UNITED STATES FIRE ADMINISTRATION REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2008 -- (House of Representatives - April 03, 2008)
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I would rise today in strong support of the underlying bill which reauthorizes one of the most effective agencies in the Department of Homeland Security. H.R. 4847 provides $70 million annually to the Fire Administration through 2012 to ensure long-term funding stability for this critical agency.
I would like to thank the gentleman from Arizona, Mr. Mitchell, and the chairman of the Science and Technology Committee, Mr. Gordon, for their leadership on this issue and for working with me to bring this legislation to the floor today.
Mr. Chairman, the statistics are sobering. Every year, over 100 firefighters die in the line of duty. In 2005, the National Fire Protection Association reported 3,675 civilian deaths, nearly 18,000 civilian fire injuries, and over $10 billion in direct losses due to fire. The United States Fire Administration plays a critical leadership role in leading local fire departments to dramatically reduce these numbers.
Mr. Chairman, I, along with all of the other speakers who have come before you in support of this legislation, encourage its passage.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, today I rise in support of the amendment offered by my good friend, a member of the Committee on Homeland Security, Mr. Pascrell. The gentleman from Paterson, New Jersey, is a leader on the committee and in Congress on first responder issues.
As a former volunteer firefighter and graduate of the Mississippi Fire Academy, I understand that many firefighters are unable to travel to the National Fire Academy's campus in Maryland to partake in training. The Fire Academy recognizes this need. By harnessing technology, the Fire Academy partners with existing local and State training academies to reach more first responders.
The Pascrell amendment addresses one key area of training: terrorism response training. Specifically, the amendment seeks to ensure that fire service personnel get training on response tactics and strategies for dealing with ``terrorist-caused national catastrophes and incidents that involve weapons of mass destruction.'' Such incidents can be very complex and require response from many public safety agencies across multiple jurisdictions.
Today, the Fire Academy has a terrorism curriculum in place. The Pascrell amendment will ensure this continuation.
It has been nearly 7 years since the attacks of 9/11, and, thankfully, we have not been attacked since. However, Mr. Chairman, the threat is still very real. As Members of Congress, it's our collective responsibility to ensure that responders in our communities are fully trained, equipped, and staffed to answer the question call.
Once again, I encourage my colleagues to support the Pascrell amendment as well as the underlying bill.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT