Issue Position: Anti-Terrorism - First Responders Initiatives

Issue Position

Issue Position: Anti-Terrorism - First Responders Initiatives

Our homeland security depends in large part on the preparedness of state and local governments and their first responders. For state and local first responders to prepare for possible terrorist attacks or catastrophic events, Congress and the Administration must do all we can to provide local police, fire, and rescue personnel with the necessary critical resources, equipment, and training.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Office of Grants is responsible for providing homeland security assistance to state and local governments. The Office provides information to states and localities on best practices and federal homeland security activities. Equally important, it administers federal homeland security assistance programs for states and localities to prepare for, prevent, and respond to both man-made and natural hazards. In addition, the State Homeland Security Grant Program, the Urban Area Security Initiative, and the Assistance to Firefighters Program are three key federal assistance programs that I support.

The State Homeland Security Grant Program provides financial assistance to states to prepare for terrorist attacks. The program authorizes states to purchase specialized equipment to enhance states' capabilities in preventing and responding to an attack as well as to use funds to develop and conduct training exercises for first responders.

The Urban Area Security Initiative Program is a grant program that provides funding to metropolitan areas to prepare, prevent, and respond to terrorist attacks. Metropolitan areas, such as the National Capital Region, may use funds from this program to purchase specialized equipment, plan and execute exercises, and pay first responders overtime during periods of heightened threat levels. In addition, funds may be used for port and mass transit security, radiological defense systems, and pilot projects. The Department selects metropolitan areas to receive funding based on the Department's vulnerability and threat assessment.

The Assistance to Firefighters Program, also known as the FIRE Act grant program, awards one-year grants directly to fire departments to enhance their capabilities to respond effectively to fires and fire-related hazards. This program provides funding to support firefighter safety, fire prevention, emergency medical services, and firefighting vehicle acquisition. The program's grant application process is competitive, and applications are peer reviewed by state and local fire department officials.

The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Firefighters (SAFER) Act, a grant program established in the FY2004 Defense Authorization Act with my support, provides federal funding directly to fire and rescue departments for the hiring of firefighters and recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters. In my view, it is critical that the nation's fire departments be able to hire the necessary personnel in order to meet the ever increasing demands placed on local first responders.

With respect to funding for these assistance programs, Congress provided $4.2 billion for state and local assistance programs at the Department of Homeland Security as part of H.R. 2764, the Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY 2008. Consideration of funding for these programs for FY 2009 is currently pending before Congress.

In Virginia, I have helped to secure funding for a number first responder enhancement initiatives, including funding for regional terrorism preparedness, first responder training centers, and the creation of a security system at the Virginia Emergency Operations Center.

There are also a number of general public safety programs that will compliment and work in conjunction with the homeland security initiatives outlined above. I will continue to work closely with state, county, and local leaders to help identify and respond to their priorities.

For additional information on first responder funding and related homeland security matters, you also may want to visit the Department of Homeland Security homepage at http://www.dhs.gov.

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