[House Hearing, 108 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
H.R. 2692, UNITED STATES FIRE
ADMINISTRATION AUTHORIZATION
ACT OF 2003
=======================================================================
HEARING
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON RESEARCH
COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED EIGHTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
JULY 17, 2003
__________
Serial No. 108-22
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Science
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.house.gov/science
______
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COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE
HON. SHERWOOD L. BOEHLERT, New York, Chairman
LAMAR S. SMITH, Texas RALPH M. HALL, Texas
CURT WELDON, Pennsylvania BART GORDON, Tennessee
DANA ROHRABACHER, California JERRY F. COSTELLO, Illinois
JOE BARTON, Texas EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas
KEN CALVERT, California LYNN C. WOOLSEY, California
NICK SMITH, Michigan NICK LAMPSON, Texas
ROSCOE G. BARTLETT, Maryland JOHN B. LARSON, Connecticut
VERNON J. EHLERS, Michigan MARK UDALL, Colorado
GIL GUTKNECHT, Minnesota DAVID WU, Oregon
GEORGE R. NETHERCUTT, JR., MICHAEL M. HONDA, California
Washington CHRIS BELL, Texas
FRANK D. LUCAS, Oklahoma BRAD MILLER, North Carolina
JUDY BIGGERT, Illinois LINCOLN DAVIS, Tennessee
WAYNE T. GILCHREST, Maryland SHEILA JACKSON LEE, Texas
W. TODD AKIN, Missouri ZOE LOFGREN, California
TIMOTHY V. JOHNSON, Illinois BRAD SHERMAN, California
MELISSA A. HART, Pennsylvania BRIAN BAIRD, Washington
JOHN SULLIVAN, Oklahoma DENNIS MOORE, Kansas
J. RANDY FORBES, Virginia ANTHONY D. WEINER, New York
PHIL GINGREY, Georgia JIM MATHESON, Utah
ROB BISHOP, Utah DENNIS A. CARDOZA, California
MICHAEL C. BURGESS, Texas VACANCY
JO BONNER, Alabama
TOM FEENEY, Florida
RANDY NEUGEBAUER, Texas
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Subcommittee on Research
NICK SMITH, Michigan, Chairman
LAMAR S. SMITH, Texas EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas
DANA ROHRABACHER, California MICHAEL M. HONDA, California
GIL GUTKNECHT, Minnesota ZOE LOFGREN, California
FRANK D. LUCAS, Oklahoma DENNIS A. CARDOZA, California
W. TODD AKIN, Missouri BRAD SHERMAN, California
TIMOTHY V. JOHNSON, Illinois DENNIS MOORE, Kansas
MELISSA A. HART, Pennsylvania JIM MATHESON, Utah
JOHN SULLIVAN, Oklahoma SHEILA JACKSON LEE, Texas
PHIL GINGREY, Georgia RALPH M. HALL, Texas
SHERWOOD L. BOEHLERT, New York
PETER ROONEY Subcommittee Staff Director
DAN BYERS Professional Staff Member/Designee
JIM WILSON Democratic Professional Staff Member
ELIZABETH GROSSMAN, KARA HAAS Professional Staff Members
JAMES HAGUE Staff Assistant
C O N T E N T S
July 17, 2003
Page
Witness List..................................................... 2
Hearing Charter.................................................. 3
Opening Statements
Statement by Representative Nick Smith, Chairman, Subcommittee on
Research, Committee on Science, U.S. House of Representatives.. 12
Written Statement............................................ 13
Statement by Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, Ranking
Minority Member, Subcommittee on Research, Committee on
Science, U.S. House of Representatives......................... 15
Written Statement............................................ 16
Prepared Statement by Representative John Sullivan, Member,
Subcommittee on Research, Committee on Science, U.S. House of
Representatives................................................ 16
Statement by Representative Sherwood L. Boehlert, Chairman,
Committee on Science, U.S. House of Representatives............ 17
Panel 1:
Honorable Dave Camp, Member, U.S. House of Representatives from
the State of Michigan
Oral Statement............................................... 17
Written Statement............................................ 19
Discussion....................................................... 20
Panel 2:
Mr. David Paulison, U.S. Fire Administrator and Director,
Preparedness Division of the Emergency Preparedness & Response
Directorate/FEMA, Department of Homeland Security
Oral Statement............................................... 21
Written Statement............................................ 23
Biography.................................................... 28
Dr. Arden L. Bement, Jr., Director, National Institute of
Standards and Technology
Oral Statement............................................... 28
Written Statement............................................ 30
Biography.................................................... 33
Discussion....................................................... 33
Panel 3:
Mr. Dennis Compton, Immediate Past Chair, Board for the
International Fire Service Training Association
Oral Statement............................................... 45
Written Statement............................................ 46
Biography.................................................... 50
Financial Disclosure......................................... 53
Dr. John R. Hall, Jr., Assistant Vice President, Fire Analysis
and Research, National Fire Protection Association
Oral Statement............................................... 54
Written Statement............................................ 55
Biography.................................................... 58
Financial Disclosure......................................... 60
Discussion....................................................... 63
Appendix 1: Additional Material for the Record
H.R. 2692, United States Administration Authorization Act of 2003 70
H.R. 545, Firefighting Research and Coordination Act............. 74
H.R. 2692, UNITED STATES FIRE ADMINISTRATION AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2003
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THURSDAY, JULY 17, 2003
House of Representatives,
Subcommittee on Research,
Committee on Science,
Washington, DC.
The Subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 9:35 a.m., in
Room 2318 of the Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Nick Smith
[Chairman of the Subcommittee] presiding.
hearing charter
SUBCOMMITTEE ON RESEARCH
COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
H.R. 2692, United States Fire
Administration Authorization
Act of 2003
thursday, july 17, 2003
9:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
2318 rayburn house office building
1. PURPOSE
On Thursday, July 17th, 2003, the Research Subcommittee of the
House Science Committee will hold a hearing to examine U.S. Fire
Administration (USFA) programs and activities and H.R. 2692, the U.S.
Fire Administration Authorization Act of 2003. The USFA, housed within
the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and located in
Emmitsburg, Maryland, is charged with helping to prevent and limit
fire-related losses. Its activities revolve around four primary areas:
training, public education, research, and data collection and analysis.
On March 1, 2003, USFA and FEMA officially became part of the Emergency
Preparedness and Response Directorate of the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS).
2. WITNESSES
Panel 1
The Honorable Dave Camp is the Representative of the 4th Congressional
District of Michigan. First elected to Congress in 1990, Mr. Camp sits
on the Ways and Means Committee and the Homeland Security Committee,
where he chairs the Subcommittee of Infrastructure and Border Security.
Panel 2
Mr. David Paulison is the U.S. Fire Administrator and Director of the
Preparedness Division of the Emergency Preparedness & Response
Directorate/FEMA in the Department of Homeland Security. Prior to his
appointment as U.S. Fire Administrator in December 2001, he was chief
of the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department. Administrator Paulison has 30
years of fire rescue experience and was selected as Florida's fire
chief of the year in 1993.
Dr. Arden Bement is Director of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology, a position he has held since December 2001. Before
receiving this appointment, Bement served as the David A. Ross
Distinguished Professor of Nuclear Engineering and head of the School
of Nuclear Engineering at Purdue University. From 1989 to 1995, Dr.
Bement was a member of the U.S. National Science Board, the governing
board for the National Science Foundation. He is also a member of the
U.S. National Academy of Engineering.
Panel 3
Mr. Dennis Compton is the immediate past Chair of the Board for the
International Fire Service Training Association. Chief Compton has
served for over 32 years in the fire service--27 years with the Phoenix
Fire Department and five years as the Mesa Chief. He was selected as a
charter member of the Arizona Fire Service Hall of Fame and recently
received the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) 2003 Mason
Lankford National Fire Service Leadership Award.
Dr. John Hall is Assistant Vice President for Fire Analysis and
Research at the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). This
division at NFPA is responsible for the measurement of the national
fire problem and the communication of the results as a statistical
basis for fire protection strategies. Dr. Hall was formerly an
Operations Research Analyst with the U.S. Fire Administration. He holds
a B.A. in Mathematics from Brown University and a Ph.D. in Operations
Research from the University of Pennsylvania.
3. OVERARCHING QUESTIONS
The hearing will address the following overarching questions:
1. LWhat is the status of traditional USFA activities, such as
public education and outreach, fire research and data analysis,
and emergency responder training programs? Does H.R. 2692
adequately address issues relevant to these programs?
2. LWhat is the status of the USFA Assistance to Firefighters
Grant Program, and should Congress modify the program in H.R.
2692?
3. LWhat is the need for development of testing methodologies
and standards for new firefighting technologies, and what are
the pros and cons of H.R. 545, the Firefighting Research and
Coordination Act?
4. LWhat is the status of USFA-supported fire research
programs? How is USFA's relatively small research budget being
leveraged and coordinated with related efforts at the National
Institute of Standards and Technology and the Department of
Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate?
4. BACKGROUND
LIn the early 1970's, a report by the President's
National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control entitled
America Burning presented a dismal assessment of fire safety in
the United States. The report found that nearly 12,000 citizens
and 250 firefighters were lost to fire annually, in addition to
approximately 300,000 injuries.
LIn response to the report, Congress created the USFA
and the National Fire Academy. The USFA, housed within the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and located in
Emmitsburg, Maryland, is charged with helping to prevent and
control fire-related losses. Its activities revolve around four
primary areas: training, public education, research, and data
collection and analysis.
LWhen the USFA was established in 1974, its goal was
to reduce by half the number of fire-related fatalities in the
Nation--bringing the number to approximately 6,000 or less per
year within a generation. The agency met this goal, and by 1998
civilian fire deaths were at their lowest level. Additionally,
using nearly any measure--number of fires, deaths, injuries, or
property losses--the statistics also reflect a declining trend.
LDespite this significant progress, the United States
still has one of the worst fire safety records in the
industrialized world. The per capita death rate remains two to
three times that of several European nations and at least 20
percent higher than most developed countries. Fire remains the
cause of approximately 3,700 deaths and $11 billion in economic
damages each year, and every 18 seconds a fire department
responds to a call somewhere in the United States.
USFA Organization and Programs
USFA's mission is to provide leadership, coordination, and support
for the Nation's fire prevention and control, fire training and
education, and emergency medical services activities, particularly for
America's 26,350 fire departments. USFA's five-year operational
objectives, established in 2000, aim to reduce the loss of life from
fire in the United States by 15 percent, through targeted reductions of
25 percent for high-risk populations: children 14 years and below,
adults 65 years and above, and firefighters.
USFA programs include the following:
Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program--Established in FY 2001, this
program awards grants directly to fire departments to supplement basic
needs (described in more detail below).
Data Collection--USFA's National Fire Data Center (NFDC) administers a
national system for collecting, analyzing and disseminating data and
information on fire and other emergency incidents to State and local
governments and the fire community. The NFDC provides a national
analysis of the fire problem, identifying problem areas for which
prevention and mitigation strategies are needed.
Public Education and Awareness--Through partnerships and special
initiatives, USFA involves the fire service, the media, other federal
agencies and safety interest groups in the development and delivery of
fire safety awareness and education programs. These programs are
targeted at those groups most vulnerable to the hazards of fire,
including the young, elderly, and disabled. For example, USFA recently
announced the development of an aggressive plan to advocate increased
use of residential fire sprinklers, which have become significantly
more effective and less costly due to new technology, but remain
utilized in only a very small percentage of homes.
Training--USFA's National Fire Academy offers educational opportunities
for the advanced professional development of mid-level and senior fire
and emergency medical service officers and allied professionals
involved in fire prevention and life safety activities. The Academy
develops and delivers educational and training programs with a national
focus that is aimed at supplementing and supporting State and local
fire service training. In 2002, the Academy trained almost 8,000
firefighters in various courses at Academy headquarters in Emmitsburg,
86,000 firefighters through off-campus training programs (primarily
administered through support of state training programs), and 195,000
through its distance-learning program. It is estimated that NFA has
trained over 1.4 million students through on-campus and off-campus
training programs since its establishment in 1975.
In 2003, an organizational change within FEMA as part of the
agency's transfer into the Department of Homeland Security resulted in
the transfer of FEMA's Emergency Management Institute (EMI) into USFA.
Through a combination of on-campus, off-campus, and distance learning
courses similar to those at NFA, EMI serves as the focal point for the
development and delivery of emergency incident management training.
Together, EMI and NFA now comprise USFA's National Emergency Training
Center (NETC), also headquartered in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
Research--Through research, testing and evaluation, USFA works with
public and private entities to promote and improve fire and life
safety. For fiscal year (FY) 2003, USFA research activities were
authorized at $3.5 million. These activities are administered in
cooperation with the Building and Fire Research Laboratory (BFRL) at
the National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST). For
example, USFA-NIST cooperative research focusing on residential fire
protection technologies successfully resulted in the development and
enhancement of national consensus standards for sprinkler applications
for residential occupancies-where most of fire deaths occur.
The current USFA authorization legislation (P.L. 106-503) directed
USFA to work with NIST, private organizations, and State and local
government to develop a prioritized research agenda for the agency. The
agenda, completed in 2001, identified as top priorities research
projects that focus on improving the safety of high-risk populations
such as children, senior citizens, and firefighters, reflecting USFA's
agency-wide fire safety goals.
Budget--The President's FY 2004 budget request for USFA ``base''
activities (those except for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program, which is authorized through FY 2004), is $61.0 million, a 49
percent increase above the FY 2003 request. This increase is in part
due to the transfer of EMI into USFA as part of FEMA reorganization.
USFA has not yet provided Congress written information detailing the FY
2004 request or FY 2003 current appropriations plan. Agency activities
are currently authorized at $50 million for FY 2003.
Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program
The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (Also known as the
FIRE Act Grant Program) at USFA was established by Congress to provide,
through competitively awarded matching grants, direct financial
assistance to local fire departments for basic equipment and training
needs. For the FY 2003 grant program, Congress appropriated, and
President Bush signed into law, $745 million for the grant program. To
ensure USFA has adequate time to distribute the funding effectively,
Congress allowed the agency until the end of FY 2004 to obligate all of
the funds.
In FY 2003, fire departments were eligible to apply for grants in
one of four program areas:
1. LFire Operations and Firefighter Safety. Eligible activities
under this function are limited to training, wellness and
fitness, firefighting equipment, personal protective equipment,
and modifications to fire stations and facilities.
2. LFire Prevention. Eligible activities under this function
include, but are not limited to, public education and awareness
activities, fire codes enforcement activities, fire inspector
certifications, purchase and installation of smoke alarms and
fire suppression systems, wildland mitigation, and arson
prevention and detection activities.
3. LEmergency Medical Services. Eligible activities under this
function for fire-based EMS units are limited to equipment,
training, and wellness and fitness initiatives. Vehicles, such
as ambulances, are not eligible in this programmatic area.
4. LFirefighting Vehicles Acquisition. Eligible apparatus under
this program include, but are not limited to, pumpers, brush
trucks, tankers, rescue, ambulances, quints (advanced fire
trucks with space for extra personnel and equipment), aerials,
foam units, and fireboats. You may apply for only one vehicle
per year.
USFA received 19,949 applications for over $2 billion in federal
funding, and began awarding grants in June. As of July 11, 2003, USFA
had announced 800 awards totaling $48 million. By September of 2004,
USFA plans to have obligated the full $745 million through grants to
approximately 7,000 fire departments.
In the FY 2004 budget request, the Administration proposed
transferring the Assistance to Firefighters grant program to the Office
of Domestic Preparedness within the Department of Homeland Security, to
be funded at $500 million. The proposed transfer is part of the
Administration's effort to consolidate the counter-terrorism programs
for emergency responders. While supportive of the first responder
program, many in the fire services community have expressed concern
about the transfer of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program out
of USFA, arguing the proposal may result in a shift in program focus
toward specialized equipment and training when many fire departments
still lack the minimum tools and resources necessary for day-to-day
emergency response.
On June 24, 2003, the House approved the FY 2004 spending bill for
the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), providing $750 million for
the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program and explicitly directing
that the funds be administered from the Emergency Preparedness and
Response Directorate. On July 10, the Senate Appropriations Committee
approved its version of the bill, also providing $750 million for the
program, but placing it within the Border and Transportation Security
Directorate per the Administration's request.
H.R. 2692, the United States Fire Administration Authorization Act of
2003
H.R. 2692, introduced on July 10, 2003 by representatives Smith
(MI) and Johnson (TX), authorizes appropriations for ``base
activities'' (those excluding the Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program, which is authorized through FY 2004) at the Fire
Administration of $61.0, $62.83, and $65 million annually for fiscal
years FY 2004 through FY 2006, respectively. These amounts reflect the
FY 2004 budget request, with approximately 3 percent annual increases
thereafter. The legislation also:
LReinstates the position of U.S. Fire Administrator as
a Presidentially-appointed, Senate-confirmed position (this was
unintentionally eliminated by the Homeland Security Act of 2002
by a broader provision modifying the status of executive
positions transferred into the department).
LRequires the Administrator to develop and implement a
strategy for promoting the installation and use of residential
fire sprinklers.
LTransfers responsibility for administration of the
Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program from the Director of
FEMA to the USFA Administrator.
On June 19, 2003, the Senate Commerce Committee approved S. 1152,
its version of the USFA Authorization legislation. S. 1152 authorizes
USFA activities through FY 2008, and differs from H.R. 2692 primarily
in its inclusion of provisions from S. 321, the Firefighting Research
and Coordination Act. S. 321 and its companion in the House, H.R. 545,
introduced by Representative Camp (MI), would (1) authorize the
Administrator to develop standards for new firefighting technologies
such as thermal imaging cameras and chemical protective equipment, and
require that equipment purchased through the Assistance to Firefighters
Grant Program meet those standards; (2) require the Administrator to
work with State and local fire service officials to establish
nationwide and State mutual aid systems for responding to national
emergencies; and (3) authorize the National Fire Academy to train
firefighters to offer courses to respond to acts of terrorism. A
complete section-by-section analysis of both H.R. 2692 and H.R. 545 are
included in the appendix.
Council on Foreign Relations Report on Emergency Response Needs
On June 29, 2003, the Council on Foreign Relations, a foreign
affairs think tank, released a report entitled, Emergency Responders:
Drastically Underfunded, Dangerously Unprepared. The report was
compiled by an Independent Task Force on Emergency Responders led by
former Senator Warren Rudman and former White House cyber security
chief Richard Clarke. The task force met with emergency responder
organizations across the country to identify needs--not a wish list--
for minimum effective response to a catastrophic terrorist attack. The
final unbudgeted needs of emergency responders was determined by the
task force to be $98.4 billion, including almost $37 billion for the
fire services. The report does not make clear how the task force
arrived at this figure and how the how the $37 billion estimated need
for the fire services is broken down according to equipment, personnel,
training, etc.
6. QUESTIONS FOR WITNESSES
In addition to being asked to provide written comment on H.R. 2692,
witnesses were asked the following questions:
Questions for Administrator Paulison
LWhat is the Administration's position on the
provisions of H.R. 545, the Firefighting Research and
Coordination Act (enclosed)? What is the current process for
developing standards for new firefighting technologies, and how
does USFA contribute to this effort?
LWhat is the status of traditional USFA activities
such as public education and outreach, fire research and data
analysis, and National Fire Academy training programs? What is
the status of the USFA Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Program?
LWhat is the status of USFA-supported fire research
programs? Please provide a list of these activities, including
budget information. How do you work to leverage USFA's
relatively small research budget with related efforts at the
Department of Homeland Security, National Institute of
Standards and Technology, other federal agencies, and the
private sector?
LHow have USFA activities been affected by its recent
transition into the Emergency Preparedness and Response
Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security?
LPlease comment on the recently released report by the
Council on Foreign Relations, Emergency Responders: Drastically
Underfunded, Dangerously Unprepared. Are the findings and
recommendations, which call for an additional $36 billion
annually for the fire services, realistic?
Questions for Dr. Bement
LProvide an overview of fire research activities at
the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST),
including budget details. With regard to mission and focus, how
do NIST fire research activities compare to those at USFA? How
does NIST coordinate and prioritize these activities with USFA?
LWhat is the current process for developing standards
for new firefighting technologies, and how is NIST involved in
this effort? What challenges exist associated with
standardization of firefighting equipment and technologies? Has
the absence of standards in any particular areas acted as a
barrier to the introduction of new firefighting technologies?
Questions for Mr. Hall
LWhat is the NFPA position on H.R. 545, the
Firefighting Research and Coordination Act (enclosed)? What is
the current process for developing standards for new
firefighting technologies, and how is NFPA involved in this
effort? What challenges exist associated with standardization
of firefighting equipment and technologies? Has the absence of
standards in any particular areas acted as a barrier to the
introduction of new firefighting technologies?
LProvide an overview of the findings of the recent
FEMA/NFPA study, ``A Needs Assessment of the U.S. Fire
Service.'' How can Congress use the findings to strengthen USFA
in the pending reauthorization legislation?
LPlease comment on the findings and recommendations of
recently released report by the Council on Foreign Relations,
Emergency Responders: Drastically Underfunded, Dangerously
Unprepared. How did NFPA contribute to this study?
Questions for Mr. Compton
LWhat is the fire services community's opinion of
provisions in the enclosed legislation, H.R. 545, the
Firefighting Research and Coordination Act?
LIs the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program
successfully meeting its charge to help the Nation's fire
departments meet basic firefighting equipment and training
needs necessary for day-to-day operations? Should the program
be modified in this reauthorization legislation, and if so,
how?
LWhat is the fire services community's general opinion
on the proposed consolidation of the Assistance to Firefighters
Grant Program with other first responder grant programs within
DHS, including the recent proposal to move the program into the
DHS Office of State and Local Government Coordination? What
other encouragements and concerns does the fire services
community have associated with the recent transition of FEMA
and USFA into the Emergency Preparedness and Response
Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security?
LHow effective has USFA been at administering
``traditional'' agency activities such as public education,
outreach, and research, and data collection and analysis?
Please provide any recommendations for improving these
activities within USFA.
LPlease comment on the recently released report by the
Council on Foreign Relations, Emergency Responders: Drastically
Underfunded, Dangerously Unprepared. Are the findings and
recommendations, which call for an additional $36 billion
annually for the fire services, realistic?
7. APPENDIX I
Section by Section Analysis of H.R. 2692
Introduced by Mr. Smith of Michigan and Ms. Johnson of Texas
Section 1. Short Title.
``United States Fire Administration Authorization Act of 2003''.
Section 2. United States Fire Administrator.
Preserves the position of U.S. Fire Administrator as a
Presidentially-appointed, Senate-confirmed position.
Section 3. National Residential Fire Sprinkler Strategy.
Requires the Administrator to develop and implement a strategy for
promoting the installation and use of residential fire sprinklers.
Requires strategy to include advocacy and informational support to
relevant stakeholders, with a particular focus on residences at high
risk to fire hazards and occupants at high risk to fire hazards (such
as senior citizens).
Section 4. Support for Training to Fight Maritime Fires.
Amends the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program to allow
support for training to fight maritime fires as an eligible grant
activity.
Section 5. Firefighters Assistance Grants Program.
Transfers responsibility for administration of the program from the
Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to the
Administrator of the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA).
Section 6. Authorization of Appropriations.
Authorizes appropriations for USFA of $61.0, $62.83, and $65
million annually for fiscal years FY 2004 through FY 2006,
respectively.
Section 7. Courses and Training Assistance.
Clarifies that National Fire Academy Superintendent, in offering
training courses, work to accommodate as many geographic areas and
needs of firefighters as possible.
8. APPENDIX II
Section-by-Section Analysis of H.R. 545
Introduced by Mr. Camp of Michigan
Section 1. Short title.
``Firefighting Research and Coordination Act.''
Sec. 2. New firefighting technology.
Subsection (a) would establish a new section 8(e) of the Federal
Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2207). This new
subsection would direct the Administrator, in consultation with the
National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Inter-Agency Board
for Equipment Standardization and Inter-Operability, national voluntary
consensus standards development organizations, and other interested
parties, to develop new, and utilize existing, measurement techniques
and testing methodologies for evaluating the performance of new
firefighting technology, including:
Lpersonal protection equipment;
Ldevices for advance warning of extreme hazard;
Lequipment for enhanced vision;
Ldevices to locate victims, firefighters, and other
rescue personnel in above-ground and below-ground structures;
Lequipment and methods to provide information for
incident command, including the monitoring and reporting of
individual personnel welfare;
Lequipment and methods for training, especially for
virtual reality training; and
Lrobotics and other remote-controlled devices.
The Administrator would also be required to evaluate the
compatibility of new equipment and technology with existing firefighter
technology, and support the development of new voluntary consensus
standards through national voluntary consensus standards organizations
for new firefighting technologies.
For equipment for which applicable voluntary consensus standards
have been established, the Administrator would be directed to require,
by regulation, that equipment purchased through the Assistance to
Firefighters Grant Program established by section 33 of the Federal
Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2229) meet or exceed
applicable voluntary consensus standards. For the purposes of this
subsection, the Administrator would have the discretion to determine
the applicability of voluntary consensus standards to an application
under this program.
Authorizes appropriations of $2.2 million for FY 2004 to carry out
this section.
Sec. 3. Coordination of response to national emergency.
Subsection (a) would create a new section 10(b) of the Federal Fire
Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2209). New subsection (b)
would require the Administrator, after consultation with the Director
of FEMA, to provide technical assistance and training to State and
local fire service officials to establish nationwide and State mutual
aid systems for dealing with national emergencies. These mutual aid
systems would include threat assessment and equipment deployment
strategies, and include means of collecting asset and resource
information to provide accurate and timely data for regional
deployment. These mutual aid systems also would have to be consistent
with FEMA's Federal Response Plan. The Administrator, in consultation
with the Director of FEMA, would be required to develop and make
available to State and local fire service officials model mutual aid
plans for both intrastate and interstate assistance.
Subsection (b) would require the Administrator to report to the
Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House
of Representatives Committee on Science, within 90 days after the date
of enactment of this Act, on the need for a strategy concerning the
deployment of volunteers and emergency response personnel (as defined
in section 6 of the Firefighters' Safety Study Act (15 U.S.C. 2223e)),
including a national credentialing system, in the event of a national
emergency.
Subsection (c) would require the Director of FEMA to revise the
Federal Response Plan within 180 days after the date of enactment of
this Act to incorporate plans for responding to terrorist attacks,
particularly in urban areas, including fire detection and suppression
and related emergency services. The Director of FEMA would also be
required to transmit a report to the Senate Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation and the House of Representatives Committee
on Science on these revisions.
Sec. 4. Training.
Subsection (a) would amend section 8(d)(1) of the Federal Fire
Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2206(d)(1) to authorize
the Superintendent of the National Fire Academy to conduct training in
the following areas:
(i) Lstrategies for building collapse rescue;
(ii) Lthe use of technology in response to fires, including
terrorist incidents and other national emergencies;
(iii) Lresponse, tactics, and strategies for dealing with
terrorist- caused national catastrophes;
(iv) Luse of and familiarity with FEMA's Federal Response Plan;
(v) Lleadership and strategic skills, including integrated
management systems operations and integrated response;
(vi) Lapplying new technology and developing strategies and
tactics for fighting forest fires;
(vii) Lintegrating terrorism response agencies into the
national terrorism incident response system; and
(viii) Lresponse tactics and strategies for fighting fires at
United States ports, including fires on the water and aboard
vessels.
Subsection (b) would authorize the Superintendent of the National
Fire Academy to consult with other Federal, State, and local government
officials in developing curricula for classes at the Academy.
Subsection (c) would require the Administrator to coordinate the
training provided under section 8(d)(1) of the Federal Fire Prevention
and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2206(d)(1)) with the Attorney
General, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the heads of
other federal agencies, to ensure that such training does not duplicate
existing courses available to fire service personnel and to establish a
mechanism for eliminating duplicative training programs.
Chairman Smith. The Subcommittee on Research of the
Committee on Science will come to order, and certainly, I would
like to welcome everyone here today for this Research
Subcommittee hearing to review the activities of the U.S. Fire
Administration and consider our reauthorization bill, H.R.
2692, and also, Dave Camp's bill, H.R. 545, the Firefighting
Research and Coordination Act.
Created in 1974, the U.S. Fire Administration is now sort
of closing out almost 30 years of service to the country aimed
at reducing the Nation's fire losses through better fire
prevention and control. During this time, the Agency has
contributed what has been a very dramatic improvement in terms
of reducing the loss of life and the loss of property. In 1973,
over 12,000 citizens and 250 firefighters were lost to fire.
Today, while our population has increased by 30 percent, the
average number of deaths each year due to fires has decreased
by over 60 percent. That is very impressive improvement and one
that the U.S. Fire Administration can certainly be proud of.
However, there are still opportunities for further
improvements to our fire safety record. As the lead federal
agency working with Americans--America's 26,000 fire
departments, the U.S. Fire Administration is properly
positioned to help make those improvements through its support
in areas such as training, fire research, data collection and
analysis. Additionally, three years ago, I met with Congressman
Curt Weldon and Steny Hoyer to write the floor amendment to
start and kick off what has turned out to be a very successful
assistance to firefighters grants program, now also, I think an
important part of the effort for federal encouragement. USFA
and the firemen that volunteer their time to be grant reviewers
for this program should be congratulated for doing such a fine
job.
In addition to receiving comments on the legislation before
the Subcommittee, we will also discuss several issues not
currently addressed in the legislation, but also of importance
to fire services. Among these are the need for and use of
equipment standards in fire services, U.S. Fire
Administration's fire research program and third, the future of
the Assistance to Firefighters grant program.
Allow me just to comment briefly on a few of these items so
we can begin the testimony. First of all, I want to note that I
have put a great deal of time and effort into learning more
about the need and use of equipment standards. I believe that
it is widely recognized that standards for equipment and new
technologies are very important, and I--so I compliment my
colleague, Dave Camp from Michigan, for initiating this
legislation. We need to encourage more standards and
evaluations in the current environment, where it seems that
every equipment company, especially after 9/11, is coming and
trying to sell our fire departments and our fire services new
technologies for the challenge that lies ahead. I have called
the fire chiefs in Michigan and other states, who have shared
their concerns that any sweeping mandates requiring that
federal grant funds purchase only equipment that meets the
standards is too prescriptive and may limit the flexibility of
fire departments who desire guidance and information but whose
needs may not fit perfectly with, if you will, a one size fits
all federal mandate.
I will also want to voice my concerns with the ongoing
attempts to transfer the Assistance to Firefighters grant
program out of the United States Fire Administration. I
understand and support the notion that we should consolidate
duplicative programs to increase efficiency of our federal
support for emergency responders. In fact, I am pretty
regularly one of those people working to find and eliminate
unnecessary duplication in our federal programs. However, I can
say for certain that the goals and objectives of the
firefighters grant program, helping fire departments meet the
equipment and training needs for basic day to day firefighting
are quite different from other homeland security grant programs
designed to better prepare first responders to defend against
terrorism. I believe the Section 33 firefighters grant program
should remain as it was envisioned when Congress established
it, and it should be administered by those that best understand
the needs of the fire services, which is the people of the
USFA.
I would also like to highlight that today's legislation
contains an important provision to authorize the Administrator
to begin an aggressive strategy to advocate the use of
residential fire sprinklers. We know that over 80 percent of
the deaths due to fire are caused in the home and there has
never been a multiple death fire in a home that had functional
sprinklers. We also know that the technology of fast-response
sprinklers has improved greatly while the cost has decreased,
yet less than three percent of the residences in the United
States have sprinkler systems. I am excited that this effort by
USFA is--if successful, could help to substantially lower the
loss of life and property due to fire in residences.
Finally, I would like to say a quick word about the recent
report by the Council on Foreign Relations. It was called
``Drastically Underfunded, Dangerously Unprepared.'' The report
was led by former Senator Warren Rudman, who will be testifying
in this room before the Select Homeland Security Committee
later today. It calls for $37 billion in additional funding for
the fire services, and while I strongly agree that there is
more that we need to do to improve emergency responder
preparedness, I am concerned that the findings of the report
may have been overestimated due to some--what looks like
inaccurate calculations. The Committee will be looking into
this today.
I am pleased that Administrator Paulison is here for the
Subcommittee really for the first time since he took the reins
at the end of 2001. Administrator Paulison may have to leave a
bit early, so we will try to keep this thing moving to ensure
adequate time for discussion with him this morning.
I look forward to a productive discussion, and I want to
welcome Dave Camp before the Subcommittee, so Dave, welcome,
and we will ask Representative Johnson for a comment and then
the Chairman of the full Science Committee, so--Eddie Bernice.
[The prepared statement of Chairman Smith follows:]
Prepared Statement of Chairman Nick Smith
I would like to welcome everyone here today for this Research
Subcommittee hearing to review the activities of the U.S. Fire
Administration and consider H.R. 2692, the USFA Authorization Act of
2003. We will also review H.R. 545, the Firefighting Research and
Coordination Act, which has been introduced by my colleague from
Michigan Mr. Camp.
Created in 1974, USFA is now closing in on 30 years of service to
the country aimed at reducing the Nation's fire losses through better
fire prevention and control. During this time, the agency has
contributed to what has been a very dramatic improvement in America's
once-dismal fire safety record. In 1973, over 12,000 citizens and 250
firefighters were lost to fire. Today, while our population has
increased by 30 percent, the average number of deaths each year due to
fires has decreased by over 60 percent. That is a very impressive
improvement, and one that USFA can be proud of.
However, there is still some opportunities for further improvements
to our fire safety record. As the lead federal agency working with
America's 26,000 fire departments, USFA is properly positioned to help
make those improvements through its support in areas such as training,
fire research, data collection and analysis. Additionally, three years
ago, I met with Congressman Curt Weldon and Steny Hoyer to write the
floor amendment to start the very successful Assistance to Firefighters
grant program, now also an important part of this effort. And USFA and
the firemen that volunteer their time to be grant reviewers for this
program should be congratulated for doing such a fine job.
In addition to receiving comments on the legislation before the
Subcommittee today, we will also discuss several issues not currently
addressed in the legislation but also of importance to the fire
services. Among these are: (1) the need for and use of equipment
standards in the fire services; (2) USFA's fire research program; and
(3) the future of the Assistance to Firefighters grant program.
Allow me to just comment briefly on a few of these items so we can
begin the, testimony. First of all, I want to note that I have put a
great deal of effort into learning more about the need for and use of
equipment standards. I believe it is widely recognized that standards
for equipment and new technologies are very useful to the fire
services. We need to encourage more standards and evaluations are
developed in the current environment where it seems every equipment
company has suddenly become interested in selling their wares to fire
departments. However, I have called fire chiefs in Michigan and other
states who have shared their concerns that any sweeping mandates
requiring that federal grant funds purchase only equipment that meets
these standards is too prescriptive and may limit the flexibility of
fire departments who desire the guidance but whose needs may not fit
perfectly with one-size-fits-all standards.
I also want to voice my concerns with the ongoing attempts to
transfer the Assistance to Firefighters grant program out of USFA. I
understand and support the notion that we should consolidate
duplicative programs to increase efficiency of our federal support for
emergency responders. In fact, I am regularly one of the first people
working to find and. eliminate unnecessary duplication of effort in
federal programs. However, I can say for certain that the goals and
objectives of the firefighters grant program--helping fire departments
meet equipment and training needs for basic day-to-day firefighting--
are quite different from other homeland security grant programs
designed to better prepare first responders to defend against
terrorism. I believe the Section 33 firefighters grant program should
remain as it was envisioned when Congress established it, and it should
be administered by those that best understand the needs of the fire
services, which is the people at USFA.
I would also like to highlight that today's legislation contains an
important provision to authorize the Administrator to begin an
aggressive strategy to advocate the use of residential fire sprinklers.
We know that over 80 percent of deaths due to fire occur in the home,
and we know that--amazingly--there has never been a multiple death fire
in a home that had functional sprinklers. We also know that the
technology of fast-response sprinklers has improved greatly while the
cost has decreased, yet less than three percent of homes in the United
States have them installed. The legislation before us today
specifically directs USFA to develop a strategy to advocate increased
installation of sprinklers. I am excited that this effort by USFA, if
successful, could help to substantially lower loss of life and property
due to fire in residences.
Finally, I would like to say a quick word about the recent report
by the Council on Foreign Relations, ``Drastically Underfunded,
Dangerously Unprepared.'' The report was led by former Senator Warren
Rudman, who will be testifying in this room before the Select Homeland
Security Committee later today. It calls for $37 billion in additional
funding for the fire services. While I strongly agree that there is
more we need to do to improve emergency responder preparedness, I am
concerned that the findings of the report may have been overestimated
due to inaccurate calculations. The Committee will also look into this
today.
I am pleased that Administrator Paulison is here before the
Subcommittee for the first time since he took over the reigns at the
end of 2001. Administrator Paulison may have to leave a bit early, so
we will try to keep things moving to ensure adequate time for
discussion with him this morning.
I look forward to a productive discussion this morning and a smooth
markup of H.R. 2692 immediately following the hearing.
First I want to welcome Representative Dave Camp before the
Subcommittee. Representative Camp is a friend and colleague of mine
from Michigan and is here to talk about his legislation, H.R. 545, that
we will be including in the substitute amendment during the markup that
will immediately follow this hearing.
Ms. Johnson. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and I am
pleased to join you in welcoming our witnesses this morning to
this hearing on legislation that Chairman Smith and I
introduced to reauthorize activities of the U.S. Fire
Administration.
The Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 was
intended to address a serious problem affecting safety for all
Americans. Much progress has been made as a result of this
legislation in public education about fire safety and
improvements in the effectiveness of fire services and in the
wider use of home fire safety devices. Nevertheless, the United
States still has one of the highest fire death rates among
advanced nations, and fire deaths exceed loss of life in all
natural disasters combined.
The question then arises as to what is being done that is
effective and what more ought to be done in order to make
further progress in improving the Nation's fire safety record.
As we begin the process of reauthorization of the 1974 Act, we
seek the assistance of our witnesses in assessing how well
current programs are working and whether the available
resources are being allocated optimally.
A matter of concern for this committee is how well the Fire
Administration will function and the degree of attention it
will receive in its new position as part of the Department of
Homeland Security. Based on our experience in getting the USFA
budget information so far this year, the visibility and
priority the Agency is receiving in the Department is not
encouraging. Despite repeated requests, the first time the
Subcommittee saw any budget details for Fiscal Year 2003
current spending plan and for Fiscal Year 2004 request was
yesterday afternoon.
The authorization bill Chairman Smith and I have introduced
attempts to preserve the status of the Fire Administration.
First, it explicitly reestablishes the Presidentially-appointed
and Senate-approved position of Fire Administrator. It also
includes language to ensure that the Fire Administration runs
the FIRE Grant program. This has been a valuable program, which
most agree has been effectively administered by the Fire
Administration.
One issue that I hope to explore today is the vitality of
the Fire Administration's research activities. The current
authorization statute includes provisions that attempt to
reverse a withering away of support for this mission area,
which is naturally of concern to this committee. One question
is whether the Fire Administration and NIST are coordinating
and cooperating effectively to develop and implement a fire
research agenda of value to the fire services community. A
Memorandum of Understanding regarding research activities has
been in place between the two agencies for several years now,
and I would like to find out more about how it has been
working.
Finally, I encourage our outside witnesses to provide
recommendations regarding the specific priorities of the Fire
Administration's program, as well--programs, as well as
recommendations on any aspect of the Agency's policies and
operations that could improve its overall effectiveness in
achieving its mission objectives.
Again, it is my pleasure to welcome all of our witnesses
and our colleague, Congressman Camp, and I look forward to all
of your testimony. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Johnson follows:]
Prepared Statement of Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson
I am pleased to join Chairman Smith in welcoming our witnesses this
morning to this hearing on legislation that Chairman Smith and I
introduced to reauthorize activities at the U.S. Fire Administration.
The Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 was intended to
address a serious problem affecting the safety of all Americans. Much
progress has been made as a result of this legislation in public
education about fire safety, in improvements in the effectiveness of
fire services, and in the wider use of home fire safety devices.
Nevertheless, the United States still has one of the highest fire death
rates among advanced nations, and fire deaths exceed loss of life in
all natural disasters combined.
The question then arises as to what is being done that is effective
and what more ought to be done in order to make further progress in
improving the Nation's fire safety record. As we begin the process of
reauthorization of the 1974 act, we seek the assistance of our
witnesses in assessing how well current programs are working and
whether the available resources are being allocated optimally.
A matter of concern for this committee is how well the Fire
Administration will function, and the degree of attention it will
receive, in its new position as part of the Department of Homeland
Security. Based on our experience in getting USFA budget information so
far this year, the visibility and priority the agency is receiving in
the department is not encouraging. Despite repeated requests, the first
time the Subcommittee saw any budget details for the FY 2003 current
spending plan and for the FY 2004 request was yesterday afternoon.
The authorization bill Chairman Smith and I have introduced
attempt's to preserve the status of the Fire Administration. First, it
explicitly re-establishes the Presidentially appointed and Senate
approved position of Fire Administrator. It also includes language to
ensure that the Fire Administration runs the FIRE grants program. This
has been a valuable program, which most agree has been effectively
administered by USFA.
One issue that I hope to explore today is the vitality of USFA's
research activities. The current authorization statute includes
provisions that attempted to reverse a withering away of support for
this mission area, which is naturally of concern to this committee. One
question is whether USFA and NIST are coordinating and cooperating
effectively to develop and implement a fire research agenda of value to
the fire services community. A Memorandum of Understanding regarding
research activities has been in place between the two agencies for
several years now, and I would like to find out more about how it has
been working.
Finally, I encourage our outside witnesses to provide
recommendations regarding the specific priorities of the Fire
Administration's programs, as well as recommendations on any aspect of
the agency's policies and operations that could improve its overall
effectiveness in achieving its mission objectives.
Again, it is my pleasure to welcome all of our witnesses today, and
I look forward to your testimony.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Sullivan follows:]
Prepared Statement of Representative John Sullivan
Thank you Mr. Chairman. I appreciate your calling this hearing and
markup on, H.R. 2692, the United States Fire Administration
Authorization Act of 2003. As a member of the Research Subcommittee on
the House Science Committee, I am glad to be a part of this hearing to
address the needs of our nation's Firefighters.
The United States still has one of the worst fire safety records in
the industrialized world. The per capita death rate remains two to
three times that of several European nations and at least 20 percent
higher than most developed countries. Fire remains the cause of
approximately 3,700 deaths and $11 billion in economic damages each
year, and every 18 seconds a fire department responds to a call
somewhere in the United States.
Reauthorization of the United States Fire Administration
Authorization Act of 2003 is critical to addressing the needs of our
nation's Firefighters through preventing and limiting fire-related
losses through training, public education, research, and data
collection and analysis. It authorizes appropriations to fire
departments through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. This
appropriation will greatly assist the needs of fire departments all
across the country.
This reauthorization also transfers responsibility for
administration of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program from the
Director of Federal Emergency Management Agency to the United States
Fire Administrator. This transfer will aid the development of a
nationwide and state aid system for responding to national emergencies,
and authorize the National Fire Academy to train Firefighters to offer
courses to respond to acts of terrorism.
The reauthorization of H.R. 2692 is vital to our nation's safety
and security in a post 9/11 world and I urge its adoption by this
subcommittee this morning.
