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Governmetal Affairs Committee |
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GAC Resources
In Other News The FAMA / FEMSA GAC would like to thank all the members who participated in the 2006 Home Day Program. Many of you had incredible results, and we encourage you to share those experiences with your fellow members. The GAC has posted a small website with information about some of the Home Day activities by FAMA and FEMSA member companies. Remember - Every Day is Home Day! Please click here to see the site.
Upcoming Events CFSI Annual Dinner. March 28-29, 2007. Washington, DC Hilton. Get your tickets early! Click here for more information.
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FAMA/FEMSA GAC Membership Survey AFG Program Office Posts Workshop Schedule for 2007 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) FEMA/Preparedness Transition Discussed at Employee Meetings NYC’s $140 Million Subway Radio System is Garbled Big Easy Makes Way for New Recovery Czar Senate Committee Plans More Homeland Security Oversight Don't Forget to Sign Up for the 19th Annual National Fire & Emergency Services Dinner & Seminars NAM's New Web Address for Manufacturing Facts USFA Releases Clothes Dryer Fires in Residential Buildings Topical Report
FAMA/FEMSA GAC Membership Survey As you know, the FAMA/FEMSA Governmental Affairs Committee (GAC) is working to
increase FAMA/FEMSA’s dialogue with federal government agencies in an effort to educate key
officials on the important role our industry plays in providing equipment and services to the
nation’s first responders. To help us enhance these efforts, we ask you to take a few moments to
complete the enclosed survey. This survey will help the GAC compile a comprehensive list of
FAMA/FEMSA members’ locations and the congressional senators and representatives for those
locations, an important step in establishing an educational network with the members of
Congress and the administration. http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB2262CG544Q2 Please fill out one copy of the survey for each of your company’s locations (There is a space to
indicate each location’s function on the survey.) Surveys do not need to be completed for your
dealerships, if you have any. AFG Program Office Posts Workshop Schedule for 2007 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) The Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) is a competitive grant opportunity for local fire departments and emergency medical services (EMS) organizations not affiliated with a hospital. The AFG funds activities such as purchasing firefighting equipment, personal protective equipment, training, firefighting and EMS vehicles, as well as firefighter/first responder safety projects. Each year the AFG regional staff conducts hundreds of workshops nationwide to provide up to date grant information to applicants. On Thursday, January 25, 2007 the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG) will begin posting the FY 2007 AFG workshop schedule on its website: www.firegrantsupport.com. The workshops are scheduled and conducted by AFG regional representatives and offer current program information for any fire and/or EMS organization that wishes to submit a 2007 AFG application. The workshop schedule can be added to or revised over the next six weeks; users are encouraged to visit the web site more than once to verify dates, locations and times. There is no admittance charge to any AFG workshop. The schedule provides important information about the conduct of the workshops, including points of contact. If you are unable to attend a workshop offered in your area, the program office will be providing an electronic copy of the PowerPoint presentation used at the workshops on the AFG website. In addition, by mid-February, the applicant tutorial, the FY 2007 AFG Program Guidance, and a list of Frequently Asked Questions will be available on the website. Potential applicants are also encouraged to utilize the AFG help desk at 1-866-274-0960 and at FIREGRANTS@DHS.GOV. Source: DHS FEMA/Preparedness Transition Discussed at Employee Meetings FEMA Director David Paulison and Under Secretary for Preparedness George Foresman held town hall meetings last week to speak to employees about the FEMA/Preparedness organizational transition that is occurring as DHS implements the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Act. During the meetings, Paulison and Foresman outlined upcoming changes and then held a question and answer period for hundreds of employees in attendance or watching via FEMA’s video teleconferencing system. In his remarks, Paulison stressed the need to integrate the elements of Preparedness with the ongoing structure of FEMA and to build stronger regional offices. Source: DHS NYC’s $140 Million Subway Radio System is Garbled After spending approximately $140 million dollars on a system to help New York City police communicate with subways, officials have found the system is far to riddled with interference to use. The Associated Press is reporting the system was actually completed last October, after “years of effort to make it possible for transit officers in the subway to talk with officers aboveground.” “As soon as we started testing, it became apparent there was a serious