NEEDA - National Emergency Equipment Dealers Association

From: National Emergency Equipment Dealers Association (NEEDA)

Each year, more than 4,000 Americans die and more than 25,000 are injured in fires, many of which could be prevented. Direct property loss due to fires is estimated at $8.6 billion annually.

Fire spreads quickly; there is no time to gather valuables or make a phone call. In just two minutes, a fire can become life-threatening. In five minutes, a residence can be engulfed in flames.

Heat and smoke from fire can be more dangerous than the flames. Inhaling the super-hot air can sear your lungs. Fire produces poisonous gases that make you disoriented and drowsy. Instead of being awakened by a fire, you may fall into a deeper sleep. Asphyxiation is the leading cause of fire deaths, exceeding burns by a three-to-one ratio.

Install smoke alarms. Properly working smoke alarms decrease your chances of dying in a fire by half.

Place smoke alarms on every level of your residence. Place them outside bedrooms on the ceiling or high on the wall (4 to 12 inches from ceiling), at the top of open stairways, or at the bottom of enclosed stairs and near (but not in) the kitchen.

Test and clean smoke alarms once a month and replace batteries at least once a year. Replace smoke alarms once every 10 years.

Escape! Review escape routes with your family. Practice escaping from each room. Hanging around trying to put out the fire puts you in danger and won't save your property.

Make sure windows are not nailed or painted shut. Make sure security gratings on windows have a fire safety opening feature so they can be easily opened from the inside.

Consider escape ladders if your residence has more than one level, and ensure that burglar bars and other antitheft mechanisms that block outside window entry are easily opened from the inside.

Teach family members to stay low to the floor (where the air is safer in a fire) when escaping from a fire.

Clean out storage areas. Do not let trash, such as old newspapers and magazines, accumulate.

Never use gasoline, benzine, naptha, or similar flammable liquids indoors.
Store flammable liquids in approved containers in well-ventilated storage areas.
Never smoke near flammable liquids.

Discard all rags or materials that have been soaked in flammable liquids after you have used them. Safely discard them outdoors in a metal container.
Insulate chimneys and place spark arresters on top. The chimney should be at least three feet higher than the roof. Remove branches hanging above and around the chimney.

Be careful when using alternative heating sources.

Ask your local fire chief about the legality of using kerosene heaters in your community. Fill kerosene heaters outside, and be sure they have cooled.
Place heaters at least three feet away from flammable materials. Make sure the floor and nearby walls are properly insulated.

Use only the type of fuel designated for your unit and follow manufacturer’s instructions.

Store ashes in a metal container outside and away from your residence.
Keep open flames away from walls, furniture, drapery, and flammable items.
Keep a screen in front of the fireplace.

Have heating units inspected and cleaned annually by a certified specialist.
Matches and Smoking

Keep matches and lighters up high, away from children in a locked cabinet.

Never smoke in bed or when drowsy or medicated. Provide smokers with deep, sturdy ashtrays. Douse cigarette and cigar butts with water before disposal.
Electrical Wiring

Have the electrical wiring in your residence checked by an electrician.

Inspect extension cords for frayed or exposed wires or loose plugs.

Make sure outlets have cover plates and no exposed wiring.

Make sure wiring does not run under rugs, over nails, or across high-traffic areas.

Do not overload extension cords or outlets. If you need to plug in two or three appliances, get a UL-approved unit with built-in circuit breakers to prevent sparks and short circuits.

Make sure insulation does not touch bare electrical wiring.

Sleep with your door closed.

Install A-B-C-type fire extinguishers in your residence and teach family members how to use them.

Install an automatic fire sprinkler system in your residence.

Ask your local fire department to inspect your residence for fire safety and prevention.

If your clothes catch on fire stop, drop, and roll - until the fire is extinguished. Running adds oxygen so you will burn faster.

Check closed doors for heat before you open them. If you are escaping through a closed door, use the back of your hand to feel the top of the door, the doorknob, and the crack between the door and door frame before you open it. Never use the palm of your hand or fingers to test for heat - burning those areas could impair your ability to escape a fire (i.e., ladders and crawling).

Escape through a window. If you cannot escape, hang a white or light-colored sheet outside the window, alerting fire fighters to your presence. Open slowly and ensure fire and/or smoke is not blocking your escape route. If your escape route is blocked, shut the door immediately and use an alternate escape route, such as a window. If clear, leave immediately through the door and close it behind you. Be prepared to crawl. Smoke and heat rise. The air is clearer and cooler near the floor.

Crawl low under any smoke to your exit - heavy smoke and poisonous gases collect first along the ceiling.

Close doors behind you as you escape to delay the spread of the fire.

Stay out once you are safely out. Do not reenter. Call 9-1-1.

The following are guidelines for different circumstances in the period following a fire:

If you are with burn victims, or are a burn victim yourself, call 9-1-1; cool and cover burns to reduce chance of further injury or infection.

If you detect heat or smoke when entering a damaged building, evacuate immediately.

If you are a tenant, contact the landlord.

If you have a safe or strong box, do not try to open it. It can hold intense heat for several hours. If the door is opened before the box has cooled, the contents could burst into flames.

If you must leave your home because a building inspector says the building is unsafe, ask someone you trust to watch the property during your absence.

Every year Americans look forward to summer vacations, camping, family reunions, picnics, and the Fourth of July. Summertime, however, also brings fires and injuries due to fireworks and outdoor grills. Annually just under 10,000 Americans are injured by fireworks and almost 5,000 are injured by charcoal/wood-burning and propane grill fires.

In 2007, 64 percent of fireworks injuries occurred between June 22 and July 22.

Families also enjoy camping in the summer. It is important to follow the park's rules for the use and extinguishing of campfires.

Summertime should be a time for fun and making happy memories. Knowing a few fire safety tips and following instructions will help everyone have a safe summer.

The best way to enjoy fireworks is to visit public fireworks displays put on by professionals who know how to safely handle fireworks.

If you plan to use fireworks, make sure they are legal in your area.

Never light fireworks indoors or near dry grass.

Always have a bucket of water and/or a fire extinguisher nearby. Know how to operate the fire extinguisher properly.

Do not wear loose clothing while using fireworks.

Stand several feet away from lit fireworks. If a devise does not go off, do not stand over it to investigate it. Put it out with water and dispose of it.

Always read the directions and warning labels on fireworks. If a devise is not marked with the contents, direction and a warning label, do not light it.

Supervise children around fireworks at all times.

Before using a grill, check the connection between the propane tank and the fuel line. Make sure the venturi tubes - where the air and gas mix - are not blocked.

Do not overfill the propane tank.

Do not wear loose clothing while cooking at a barbecue.

Be careful when using lighter fluid. Do not add fluid to an already lit fire because the flame can flashback up into the container and explode.

Keep all matches and lighters away from children. Teach your children to report any loose matches or lighters to an adult immediately. Supervise children around outdoor grills.

Dispose of hot coals properly - douse them with plenty of water, and stir them to ensure that the fire is out. Never place them in plastic, paper or wooden containers.

Never grill/barbecue in enclosed areas - carbon monoxide could be produced.
Make sure everyone knows to Stop, Drop and Roll in case a piece of clothing does catch fire. Call 911 or your local emergency number if a burn warrants serious medical attention.

Build campfires where they will not spread, away from dry grass and leaves.
Keep campfires small, and don't let them get out of hand.

Keep plenty of water and a shovel around to douse the fire when you're done. Stir it and douse it again with water.

Never leave campfires unattended.

MORE INFO? fema.gov/areyouready/wildfires.shtm or FEMA Pubs: After the Fire: Returning to Normal. FA 046; Protecting Your Family From Fire. FA 130;
Fire Risks for the Hard of Hearing FA 202; Fire Risks for the Older Adult. FA 203; Fire Risks for the Mobility Impaired. FA 204; Fire Risks for the Blind or Visually Impaired. FA 205.

SUPREME COURT RULES IN FIREFIGHTER DISCRIMINATION CASE
Originally Posted: June 30, 2009 10:25 AM
Last Updated: June 30, 2009 10:25 AM

Justices Rule for White Firemen In Bias Lawsuit

The US Supreme Court ruled for white firefighters in New Haven, CT., who said city officials violated their rights when it threw out the results of a promotions test on which few minorities scored well. President Obama’s nominee for the high court, Judge Sonia Sotomayor, had been part of a unanimous panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit that endorsed a lower-court ruling upholding New Haven’s decision.

The case was a victory for conservative groups and the firefighters, who said the city’s resolution denied promotions based on skin color. The court’s conservatives prevailed in a decision that said employers needed a “strong basis in evidence” that a test is deficient before discarding the results, rather than just “raw racial statistics” that may indicate a subtle discrimination.

Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote for the five-member majority: “No individual should face workplace discrimination based on race.”

Civil rights groups said the decision would create a hurdle for employers, especially in the public sector, seeking to diversify their workforces without violating the law.

HOMELAND SECURITY ENDS ONE PROGRAM FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN FAVOR OF "LOCAL FUSION CENTERS"
Originally Posted: June 30, 2009 10:18 AM
Last Updated: June 30, 2009 10:18 AM

US Homeland Secretary Napolitano says she will end the National Applications Office (NAO) program, following a five-month review conducted with the department’s law enforcement, emergency management, and intelligence community partners.

Homeland Security's Bart Johnson recommended ending the program in favor of more urgent priorities — including state and local fusion centers and the National Suspicious Reporting (SAR) Initiative.

FUNDING FOR LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENTS: US HOUSE AND SENATE ACTION
Originally Posted: June 26, 2009 1:18 PM
Last Updated: June 26, 2009 1:18 PM

Wednesday, June 24th, the House passed H.R. 2892, the Fiscal Year 2010 Homeland Security Appropriations Act. The spending bill was approved by a vote of 389-37. The bill provides $42.6 billion in funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), an increase of $2.6 billion over Fiscal Year 2009, but $205 million less than requested by the Obama Administration.

The bill includes $420 million for the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant program, doubling the amount of funding for this critical program. The bill also provides $390 million for the Assistance to Firefighters (FIRE) Grant program. While this represents a 31% cut in funding to the program, Congress provided a significant increase in funding over the Obama Administration's request. The White House initially requested only $170 million for the FIRE Grant program; a 70% cut to Fiscal Year 2009's enacted level.

The House Appropriations Committee initially approved $380 million for the FIRE Grant program. During the debate by the full House, Congressman David Price (NC-4), chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, sponsored an amendment that increased funding for the FIRE Grant program by $10 million. The Price amendment was adopted by a vote of 345-85.

The Senate was expected to consider S. 1298, that chamber's version of the spending bill, before adjourning for the July 4th recess on Friday, June 26th; however it appears unlikely this will occur. While it is still a possibility, speculation is the Senate will take up the bill sometime after returning from the recess.

LUNG-SCARRING DISEASE RATE HIGH AMONG FIREFIGHTERS RESPONDING TO WORLD TRADE CENTER ATTACK 9-11
Originally Posted: June 26, 2009 1:13 PM
Last Updated: June 26, 2009 1:14 PM

A new onset of sarcoidosis – a once rare but serious lung-scarring condition – is on the rise among Ground Zero firefighters, according to a new clinical study. The study is said to be the first to link the disease with World Trade Center dust.

Earlier today, NEEDA NEWSLETTER, released info on a new report from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about cancer and lung disease.

Researchers from the Fire Department of New York's (FDNY) Bureau of Health Services, New York University and Albert Einstein College of Medicine compared the annual incidence rates of sarcoidosis in the 15 years before the collapse of the World Trade Center to the 5 years since 9/11. All of the firefighters were enrolled in FDNY's WTC Monitoring and Treatment Programs and underwent chest CT imaging, pulmonary function testing, provocative challenge and biopsy.

