House Approves IAFF Recommendations to Strengthen U.S. Fire Administration

April 11, 2008 – The U.S. House of Representatives voted 412-0 last week to adopt legislation strengthening the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA). H.R. 4847, the United States Fire Administration Reauthorization Act of 2008, included key IAFF recommendations to expand and improve USFA’s training activities, improve fire fighter safety and better serve the needs of the modern fire service.

The vote came over the objections of the Bush administration, which sent an 11th hour letter opposing a provision crafted by the IAFF to improve delivery of USFA training programs. Under current law, USFA will pay for training offered at the U.S. Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland, or offered by a state training academy. But larger jurisdictions that have their own training facilities have been unable to take advantage of such federally funded training.

To address this concern, the IAFF drafted an amendment that will allow USFA to contract with a national training organization, such as the IAFF, to provide training in localities around the nation. The Bush administration argued that such training was unnecessary because the classes offered at Emmitsburg and state academies meet the needs of the nation’s fire service. House members swept aside such considerations, however, voting unanimously for the bill with the IAFF’s language intact.

The legislation was sponsored by Representative Harry Mitchell (D-AZ), and actively supported by Representative David Wu (D-OR), chair of the Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation. Testifying on behalf of the IAFF before Wu’s Subcommittee, Bob Livingston, a captain in the Salem, Oregon Fire Department, urged lawmakers to modernize the U.S. Fire Administration. “Today’s professional fire fighter is an all-purpose emergency responder, trained in such specialized disciplines as emergency medical care, hazardous /WMD materials response and high-angle, confined space and water rescue,” Livingtson explained. “But as fire fighters have expanded their duties, responsibilities and capabilities to meet the needs of their communities, so too must the USFA evolve to meet the needs of the 21st Century fire service.”

Based on Livingston’s recommendations, H.R. 4847 directs the Fire Administration to promote compliance with NFPA safety standards and advocate for the use of fire department-based EMS delivery systems. The legislation also authorizes additional federal resources for wildland fire fighting and to improve USFA’s data collection efforts to better identify fire safety trends.

Attention now turns to the Senate where a companion bill to H.R. 4847 is being considered. S. 2606, authored by Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Susan Collins (R-ME), tracks the provisions of the House-passed bill and includes the provisions backed by the IAFF.

To read a copy of H.R. 4847 click here.

To read Captain Livingston’s testimony before the House, click here.