FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 4, 2004
FURTHER INFORMATION:   Jeff Zack (202) 824-1506 (O),
                                              (202) 360-9778 (Cell);
                                              Jim McBride (202) 824-1566 (office)

FIRE FIGHTERS GIVE BUSH FAILING GRADE ON ANNIVERSARY OF CREATION OF DEPT. OF HOMELAND SECURITY

President Bush’s Homeland Security Funding Cuts Hurt Emergency Response of Fire & Rescue as March 1 Anniversary Approaches

WASHINGTON, DC – The General President of the International Association of Fire Fighters, AFL-CIO (IAFF), Harold Schaitberger, issued the following statement today on the ability of fire and rescue workers to respond to the emergency needs of communities across America one year after the creation of the Department of Homeland Security.

“The creation of the Department of Homeland Security was a step in the right direction. But one year after its creation, our nation’s fire fighters and emergency medical personnel are still operating with too few staff, outdated equipment and the need for training to appropriately and safely respond to all of the emergencies, disasters and possible acts of terrorism we need to be prepared for today.

The result is that our communities are more vulnerable because of Bush’s failure in Homeland Security.

“Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, being a fire fighter or emergency medical provider in America has taken on a new dimension. We must now be prepared to respond to terrorist attacks of mass destruction – whether it be a plane crashing into a building, a dirty bomb, or the release of a chemical or biological agent into the atmosphere. At the same time, we’re seeing a rise in exposures from infectious diseases, especially new and emerging pathogens, hazardous material and special operation responses, natural disasters, and an inexplicable increase in the incidence of assaults on first responders.

“The American people have a right to expect that, in the event of an emergency, the people whose job it is to respond will be there with the staff, equipment and training needed to save lives. That’s what Americans pay taxes for. The simple fact is, President Bush isn’t providing the funding to enable our nation’s fire fighters and emergency medical personnel to appropriately respond to emergencies.

“Department of Homeland Secretary Tom Ridge talked about training and equipping first responders in his speech on Monday. But the sad fact is, the funding hasn’t been provided and first responders are seeing little to no benefit from the consolidation of what used to be different departments into one, stream-lined agency. The new bureaucracy is as bad, if not worse, as the old bureaucracy.

“According to the National Fire Protection Association, two-thirds of America’s fire departments remain under-staffed. Even the Department of Homeland Security issued a report of its own earlier this week on a devastating 2002 fire in San Jose where there was insufficient fire department staffing, and stressed the need for additional fire stations.

“Instead of fixing these significant safety problems, President Bush’s budget proposes to cut Homeland Security Department funding for first responders by $700 million for next year.

“The President’s budget also cuts funding for the FIRE Act, a grant program that helps fire departments fund equipment needs, by $250 million. In addition, state and local programs for homeland security purposes were reduced $200 million.

“The administration also recommended elimination of planned funding of the SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) Act, the first-ever federal program to fund fire fighters, which was signed into law by the president in November.

“The result is that if you go into any firehouse in the country today and ask to see what the new federal commitment to homeland security has meant for first responders, no one will be able to point to anything. This all adds up to what I call Bush’s Homeland Security sham.”

About the International Association of Fire Fighters

The International Association of Fire Fighters, headquartered in Washington, DC, is the 16th largest union among the 64 national unions that makeup the AFL-CIO. The IAFF represents more than 263,000 full-time professional fire fighters and emergency medical personnel who protect 80 percent of the nation’s population. More than 2,900 affiliates and their members protect nearly 6,000 communities in every state in the Unites States and every province in Canada.