Amy Sebring: On behalf of Avagene Moore and myself, welcome to the EIIP Virtual Forum! We are pleased to have this opportunity to bring you a session on the Assistance to Firefighters Reauthorization Act of 2004. Amy Sebring: But first, for the benefit of any first-timers, we will go over the order of business. We will begin today's session with a presentation, and then we will proceed to your questions and comments. Amy Sebring: We will provide further instructions just before we begin the Q&A section, but you may wish to jot down your questions or comments as we go along. Amy Sebring: Please do not send private messages to our speaker or the moderator, as we will be busy with the presentation. If you are a first-timer and need assistance, you may send a private message to Avagene. Amy Sebring: An edited transcript of today's session will be available by later this afternoon -- just check back on our home page or the background page (refresh the pages as needed). Amy Sebring: Now, I have the pleasure of introducing today's speaker Stephen P. Austin. Steve is a 33-year veteran of the State Farm Insurance Companies and he is involved with national fire service issues serving as ... Amy Sebring: the Director of Governmental Relations for the International Association of Arson Investigators. He also serves on committees of the National Fire Protection Association, International Association of Fire Chiefs among others ... Amy Sebring: and today is representing the Congressional Fire Services Institute where he currently serves as Fire Service Advisor. Amy Sebring: Further biographical information is available on our background page, as well as links to related material you may find useful, in particular the house legislation and the last Needs Assessment that Steve will mention. Amy Sebring: Welcome to you Steve -- we are delighted to have you with us. I now turn the floor over to you to start us off please. Avagene Moore: Good Morning, good afternoon, good night, no matter where you are in the world. It is good to be with everyone. I appreciate the opportunity to visit with you today about the Reauthorization of the Fire Act, legislation that has meant so much to fire departments in all of the United States, Territories and Tribal Lands. Avagene Moore: If you are not familiar with the existing Fire Act, it is the program that provides competitive grants to fire departments direct from the federal government for training, equipment and fire prevention activities. Avagene Moore: Firefighters in over 8600 fire departments have received over $695 million since June 2003. Added to the grants received over the prior two years, many of the 32,000 fire departments have benefited from this excellent program. Avagene Moore: Congress required a needs assessment in the present Fire Act. FEMA and the National Fire Prevention Association conducted that study. Copies are available at the USFA Web Site. Avagene Moore: The results were alarming and speak to the need of raising basic firefighting capabilities in many communities. The Fire Act allowed departments to increase those capabilities all across America. Avagene Moore: Establishing a base line of readiness and keeping departments there helps fire departments respond to over 21 million calls annually. By creating this base line, fire departments can build to meet the needs of today's environment ... Avagene Moore: that now includes the necessity to respond to terrorist acts in addition to those traditional calls. No wonder that Congressman Curt Weldon the founder of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus calls firefighters America's domestic defenders. Avagene Moore: Before I review the reauthorization process I want to take a moment to tell you a little about the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CSFI). You can visit the Institute at CFSI.org to learn about most federal activity in Congress or the Administration that involves fire and emergency services issues. Avagene Moore: CFSI supports the efforts of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus one of the largest bipartisan caucus comprised of members in the House and Senate who support fire and life safety issues. CFSI is a non partisan educational organization ... Avagene Moore: that helps congress connect with the fire service and provides the fire service education about issues that can impact the fire service from a federal level. Neither the institute nor the caucus seek or receive any federal funding. Avagene Moore: Guided by a National Advisory Committee made up of groups from the fire service and related public safety world, CFSI attempts to reach a consensus so that a consistent message may be delivered to Capital Hill. Avagene Moore: One of the priorities of CFSI was the creation of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (the Fire Act) three years ago and the fire service groups and CFSI are busy as the reauthorization makes its way through congress. Avagene Moore: Perhaps for those that don't work in the legislative arena each day it would be good to review a