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Firefighter Investment and Response Enhancement SB 1941"-->
Firefighter Investment and Response Enhancement (FIRE) Act (Introduced
in the Senate) S
1941 IS 106th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1941 To
amend the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to authorize the
Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide assistance to
fire departments and fire prevention organizations for the purpose of protecting
the public and firefighting personnel against fire and fire-related hazards. IN THE
SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES November
17, 1999 Mr.
DODD (for himself and Mr. DEWINE) introduced the following bill; which was read
twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation A BILL To
amend the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to authorize the
Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide assistance to
fire departments and fire prevention organizations for the purpose of protecting
the public and firefighting personnel against fire and fire-related hazards. Be
it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of
America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This
Act may be cited as the `Firefighter Investment and Response Enhancement (FIRE)
Act'. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. Congress
finds that-- (1)
increased demands on firefighting personnel have made it difficult for local
governments to adequately fund necessary fire safety precautions; (2)
the Federal Government has an obligation to protect the health and safety of the
firefighting personnel of the United States and to ensure that the personnel
have the financial resources to protect the public; and (3)
the high rates in the United States of death, injury, and property damage caused
by fires demonstrates a critical need for Federal investment in support of
firefighting personnel. SEC. 3. FIREFIGHTER INVESTMENT AND
RESPONSE ENHANCEMENT. The
Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2201 et seq.) is
amended by adding at the end the following: `SEC. 33. FIREFIGHTER INVESTMENT AND
RESPONSE ENHANCEMENT. `(a)
DEFINITION OF FIREFIGHTING PERSONNEL- In this section, the term `firefighting
personnel' means individuals, including volunteers, who are firefighters,
officers of fire departments, or emergency medical service personnel of fire
departments. `(b)
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM- `(1)
AUTHORITY- In accordance with this section, the Director may-- `(A)
make grants on a competitive basis to fire departments for the purpose of
protecting the health and safety of the public and firefighting personnel
against fire and fire-related hazards; and `(B)
provide assistance for fire prevention programs in accordance with paragraph
(4). `(2)
ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE FOR ADMINISTRATION OF ASSISTANCE- Before providing
assistance under paragraph (1), the Director shall establish an office in the
Federal Emergency Management Agency that shall have the duties of establishing
specific criteria for the selection of recipients of the assistance, and
administering the assistance, under this section. `(3)
USE OF FIRE DEPARTMENT GRANT FUNDS- The Director may make a grant under
paragraph (1)(A) only if the applicant for the grant agrees to use the grant
funds-- `(A)
to hire additional firefighting personnel; `(B)
to train firefighting personnel in firefighting, emergency response, arson
prevention and detection, or the handling of hazardous materials, or to train
firefighting personnel to provide any of the training described in this
subparagraph; `(C)
to fund the creation of rapid intervention teams to protect firefighting
personnel at the scenes of fires and other emergencies; `(D)
to certify fire inspectors; `(E)
to establish wellness and fitness programs for firefighting personnel to ensure
that the firefighting personnel can carry out their duties; `(F)
to fund emergency medical services provided by fire departments; `(G)
to acquire additional firefighting vehicles, including fire trucks; `(H)
to acquire additional firefighting equipment, including equipment for
communications and monitoring; `(I)
to acquire personal protective equipment required for firefighting personnel by
the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and other personal protective
equipment for firefighting personnel; `(J)
to modify fire stations, fire training facilities, and other facilities to
protect the health and safety of firefighting personnel; `(K)
to enforce fire codes; `(L)
to fund fire prevention programs; or `(M)
to educate the public about arson prevention and detection. `(4)
FIRE PREVENTION PROGRAMS- `(A)
IN GENERAL- For each fiscal year, the Director shall use not less than 10
percent of the funds made available under subsection (c)-- `(i)
to make grants to fire departments for the purpose described in paragraph
(3)(L); and `(ii)
to make grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with,
national, State, local, or community organizations that are recognized for their
experience and expertise with respect to fire prevention or fire safety programs
and activities, for the purpose of carrying out fire prevention programs. `(B)
PRIORITY- In selecting organizations described in subparagraph (A)(ii) to
receive assistance under this paragraph, the Director shall give priority to
organizations that focus on prevention of injuries to children from fire. `(5)
APPLICATION- The Director may provide assistance to a fire department or
organization under this subsection only if the fire department or organization
seeking the assistance submits to the Director an application in such form and
containing such information as the Director may require. `(6)
MATCHING REQUIREMENT- The Director may provide assistance under this subsection
only if the applicant for the assistance agrees to match with an equal amount of
non-Federal funds 10 percent of the assistance received under this subsection
for any fiscal year. `(7)
MAINTENANCE OF EXPENDITURES--The Director may provide assistance under this
subsection only if the applicant for the assistance agrees to maintain in the
fiscal year for which the assistance will be received the applicant's aggregate
expenditures for the uses described in paragraph (3) or (4) at or above the
average level of such expenditures in the 2 fiscal years preceding the fiscal
year for which the assistance will be received. `(8)
REPORT TO THE DIRECTOR- The Director may provide assistance under this
subsection only if the applicant for the assistance agrees to submit to the
Director a report, including a description of how the assistance was used, with
respect to each fiscal year for which the assistance was received. `(9)
VARIETY OF FIRE DEPARTMENT GRANT RECIPIENTS- The Director shall ensure that
grants under paragraph (1)(A) for a fiscal year are made to a variety of fire
departments, including, to the extent that there are eligible applicants-- `(A)
paid, volunteer, and combination fire departments; `(B)
fire departments located in communities of varying sizes; and `(C)
fire departments located in urban, suburban, and rural communities. `(10)
LIMITATION ON EXPENDITURES FOR FIREFIGHTING VEHICLES- The Director shall ensure
that not more than 25 percent of the assistance made available under this
subsection for a fiscal year is used for the use described in paragraph (3)(G). `(c)
AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS- `(1)
IN GENERAL- There is authorized to be appropriated to the Director
$1,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2000 through 2005. `(2)
LIMITATION ON ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS- Of the amounts made available under
paragraph (1) for a fiscal year, the Director may use not more than 10 percent
for the administrative costs of carrying out this section.'.
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All contents copyright 1996 - 2005 by Bob Nelson |
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