Chairman Smith. Thank you, Representative Johnson. The
gentlemen from New York, the Chairman of our Full Science
Committee, Sherry Boehlert.
Chairman Boehlert. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am here to
one, compliment you for the leadership you are demonstrating
repeatedly in dealing with these very important programs and
secondly, to provide tangible evidence of the Chair's
importance that he assigns to these programs. I have been an
unabashed champion of the fire program since I first came here
and sat down at the bottom 21 years ago as a raw rookie, and
since that time, I have been educated by the fire services and
my affection for them, my appreciation for them and my
determination to be helpful to them has increased
exponentially. Administrator Paulison, you are going to--this
is your maiden journey before the Subcommittee and you will
find that we are going to be asking some questions, I am sure,
and it is sort of a tough love scenario. We want you to
succeed. We don't want to see cuts in programs. We want the
Fire Academy to succeed. We don't want to see cuts in programs.
We are determined to do what the rest of the Nation finally has
got its mind set on doing, and that is not only appreciating
but supporting the fire services from coast to coast. It took
9/11 for some people to fully appreciate the fire services, but
I can tell you, Chairman Smith and Ms. Johnson and the rest of
us have been champions of the cause for a long, long time, and
while you may have a new home in the Department of Homeland
Security, that has only increased the attention you are getting
from us, because we want to make sure you get it right, but we
are here as partners, as facilitators. We want to work with you
for the fire service. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Smith. Now, for those that don't know, Sherry
Boehlert and Curt Weldon started the Fire Caucus, so we welcome
all of our witnesses and Congressman Camp, please proceed with
your testimony.
Panel 1
STATEMENT OF HON. DAVE CAMP, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM
THE STATE OF MICHIGAN
Mr. Camp. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you,
Congresswoman Johnson and Congressman Boehlert. I appreciate
the opportunity to testify before the Subcommittee. The mission
of the U.S.--United States Fire Administration has taken on
added importance since the September 11 terrorist attacks, and
America's firefighters are taking on heightened
responsibilities that go beyond fighting fires. As the USFA
locates in its new home in the Department of Homeland Security,
its role in combating America's--and coordinating America's
fire prevention and response activities and leadership in fire
education must be strengthened to meet these new challenges,
and I appreciate the inclusion of H.R 545 in the
reauthorization measure.
This bill was introduced in February as the Firefighting
Research and Coordination Act, along with Senator McCain, who
introduced a companion bill in the Senate, and this legislation
will help address current policy questions on how the Federal
Government can most effectively provide firefighters with the
training and the equipment necessary to save lives, and in my
view, the Firefighting Research and Coordination Act gives
appropriate weight to the top fire service needs, more
specifically, the bill supports the development of voluntary
consensus standards for firefighting equipment and technology.
I underscore the word voluntary. It establishes nationwide and
state mutual aid systems for dealing with national emergencies
and will authorize the National Fire Academy to train
firefighters to respond to acts of terrorism and other national
emergencies.
The first objective of the bill focuses on establishing
equipment and technology standards, and would allow the U.S.
Fire Administrator, in consultation with the National Institute
of Standards and Technology and other standards organizations,
to develop voluntary consensus standards for evaluating the
performance and compatibility of new firefighting technology.
And examples include personal protection equipment, devices for
advance warning of extreme hazard, equipment for enhanced
vision, robotics and other remote-controlled devices, among
others. Equipment purchased under the Assistance to
Firefighters grant program must meet or exceed the voluntary
consensus standards.
Requirements for equipment to voluntary consensus standards
aren't new, as James Shannon, President and CEO of the National
Fire Protection Association testified in April in a hearing on
this subject before the Senate Commerce Committee. The
Department of Justice's Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant
Program requires that vests meet minimum safety and performance
standards. In addition, the President has advocated for
standards under the President's 2002 National Strategy for
Homeland Security, the Department of Homeland Security will
establish national standards for emergency response training
and preparedness, and just recently, the Council on Foreign
Relations released a study chaired by former Senator Warren
Rudman that recommended Congress should require DHS and HHS to
work with other federal agencies, state and local emergency
responder agencies and officials, and standard-setting bodies
from the emergency responder community to establish clearly
defined standards and guidelines for federal, state and local
government emergency preparedness and response in such areas as
training, interoperable communications systems and response
equipment. Mr. Chairman, this bill accommodates these
recommendations, but it also allows for the USFA Administrator
to exercise some flexibility in the rare case when a newer
technology is introduced that may make an existing voluntary
consensus standard irrelevant.
The second objective of the bill is to address mutual aid
systems. Mutual aid compacts are widely acknowledged to be an
effective and efficient means of sharing emergency management
resources among different jurisdictions. Federal support for
mutual aid could be better--could better prepare states and
localities for all types of disasters, including acts of
terrorism. The Firefighting Research and Coordination Act
directs the U.S. Fire Administrator, in consultation with the
Director of FEMA, to provide technical assistance and training
to state and local fire service officials to establish
nationwide and state mutual aid systems for responding to
national emergencies, and obviously September 11 is an
important example of why those systems are important.
And the last objective, the third objective, permits the
Superintendent of the National Fire Academy to coordinate with
other federal, state and local officials in developing new
curricula at the Academy. This legislation enjoys wide support
among many of the Nation's fire groups, including the
Congressional Fire Service Institute, International Association
of Fire Chiefs, International Association of Fire Fighters,
National Volunteer Fire Council, the National Fire Protection
Association and many other prominent fire organizations, and I
appreciate the inclusion of this legislation in the
reauthorization, and I thank you, Mr. Chairman, for the
opportunity to testify before the Committee.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Camp follows:]
Prepared Statement of Representative Dave Camp
Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the opportunity to testify before the
Subcommittee. The mission of the United States Fire Administration
(USFA) has taken on added importance since the September 11th terrorist
attacks. America's fire fighters are taking on heightened
responsibilities that go beyond combating fires. As the USFA moves to
the Department of Homeland Security, its role in coordinating the
America's fire prevention and response activities and leadership in
fire education must be strengthened to meet new these challenges. I am
hopeful that as the Subcommittee considers re-authorizing the USFA it
will also examine the merits of the Firefighting Research and
Coordination Act, H.R. 545 and include this important legislation into
the reauthorization measure.
Mr. Chairman, in February I introduced the Firefighting Research
and Coordination Act. Senator McCain has introduced this bill in the
Senate where it enjoys broad support among members of the Commerce,
Science, and Transportation Committee. This legislation will help
address current policy questions on how the federal government can most
effectively provide firefighters with the training and equipment
necessary to protect lives. In my view, the Firefighting Research and
Coordination Act gives appropriate weight to top fire service needs.
More specifically, the bill seeks to:
1. LSupport the development of voluntary consensus standards
for firefighting equipment and technology;
2. LEstablish nationwide and State mutual aid systems for
dealing with national emergencies, and;
3. LAuthorize the National Fire Academy to train firefighters
to respond to acts of terrorism and other national emergencies.
The first objective of the bill focuses on establishing equipment
and technology standards. It would allow the U.S. Fire Administrator,
in consultation with the National Institute of Standards and
Technology, and other standards organizations to develop voluntary
consensus standards for evaluating the performance and compatibility of
new fire fighting technology. Examples of these new technologies
include: personal protection equipment, devices for advance warning of
extreme hazard, equipment for enhanced vision, and robotics and other
remote-controlled devices, among others. Equipment purchased under the
Assistance to Firefighters grant program must meet or exceed the
voluntary consensus standards.
Requirements for equipment to meet voluntary consensus standards
are not new. As James Shannon, President and CEO of the National Fire
Protection Association testified in an April 30, 2003 hearing on this
subject before the Senate Commerce Committee, the Department of
Justice's Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program requires that
vests meet minimum safety and performance standards. In addition, the
President has advocated for standards. Under the President's 2002
National Strategy for Homeland Security, the Department of Homeland
Security will establish national standards for emergency response
training and preparedness. And just recently, the Council on Foreign
Relations released a study chaired by former Senator Warren Rudman,
that recommended, ``Congress should require DHS and HHS to work with
other federal agencies, state and local emergency responder agencies
and officials, and standard-setting bodies from the emergency responder
community to establish clearly defined standards and guidelines for
federal, state, and local government emergency preparedness and
response in such areas as training, inter-operable communication
systems, and response equipment.'' Mr. Chairman, my bill accommodates
these recommendations, but is also allows for the USFA Administrator to
exercise some flexibility in the rare case when a newer technology is
introduced that may make an existing voluntary consensus standard
irrelevant.
The second objective of the bill addresses mutual aid systems.
Mutual aid compacts are widely acknowledged to be an effective and
efficient means of sharing emergency management resources among
different jurisdictions. Federal support for mutual aid could better
prepare states and localities for all types of disasters, including
acts of terrorism. The Firefighting Research and Coordination Act
directs the U.S. Fire Administrator, in consultation with the Director
of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to provide technical
assistance and training to state and local fire service officials to
establish nationwide and state mutual aid systems for responding to
national emergencies. An important example of why model mutual aid
systems are important to establish comes in part, as a response to the
September 11th attacks.
The third objective of the Firefighting Research and Coordination
Act permits the Superintendent of the National Fire Academy to
coordinate with other Federal, State, and local officials in developing
new curricula at the Academy. New training courses would focus on:
building collapse rescue, the use of technology in response to fires;
including terrorist incidents and other national emergencies; and
strategies for dealing with terrorist-caused national catastrophes.
This legislation enjoys wide support among many of this nation's
fire groups including the Congressional Fire Services Institute,
International Association of Fire Chiefs, International Association of
Fire Fighters, National Volunteer Fire Council, the National Fire
Protection Association, and many other prominent fire organizations.
Thank you again Mr. Chairman for the opportunity to testify before
the Subcommittee.
Discussion
Chairman Smith. Turned this off, and--oh, there it goes.
Dave, anyway, thanks for your leadership in developing this
kind of language. I guess my question is, we--in your bill, in
the substitute bill, we changed the mandatory, that they have
to only use federal grant money for equipment that met the
standards to make it more flexible, that in applying for a
grant, that--and you have read the language that makes it a
little more flexible. Do you support that change?
Mr. Camp. I do, and just let me say that the standards
really only apply to protective clothing, not to all other
equipment, and so that--yes, I think what the Committee is
doing is certainly supported by me and others and look forward
to working with you to move this bill forward. Thank you.
Chairman Smith. Representative Johnson, do you have
questions? Mr. Chairman. Microphone is not working, let me see
if this--here we go.
Chairman Boehlert. Thank you for your outstanding testimony
and leadership. I appreciate it. I would like to say that the
Chairman, the Ranking Member and me are three people here, and
a lot of people are wondering why the lack of more enthusiasm
up here. It is not for lack of enthusiasm. I will tell you,
most people look at fire programs and say, we are not going to
take leave of our senses and do the wrong thing. They are
convinced we are going to do the right thing, so I think this
is one of the most important activities going on in any
Subcommittee on the Hill today, and yet we have very sparse
attendance, and you know, as I do, what the schedule is of all
of our colleagues. It is rather mind-boggling on occasion, but
the lack of attendance up here on the part of our colleagues
does not in any way constitute a lack of interest. They just
are confident that in Chairman Smith, the hearing is in good
hands, and that Ms. Johnson and I are going to make sure he
does the right things, and we want to thank you, Mr. Camp, for
your outstanding testimony.
Chairman Smith. I would just add to that the hearing is
being simulcast, so it is available in--to staff and all of the
Members of the Science Committee's offices, plus an estimated
million people are tuning in waiting for what Administrator
Paulison is going to tell us. Dave, thank you.
Mr. Camp. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Smith. Thanks again. If the next panel would come
to the table.
[PA malfunction]
Panel 2
Chairman Smith. We will--our first witness will be David
Paulison, who is the U.S. Fire Administrator and Director of
the Preparedness Division of the Emergency Preparedness and
Response Directorate/FEMA. Prior to his appointment as U.S.
Fire Administrator in December of 2001, he was Chief of the
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department. Administrator Paulison has
30 years of fire and rescue experience and was selected as
Florida's Fire Chief of the Year for--in the 1990's, so Mr.
Paulison, please proceed with your testimony, and then we will
go to Dr. Bement.
STATEMENT OF R. DAVID PAULISON, U.S. FIRE ADMINISTRATOR AND
DIRECTOR, PREPAREDNESS DIVISION OF THE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS &
RESPONSE DIRECTORATE/FEMA, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Mr. Paulison. Good morning, Mr. Chair and Members of the
Subcommittee. I appreciate the opportunity to appear before you
today on behalf of Secretary Ridge and Undersecretary Mike
Brown.
As you stated earlier, each year, fire injures or kills
more Americans than the combined losses of all other natural
disasters. Death rates by fire in the United States are among
the highest in the industrialized world. The U.S. Fire
Administrator's mission is to reduce loss of life and property
because of fire and related emergencies, and it is a sobering
challenge for us, but it is also a hopeful challenge, because
in our opinion, most of these deaths are preventable.
To accomplish this mission, we work with the fire service,
other emergency responders, state and local governments, to
better prepare our firefighters for all hazards, including acts
of terrorism. We listen to state and local governments, and
work with private industry to provide standardized practical
compatible equipment that works in all possible circumstances.
The U.S. Fire Administration recognizes the importance of
training as a vital step toward the first responder community
that is prepared to respond to any kind of emergency, ranging
from a small fire or a terrorist attack involving a large
number of victims. Emergency preparedness and response provides
training and emergency management to our firefighters, law
enforcement officials, emergency managers, health care workers,
public works directors and state and local officials at our
National Fire Academy at the Emergency Management Institute and
most recently, the Noble Training Center in Anniston, Alabama.
This year, you, Congress, appropriated $750 million to
emergency preparedness and response for the Assistance to
Firefighters Grant Program, which provides grants directly to
fire departments to build our basic response capabilities for
fire suppression and fire prevention. This brings our total
funding to this grant program to a little over $1 billion since
the program began three years ago, and the fire service is
extremely appreciative of your support.
These competitive grants address training, safety,
prevention, apparatus, personal protective gear and other
firefighting equipment needs, as well as wellness and fitness
issues for local fire departments. We have streamlined the
online application process for fire grants and sped up the flow
of resources to first responders, while ensuring the funds they
use effectively and appropriately, and in the last three years,
we have received applications from 20,000 departments each
year, and every year we have had this application open.
The National Fire Academy and Emergency Management
Institute offer a wide variety of training programs to promote
the professional development of command level officers,
emergency managers, emergency responders and technical staff.
Distance learning strategies and strategic partnerships
with state fire training organizations have helped us realize
approximately 15 off-campus students for every one of the
16,000 students who get to attend classes at the National
Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg. The National Fire
Academy reached almost 8,000 students on campus and an
additional 87,000 students off-campus, compared to 1995, when
we reached a mere 15,000 students. In 2002, the Emergency
Management Institute conducted training activities of almost
9,000 students on campus and 185,000 students off campus
through our independent study courses.
We will continue to deliver fire safety messages to those
most vulnerable to fire: the very young, those under 14, and
elderly, those over 65 and others. And we will also continue to
assist communities in establishing our community emergency
response teams.
The USFA has a long-standing working relationship with a
variety of federal agencies. In addition, there are partners
with the national level trade--fire trade associations such as
the National Volunteer Fire Council, the International
Association of Fire Chiefs, the International Association of
Fire Fighters and the National Fire Protection Association. And
we also reach out to academic institutions for non-fire service
organizations to direct topics of mutual interest that affect
our fire service. A current example is our partnership with the
American Forest and Paper Association to examine and promote
building performance awareness of lightweight construction
during fires. By sharing resources and expertise, the partners
are able to achieve much more together than we could achieve
individually.
I would also like to thank this committee for the
opportunity to comment on H.R. 545. Developing new technology
for firefighters is a critical need and has been so for a long
time, and long before terrorism reached our shores. The
development of measurement techniques for evaluating new
firefighting technologies, rather than the actual development
of technologies, is necessary, and the USFA is currently
involved in such activities with a variety of organizations
such as NIST, sitting next to me here.
For example, in Fiscal Year 2003, we collaborated with NIST
on the following projects: Structural Collapse Prediction
Tools, Full Ensemble Test Apparatus, Thermal Protective
Properties of Personal Protective Clothing and Personal Alert
Safety Systems, or PASS devices.
Reducing the loss of life and property caused by fire
remains a significant challenge and firefighters pay a high
price. In 2002, 102 firefighters died in the line of duty.
Although the numbers are still way too high, as most deaths
can be prevented, great progress is being made as you pointed
out, Mr. Chair, to reduce the toll from fires.
Interoperability issues are also one of the most
significant things to overcome. It not only includes
communication, but equipment, operations, training and other
areas, such as communications on scene.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, for giving me this opportunity to
appear before you today. Your continued support is greatly
appreciated, and I will be happy to answer any questions you or
the Subcommittee might have.
Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Paulison follows:]
Prepared Statement of R. David Paulison
Good Morning, Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee. My name is
R. David Paulison. I am the Director of the Preparedness Division in
the Emergency Preparedness and Response (EP&R) Directorate of the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS). I appreciate the opportunity to
appear before you today on behalf of Secretary Ridge.
Each year, fire injures and kills more Americans than the combined
losses of all other natural disasters. Death rates by fire in the
United States are among the highest in the industrialized world. The
U.S. Fire Administration's mission to reduce loss of life and property
because of fire and related emergencies is a sobering challenge, but
also a hopeful challenge, since most of these deaths are preventable.
As a part of DHS, the staff works diligently to prevent these
deaths, injuries, and the damage to property through leadership,
advocacy, coordination and support in four basic mission areas: fire
service training, public education and awareness, technology and
research, and data analysis.
To accomplish this mission, we work with the fire service, other
emergency responders and State and local governments to better prepare
them to respond to all hazards, including acts of terrorism. We are
also listening to State and local governments, and working with private
industry, to provide standardized, practical, compatible equipment that
works in all possible circumstances. We are helping first responders
and emergency managers practice and refine their response plans with
partners at the local, State and federal level. We will continue to
provide training and education, programs to prepare for the routine
hazards as well as the emergent threats posed by WMD and terrorist
incidents.
Today, I will focus my remarks on the U.S. Fire Administration
(USFA), its programs and services, how to improve the preparedness and
effectiveness and safety of our first responders, and summarize our
current activities and future needs.
Accomplishments
The U.S. Fire Administration is a national leader in fire safety
and prevention and in preparing communities to deal with fires and
other hazards. USFA is working to support the efforts of local
communities to reduce the number of fires and fire deaths and it
champions federal fire protection issues and coordinates information
about fire programs.
In terms of our preparedness programs, we recognize the importance
of training as a vital step toward a first responder community that is
prepared to respond to any kind of emergency, ranging from a small fire
to a terrorist attack involving a large number of victims. We continue
to administer training and education programs for community leaders and
first responders to help them prepare for and respond to emergencies
regardless of cause or magnitude.
EP&R also continues to provide training in emergency management to
our firefighters, law enforcement, emergency managers, health care
workers, public works, and state and local officials at our Emergency
Management Institute. I would like to give you a few more details about
these and other USFA activities.
Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program
This year, Congress appropriated $750 million to EP&R to for the
Assistance to Firefighters Grant program, which provides grant directly
to fire departments to build their basic response capabilities for fire
suppression. This brings our total funding for this grant program to a
little over $1 billion since the program began three years ago.
These competitive grants address training, safety, prevention,
apparatus, personal protective gear and other firefighting equipment
needs as well as wellness and fitness issues of local fire departments.
We have streamlined the online application process for fire grants and
sped up the flow of resources to first responders, while ensuring that
the funds are used effectively and appropriately. In 2001 and again in
2002, we received nearly 20,000 applications from fire departments
across the country. Beginning with the 2001 grant program, the
Emergency Education NETwork (EENET) broadcast valuable information on
the grant programs and process. Prior to the application period in
2003, EENET broadcast an actual applicant workshop, which was
rebroadcast six times during the application period. We heard from many
organizations that this eased the application process. The 2003
application process closed on April 11 and again we received nearly
20,000 applications. We began announcing the FY 2003 awards to
successful applicants in June 2003.
As you are aware, the Administration believes that this program
should be integrated into the ongoing efforts to help the fire service
prepare for acts of terrorism. To achieve that end in 2004, the Office
for Domestic Preparedness in the Border Transportation and Security
Directorate of DHS will manage the fire grants program to offer one-
stop shopping for grants in the new Department. The transfer would
enhance coordination with other DHS grants and prioritization of
terrorism-preparedness needs, while retaining the current practices of
expert peer review and direct grants to departments. EP&R and the U.S.
Fire Administration will work closely with ODP to ensure the success of
this program.
Fire Service Training
The National Fire Academy (NFA) and the Emergency Management
Institute (EMI) offer a wide variety of training programs to promote
the professional development of command level fire officers, emergency
managers, emergency responders and technical staff. Fire departments
will continue to receive training to respond to terrorist attacks from
DHS in addition to training to respond to other hazards, such as
chemical accidents, floods, or hurricanes. We will continue to develop
policy, procedures and training for a cadre of structural firefighters
that will be identified by states in wildland fire threat zones.
One training program under development is to prepare regional
Incident Management Teams (IMT) to provide support for major incidents
prior to, or in lieu of, the arrival of a federal IMT. Simultaneously,
we are developing the training for the Federal Incident Management
Teams Program.
Emergency responders, firefighters, emergency managers and others
who have taken courses at EMI and NFA have told us these courses have
added value to job performance and professional development. In fact,
surveys conducted in FY 2000 and 2001 revealed that our student's
supervisors have reported an 88 percent improvement in the student's
job performance following training. Ninety-three percent report that
EMI and NFA training have contributed to the student's professional
development and almost 87 percent report that the training has improved
the department's performance.