couple of terms, authorization and appropriations. These terms are explained in detail at CFSI.org on the fire service legislative page. Avagene Moore: But for our purposes today, we can say that before Congress can spend any money a committee with jurisdiction in that area must authorize that specific program. Once a program is authorized, Congress may through another committee process, appropriate funds. Avagene Moore: Most if not all programs are appropriated for a specified time. In this case the Fire Act was authorized for 3 years. Now the Fire Act must be re-authorized for another specific period or it will cease to exist at the end of the Federal Fiscal Year. Avagene Moore: With CFSI taking a non-partisan role, fire service groups met and presented a White Paper to Congress entitled The American Fire Service Position Paper on the Reauthorization of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. Avagene Moore: That White Paper included a number of suggestions that have been agreed upon by the major fire service groups. These recommendations include: Avagene Moore: * Granting the Secretary of Homeland Security Authority to Award Grants Avagene Moore: * Continue the Role of the National Fire Service Groups in the Criteria Setting and Review Process. This has allowed fire service people to set the guidelines for the grant application (within the confines of the legislation). Avagene Moore: * Allow funding for Safety Research and Development, something sorely needed in the fire service. Avagene Moore: * Factoring call volume and type into the criteria for grant eligibility, taking into consideration busy fire companies vs. smaller less active departments. Avagene Moore: * Conduct a periodic needs assessment. To again be conducted by NFPA to measure our gains. Avagene Moore: * Increase the size of the awards. The allowing for bigger grants to bigger depatments Avagene Moore: * Change certain matching provisions of the grants that have become problematic and difficult to reach Avagene Moore: * Conduct annual reports so the success of the program may be measured. Avagene Moore: After meeting with Congressional Staff, Members of Congress including leadership in both parties are working on drafting the reauthorization bill. The Senate is still drafting language and it is expected to introduce its version soon. Avagene Moore: The House has already introduced its version HR 4107 that includes a number of the suggestions from the White Paper and some new and changed language. Avagene Moore: Realistically, when a program is reauthorized it can be expected that Members of Congress will have their own ideas of what should or should not be in the bill. Avagene Moore: Since there are some changes from the agreed upon White Paper, fire service groups and others are carefully studying the language. CFSI is not taking a position on any of these additions or changes. CFSI however is working as it always does to create a climate where if at all possible a bill will be passed that is acceptable to everyone. Avagene Moore: Specifically the changes are as follows: Avagene Moore: The program is authorized at $900 million for the program in each fiscal year from 2005-2007. This is equal to the fiscal year 2004 authorization level. Avagene Moore: Consistent with the existing authorization, the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) will continue to administer the program. Avagene Moore: The non-federal matching requirement for fire departments that serve 50,000 people or more is reduced from 30% to 20%. The match for smaller departments serving less than 50,000 remains at 10%. Avagene Moore: The cap on individual grant size is raised to $1 million for all departments, $2 million for departments that serve 500,000-1,000,000 people, and $3 million for departments that serve more that 1 million people. Avagene Moore: Makes volunteer, non-profit emergency medical service (EMS) providers eligible to apply for grants. Approximately 3,000 municipalities maintain separate fire and EMS departments. Avagene Moore: Under current law, only EMS departments that are a part of fire departments are eligible for funding. Caps the amount these entities may collectively receive at to four percent of appropriated funds. Avagene Moore: Includes volunteer non-discrimination language prohibiting a fire department that receives grant funds from discriminating against, or prohibiting its members from engaging in volunteer activities in another jurisdiction during off-duty hours. Avagene Moore: You can download your own copy of the Bill by accessing Thomas.gov directly or from a link at CFSI.org. Avagene Moore: That's a lot of material at one time and I am willing to answer as many questions as I can at this time about the process or the legislation. For that, I will turn the session back over to our moderator. Amy Sebring: Thank you very much Steve (and Ava). Our protocol for audience questions is to enter a question mark ? to indicate you wish to ask a question or make a comment. Amy Sebring: Then go ahead and compose your question or comment to