The nine authors of the study, headed by Dr. David Prezant, found that Ground Zero firefighters and rescue workers contracted sarcoidosis at a significantly higher rate than in the years previous to 9/11. They calculated that the post-9/11 incidence rate has been 86 cases per 100,000 workers – which is five times higher than the rate of sarcoidosis before the attack, which was 15 per 100,000.

26 Cases of Sarcoidosis Identified Since 9/11.

In total, 26 cases of sarcoidosis have been identified after Sept. 11, according to the study. Thirteen were diagnosed in the first year after the attack and the other 13 were diagnosed afterward. The reported stated that none of the 26 firefighters have died from the disease, but five firefighters currently are unable to work.

Sarcoidosis, which can be life-threatening, is characterized by inflammation in the lungs and other organs that causes the formation of lumps of cells called granulomas.

This study appears in the May issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians.

EPA ISSUES REPORT ON TOXIC AIR: SPOTLIGHTS RISK OF CANCER AND LUNG DISEASE
Originally Posted: June 26, 2009 12:37 PM
Last Updated: June 26, 2009 12:55 PM

By Kenton Pattie (NEEDA) and
David DeBiasi (ALA, Richmond, Virginia)

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has just released a report on "Air Toxics" which focuses on what causes cancer.

Cancer and lung disease is of particular concern to firefighters and other emergency responders because of the work conditions they encounter in responding to fires, local and national disasters. We have only to look at the terrible health consequences including lung and cancer experienced by firefighters who responded to the attack on the World Trade Center 9-11-02.

USA Today is expected to publish a story about this report in the next few days.

NEEDA Executive Director Kenton Pattie is a member of American Lung Association's Virginia committee and has also served on an advisory Committee of the American Cancer Society, Virginia. Through both organizations he has had an opportunity to advocate on these issues that affect firefighters and other citizens.

The National-Scale Air Toxics Assessment, looks at monitored levels of 181 specific air pollutants that are known or suspected to cause cancer, called “Air Toxics.”

EPA calls this a “state-of-the-science” tool to broadly estimate both the cancer and non-cancer risks from breathing these pollutants. These are a “‘snapshot’ in time” according to EPA, thus not the kind of analysis they would base regulations on. EPA has provided Google mapping for this assessment.

EPA concluded that: 2 million American people have an increased risk of cancer from the air toxics: a risk greater than 100 in one million, which is the level of greatest concern. These are risks based on assumed exposure at current levels over an entire life.

On average, approximately 1 in every 27,000 people face an “increased likelihood of contracting cancer as a result of breathing air toxics from outdoor sources if they were exposed to 2002 emission levels over the course of their lifetime.” Obviously, first responders are among the high risk group.

EPA’s assessment does not break out risks by type of cancer. However, they are looking only at cancers that occur because the toxics are inhaled. Cancers from eating the toxics (for example, mercury in fish) are not included.

The risks come from 3 major categories of sources:

Local industry “hotspots” produce about 25% of the average risk. Those hotspot emissions include tetrachloroethylene from drycleaners, for example, and emisssions from burning materials that produce toxic fumes.

Highways, ports, and rails, a category known as “mobile sources” produce about 30% of the risk. Most of this comes from benzene, which is emitted from motor vehicles.

A large group of persistent pollutants that remain in the atmosphere make up the “background” group and provide 45% of the increased risk. They do not appear to have a specific source.

Of course, diesel fumes are a part of the firefighter's work enfironment.
But, EPA's estimate does not include cancer risks from diesel particulates. EPA estimates that diesel is, in fact, the greatest source of increased cancer risk from air toxics. They did not add this in because of "limitations" in the data. Diesel particulates are included in the non-cancer respiratory impacts assessment.

They also assessed risk for non-cancer health problems, including a broad category called “respiratory effects.”

Some of the air toxics of greatest risk to lung health include benzene (the single biggest source in this assessment), acrolein, and diesel particulates.

This is the 3rd such study. This only uses 2002 data, which was the most current at the time the study began. The other two used 1996 data (published in 2002) and 1999 data (published in 2006). Due to changes in data and methodology, we cannot compare the three reports for trends. Some sources may have reduced or increased emissions since the 2002 data were collected.

EPA explains that these data should be used to help governments set priorities and identify problems, not to determine absolute numbers of cases or to regulate sources.

The study shows the 181 risks by census track locations on Google maps. The maps so where the toxics exist but now where they come from.

The National Emergency Equipment Dealers Association is pleased EPA has released its latest assessment of health risks from air toxics. Fire leaders and public health experts alike should study the results.

This assessment will help to inform us all of the harm from these hazardous pollutants in our local communities. It is so essential for us to identify the sources of toxics in the air we all breathe.

Air toxics are a group of 181 pollutants that research tells us cause or may be likely to cause cancer. Many of them also harm lung health in addition to causing cancer.

The report leaves out cancer risks associated with the air toxic that EPA feels may pose the greatest cancer risk: diesel pollution.

We know of diesel’s risks from other research, but EPA did not believe they had sufficient data available to quantify that risk. Because this report does not include diesel pollution in the cancer risks, the report may underestimate the risk for cancer from air toxics.

Some of the communities at risk include low income communities and communities of color. All too often, these communities face higher risks from all sources of air pollution because they are more likely to live near these sources and are more likely to have other health effects that may be worsened by these toxic pollutants. Every community deserves to breathe healthy air.

To the extent that the firefighters, EMS and other emergency responders work in sources of toxic air and are directly effected, this report is good. I hope it alerts the public to the threat that leads to cancer and lung disease. We would welcome more information on protecting firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and other emergency responders.

MORE INFO? www.epa.gov

TRADE SHOW COMPANY SEEKS PRESENTERS AND WORKSHOP LEADERS FOR FDIC APRIL 19-14, 2010
Originally Posted: June 25, 2009 6:37 PM
Last Updated: June 25, 2009 6:37 PM

How about being a speaker or workshop leader at FDIC 2010, to be held in
Indianapolis, IN, April 19-24, 2010?

Deadline for speaker submissions: July 1, 2009.

Presenter’s Name _______________________________________ Rank _________________________

Co-Presenter (Workshop Only/Limit 1) ______________________ Rank ________________________

Department/Agency/Company __________________________________________________________

Home mailing address _________________________________________________________________

City ________________________ State ________ Country ______________ Zip ________________

Phone Numbers: Home _______________________ Business _______________________

Fax ________________________ Cell _________________________

E-mail ________________________________________________________

Classes taught previously at FDIC: _________________________________________________________

Have you ever given this presentation at another venue? If so, where? ____________________________

Submission Abstract
YOU MUST COMPLETE AND SUPPLY ALL OF THE ITEMS BELOW. IF YOU DO NOT,
YOUR PRESENTATION WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

1. Classroom presentation title.

2. Attach a typed abstract of your presentation, no less than one page and no more than three pages. Your abstract should begin with a 50-word summary of your presentation.

3. Your target audience and the presentation’s relevance to that audience, including a description of the presented material’s applications.

4. List the presentation’s learning objectives.

5. Description of audiovisual supporting material used in the presentation.

6. Resume, including public speaking and experience as a fire service trainer. Also, a 35-word biography written in the third person.

7. FOR HOT EVOLUTION SUBMISSIONS ONLY: Please include number of instructors, maximum number of students, and logistics list.

NOTE: Only one presenter per classroom session. For workshops, the names, contact information, and bios of both presenters must be included. The FDIC Advisory Board will evaluate and select presentations based on quality, relevance, focus, practical application, timeliness, and presenter’s experience and credentials with respect to the proposed topic.

Note: Limit of 2 presentation proposals per individual TOTAL.

MORE INFO? dianef@pennwell.com or mail electronic version to: FDIC 2010 Call for Papers, Attention: Diane Feldman, PennWell Publishing, 21-00 Route 208 South, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410.

CONGRESS CONSIDERS NEW ATTEMPT TO DECIDE WHAT THE PRIVATE SECTOR SHOULD DO VS. WHAT GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES SHOULD DO
Originally Posted: June 25, 2009 2:06 PM
Last Updated: June 25, 2009 2:06 PM

BY Kenton Pattie
Executive Director
National Emergency Equipment Dealers Association

The House is going to pass their version of the National Defense Authorization Act (HR 2647) June 25 and the Senate Armed Services Committee is planning on passing their version June 22-26, 2009. It will most likely be on the Senate floor sometime in July.

The importance of this information: NEEDA believes that government employees and their agencies conduct many commercial services and functions which could and probably should be done by the private sector. The Federal government has always had a reluctance to rely comfortably on the private sector. Recently, the trend has been to get more jobs assigned to Federal employees and away from the private sector.

There was a hearing recently at the Office of Management and Budget on this subject and they are in the process of publishing new regulations -- the first draft has been made public.

For decades the process has been to rely on A-76 to make comparisons between the government and the private sector. Generally, the government has tilted to the government performer vs. the private sector performer.

In the case of the fire industry, we support Federal, state and local governments. We believe in relying on the private sector wherever possible.
We are following the process carefully this year to see if the pendulum is swinging away from the private sector.

The House-version includes the following restrictions on the competitive sourcing/A-76 process.

Sec. 321. Public-private competition required before conversion of any Department of Defense function performed by civilian employees to contractor performance.
Sec. 322. Time limitation on duration of public-private competitions.
Sec. 326. Termination of certain public-private competitions for conversion of Department of Defense functions to performance by a contractor.
Sec. 327. Temporary suspension of public-private competitions for conversion of Department of Defense functions to performance by a contractor.
Sec. 328. Requirement for debriefings related to conversion of functions from performance by Federal employees to performance by a contractor.
Sec. 329. Amendments to bid protest procedures by Federal employees and agency officials in conversions of functions from performance by Federal employees to performance by a contractor.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SAFER GRANT PROGRAM
Originally Posted: June 25, 2009 12:19 PM
Last Updated: June 25, 2009 12:19 PM

By Kenton Pattie
Executive Director
National Emergency Equipment Dealers Association (NEEDA)

Several NEEDA NEWSLETTER readers have asked for more info about the SAFER Act. We published stories mentioning SAFER earlier today. Some
readers may be confused with "SAFER" vs. "FIRE ACT". Here below I am
publishing the formal description of the SAFER Program which is being
amended this week by rule to give fire departments more flexibility in
hiring or re-hiring firefighters. For other NEEDA NEWSLETTER stories
about grants, use the "Search" application in the upper right of your NEEDA
screen.

97.083 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER)
administered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Authorization?
15 U.S.C. 2229a, FY 2005 Homeland Security Appropriation Act.

Program Number?
97.083 The Office of Management and Budget and the Department of Homeland Security use this number.

Objectives?
To increase the number of firefighters in local communities and to help them meet industry minimum standards and attain 24/7 staffing for adequate protection against fire and fire-related hazards, and fulfill related roles associated with fire departments.

Uses and Use Restrictions?
Not all fire departments will be eligible to apply. Training, equipment, over-time, and administrative expenses are ineligible. Individuals seeking personal scholarships or tuition assistance are ineligible. This program is intended to assist organizations and recognized fire departments as identified in the program guidance document/application kit.

Only fire departments and organizations representing the interests of volunteer firefighters, as specified in the program guidance, are eligible. Funds may be used to recruit, hire, and retain firefighters, but cannot supplant (replace) organization/department funds budgeted for that purpose. Recipients must commit to maintaining their pre-existing (pre-grant) staffing level, and retaining personnel hired with grant funds, for at least one (1) year beyond the end of the four (4)-year grant period. Thus, recipients must maintain preexisting staffing levels and retain grant funded personnel throughout the five year period of performance. Grant funds are provided on a sliding scale, recipients must initially match 10% of the federal share the first year. Recipient match increases by certain percentages in the second, third, and fourth years, culminating in 100% of personnel costs (per position), in the fifth year and beyond. Refer to the program announcement/application kit for further information.

