Fire Fighters Call House Homeland Security Bill a “Step in the Right Direction”

IAFF commends House passage of Homeland Security Department budget, declares need for further support of America’s domestic defenders

International Association of Fire Fighters 

Contact Jeff Zack at  
(202) 824-1506

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 25, 2003– The president of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) called the near-unanimous passage of the budget for the new Department of Homeland Security by the House of Representatives on Tuesday night “a step in the right direction, but just a first step.”

“While we applaud the much needed infusion of homeland security funds for fire fighters, we still have concerns that it is not enough, and much of it might be siphoned off before it gets to the local level,” said Harold Schaitberger, General President of the IAFF. ”Two-thirds of fire departments are understaffed, making it difficult to handle fire suppression and medical calls, much less deal with terrorist threats.”

The $29.4 billion appropriated includes $4.4 billion for local fire fighters, law enforcement and other emergency responders who are on the frontlines of the nation’s domestic war on terrorism. Before passing the legislation, the House adopted an amendment offered by Rep. Lee Terry (R-Neb.) to boost funding for the FIRE Act. As approved by the Appropriations Committee, the funding bill had allocated $750 million for FIRE Act grants, a significant increase over the $500 million proposed in President Bush’s budget request. The Terry amendment added an additional $10 million for the FIRE Act by shifting funding from the Transportation Security Administration.

Staffing is the most critical need of the fire service, both to meet terrorism and standard emergency responds needs. The IAFF supports federal legislation that authorizes hiring additional fire fighters to meet these demands. The situation is exasperated by the faltering economy, which is forcing many cities to make cuts in their fire departments, even as the demand for emergency services expands. For example, 12 Somerville, Mass. fire fighters are slated to be laid off on Saturday night, just hours before the department participates in a multi-jurisdiction terrorism response drill.

Schaitberger also emphasized the concern, echoed by the nation’s mayors, that more of the homeland security money needs to be sent directly to local governments to provide direct assistance to fire fighters and police. The IAFF is concerned that too much of the funds will be used at state and regional levels to bolster bureaucracies at the expense of line fire fighters.

The International Association of Fire Fighters ( www.iaff.org ), headquartered in Washington, D.C., represents more than 260,000 full-time professional fire fighters and paramedics who protect 80 percent of the nation’s population.