State and local support of fire service training must be increased
and the federal role is to foster that participation. In the future
USFA will:
LCoordinate the exchange of training materials and
information among State and local fire training systems;
LFocus on distance learning and alternate training
delivery methods such as the National Incident Simulation and
Training network; independent study programs and computer-based
courses;
LIncrease the number of Integrated Emergency
Management Courses with bio-terrorism scenarios aimed at
bringing officials of local jurisdictions together to simulate
and critique their responses to terrorism-driven events;
LRevise training courses to include the most updated
information on risk management, public fire safety education
and emergency response;
LPartner with associate and bachelor degree programs
to align the national academic fire curricula; and
LInclude multiple delivery formats in future course
development so that the nexus of the course may be provided to
the field in a variety of adaptable formats.
During 2002 and early 2003, the USFA held summit meetings in the
EP&R regions looking for information that defined the needs of the
first responder community in the new environment that includes WMD and
terrorism preparation and response. Our staff also met with focus
groups, course developers, and students at the National Emergency
Training Center for the same purpose. Each group identified the skill
sets necessary to conduct or support a WMD or terrorism catastrophe.
Over 95 percent of those skills are already being taught in the
existing curriculum and courses. The message conveyed by these
organizations is very clear. We need to:
LContinue teaching the curriculum we have on hand;
LUpdate our course materials regularly to reflect
emerging issues;
LContinue to maximize learning opportunities for all
first responders.
During the past year, the importance of working directly with the
emergency management, fire service and EMS communities has become even
more apparent. It is critical that we keep the most likely first
responders to any terrorism or WMD event fully advised of information
and circumstances that might affect their response rind their
community's preparation. Partnering with the law enforcement community
has enhanced our ability to deliver direct warnings that will result in
improved operations and better outcomes.
Distance learning strategies and strategic partnerships with state
fire service training organizations have helped us realize
approximately 15 additional off-campus students for every one of the
16,000 students who get to attend classes on campus at the National
Emergency Training Center, which is comprised of the National Fire
Academy and the Emergency Management Institute. In FY 2002, the
National Fire Academy reached a total of 7,860 students on campus and
an additional 87,265 students off campus, compared to FY 1995 when that
number was 15,000 students. In 2002, EMI conducted training activities
for 8,968 students on campus and an additional 185,000 off campus
through EMI independent study courses.
The USFA's National Fire Academy work also underpins the training
provided by accredited State Fire Training Programs. These state
programs have over $'700 million in capital facilities and trained over
750,000 firefighters last year.
For the past five years, we have partnered with colleges and
universities across the country to ensure that important fire safety
concepts are delivered to the Nation's fire service. Our training
programs continue to focus on those classes that align with the USFA
Operational Objectives. We develop and deliver the type of training
that cannot be obtained through other institutions. A curriculum review
for the National Fire Academy curriculum is scheduled for FY 2004 and
we expect to see those results by 2005.
USFA continues a commitment to excellence in delivering fire
related public education, training, research and technology, and data
initiatives.
Public Education and Awareness
USFA continues to deliver fire safety messages to those most
vulnerable to fire--the very young, the elderly and others. We will
continue to manage Emergency Response Team activities with an eye
toward public outreach and community hazards assessment and mitigation
efforts. USFA will assist communities in establishing Community
Emergency Response Teams.
We will continue to broadcast training information via the
Emergency Education Network (EENET) twice a month to enhance State and
local preparedness for all hazards, including terrorist incidents.
Since 1981, EENET has broadcast more than 400 programs to meet the
needs of all levels of emergency management, from volunteer fire
fighters to State Emergency Management Directors.
EENET is an effective way to get timely information or training out
to a large audience. Coupled with other outreach and training programs,
EENET is a good way to share information about training and education
and to keep first responders, abreast of emerging issues.
Data Collection
The Fire Administration continues to collect, analyze, publish and
distribute data and information related to fire prevention, occurrence,
control, and related fields; defines and describes the national fire
problem; and supports State and local collection and analysis of fire
incident data.
This past fall, in cooperation with the National Fire Protection
Association, the USFA completed a needs assessment of the U.S. fire
service to gain a current understanding of problem areas and to guide
future planning and initiatives. Combined with the ongoing national
fire department census, we continue to develop an increasingly complete
and accurate picture of the Nation's fire departments' capability to
meet the challenge of expanding roles and responsibilities in response
to all hazards, including acts of terrorism.
Research and Technology
To maximize the impact of limited resources, USFA uses its national
position to serve as a focal point for developing cooperative
relationships among the diverse organizations that have a shared
interest in developing new technologies to address fire safety and
firefighting. USFA-supported fire research is almost without exception
accomplished through partnerships.
USFA has long standing working relationships with a variety of
federal agencies including the Consumer Product Safety Commission,
Department of Transportation, National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the
National Institute of Standards and Technology. In addition, there are
partnerships with national-level fire trade associations such as the
National Volunteer Fire Council, the International Association of Fire
Chiefs, the International Association of Fire Fighters, and the
National Fire Protection Association. The USFA also reaches out to
academic institutions and non-fire service organizations to address
topics of mutual interest. A current example is a partnership with the
American Forest and Paper Association to examine and promote building
performance awareness of lightweight construction during fires. By
sharing resources and expertise, the partners are able to achieve much
more together than they could achieve individually.
The data and information derived from these partnership research
effort, have influenced the decisions of consensus standards-making
committees on a variety of issues such as firefighting protective
clothing, chemical protective clothing, protective clothing for urban
search and rescue, self-contained breathing apparatus, and residential
sprinkler systems.
Details of USFA's research program are being shared with the DHS
Office of Science and Technology (S&T) to identify areas of
complementary research, inform S&T on research needs specific to the
fire community, and explore ways of combining resources for maximum
impact.
USFA leverages research partnerships and technology developments to
improve fire prevention and promote public safety. In April, the USFA
met with the fire sprinkler community to reenergize our advocacy for
residential fire sprinklers. I am happy to report that industry agreed
to work with USFA on this project. The data suggests that localized
fire suppression systems in kitchens would dramatically reduce the
number of civilian fire deaths in this country by as much as 25
percent. The cost to retrofit a kitchen is minimal. This is an
excellent opportunity to reduce residential fire losses in the U.S.
Since 40 percent of firefighter deaths in the line of duty occur at or
en route, to residential structures, the long-term, benefit is that
firefighter injuries and deaths will also be reduced.
I also would like to thank the Committee for the opportunity to
comment on H.R. 545. Developing new technology for firefighters is a
critical need and has been so long before terrorism reached our shores.
The development of measurement techniques for evaluating new
firefighting technologies rather than the actual development of
technologies is necessary and USFA is currently involved in such
activities with a variety of organizations, including NIST.
For example, in FY03 USFA collaborated with NIST on the following
related projects: Structural Collapse Prediction Tools, Full Ensemble
Test Apparatus, Thermal Protective Properties of Personal Protective
Clothing, Personal Alert Safety Systems (PASS). These activities appear
to fit the bill as drafted.
It would be helpful to have the legislation identify priorities for
the limited funds. We hope that it is not the intent of the legislation
to limit this work to NIST. We have a very productive working
relationship with NIST, but they are not the only partners we have for
this type of activity. We do not believe it is in the best interest of
the fire community to limit participation, and thus, inhibit
creativity, efficiency and effectiveness.
A few examples of organizations other than NIST that have
collaborated with USFA on evaluating technology and providing
documentation for consideration by standards-making bodies include:
Hughes Associates and Factory Mutual--water mist technology for
residential applications, TRI Research, Austin, TX--standards for
chemical protective clothing; and Lawrence Livermore Labs--testing of
SCBA for standards development. We believe that the maintenance of
partnerships with a wide range of organizations is in the best interest
of technology development.
We believe the best course would be to identify, document, and, to
the extent possible, assess the applicability of already existing
technologies and testing methodologies.
Challenges
Reducing the loss of life and property caused by fire remains a
significant challenge. Each year, fire kills more than 4,000 people and
injures more than 22,000. Annual property losses due to fire are
estimated at nearly $10 billion. And, firefighters pay a high price. In
2002, 102 firefighters died while on duty.
Although the numbers are still too high as most of these deaths can
be prevented, great progress is being made to reduce the toll from
fires. Since 1974, when Congress passed the Federal Fire Prevention and
Control Act (P.L. 93-498), and established the United States Fire
Administration and its National Fire Academy--USFA has helped to reduce
fire deaths significantly. Over the last 10 years, fires have declined
by 16 percent. During this same period, a 22 percent decline in
civilian deaths and a 31 percent drop in civilian injuries were also
reported.
USFA continues to deliver the strongest system of training with
available funding. USFA training is designed to supplement the
currently existing state and local accredited and staffed systems.
These existing State and local systems have the expertise and an
underutilized capacity that could be tapped to meet growing training
needs.
Since the events of 9/11, and the increased threat to our homeland
from terrorists organizations that have access to some of the most
deadly forms of chemical and biological agents in human history, as
well as radiological devices of various types and descriptions, the
ability of the U.S. Fire Service to successfully deal with such
potential incidents remains a priority of the Department. Providing the
U.S. Fire Service with training, equipment, planning and exercise
support would greatly benefit the public by providing levels of
everyday fire protection and EMS delivery unsurpassed anywhere in the
world while at the same time dramatically improving first responder
capabilities to deal with terrorist attacks in the homeland.
This has been supported in two aspects by the Federal Government.
Funds provided by Congress for the Assistance to Firefighters Grants
Program have addressed basic fire suppression needs, while State
Homeland Security Grants provided by the Office for Domestic
Preparedness have supported terrorism-specific training and equipment
purchases.
Fire and emergency responders to the three 9-11 incidents, when the
motive is removed, confronted aircraft crashes. It was the sheer size
and scope of these incidents that made them horrendous. While in many
instances the normal equipment carried by fire-rescue departments may
be sufficient to resolve a terrorist incident, the Federal Government
has a unique responsibility to ensure that terrorism-specialized
equipment is available to departments, especially those at greatest
risk of terrorism. The Department of Homeland Security is committed to
addressing those needs.
Interoperability issues are also one of the most significant
matters to be overcome. This not only includes communications, but
equipment, operations, training, and other areas.
The current lack of national consensus standards for response to
terrorist incidents is a critical challenge that DHS faces and we are
working diligently to address them. Without these consensus standards,
there can be no measurement or analysis of response to terrorist
incidents in any quantifiable manner. These standards should be
developed through a forum that supports a consensus-making standards
process.
Conclusion
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for giving me this opportunity to appear
before you today. Your continued support is greatly appreciated. I will
be glad to answer any questions you and other Members of the Committee
may have.
Biography for R. David Paulison
R. David Paulison of Miami was appointed U.S. Fire Administrator in
December 2001. As U.S. Fire Administrator, Mr. Paulison heads the U.S.
Fire Administration, part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA), and supports state and local fire service programs as well as
implementing FEMA Director Joe M. Allbaugh's initiatives for emergency
readiness, firefighter training and equipment. The mission of the U.S.
Fire Administration is to reduce life and economic losses due to fire
and related emergencies through public education, training, technology
and data research initiatives in coordination with other federal
agencies and in partnership with fire protection and emergency service
communities.
Before accepting this post, Paulison, who has 30 years of fire
rescue services experience, had been chief of the Miami-Dade Fire
Rescue Department since 1992. In that position, he oversaw 1,900
personnel with a $200 million operating budget and a $70 million
capital budget. He also oversaw the county's emergency management
office.
He began his career as a rescue firefighter and rose through the
ranks to rescue lieutenant, battalion commander, district chief of
operations, division chief, assistant chief and then deputy director
for administration before becoming chief. His emergency management
experience includes Hurricane Andrew and the crash of ValuJet Flight
592.
A native of Miami, Fla., Paulison earned a Bachelor of Arts from
Florida Atlantic University and completed the Program for Senior
Executives in State and Local Government at Harvard University's John
F. Kennedy School of Government. He received the LeRoy Collins
Distinguished Alumni Award and was inducted into the Miami-Dade
Community College Hall of Fame. Paulison was selected as fire chief of
the year by Florida in 1993 and holds positions in several professional
associations. He is a certified paramedic and as fire chief, oversaw
the Miami-Date Urban Search and Rescue Task Force. He is also past
president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs.
Chairman Smith. Administrator, thank you. Director Bement
is, of course, the Director of the National Institute of
Standards, a position he has held since December of 2001.
Before receiving this appointment, Dr. Bement served as the
David A. Ross Distinguished Professor of Nuclear Engineering
and head of the School of the Nuclear Engineering at Purdue
University. From 1989 to '95, Dr. Bement was a member of the
U.S. National Science Board, the governing board of the
National Science Foundation. He is also a member of the U.S.
National Academy of Engineering.
Welcome, Director Bement. We look forward to your
testimony.
STATEMENT OF DR. ARDEN L. BEMENT, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE
OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY
Dr. Bement. We at NIST applaud the Committee for holding
this hearing to discuss the needs of the fire services and to
examine H.R. 545. This very important legislation is aimed at
getting better equipment into the hands of firefighters. To
support this goal, there is an urgent need for performance-
based consensus standards that will lead to better performing,
safer, reliable and cost-effective equipment for firefighters.
NIST's mission is to support this effort through our
expertise in measurement science and technology. NFPA [National
Fire Protection Association] has committees that develop
voluntary consensus standards. Many NIST staff members serve on
these committees. Technical reports from NIST provide NFPA
committees and NIOSH [National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health] with data and procedures to help advance
national standards, based on these performance requirements.
The Department of Homeland Security's FEMA provides grants
to fire departments allowing firefighters to better equip and
prepare for fires and other emergencies. However, many new
technologies are not yet supported by consensus standards. In
the absence of such standards, individual fire departments must
either assess the performance of these new technologies or rely
solely on manufacturers' information and demonstration.
Equipment interoperability also suffers from lack of consensus
standards. To help address these issues, NIST, the Department
of Justice and Department of Homeland Security are working
together to evaluate equipment for use by the Nation's first
responder and emergency management communities.
Less than a month ago, NIST, in partnership with DHS and
Justice hosted a summit on interoperable communications for
public safety. Three significant accomplishments were achieved
during the summit. First, key interoperable--interoperability
players were familiarized with the work being done by others.
Second, insight was gained into where additional federal
resources might be warranted. Finally, the summit was the first
step in leveraging available resources to develop standards,
approaches, products and services for the benefit of all.
NIST's current fire research activities comprise $8.4
million in direct appropriations and an additional $2 million
being funded by the Fire Administration. Time only permits a
brief summary of a few of the 20 or more projects that we are
currently undertaking with this funding level.
In partnership with the Fire Administration, NIST is
performing research on passive and active fire protection
technologies that will assure that residential fires do not
spread beyond the room where the fire starts. Fires that
involve more than one room greatly increase fire deaths,
injuries and property damage. NIST is determining how
inexpensive clay nanoparticles added to ordinary plastics will
dramatically reduce flammability while increasing the
properties important to manufacturing.
Experiments at NIST have demonstrated a single sprinkler--
sprinklers can provide active fire control for kitchens, where
many home fires start. Results of this research are being
shared with NFPA and others.
Portable thermal imagers are used by firefighters to
enhance vision, to identify hot spots in cool surroundings,
such as hidden fires, and to identify cool objects like victims
of fire or downed firefighters. NIST is developing an apparatus
to measure how well such thermal imaging hardware is able to
add to vision.
The fire alarm panel in buildings often found in the lobby
near the main entrance is the heart of the building's fire
information system. Until recently, even the best displays
offered only rows of lights that indicated building zones where
fire was detected. In many cases, it was easier to look for the
fire than to decipher the panel display. The development of
more powerful and affordable computer and graphic displays has
provided an opportunity to expand the amount of information
available at the panel. NIST created a standard set of graphic
icons so the firefighters have only to learn the meaning of one
set of symbols, and last fall, NFPA adopted a set of standard
icons for fire alarm system displays. NIST is now turning its
attention to the standards that will be needed to advance the
wireless transmission of information from building emergency
systems to responding firefighters even before they arrive at
the building.
In conclusion, NIST welcomes its role as envisaged under
H.R. 545 to work with the Administrator in the development of
new technologies for firefighters, and to assist the
Administrator in assuring that new equipment meets or exceeds
voluntary consensus standards.
Thank you, and I would be happy to answer any of your
questions.
[The prepared statement of Dr. Bement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Arden L. Bement, Jr.
Good morning, Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee. My name is
Arden Bement. I am the Director of the National Institute of Standards
and Technology (NIST). I appreciate the opportunity to appear before
you today. NIST conducts research that advances the Nation's
measurement and standards infrastructure and works closely with
national voluntary consensus standards organizations to support the
development of consensus standards. These standards are needed by U.S.
industry for continually improving products and services. In relation
to fire research, NIST was given specific authority under the Fire
Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to ``perform and support research on
all aspects of fire with the aim of providing scientific and technical
knowledge applicable to the prevention and control of fires.''
Equipment for first responders is very specialized. It also
constitutes a small market that is generally served by small
manufacturers. Producing new equipment for the market in the absence of
generally-accepted standards is a high-risk venture. In addition,
standards that reflect in use conditions for determining the
performance of firefighter equipment would assist industry in providing
equipment that meets or exceeds firefighter needs.
The U.S. fire service looks to the National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health (NIOSH) as its primary sources of equipment performance
standards and safety information. NFPA has established committees that
consider the need for equipment performance standards and develop
consensus standards where views of industry, the fire service,
government and commercial laboratories, and other interested parties
are represented. Many of the staff in the NIST Building and Fire
Research Laboratory and the Office of Law Enforcement Standards at NIST
are members of NFPA and serve on their standards developing committees.
NIST provides technical assistance to NIOSH in firefighter fatality
investigations and thermal sensor evaluation. Technical reports from
NIST on measurement techniques, methodologies, and results, provide
NFPA committees and NIOSH with data and procedures to help advance
national standards. NIST developed measurement methods are also adopted
by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the
International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
In FY 2001, FEMA established the Assistance to Firefighter's Grant
Program following passage of the Firefighter Investment and Response
(FIRE) ACT that provides fire departments funding through grants for
needed equipment. These funds are now allowing firefighters to be
better equipped and prepared for fires and other emergencies. However,
many new technologies are not yet supported by the existence of
consensus standards. Individual fire departments are forced to assess
the performance of these new technologies or rely solely on
manufacturers' information and demonstrations. Inter-operability of
equipment also suffers from lack of consensus standards.
To help address this issue, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
between NIST and FEMA was signed in March 2002 and establishes a
framework for NIST to serve as a standards and measurement science
resource for the Department of Homeland Security's FEMA in the areas of
fire, disaster prevention, and homeland security. One of the purposes
called out in the agreement is to aid the development of standards and
methods to evaluate equipment for use by the Nation's first responder
and emergency management communities. The MOU also reaffirms NIST's
role as a critical element of our national fire strategy. Additionally,
NIST will continue to work with other agencies and directorates of the
Department of Homeland Security. In particular, the Under Secretary of
Technology recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the
Technology Administration and the Directorate of Science and Technology
at the Department of Homeland Security to formalize this relationship.
NIST is proud of its role as FEMA's science and technology resource
and in helping the Fire Administration to improve the effectiveness and
safety of firefighting. NIST's current research activities in this area
comprises $8.4 million in direct appropriations with an additional $2
million being funded by the Fire Administration. Below is a brief
description of our current and recent activities.
Portable thermal imagers are used by firefighters to enhance
vision. They are used to identify hot spots in cool surroundings such
as hidden fires in void space or over-heated fluorescent light
ballasts. They are also used to identify cool objects, like victims of
fire incapacitated by smoke or downed firefighters in hot surroundings
during building search and rescue. Unfortunately, the performance of
the sensors implemented in various products has not been measured under
controlled conditions. Furthermore, the minimum level of important
performance attributes, such as image contrast, have not been
determined.
NIST, with added funding from USFA, is developing an apparatus to
measure how well thermal imaging hardware is able to aid vision and
hazard sensing under a variety of realistic conditions. These
laboratory measurements will be compared to measurements made in actual
building fires and in large-scale fire experiments at NIST. The results
will be used to assure that laboratory measurements are reliable
indicators of real-world performance. Standards built on this
foundation will provide for accurate measurement of the important
performance attributes of firefighter equipment essential for quality,
reliability, safe, and effective use.
Another example of our work deals with firefighter protective
clothing. The NFPA Standard on Protective Ensemble for Structural Fire
Fighting (NFPA 1971) specifies the minimum design, performance,
certification requirements, and test methods for structural firefighter
protective ensembles. The test method for measurement of thermal
protective performance for firefighter protective garment and the
minimum rating required for safety is part of this NFPA standard. The
Thermal Protective Performance (TPP) rating is determined by exposing
dry materials to a single high intensity exposure condition that is
often related to an extreme fire condition called flashover. This
standard has contributed substantially to improved safety for
firefighters, but firefighters tell us they are being burned through
their gear under lower intensity exposures.
During firefighting, a firefighter's protective clothing is wet
from the outside by water spray and the inside by perspiration produced
from strenuous activity. NIST, assisted by funding from USFA, is
performing measurements under a range of thermal exposures and moisture
conditions and has found that wet gear performs differently than dry
gear with respect to burn injury protection. Manufacturers have come to
NIST to utilize the NIST apparatus to understand more about the
behavior of their products under conditions different from those
assumed in the present standard. This data generated by manufacturers
working at NIST will be used to improve protective clothing products.
In addition, the testing approach used at NIST will be offered for
consideration for adoption as part of the current standard. The
apparatus is also being used in exploratory NIST research to evaluate
the thermal protective attributes of new materials such as carbon nano-
tube composite fabrics. These measurements can help in the development
of future protective clothing that has even better resistance to burn
injury with reduced weight.