Eligibility Requirements?
This program is restricted to the jurisdictions/organizations described in the program guidance. For specific information, refer to the program guidance. In summary, for the purpose of this program, "State" is defined as the fifty States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The Alaska Village Initiative, a nonprofit organization incorporated in the State of Alaska, shall also be considered eligible for purposes of receiving assistance under this program on behalf of Alaska Native villages. A "fire department" is defined as an agency or organization that has a formally recognized arrangement with a State, territory, local, or tribal authority (city, county, parish, fire district, township, town, or other governing body) to provide fire suppression on a first-due basis to a population within a fixed geographical area. Fire departments may be comprised of members who are all volunteer, combination volunteer/career, or all career.

Eligibility?
Local or tribal communities serviced by the fire department including, local businesses, homeowners and property owners.

Credentials/Documentation?
Applicant must certify that they are an eligible applicant, i.e., a fire department, as described in the program guidance. Refer to program guidance document for specific information.

Application and Award Process?

Depending on the type of applicant, this program may or may not be excluded from E.O. 12372 ("Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs"). Applicants should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his/her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review.

Two options exist under the SAFER program: Hiring of Firefighters Activity and Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity. All fire departments are eligible for the Hiring of Firefighters Activity.

Only volunteer and combination fire departments, along with organizations on a local or statewide basis representing the interests of volunteer firefighters, are eligible for the Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity. Applicants may submit only one application to the Grants Management System per application period. A municipality or fire district may submit an application on behalf of a fire department when that department lacks the legal status to do so, e.g., when the fire department falls within the auspices of the municipality or district. If an application is submitted on behalf of a fire department, that department is precluded from submitting any additional or independent applications. Only one (1) application will be accepted from applicants each program year. Eligible applicants can access program guidance information and apply online via the website listed in this program description.

Award Procedure?
This is a competitive process, awards will be made using rank order as the primary basis, regardless of program. However, the law requires 10 percent set-aside of the available "hiring firefighters" funding for a "majority volunteer or all volunteer fire departments;" it also mandates at least a 10 percent designation of program funds, for "recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters." Applications will be evaluated based on the quality of their response to project-specific questions. Additional reviews based on technical merit, of qualified applications, will be performed by subject-matter specialists. Subsequent re-programming of un-awarded grant funds may occur depending on results from the initial allocation of funds. Refer to the program guidance document for further information.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time?

Applicants that receive an adverse decision or denial, can request reconsideration of the decision. Request for reconsideration must be submitted in writing, to the address contained in the program description, within 30 days after notification of denial is issued by the administering program office..

Formula and Matching Requirements?
This program has a match requirement.

Grant use time?
60 months from the date of award.

Post Assistance Requirements?
Grantees are required to submit quarterly progress report with their payment requests; grantees are also required to submit a final financial report and a final program summary narrative upon grant completion.

Audits?
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular A-133. These audits are due to the cognizant Federal agency not later than nine months after the end of the grantee's fiscal year.

Records?
Financial records, supporting documents, statistical records, and all other records pertinent to a grant shall be retained for a period of at least three years after the grant has been closed or until an audit has been conducted that does not show any questionable costs.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance?
$10,000 to $2,000,000

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature?
U.S.C. 2201 et seq.; Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974.

Related Programs?
15.031, Indian Community Fire Protection; 15.228, National Fire Plan - Wildland Urban Interface Community Fire Assistance; 97.018, National Fire Academy Training Assistance; 83.542, Fire Suppression Assistance; 97.038, First Responder Counter-Terrorism Training Assistance; 97.043, State Fire Training Systems Grants.

Information?
Department of Homeland Security, Office of State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness (OSLGCP), Fire Grants Program Office, C/O 245 Murray Lane - Bldg. #410, Washington, DC 20523. E-mail: firegrants@dhs.gov. Telephone: 866-274-0960.

MORE INFO? www.firegrantsupport.com/safer/sguidance.aspx

Grant Criteria?
This is a competitive process. Applications will be subjected to a preliminary screening to determine the degree to which the application meets the program's published criteria. The priorities of the program will be published in the Federal Register and other program guidance. A panel of subject matter experts review applications that best address the program's priorities and rate applications based on the information contained in the narrative. Refer to the program announcement for further information.

MORE INFO? www.firegrantsupport.com/safer/sguidance.aspx

US HOUSE MEMBERS PUBLICIZE THE 'EARMARKED" FUNDS THEY SCORED FOR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTERS IN THEIR CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS
Originally Posted: June 25, 2009 11:56 AM
Last Updated: June 25, 2009 11:56 AM

Seven House Republicans announcing that they had received earmarked funds in the 2010 homeland security appropriations bill for emergency operations centers in their Congressional districts.

The seven requests totaled about $3.8 million, for an average of more than $540,000 per emergency operations center project.

The successful requests for funds for emergency operations centers included:

Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-MT) received $800,000 to build a new EOC facility for the government of Butte-Silver Bow, MT, a community of 40,000 people.

Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) received $300,000 to help relocate and construct a new Sarasota County EOC.

Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon (R-CA) received $500,000 for seismic retrofits for the EOC in the City of Santa Clara, CA.

Rep. Candice Miller (R-MI) received $250,000 for the purchase and installation of communications and technology equipment in the Macomb County EOC.

Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) received $1 million to design and construct an EOC in Morris County, NJ.

Rep. Tom Latham (R-IA) received $600,000 for the renovation of the EOC in Ames, IA, which is “located near the National Animal Disease Center, an important player in any agro-terrorism incident,” said Latham.

Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) received $350,000 for an Emergency Operations/9-1-1 Multi-Agency Communications Center for the Washington Parish government.

Also receiving fund for homeland security-related projects in the 2010 appropriations bill were the following:

Video security – The City of Riverside (CA) Public Utilities will receive $1 million for the installation of video cameras and related equipment at each of its substations, thanks to Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA).

Cyber Command and Control – Clarkson University and ITT will receive $5 million to operate a Cyber Command and Control system that will “synchronize cyber attack operations, facilitate analysis of attack results including measures of effectiveness, and deconflict friendly use of cyber space,” says Rep. John McHugh (R-NY).

Eagle Vision – The South Carolina Air National Guard will receive $2 million to upgrade its Eagle Vision mobile satellite imagery collection and processing system, thanks to Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC).

Explosives training – The National Safe Skies Alliance, of Alcoa, TN, will receive $1.25 million to create a research and training center to provide critical improvised explosives recognition training to TSA Transportation Security Officers, thanks to Rep. John Duncan Jr. (R-TN).

Long Range Acoustical Hailing – The U.S. Navy will receive $5 million to pro-cure Long Range Acoustical Hailing Devices (LRAD), from American Technology Corp, of San Diego, CA, which produce highly directional sound beams that allow users to project warning tones and intelligible voice commands beyond small arms engagement range, thanks to Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD).

Border security – The Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science at the Rochester Institute of Technology will receive $500,000 to create a Remote Sensing Test Bed for border security and disaster management, thanks to Rep. Christopher John Lee (R-NY).

Members of the House of Representatives are increasingingly announcing the earmarks they obtain by publishing earmark info in the Congressional Record.

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S SAFER RULE CHANGES MAY ENCOURAGE MORE LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO KEEP THEIR SAFER AND FIRE ACT GRANTS AS THE FIREFIGHTERS ARE NEEDED TO MAN FIRE TRUCKS
Originally Posted: June 25, 2009 11:38 AM
Last Updated: June 25, 2009 11:38 AM

Earlier year the town of Hilton Head Island Fire and Rescue Division said they might turn down a Department of Homeland Security SAFER grant of $975,420 grant for four years so island's fire department could hire nine new firefighters.

Many other fire departments felt the same way. The new Obama Administration rule change for SAFER may result in more fire departments keeping their 2009 grants.

Here's the problem: In the first year of the grant, it would finance 75 percent of the cost for the new employees, according to Hilton Fire Chief Lavarn Lucas. The funding gradually would decline over the next three years until the town is responsible for paying all the salaries.

Lucas: "Many departments have applied for grants in the past, accepted them and then, at the end of four years, decided to let the new personnel go because they could no longer afford them. That's a mistake that we don't want to make."

The new personnel would mean some engines could carry four firefighters per shift, a national standard. It also would allow some engines to remain in service while ambulances from the same station are out on calls.

Before the SAFER grant fiire engines were taken out of service whenever the ambulance from the station goes on a call because not enough firefighters remained at the firehouse to operate the engines.

The town applied for Fire Act grant money in 2008, initially proposing they be given money be used to add a second ladder truck. Plans for that truck were scrapped when fire officials decided they use the existing fire engines and avoid buying the new ladder truck.

The advantage of SAFER grants is to pay for the firefighters needed to man
any trucks bought under local funds or under the FIRE ACT grant program.

SAFER RULES BEING CHANGED TO HELP FIRE DEPARTMENTS RE-HIRE FIREFIGHTERS WHO LOST JOBS DUE TO THE DOWNTURN IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT REVENUES
Originally Posted: June 25, 2009 11:23 AM
Last Updated: June 25, 2009 11:23 AM

US President Barack Obama, June 24, 2009 approved new rules that govern how fire departments can use funding from the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program.

The new guidelines will apply to the $210 million that Congress approved for SAFER for Fiscal Year 2009. The new provision that was included in HR 2346, the Supplemental Appropriation bill that was initiated and supported by President Obama to allow the use of SAFER grant funding to rehire laid-off fire fighters and prevent fire department staffing reductions that occurred as a result of the current financial crisis.

Re-hiring is important bacause many firefighters have lost their jobs due to the economic downturn that affects towns, cities and counties with paid first responders.

With its passage, the bill grants Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano the discretion to waive the rules governing the current SAFER program and make funds available to save firefighters’ jobs. DHS will now develop and publish in the Federal Register new rules that direct how SAFER grants can be used to address the current wave of firefighter dismissals.

International Association of Fire Fighters General President Harold Schaitberger welcomed the change: "when fire fighters are losing their jobs. Adequate staffing is the most critical component to effective response and civilian and fire fighter safety.”

SAFER provides money for all departments to increase staffing. The funding is available to all fire departments. Under the original law, passed in 2004, communities could only receive a SAFER grant if they planned to increase fire department staffing levels. Fire fighters hired with SAFER grants had to be retained for at least five years and fire departments couldn’t reduce staffing levels during this period. Those restrictions have combined to prohibit fire departments from using SAFER grants to prevent layoffs, and have discouraged fire departments from applying for SAFER grants during this current economic recession.

The rule changes approved by President Obama eliminate the language that has prevented using this money for laid off fire fighters. In addition, President Obama is proposing $420 million for SAFER in his Fiscal Year 2010 budget.

JULY 4, 2009 WARNING: FIRE WORKS DANGEROUS TO CHILDREN, ADULTS AND ANIMALS
Originally Posted: June 25, 2009 5:36 AM
Last Updated: June 25, 2009 5:36 AM

Get this info to your employees and your local newspaper and news media!

More fires are reported on July 4 than on any other day. Fireworks account for half of those fires mostly thanks to sparklers, firecrackers, and rockets. Fireworks injuries are preventable.

July 4, U.S. hospital emergency rooms will treat an estimated 9,800 people for fireworks related injuries.

56% of 2007 emergency room fireworks-related injuries are to the extremities and 36% are to the head.

49% of fireworks injuries are burns, 29% are contusions and lacerations.

Almost half of those injured by fireworks are under age 15.

Sparklers, fountains, and novelties alone accounted for 56% of the emergency room fireworks injuries in 2007.

Here is what the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says:

The tip of a sparkler burns at a temperature of more than 1,200 degrees – this is hot enough to cause third degree burns.

Availability: In spite of federal regulations and varying state prohibitions, many types of fireworks are still accessible to the public. Distributors often sell fireworks near state borders, where laws prohibiting sales on either side of the border may differ.

