[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 49 (Wednesday, April 23, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H1753-H1757]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             FIRE ADMINISTRATION AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 1997

  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 1272) to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 1998 
and 1999 for the United States Fire Administration, and for other 
purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 1272

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Fire Administration 
     Authorization Act of 1997''.

     SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       Section 17(g)(1) of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control 
     Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2216(g)(1)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (E);
       (2) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (F) 
     and inserting in lieu thereof a semicolon; and

[[Page H1754]]

       (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:
       ``(G) $29,600,000 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 
     1998; and
       ``(H) $30,500,000 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 
     1999.''.

     SEC. 3. SUCCESSOR FIRE SAFETY STANDARDS.

       The Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 is 
     amended--
       (1) in section 29(a)(1), by inserting ``, or any successor 
     standard thereto,'' after ``Association Standard 74'';
       (2) in section 29(a)(2), by inserting ``or any successor 
     standards thereto,'' after ``whichever is appropriate,'';
       (3) in section 29(b)(2), by inserting ``, or any successor 
     standards thereto'' after ``Association Standard 13 or 13-
     R'';
       (4) in section 31(c)(2)(B)(i), by inserting ``or any 
     successor standard thereto,'' after ``Life Safety Code),''; 
     and
       (5) in section 31(c)(2)(B)(ii), by inserting ``or any 
     successor standard thereto,'' after ``Association Standard 
     101,''.

     SEC. 4. TERMINATION OR PRIVATIZATION OF FUNCTIONS.

       The Administrator of the United States Fire Administration 
     shall transmit to Congress a report providing notice at least 
     60 days in advance of the termination or transfer to a 
     private sector entity of any significant function of the 
     United States Fire Administration.

     SEC. 5. LIMITATIONS.

       (a) Prohibition of Lobbying Activities.--None of the funds 
     authorized by the amendments made by this Act shall be 
     available for any activity whose purpose is to influence 
     legislation pending before the Congress, except that this 
     subsection shall not prevent officers or employees of the 
     United States or of its departments or agencies from 
     communicating to Members of Congress on the request of any 
     Member or to Congress, through the proper channels, requests 
     for legislation or appropriations which they deem necessary 
     for the efficient conduct of the public business.
       (b) Limitation on Appropriations.--No sums are authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Administrator of the United States 
     Fire Administration for fiscal years 1998 and 1999 for the 
     activities for which sums are authorized by the amendments 
     made by this Act, unless such sums are specifically 
     authorized to be appropriated by the amendments made by this 
     Act.
       (c) Eligibility for Awards.--
       (1) In general.--The Administrator of the United States 
     Fire Administration shall exclude from consideration for 
     grant agreements made by the Administration after fiscal year 
     1997 any person who received funds, other than those 
     described in paragraph (2), appropriated for a fiscal year 
     after fiscal year 1997, under a grant agreement from any 
     Federal funding source for a project that was not subjected 
     to a competitive, merit-based award process. Any exclusion 
     from consideration pursuant to this subsection shall be 
     effective for a period of 5 years after the person receives 
     such Federal funds.
       (2) Exception.--Paragraph (1) shall not apply to the 
     receipt of Federal funds by a person due to the membership of 
     that person in a class specified by law for which assistance 
     is awarded to members of the class according to a formula 
     provided by law.
       (3) Definition.--For purposes of this subsection, the term 
     ``grant agreement'' means a legal instrument whose principal 
     purpose is to transfer a thing of value to the recipient to 
     carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation 
     authorized by a law of the United States, and does not 
     include the acquisition (by purchase, lease, or barter) of 
     property or services for the direct benefit or use of the 
     United States Government. Such term does not include a 
     cooperative agreement (as such term is used in section 6305 
     of title 31, United States Code) or a cooperative research 
     and development agreement (as such term is defined in section 
     12(d)(1) of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 
     1980 (15 U.S.C. 3710a(d)(1))).

     SEC. 6. NOTICE.

       (a) Notice of Reprogramming.--If any funds authorized by 
     the amendments made by this Act are subject to a 
     reprogramming action that requires notice to be provided to 
     the Appropriations Committees of the House of Representatives 
     and the Senate, notice of such action shall concurrently be 
     provided to the Committee on Science of the House of 
     Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation of the Senate.
       (b) Notice of Reorganization.--The Administrator of the 
     United States Fire Administration shall provide notice to the 
     Committees on Science and Appropriations of the House of 
     Representatives, and the Committees on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation and Appropriations of the Senate, not later 
     than 15 days before any major reorganization of any program, 
     project, or activity of the United States Fire 
     Administration.

     SEC. 7. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON THE YEAR 2000 PROBLEM.

       With the year 2000 fast approaching, it is the sense of 
     Congress that the United States Fire Administration should--
       (1) give high priority to correcting all 2-digit date-
     related problems in its computer systems to ensure that those 
     systems continue to operate effectively in the year 2000 and 
     beyond;
       (2) access immediately the extent of the risk to the 
     operations of the United States Fire Administration posed by 
     the problems referred to in paragraph (1), and plan and 
     budget for achieving Year 2000 compliance for all of its 
     mission-critical systems; and
       (3) develop contingency plans for those systems that the 
     United States Fire Administration is unable to correct in 
     time.

     SEC. 8. BUY AMERICAN.

       (a) Compliance With Buy American Act.--No funds 
     appropriated pursuant to the amendments made by this Act may 
     be expended by an entity unless the entity agrees that in 
     expending the assistance the entity will comply with sections 
     2 through 4 of the Act of March 3, 1933 (41 U.S.C. 10a-10c, 
     popularly known as the ``Buy American Act'').
       (b) Sense of Congress.--In the case of any equipment or 
     products that may be authorized to be purchased with 
     financial assistance provided under the amendments made by 
     this Act, it is the sense of Congress that entities receiving 
     such assistance should, in expending the assistance, purchase 
     only American-made equipment and products.
       (c) Notice to Recipients of Assistance.--In providing 
     financial assistance under the amendments made by this Act, 
     the Administrator of the United States Fire Administration 
     shall provide to each recipient of the assistance a notice 
     describing the statement made in subsection (a) by the 
     Congress.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Wisconsin [Mr. Sensenbrenner] and the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. 
Barcia] each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin [Mr. 
Sensenbrenner].

                              {time}  1900

  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  (Mr. SENSENBRENNER asked and was given permission to revise and 
extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1272, the Fire Administration 
Authorization Act of 1977.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill, as amended, was reported favorably by voice 
vote with overwhelming bipartisan support by the Committee on Science 
on April 16, 1997.
  H.R. 1272 reauthorizes the programs and activities of the U.S. Fire 
Administration, a small but important Federal agency within the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency. The USFA was created by Congress in 1974 
in response to a report by the President's National Commission on Fire 
Prevention and Control, entitled ``America Burning,'' which presented a 
dismal assessment of the Nation's fire problem. The report found that 
nearly 12,000 lives were lost to fire yearly in this country. In 
addition, fire was found to be responsible for more than 300,000 
injuries and over $3 million in economic losses.
  Congress reacted to the report by declaring a Federal role for 
reducing fire losses and created the USFA and the National Fire 
Academy. The USFA is currently charged with helping prevent and control 
fire-related losses through, first, coordination of the Nation's fire 
safety and emergency medical service activities; second, educating the 
public on fire prevention and control; third, collecting, analyzing and 
disseminating data related to fire; fourth, promoting the use of 
sprinkler systems in residential and commercial buildings; fifth, 
conducting research and development on fire suppression; sixth, 
promoting fire fighter health and safety; and seventh, coordinating 
with other agencies charged with emergency response responsibilities.
  The USFA administers the National Fire Academy. The academy provides 
management-level training and education to fire and emergency service 
personnel and fire protection and control activities. The Fire Academy, 
located in Emmitsburg, MD, trains tens of thousands of fire and 
emergency personnel a year through its on and off campus programs.
  Year after year during budget hearings held by the committee, 
witnesses from the volunteer and paid fire services, as well as 
emergency services, have testified to the important and indispensable 
role the USFA and NFA pay and their ability to perform their 
responsibilities. For a modest Federal expenditure, the USFA leverages 
the resources of tens of thousands of fire departments nationwide. The 
USFA provides training and education to firefighters, provides them 
with data which enables them to fight fires more efficiently and 
safely, and performs research on lifesaving protective clothing and 
gear as well as new fire suppression technologies. All of these 
activities could not be done as well, if at