NIST works hard to anticipate needs so that information is ready
when needed by industry to advance their products and provide for
inter-operability. Four years ago, NIST formed a consortium with
several fire alarm hardware manufacturers. The fire alarm panel in
buildings, often found in the lobby near the main entrance, is the
heart of the building's fire information system. Condition measurements
and alarms from fire detectors placed throughout a building are sent to
this display. Until recently, even the best displays offered only rows
of lights that indicated the zones in the building where fire was
detected. Often a key or map was needed to interpret the lights. In
many cases, it was easier to look for the fire than to use the
information from the panel display.
The development of more powerful and affordable computer and
graphic displays has provided manufacturers with the opportunity to
expand the display capabilities and the amount of information available
at the panel using graphic icons. NIST created a standard set of icons
for these panels and other fire command devices. In this way,
firefighters would only have to learn the meaning of one set of symbols
if they were applied on all fire service graphic displays. Last fall,
working from documents submitted by NIST, the NFPA Technical Committee
on Testing and Maintenance of Fire Alarm Systems adopted a set of
standard icons for fire alarm system displays and published these in
the 2002 Edition of National Fire Alarm Code (NFPA 1972). NIST is now
turning its attention to the standards that will be needed to advance
the wireless transmission and display of information contained in the
building emergency systems to responding firefighters even before they
arrive at a building.
Interagency research managed by NIST is also helping to protect
firefighters responding to terrorism incidents. Threat analyses and
simulations have been conducted to examine chemical warfare agent
hazard concentrations in a variety of domestic terrorist attack
scenarios, both for respiratory and percutaneous (skin) threats.
Results are being supplied to the NFPA committee revising the Standard
on Protective Ensembles for Chemical/Biological Terrorism Incidents
(NFPA 1994).
Additionally, NIST and the Department of Homeland Security have
begun to coordinate efforts aimed at improving the communication
capabilities of first responders. Even though there are many
exceptional inter-operability program efforts underway, they are being
conducted (more or less) independently. They were established with a
particular mission, to meet certain objectives, and to satisfy a set of
user requirements. And they continue to operate in that vein. While
these programs are accomplishing good things within the confines of
their operating environment, they may not ever be able to realize the
broader impact that comes with greater exposure and cooperation. That
is why less than a month ago NIST's Office of Law Enforcement
Standards, in partnership with DHS' Science and Technology Directorate
and the National Institute of Justice, hosted a Summit on Inter-
operable Communications for Public Safety. Three significant
accomplishments were achieved during the Summit. First, key inter-
operability players were familiarized with the work being done by
others so that mutually-beneficial coordination and collaboration among
the various technical programs can be established. Second, insight was
gained into where additional federal resources might be warranted.
Finally, the Summit was the first step in maximizing the limited
resources that are available across all government levels so that we
can begin to leverage program successes and use developed standards,
approaches, products, and services for the benefit of all.
While these activities are significant additional activities need
to be undertaken in order to develop consensus standards for new
firefighting technologies as described in H.R. 545.
First, priorities must be established for the development of the
standards. In cooperation with the USFA, NIST has hosted workshops with
representatives of the fire service, industry, and other laboratories
to establish priorities for fire service research. Published results of
these workshops have helped set the current research agenda for both
NIST and USFA. Similar workshops should be held to establish priority
and a timeline for the development of measurement techniques, testing
methodologies, and consensus standards.
Second, measurement techniques and testing methodologies need to be
developed for evaluating the performance of firefighter equipment using
new technologies. NIST is the Nation's primary measurement laboratory.
Our mission is to develop measurements and standards to enhance
productivity, facilitate trade, and improve the quality of life. NIST
has specialized laboratory facilities and staff expertise ideally
suited for the development of these techniques and methodologies for
many of the new firefighting technologies.
Third, a network of private sector laboratories and facilities are
needed where the measurement techniques and the methodologies can be
used in a reproducible way, a necessary condition for the success of
any standard. NIST will work with other organizations to assure that
the measurement results are reproducible.
Finally, NIST will work closely with national voluntary consensus
standards organizations to support the development of the consensus
standards. An unbiased source of technical information and data, such
as that supplied by NIST, is critical to the success of this effort.
I am delighted that there is recognition by this Subcommittee of
the importance of standards development for firefighting equipment.
NIST is the Nation's primary measurement laboratory and has always
played a critical role in the development of effective consensus
standards. This role was first demonstrated with our study of ``the
problem of fire hose couplings'' during the Baltimore Fire of 1904 and
it continues today as we support the improved safety and effectiveness
of firefighting in America.
Thank you and I would be happy to answer any of your questions.
Biography for Arden L. Bement, Jr.
Arden L. Bement, Jr., was sworn in as the 12th director of NIST on
December 7, 2001. Bement oversees an agency with an annual budget of
about $812 million and an onsite research and administrative staff of
about 3,000, complemented by a NIST-sponsored network of 2,000 locally
managed manufacturing and business specialists serving smaller
manufacturers across the United States. Prior to his appointment as
NIST director, Bement served as the David A. Ross Distinguished
Professor of Nuclear Engineering and head of the School of Nuclear
Engineering at Purdue University. He has held appointments at Purdue
University in the schools of Nuclear Engineering, Materials
Engineering, and Electrical and Computer Engineering, as well as a
courtesy appointment in the Krannert School of Management. He was
director of the Midwest Superconductivity Consortium and the Consortium
for the Intelligent Management of the Electrical Power Grid.
Bement came to his position as NIST Director well versed in the
workings of the agency, having previously served as head of the
Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology, the agency's primary
private-sector policy adviser; as head of the advisory committee for
NIST's Advanced Technology Program; and on the Board of Overseers for
the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.
Bement joined the Purdue faculty in 1992 after a 39-year career in
industry, government, and academia. These positions included: Vice
President of Technical Resources and of Science and Technology for TRW
Inc. (1980-1992); Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Research and
Engineering (1979-1980); Director, Office of Materials Science, DARPA
(1976-1979); Professor of Nuclear Materials, MIT (1970-1976); Manager,
Fuels and Materials Department and the Metallurgy Research Department,
Battelle Northwest Laboratories (1965-1970); and Senior Research
Associate, General Electric Co. (1954-1965).
Along with his NIST advisory roles, Bement served as a member of
the U.S. National Science Board, the governing board for the National
Science Foundation, from 1989 to 1995. He also chaired the Commission
for Engineering and Technical Studies and the National Materials
Advisory Board of the National Research Council; was a member of the
Space Station Utilization Advisory Subcommittee and the
Commercialization and Technology Advisory Committee for NASA; and
consulted for the Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory
and Idaho Nuclear Energy and Environmental Laboratory.
He has been a director of Keithley Instruments Inc. and the Lord
Corp. and was a member of the Science and Technology Advisory Committee
for the Howmet Corp. (a division of ALCOA).
Bement holds an Engineer of Metallurgy degree from the Colorado
School of Mines, a Master's degree in Metallurgical Engineering from
the University of Idaho, a doctorate degree in Metallurgical
Engineering from the University of Michigan, and a honorary doctorate
degree in Engineering from Cleveland State University. He is a member
of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering.
Discussion
Chairman Smith. Director, thank you very much.
Administrator Paulison, it seems like the environment is--gives
us a lot of potential to expand in the areas that we need to
expand for greater fire safety, for greater assistance in
helping our firefighters. After 9/11, I think there is a
greater appreciation for the contribution that our first
responders make to their communities, their states and their
countries. In terms of--for lack of a better way, holding your
own for firefighters, as FEMA and you are incorporated into
Homeland Security, do you see dangers in performing the
traditional role that the U.S. Fire Administration has had with
sometimes a greater concentration and push toward protecting
against terrorism? How do you see the compatibility of the two
goals?
Mr. Paulison. I think it is a concern that all of us had
going into the Department of Homeland Security. You know, we
know we have to pick up the terrorism piece. It is extremely
important for this country to be prepared for this, but at the
same time, we wanted to make sure we didn't forget what our
core mission was.
I think having an Office of Disaster Preparedness outside
of EP&R in B&TS [Border and Transportation Security] right now
helps us focus on our core mission. We continue to focus on
firefighter safety. We have concentrated very clearly that our
mission is to provide protection to the people that live and
travel in this country and predominantly, those that are under
14 and over 65, and we are continuing to focus on that. We are
going to continue to focus on firefighter safety. We still lose
100--over 100 firefighters every year in this country. Totally
unacceptable. So as we moved into this Department, a huge
Department, you know, some 200,000 employees or more, we have
been able to keep that focus, and we have got a tremendous
amount of support from Secretary Ridge for all hazards approach
to--from the Fire Administration.
Chairman Smith. Let me just mention for the record that the
Committee staff and the Committee were disappointed that we
didn't get your--the Administration's--your estimates of what
is needed in terms of authorized funding until the night before
last. I would just hope that somehow, our communication could
be such that we could have more advance notice of that kind of
information, and also, there is still a question in my mind on
the Noble Training Center. Is it the Administration's
recommendation that the Noble Training Center funding be
transferred to the USFA?
Mr. Paulison. Yes, sir. We are going to--the Noble Training
Center will come under the Preparedness Division in EP&R, which
I oversee, and that will be part of our three legs that we are
developing. We are trying to develop a university type system,
so we will have the Emergency Management Institute for the
emergency management, we will have the Fire Academy for the
fire training side and then we will have the Noble Training
Center for the medical side, as far as training our EMS people
in our health positions out there in dealing with biological
disasters and chemical disasters.
Chairman Smith. Let me--in March, you announced that you
would--because of budget constraints, there would be a cut in
some of the classes. With this kind of funding that is being
recommended by the Administration, can you give us assurance
that classes won't be cut in '04?
Mr. Paulison. The '04 budget as it is proposed, it gives
full funding for the Fire Academy and all of the classes that
we had scheduled will be delivered.
Chairman Smith. Dr. Bement, the problem of communications
has been identified as a major challenge to the ability of fire
departments to effectively communicate and respond to
emergencies. Is this problem being addressed, at least in part,
through the development of standards?
Dr. Bement. Yes, sir, it is. We are working closely with
NTIA [National Telecommunications and Information
Administration] and Commerce in terms of examining spectrum
allocation, but also, in looking at the future of wireless and
broadband communication. We are also looking at new
technologies through spectrum switching and through software-
defined radio and other new developments that will allow a
higher level of interoperability among different wavelengths of
communication equipment, not only handheld but also land mobile
radio systems.
I had my eyes open when I attended the conference just--the
summit just a few days ago on communication interoperability.
The great complexity that currently exists in this area,
because over the years, we have developed so many different
approaches to emergency response and communication, but I am
very much encouraged that with the effort that we are taking
now and the level of cooperation that is now recognized that is
going to be needed, that we are going to make good progress but
it is going to take time. It will probably take another five or
10 years before we have the system fully interoperable.
Chairman Smith. My time has expired. Maybe we will have
time for a second round. Representative Cardoza.
Mr. Cardoza. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Paulison, Mr.
Bement. Do you believe that firefighting and fire protection
equipment obtained under the FIRE Grants program should conform
to consensus standards where such standards exist, and should
this be an explicit requirement of the program?
Mr. Paulison. The consensus standards apply mostly to
protective gear, so the general answer is yes. However, what we
don't want to do is to cut off any new technologies out there,
so if, you know, if we give preference to fire departments that
have included that in their application, that the particular
equipment they are buying does not meet particular consensus
standards, such as NFPA or OSHA [Occupational Safety and Health
Administration] or other ones, and then they get preference in
that, but at the same time, you know, we need to give a little
bit of leeway, if there are new technologies out there. Like
Mr. Chairman here mentioned, that we need to look at those very
closely.
Mr. Cardoza. Mr. Paulison, the blue ribbon panel that
reviewed USFA in 1998 recommended a $10 million per year
increase in research activities. What is the current funding
level for research activities? Do you believe that these
resources are adequate?
Mr. Paulison. Well, right now, we give $2 million to NIST
to do the research we talked about earlier, and we also work
with other agencies that we don't necessarily fund, but we
partner with, such as the Maryland Fire Rescue Institute at the
University of Maryland.
Mr. Cardoza. My alma mater, sir, that is a good school.
Mr. Paulison. Is it really?
Mr. Cardoza. Yes.
Mr. Paulison. By the way, they are doing an excellent job
in doing research into some of these technologies that we are
talking about. And there are also private agencies that are
doing some--Motorola is working very significantly now since
September 11 of 2001 on interoperability issues. Other
companies are stepping up to the plate to recognize that. So it
allows to--although the dollars are not necessarily what was
recommended by the blue ribbon panel, we are able to leverage
those relationships to make sure the research is being done,
and we are getting--we are making a significant headway into
getting some of these equipments out on the street.
Mr. Cardoza. Thank you.
Chairman Smith. This is one of the most high tech advanced
offices we were to--or hearing rooms, we were told.
Mr. Paulison. Maybe we need some technological research and
standards.
Chairman Smith. I guess.
Mr. Paulison. Standards.
Chairman Smith. I guess they resolved the communications
issue.
Mr. Gingrey. You have got to have this on the Science
Committee, of course. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Is that not
working? Musical chairs, here. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and
thank you, Mr. Paulison and Dr. Bement for being here this
morning and giving your testimony. Administrator Paulison,
according to the USFA's strategic plan, the 10 year goal is to
reduce America's loss of life by fire to 30 percent with the
1998 national fire data statistics used as the baseline. It is
through, of course, targeting of high-risk groups such as
children, the elderly and firefighters. At the halfway point in
working toward the 10 year goal, do you believe the United
States Fire Administration and the country is on a glide path
to achieve the goal, and if not, what else must happen to
realize this reduction in loss of life?
Mr. Paulison. The reduction in loss of life for our
citizens, our residents and our firefighters is not where I
want it to be. We are still losing 4,000 people a year to
fires, and like the Chairman pointed out, 80 percent of those
are in their homes, and we are still losing over 100
firefighters a year, so there are things we have to do. One of
the things we are doing is we are going to start putting a big,
major focus on the residential sprinkling. We have met with the
sprinkler industry. They have been opposed to what we call
localized sprinkler systems, where instead of sprinkling the
whole house, we are recommending we target those areas that we
know we have the fires in: our kitchens, utility rooms,
garages, those areas where our fires are most prevalent. And in
work with builders and developers to start sprinkling some of
these--onto those--in those areas. It is the minimal cost, and
we think it will greatly reduce the loss of life.
Smoke alarms that we put in some 15 years ago have been
the--in my opinion, the big difference between the 8,000 or
9,000 people we lost back in the '60's and '70's to down to
4,000, but now, we have come to a plateau and we need to move
on with that, and I think sprinklers are the next move.
Public education plays heavily into that, and also with
firefighters. Most of our firefighter deaths are heart attacks
and vehicle accidents, two of the most preventable things that
we have. So we are focusing on driver training and also, we are
focusing on wellness and fitness in the fire station itself and
with the firefighters. So we think we are--we have got the
answers to move to the next level to see a decline in these
deaths.
Mr. Gingrey. Well, it would seem to me, of course, that you
are already doing a lot in regard to physical fitness, and when
I look at--you can almost spot a firefighter out of uniform in
an instant. They look like--look pretty good. Pretty good
physical specimens, so they are obviously working out and
spending some valuable time doing that, and I think that is
good. You mentioned, of course, putting in alarm systems and
maybe over a few years, bringing the loss down from 9,000 to
4,000, and I am pleasantly surprised at that. I would think,
though, that getting builders to do that would be a lot easier
and a lot cheaper than getting them to agree to put in
sprinkler systems even in targeted areas. Although I
certainly--you know, it makes sense to me thinking about that
that that would certainly save lives, but you indicated maybe
that the costs wouldn't be that significant, but it seemed like
to me would be a much more substantial cost than just putting
in an alarm system.
Mr. Paulison. Well, it is more expensive than just
putting--we need the alarm system also. The smoke alarms are
what alerts our people that there is a fire in the house, but
at the same time, there needs to be something in the home to
contain that fire until they can get safely out of the
building. The focus of residential sprinklers is not
necessarily to put the fire out, but to contain the fire. That
is different than our commercial occupancies. Our commercial
occupancies, a sprinkler system is designed to put the fire
out, because they may be closed, you know, overnight, but our
goal with residential sprinklers is to get people out of the
home. You mentioned--I just recently built a home, and tried to
get the builder to put sprinklers in there. Even though I was
willing to pay for it, the builder refused to do that, because
it--their--his impression was it would slow down the closing on
the house, which slows down their draws from the bank, so we
have to overcome that, and we are going to be meeting with
builders. We have already met with the sprinkler industry on
several occasions. They have agreed to get on board with us to
promote these residential sprinklers, and even retrofit
existing homes with the localized sprinkler system.
Mr. Gingrey. Mr. Chairman, I had a second question. Do I
need to wait for the second round, or do we have--it is widely
agreed that in addition to saving lives, lower property losses
are a significant secondary benefit to increased use of
residential sprinklers. Approximately how many years does it
take before these sprinklers pay for themselves in terms of
potential savings, and do insurance companies offer reduced
policy premiums for those who install sprinklers? If they
don't, how can USFA reach out to the insurance companies and
encourage them to do the premium reductions?
Mr. Paulison. We haven't seen insurance companies willing
to take that step yet, and that is one of our goals, along with
getting the sprinkler companies on board with our philosophy,
is to also work with insurance companies to see if we can do--
we can get them to start reducing the premiums. If--for those
homes that are sprinkled, if something as simple as putting in
a localized fire sprinkler system, let us say in a--just put a
sprinkler head in a kitchen in an existing home, is somewhere
between $500 and $1,000, it is just a simple plumbing issue, it
is not a major issue, a new existing home, it would depend on
the locality and the type of laws that they have, but the cost
of amortizing that sprinkler system over the life of that home
is insignificant, and we think that the value is way out--
outweighs any cost that may be incurred.
Mr. Gingrey. Thank you, Mr. Paulison, and thank you, Mr.
Chairman.
Chairman Smith. Thank you, sir. Representative Lofgren.
Ms. Lofgren. Thank you. First, let me apologize for being
late. I was speaking to a whole room full of the top science
and math graduates in the country, who were--they were just--
cheers you up just to see these kids and--just down the way. I
am interested in how we are developing standards for new
firefighting technologies, and also, what challenges are
present in the standardization of firefighting equipment and
technologies that exist today. I remember the Oakland fire. I
am sure that is legendary in firefighting worlds, and I was on
the Board of Supervisors in Santa Clara County when the Oakland
fire broke out, and my cohort, Don Perata, was on the Board of
Supervisors in Alameda County. I later found out when I called
Don at home on that Sunday that that was the first
communication between an outside agency and Alameda County, and
when we sent equipment up, we couldn't connect our hoses to
their hydrants, because they were not the same size, and it did
contribute to the conflagration. So that may not be the main
issue that we are dealing with, but I am wondering if you had
thoughts and advice in that arena. Would you turn on the mike?
Mr. Paulison. I did.
Ms. Lofgren. Very good.
Mr. Paulison. The equipment interoperability and--you were
singing my song--I appreciate you asking that question--is a
significant issue. We keep talking about interoperability and
people focus on radio interoperability, which is an issue we
are trying to deal with. But the equipment interoperability is
as significant as the interoperability of our radio systems.
You know, I am from Miami, I am a scuba diver. I can take my
diving regulator anywhere in the world, and rent a scuba tank
and it always fits, but I can't take an air bottle off of one
air pack and put it on a different brand, both made here in the
United States. The--I can rent an air compressor in Miami and
take it to Seattle and rent a jackhammer, it always fits, but
our hydraulic tools, our jaws of life and those types of
equipment are totally incompatible from one brand to another,
and the construction industry has figured it out, you can go to
a Home Depot and rent--and buy saw blades and they will fit any
saw you have, but the fire industry is totally incompatible,
and I have been meeting with the Fire Equipment Manufacturers
Association. I met with them four times, and they recognized
that we have to change this, and they are working diligently to
do that. We have already got some manufacturers that--for
instance, airbag manufacturers are very close--or lifting bags,
to lift cars off people--and have already agreed that they were
going to start changing their fittings to where they are all
the same. It is just a small step, but it is a big step. The
International Association of Fire Chiefs was created in the
late 1800's to resolve the hose thread differences, and here we
are 150 years later and we are worse off than we were back
then.
Ms. Lofgren. Isn't there a role to play for the Federal
Government in this area? I mean, I don't know what the
standards ought to be, but NIST actually is a standard-setting
body.
Mr. Paulison. Yes.
Ms. Lofgren. Shouldn't we ask them to work with the
firefighting world and develop some standards to get this
moving along?
Mr. Paulison. Absolutely. The--part of the problem is us in
the fire service ourselves. Different--for particularly--for
instance, the hose thread standards is the most significant.
New York--the City of New York has its own hose threads. Kansas
City has its own hose threads that they designed themselves and
make, and we perpetuate the problem, because we are unwilling
to make those changes, but other areas are--definitely are
resolvable, and Doctor, do you want to address that?
Dr. Bement. Well, I am glad you brought it up,
Representative Lofgren, because this is what got us involved in
fire standards in the first place. It was the Baltimore fire of
1903, where different responding fire companies couldn't
participate because their hoses wouldn't fit the hydrants. It
is surprising that even today, almost 100 years--almost exactly
100 years later, we still have similar problems. We deal with
interoperability issues not only in protective equipment and
hydrants and so forth, but--in almost every area,
communications.
By working closely with standard development organizations
in order to develop standards in this area, this is what
consensus standards are all about, we work very closely with
stakeholders, including the U.S. Fire Administration, to hold
workshops to identify performance-based standards, because if
standards are too prescriptive, they add only cost to the
equipment. And through our testing efforts, our research
efforts, our guide--issuing technical guidelines, our work with
the Fire Administration, in putting out newsletters, like
fire.gov on the Internet, which informs the fire community of
technical developments throughout the world, we are trying to
get more agreement on what these performance standards should
be.