Fireworks type: Among the various types of fireworks, some of which are sold legally in some states, bottle rockets can fly into peoples' faces and cause eye injuries; sparklers can ignite clothing (sparklers burn at more than 1,000°F); and firecrackers can injure the hands or face if they explode at close range.

Being too close: Injuries may result from being too close to fireworks when they explode; for example, when someone leans over to look more closely at a firework that has been ignited, or when a misguided bottle rocket hits a nearby person.

Lack of physical coordination: Younger children often lack the physical coordination to handle fireworks safely.

Curiosity: Children are often excited and curious around fireworks, which can increase their chances of being injured (for example, when they re-examine a firecracker dud that initially fails to ignite).

Experimentation: Homemade fireworks (for example, ones made of the powder from several firecrackers) can lead to dangerous and unpredictable explosions.

92% of the fireworks injuries treated in hospital emergency rooms involved fireworks that Federal regulations permit consumers to use.

The best way to protect your family is not to use any fireworks at home — period. Attend public fireworks displays and leave the lighting to the professionals.

Kids should never play with fireworks. Sparklers can reach 1,800° Fahrenheit (982° Celsius) — hot enough to melt gold.

Steer clear of others — fireworks have been known to backfire or shoot off in the wrong direction. Never throw or point fireworks at someone, even in jest.
Don't allow kids to pick up pieces of fireworks after an event. Some may still be ignited and can explode at any time.

Animals have sensitive ears and can be extremely frightened or stressed on the Fourth of July. Keep pets indoors to reduce the risk that they'll run loose or get injured.

GSA STEPS UP ANTI-DEALER CAMPAIGN BY HAVING GSA CONTRACTORS TELL LOCAL GOVERNMENTS GSA IS THE BEST SOURCE
Originally Posted: June 24, 2009 3:34 PM
Last Updated: June 25, 2009 5:39 AM

Hopefully, you already know that NEEDA recommends Congress repeal The Local Preparedness Acquisition Act because it allows the US General Services Administration to take over markets served by local emergency equipment dealers.

But, GSA and GSA contractors have launched a major national campaign to
convince state and local governments to buy from GSA multiple-award contractors rather than from dealers. In other words, GSA is one of your competitors! If you have a view on this law, please share it with your
US Representative in Congress and your US Senator in Washington DC.

Here is an example, provided from Wackenhut corporation of what
GSA contractors are saying:

"Introducing P.L. 110-248,The Local Preparedness Acquisition Act, that permits State and Local Governments access to the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) 84 (Total Solutions for Law Enforcement).

"In June 2008, the President signed Public Law 110-248, to permit agencies at the State and Local Government level to purchase directly from FSS 84 (Total Solutions for Law Enforcement).
This is a tremendous step forward in serving to promote a business opportunity
previously reserved solely for Federal agencies.

"The goal of GSA is to establish long-term government-wide contracts with commercial firms to provide access to products and services that can be ordered directly from government approved GSA Schedule contractors.

"GSA Schedules offer customers delivery of supplies and services at volume discount pricing. All customers, even those in remote locations, can order supplies and services, conveniently, and at most favored customer prices.The FSS offers the benefits of shorter lead-times, lower administrative costs, coupled with most favored customer pricing. When using GSA Schedules, ordering government activities have the opportunity to meet business goals, while promoting compliance with various laws and regulations.

"For more information click here to download Wackenhut's 'Securing Your World" White Paper"

SOURCE? AS PUBLISHED IN GSN MAGAZINE

CONGRESS CONTINUES ACTING ON GRANTS FOR FIRE EQUIPMENT AND FIREFIGHTERS
Originally Posted: June 24, 2009 1:53 PM
Last Updated: June 24, 2009 1:53 PM

The US House and US Senate are both expected to consider the Fiscal Year 2010 Homeland Security Appropriations bill sometime this week. The spending bill will provide funding for programs and offices within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including the Assistance to Firefighters (FIRE) Grant program and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant program.

The House bill, H.R. 2892, was approved by the House Appropriations Committee on June 12th. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved its version of the bill, S. 1298, on June 18th. Both bills provide $420 million for the SAFER Grant program and $380 million for the FIRE Grant program, for a total of $800 million in fire service grants - the largest amount ever approved by Congress.

Chairman David Price (NC-4) is expected to offer a manager's amendment to H.R. 2892 increasing the appropriation for the FIRE Grant program by $10 million. At this time there does not appear to be an amendment on the Senate side.

Both chambers are expected to consider the bills throughout the week.

FOR OTHER NEEDA NEWSLETTER STORIES ABOUT THIS LEGISLATION, USE THE "SEARCH" APPLICATION IN THE UPPER RIGHT OF YOUR NEEDA NEWSLETTER PAGE.

AMBULANCE TRADE SHOW AND CONVENTION: DEC 1-3, 2009 IN LAS VEGAS
Originally Posted: June 23, 2009 8:13 PM
Last Updated: June 23, 2009 8:13 PM

2009 Annual American Ambulance Association (AAA) Conference & Trade Show
will be held, December 1-3, 2009, Las Vegas Hilton, Las Vegas, NV. AAA is located in a suburb of Washington, DC near Dulles Airport

MORE INFO? AAA. 8400 Westpark Drive, 2nd floor, McLean, VA 22102, voice 703 610 9018, fax 703 610 0210

LANSING FIRE CHIEF COCHRAN AND MICHIGAN COUNTY LEADERS URGE LEGISLATURE TO FUND REVENUE SHARING FOR PUBLIC SAFETY
Originally Posted: June 23, 2009 7:59 PM
Last Updated: June 23, 2009 7:59 PM

The Michigan Legislature has cut revenue sharing to local governments by more than $3 billion in the last eight years, with more cuts announced for the Fiscal Year 2010 state budget. Firefighters are urging the legisture to fully fund revenue sharing and avoid further endangering communities' public health and safety.

Recent cuts to Revenue sharing have assaulted local government budgets and added to the erosion of quality of life across the state.

Firefighters were joined in Lansing, Michigan by police officers, community officials demand state legislators avoid cuts that endanger local communities. The news conference was called by the Michigan Association of Counties, 208 N. Capitol Ave., 1st Floor, Lansing, MI.

Included at the news conference held Wednesday, June 24, 2009 were Allegan County Commissioner Jon Campbell, board member, Michigan Association of Counties, Assistant Wayne County Executive, Alan Helmkamp, Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton, Ionia County Sheriff Dwain Dennis, MML President and Troy City Councilmember Robin Beltramini, Howell Police Chief George Basar, president, Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police, Lansing Fire Chief Tom Cochran.

NY CITY MEDICAL AND AIR NATIONAL GUARD COMBINE TO TRAIN FOR BUS EXPLOSION
Originally Posted: June 23, 2009 7:46 PM
Last Updated: June 23, 2009 7:46 PM

New York City’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) took part in a joint training event alongside members of the Air National Guard Fatality Search and Recovery Team (FSRT).

The training helps civilian and military agencies learn to integrate forces to better respond to large-scale emergencies involving mass fatalities.

OCME and military personnel were given the task of responding to a simulated bus explosion in New York City. In a similar real-life scenario the OCME would be in charge of fatality management operations, from performing site reconnaissance to searching for and extracting fatalities to performing autopsies and decontamination to prevent the spread of any possible radioactive materials.

Reeves manufacturer DHS Systems LLC provided a DRASH J Shelter to serve as a staging and training center. Briefings were held inside the 1,250 square foot J shelter to update responders working at the site’s various stations.

Inside the Command and Control Center, which housed computers and camera equipment, staff collected and deciphered information gathered at the site of the fictitious explosion.

Major Tim Bonk, Services Staff Officer of the J3 Operations Cell of the New York National Guard Joint Operations Center, who attended the training: “In a situation like this communication is critical. It’s key that people know what they need to do, and having a central command center allows people to stay informed and complete their assignment at the scene.”

OCME personnel utilized a 100 foot long Decedent Decontamination/Isolation Collection Point (DD/ICP) for triage, evidence processing, forensic exams, decontamination and dental identification.

Nearby was an autopsy suite for contaminated victims. A HEPA filtration system provided negative pressure to prevent hazardous materials from spreading to the surrounding environment.

FEMA OFFERS $1.8 BILLION IN PREPAREDNESS GRANTS TO STATES, CITIES, TRIBES AND NONPROFITS: FUNDS MAY BUY EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT
Originally Posted: June 23, 2009 11:25 AM
Last Updated: June 23, 2009 11:33 AM

Secretary Napolitano, US Homeland Security Administration, and FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate are offering $1.8 billion in FEMA preparedness grants designed to help states, urban areas, tribal governments, and non-profit agencies improve their readiness by enhancing protection, prevention, response, and recovery capabilities for all disasters.

Preparedness grant program allocations for FY 2009 include the following:

• Homeland Security Grant Program
• State Homeland Security Program Tribal
• Nonprofit Security Grant Program
• Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program

Napolitano: “These grants provide direct support for regional preparedness, urban security, and medical response efforts in communities across the country. The new grants management initiative launched this year will generate better value for every grant dollar while strengthening our nation’s ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from all disasters.”

Since 2002, FEMA has allocated more than $28 billion in grants to bolster the nation’s preparedness, response, and recovery capabilities in response to terrorist attacks and other major disasters.

Preparedness Grant Program Allocations for Fiscal Year 2009 Include:
Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP)—$1.7 billion will be split between:
State Homeland Security Program (SHSP)— $861.1 million will build and strengthen preparedness capabilities at all levels through planning, equipment, and readiness activities.

Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI)— $798.6 million will enhance urban preparedness capabilities in 62high-threat, high-density areas. The seven highest risk areas (Tier 1) were allocated approximately $439 million, or 55 percent of available funds, while the remaining areas (Tier 2) will receive approximately the remaining $359 million.

Metropolitan Medical Response System Program (MMRS)—$39.8 million, divided evenly among 124 MMRS jurisdictions, will improve regional mass casualty incident preparedness and response capabilities.

Citizen Corps Program (CCP)— $14.6 million will bring community and government leaders together to engage citizens in community preparedness, response and recovery activities.

State Homeland Security Program Tribal (SHSP Tribal)—$1.7 million will be provided directly to eligible tribal applicants to implement preparedness initiatives.

Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP)— $15 million will support target-hardening activities at non-profit organizations at high risk of a terrorist attack.
Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program (RCPGP)— $34 million will enhance catastrophic incident preparedness in selected high-risk urban areas and support technical assistance funding in FY 2009. RCPGP supports coordination of regional planning for catastrophic events.
www.dhs.gov and www.fema.gov/grants.

MORE INFO? www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1245074657821.shtm or www.dhs.gov and www.fema.gov/grants.

HOW TO DEAL WITH FIRES AND FIRE THREAT FROM ALTERNATIVE FUELS
Originally Posted: June 22, 2009 11:59 AM
Last Updated: June 22, 2009 11:59 AM

The International Fire Chiefs Association offers training for new alternative fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel.

“Ethanol: Response Considerations,” focuses on responding to ethanol incidents. It was created in partnership with the United States Fire Administration and the United States Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). The training package has been updated and revised from the original version released last year. It now also contains a companion training video.

“Biodiesel: Response Considerations,” focuses on general biodiesel information and details about biodiesel commercial manufacturing facilities. This package was created through a partnership between the IAFC, National Biodiesel Board, and the United States Department of Energy.

The challenge of responding to incidents involving alternative fuels has received national attention.

In his Congressional testimony on May 14, 2009, the IAFC’s 1st Vice President, Jeff Johnson, chief of Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue: “Due to federal policy, new breakthroughs in technology and the recent high petroleum prices, there has been a new focus on alternative fuels. In the past two years, ethanol production and use has skyrocketed, and fuel-grade ethanol is the number-one freight rail commodity, by volume, in the country."

