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IAFF LEGISLATIVE FACT SHEET
FUNDING FOR SAFER
The IAFF recently won $420 million for SAFER in Fiscal Year 2010, double
what was provided for the program in the previous fiscal year. The IAFF
will continue working to increase SAFER funding so that all fire departments may
be safely staffed.
BACKGROUND
To address the critical staffing shortages facing fire
departments across the nation, Congress enacted the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency
Response (SAFER) Fire Fighters Act in 2003. This law authorizes funds to hire up
to 75,000 new fire fighters over a seven-year period. Under SAFER, fire
departments can apply for federal grants to help pay the costs associated with
hiring new staff over a four-year period, with the local community contributing
a gradually increasing match. In its second year of implementation, the law
provided staffing grants in forty-three states to help address fire
fighter shortages in local departments across the country. The critical
importance of adequate fire department staffing has been well documented by
independent studies. Both the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the
consensus standards making body of the fire service, and the Occupational Safety
and Health Administration (OSHA) promulgated standards for the minimum number of
fire fighters needed to respond safely and effectively to emergencies. An
estimated two-thirds of all jurisdictions do not currently meet these safe
staffing levels.
A study conducted by the U.S. Fire Administration found most
fire departments unable to respond to many common emergencies with existing
staff. A study by the Boston Globe found that fire departments are no longer
meeting national standards for response times, and the National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health has identified lack of staffing as a key cause of
fire fighter fatalities on the fire ground.
While funding for the SAFER program has grown since it was
created in 2003, the $210 million appropriated in Fiscal Year 2009 is only a
small fraction of the more than $1 billion needed to fully fund the program.
CURRENT LEGISLATION
U.S. House: H.R. 2892,
FY10 Appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security
Sponsor: Representative David Price (D-NC)
U.S. Senate:
S. 1298, FY10
Appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security
Sponsor: Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV)
Summary:
H.R. 2892
and S. 1298 provide funding for the Department of Homeland Security
for Fiscal Year 2010, including $420 million for the SAFER grant program.
CONGRESSIONAL ACTION
On May 7, 2009,
President Obama released his budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2010. The
proposal doubles SAFER funding to $420 million.
Read More...
On June 8, 2009,
the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security approved H.R. 2892 by voice vote.
As approved, the bill contains $420 million for SAFER.
Read More...
On June 12, 2009,
the House Appropriations Committee approved H.R. 2892 by voice vote. As
approved, the bill contains $420 million for SAFER.
On June 17, 2009,
the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security approved S. 1298 by voice vote. As approved, the bill contains $420 million for SAFER.
On June 18, 2009,
the Senate Appropriations Committee approved S. 1298 by a vote of 30 - 0.
As approved, the bill contains $420 million for SAFER.
Read More...
On June 24, 2009,
the U.S. House of Representatives approved H.R. 2892 by a vote of 389-37.
As approved, the bill contains $420 million for SAFER.
Read More...
On July 9, 2009,
the U.S. Senate approved an amended H.R. 2892 by a vote of 84-6. As
approved, the bill contains $420 million for SAFER.
On October 15,
2009, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the conference report on H.R.
2892 by a vote of 307-114. As approved, the bill contains $420 million for
SAFER.
Read More...
On October 20, 2009, the U.S.
Senate approved the conference report on H.R. 2892 by a vote of 79-19.
On October 28, 2009, H.R. 2892
was signed into law by President Obama. |