[[Page H1755]]

all, if the tight budgets of volunteer fire departments, without whom 
the Nation would be incapable of protecting lives and property without 
an enormous expenditure of money, money which I will hasten to say 
would be raised through local property taxes.
  H.R. 1272 authorizes $29.6 million in fiscal year 1998 and $34.5 
million in fiscal year 1999, a 3 percent annual increase over the 
administration's request of $28.7 million. The USFA needs the slight 
increase because the agency recently acquired a new mission.
  The USFA's new mission, counter terrorism training for emergency 
response personnel, arose from the enactment of the Antiterrorism and 
Effective Death Penalty Act passed last year by the Congress and signed 
by the President. Counter terrorism training for first responders is an 
appropriate function for the USFA as it is frequently local fire and 
emergency departments who are first on the scene not only to battle 
fires, but also to react to acts of terrorism such as the bombings in 
Oklahoma City and the World Trade Center in New York. In fact, counter 
terrorism training complements and supplements many of the traditional 
first responder training programs currently offered through the 
National Fire Academy.
  Following enactment of the Antiterrorism Act, money was appropriated 
to FEMA and the USFA in the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 1997 to begin 
counter terrorism training this year. The USFA's fiscal 1998 budget 
request includes for the first time an appropriation for this activity, 
without a corresponding increase in the overall budget request. During 
the committee's budget hearing on USFA, the administrator explained 
that request reflects the incorporation of counter terrorism training 
as a new, permanent mission of the agency and that the arson budget 
would be decreased in order to fund this mission.
  As I have stated before, counter terrorism training is relevant and 
appropriately performed within the USFA. However, the Committee on 
Science feels that a slight increase in the budget is necessary in 
order to accommodate the new mission, while ensuring that the agency's 
core missions, including arson, are not negatively impacted.
  The other sections of H.R. 1272 include: first, technical changes to 
the fire protection standards; second, a provision requiring that the 
administrator inform Congress in advance of any effort to privatize or 
terminate agency activities; third, a prohibition of funds authorized 
by this act for congressional lobbying; fourth, a limitation on 
unauthorized appropriations; fifth, a 5-year limitation on future 
grants to a person who received noncompetitive, merit-reviewed awards; 
sixth, a requirement that reprograming notices be required by the 
Appropriations Committees must be provided to the authorizing 
committees; and seventh, a sense of Congress resolution emphasizing 
that planning should begin immediately to assess and correct any 
computer systems affected by the year 2000 date-related software 
problem and requires the USFA to comply with the Buy American Act.
  I understand that there is some confusion among Members about this 
bill based upon erroneous information that many offices received 
regarding the bill's authorization levels compared with fiscal year 
1997 spending. The original appropriation to USFA for fiscal 1997 was 
$27.6 million. However, late last year Congress appropriated an 
additional $2.5 million to USFA for a new mission in counter terrorism 
training, which raised the spending level to 30.1 million in fiscal 
year 1997. This was in response to a supplemental request by the 
administration for funds authorized in the antiterrorism and effective 
death penalty act of 1996.
  Let me be clear that the authorization levels in this bill of 29.6 
million for fiscal 1998 and $30.5 million for fiscal 1999 are lower 
than the fiscal 1997 appropriated final level of $30.1 million.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing I wish to thank the chairman, the gentleman 
from New Mexico [Mr. Schiff], and the ranking minority member, the 
gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Barcia], of the Subcommittee on Basic 
Research of the Committee on Science for their hard work on this 
