NEEDA - National Emergency Equipment Dealers Association

The new Homeland Department Secretary Michael Chertoff says 230 grants are being made to fire departments in the thirty-eighth round of the Fiscal Year 2004 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program.

These funds were for the twelve months beginning September 2003 and do not reflect the reductions called for by the President's recently announced budget.

The 2004 grants will ultimately total 8,000 awards worth $750 million in direct assistance to fire departments throughout the country.

In addition, the Department today announced 28 grants to fire departments as well as national, state and local organizations in the third round of the Fire Prevention and Safety grants, also part of the Fiscal Year 2004 Assistance to Firefighter Grant program (AFG).

The Fire Prevention and Safety Program prioritizes projects focusing on the prevention of fire-related injuries to children. Many of these awards represent innovative solutions for the delivery of fire prevention activities throughout the United States.

Matt A. Mayer, Acting Executive Director of the Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP): "We recognize the importance of the Fire Act Grants to our nation's fire departments and we will continue to work closely with the fire service community to meet their needs."

The thirty-eighth round of grants provides $28,954,054 to help local fire departments purchase firefighting equipment, fund firefighter health and safety programs, enhance emergency medical services programs, and conduct fire education and prevention programs. In addition, the third round of Fire Prevention and Safety grants provides $2,991,419 to help address fire prevention and safety issues with a focus toward the high-risk target groups of children, seniors, and firefighters.

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is administered by the Department's Office for Domestic Preparedness in cooperation with the Department's United States Fire Administration.

David Paulison, Administrator of the Department of Homeland Security's United States Fire Administrator: "The Assistance to Firefighters grants represent a major effort by the federal government to ensure the nation's firefighters continue to have the basic capability they require to do their jobs, improve safety and save lives."

On March 1, 2003, the Office for Domestic Preparedness became a part of the Department of Homeland Security. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-296) designated ODP as the principal federal agency responsible for the preparedness of the United States for acts of terrorism, including coordinating preparedness efforts at the federal level, and working with all state, local, tribal, parish, and private sector emergency response providers on all matters pertaining to combating terrorism, including training, exercises and equipment support. To support this mission, ODP administers a number of programs that provide a wide array of support to our nation's emergency preparedness and response community. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp.

The United States Fire Administration (USFA) is a division of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) within the Department of Homeland Security.

MORE INFO? www.firegrantsupport.com/awards
and www.firegrantsupport.com/fps/awards/ and www.usfa.fema.gov and www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp.

FEDERAL SMART CARD USE BEING USED BY 3.4 MILLION EMPLOYEES: BUT HOW CAN A DEALER TELL IF THE EMPLOYEE HAS AUTHORITY TO USE GOVERNMENT CREDIT CARD?
Originally Posted: March 11, 2005 1:45 PM
Last Updated: March 11, 2005 1:45 PM

Dealers who sell to Federal government employees who seek to use government credit cards to pay for purchases will see more and more use of the Federal smart card ID system.

The use of smart cards for Federal ID is extensive. The Department of Defense Common Access Card (CAC) is used by 3.4 million employees and contractors.

Other agencies which use the smart card are General Services Administration, Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Veterans Affairs, and the National Aeronautical and Space Administration.

The advantage is that the card can be OK by electronic screening rather than have a guard eyeball the card for authenticity.

The basis for this: "Technical Implementation Guidance: Smart Card Enabled Physical Access Control Systems" published in July 2004. This has been approved by the Government Smart Card Interagency Advisory Board. The goal is a government wide system.

"The cards I have seen have the picture of the employee, their name, department, date of issue, date of expiration, and employee ID number," commented NEEDA Executive Director, Kenton Pattie. "But dealers would not have a way of sceening the information in these cards unless authorized by a Federal agency. So the question still remains: Does this employee have the authority to use the Federal credit card to make this purchase?"

HOMELAND SECURITY DEPARTMENT GETS "F" UNDER 2002 FEDERAL LAW": FEDERAL iNFORMATION SECURITY MANAGEMENT ACT
Originally Posted: March 11, 2005 1:33 PM
Last Updated: March 11, 2005 1:33 PM

The US Federal government is being criticized by Congress for the status of information technology security -- a key element in the war on terrorism.

For example, the following US Departments received F in both 2003 and 2004 for their information technology performance:
Department of Agriculture
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Department of Homeland Security

Only one US agency got an A for 2004. In contrast the US Department of Defense got a D in both 2003 and 2004.

The reports on IT performance were required under the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002.
Needless to say, these performances did not impress Congress where members feel that the Federal government should have an efficient and invulonerable information technology system.

The key House unit on this issue: House Government Reform Committee. Many government officials complained about the "high visibility report cards." They feel that the report cards' grading criteria are not clear and there is no correlation between any department and its future Federal funding levels.

Government employees point out that they are integrating computer security with physical security. Digital video systems or "intrusion systems" monitor people, burglaries and the safety of government property.

Many agencies say they are integrating IT and physical security making the Chif Security Officer and the Chief Information Security office as highly important and integrated.

Kenton Pattie, NEEDA Executive Director, commented that "Congress is getting more frustrated with key Federal agencies not showing improvement in security. This issue will occupy some time in Congress this year; but the pressure is on the Bush Administration to improve executive performance and tighten up proceedures. For the Homeland Security Department to get an "F" in "security" is just not acceptable and could become a political issue in future elections if it is not taken care of. I think the problem is that the Department is so huge, with so many subparts, it is very hard to whip it into shape. Congress will look to the new Department Secretary to get on top of this issue in 2005. In contrast, agencies did a good job in preparing for and taking the nation through the year 2000 when terrorist threats to the government's security system was predicted but never happened."

