Subcommittee Reviews Activities of the U.S. Fire Administration, Hears from Fire Service Community
(Washington, DC) – Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation held a hearing to examine the United States Fire Administration (USFA) and its effectiveness, priorities for future research, development, and training activities at USFA, and the fire service priorities for the USFA reauthorization. Testifying before the Subcommittee were the Administrator of USFA and representatives from the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the National Fire Protection Association, and the International Association of Fire Fighters.
The National Fire Prevention and Control Administration (NFPCA) was formed in 1974 based on the recommendations from a report of the National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control, America Burning. The goal of the NFPCA was to reduce fire-related fatalities in the U.S. by half from 12,000 per year in 1973. The NFPCA was renamed the USFA in 1978. Today, the USFA is responsible for leadership, coordination, identification and dissemination of best practices, and support for the nation’s fire prevention and control, fire training, and education, and emergency medical services.
Ranking Member Donna F. Edwards (D-MD) acknowledged the success of the Fire Administration in greatly reducing the number of fire-related deaths and injuries, but stressed that fire is still a significant problem in the U.S. She said in her opening statement, “Through the good work of the Fire Administration and our first responders, the number of fire-related deaths continues to decline but, unfortunately, our country’s fire-related death rate is still one of the highest in the industrialized world. And it is estimated that, in 2009, fire cost the United States over $331 billion dollars in economic and human losses.”
A topic of discussion at the hearing was how firefighters’ roles have changed over time. Mr. Kevin O’Connor, representing the International Association of Firefighters, said, “The days of firefighters whose primary function was to ‘put the wet on the red’ are long gone. The men and women of the 21st century fire service have evolved into highly trained, highly skilled all-purpose emergency responders with broad responsibilities. Perhaps most significantly, today’s fires services has evolved such that, it has become the nation’s primary first medical responder for critical illness and injury.”
Ms. Edwards acknowledged this changing role and stressed the need for the USFA to adjust to meet the new reality. She said, “The truth is that our firefighters are our first responders in all types of emergencies, including terrorist attacks and natural disasters, and the range of training and education they need to be successful must expand and evolve to reflect this reality.”
Witnesses and Democratic Members also discussed the importance of the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants. Since 2001, these fire grants programs have provided valuable resources to local fire departments to help them meet their firefighting equipment, training, and staffing needs. Witnesses indicated that the programs were effective in addressing these needs and encouraged the Committee to reauthorize these successful programs. Last June, Ranking Member of the Full Committee, Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), introduced the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2011 (H.R. 2269), but the Republican Majority has not taken any action on the bill.
The USFA was last reauthorized on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis in 2008. The current reauthorization expires in September.
Witnesses and Democratic Members emphasized the need to work quickly on a reauthorization bill. Ms. Edwards said, “The Fire Administration plays an essential role in ensuring that our firefighters - who are so critical to the safety and resiliency of our Nation - have the tools they need to protect us and keep us out of harm's way. The current authorization for the Fire Administration expires in just over four months… I sincerely hope that the decision to call this hearing is an indication that there are plans to draft and move a reauthorization bill through this Committee in the coming weeks…Our colleagues in the Senate passed a Fire Administration reauthorization bill through the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs yesterday. I believe we also have an obligation and an opportunity to ensure that the Fire Administration’s authority continues uninterrupted and I look forward to working with the Chairman towards that end.”
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