The IAFC introduced the new training packages at the IAFC Hazmat Committee’s International Hazardous Materials Response Conference, May 27-31, 2009. The materials include training tools, such as a PowerPoint presentation, instructor guide, participant manual, as well as a video about response considerations.

Both are available from the National Hazardous Materials Fusion Center.

MORE INFO? Edie Clark, IAFC Director of Communications
Office: 703–896-4827 Cell: 571-221-5268. eclark@iafc.org. www.iafc.org

CFSI DIRECTOR REPORTS ON CONGRESSIONAL FUNDING FOR FIRE AND SAFER GRANT PROGRAMS TO HELP FIRE DEPARTMENTS
Originally Posted: June 22, 2009 11:09 AM
Last Updated: June 22, 2009 11:09 AM

From Bill Webb, Congressional Fire Service Institute:

"On Thursday, June 18th, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved a Fiscal Year 2010 spending bill for homeland security .

"The bill largely mirrors the House version of the bill (H.R. 2892), funding the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program at $420 million and the Assistance to Firefighters (FIRE) Grant program at $380 million.

"Unfortunately this represents a 33% reduction in funding to the FIRE Grant program (the Obama Administration has proposed cutting the FIRE Grant program by as much as 70%)."

See previous June 2009 NEEDA Newsletter stories about the FY 2010 appropriations bill for SAFER and FIRE grant programs.

US REP PASCRELL AND OTHERS SEEK $40 MILLION HOUSE INCREASE FOR 2010 FIRE GRANT FUNDING
Originally Posted: June 20, 2009 1:49 PM
Last Updated: June 20, 2009 1:49 PM

During the week of June 22, 2009 the U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to consider H.R. 2892, the Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill which contains future funding for
fire trucks, fire equipment, and firefighters.

Representatives Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), Jason Altmire (D-PA), Steve Austria (R-OH), and Peter King (R-NY) will offer an amendment to increase funding for the Fire grant program by $40 million to reach $420 million. Funding was earlier set in June, 2009 (as reported by NEEDA Newsletter) at $380 million by a House Appropriations Subcommittee. The funding had previously been headed for dramatic reductions of 70% by the Obama Administration 2010 budget request to Congress.

The International Association of Fire Chiefs is urging chiefs, dealers and other supporters of the fire service to contact Representatives to express views about the Pascrell amendment. The vote on this bipartisan amendment may occur as early as Tuesday, June 23, 2009.

In 2008, Congress appropriated $565 million for the FIRE grant program and $210 million for the SAFER grant program. In his FY 2010 budget, President Obama proposed doubling the SAFER grant program to $420 million and cutting the FIRE grant program by almost 70% to $170 million.

In their committee mark-up of H.R. 2892, Representatives David Price (D-NC) and Hal Rogers (R-KY) restored some of the funding to the FIRE grant program with a $380 million appropriation, and appropriated $420 million for the SAFER grant program to meet the President’s request. The Pascrell amendment would equalize funding for both the FIRE and SAFER grant programs at $420 million.

There is information about Members of the House on the U.S. House’s website.

Type in your zip code on the top left-hand corner of the website and you will be linked to your Representative’s website.

If you know your Representative’s name, you can call 202-225-3121 and ask to be connected to his or her office.

The FIRE grant program uses a peer-review, merit-based process to send federal funds directly to local fire departments for equipment, training, and fire prevention programs.

FIRE grants help fire departments save the lives of citizens and firefighters.

The Fire Chiefs are telling their members that the week of June 22 will be one of only two opportunities chiefs have to express views on the Pascrell 440 million increase amendment to FIRE grant funding.

OREGON GOVERNOR KULONGOSKI CONSIDERS HOUSE BILL REQUIRING MANUFACTURERS TO INFORM DEALERS WHEN TERMINATING ONE DEALER'S FRANCHISE BUT NOT ANOTHER'S
Originally Posted: June 20, 2009 12:36 PM
Last Updated: June 20, 2009 12:36 PM

The Oregon House endorses HB 2739, which gives auto manufacturers a
30-day period in which to tell dealers who are having their franchise pulled why
the franchise is ending if another dealer in the same market area is not being
affected.

The measure also requires manufacturers to offer former dealers a new
franchise if the parent company wants to open a new dealership in the old dealer’s market area within five years. The bill now goes to Gov. Ted Kulongoski (D).

CHAMBER OFFERS DISASTER RESOURCES AFTER TWO DAY SIMULATION OF A FLOOD, HURRICANE, AND EARTHQUAKE HITTING THE US ONE TIME
Originally Posted: June 19, 2009 7:30 PM
Last Updated: June 19, 2009 7:30 PM

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC) together with the Safe America Foundation announced new resources, including a disaster recovery report, to strengthen community disaster management nationwide. The announcement comes after BCLC's two-day disaster workshop at which Kenton Pattie, NEEDA Executive Director, was the representative of the fire industry.

During the two-day meeting seventy officials from businesses, chambers of commerce, humanitarian organizations, and emergency management agencies practiced a coordinated response to a back-to-back disaster scenario.

NEEDA members are very informed on national disasters and much of what
was discussed in the two-day disaster simulation at the Chamber is very
familiar to dealers. The two days included a flood on the Mississippi River,
a hurricane hitting Brownsville and the coast of Texas, and a major earthquake in Long Beach/Los Angeles all at the same time.

NEEDA Newsletter has carried many stories about national disasters from 9-11 to Katrina, to numerous wildfires, to a tornado that destroyed a Kansas town.
The Chamber's report, A Critical Role: Top Ten Policies That States Need to Recover from Disasters, offers best practices for states to reduce the potential effects of disasters and expedite recovery.

The report, sponsored by Allstate, is based on twenty-five years of research on various disaster recovery efforts across the United States and is available online.

If you want to see what NEEDA has written about disasters, use the "Search" application in the upper right of your NEEDA Newsletter screen.

BCLC Executive Director Stephen Jordan: "Disaster recovery is a complicated process, and, in these trying economic times, a disaster could be absolutely catastrophic to a community. But by building community resiliency, implementing effective response systems, and then helping communities build back better than before, the process can be successful."

Also announced at the press conference was the Safe America Foundation's 9/11 Drill Down for Safety. Around the country on September 11, 2009, in conjunction with businesses, community leaders, and government agencies, Safe America will host local preparedness drills. This day, sponsored by businesses including UPS, Motorola Foundation, and Office Depot Foundation, gives every American the opportunity to participate in and strengthen community resiliency.

Jordan: "Companies are interested in maximizing resiliency and minimizing loss in the communities where they do business. The resources are examples of business helping local communities establish faster and smarter disaster management tools."

BCLC is a 501(c)3 affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and manages the U.S. Chamber's Disaster Assistance and Recovery program. BCLC is a resource and voice for businesses and their social and philanthropic interests.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region. Kenton Pattie has served many years on the Chamber's
Procurement Council. Like NEEDA, the US Chamber is opposed to the 3% withholding scheme in which all emergency equipment dealer sales to local governments will lose 3% of gross to the US Treasury.

JUNE 18-19 NEEDA REPRESENTS FIRE INDUSTRY AT NATIONAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE CONFERENCE
Originally Posted: June 17, 2009 8:24 PM
Last Updated: June 17, 2009 8:24 PM

by Kenton Pattie
Executive Director
National Emergency Equipment Dealers Association

June 18 and 19, 2009 I will be representing the fire industry at a Disaster Assistance and Recovery Program titled "Back to Back Disasters: Recovery on Multiple Fronts."

The event is underwritten by Allstate and UPS and such companies as
Abbot Laboratories, Citi, Microsoft, Accenture, Aramark, ExxonMobile, FedEx, Verizon and several others are supporting the event.

The chief sponsor is the US Chamber of Commerce Business Civic Leadership Center. I am a member of the US Chamber and a long time member of the
Chamber's Procurement Council.

This is the second of these events in which I have been the only representative of the fire industry. The the first focused on: What if there were a massive earthquake in mid-America? We spent two days with national experts and in groups discussing all the elements to a successful emergency response and recovery.

The second event asks the questions: What if there were two disasters which strike at the same time and effect a vast number of citizens in many states?

One interesting and encouraging aspect of these conferences: they assume that it is critical for American businesses, small and large, to get back on their feet and to participate in the planning of emergency response. The job will get done because there is cooperation between governments and businesses.

In the case of the 9-11 disaster, emergency equipment dealers stepped up
immediately with huge deliveries of products which were needed by the first
responders. Without these small businesses, the fast and thorough response and recovery and all the search

US SENATE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE VOTES $380 MILLION FOR FIRE EQUIPMENT GRANT PROGRAMS IN FY 2010 HOMELAND SECURITY FUNDING BILL
Originally Posted: June 17, 2009 5:27 PM
Last Updated: June 17, 2009 5:27 PM

By Kenton Pattie
Executive Director
National Emergency Equipment Dealers Association

(Also read the NEEDA Newsletter story on how much the US House Appropriations Subcommittee has
recommended for fire and emergency grants. This
NEEDA story appeared earlier this month. Use the
“Search” application in the upper right of your
NEEDA Newsletter screen. To discuss, call
NEEDA at 703 850 8552.)

Following promptly after the initial House Appropriations Subcommittee’s
commitment to fund fire grants, Senator Robert C. Byrd, (D-West Virginia) announced a Subcommittee approval of the FY 2010 Homeland Security Appropriations bill. Byrd, is the Chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee.

Byrd said Congress, on a bipartisan basis, increased homeland security spending by an
average of $2 billion per year above the President's request since FY 2004. The
Senate bill recommends the Obama Administration spend $42.9 billion in 2010 vs $39.9 billion spent in 2009.

One of the Subcommittee’s goals for 2010 is “Preparing for, responding to, and recovering from all hazards and eliminating or reducing programs that are
ineffective or duplicative.”

For FEMA, the Senate bill includes $820 million for FEMA Management and Administration paying for a workforce of over 4,000 Full-Time Employees (FTE). Since 2007, Congress has increased the size of FEMA from 2,500 full time employees to 4,000.

The Subcommittee recommends Congress spend $4.2 billion for grants to first responders and partners in homeland security, included in that amount is:
• $420 million for SAFER grants (firefighter hiring grants)
• $380 million for FIRE grants (firefighter equipment grants)
• $350 million for Emergency Management Performance Grants
• $887 million for Urban Area Security Initiative
• $950 million for State Homeland Security Grants, of which $60 million is for Operation
Stonegarden
• $35 million for Regional Catastrophic Grant Program
• $350 million for Port Security Grants
• $356 million for Rail/Transit/Bus Security Grants
• $120 million for Pre Disaster Mitigation Grants

This appropriations bill now goes to the full Senate Appropriations Committee.
Once it has been passed by the Senate, there will be a House-Senate Conference Committee which will merge the House and Senate versions of the fire grant programs and then return their joint bill to the House and Senate floors. Once the House and Senate agree on a bill, they will send it to President Obama for his signature. As I said earlier this month, appropriations bills such as this one will be considered later this Summer or in September, 2009. The Federal fiscal year 2010 begins in October 2009. The money will probably not be available until the first quarter of calendar 2010. Stay tuned to this NEEDA Newsletter for the latest news.

MORE INFO? Senate Appropriations Committee, (202) 224-3751

COMPRESSORS & HEAT GUNS CAUSE FIRE, WITHDRAWN FROM MARKET
Originally Posted: June 17, 2009 4:50 PM
Last Updated: June 17, 2009 4:50 PM

Campbell Hausfeld at the request of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, is recalling 16,000 units of compressor. CPSC says the compressor’s thermals overload, which cuts the unit off when it over-heats, can fail, with parts melting and there is a serious risk of fire. CampBell Hausfeld is located in Harrison, Ohio. No injuries have been reported. The $250 units were sold by Wal-Mart, are made in China.