CALIFORNIA FIREFIGHTERS FIGHT SCHWARZENEGGER PLAN TO PRIVATIZE STATE PENSION FUNDS
Originally Posted: March 4, 2005 3:58 PM
Last Updated: March 4, 2005 3:58 PM

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA) should immediately stop campaigning and fundraising for, and announce his opposition to, a ballot measure to privatize state pension funds because the plan would end payments to the families of police officers and firefighters who die or are injured on the job, according to the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR).

A recent poll showed that a majority of California voters oppose the $70 million cost of a November special election proposed by Governor Schwarzenegger for his special interest ballot initiatives.

"Firefighters and police officers put themselves in harm's way to protect us, and when they die in the line of duty their families should be protected too," said Jerry Flanagan of FTCR. "Schwarzenegger's plan to put Wall Street financiers in charge of public pension funds threatens the financial security of nurses, firefighters, police officers and their families."

In its analysis, the California Attorney General's office found that the Schwarzenegger-backed ballot measure will put an end to payments to the families of police officers and firefighters who are killed or injured on the job. The families would receive a one-time payment of a few thousand dollars as opposed to monthly payments over many years.

FIRE ACT GRANTS TOTAL $14.5 MILLION
Originally Posted: March 4, 2005 3:46 PM
Last Updated: March 4, 2005 3:46 PM

The thirty-seventh round of grants provides $14,490,631 to help local fire departments purchase firefighting equipment, fund firefighter health and safety programs, enhance emergency medical services programs, and conduct fire education and prevention programs.

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is administered by the Department's Office for Domestic Preparedness in cooperation with the Department's United States Fire Administration.

"The Assistance to Firefighters grants represent a major effort by the federal government to ensure the nation's firefighters continue to have the basic capability they require to do their jobs, improve safety and save lives," said David Paulison, Administrator of the Department of Homeland Security's United States Fire Administration.

EXECUTIVE FIRE OFFICERS INVITED JUNE 1-3 2005 EMMITSBURG PA
Originally Posted: March 4, 2005 3:43 PM
Last Updated: March 4, 2005 3:43 PM

Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary of Homeland Security
for Emergency Preparedness and Response (EP&R) is hosting the 17th annual Executive Fire Officer Program (EFOP) Graduate Symposium that had originally been planned for April 2005 has been rescheduled for June 1-3, 2005.

This important alumni event for graduates of the United States Fire Administration's Executive Fire Officer Program was attended by over 200 attendees in 2004. The symposium features a combination of educational sessions that reinforce the major EFOP curriculum themes, including
executive leadership, applied research, community risk reduction, and theplanning, management and mitigation of all types of emergency incidents,including those involving terrorism.

"I join with President Bush and Secretary Chertoff in their support of opportunities for leaders of the Nation's fire departments to expand their knowledge and abilities to contribute to this Nation's homeland security," said Brown. "Today's fire service leadership faces significant challenges in support of the safety of our Nation. They are challenged by community fire threats but must also prepare for and respond to natural and technological
hazards."

Four current EFOP participants will present their 2004 Outstanding Applied Research Award winning papers and be recognized for their contributions to the ever growing body of knowledge of America's fire service. The Symposium
provides yet another opportunity to network with EFOP alumni and further extend these networking relationships.

AIR EVAC HELICOPTER BIZ FACES NEW FEDERAL RULES INCLUDING INSTALLATION OF MORE SAFETY EQUIPMENT
Originally Posted: March 4, 2005 3:31 PM
Last Updated: March 4, 2005 3:48 PM

As NEEDA NEWSLETTER previously reported, there is rising concern about the safety of helicopter emergency evacuation. There have been some crashes with loss of equipment and personnel.

The New York Times, ran a page one story on this subject February 28, 2005 and since then it has been discussed in other publications and on the internet.

There have been 27 recent fatal air evac accidents. Most were at night and in bad weather. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed flight safety improvements.

Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board has issued recommendations to the FAA.

There is a lot of discussion of pilot error. Industry sources tell NEEDA that there are far more air evac services working today than in previous years, so it is not unusual to see the number of problems increase as the number of rescue and transportation incidents increase. Some point to the shortage of well trained experienced pilots.

But, with costs going as high as $5000-$8000 per evacuation, the cost of these services is causing some to challenge the medical necessity for helicopter evac.

Some air evac services are selling memberships in which a homeowner or property owner pays a fee to belong and the membership guarantees them an evac pickup if needed.

There are 350,000 medical pick ups a year. Whereas these used to be done by hospitals, Federal criticism of nonprofit hospital helicopter operation has resulted in more commercial firms providing the evac service. The rapid growth of the private evac business may be one of the issues affecting the number of crashes.

The Federal government is now insisting on terrain warning systems, night vision goggles, radar altimeters and other new technical equipment on all evac helicopters. The government is calling for more weather information for helicopter pilots.

PRESIDENT BUSH ISSUES NEW MARITIME SECURITY DIRECTIVE: INTERESTS OF STATE, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND PRIVATE SECTOR TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT
Originally Posted: March 4, 2005 3:07 PM
Last Updated: March 4, 2005 3:07 PM

NEEDA NEWSLETTER has previously reported there is still a big gap in US port security. But the Bush Administration is moving ahead with the reorganization and new authority to focus on port and maritime security. Click on the headline of this story and you'll see the entire Presiodential Directive.

Participating agencies include the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, the CIA, the FBI and the National Counter-terrorism Center.

" To coordinate international outreach efforts, under the direction of the Secretary of State.

" To create a domestic outreach engagement plan, under the direction of the Homeland Security Secretary and the Attorney General, to ensure that the interests of state and local governments, as well as the private sector, are taken into account in the development and implementation of federal maritime security policies.