problem,” Inspector Charles F. Dowd, commander of the police communications division, told AP. AP says the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s executive director, Elliot G. Sander, recently spoke to Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly about the radio system and planned to consult with him further. But a program manager for New York City Transit, which runs city subways and buses, said the interference was manageable. “What’s in place today is functional,” manager Mark Bienstock told AP. To read the full article, click here: Source: Disaster Resource Big Easy Makes Way for New Recovery Czar You may not know Ed Blakely, but the urban planner hired to steer New Orleans toward recovery may soon become a household name. Will he help bring the city back to its former glory? In an article in the Christian Science Monitor, Staff Writer Patrik Jonsson reports that the experts say the next year in New Orleans under Blakely’s tutelage will affect the city for decades to come. “Though largely unknown outside the circle of urban planners, Mr. Blakely is becoming a household name in New Orleans,” Jonsson says. “Nearly 18 months after the storms, returnees have slowed to a trickle, the city is borrowing truckloads of money it has little hope of repaying and actual recovery dollars from Congress have tightened from promises of billions to less than $10 million received.” Blakely, Jonsson says, is “one of the most effective planners in America today.” He is known for balancing economic, environmental and social interests in projects. He has an MBA and a PHD, Jonsson adds. As for his plans in New Orleans, they’re pretty straightforward. “Encourage a smaller, more dense city by offering landowners in wrecked neighborhoods the opportunity to swap their land for lots on higher ground. Get pilot projects launched by summer. Build community centers. Begin to generate private investment,” Jonsson reports. “The planning job here is relatively easy,” Blakely told Jonsson in a phone interview, “because the city pretty much shows you how to plan it. But what’s happened is fragmentary leadership and ad hoc [planning] well before Katrina killed the opportunity structure. It has lost its structural identity and that’s what has to be restored. This city has great bones, but you forget that she had a great face.” To read the full article, click here: Source: Disaster Resource Senate Committee Plans More Homeland Security Oversight A new report says the newly-minted Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut is off to an active start in his new role. According to an article by Chris Strohm on the GovExec.com website, Lieberman has already “held a hearing to examine how best to implement unfulfilled recommendations of the commission that investigated the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and plans to pass a bill to address those issues out of his committee by the end of the month.” Last week, Lieberman reorganized his panel on Wednesday by creating two subcommittees to focus exclusively on security oversight. “A subcommittee on disaster recovery will examine how the government helps communities recover from disasters in general and Hurricanes Rita and Katrina in particular,” Strohm says. A second subcommittee on state, local and private-sector preparedness and integration will oversee Homeland Security Department efforts relating tostate and local fusion centers, law enforcement grants and how the private sector can prepare for and respond to emergencies, officials at Lieberman’s office told Strohm. “As part of his oversight agenda, Lieberman plans to examine how the government is sharing counter-terrorism information,” Strohm says. “He might seek new rules to help guide the use of technology for the information-sharing environment, a Democratic aide said. A 2004 intelligence reform bill mandated creation of the so-called ISE to coordinate government intelligence resources.” To read the full article, click here: Source: Disaster Resource Don't Forget to Sign Up for the 19th Annual National Fire & Emergency Services Dinner & Seminars It is not too early to begin making your plans to attend the 19th Annual National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner and Seminars, sponsored by the Congressional Fire Services Institute. Over 2,000 state and national homeland security leaders will assemble together in Washington to attend this program and learn how Congress and the Administration are working to address the capabilities of our nation’s first responders. Given the federal government’s increasing role in homeland security, CFSI has decided to expand the seminar scheduled to two-days to cover the board range of issues being address in our nation’s capital. All information about the this extraordinary event can be found by clicking any of the following tabs. Don't miss this important opportunity for you and your peers to learn more about the decisions being made in Washington, DC that impact your performance as first responders. Source: CFSI NAM's New Web Address for Manufacturing Facts The NAM has launched www.manufacts.org, a site full of manufacturing information and data, designed to be a One Stop Shop for Capitol Hill staffers and members alike. Included are talking points and one pagers on wide variety of issues, easy-to-digest economic facts and