MORE INFO? 800 241 0448 or www.chpower.com or www.cpsc.gov

Wagner Spray Tech recalls heat guns due to fire and burn hazards according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The recalled heat guns emit hot air and are used for paint and flooring removal, defrosting freezers and water lines, bending plastic, hobbies, etc. Recalled models include the Milwaukee Heat Gun MHT3300, ACE HT3500 Heat Gun, and the Wagner Heat Gun HT3500. The heat gun's name and model number are located on a black label on the bottom of the heat gun's barrel. The heat guns are black or yellow plastic and measure about 10 inches long, 8 inches high and 3 inches wide.

The heat guns are made in China.

MORE INFO? Wagner Spray Tech Corp

PICKUP TRUCKS INSTEAD OF FIRE TRUCKS IN BUFFALO! FIREFIGHTERS UNION SAYS PRECIOUS RESCUE TIME WILL BE LOST. CITY BLAMES FINANCIAL PROBLEMS OF FIRE MANUFACTURER
Originally Posted: June 17, 2009 4:09 PM
Last Updated: June 17, 2009 4:09 PM

Pickup trucks are being used in the Buffalo, New York Fire Department's aging fleet of vehicles when standard trucks are out of commission.

Deputy Fire Commissioner Patrick T. Lewis says that if a pickup arrives first on the scene, a fully outfitted aerial truck and a pumper truck will be close behind.

Dan Cunningham, president of the firefighters union says: Precious time in rescues could be lost if a pickup arrives first. Unlike aerial trucks with ladders capable of stretching 75 to 100 feet into the air, pickups carry ladders with a capacity of about 35 feet.

Cunningham: Pickups, which serve as temporary replacements for aerial trucks when they are in the shop for repairs, cannot carry all of the rescue equipment the bigger trucks transport.

Cunningham: "My first concern is the safety of my members, and obviously we serve the public and we are very, very concerned that we won't be able to do our job for the safety of city residents."

The practice of substituting pickups started a few months ago and is expected to conclude when a backup aerial truck is fixed and three new trucks on order are received by the end of 2009.

Three new pumper trucks are expected in October 2009. The city is experiencing delays because a fire truck manufacturer is having financial problems.

Lewis: "I'd rather have a pickup truck pulling up with four firefighters than be waiting for the next closest company to come in." He explained that firefighters assigned to truck companies often request the pickups when their regular apparatus is being repaired.

Lewis: "Department members don't want to sit and wait all day for the rigs when they are out of service. I think we're providing better service to the citizens and taxpayers in a nonperfect world. It's better than having four firefighters doing nothing and waiting for the repairs."

Deputy Commissioner: The four available pickups are only in service for several hours a day.

Cunningham, who heads Buffalo Professional Firefighters Local 282, said Buffalo, NY has received millions of dollars in federal grant money in recent years and should have sufficient equipment.

Cunningham: "Why don't we have fire equipment? Buffalo just received $1.5 million for a new fire boat. Maybe they can't spend the money on really needed fire equipment, but this just shows the priorities."

MORE INFO? lmichel@buffnews.com (The Buffalo News, NY) 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025

FIRE SAFETY ROUNDTABLE PODCAST RECOMMENDS EVERYONE HAVE A COMPLETE FIRE PREVENTION AND EMERGENCY PLAN
Originally Posted: June 16, 2009 7:20 AM
Last Updated: June 16, 2009 7:20 AM

National fire service leaders discuss firefighter safety at roundtable discussion sponsored by the U.S. Fire Administration and www.Firehouse.com. Thank you Firehouse.

Joining Acting U.S. Fire Administrator Glenn Gaines at the roundtable were Phil Stittleburg, NVFC; Chief Billy Goldfeder and Chief Robert Dube, IAFC; Rich Duffy and James Brinkley, IAFF; Ron Siarnicki and John Proels, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation; Susan Nicol Kyle, Firehouse.com; and Al Conners, Burt Clark and Bill Troup, USFA.

MORE INFO? www.Firehouse.com (look for podcast)

FEDERAL FUNDS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF NEW AND REFURBISHMENT OF OLD FIRE STATIONS; APPLICATION DEADLINE IS JULY 10, 2009
Originally Posted: June 10, 2009 11:05 AM
Last Updated: June 10, 2009 11:05 AM

The application period for the Fire Station Construction Grants (SCG) is scheduled to begin on June 11, 2009, at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Applications for these grants must be received by July 10, at 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time). Some of the money will be used for refurbishing older fire stations and some will be for building new fire stations.

NEEDA Newsletter previously published stories about the Fire Station Construction Grant program. Use the "Search" application in the upper right of your NEEDA Newsletter screen to read the previous information NEEDA has published.

SCG was established as part of the Administration’s economic stimulus package under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). SCG will provide financial assistance directly to fire departments on a competitive basis to build new or modify existing fire stations in order for departments to enhance their response capability and protect the community they serve from fire and fire-related hazards. The grants will be administered by the DHS/Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Grant Programs Directorate in coordination with the U.S. Fire Administration by the AFG Program Office.

MORE INFO? www.firegrantsupport.com

HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE LED BY REP. PRICE (NC) OK'S $420 MILLION FOR SAFER AND $380 MILLION FOR FIRE ACT GRANTS
Originally Posted: June 9, 2009 2:32 PM
Last Updated: June 9, 2009 2:32 PM

by Kenton Pattie
Executive Director
National Emergency Equipment Dealers Association
KentonP1@aol.com

Late in the day Monday, June 8, 2009 the US House Subcommittee responsible for Homeland Security appropriations approved $420 million for the SAFER firefighter program and $380 million for the Fire Act Grant program. The funds, if approved by the House and Senate and signed into law by President Obama, will go into effect in the 2010 fiscal year which begins in October, 2009.

Fire Act Grant funds may be used for acquisition of emergency equipment, fire apparatus, and other essential fire department requirements. (Use "Search" for details on previous Federal fire act funding: upper right of your NEEDA Newsletter screen.)

The Subcommittee is chaired by Rep. David E. Price, (D-North Carolina).

SAFER had received $210 million in the 2009 fiscal year and these grants are currently being distributed to fire deparments in the US. The Obama Administration has asked Congress to OK $420 million so the House action simply approves the Administration's request without change. With the House and the Administration agreeing on this $420 million, the US Senate will be encouraged to keep this figure prior to the bill going to a House-Senate Conference Committee.

But, as mentioned in NEEDA Newsletter, the Administration only requested
$170 million for Fire Act Grants, down from $565 million in the 2009 fiscal year. The $565 million is currently being disseminated to fire departments.
While not agreeing to keep the $565 million of last year's appropriations law,
the House subcommittee increased the 2010 level by $210 million to $380 million . . . although this $380 million figure is subsantially below the $565 millon of last year there is still a chance that the Senate will consider increasing the $380 million for fiscal year 2010.

Again, this is the first round in a lengthy series of committee meetings on the House and Senate sides followed by a House-Senate Conference Committee mark-up (compromise figures both bodies can agree to). After the bill is approved by the Conference Committee, it goes back to the House and Senate floors for final approval before going to President Obama for his signature or veto.

How long will this take? The final bill will be completed in the 09 Summer and
an attempt will be made to approve all appropriations bills in September 09 before the 2010 fiscal year begins.

Once the law is approved, it is up to the Homeland Security Department to establish the deadlines for application -- so fire departments interested in these funds may not have an opportunity to seek and receive the money until well into 2010.

The House Subcommittee OK'd other emergency response funding, including:
$950 million for State Homeland Security Grant Program
$887 million for Urban Arera Security Initiative
$ 40 million for Metropolitan Medical Response System
$ 50 million for Interoperable Communications
$330 million for Emergency Management Performance Grants
$100 million for National Predisaster Mitigation Fund

The House bill has $8.4 billion altogether for all the Preparedness Programs and Disaster Relief that the Department of Homeland Security Administers.

The House bill I'm referring to above contains $7.3 billion for the Federal Emergency Manaement Agency (FEMA). This amount includes SAFER, Fire Act, and the rest of the money the House is OK'ing for Preparedness Programs and Disaster Relief. In contrast to $8.4 billion for Preparedness Programs and Disaster Relief, the House subcommittee approved $19.4 billion for General Security and Law Enforcement Programs (includes funding for Transportation Security Administration, Coast Guard, US Secret Service, and Federal Law Enforcement Training Center).

Finally, in the House bill is $967 million for science and technology (Homeland Security) which I mention here because Homeland Security is examining quite a few science and technology ideas which may result in new products for the emergency equipment business. As you know, for example, there has been a keen interest in interoperability.

I recently included in NEEDA Newsletter the contact points for DHS science and technology (use the "Search" application of NEEDA Newsletter). And I am relaying to the staff at DHS and NIST any technology ideas and product initiatives that you feel can strengthen the fire and EMS services in the United States.

If you write to your Representative or Senator concerning any of the programs mentioned in this column, please send a copy to: NEEDA, PO Box 220, Annandale, VA 22003.

MORE INFO? Rep. David E. Price (Subcommittee Chair), Room B-207 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 or 202 225 5834

FUTURE UNMANNED FLIGHT TECHNOLOGY TO HELP PREVENT AND FIGHT FIRES?
Originally Posted: June 9, 2009 9:09 AM
Last Updated: June 9, 2009 9:09 AM

By Kenton Pattie
Executive Director
National Emergency Equipment Dealers Association

The unmanned flight technology has potential applications in preventing and responding to fires.

The International Paris Air Show this month (June, 2009) will feature unmanned aerial vehicles. Northrop Grumman for example will show off its latest unmanned craft with advanced fire control radar and its airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) capabilities.

The International Paris Air Show takes place June 15-21 at Le Bourget, France. Two thousand exhibiting companies from 35 countries will attend the show as will 270,000 visitors. The Paris Air Show is one hundred years old.

Northrop Grumman's open-air static display area will feature a full-scale model of the Global Hawk high altitude long endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) together with a demonstration of the company's intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance capabilities using a real time airborne video link.

A U.S. Navy Fire Scout vertical take-off and landing UAV located at Webster Field, Maryland in the United States, will fly a series of demonstration missions and transmit EO/IR imagery in real time direct to the air show for visitors to see through a real time video link.

The National Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) for monitoring essential climate variables from space will also be featured. Northrop Grumman is the prime contractor for NPOESS, including the design, development and system integration.

The company's family of AESA (active electronically scanned array) fire control radars will be featured at the show, including the new Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR), designed as a retrofit for existing F-16 aircraft and scalable to fit other aircraft platforms and mission areas.

Northrop Grumman Corporation has 120,000 employees.

MORE INFO? www.northropgrumman.com/paris2009

BUILDING OR MODYFING FIRE STATION? FEDERAL GRANTS ARE AVAILABLE; E-GRANT APPLICATION IS AVAILABLE NOW
Originally Posted: June 9, 2009 7:32 AM
Last Updated: June 9, 2009 7:32 AM

As NEEDA Newsletter reported in May (use the "Search" application in the upper right of your NEEDA Newsletter screenj) $210 million in Recovery and Reinvestment Act Federal money is available to fire departments around the country for building new or modifying existing fire stations.

The application for this program is available this week.

The money will be awarded on a competitive basis, according to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA).

The program is administered by FEMA's grant programs directorate, in coordination with USFA's Assistance to Firefighters grant program office.

Applications for grants will be submitted via the automated e-grant application and the program office is making the e-application to be available now. USFA: "Applications will be screened using the answers to the questions in the application to determine which applications will go to panel. Finally, a panel of peers will review each application sent to panel and provide recommendations regarding which applications will be funded."

MORE INFO? firegrantsupport.com or 1-866-274-0960 or firegrants@dhs.gov

SMOKING TOBACCO PRODUCTS: PREVENTABLE THREAT TO HOME SAFETY
Originally Posted: June 8, 2009 5:30 PM
Last Updated: June 8, 2009 5:30 PM

HERE IS AN ARTICLE YOU CAN SEND TO YOUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER. ASK THE EDITOR TO PUBLISH IT!