legislation as well as the full committee's ranking member, the 
gentleman from California [Mr. Brown]. I urge the Houses's support of 
this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BARCIA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 1272, the Fire 
Administration Authorization Act of 1997. I want to commend the 
gentleman from New Mexico [Mr. Schiff], the chairman of the 
Subcommittee on Basic Research, for his efforts to develop this 
legislation. I also want to especially acknowledge the leadership of 
the chairman of the Committee on Science, the gentleman from Wisconsin 
[Mr. Sensenbrenner] and the ranking Democratic member, the gentleman 
from California [Mr. Brown] for bringing the bill before the House so 
expeditiously.
  The U.S. Fire Administration is a small Federal agency with a 
disproportionate impact. Its programs make a difference by improving 
the skills of firefighters and other emergency rescue workers in all 
parts of the Nation, improving the tools available to detect and subdue 
fires and by raising public awareness of fire prevention measures. 
Although the Federal expenditure for the agency is small, its impact on 
the well-being of all Americans is enormous.
  The Fire Administration was created by the Federal Fire Prevention 
and Control Act of 1974 in response to a growing awareness that the 
high loss of life and destruction of property due to fire was a 
national problem which could be improved by focused and coordinated 
education, training and research efforts. During the past 25 years, 
significant progress has been made through the programs of the Fire 
Administration which increases public awareness of fire safety 
measures, improves the effectiveness of fire and emergency services and 
spurs the wider use of home fire safety devices. Nevertheless the 
United States still has one of the highest fire death rates among 
advanced nations.
  While much has been accomplished by the Fire Administration, the 
record of fire death rates and property loss in our Nation reveals that 
much remains to be done. H.R. 1272 authorizes funding for the Fire 
Administration above the President's request for fiscal year 1998 and 
provides sufficient growth to offset inflation for fiscal year 1999.
  On the basis of testimony to the Science Committee, the Fire 
Administration operates effective programs that are widely acclaimed by 
firefighters and emergency response personnel alike. H.R. 1272 provides 
the slight growth needed to allow the agency to sustain its new and 
ongoing programs and continue to successfully carry out its multiple 
missions.
  In particular, the increase above the fiscal year 1998 request is for 
the purpose of providing sufficient resources to allow the Fire 
Administration to continue its important new education and training 
programs for counter terrorism, which have been expressed so eloquently 
by the chair of the Science Committee, the gentleman from Wisconsin 
[Mr. Sensenbrenner] in his remarks.
  With our world becoming no less dangerous, it is vital that the first 
responders to emergencies in every community are well-trained and ready 
to deal with terrorist actions. In giving the Fire Administration this 
important, new responsibility, it is essential to also provide 
sufficient resources to ensure that the agency's traditional functions 
involving firefighter training and public fire education do not suffer. 
H.R. 1272 provides the modest growth that will prevent such an adverse 
impact on the agency.
  The Fire Administration has long enjoyed the bipartisan support of 
Congress because of the recognition of its vital mission to increase 
public safety. I would like to commend the majority members of the 
Science Committee for working in a bipartisan fashion with the minority 
to develop H.R. 1272.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1272 is a good bill which authorizes the programs 
of an agency that truly contributes to the well-being of all of our 
citizens; and I am pleased to recommend the measure to my colleagues 
for their approval.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman 
from Texas [Ms. Jackson Lee].
  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member