state-by-state data. Check out the website by clicking here. For more information or to provide feedback, please contact Patty Long at (202) 637-3123 or plong@nam.org. NAM President Engler's Op-Ed in The Hill John Engler wrote an Op-Ed for The Hill in which he details the importance of its members in developing and pushing forward the NAM's Policy Agenda. A copy of his op-ed can be found here. NAM Congressional Meetings (Regional Dialogues) The NAM schedules regional meetings, or "Congressional Dialogues," around the country on a regular basis. Council members - as members of the NAM - are invited to attend, and may also invite their members to these the events. For more information, visit the calendar of events here. Your Help Is Needed To Prevent Legal-Related Tax Increases: This week, the Senate considers S. 349, the Small Business and Work Opportunity Act of 2007. On January 25, the NAM sent a letter to the full Senate in opposition to several revenue raisers included in the bill. The NAM strongly urges the Senate to remove from the legislation provisions that: limit deferrals under nonqualified deferred compensation plans; deny deductions for punitive damage payments; and deny deductions for settlement payments. For more information, contact Dorothy Coleman at dcoleman@nam.org or 202-637-3077. Source: NAM USFA Releases Clothes Dryer Fires in Residential Buildings Topical Report EMMITSBURG, MD. - The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) announced the release of a report today regarding residential building clothes dryer fires. Between the years 2002-2004, an annual average of 12,700 clothes dryer fires occurred in residential buildings. These fires were responsible for an estimated 15 civilian fire deaths, 300 civilian fire injuries, and $88 million in property loss each year. In residential buildings, operational deficiency, including "failure to clean", is the leading factor contributing to clothes dryer fires, followed by mechanical malfunction and electrical failure. Approximately 62% of clothes dryer fires are confined to the object of fire origin while about 27% are confined to the room of origin. The report, Clothes Dryer Fires in Residential Buildings, was developed by the USFA's National Fire Data Center as part of its Topical Fire Research Series and is based on data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) for 2002-2004. The report examines the characteristics of clothes dryer fires and provides recommendations for clothes dryer fire safety. A copy of the topical report can be downloaded from: http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/statistics/reports/ Source: USFA The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has received notice of the following firefighter fatalities: The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has received notice of the following firefighter fatality: Name: Kevin Reed Fire Department: Oakland Fire Department Incident Description: Firefighter Reed passed away following a medical emergency (heart attack) while performing physical fitness training. Reed had responded to a residential structure fire the evening before while on shift duty. Funeral Arrangements: Services are scheduled at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, Memorial Fund Contact and Address: Unknown at this time Tribute is being paid to Lieutenant Kevin Reed at http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fatalities/ The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has received notice of the following firefighter fatality: Name: Shane Daughetee Fire Department: Highway 58 Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. Address: 5402 HWY 58, Harrison, TN 37341 Incident Description: Firefighter Daughetee along with other firefighters arrived on-scene at a fully involved residential structure fire. Firefighters initiated interior search and rescue, and while in progress; the floor collapsed trapping Daughetee when he fell into the basement. Fire conditions prevented all attempts to rescue Firefighter Daughetee and he perished. Three other firefighters were injured while attempting the rescue with their reported injuries to be minor. The family of the residence was able to escape the fire unharmed. Funeral Arrangements: Pending Memorial Fund Contact and Address: Pending The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has received notice of the following firefighter fatality: Name: Kenneth Patrick Fahey Fire Department: U. S. Forest Service - Francis Marion National Forest
Address: Witherbee Ranger Station, 2421 Witherbee Road, Cordesville, SC
29434 Incident Description: Firefighter Fahey was operating a 3/4-ton U. S. Forest Service truck and returning from a controlled burn, when (according to Highway Patrol investigators) the truck apparently crossed over into oncoming traffic striking a semi-tractor and trailer head-on. Both vehicles caught fire upon impact. Fahey and the operator of the other vehicle, 43 year-old Lonnie Nettles, were pronounced dead on the scene. Investigation into the cause of the accident continues. Funeral Arrangements: Pending Memorial Fund Contact and Address: Pending Tribute is being paid to Firefighter Kenneth Patrick Fahey at http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fatalities/ |
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