https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
  • Resources & Events
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
  • Resources/Events
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers/eBooks
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Magazine
acc.com


House tackles fire service bill

House tackles fire service bill

In April, the country watched in fascination as an Atlanta firefighter rescued a construction worker trapped on a high-rise crane that was about to be
  • Written by Mark Preston
  • 1st July 1999

In April, the country watched in fascination as an Atlanta firefighter rescued a construction worker trapped on a high-rise crane that was about to be engulfed in flames. For days following the dramatic rescue, news programs across the country repeatedly showed the firefighter dangling from a helicopter and plucking the worker out of the sky. In times of crisis, firefighters are cities’ and counties’ first line of defense. Yet, during budget time, they are forgotten by the federal government. And local governments are having a difficult time finding the money to properly fund their fire departments.

This year, the federal government will spend just $32 million on fire prevention and training, compared to the $11 billion it has earmarked for law enforcement programs. But a bipartisan group of congressmen hopes to change that funding inadequacy by dramatically increasing federal assistance to both professional and volunteer fire departments.

Led by U.S. Rep. William Pascrell (D-N.J.), 139 congressmen – ranging from conservative Republican Howard Coble of North Carolina to liberal Democrat John Oliver of Massachusetts – are calling on their congressional colleagues to support the Firefighter Investment and Response Enhancement Act (FIRE). If passed, the bill would pump $5 billion into the nation’s fire departments over the next five years.

Modeled after the COPS program that was created to put 100,000 community police officers on the nation’s streets, FIRE would provide grants to fire departments on a 90/10 matching basis. Cities and counties could use the money to hire more firefighters, purchase new equipment or conduct advanced training and education programs.

Pascrell, the former mayor of Paterson, N.J., says the federal government has “overlooked the other half of the public safety equation for too long. These [p eople] are the first to respond and the last to leave,” he says. “Now we need to respond on the federal level.”

Bill Webb, executive director of Congressional Fire Services Institute, believes fire safety, unlike crime and education, is not an issue that resonates in voters’ minds. But, he warns, fire is a serious problem that needs Congress’s immediate attention.

While statistics show that fire-related deaths have dropped (from 6,215 in 1988 to 4,050 in 1997), the United States still has one of the highest fire death rates in the industrialized world, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. Nationwide, fire kills more Americans each year than all natural disasters combined.

The danger to those who battle the blazes also is high. In 1997, as a result of their work, 94 firefighters died and another 85,400 were injured. Last month, two firefighters in Washington, D.C., and another in New York City died battling blazes.

Federal money is no panacea, Pascrell says. But, he notes, it could go a long way towards bolstering manpower, training, education and prevention.

George Burke, a spokesman for the International Association of Firefighters, agrees that Congress has neglected the fire service for too long. “The bottom line is fire departments across this nation have been feeling a financial squeeze for the better part of a decade,” Burke says. “It is time for us to get more funding.”

Pascrell says he is optimistic the FIRE bill will not sit on the congressional shelf collecting dust this year. He says support for the bill is gaining momentum and that a number of senators have expressed an interest in authoring a similar version of the FIRE bill.

Tags:

Most Recent


  • Report: Local and state governments are facing a retention crisis; the worst could be yet to come
    When the pandemic struck in 2020, public retention was hit hard: jobs in local government plummeted by 8.5 percent; state employment dropped by 4.4 percent. Two years later, local and state government jobs have rebounded by about half—to 4.1 and 1.9 percent below pre-pandemic levels respectively, according to a new report from Mission Square Research […]
  • Amid an unprecedented increase in federal spending, cities and counties stand to benefit from partnerships
    The so-called “American dream” of upward mobility has more or less stagnated: Today, a little more than 40 percent of children raised at the bottom of the income ladder remain there as adults, according to Pew Charitable Trusts, and only half grow up to earn more than their parents. This data points to a concerning […]
  • hybrid technology
    Governments using technology to harness data and improve decision-making
    There’s one kind of technology that state and local governments covet, says Rob Carey, president of Cloudera Government Solutions. “While supporting multiple state and local government agencies, our team has noticed an increase in the need for hybrid cloud solutions.” A hybrid cloud is the combination of both public and private cloud deployment models. In […]
  • Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
    Infrastructure highlighted by city leaders as top priority in analysis of 60 mayoral addresses
    After two years of ping-pong lockdown orders, mask mandates, unprecedented vaccine drives and economic uncertainty, cities across the United States are beginning to emerge in the pandemic’s aftermath, and they’re prioritizing infrastructure, according to a report published Wednesday by the National League of Cities (NLC).  “The new normal, as we now understand it, is here,” […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • NLC releases State of Cities 2021 report
  • How governments can keep employees safe as they return to work
  • Lessons from your friendly neighborhood public service employees
  • North Texas alliance partners with Marketplace.city on smart government solutions

White papers


How to Assemble a Rockstar Website Redesign Steering Committee

7th June 2022

Hand Hygiene: Compliance Matters

23rd May 2022

What it Takes to Build a Winning Esports Program

23rd May 2022
view all

Events


PODCAST


Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

1st July 2020
view all

Twitter


AmerCityCounty

Report: Local and state governments are facing a retention crisis; the worst could be yet to come dlvr.it/SSnmS7

24th June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Amid an unprecedented increase in federal spending, cities and counties stand to benefit from partnerships dlvr.it/SSkGBn

23rd June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Governments using technology to harness data and improve decision-making dlvr.it/SSk3H0

23rd June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Infrastructure highlighted by city leaders as top priority in analysis of 60 mayoral addresses dlvr.it/SSgBck

22nd June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Oklahoma City puts the focus on employees when implementing changes in office technology dlvr.it/SSfyns

22nd June 2022
AmerCityCounty

We want to hear from you! Please take this brief survey and let us know how your organization is managing your budg… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

22nd June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Buying smart solutions: Technology is now part of (almost) every government purchase dlvr.it/SSbj3Z

21st June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Amid tech labor shortage, outsourcing digital services could provide relief dlvr.it/SSbj23

21st June 2022

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2022 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X