[[Page H1756]]

for yielding me the time, and I thank very much the chairman and the 
ranking member for this bipartisan effort on behalf of the Fire 
Administration Authorization Act.
  If there was a pleasurable act in the House Science Committee, 
certainly, being able to support this agency and all that it does was 
that. I would also like to stand today to salute all of the Nation's 
firefighters and emergency staff across the Nation, for it is through 
their sacrifice and effort that we are, in fact, a safer country.
  In 1974, Congress created the U.S. Fire Administration and its 
National Fire Academy in order to halt the tragic loss of firefighters 
and individuals in the United States. Training, research, and public 
education have accounted for the success of the U.S. Fire 
Administration's commitment to reduce the loss of life.
  There is no doubt that the people of America in our communities are 
safer as a result of the USFA. Every man, woman, and child in America 
benefits from its efforts, as do the Nation's 1.2 million fire servers, 
emergency medical servers, and emergency response personnel.
  Emergencies will continue to occur. How we react to emergencies 
depends on the readiness of those that are dispatched to respond to our 
most critical emergency situations. We must be prepared to handle the 
critical situations that inevitably will arise.
  The United States does have one of the highest fire death rates in 
the industrialized world. We are obviously working hard to bring that 
number down. More Americans die in fires each year than in all the 
natural disasters combined. With this agency, however, we feel 
comfortable that we are working steadfastly to stem that tide.
  For example, approximately 4,500 deaths and 30,000 civilian injuries 
occur annually. Eighty percent of all civilian deaths occur in the 
home. Approximately 2 million fires are reported each year, with the 
direct property loss of about $8.5 billion per year, with the cost to 
taxpayers of about $50 billion a year.

                              {time}  1915

  One of the missions of the USFA is leadership coordination and 
support for the Nation's fire prevention and control, fire training and 
education and emergency medical services activities. This mission is 
carried out through programs directed at reducing injuries and loss of 
life and property resulting from fire.
  Certainly our heart goes out to those citizens in North Dakota 
suffering from the flood and then the absolute irony of seeing their 
buildings burned down. Certainly this is an aspect of firefighting that 
many of us never thought we would have to confront, but this agency has 
the ability to try and solve those particular problems.
  The USFA promotes firefighter health and safety and initiates 
research into and conducts special studies to improve fire prevention 
and protection. USFA's national fire incidents reporting system 
collects, analyzes and disseminates data to assist State and local 
governments in reducing fire losses.
  In NFA classrooms there are individuals who are trained to save 
lives, not only from terrorist attacks, but also from natural disasters 
and hazardous materials disasters.
  It is important to know exactly what we are funding. Particularly, 
the activities of the National Fire Academy and those courses include 
training individuals on command and control of fire department 
operations in multialarm incidences, something very important for our 
urban areas and even in our smaller communities. It also assists, if 
you will, in fighting the overall world threat of terrorism. Terrorism 
is a worldwide threat that waits until the most vulnerable moment to 
shatter the lives and dreams of families and individuals. One terrorist 
attack affects hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals. The ability 
to swiftly mitigate the damages of terrorism must be firmly and solidly 
in place. We do not know where the next terrorist attack will take 
place, but fire departments across this country must be ready and able 
to respond if called upon.
  The National Fire Academy trains students from all across the United 
States. I am very proud that in Houston a total of 29 firefighting 
students attended classes at the Emergency Management Institute and the 
National Fire Academy during the fiscal year 1996. The United States 
must have as its priority to bring down the terrible loss of life and 
property damage as it relates to fire. This supportive legislation will 
help us do that in the years to come.
  Again, I am gratified for the bipartisan effort. My thanks to the 
chairperson and ranking member.
  Finally, we must remember we do not know where the next fire 
emergency will occur, but we must be prepared to combat it and handle 
it effectively. The efforts of the U.S. Fire Administration allows us 
to accomplish this task. I rise in support of this legislation.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, in 1974, Congress created the 
U.S. Fire Administration [USFA] and its National Fire Academy [NFA] in 
order to halt the tragic loss of firefighters and individuals in the 
United States. Training, research, and public education have accounted 
for the success of the U.S. Fire Administration's commitment to reduce 
the loss of life.
  There is no doubt that the people of America and our communities are 
safer as a result of the USFA. Every man, woman, and child in America 
benefits from its efforts, as do the Nation's 1.2 million fire service, 
emergency medical service, and emergency response personnel.
  Emergencies will continue to occur. How we react to emergencies 
depends on the readiness of those who are dispatched to respond to our 
most critical emergency situations. We must be prepared to handle the 
critical situations that inevitably arise.
  The United States has one of the highest fire death rates in the 
industrialized world. According to the USFA, more Americans die in 
fires each year than in all the natural disasters combined.
  Approximately 4,500 deaths and 30,000 civilian injuries occur 
annually. Eighty percent of all civilian deaths occur in the home. 
Approximately 2 million fires are reported each year with a direct 
property loss of about $8.5 billion per year with a cost to taxpayers 
of about $50 billion per year.
  According to the USFA, its 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. 
The mission is carried out through programs directed at reducing 
injuries and loss of life and property resulting from fire.
  The USFA also is responsible for the development and delivery of 
training programs to advance the professionalism of the fire service 
and allied personnel. USFA assists State and local governmental efforts 
to prevent and control fire-related incidents, arson, and enhance the 
capability of the fire service to material incidents.
  The USFA promotes firefighter health and safety and initiates 
research into and conducts special studies to improve fire prevention 
and protection. USFA's national fire incidents reporting system [NFIRS) 
collects, analyzes, and disseminates data to assist State and local 
governments in reducing fire losses.
  The National Emergency Training Center [NETC] in Emmitsburg, MD, is a 
107-acre campus which is shared by the Emergency Management Institute 
[EMI], the National Fire Academy, and the U.S. Fire Administration.
  Through the courses and programs of the National Fire Academy, it 
works to enhance the ability of the fire service and allied 
professionals to deal more effectively with fire and related 
emergencies. The Fire Academy trains approximately 4,000 students 
through resident courses. An additional 3,500 students attend State 
weekend programs which offer shorter, more intense courses on 
designated weekends set aide for specific States.