have it ready, but do NOT hit your Enter key or click on the Send button until you are recognized by name. Please WAIT your turn. Amy Sebring: We will take questions in the order the question marks are sent to the screen. One question at at time please. If you have a follow up, please get back on line with a ? Amy Sebring: There is a system limitation on length of one entry, so please keep them reasonable in length. We are ready to begin now. Jennifer Vuitel: ? Amy Sebring: Jennifer, whenever you are ready please. Jennifer Vuitel: Could you give us an idea of what some of the successful grant applications included, like what areas, equipment, etc.? Steve Austin: First thanks to Avagene for putting up my comments...... Matt Burks: ? Steve Austin: Good question jennifer.. Steve Austin: Fire apparatus.... Steve Austin: Portable equiptment.... Steve Austin: Protecive gear like masks, coats and boots.... Steve Austin: training programs and more Amy Sebring: Matt next please. Regis Collins: ? Dan Morelos: ?Are these funds 100% matching? Jennifer Vuitel: ? Amy Sebring: Dan we will come back to you. Amy Sebring: Matt are you ready? Amy Sebring: Matt, whenever you are ready let me know please ... Amy Sebring: since Dan's question is up there ... Amy Sebring: Steve can you clarify the matching? Matt Burks: Are the funds available to EMS 4% of the $900 million or 4% of what that jurisdictions Fire Dept. Receives. If it is 4% of the $900 million, what determines how much the individual EMS Departments receive. Steve Austin: Dan the match in the existing language is at 10% or 30% based on population served..... Steve Austin: There are proposals to change that in the new legislation....... Dan Morelos: ? Steve Austin: the exact % is still not agreed upon.... Steve Austin: I suspect there will be some match in the new legislation.... Steve Austin: the fire service groups recomended to lower the match Amy Sebring: Will you please take Matt's question now Steve, re EMS. Steve Austin: Good question Matt.... Steve Austin: the 4% will come from the total money available in the grant. .... Steve Austin: we have similar language now that caps fire apparatus at 25%.... Steve Austin: and remember the entire 900m might not get appropriated. Amy Sebring: Regis is next please. Isabel McCurdy: ? Regis Collins: What about communication Equipment (i.e. radios, base stations) & Medical Equipment (i.e. AEDS)? Steve Austin: All in there now......... Steve Austin: if you are a fire department......... Steve Austin: I suspect if the EMS piece is included those items will be available too......... Steve Austin: but that is only my opinion. Amy Sebring: Jennifer next please. Jennifer Vuitel: What cannot be covered under the grant? Steve Austin: Good question Jennifer.... Steve Austin: there are a number of items and programs that are not covered....... Steve Austin: what is covered is published in the Federal Registry and on the USFA web page........ Steve Austin: Construction of new facilities is not covered Amy Sebring: Dan next please. Dan Morelos: ?If we are receiveing funds from other grant sources, will we conflict with this grant? Avagene Moore: ? Steve Austin: No, unless you get federal money and you want to apply it to your match. Amy Sebring: Isabel next please. Isabel McCurdy: Steve- Is this Act an incentive for those 3000 municipalities who have separate fire-ems to conglomerate? Regis Collins: ? Steve Austin: It wasn't intended to by that way Isabel.... Dan Morelos: ? Steve Austin: I think that all along EMS as a third service was in the back of some folks minds.... Steve Austin: there just wasn't enough money in the first few years....... Steve Austin: the purpose was and is to raise fire supression capabilites to an acceptable level. Amy Sebring: Ava next please. Avagene Moore: Steve, you said the needs assessment results were alarming. At this point after 3 years of fire grants (right?), where are we in the baseline of raising basic firefighting capabilities? Have we reached it? If not, how far are we away from the baseline? Steve Austin: Avagene, we don't know yet, it has to be better..... Steve Austin: because there has been lots of apparatus and equiptment purchased.... Steve Austin: we will find out how we are doing if we get the follow up study that we propose in the final legislation........ Steve Austin: let me say again....... Steve Austin: get the NFPA/USFA report , it is alarming just how much needs to be done out there. Amy Sebring: Regis next please. Regis Collins: Steve, as many communities are begining to form COGs how would this benfit/hinder the application for multiple communities, with varied populations/resources capabilities? Amy Sebring: Regis, COGs = ? Amy Sebring: (councils of government?) Regis Collins: Cooperative Governments Amy Sebring: (I see, thanks) Steve Austin: Regis, in combination systems consisting of a county fire depatment and independent volunteer companies each company and the county can apply.... Steve Austin: what COGS need to do is figure out who is going to specialize in what area and then each department needs to submit an application... Steve Austin: the draw back is that these are competive grants and not everyone will get an award..... Steve Austin: The grants send money directly to the fire departments so the money is not going through a govenmental body. Amy Sebring: Dan next please. Dan Morelos: When can we expect to see the update (to include the new %'s) and where can I find more information? Amy Sebring: ? Steve Austin: Dan....as we speak there is work in progress........ Steve Austin: we expect a Senate bill any day......... Steve Austin: stay tuned to the CFSI.org and all the fire service web sites like firehouse.com and the others...... Dan Morelos: ? Steve Austin: copies of all bills in Congress can be found on Thomas Amy Sebring: I may have missed it earlier, but is the Fire Prevention and Safety part still in the current language? If so, does that also require matching funds? Steve Austin: Great question Amy....... Steve Austin: I should have spoken about that eariler....... Avagene Moore: ? Steve Austin: the fire prevention portion of the grant program is a special provision that allows groups that have a fire prevention mission to seek funding for prevention activities that have a broder local, state and national perspective... Steve Austin: we are working to eliminate the matching portion of those grants...... Steve Austin: they are capped at 5% of the total. Amy Sebring: Thanks. Dan next please. Dan Morelos: Thanks. We are a non-profit agency. Realistically, what are our chances of receiving an award? Steve Austin: Dan......tell me a little more about your agency. AK Miller: ? Amy Sebring: (Break up your reply Dan?) Dan Morelos: We are responsibile for managing the airport in our community. Dan Morelos: Our fire service is specialized Dan Morelos: They specialize in crash, fire, rescue. Steve Austin: Dan I am not the final authority on this......... Steve Austin: there are published rules as to what is and is what not a fire department..... Steve Austin: I suspect if the EMS portion is signed into law rules will be developed there too. Avagene Moore: Steve, as far as the grants that have been awarded, has an analysis been done to determine the percentage of funding going to apparatus and/or equipment versus training? I would think the terrorism threat might push the need for terrorism-specific training to the forefront. (we lost Amy) Steve Austin: Don't know about a study as such although DHS has all the raw data......... Steve Austin: If it was me Avagene, I wouldn't go after the anti-terrorism training money from this grant.... you can get it from here if you wish.... Steve Austin: but I would want to get it direct from my political jurisdiction from the other fed funds where there is no match. Avagene Moore: Thanks, Steve. Back to you, Amy. Amy Sebring: AK next please. AK Miller: Is there a resource for Fire Departments trying to develop a grant request? Amy Sebring: ? Steve Austin: Yes AK...... Steve Austin: during the process which now won't begin again for about a year......... Steve Austin: DHS conducts grant workshops in all the states....ask for one and you will probably be directed to one in your area..... Steve Austin: I will tell you that this is a very user friendly on line grant application...... Steve Austin: it is quite unlike other appllications you have been used to working with.... Steve Austin: it is set up as if you were convincing someone in your own department that there was a good reason to make a purchase. Amy Sebring: I have one last question. Has CFSI or any other fire organizations researched any potential long-term funding solutions? Beyond this grant program? Steve Austin: Many of the fire service groups talk about long term funding... Steve Austin: budget shortfalls in metro areas due to a declining tax base or other economic conditions really create a problem for public safety funding....... Steve Austin: elsewhere folks often question how long the volunteer fire service can exist off of bake sales, bingo and boot drives......... Steve Austin: that is not to say that this burden should be passed on to the federal govenment..... Steve Austin: they do have a role, state and locals have the primary responsibility, but there needs to be a solution. Amy Sebring: That's all we have time for today. Thank you very much Steve for your time and effort. Great job. We hope you enjoyed the experiece. Please stand by a moment while we make some quick announcements .... Amy Sebring: Again, the transcript will be posted late tonight and you will be able to access it from our home page or the background page. We also have a great archive of transcripts which you can access by topic from the home page. Amy Sebring: If you are not currently on our mailing list, and would like to get program announcements and notices of transcript availability, please see the Subscribe link on our home page. Amy Sebring: Thanks to everyone for participating today. Great questions and comments. We stand adjourned but before you go, please help me show our appreciation to Steve for a fine job. //gavel