Every year, almost 1,000 smokers and non-smokers are killed in home fires caused by cigarettes and other smoking materials. Fires caused by cigarettes and other smoking materials are preventable. You can make a difference!

Smoking is the leading cause of home fire deaths in the United States. People close to where a smoking material fire starts are harder to save because the fire spreads fast. Most fires caused by smoking material start on beds, furniture, or in the trash.

In 2006, there were an estimated 142,900 smoking-material fires in the United States. These fires caused 780 civilian fire deaths and 1,600 civilian injuries.

Smokers aren’t the only ones who suffer from smoking home fires:

One in four people killed in home fires is not a smoker whose cigarette caused the fire.

Thirty-four percent are children of the smokers.

Twenty-five percent are neighbors or friends of the smokers.

Older adults are at the highest risk of death or injury from smoking-material fires even though they are less likely to smoke.

Most home fires caused by smoking materials start inside the home. It's better to smoke outside. If you smoke outside, put your cigarettes out in a can filled with sand.

Use ashtrays with a wide, stable base that are hard to tip over. If it wobbles, it won't work.

The cigarette really needs to be completely stubbed out in an ashtray. Soak cigarette butts and ashes in water before throwing them away. Never toss hot cigarette butts or ashes in the trash can.

Chairs and sofas catch on fire fast and burn fast. Don't put ashtrays on them. If people have been smoking in the home, check for cigarettes under cushions.

Never smoke while using oxygen or are anywhere near an oxygen source, even if it is turned off. Oxygen can be explosive and makes fire burn hotter and faster.

Fire-safe cigarettes are less likely to cause fires. These cigarettes have banded paper that can slow the burn of a cigarette that isn't being used.

To prevent a deadly fire, you have to be alert. If you are sleepy, have been drinking, or have taken medicine that makes you drowsy, put your cigarette out first. Smoking in bed is just plain wrong.

Place properly installed and maintained smoke alarms on every level of your home.

Check smoke alarm batteries at least once every year. You can use a familiar date, such as when you change your clocks or your birthday, as a reminder.
Create an escape plan. Plan two ways to escape from every room. Practice the escape plan with everyone in the home.

If at all possible, install residential fire sprinklers in your home.

EASTERN OKLAHOMA GETS NEW AIR MEDICAL AMBULANCE SERVICE
Originally Posted: June 8, 2009 2:38 PM
Last Updated: June 8, 2009 2:38 PM

Air Methods Corporation (Denver, Colorado), an air medical transportation company, Saint Francis Health System and St. John Health System in Tulsa, Oklahoma, assume full operation of the Tulsa Life Flight air medical program.

Tulsa Life Flight expanded its services in Eastern Oklahoma with eventual placement of three helicopters within a 50-mile radius of Saint Francis Hospital and St. John Medical Center, extending air ambulance service to communities in the area.

Air Methods will operate a Eurocopter AS350 single-engine aircraft based in Pryor, Oklahoma, and a BK-117 twin-engine helicopter based in Keefton, Oklahoma.

A third operating base location is being finalized. Under the new agreement, Air Methods will continue to supply the helicopters, pilots and maintenance of the aircraft, and now also employ the medical personnel. Air Methods and its subsidiary have worked in partnership with Saint Francis Health System and St. John Health System to operate Tulsa Life Flight as a hospital-based program since 1979.

Aaron Todd, CEO: "We know these services are vital to Eastern Oklahoma communities and we are pleased to have finalized the expansion initiatives. Tulsa Life Flight has been a vital part of the community since 1979 and we look forward to continuing to provide a high level of safe, quality patient care to the citizens."

Air Methods Corporation's Hospital-Based Services Division is a provider of air medical transport services for hospitals.

The Community-Based Services Division is a community-based provider of air medical services. The Products Division specializes in the design and manufacture of aeromedical and aerospace technology. The Company's fleet of owned, leased or maintained aircraft features over 300 helicopters and fixed wing aircraft.

HOMELAND SECURITY'S SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DIRECTORATE LOOKING FOR GOOD IDEAS THAT WILL HELP FIRE FIGHTERS; $1 MILLION GRANT POSSIBLE
Originally Posted: June 8, 2009 12:49 PM
Last Updated: June 8, 2009 2:22 PM

Science and Technology Directorate Tech Solutions
Title: Science and Technology Directorate Tech Solutions

Institution: Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology

Bibliographic Entry: Department of Homeland Security. “Science and Technology Directorate Tech Solutions.” Science and Technology. http://www.dhs.gov/xfrstresp/training/gc_1174057429200.shtm (accessed June 1, 2007).

Electronic Link:
http://www.dhs.gov/xfrstresp/training/gc_1174057429200.shtm

Key Words:
Emergency Response management, TechSolutions, Capability Gap

Summary of Key Issues, Points, Conclusions:

The website provides information and potential funding to first responders who see capability gaps or have ideas that will foster improvement and facilitate and expedite their jobs. The page gives access to first responders for grant, training, standards and guidelines, as well as information regarding local resources that responders would be able to access. Submission guidelines for suggestions or proposals and an email address is provided as well as a $1 million dollar funding ceiling for proposals.

Name of Researcher: Crystal Boson

Institution: Integrative Center for Homeland Security

Date: June 1, 2007

Representative High Priority Technology Areas
Current Solicitations
BAA09-09, Sensing All-Threats to Reveal Concealed Hazards
BAA09-11, Automated Environmental Sample Preparation
RFI - Topics Related to Chemical Detection Technologies Preparation
BAA09-06, Viral Genetic Stability in a Forensics Context
BAA09-08, Viable BioParticle Aerosol Collection (VBAC) System
BAA09-02, Geospatial Location Accountability and Navigation System for Emergency Responders (GLANSER)
BAA09-05, Long Range Broad Agency Announcement
RFI-09-12-STIDPOpsInt, Operator Interface & Management Applications for Command and Control
RFI-09-11--STIPD-1stLine, "First-Line" Screening Sensors for Detection of Concealed Objects
RFI-09-10--STIDP-VideoMgmt, Video Management, Editing, and Analysis Tools
BAA09-001, Chemical Attribution Signature Studies for Chemical Threat Agents
Trust RFI - Time Recorded Ubiquitous Sensor Technologies (TRUST)
BAA09-04, Joint Requirements Area BAA for Topics Related to Detection of Person-Borne and Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Devices

Past Solicitations
Solicitation Awards
Previous Awards

Upcoming S&T Directorate Events
Past S&T Directorate Events
S&T Directorate SBIR Website
Safety Act
Privacy Policy
Website Technical Help

NEEDA URGES US HOUSE TO URGE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO INCREASE RELIANCE ON DEALERS AND LOCAL FIREFIGHTERS
Originally Posted: June 8, 2009 11:54 AM
Last Updated: June 8, 2009 11:54 AM

Should the Federal government do most of its work using only Federal employees or should they rely on functions such as firefighting, fire truck repair and maintenance, sprinkler installation, and breathing equipment maintenance to be done by non-Federal fire departments?

NEEDA reports that more and more Federal work is being done by Federal employees and private for-profit companies and local fire departments are given
fewer and fewer opportunities to do government work.

Below is our letter expressing concern in hope that the Obama administration will adopt a fair policy of letting commercial work be done by commercial firms. Thus, independent dealers would maintain and repair fire apparatus, for example.

Your views are welcome.

Multi-Sector Workforce Coalition
June 09, 2009

The Honorable David Obey
Chairman, Appropriations Committee
and
The Honorable Jerry Lewis
Ranking Member, Appropriations Committee
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chairman Obey and Ranking Member Lewis:

The undersigned organizations of the Multi-Sector Workforce Coalition are writing to urge a balanced and reasoned approach on issues related to government agencies’ reliance on federal contractors and the growing movement to shift more contract work to the government. These are difficult and complex issues that require strategic human capital planning based on sound and thorough analysis and appropriate justification.

To bring rationality and thoughtfulness across the government to human resource planning, industry supported Congress’ approach enacted as Section 321 of the FY 2009 National Defense Authorization Act (Public Law No. 110-417), which requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in consultation with other agencies, to develop a single, government-wide definition for inherently governmental functions and criteria for the identification of critical positions that government employees should fill. The President embraced this approach in his March 4, 2009 Memorandum on Government Contracting, which directed OMB to “clarify when governmental outsourcing for services is and is not appropriate, consistent with section 321” by September 30, 2009.

Implicit in this Congressional enactment and the Presidential endorsement is the recognition that the current framework for identifying what functions could or should not be contracted out is inadequate. Government and industry are both ill served by the current failure to define the scope of the functions that government employees must, or should, perform, based on an ambiguous definition of “inherently governmental function” that then serves as a foundation for the even more ambiguous term of “functions closely associated with inherently governmental functions” and an undefined term “commercially exempt activities.” We urge Congress to allow the process adopted in Section 321 and the President’s Memorandum to proceed and be implemented before enacting any further legislation around these poorly defined terms.

We are very concerned about the heightened and negative rhetoric used by many in the government and the media to describe the government contracting community. While there is certainly room for improvement in the acquisition process, the real cures to any shortcomings in the acquisition system are in developing and institutionalizing improvements in acquisition leadership, management, and training.

The Coalition will continue to work with Congress on improving the process where necessary, but we strongly believe there should not be any arbitrary mandates or quotas for bringing work back to the government, curbing service contracting, or establishing arbitrary moratoriums on agency flexibilities. Agency leaders need the tools and flexibility to manage their multi-sector workforces to achieve agency missions efficiently.

The complexities of these issues preclude quick, overly-simplistic legislative or regulatory fixes. Each agency has different missions, different structures, different funding mixes, and a different makeup to their workforce. As Congress foresaw in Section 321, a public rulemaking process to develop a focused definition of “inherently governmental function” that could be applied across Federal agencies, coupled with a series of guidelines that individual agencies could use to identify critical functions and positions, is a necessary first step in bringing better workforce management to our government.

We agree that there are functions so intimately related to an agency’s mission and the public interest that Government employees should perform them. Other functions, however, can be managed effectively if the agency keeps employees in key positions and ensures they have the training, experience, and support needed to manage and control the work. The current framework does not focus agencies sufficiently on these management and control issues. Broad and ambiguous mandates to perform functions in-house will only encourage agencies to insource those functions that are easiest to insource, which are too often not the functions most essential to controlling agency missions or operations. Likewise, establishing arbitrary deadlines for accomplishing any mandated insourcing will also thwart effectiveness and thoughtfulness.

The task is large and complex and has no quick fix. It will take time to adequately improve the federal workforce and find the appropriate, though ever-changing balance between government employees and contractor employees. Implementation of Section 321 is a vital first step and will help to avoid potential errors caused by undue haste, misplaced priorities, or oversimplification of this complex process.

Hence, we respectfully request that the Executive Branch be given the opportunity to fully implement Section 321 and the President’s March 4, 2009 Memorandum on Government Contracting before Congress adds further legislative provisions.

Sincerely,

Aerospace Industries Association
American Council of Engineering Companies
IPOA
National Defense Industrial Association
National Emergency Equipment Dealers Association
Professional Services Council
TechAmerica
The Coalition for Government Procurement
U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Cc: Members of the US House Appropriations Committee, Washington, DC 20515

CHIEF GAINES, FIRE ADMINISTRATOR, URGES INSTALLATION OF FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEMS; SAVES OCCUPANTS AND FIREFIGHTERS
Originally Posted: June 6, 2009 2:06 PM
Last Updated: June 6, 2009 2:06 PM

Glenn A. Gaines, Acting Assistant Administrator, U.S. Fire Administration: "The research regarding residential fire sprinkler systems has indisputably demonstrated the following:

Residential fire sprinklers can save the lives of building occupants.
Residential fire sprinklers can save the lives of firefighters called to respond to a home fire.