  More than 500 students attended regional delivery courses annually, 
and off campus direct delivery courses reach 7,000 participants.
  According to the National Fire Academy, its delivery system is 
diverse. Teaching facilities include modern classrooms, residence 
halls, and training facilities.
  In NFA classrooms are individuals who are trained to save lives; not 
only from terrorists attacks, but also from natural disasters and 
hazardous materials disasters.
  It is important to know exactly what we are funding. National Fire 
Academy courses provide resident training in incident command and 
include:
  Command and control of fire department operations in multi-alarm 
incidents;
  Command and control of fire department operations at natural and 
manmade disasters, which addresses fire and rescue department 
operations at natural and manmade disasters that may require 
interagency or interjurisdictional coordination. Earthquakes, 
hurricanes, blizzards, civil disturbances, terrorism, hazardous 
materials releases, tornadoes, and floods are a few of the topics that 
are covered;

[[Page H1757]]

  Command and control of fire department operations at target hazards, 
which is designed to introduce command officers to the complexities 
involved in commanding incidents at high risk areas;
  Incident command system for emergency medical services, where 
students use scenarios, case studies, graphics, audiovisual, and role 
playing in order to demonstrate an understanding of the concept;
  Basic life support and hazardous materials response, which emphasize 
critical concerns for emergency medical responders at hazardous 
materials incidents;
  Initial response to hazardous materials incidents: basic concepts 
which gives students an understanding of the basic concepts and 
techniques of hazardous materials first response;