I should say, incidentally, in this area of flexibility,
the test work that we do at NIST and the research that we do at
NIST informs not only the standard development organizations
but the fire community at large in their procurement decisions.
We had guests just two days ago from local fire chiefs and the
National Association of State Fire Marshals visiting NIST so
they could identify the test beds that we currently have that
would help them evaluate some of their procurement decisions
that they have to make in the absence of standards, and so much
equipment is coming on the market now, and technology is
flourishing more rapidly than the standards development effort,
so we have worked with ANSI [American National Standards
Institute] in establishing the Homeland Security Standards
Panel to work with the standard development organizations to
see how we can accelerate the effort in bringing new standards
to bear on some of these issues.
Chairman Smith. The--are you finished?
Ms. Lofgren. My time has expired. I appreciate the
Chairman's----
Chairman Smith. The gentleman from Missouri, Congressman
Akin.
[PA malfunction]
Mr. Akin. St. Louis area, of our first responders, fire
folks, the ambulance, as well as some of the local police and--
okay, we have got it. I asked them, I don't want to know your
second and third and fourth priority, what is your number one
priority, in terms of what we ought to be looking at, and there
was a complete consensus that it was the interoperability of
the communication systems. They said that is the thing that
they really--you know, we are--our assessment was for small
kinds of incidents, you know, some truck of chemicals that goes
off the highway or something, we are--we handle those kinds of
things very well.
Our concern was the larger scale kinds of deal where you
have got, you know, 50 different police districts within a
particular metropolitan area, you may go across the Mississippi
River to Illinois, you have got different states, different
governments. How do you coordinate those kinds of things? They
said their big concern was communications. Now, this new
technology that--is it Nextel is advertising, that walkie-
talkie type thing, does that answer those problems, or is that
the potential--or if it doesn't, what still has to be done,
because their first estimate to us was, oh, all we need is a
couple hundred million dollars, and of course we all kind of
rolled our eyes at that, but the next thing we saw were those
vans that have the different antennas and you can--with a
computer, you can hook up your Wal-Mart little $30 walkie-
talkie with a police radio with a military, so you could
interlock those things.
What do you see in that area and where are we?
Mr. Paulison. It is--the radio communications, the
interoperability is significant. We have fire departments out
there with low band radios with UHF, VHF, 800 megahertz, and
now, the new frequency, 700 megahertz coming on the board, and
they don't communicate with each other.
There are interface boxes like you mentioned, and the one
particular van you saw, that allows that to be set up on a
particular incident to deal with that. I think--I see that as a
short-term solution. We have--between the Department of
Homeland Security and the COPS program in Justice, I think it
is right around $100 million, we are going to be issuing in
these next couple months, on a competitive basis to cities
around the country, and to look at best practices, where they
are--these companies, or these cities that are awarded these
grants will set up their interoperable communications system
and then we can look at those and offer those as best
practices, or not if they don't work, to the different cities
to deal with this.
The--I just had a meeting with one of the major radio
manufacturers, and they perceive the answer to this is a radio
that will adapt to whatever system it goes into. So if you have
a base for a handheld radio, and you are dispatched into a
territory on a different system, if you have a--let us say UHF,
with a 450 megahertz and you go into a system on an 800, the
radio could adapt to that new system. And I believe if they can
resolve that technical issue inside those radios, that will be
the answer.
What we don't want, though, is every radio able to talk to
every radio. It overwhelms the system. We need every radio to
be able to communicate with the command post, because we are
trying to set up unified command systems throughout the
country, so that--I think that is the answer down the road.
I don't know, Dr. Bement, if you have any response to that,
too.
Dr. Bement. I think Dr. Paulison--or Mr. Paulison stated it
very clearly, it is not just the interoperability of the
communication system, but it is also interoperability of the
communication system with the decision support system, the
command system itself, and in many cases, it is not only how
you transmit voice, but how you transmit data, and the cross-
band switching issues in going from band to band and developing
interoperability is a very daunting challenge.
More than that, in many cases, some of the 800 megahertz
systems don't communicate inside buildings very well,
especially buildings that are very well shielded, so in some
cases, that is going to take ancillary equipment like co-ax
repeaters built into the building so that you can transmit
effectively from inside the building to outside the building
and actually engage in the fire operation itself. So this is a
very big menu of things that we have to address, and we are
addressing it in every one of these areas. In fact, the
Advanced Technology Program at NIST is funding some of this
work in cross-band switching and also XML and being able to
exchange data in disparate systems, and so we feel that NIST is
very much engaged.
Mr. Akin. Is there--to follow on, is there any use--I
understand there was a big fire situation last summer out West
where they used those walkie-talkie type handheld--they were
actually cell phones, you know, essentially.
Dr. Bement. Yes.
Mr. Akin. And that that was supposed to be the backup
system and the firefighters all switched over to the backup
because they like it so well.
Dr. Bement. Well, we have actually developed a test bed at
NIST, not only to use these handheld phones, but also to use
PDAs that will operate in an interoperable mode, and that
system is up and operating, and we are using it to evaluate
different products that are coming into the marketplace that
will help serve this need, but I have to say that there is not
a secure component yet in this form of communications, and as
Administrator Paulison indicated, in some cases, you want that
security level built in to the system as well, and that is
where we are focusing our attention at the present time.
Mr. Akin. Is there any one agency or person that is
responsible for basically dealing with this problem and
coordinating a solution, or is this something that you have got
different agencies and different people stumbling over
themselves on?
Dr. Bement. Well, I mentioned the summit that we had just a
couple weeks ago that brought together federal agencies, state
agencies, the firefighting community, National Laboratories, so
NIST is trying to bring this community together. Through our
Office of Law Enforcement Standards, we do serve as a
coordinating arm for the Office of Disaster Preparedness of the
Science and Technology Directorate in the Department of
Homeland Security, and the National Institute of Justice in
trying to coordinate investments in research and development in
this area, and to try and coordinate the technical approach to
developing standards in this area.
Mr. Akin. I think what I heard you say is no. I said, I
mean, is there one person that is tasked with the
responsibility, and I think--I understand you have got to talk
to a lot of different people and sort of develop what you are
going to do, but is there somebody who is spearheading that, or
is it really something that that responsibility currently is on
an organization chart, or is that being shared?
Dr. Bement. There is a committee or a group inside of the
Department of Homeland Security called SAFECOM that brings all
of the federal agencies together to work on the issue together,
and that--they are the ones that are coordinating the effort,
and make sure the money is being spent.
Mr. Akin. So if there is any----
Chairman Smith. I am going to have to interrupt you. The
Administrator is going to have to leave in a few minutes, and
we have two more questioners, Congressman, so I apologize, but
I will now call on Representative Johnson.
Ms. Johnson. Thank you very much. This question will go to
both witnesses. A Memorandum of Understanding is now in place
between NIST and the Fire Administration that calls for one,
establishing points of contact in each agency to be responsible
for carrying out the purpose of the Memorandum of
Understanding, and two, jointly drafting an annual fire
research and technology development agenda with input from the
research community, fire services representatives and other end
users, and three, holding bimonthly meetings with participation
by representatives of the fire services industry and other
interested groups for the coordination and implementation of
the fire research plan, and four, disseminating the results of
the fire research program more broadly. And I want to ask each
of you three questions, one, are all of these components of the
agreement being carried out, and two, are you both satisfied
with the process, and in particular, are you satisfied that a
research agenda is being developed that has priorities
acceptable to the fire services community and has an
appropriate balance between long-term research and near-term
development, and the final question is, is there an adequate
coordination in developing research agendas among the federal
agencies that support fire research?
Dr. Bement. I can address part of that list of questions.
Yes, there has been ongoing consultation between NIST and the
U.S. Fire Administration, as well as the Directorate for
Science and Technology on the research and development agenda.
That has been ongoing. It existed even before the Memorandum of
Understanding was signed.
In addition to that, we have sponsored joint workshops in
addressing some of the issues having to do not only with
technical needs, but also performance-based standards. That is
ongoing. That continues. NIST has established a technical
liaison with the Fire Academy at Emmitsburg, and we continue to
work with them on agenda development.
And of course, there is the direct support from the Fire
Administration for the research that is currently going on at
NIST.
So in those areas, this is a very active engagement.
Mr. Paulison. The other player we need to bring in, also,
which we are doing now, is the Science and Technology Division
or Directorate inside of Homeland Security--Department of
Homeland Security, and we are doing that. They are very
interested in getting involved in our research and helping fund
some of those things also. So they will be a player with us
also, along with NIST and other groups out there. We have a lot
of work to do. There is no question about it. But I am
comfortable that we are on the right road to do this research.
Ms. Johnson. Thank you very much. Mr. Paulison, what is the
budget for the National Fire Incident Reporting System for
Fiscal Year 2003, and what is requested for 2004?
[PA malfunction]
Mr. Paulison. Our total budget is $56 million, I believe,
this year, to run that whole program at Emmitsburg. But I will
get those, I will break those out for you. I just don't have it
at my fingertips right now. I can get that to you tomorrow, or
even this afternoon.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The National Fire Incident Reporting System's FY03 budget is $1
million and the FY04 budget is currently undetermined.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ms. Johnson. Thank you very much. Thank you.
[PA malfunction]
Chairman Smith. The--we are delighted that the Vice
Chairman of the full Science Committee has joined us,
Representative Gutknecht.
Mr. Gutknecht. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I apologize for
being late. I don't have any specific questions. I think the
questions I was going to ask have pretty well been answered,
but if my colleague from Missouri would like, I would be happy
to yield him a few minutes of my time.
Mr. Akin. These buttons are hard things to learn to work. I
would just--the concern I have is, is having been in some big
corporations and all, sometimes if you have a responsibility
that it isn't really clear who is doing what that you end up
with a whole lot of people doing a lot of different things, and
it gets kind of scrambled, and my concern is particularly in
the communications area, where our people back in the St. Louis
area say that is their number one priority, do we have somebody
that--not necessarily that they have to be made a czar or
something, but is there a good consensus that one group is
going to come up with at least a good workable solution?
Mr. Paulison. The group that I mentioned earlier is--that
is their task, to make sure that happens. The--but I don't want
to mislead you, because is one group going to come up with the
answer? I don't know. There is a lot of people working on the
communications issue, a lot of people in private industry are
very serious about this, so the answer may come from them, but
as far as the Federal Government is concerned, we have one
group that is focusing our dollars and our attention to make
sure we are going in the right direction.
Mr. Akin. Thank you very much.
Chairman Smith. The--just a quick last question. The Fire
Chief in Jackson, Michigan, in my district, has been trying to
get the state legislature to require that mobile homes be built
with a sprinkler system inside those mobile homes. Is that
something that should be considered by the state or Federal
Government?
[PA malfunction]
Mr. Paulison. Firefighter for 30 years, I can tell you that
when we respond to a mobile home fire, seldom do we get there
and put the fire out. It is usually--the mobile home is burnt
to the ground before we arrive. If we sprinkle anything, from
the day they built it, it--mobile homes is extremely important.
Chairman Smith. And Administrator Paulison, if there is
anything else, we understand you have got a commitment at 11. I
hope it is within 10 minutes of here. If you make it, and with
that, you are certainly--we thank you both. If you have any
additional advice, please inform this committee on the Noble
Training, whether we should include that in this bill, that $8
million, as far as being within the U.S. Fire Administration,
or whether it should be a separate authorization for Homeland
Security.
Let us know your recommendation on that.
Mr. Paulison. Yes. Yes, sir, and thank you for your
support, too, and if there is any other questions that we have
missed, you know, if you would just give those to us, we will
get them right back to you in writing.
Chairman Smith. Okay. Thank you.
Mr. Paulison. Thank you very much.
Chairman Smith. Again, thank you both for your presence
today. If we could start Panel 3.
[PA malfunction]
Panel 3
Chairman Smith. Dr. Dennis Compton is the immediate past
Chair of the Board for International Fire Service Training
Association. Chief Compton has served for over 32 years in the
fire service, 27 years with the Phoenix Fire Department, five
years as the Mesa Chief and he was selected as a charter member
of the Arizona Fire Service Hall of Fame and recently received
the Congressional Fire Service Institute, the CFSI 2003 Mason
Langford National Fire Service Leadership Award, so Chief,
congratulations. Thank you for sharing some of your advice and
wisdom today and please proceed with your testimony.
[PA malfunction]
Chairman Smith. I think, I am not sure but--whether it is a
long push on the button, or a short push.
STATEMENT OF DENNIS COMPTON, IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR, BOARD FOR
THE INTERNATIONAL FIRE SERVICE TRAINING ASSOCIATION
Mr. Compton. Members of the House Research Subcommittee, my
name is Chief Dennis Compton of Mesa, Arizona. I am honored to
testify before the House Research Subcommittee on issues of
great importance to you and our nation's one million career and
volunteer fire and emergency response personnel. I have a full
statement I have submitted for the record.
Chairman Smith. Without objection, all full statements will
be included in the record.
Mr. Compton. For 32 years, I have been a firefighter, 27
years with the Phoenix, Arizona Fire Department and the last
five as Chief of Mesa, Arizona Fire Department. Although
retired from Mesa, I continue to remain very active, serving as
a leader in many national fire service organizations, including
the International Fire Service Training Association and the
Congressional Fire Services Institute's National Advisory
Committee.
I have been asked to present my views on a number of
important issues that this subcommittee is addressing. First,
the reauthorization of the United States Fire Administration.
The USFA is doing an excellent job serving its core mission, in
addition to assuming new responsibilities in the area of
terrorism training. Its Administrator, Chief David Paulison, is
a widely respected 30 year veteran of the fire service who
understands what is needed by our firefighters and how the
Federal Government can respond to those needs. The United
States Fire Administration is the lone federal agency tasked
with reducing the Nation's loss of life and property due to
fire.
I urge Congress and this subcommittee to never allow the
USFA to lose its identity. The U.S. Fire Administrator should
maintain a prominent presence within the Department of Homeland
Security. I also strongly believe that the Fire Administrator
should remain a Presidential appointed position confirmed by
the Senate.
I also fully support developing a national residential fire
sprinkler strategy. In fact, my home is fully sprinklered. The
combination of fire sprinklers and smoke alarms installed in
homes can significantly reduce the number of lives lost from
fires each year in this nation.
Regarding the Firefighting Research and Coordination Act, a
key element of that Act, introduced by my Senator, John McCain
and Congressman Dave Camp, addresses the advent of firefighting
technology and the development of new standards to measure
their performance as well as calling for coordination of
response to national emergencies, including training and
credentialing. Credentialing of emergency responders is
critical to the successful management of national emergencies.
It is important that existing fire service certification
systems be incorporated into any national program to improve
emergency management.
This legislation has received the support of more than 40
national fire organizations, composing the Congressional Fire
Service Institute's National Advisory Committee. Nothing is
more critical to our mission than continuing to fund the FIRE
Act grant program. The FIRE Act is directed at addressing basic
needs. According to the survey recently completed by the USFA
and the NFPA, data reveals that many fire departments are
understaffed and in need of basic equipment, such as turnout
gear, radio communications, breathing apparatus.
The management of the FIRE Act grant program by the U.S.
Fire Administration has been an incredible success, and the
fire service is concerned that transferring that responsibility
to the Office of Domestic Preparedness will dilute the
effectiveness of that program.
Unlike grant programs administered by ODP, the FIRE Act
grant program sends money directly to local fire departments.
ODP's focus is on state terrorism grants. While the act focuses
on basic, everyday response needs, using the states to direct
the flow of dollars, which is consistent with ODP grant
programs, has never proven to be effective for the fire
service, and it is primarily because the fire service lacks any
centralized representation at the state level in any of the
states.
The Council on Foreign Relations recently issued a report
titled ``Emergency Responders: Drastically Underfunded,
Dangerously Unprepared.'' The report outlined a number of
concerns regarding our nation's preparedness for potential
terrorist attacks. I was intrigued by their assessment of how
slowly federal funds are being distributed and spent at the
state level.
Conversely, the United States Fire Administration has been
very effective in distributing FIRE Act funds. Should the
Federal Government be spending five times the current amount,
as the report recommends? It is hard to say. However, I know
that given the challenges facing local fire departments, we
need to spend more. Through the FIRE Act, we need to bring all
fire departments up to a baseline level of training and
equipment. Through pending SAFER legislation, we need to
address the staffing shortages in both the career and volunteer
fire services, and we must also make certain that fire
departments serving high risk areas for terrorism are fully
staffed and prepared.
The fire service appreciates the support Congress has
provided to the United States Fire Administration. Through the
outstanding work performed by USFA, the increased funding
contained in your reauthorization measure is well justified and
should continue to target USFA's major program areas.
I strongly appeal to this subcommittee to preserve the FIRE
Act program in its current structure, under the management of
the United States Fire Administration. I also urge this
Congress to ensure that the fire service plays a key role in
homeland security and the development of national strategies
dealing with terrorism preparedness.
It is truly an honor for me to testify before you today,
and I thank you for this opportunity, and I will be glad to
answer any questions you might have.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Compton follows:]
Prepared Statement of Dennis Compton
Good Morning.
Chairman Smith, Ranking Member Johnson and Members of the House
Research Subcommittee, my name is Chief Dennis Compton of Mesa Arizona.
I am honored to be testifying before the House Research Subcommittee on
issues of great importance to both this subcommittee and to our
nation's fire and emergency response personnel--issues that impact the
readiness of approximately one million firefighters from every state in
the Nation who serve as both career and volunteers. Prepared to make
the ultimate sacrifice, our nation's firefighters respond to over 17
millions calls, annually. . .from fire and emergency medical calls, to
hazardous materials incidents, and potential acts of terrorism.
Before I advance into my testimony, I would like to express my
thanks and appreciation to this committee, specifically Chairman Smith
and Ranking Member Johnson, for your leadership on our behalf. We are
the beneficiaries of several significant pieces of legislation enacted
by Congress in recent years, most notably legislation that created and
funded the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, commonly referred
to as the FIRE Act. We, our nation's fire service, appreciate the
willingness on the part of Congress to work in the spirit of bi-
partisanship to address critical needs that will improve the level of
readiness of our nation's first responders.
For 32 years, I have been a firefighter--27 years with the Phoenix,
Arizona Fire Department and the last five as Chief of the Mesa Fire
Department. From the very first, I have looked forward to every day on
the job. Although retired from Mesa, I continue to remain active
serving with the International Fire Service Training Association, as a
board member of the National Fire Protection Association, member of the
International Association of Fire Chiefs, and as immediate past chair
of the Congressional Fire Services Institute's National Advisory
Committee. The fire service will always be an important part of my
life. . .and so will my desire to make the fire service better prepared
to do its job.
I have been asked to present my views on a number of important
issues this subcommittee is addressing: the reauthorization of the
United States Fire Administration (USFA), the administration of the
Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, the position of United States
Fire Administrator as a Presidential Appointee and the Firefighting
Research and Coordination Act sponsored by my Senator, John McCain in
the Senate and Congressman Dave Camp in the House. Following my
testimony, I would be most willing to answer questions related to these
issues as well as any others that pertain to what it takes to prepare
our nation's fire service for its job.
I. LREAUTHORIZATION OF THE UNITED STATES FIRE ADMINISTRATION
First the reauthorization of the United States Fire Administration.
Five years ago, I was asked to participate in a panel convened by then-
FEMA Director James Lee Witt. The mission of the panel was both
compelling and time sensitive as there was a fear that our federal fire
programs--specifically the United States Fire Administration and
National Fire Academy--were languishing. The panel issued a report
containing 34 recommendations for change. The panel did not point
fingers at individuals, but rather cited core deficiencies in the areas
of leadership, resource management and communication.
Wasting little time, the USFA began the process of responding to
each recommendation. Today, USFA is serving its core mission in
addition to assuming new responsibilities primarily in the area of
terrorism training. It has as its administrator, Chief David Paulison,
a widely-respected 30-year veteran of the fire service who understands
what's needed by our firefighters and how the Federal Government can
respond most effectively and efficiently.
The United States Fire Administration is the lead federal agency
for the fire service. It is our voice. . .the guardian of our programs.
We take great pride in the work of USFA. It is the lone federal agency
tasked with reducing the Nation's loss of life due to fire through data
collection, public education, training, and research and technology.
While I support transferring USFA and FEMA into the Department of
Homeland Security, I urge Congress and this subcommittee to never allow
USFA to loose its identity. Both the Fire Administration and the Fire
Administrator should maintain a prominent presence within the
Department of Homeland Security. When officials within the Department
convene to discuss policy matters or heightened security alerts, USFA
officials should have a seat at the table with their tent card reading
``USFA'' to make clear to everyone in the room the individual
representing the interest of our one million firefighters.
PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENT OF U.S. FIRE ADMINISTRATOR
Moreover, I strongly believe that the Fire Administrator should
remain a presidential-appointed position, confirmed by the Senate.
Because of the important nature and duties associated with this
position, the President needs an Administrator with whom he can place
his trust and who shares his vision on homeland security issues. I
would also urge future administrations to look for candidates who
possess an acute understanding of the fire and emergency services and
hold no predisposition for any particular fire service group or
element, but rather have holistic outlooks of the fire service.
NATIONAL RESIDENTIAL FIRE SPRINKLER STRATEGY
Section Three of the House measure addresses a National Residential
Fire Sprinkler Strategy, a provision I fully support. I am a strong
proponent of residential fire sprinklers. In fact, my home is fully
sprinklered. When I served as Chief of Mesa, the city adopted a
sprinkler ordinance for new residential construction. Saving lives
starts with prevention and the combination of sprinklers and smoke
alarms can significantly reduce the number of lives lost each year,
which stands at approximately 4,000 annually. Many of my peers share my
conviction and would look forward to supporting the Fire Administration
in developing a strategy to promote the use of residential fire
sprinklers.
One statistic says it all about fire sprinkler systems: there has
never been a multi-death fire in a fully sprinklered building in which
the sprinklers were fully operational.
