts to Fire
Grant Program
Washington, D.C. - The House leadership of the Congressional Fire Services
Caucus sent a letter on February 12 to President Bush urging him to
reconsider his decision to significantly reduce funding for the Assistance
to Firefighters Grant Program. In his fiscal year 2005 budget, the Bush
Administration proposes reducing the $750 million grant program by
one-third, for a cut of $250 million dollars. The House leaders of the
Congressional Fire Services Caucus who signed onto the letter were:
Representatives Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Curt Weldon (R-PA), Sherwood Boehlert
(R-NY), Rob Andrews (D-NJ), Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), and Nick Smith (R-MI).
The lawmakers stated in the letter, "Considering that nearly $3 billion in
applications were submitted for the current program year, and also taking
into account the recent Council on Foreign Relations report which
highlighted the underfunding of our fire departments, a $250 million
reduction in funding is unacceptable."
Following is the text of the letter:
Dear Mr. President:
We write to express our deep concern over the treatment of the Assistance to
Firefighters Grant Program in your fiscal year 2005 budget submission. As
co-chairs of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, we have resisted
repeated attempts to reduce or eliminate funding for this vital program,
whose purpose is to bring fire departments to a base line of readiness.
We are particularly troubled by the decision to reduce by one third the $750
million appropriated by Congress during each of the past two years - a
funding level by which Congress has demonstrated both its strong bipartisan
support for the Fire Grant program, as well as its understanding of the
contributions this program has made to our firefighters and the communities
they serve. Considering that nearly $3 billion in applications were
submitted for the current program year, and also taking into account the
recent Council on Foreign Relations report which highlighted the
underfunding of our fire departments, a $250 million reduction in funding is
unacceptable.
Further, we do not accept the assertion, based upon the findings of a
Program Assessment Rating Tool, that the Fire Grant program "is unfocused
and has not been able to demonstrate its impact on public safety." The fact
is that this program has positively impacted public safety by providing
nearly $2 billion for infrared cameras, hazmat detection devices, improved
breathing apparatuses, advanced training and fitness programs, fire engines,
and interoperable communication systems. This is the basic equipment our
fire departments need to effectively respond to all hazards.
We call upon you to release the complete results of this Program Assessment
Rating Tool, so that Congress may take into account these findings when
making important decisions about the fiscal year 2005 funding level, as well
as during consideration of legislation to reauthorize the grant program.
Additionally, we ask for clarification on the categories eligible for
funding. It appears as though the budget would eliminate the noncompetitive
grants, which focus on prevention initiatives, as well as a number of other
programs. Saving lives starts with prevention. Just as the budget proposes
millions in funding to prevent potential terrorist attacks, it should not
overlook the importance of prevention as it relates to fires and other
dangers that claim the lives of thousands of Americans every year.
Finally, we are concerned about the recommendation that the Office of
Domestic Preparedness "place greater emphasis on the unique role of Federal
funds, particularly for terrorism preparedness." As you know, many in
Congress did not support the decision last year to transfer the Fire Grant
program to the jurisdiction of ODP, and many of us publicly committed to
ensuring that the program continue to meet the basic firefighting and
emergency response needs of our career and volunteer fire departments,
rather than becoming an additional anti-terrorism grant program. This
recommendation seems to justify our concerns.
Mr. President, we urge you to reconsider your budget recommendation for the
Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, and to work with Congress to fully
fund the program and guarantee that it remains designed to meet the every
day needs of the men and women serving our nation in the fire service. We
ask far too many of them to risk their lives in our defense everyday with
insufficient training and inadequate equipment, and we have an obligation to
provide them the necessary resources to perform their jobs as safely and
effectively as possible.
ACTION: Contact your Senators and Representative immediately and ask them to
support full funding of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program at the
$900 million level in FY 2005 and to ensure that the program continues to
focus on basic firefighting and emergency response needs. If you do not know
their telephone number or address visit:
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/officials or call the U.S. Capitol
Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.
Due to the delay in getting mail to members of Congress, telephone and fax
are the preferred ways to communicate with your elected officials in
Washington.
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