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Working families and
governments nationwide continue struggling to cope with the weak economy.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment remains high with
the unemployment rate close to ten percent and over 15 million people
looking for work.
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Communities nationwide are
reducing fire department staffing through layoffs, attrition, or other
reductions in force. A recent IAFF survey of locals revealed that
approximately 6000 fire fighter layoffs have been implemented or proposed
since September 2008. An additional 6000 positions have been lost through
attrition. Downsizing among fire departments results in longer response
times and an increased threat to public safety and local preparedness,
placing communities and their citizens at significant risk.
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According to the Center on
Budget and Policy Priorities, forty-two states have already cut public
employee budgets, and thirty-five states have FY10 mid-year budget gaps.
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Although the economic
stimulus bill passed in 2009 allowed states to spend a portion of their
State Fiscal Stabilization funds on public safety, the majority of states
chose to spend such funds on other priorities, leaving many public safety
departments with continuing significant budgetary shortfalls.
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The 2011 fiscal year begins
on July 1, 2010 in forty-six states, requiring such states to prepare their
FY11 budgets now. Without immediate assistance from the federal government
in the form of direct aid and grants, states will be forced to make
additional budget cuts, including sizable cuts to public safety.
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Providing direct aid for
states and localities to fund public sector jobs will help such states and
localities avoid devastating public safety cuts, and is one of the most
effective ways to create and save public safety jobs.
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As the only Homeland
Security grant program to specifically fund personnel, the SAFER grant
program is a proven effective and efficient way to sustain and increase the
number of good-paying fire fighter positions nationwide.
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Fire manufacturing and
service companies employ nearly 100,000 individuals in the United States. By
significantly increasing the number and quantity of equipment and apparatus
purchased by the U.S. fire service, providing additional funding for FIRE
grants would help grow and maintain jobs at U.S. manufacturers and
distributors.