FIREFIGHTING RESEARCH AND COORDINATION
One key difference between the House and Senate authorization
measures is the inclusion in the Senate bill of the Firefighting
Research bill introduced by Senator John McCain. Congressman Dave Camp
introduced a similar measure, which is pending in the House Science
Committee. Prior to introducing their measures, both Senator McCain and
Congressman Camp sought input from the fire service organizations to
ensure that their measures would have the desired results they
intended.
A key element of the legislation addresses the advent of
firefighting technology and the development of new standards to measure
their performance. The legislation would not authorize the Federal
Government to create standards, but rather to create measuring
techniques and testing methodologies that can be incorporated into the
standards-making process. The legislation has received the support of
more than 40 national organizations composing the Congressional Fire
Services Institute's National Advisory Committee.
Since September 11th, new technologies have been introduced to the
market designed to address both existing and emerging threats. In the
interest of firefighter safety, there must be some mechanism in place
to measure the performance of this equipment, especially if they are
going to be purchased with federal funds. Where standards do not exist
to address this technology, the McCain-Camp bill will initiate the
process.
The national fire organizations also support other sections of the
legislation calling for coordination of response to national
emergencies and for increased training. We believe strongly that the
United States Fire Administration should serve as the primary point of
contact for state and local firefighting units during national
emergencies. But as we stated to both authors, Congress needs to
appropriate additional funds for USFA to carry-out this legislation,
and not use existing funds.
II. LASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTERS GRANT PROGRAM (FIRE Act)
As I mentioned earlier, the fire service is the beneficiary of a
number of Congressional actions, but nothing is more critical to our
mission than the measures that authorized and continue to fund the
Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program.
Public Law 106-398, which contains the language that established
the grant program, states that the purpose of the program is for
``protecting the health and safety of the public and firefighter
personnel against fire and fire-related hazards.'' Although funds can
be used to purchase terrorism-related equipment, the program is
directed at addressing basic needs. And according to the survey
recently completed by the U.S. Fire Administration and National Fire
Protection Association, many departments remain in need of basic
equipment such as turn-out gear, radio communications, and breathing
apparatus that only the FIRE Act can address.
The survey revealed that:
LAn estimated 73,000 firefighters serve in fire
departments that protect communities of at least 50,000 in
population and have fewer than 4 career firefighters assigned
to first-due engine companies. (The National Fire Protection
Association calls for at least four firefighters per engine.)
LFire departments that deliver an average of 4 or
fewer volunteers to a mid-day house fire constituted 21 percent
of departments protecting communities with less than 2,500
population.
LAn estimated 57,000 firefighters lack personal
protective clothing.
LAn estimated one-third of firefighters shifts are not
equipped with self-contained breathing apparatus.
LOverall, fire departments do not have enough portable
radios to equip more than about half of the emergency
responders on a shift.
LAn estimated 120.1 million people are protected by
fire departments that do not have a program for free
distribution of home smoke alarms.
As you know, the House Appropriations Committee approved $750
million for the program for Fiscal Year 2004, the same level as last
year. In addition, they included in the report language that the
Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate should administer the
program, giving USFA control of the program. The Senate version,
approved last week, also contains $750 million for the grant program,
but transfers authority to administer the program to the Office of
Domestic Preparedness (ODP). The $750 million contained in both
measures exceed the President's request of $500 million; however the
Senate measure is more closely aligned with the Administration's
proposal which recommends the shift to ODP. The management of the FIRE
Act by the U.S. Fire Administration has been an incredible success and
the fire service is concerned that transferring that responsibility to
ODP would dilute the effectiveness of the program.
Unlike grant programs administered by ODP, the FIRE Act sends money
directly to local fire departments; only a small percentage is set
aside for USFA to cover administrative costs. Now some argue the
benefits of using the states to direct the flow of dollars, saying it's
more cost effective and can target the money better. However, this
method has never proven to be effective for the fire service, primarily
because the fire service lacks centralized representation at the state
level. We have neither state fire chiefs nor Secretaries of Fire Safety
within any of the 50 states. Instead, the command structure originates
from within local jurisdictions, with local fire chiefs occupying the
top positions.
Moreover, reiterating what I just said moments, ago, the FIRE Act
is about addressing basic needs to enable fire departments to confront
challenges they encounter on a daily basis--fires, emergency medical
calls, hazardous material spills, etc. On the other hand, there is no
question regarding the mission of ODP. Prominently displayed on its
website, the mission statement reads, ``Enhancing the capacity of state
and local first responders to respond to incidents of terrorism
involving weapons of mass destruction.'' This is what raises our
concern; that eventually the FIRE Act would become another terrorism
program, leaving thousands of fire departments unprepared for their
basic missions.
III. COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS REPORT
As Members of the this subcommittee are aware, the Council on
Foreign Relations, chaired by former U.S. Senator Warren Rudman,
recently issued a report titled, ``Emergency Responders: Drastically
Underfunded, Dangerously Unprepared.'' The report outlined a number of
concerns regarding our nation's preparedness for potential terrorist
attacks. As it relates to the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program,
I was intrigued by their assessment of how slowly federal funds are
being distributed and spent at the State level. The Council attributes
it, in part, to the excessive amounts of paperwork. Conversely, USFA
has been very effective in disbursing FIRE Act funds, enabling local
fire departments to purchase needed equipment and training, including
the types highlighted in the Council's report.
As the report says, ``The United States could spend the entire
gross domestic product (GDP) and still be unprepared, or wisely spend a
limited amount and end up sufficiently prepared.'' Is the Federal
Government spending enough? The answer is ``no.'' Should it be spending
five times the current amount as the report recommends? It's hard to
say. I can only speak on the needs of the fire service.
I do believe that given the challenges facing local fire
departments, we need to spend more. First we need to bring all fire
departments up to a base-line level for training and equipment. This is
being achieved through the FIRE Act. Then we need to address the
staffing shortages in both the career and volunteer fire services. This
can be addressed through the SAFER legislation pending in both the
House and Senate (H.R. 1118 and S. 544). Then we must identify high-
risk areas and make certain that the fire departments serving in these
areas are fully staffed, trained, and equipped to respond to potential
acts of terrorism. This might mean spending five times more than the
Federal Government is spending, or it might mean less.
We can't say that time will provide the answers, because as you
know, time is not on our side. We must move quickly.
IV. CONCLUSION
Members of this subcommittee, I thank you for allowing me this
opportunity to testify today. Hopefully, both my oral and written
testimonies have provided some valuable insight on the Federal
Government's role to enhance the readiness of our nation's fire
service.
Thirty years ago, the National Commission on Fire Prevention and
Control issued a report titled, ``America Burning,'' highlighting our
nation's fire problems. At the time the report was issued, 12,000
people were dying in fire each year. Today the figure is down to
approximately 4,000. The reason for the reduction has so much to do
with the content of the report, including the recommendation to
establish a United States Fire Administration and National Fire
Academy.
The fire service appreciates the support Congress has provided to
the United States Fire Administration. Through the outstanding work
performed by USFA, the increased funding contained in your
reauthorization measure is well justified. The funds should continue to
target programs benefiting fire departments and their personnel,
primarily through USFA's four program areas: data collection, public
education, training, and technology development.
Moreover, I appeal to this subcommittee to preserve the FIRE Act in
its current structure. Nobody can ascertain the needs of the fire
service better than USFA, the national fire associations that continue
to work in close consultation with USFA in administering the program,
and the hundreds of firefighting personnel who volunteer their time to
review the grant applications each year. We know what's best for our
own.
On the important issue of homeland security, I urge this Congress
to ensure that the fire service plays a key role in the development of
national strategies dealing with terrorism preparedness. After all, we
are the front line of defense prepared to send our bravest in the first
wave of battle. Hence, we deserve to fill positions of leadership so
that our voice will be heard.
It is truly an honor for me to have a role in this process today.
Chairman Smith, I thank you in particular for your support of the
National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service. We were honored by your
presence both last year and in 1999 as we paid final tribute to those
firefighters who died in the line of duty.
Now I will be glad to answer any questions from this subcommittee.
Biography for Dennis Compton
Personal Information:
Business Address: P.O. Box 21208; Mesa, AZ 85277-1208
Business Telephone: (480) 244-8529; Fax: (480) 654-5420
E-mail: dcompton@cableaz.com
Marital Status: Married to Sher since 1968
U.S. Army Veteran: 1968-1970; Honorable Discharge
Employment and Acknowledgments:
LCurrently serve as an Executive Advisor, facilitator,
teacher, and consultant in the public, private, and non-profit
sectors.
LFunctioned at the Executive level of two large,
complex organizations. Served as the Chief Executive of the
Mesa, Arizona Fire Department for more than five years and as
Assistant Fire Chief for the Phoenix, Arizona Fire Department
for more than fifteen years.
LServed for a total of thirty-two (32) years in the
Phoenix and Mesa Fire Departments. During that time, I managed
budgets in excess of $120 million. Phoenix and Mesa are the 6th
and 43rd largest cities in the United States and have earned
reputations for having world class Fire Departments. The Mesa
Fire Department is fully accredited since 2001. Responsible for
City-wide Emergency Management in Mesa.
LServed in command of the Phoenix (FEMA) Urban Search
and Rescue Team (USAR) that was deployed to incidents
attracting worldwide concern, including the bombing of the
Federal Building in Oklahoma City. Also served at the Pentagon
and World Trade Center scenes immediately following the
September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
LCo-owner of Dennis Compton & Associates and S&D
Products and Services. These two businesses are held in
partnership with my spouse.
LSelected as the 1991 National Instructor of the Year
by the International Society of Fire Service Instructors.
LSelected as the Fire Service Person of the Year 2000
by the American Fire Sprinkler Association.
LSelected as the University of Phoenix Distinguished
Alumnus of the Year 2001.
LReceived the 2003 CFSI Mason Lankford National Fire
Service Leadership Award.
LMember of the Arizona Fire Service Hall of Fame.
Additional Professional Contributions and Experience:
LPast Chair of the Executive Board of the
International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA).
LElected as the Vice-Chair and Chair of the
Congressional Fire Services Institute's National Advisory
Committee (CFSI NAC) headquartered in Washington, D.C.
LMember of the National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA) since 1979, serving in various capacities including:
LMember of NFPA Board of Directors.
LManaged the Fire Department Analysis Project
(FIREDAP).
LStrategist and facilitator for strategic and
operational planning exercises throughout the
operations and business areas of NFPA.
LMember of NFPA Urban Fire Forum for five years.
LMember of NFPA technical committees.
LRepresentative on the National Home Fire Sprinkler
Coalition.
LAppointed to the National Blue Ribbon Panel in 1998
to review the effectiveness of the United States Fire
Administration.
LServed on the National Fire Service Leadership Summit
since its inception.
LElected President of the Metropolitan Phoenix Fire
Chiefs Organization.
LMore than thirty years of experience in local,
county, State, and national politics.
LMember of the International Association of Fire
Chiefs and their Metro Chiefs organization.
LMember of the Arizona Emergency Services Association.
LServe on the Advisory Board of the non-profit
Foundation for Burns and Trauma.
LMember of the Board of the non-profit 100 Club of
Arizona.
LMember and Paul Harris Fellow in the Downtown Phoenix
Rotary Club.
International Involvement:
LConsulted with international representatives to
develop alliances directed towards integrating the IFSTA
validation process into their countries and developing new
product lines.
LConsulted with representatives of the Soviet Union,
England, Germany, other European countries, Australia, Latin
America, Mexico, Japan, and others to present and discuss
community fire and life safety issues.
LWorked with Rotary International to provide
ambulances, medical supplies, fire fighting apparatus, and
other equipment to cities in Mexico.
LInvited to do various management presentations at
several international conferences conducted abroad.
LMember of Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE).
Education, Teaching, and Writing Experience:
LBachelor of Arts Degree in Management from the
University of Phoenix.
LAssociate of Arts Degree in Fire Science from Phoenix
College.
LSelected as one of only forty participants in a one-
year ``Leadership Fellowship'' in Phoenix, Arizona.
LProgram Chair of Fire Science at Phoenix College for
14 years.
LPast member of the President's Commission on
Excellence in Education at Mesa Community College.
LMember of the Advisory Board of the Arizona State
University Fire Services Institute.
LMember of the Advisory Board for the Fire and
Emergency Management Masters Degree Program at Oklahoma State
University.
LInvited speaker at many national and international
conferences.
LTeach accredited management and leadership courses at
universities and symposia internationally.
LAuthor of three successful books in a continuing
series focusing on management and leadership titled, When In
Doubt, Lead!
LCo-editor of the current edition of the International
City and County Management Association's text and reference
book titled, Managing Fire and Rescue Services.
LAuthor of the leadership chapter of The Fire Chiefs
Handbook, published by PennWell.
LCo-author of a lead chapter in the NFPA's Fire
Protection Handbook.
LContributing Editor for ``Firehouse'' Magazine,
``FireTimes.com'', and ``Firehouse.com''.
LAuthor of many articles published in national and
international periodicals. Interviewed and referenced in
technical articles and textbooks.
Chairman Smith. The honor is ours, Dennis. Dr. John Hall is
our next witness. Dr. Hall is Assistant Vice President for Fire
Analysis and Research at the National Fire Protection
Association, NFPA. This division of NFPA is responsible for the
measurement of the national fire problem and the communication
of the results as a statistical basis for the fire protection
strategies.
Dr. Hall was formerly an operations research analyst with
the U.S. Fire Administration. He holds a B.A. in mathematics
from Brown University and a Ph.D. in operations research from
the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Hall, welcome, and thank you.
STATEMENT OF DR. JOHN R. HALL, JR., ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT,
FIRE ANALYSIS AND RESEARCH, NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION
ASSOCIATION (NFPA)
Dr. Hall. Chairman Smith--honored to appear before you
today.
[PA malfunction]
Dr. Hall. Take three. Chairman Smith, Ranking Member
Johnson and Members of the Committee, I am honored to appear
before you today. NFPA is a non-profit organization founded
more than 100 years ago with a mission to save lives through
education, research and the development of consensus codes and
standards. Our codes and standards are accredited by the
American National Standards Institute and developed in a
consensus process that ensures all interested parties have a
say. Congress has repeatedly affirmed its support for voluntary
consensus standards.
Today, I wish to testify in support of H.R. 545, and first,
let me state emphatically that the reauthorization of the U.S.
Fire Administration is extremely important to the effectiveness
of the fire service throughout the United States. For nearly
three decades, the USFA and the National Fire Academy have been
working successfully with NFPA and the fire service to reduce
the death and destruction caused by fire in the U.S.
The staff at USFA has done a tremendous job in
administering the Assistance to Firefighters grant program.
This program has provided more than $1 billion in financial
resources directly to fire departments. Nonetheless, fire
departments have applied for more than $7 billion, and the real
needs are even greater, as I shall discuss.
It is crucial that the FIRE Grant program be maintained as
a separate and distinct funding source where fire departments
can receive direct funding from the USFA and avoid unnecessary
red tape. I would also urge the Congress to fund the program at
a level no less than its authorized amount of $900 million.
When I said the needs are much greater than the currently
authorized and appropriated amounts for the FIRE Grant program,
I was speaking on the basis of the Needs Assessment Survey of
the fire service, which was specifically commissioned by
Congress as part of the FIRE Act, and which was recently
completed by NFPA in cooperation with FEMA/USFA.
The needs assessment began before the horrific events of
September 11, 2001, but because of the foresight of USFA and
our fire service advisors, that survey included extensive
attention to terrorism preparedness. Thus, when the Council on
Foreign Relations began their exercise under former Senator
Warren Rudman to develop estimates of the costs of terrorism
preparedness, the needs assessment permitted NFPA to develop
and substantiate the fire service portion of these cost
estimates with unusual supporting detail.
In a report released just a few weeks ago, the Council
estimates that it will take $98.4 billion in additional funds
over the next five years to adequately meet the needs of our
first responders to handle the additional responsibilities of
homeland security. The fire service portion of this is more
than half the total.
The needs identified by the Council are enormous, and the
needs identified by NFPA for traditional fire service duties
are equally impressive. It is important to understand that
these needs are not a wish list for the fire service. They are
the result of an objective third party comparison of what the
fire service has to what the fire service needs to do its
assigned job safely and effectively.
A key element of H.R. 545 is the requirement that equipment
purchased through the FIRE Grant program must meet or exceed
applicable voluntary consensus standards. This is not a new
concept. For example, the Department of Justice's Bulletproof
Vest Partnership Grant Program requires that vests meet minimum
safety and performance standards. The Office of Domestic
Preparedness and the Department of Homeland Security encourages
and may soon require the use of NFPA standards for protective
clothing in responding to hazardous materials, chemical and
biological incidents. In July 2002, the national fire service
organizations, including IAFC [International Association of
Fire Chiefs], IAFF [International Association of Fire Fighters]
and NVFC [National Volunteer Fire Council], stated that all
equipment and training purchased with federal funds should be
required to meet nationally recognized voluntary consensus
standards whenever possible.
The Needs Assessment Survey and the Council on Foreign
Relations exercise are a call to action, a challenge to our
nation to respond fully to dangerous times.
Our firefighters face the same limitations and obstacles
they encountered on September 11th. In fact, with the reported
State and local budget cuts that are in the papers everywhere
you look, they face even greater limitations. We can no longer
ask our fire departments to survive entirely on local tax
revenue supplemented by local fundraisers. The Federal
Government must provide adequate resources and support to our
firefighters, as they protect us and the security of our
homeland.
This legislation would begin to address these urgent needs,
and NFPA enthusiastically supports it. Mr. Chairman, thank you
for the opportunity to testify today. I will be happy to answer
any questions you or other Members of the Committee may have.
[The prepared statement of Dr. Hall follows:]
Prepared Statement of John R. Hall, Jr.
Chairman Smith, Ranking Member Johnson and Members of the
Committee, I am honored to appear before this Committee today. My name
is John Hall and I am Assistant Vice President for Fire Analysis and
Research of NFPA (the National Fire Protection Association). NFPA is a
non-profit organization, founded more than 100 years ago, with a
mission to save lives through fire and life safety education and
training, fire research and analysis, and the development of consensus
codes and standards that are adopted by state and local jurisdictions
throughout the United States and widely used by the Federal Government.
Today NFPA has nearly 300 codes and standards addressing safety,
each accredited by the American National Standard Institute (ANSI) and
developed by technical experts, the fire service, and others
participating as volunteers in a consensus process. This process
ensures that all interested parties have a say in developing standards.
Congress affirmed its support for voluntary consensus standards in the
National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (P.L. 104-113)
and reaffirmed that support in the Homeland Security Act of 2002, the
law that created the new department.
As the Congress considers the reauthorization of the U.S. Fire
Administration (USFA) and its many important functions, I wish,
Chairman Smith, to testify today in support of H.R. 545, the
Firefighting Research and Coordination Act, which is Title II of S.
1152, the Senate version of the USFA reauthorization bill.
First, let me state emphatically that the reauthorization of the
U.S. Fire Administration is extremely important to the effectiveness of
the fire service throughout the United States. In May of 1973, just
over 30 years ago, the Chairman of the National Commission on Fire
Prevention and Control, Richard E. Bland, transmitted to President
Nixon its final report ``America Burning.'' In that report the
Commission recommended establishment of the United States Fire
Administration to:
LEvaluate the Nation's fire problem through data
collection and analysis and research,
LCreate a National Fire Academy to improve training
and education for fire service personnel,
LStrengthen public awareness of the fire threat, and
LProvide grants to State and local governments.
For nearly three decades, the USFA and the National Fire Academy
have been working successfully with NFPA and the fire service to reduce
the death and destruction caused by fire in the U.S. We have made great
strides over the past 30 years. While both civilian and firefighter
deaths have decreased dramatically, we must do much more to ensure that
our fire departments can meet the new challenges of homeland security,
including responding effectively to biological or chemical accidents or
attacks.
Because my job at NFPA is to coordinate our statistical work in
tracking and analyzing the U.S. fire problem, I particularly wish to
commend the USFA for the National Fire Incident Reporting System
(NFIRS). It is no exaggeration to say that more than 90 percent of what
we know about the details of U.S. fire risks today would be a matter of
unsupported opinion if it were not for NFIRS. But NFIRS needs care and
support, as does the National Fire Information Council, which is the
association of states and large cities participating in NFIRS. They
cannot do the work they need to do without continued support from USFA,
but that support is in doubt in the next budget.
I also wish to commend the USFA for a quarter-century of leadership
in advocacy of fire sprinklers in homes. From tests and engineering
analysis to assessments of cost and public opinion, the USFA has
contributed greatly to our national progress in bringing this life-
saving technology to the places where most U.S. fire deaths still
occur. I would note that the legislation you recently introduced to
reauthorize the USFA to include a more explicit emphasis on residential
fire sprinklers contains a point, which needs to be clarified. Kitchens
are not a high-risk area for fatal home fires, and it is USFA's NFIRS
data that tells us this.
Returning to the particulars of the USFA reauthorization, while we
support the move of the USFA to the new Department of Homeland
Security, there are important functions and positions that must be
retained. For example, the USFA must continue to provide public
education and fire prevention activities in partnership and cooperation
with safety organizations, particularly those working to reduce fire
deaths among high risk groups (children, older adults and persons with
disabilities). It is also critical that the position of Administrator
of the USFA remain a Presidential appointment to retain that important
advocacy position within the Executive Branch.
The staff at USFA has done a tremendous job in administering the
Assistance to Firefighters (FIRE) Grant Program. Since its creation in
FY 2001, this program has provided more than $1 billion in financial
resources directly to fire departments. Nonetheless, fire departments
have applied for more than $7 billion, and the real needs are even
greater than this, as I shall discuss. It is crucial that the FIRE
Grant Program be maintained as a separate and distinct funding source
where fire departments can receive direct funding from the USFA and
avoid unnecessary red tape. I would also urge the Congress to fund the
program at a level no less than its authorized amount of $900 million
dollars.