"Residential fire sprinklers can significantly offset the risk of premature building collapse posed to firefighters by lightweight construction components when they are involved in a fire.

"Residential fire sprinklers can substantially reduce property loss caused by a fire.

"The time has come to use this affordable, simple and effective technology to save lives and property where it matters most – in our homes.

"In the past year, the National debate about the benefits of residential fire sprinklers passed a major milestone with the adoption of a change to the International Residential Code that will require fire sprinklers in all new construction. This code change survived rigorous scrutiny, during which all interested parties had ample opportunity to comment on the technical merits of the issue. Since then, parties who oppose this life-saving technology have started a vigorous campaign to enact laws at the state level that will prohibit adoption of sprinkler requirements for new homes.

"I encourage every member of the fire service to stay abreast of this rapidly changing situation, and to be ready to voice any concerns that you have about proposed legislation to your respective state legislature.

MORE INFO? firesprinklerinitiative.org

NU FLOW OFFERS LEAK PREVENTION FOR FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEMS
Originally Posted: June 5, 2009 5:57 PM
Last Updated: June 5, 2009 5:58 PM

The Nu Flow Companies (San Diego, Ca) offers fire suppression systems with new leak prevention products.

MORE INFO? www.nuflowtech.com or Nicole Ross: nross@nuflowtech.com

SZTYKIEL AND CREW HIT THE INTERNET WITH VIDEO OF "SPARTAN STORY"
Originally Posted: June 5, 2009 5:41 PM
Last Updated: June 5, 2009 5:41 PM

Spartan Motors, Inc. (Charlotte, MI) hit the road with "digital roadshow" to promote the company's growth story and attract investors.

Spartan used Roadcast Group to produce its online video investor presentation: an interactive presentation of the "Spartan Story."

John Sztykiel, president and CEO of Spartan Motors: "Our new Roadcast presentation is intended to provide stakeholders with a beyond-marketing perspective of Spartan Motors. The presentation provides insight into who we are in today's marketplace, where we're going, how we intend to get there, the competitive landscape of each of our lines of business and an inside look at our facilities, processes and people. In addition, portions of the Spartan Roadcast presentation will be updated quarterly to ensure the most current information is available. We encourage all of Spartan's stakeholders - from our associates to investors to customers - to view our Roadcast presentation and learn more about how Spartan is transforming the world through specialty vehicles."

The Roadcast covers company background, products, strategy, key markets and financial information, along with additional content about Spartan's corporate culture and operations.

Spartan Motors, Inc. designs, engineers and manufactures custom chassis and vehicles for the recreational vehicle, fire truck, ambulance, emergency-rescue and custom vehicle markets. The company's brand names: Spartan(TM), Crimson Fire(TM), Crimson Fire Aerials(TM), and Road Rescue(TM).

Spartan employs 1,200 at facilities in Michigan, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and South Dakota. Spartan reported sales of $844.4 million in 2008.

Roadcast(TM) offers investor relations.

MORE INFO? www.roadcastgroup.com or www.spartanmotors.com

COLORAOD, IDAHO, OREGON, TEXAS & WASHINGTON WILL BE FIRST STATES TO RECOVER FROM TODAY'S RECESSION
Originally Posted: June 5, 2009 5:25 PM
Last Updated: June 5, 2009 5:25 PM

Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Texas and Washington will be the first states to recover from the recession, according to Moody's Economy.com.

Job growth would return to those five states in the last quarter of this year. Four of the states, Moody's said, are particularly well positioned to take advantage of pent-up demand for technology.

The fifth state, TEXAS, wasn't heavily impacted by the housing collapse and was one of the last to go into recession, largely due to the strength of its energy industries.

Moody's Economy.com predicted more states would begin seeing job growth in the first quarter of 2010, and all states would show signs of recovery by the third quarter of next year.

$210 MILLION IN FEDERAL FEMA FUNDS FOR FIRE STATION CONSTRUCTION
Originally Posted: June 5, 2009 5:03 PM
Last Updated: June 5, 2009 5:03 PM

The US Department of Homeland Security has released application guidance for over $500 million in FEMA preparedness grants for fire station construction funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Secretary Napolitano: “These Recovery Act funds will strengthen our economy while improving our ability to prepare for terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies. The grants will go directly to local projects, revitalizing communities while updating our nation’s infrastructure and enhancing our security.”

The program includes $210 million for the Fire Station Construction Grant Program, $150 million for the Port Security Program, $150 million for the Transit Security Grant Program.

MORE INFO? Applications for the Port Security Grant Program and Transit Security Grants? www.grants.gov.

MORE INFO? Applications for the Fire Station Construction Grants? https://portal.fema.gov

MORE HOMELAND SECURITY INFO? www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1243604359686.shtm

FLORIDA CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER CALLS FOR REPEAL OF LAW WHICH MAKES DEALERS GIVE UP 3% OF EVERY SALE
Originally Posted: June 5, 2009 3:43 PM
Last Updated: June 5, 2009 3:43 PM

May 7, 2009

Dear Member of the Florida Congressional Delegation:

As Chief Financial Officer of the State of Florida, I am writing to the Florida Congressional Delegation to express my strong support for the repeal of Section 511 of the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act (TIPRA), which requires governments to withhold 3 percent on payments made for most goods and services. The requirement of a 3 percent withholding not only places an enormous burden on state and local governments, it is extremely detrimental to the small businesses that are the backbone of Florida’s economy.

First, it is imperative to note that Section 511 of TIPRA will impose a financial and logistical burden on state and local governments, many of which do not have the systems or capacity to implement this costly withholding provision. My office is the owner of the state’s accounting system and is responsible for ensuring implementation of Section 511. Based on our estimates, it will cost approximately $5 million between 2009 and 2012 to implement design changes to our existing system and establish policies and procedures needed for full compliance. Thereafter, we believe it will cost at least $2 million a year to maintain the system and handle normal operations of the requirement. At a time of a severe budget crisis in our state, the timing of Section 511 could not be worse.

Second, small businesses that have government contracts have expressed significant concern regarding the problematic impact of the 3 percent withholding requirement on their ability to turn any kind of profit in a timely manner. According to several national contracting associations, the profit margin on many state contracts may only be between 2-3 percent. Withholding 3 percent on every payment under a contract will adversely affect cash flows, especially for smaller businesses that don’t have the extra resources to shift money and cover their costs. In addition, the 3 percent withholding may be significantly higher than their tax liabilities, which essentially forces these small businesses to “loan” money to the government until it can be recovered in their annual tax returns.

Finally, Section 511 will place Florida governments at a competitive disadvantage because private sector businesses that contract for services do not have to withhold the 3 percent from their vendors. Florida, and all state and local governments, will face an increase in the costs of goods and services as vendors will simply pass along the 3 percent cost when bidding for government contracts. For large infrastructure projects, the 3 percent additional cost will have significant impacts on projects and the state’s budget, something Florida can hardly afford in these tight budget times. While the intent of this provision may be to close the tax gap on businesses not paying their taxes, the unfortunate reality is that Section 511 will penalize small businesses lawfully paying their taxes and ultimately cost governments more for contracts. I am extremely concerned about the cost to the State of Florida and our small businesses if this 3 percent withholding requirement is implemented, which is why I strongly urge you to repeal Section 511 of the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act.

Sincerely,
Alex Sink
Chief Financial Officer
State of Florida

CONGRESS CHALLENGED TO REDUCE HEALTH COSTS, BUT IMPROVE HEALTH CARE FOR SMALL BUSINESS AND FIRE SERVICE . . . HOW ABOUT MORE FOCUS ON PREVENTION AND WELLNESS?
Originally Posted: June 3, 2009 2:47 PM
Last Updated: June 3, 2009 2:47 PM

by Kenton Pattie
Executive Director
National Emergency Equipment Dealers Association
PO Box 220
Annandale VA 22003
Kentonp1@aol.com

On Thursday, June 4, 2009 I am representing all US emergency equipment dealers at a US Chamber conference on improving health in the US. The event is followed by a Capitol Hill reception of the Congressional Fire Service Institute
National Advisory Committee on which I serve.

I have previously expressed the need for more national, state and local
focus on the health, safety and physical conditioning of our US fire fighting force.

Right now, beause of promises by both parties during the 08 national election,
Congress will take up health care reform soon.

Number One: There should be a provision in the legislation addressing support for improving health in the fire service.

If you agree or disagree with me you should let your US Representative and US Senator know your views. Send a copy to Kentonp1@aol.com.

The problem with US health care legislation? The cost.

Rising health care costs are the single largest threat to fiscal stability in the
United States.

The U.S. already spends 18 percent of GDP ($2.5 trillion a year) for health care, and is projected to spend one third of GDP by 2030
and one half by 2080!

One full third of health care spending comes from the federal government: Medicare and Medicaid.

The combination of health care cost will drive Medicare and Medicaid spending from 4.2 percent of GDP today, to 8.1 percent in 2030.

46 million Americans have no health insurance. Many small businesses cannot afford health care for employees. In the case of dealers, all small businesses have a hard time affording good health care for their employees. In the case of the fire service, health coverage varies tremendously because it is all driven by local and state budgets which rarely get the attention of Congress.

To ensure that health care reforms strengthen the overall financial position
of the US government, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget has
developed a list of principles for enacting reform:

1) Health Care Reform Should Focus on Slowing Cost Growth
2) New Government Health Care Spending Should be Fully Offset
3) Government Health Care Programs Must be Made Sustainable
4) The Need to Reform Health Care Does Not Displace the Need to
Reform Other Areas of the Budget
5) Health Care Reform is a Continuous Process and Will Require
Continued Vigilance from Policymakers

In my opinion, a 6th position should be as follows: In enacting new legislation on health care, Congress should ensure that the needs of all small businesses and the fire service be evaluated and the gaps and weaknesses be fill by a Federal-State-Local program. There should be much more focus on prevention and wellness in the US!

Overall health care costs have more than doubled as a share of GDP from 8.3 percent in 1980 to 18 percent today.

One of President Obama’s priorities is to expand health insurance coverage to the nation’s uninsured as part of health care reform.

But doing this will make it very hard to close the Federal long-term fiscal gap.

Congress is looking for recommendations that will result in tough cost control measures. Experts recommend that the first priority of Congress should be
to control Federal health costs.

If Congress adopts a plan that spends over $100 billion per year, there must be a way to offset this expenditure.

Experts recommend Congress adopt a pay-as-you-go, deficit-neutral standard. I agree.

If projected savings are not achieved spending cuts will be essential to save the US budget from being swamped by health care costs.

Problem: the Medicare Part A trust fund will run out of money
in 2017!

Medicare costs will grow to 9 percent of GDP by 2050. The federal share of Medicaid will grow from 1.5 percent today to 2.5 percent in 2030 and 3 percent in 2050. By 2080,these programs are projected to consume as much of the economy as we have historically raised in taxes to pay for all government spending today: 18.5 percent.

Medicare’s obligations, if nothing is done will be $40 trillion in excess of tax income in 75 years!

I recommend that we slow Medicare and Medicaid growth: but even if Congress does this, the problem will not be solved.

I doubt if this Congress can do the whole job, although they should.

One thing that is not being discussed: insist on the US population being more dedicated to wellness, good health practices, exercise, and correct eating habits. There are far too many health problems among youth and young adults these days. As a condition for getting Federal health care insurance, people should be required to make a more determined effort to be healthy and stay fit. Prevention should be rewarded.

And again, as I said above, just as we help the military maintain high health
readiness, we should help and reward the fire service for great success in
maintaining the health and safety of all first responders.

What are your views? What should Congress do? How can we best help the fire service meet the highest health and wellness standards possible?

MORE INFO? KentonP1@aol.com