When I said the needs are much greater than the currently
authorized and appropriated amounts for the FIRE Grant program, I was
speaking on the basis of the ``Needs Assessment Survey'' of the fire
service, which was specifically commissioned by Congress as part of the
FIRE Act and which was recently completed by NFPA in cooperation with
FEMA/USFA. Let me share with you a few of the major findings from that
survey.
LOnly one in every 10 fire departments has the local
personnel and equipment required to respond effectively to a
building collapse or the release of chemical or biological
agents with even minimal to moderate casualties;
L50 percent of our firefighters involved in
``technical rescue'' lack formal training, but technical rescue
involving unique or complex conditions is precisely the skill
they would need to respond to a terrorist attack;
LThere are other huge gaps in training--There has been
no formal training for 21 percent of those involved in
structural firefighting; for 27 percent of those involved in
EMS work; and for 40 percent who are sent in to deal with
hazardous materials;
LAnd we don't protect our firefighters as we should.
One third of the protective clothing worn by firefighters sent
into a burning building is more than 10 years old, and an
estimated 57,000 firefighters lack any protective clothing at
all;
LOn a typical fire department shift, 45 percent of
first responding firefighters lack portable radios; 36 percent
lack self-contained breathing apparatus; and 42 percent answer
an emergency call without a Personal Alert Safety System (PASS)
device that is critical in locating an injured or trapped
firefighter;
LFinally, at least 65 percent of cities and towns
nationwide don't have enough fire stations to achieve widely
recognized response-time guidelines. Those guidelines recommend
that firefighters be on the scene of any situation within 4
minutes, 90 percent of the time.
Not surprisingly, the picture is bleaker in our smaller
communities. And remember seventy-five percent of the country's
firefighters are volunteers. Twenty-one percent of rural communities
often respond with too few firefighters to engage safely in structural
firefighting. Our research also found that thirty-eight percent of fire
departments in communities with more than 50,000 residents often
respond with too few firefighters.
The Needs Assessment began before the horrific events of September
11, 2001, but because of the foresight of USFA and our fire service
advisors, the survey included extensive attention to terrorism
preparedness. When the Council on Foreign Relations began an exercise,
under former Senator Warren Rudman, to develop estimates of the costs
of terrorism preparedness for the entire first responder community at
all levels of government, the Needs Assessment permitted NFPA to
develop and substantiate the fire service portion of these cost
estimates with unusual detail.
In a report released just a few weeks ago, the Council estimated
that it will take $98.4 billion in additional funds above current
spending (estimated at $26-$76 billion) over the next 5 years, or $19.7
billion per year, to adequately meet the needs of our first responders
to adequately handle the additional responsibilities of homeland
security. The fire service portion of this, based on the Council's use
of NFPA's analysis of the Needs Assessment Survey, was $26.5 billion in
initial costs and $7.1 billion per year in ongoing costs. The Council
report also addresses how federal funding is allocated, stressing the
importance of including threats and vulnerabilities, not just
population.
The terrorism preparedness needs identified by the Council for all
first responders are enormous, and the needs identified by NFPA for
traditional fire service duties are equally impressive, as may be seen
in part in the background for the SAFER Bill, which NFPA also supports
and the Science Committee held hearings on just one month ago. It is
important to understand that these needs are not a wish list for the
fire service. They are the result of an objective, third-party
comparison of what the fire service has to what the fire service needs
given its responsibilities, which have grown rapidly in the face of
terrorism, and existing standards and guidelines. These standards and
guidelines tell us what experts know about what it takes to do a
particular job safely and effectively.
A key element of H.R. 545 is the requirement that equipment
purchased through the FIRE Grant Program must meet or exceed applicable
voluntary consensus standards. This concept is not new. Many existing
federal grant programs already have similar requirements. For example,
the Department of Justice's Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program
requires that vests meet minimum safety and performance standards. In
addition, through its equipment grant program, the Office of Domestic
Preparedness (ODP) in the Department of Homeland Security encourages
the use of NFPA standards for protective clothing in responding to
hazardous materials/chemical/biological incidents. It is expected in FY
2004 that ODP will require this. Additionally, the fire service and
their national organizations understand the importance of NFPA
standards, which they help to develop. In July 2002, the national fire
service organizations, including IAFC, IAFF, and NVFC, released a
position paper that addressed this issue by stating that all equipment
and training purchased with federal funds should be required to meet
nationally recognized voluntary consensus standards, whenever possible.
The legislation you are considering is commendable and visionary.
H.R. 545 will provide focus and resources for research on breakthrough
technologies for the fire service. I will mention only one example of
this kind of worthwhile research this program will advance. Research at
the National Institute of Standards and Technology, under current
cooperative agreements with USFA and under the direction of Dr. Randy
Lawson, has already made major strides in developing better, more
scientifically grounded methods of measuring the effectiveness of
firefighter protective clothing in protecting the wearer from burns.
Both H.R. 545 and the Senate version also address coordination of
response to national emergency situations. The approach is similar to
that used with great success by the U.S. Forest Service and related
agencies to coordinate response to major wildfires. Contrast the
smooth-running, pre-planned operations these agencies have been able to
mount with the more ad hoc approach to terrorist attacks on our
country.
Both of these elements--focused research and multi-jurisdictional
response planning--are excellent steps forward in meeting the needs of
the fire service for both traditional responsibilities and the new
responsibilities of terrorism response.
As the country braces for the unknown at home, our nation's
firefighters, who are nearly always the first responders in any crisis,
are woefully unprepared to fully protect our citizenry or themselves.
The need is urgent and overdue. The Needs Assessment Survey of the fire
service and the Council on Foreign Relations exercise on terrorism
preparedness for first responders are a call to action--a challenge to
our nation to respond fully to dangerous times.
Our firefighters face the same limitations and obstacles they
encountered on September 11th. In fact, with the reported State and
local budget cuts taking place, our firefighters face even greater
limitations than they did on September 11th. We can no longer ask our
fire departments to survive entirely on local tax revenue supplemented
by local fundraisers. The Federal Government must provide adequate
resources and support to our firefighters to meet the many challenges--
whether natural, unintentional or deliberate--as they protect us and
the security of our homeland.
This legislation would begin to address these urgent needs, and
NFPA enthusiastically endorses it.
Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. I
will be happy to answer any questions you or other members of the
Committee may have.
Biography for John R. Hall, Jr.
Dr. John R. Hall, Jr. is the Assistant Vice President for Fire
Analysis and Research at the National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA) in Quincy, Massachusetts. Dr. Hall's division at NFPA is
responsible for the measurement of the national fire problem and the
communication of the results as a statistical bases for fire protection
strategies.
Dr. Hall has authored or co-authored scores of articles and reports
on fire statistics, effectiveness of fire service management practices,
and fire risk analysis. He was formerly an Operations Research Analyst
with the U.S. Fire Administration and with the National Bureau of
Standards Center for Fire Research, after serving as a Senior Research
Associate with the Urban Institute. He has been active in fire analysis
and fire research for two decades.
He holds a B.A. in Mathematics from Brown University and a Ph.D. in
Operations Research from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a member
of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences,
the American Society for Testing and Materials Committee E5 on Fire
Tests, and the International Association for Fire Safety Science. He
has served as an officer or member of the governance structure of all
three organizations, and is the convenor of the Fire Risk Analysis
working group of ISO TC 92 SC4. He is also a member of the Society for
Risk Analysis.
Discussion
Chairman Smith. Again, thank you very much. One of the
concerns that Representative Lofgren had was the threads, and
New York has got its own thread standard that it manufactures.
How would we go about--other than, I mean, what we do in my
home town is all of the local fire departments that tend to
work with each other sit down and get together and say look, if
we are going to be called in on a fire, then we have got to be
able to match up with our equipment as it matches, to make sure
that we can contribute when we are called in to one fire. On
the thread problem, we have got an estimated four or five
different standards for accommodating hookups. How would you go
about--other than having local communities where you are going
to call in local fire departments, try to get together, to
either have a coupling that would make it compatible, how would
you go about something like that, making it more consistent and
more standard?
Dr. Hall. Well, the hose standards were actually one of the
issues that led to the formation of NFPA over 100 years ago.
The problem with achieving actual standardization and
interoperability is always a multipart one. First, you have to
have a standard, and second, you have to get compliance with
the standard. There have always been jurisdictions which have,
for their own reasons, decided to develop their own approaches,
and it is not unusual that problems arise in interoperability
when this is the case. One of the things that the Federal
Government has often been able to do is not so much to develop
standards that are missing as to achieve greater compliance
with standards that exist. A good example is in the area of
manufactured housing. When the HUD standard was developed in
1976, it basically took the language from an NFPA standard, but
by becoming a federal law, it instantly achieved universal
compliance with the manufacturers of manufactured housing, and
there was a substantial reduction in fires and fire deaths as a
direct result.
Unfortunately, over time, by having control over the
development of the standard, it ceased to keep pace with new
technology, so you both illustrated the specific advantage of
the federal system, which is achieving compliance, and their
weakness, which is maintaining modernness.
Chairman Smith. Chief Compton, am I correct in assuming
that most of the country operates similar to Michigan, that the
State of Michigan provides funding for training, but
essentially, the maintenance and support for local fire
departments is a local effort that comes from whether it is
fundraisers or local property taxes, is that the way most of
the country operates?
Mr. Compton. Mr. Chairman, Members of the Committee, yes.
That is the way that most--sort of states and communities
operate. Most of the funding for fire departments is local
funding, and really, the FIRE Act has been the first
significant program that has provided direct support to those
fire departments.
Chairman Smith. Well, and just for the record, hopefully,
the--those interested in having a stronger program, next year,
when the $900 million expires, hopefully, we can increase that
to a level that is going to keep fire departments across the
country in better shape to respond to fires and emergencies
that we are looking at. So, hopefully, we can call on the
support of everybody that might be tuning in to this hearing
today. Part of the challenge that I would like your advice on,
Chief, is where we go with the grant program for fire
departments to be better prepared for terrorist attacks, and
how much can the Fire Administration be involved in that kind
of effort as far as reviewing those grants, and I agree with
the testimony that absolutely, we are going to insist that
the--under the Section 33 FIRE Grant program be separated from
any additional efforts for terrorist preparedness, but how--it
seems to me like we have got to have fire experts to be
involved in a close way in trying to decide what is reasonable
for the FIRE Grant program that is going to apply just to
preparing against terrorist attacks.
Mr. Compton. Mr. Chairman, Members of the Committee, the
really separate methods of funding for preparing for some of
the more extreme aspects of terrorism, but let me go back kind
of to the beginning to your question. Is it--I was--I worked at
Oklahoma City during the bombing there, the first seven days. I
was also on the scene of the Pentagon and the World Trade
Center, and those fire departments that responded there on
those days did--on April 19, 1995, they responded just like
they did on April 18, 1995, in Oklahoma City, and at the
Pentagon, they responded the way they did on September 10, and
it was the same way in New York City, and the funds that we
invest in the day to day capability of our fire departments and
the basic capability to deliver fire suppression services,
emergency medical services, hazardous materials response,
technical rescue capability, does tend to assist in preparing
them more for any event that they respond to, so it is an
investment in the front end of our system. We don't get a whole
lot of additional assistance the day we respond to a national
terrorist event. We respond the way we did the day before, from
the standpoint of training and equipment.
Chairman Smith. Yes. Excellent point. Representative
Johnson.
Ms. Johnson. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Do you believe that
the firefighting and fire protection equipment obtained under
the FIRE Grants program should conform to consensus standards
where such standards exist?
Dr. Hall. I am assuming that question is for me. Yes,
Representative Johnson, we very much do believe that that is an
important provision of this bill. We are sensitive to the
desirability of having a process that can establish equivalence
to a standard, and I believe that the language that is being
discussed for the bill may provide a basis for doing that.
Compliance with all of our standards in all forums where they
are examined for compliance always includes the possibility of
equivalence and the tools to establish that something is
equivalent are very much the subject of the good work at NIST.
They have done a great deal to establish performance-based
assessment procedures, so yes.
Mr. Compton. If I might add to that, many of the standards
that you--we were talking about deal directly with personal
protective equipment, and protecting firefighters and
protecting the public, so I believe very strongly that that
equipment should have to conform, but I also agree with Chief
Paulison, in that the USFA needs some latitude to deal with
technologies and situations that were not anticipated, and so
that we can continue to grow and improve.
Ms. Johnson. Thank you both. How do the fire services
community get involved in the current process of developing the
standards? I know that with all of the fire departments, urban
and rural, across the country, there probably are some
variations and some various needs, different needs as well.
Dr. Hall. In the NFPA system, we achieve a balanced
representation on all technical committees and the fire service
is always a part of that. They get particular emphasis in any
committee that is looking at standards of particular use to
them, but we always have representation also from manufacturers
and researchers, the public, other interests that have
something to bring.
Ms. Johnson. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Gingrey. Am I on? All right. Thank you, engineer. Dr.
Hall and Chief Compton, despite our wealth and prosperity, it
is no secret that America has one of the worst fire records
among developed nations. One of the reasons often cited for
this is poor attention to fire prevention. Do you agree that
this is a primary reason for our higher--high injury and death
rate relative to other nations? What activities does USFA focus
on in terms of fire prevention, and finally, do competing
agendas perhaps cause us to focus too much on response and not
enough on prevention?
Dr. Hall. That is an excellent question, Representative
Gingrey. I appreciate your asking it. From the very beginning,
I believe the U.S. Fire Administration has taken a very
balanced approach to both prevention and mitigation of fires.
They have made major impacts on public fire safety education,
arson prevention on the prevention side and fire detection and
suppression on the mitigation side. In each instance, what they
try to do, and what we at NFPA try to do, is to find out which
new idea is going to make the most difference for the least
money.
Quite often, those new ideas are on the prevention side,
because you are quite right. Traditionally, the U.S. has paid
less attention to fire prevention than other advanced countries
with better fire safety records than ours.
As to the question of competing agendas, I think that the
different organizations have found a great deal of success in
working together and complementing each other's efforts,
reinforcing each other's work, and that within the U.S. Fire
Administration, they have also done a very nice job of
maintaining balance, so I would not regard that as a major
problem.
Mr. Gingrey. Chief Compton?
Mr. Compton. I look at that more in a systems--from a
systems standpoint, in that there are really three elements of
a fire and life safety infrastructure that we have to deal
with. One is the built environment, and it deals with
prevention and codes and built-in protection and those types of
issues, and there are some immediate gains made in that end of
our system, but for the most part, that is a long-term approach
to building an environment that is safer.
The second deals with human behavior, and it is almost
impossible for someone to build something that we can't mess up
by our own behavior. Basically, what we take into structures,
the way we behave in those structures, the--literally, the way
that we--the way we teach people to either prevent situations
from happening to them, and not just fires, but others, or
survive them if something does occur, and then the other is the
issue of emergency response, because when we have situations
that occur, which is a much more short-term part of our system,
matter of fact, it is usually three to six minutes is the
expectation there, but it is also a critical element. It is
very difficult for fire departments to shore up the long-term
solutions to our nation's fire problem, which is fire
prevention and public education to some extent.
While you are trying to get on the scene within three to
six minutes, and you can't do that either, and it is another
reason for the FIRE Act and the SAFER legislation and bills of
that nature, is that we--if we can shore up the emergency
response capability of our system, we can continue to build the
other. And I also--I don't know if you are all aware or not,
but the FIRE Act program has a percentage of those funds set
aside for fire prevention and public education programs, and it
is a very important part of that Act. So I appreciate the
question as well. It is an important part of our system, and it
is an issue that we deal with regularly at the local level.
Mr. Gingrey. Thank you both, and I yield back my time, Mr.
Chairman.
Chairman Smith. Gutknecht.
Mr. Gutknecht. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The question I was
going to ask, actually essentially was asked by Representative
Gingrey, but I want to come back to a couple of points. One is,
and I think we have to be careful in--first of all, I think I
speak on behalf of every Member of Congress and virtually every
American. We are so appreciative to our firefighters and what
they do every day, and we learned so much about the risks that
they take on September 11th and most of us have not forgotten
that lesson, but I think we have to be careful, too, and that
is that you can't build a levy high enough to protect against a
thousand year flood, and I am not certain that we can do enough
at the state, federal, or local level to ever ultimately be
ready for another act like we saw on September 11, so I think
we have to be careful to over-promise what we can do here, or
at the local level.
But I want to change the subject slightly, because I also
chair a Subcommittee, and we are responsible for--on that
Subcommittee, for all of the national forests, through the
USDA, and I know that that is not necessarily your bailiwick,
but I think we need to remind ourselves, too, that last year,
of the some 94 million acres of federal forest land, we had
wildfires which burned millions of those acres, but worse than
that, we lost, I believe the number is 22 firefighters in
battling those blazes.
Is there anything the USFA or any of the groups are doing,
any of the technology that you are deploying or any of the
things that we can do to hopefully protect more of these
principally young people, who are out there whenever we have a
wildfire, whether it be in Arizona or Wyoming or Minnesota,
wherever it happens to be, is there anything that you are doing
in your research or at NIST that can help us do a better job of
preventing those wildfires, and we have some ideas of our own,
in terms of what the President has proposed and I am a strong
supporter of that, but then secondly, in terms of battling
those blazes more effectively and protecting the lives of those
young firefighters?
Dr. Hall. You are absolutely right that that is a very
important part of the total U.S. fire problem. In fact, about a
third of the costliest fires of all time in the U.S. consist of
wildfires from the last decade and a half, so it is an area
that needs more of our attention. NFPA is active in a program
called Firewise, working with the U.S. Forest Service and other
kindred agencies to address a whole host of research,
educational and other programs to try to improve the situation
in these wildland/urban interface problems, which is the term
that is commonly used. The Forest Service, I think, is doing a
superb job of leadership in this area, and I believe that they
reach out to the Fire Administration and to NIST in areas where
there is a common goal or a common set of resources, and
certainly, NIST has a long history of technology applicable to
all sorts of fires.
Some of the work of the last several years, they have
looked at ways of modeling and predicting the development of
fire in very large situations. Initially, the oilfields of
Kuwait, but it is applicable in many respects to forest fires
as well. So I think the short answer to your question is that
we are all treating that as a priority, and there are always
opportunities to work more together.
[PA malfunction]
Mr. Gutknecht. Here we go. Mr. Chairman, I will pursue this
more with folks from NIST, because you know, the kids that we
drop into those forest fires, I mean they don't take with them
much technology at all, and it seems to me, especially since we
are talking about federal lands, we have a very strong moral
responsibility, and I would just say this editorially, I am
very concerned about what is going to happen in northern
Minnesota. We have had a terrible blowdown up there, and we
know that sooner or later, it is going to burn, and when it
does, it is going to be a horrific fire, and yet there is
little being done right now to help clean up that and get some
fireblocks put in place, so that we don't lose another 22 kids,
and a lot of those kids are going to be from Minnesota.
I yield back my time. Mr. Compton, if you want to say.
Mr. Compton. The program John mentioned, or Dr. Hall
mentioned on Firewise, is a program that if you all are not
familiar with it, it is something that from a national
standpoint that we could pay more attention to, because it is a
prevention program. It does deal with fireblocks. It does deal
with this interface issue, of where you have forest
firefighting, but where we may have let that burn in the past,
we have homes in there now, and we--and so there is a different
motivation to deal with those fires differently, so from the
standpoint of training and incident command and prevention,
there are programs in place that can help us do that better.
Dr. Hall. If I could just add one other point, one of the
features of the bill you are considering today which I spoke
well of in the full written testimony would create the kind of
national response to unusually large local situations which has
already been well developed in the wildland area. The
preexisting state and local agreements with federal agencies
which now provide an automatic trigger for bringing in outside
resources when a wildfire reaches a certain size are
transportable to the building environment and you have a
provision in your legislation that I think would implement that
concept in a very useful way.
Chairman Smith. Well, we are just--the fire--the western
fire season is just starting, the fires have already started, a
tremendous challenge.
Mr. Gutknecht. Mr. Chairman, if I could, I would like to at
least continue this dialogue privately with you, and maybe we
can do some things, because one of the concerns, and I know my
time has expired, is that--and we had a situation, I think, a
year ago in Colorado where we had planes that could have helped
put out the fire faster, but for some arcane rules relative to
the National Guard and other things, they were unable to even
take off, and it seems to me there ought to be some ways we in
Congress--it shouldn't require an act of Congress, but in
Congress perhaps can help massage those rules so that we can
get at these fires more quickly and get them under control. I
yield back my time. I am sorry.
Chairman Smith. Gentlemen, again, thank you very much.
Chief Compton, just your practical commonsense approach is--
should be--it is an inspiration for me to try to look at ways
that we can make people more conscious of doing reasonable--
taking reasonable precautions in their homes and in their
backyards to prevent more fires, and I was especially struck
recently by what appears to be sort of the loss of our pioneer
spirit of taking care of ourselves and thinking somehow,
somebody else should protect us from cracks in the sidewalk or
whatever.
When a tree limb started cracking and I just happened to be
walking by it two weeks ago, out by the guard gate going into
the Capitol, and you could hear the cracking, you know, and
people looked up and just kept walking underneath it, and the
limb finally came down and knocked one guy and gave him a
concussion, but we are losing the--sometimes, the danger is of
becoming too protective that we lose some of that pioneer
spirit, that communities and individuals have to start thinking
and using common sense to try to prevent more of the fires that
can happen in those communities.
Gentlemen, again, thank you very much. The hearing is
concluded. The Committee will convene in three minutes for a
markup on the bill.
Mr. Compton. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
[Whereupon, at 11:25 a.m., the Subcommittee proceeded to
other business.]
Appendix 1:
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Additional Material for the Record