  Fire service communication, which focuses on verbal and written 
communication skills for fire service managers;
  Terrorism is a worldwide threat that waits until the most vulnerable 
moment to shatter the lives and dreams of families and individuals. One 
terrorist attack effects hundreds if not thousands of individuals. The 
ability to swiftly mitigate the damages of terrorism must be firmly and 
solidly in place.
  We do not know where the next terrorist attack will take place. But 
fire departments across this country must be ready and able to respond 
if called upon. Fire response teams in Texas must be as quickly able to 
rapidly combat terrorist attacks as fire response teams in New York. 
Each must possess the same cutting edge training that will allow them 
to protect the lives and property of the American people.
  The National Fire Academy trains students from all across the United 
States. In Houston, a total of 29 firefighting students attended 
classes at the Emergency Management Institute and the National Fire 
Academy during fiscal year 1996.
  The priorities of the U.S. Fire Administration include public 
education and fire safety in order to reduce fire deaths, injuries, and 
property losses; assist State and local government efforts to prevent 
and control for related incidents, especially arson; and develop 
programs to encourage State and local fire and EMS service delivery 
organizations to coordinate and cooperate with State and local 
emergency management agencies.
  The USFA also participates in research and technology initiatives to 
enhance the capability of the fire service to respond to all types of 
emergencies, including emergency medical and hazardous materials 
incidents; to promote the health, safety, and efficiency of 
firefighters; and to initiate research and evaluation procedures to 
improve fire prevention and protection.
  We do not know where the next fire emergency will occur. But we must 
be prepared to combat it and handle it effectively. The efforts of the 
U.S. Fire Administration allows us to accomplish this task.
  Mr. BARCIA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Texas.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time 
to just briefly thank the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Barcia], and the 
gentleman from California [Mr. Brown], and all of the members of the 
Committee on Science for working hard to expedite in a bipartisan 
manner this very important bill.
  Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1272, the 
Fire Administration Authorization Act of 1997. This important 
legislation is the product of a truly bipartisan effort to adequately 
fund a small Federal agency whose impact can be felt nationwide, every 
day.
  Mr. Speaker, the United States Fire Administration [USFA] was created 
in 1974 in order to help reverse a very disconcerting trend of 
increasing deaths, injuries, and property damage caused by fires. Since 
its establishment, the USFA has assisted our nation's first responders 
in reducing fire losses. The USFA, charged with coordinating the 
nation's fire fighting efforts, funds programs in public education in 
fire prevention and control, firefighter health and safety, research 
and technology, and data gathering and analysis. In addition, the USFA 
administers the National Fire Academy [NFA] in Emmitsburg, MD through 
which tens of thousands of firefighters annually receive management 
level education and training.
  During the hearing which I chaired in the Basic Research Subcommittee 
of the Committee on Science earlier this year, witnesses from the 
volunteer and paid fire fighting communities testified as to the 
importance of the USFA and NFA to their efforts. These programs 
leverage the modest resources available to local fire departments.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1272 provides a 3 percent annual increase in the 
USFA's FY 1998 and 1999 budgets. This increase is necessary in order to 
fund a new mission undertaken by the agency in counter terrorism 
training for emergency first responders, without negatively impacting 
USFA's traditional missions. The new mission is complementary to the 
training programs currently run by USFA, and I fully support this 
effort. Unfortunately, our nation must deal with the reality that 
terrorism has reached our borders. Because it will be local fire and 
emergency service personnel who are first on the scene at these 
horrible events, as was the case in Oklahoma City, it makes sense for 
USFA to integrate counter terrorism training with their other training 
programs.
  Mr. Speaker, before I close I think it is important to mention that, 
as we consider H.R. 1272, the first in a series of bills reported by 
the House Science Committee, this week is National Science & Technology 
Week. National Science and Technology Week is an informal and public 
education outreach program of the National Science Foundation, 
dedicated to expanding participation by all Americans in the fields of 
science, technology and engineering. Since its inception in 1985, 
National Science & Technology Week has gradually expanded in scope and 
impact, involving millions of Americans in national and local events.
  As part of this celebration of innovation and intellect in my home 
state of New Mexico, the Space Center in Alamogordo, provides training 
workshops for teachers and planning interactive, hands-on science 
events. The programs are resourceful in assisting in the distribution 
of education materials, which are issued annually, both in English and 
Spanish. These packets assist both formal and informal educators and 
parents in engaging children in innovative, hands-on learning 
activities geared to science, mathematics and technology.
  I encourage the House and Senate to strongly support this outreach 
program, recognizing the importance of involving all people in the 
awareness that science, engineering and technology are important in our 
lives today and crucial to our progress tomorrow. I hope you will join 
me in celebrating National Science and Technology Week.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Sensenbrenner, Mr. Brown, and 
Mr. Barcia for all of their hard work in getting this legislation to 
the floor today. I support this bill and ask the House for its 
expeditious enactment.
  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Ewing). The question is on the motion 
offered by gentleman from Wisconsin [Mr. Sensenbrenner] that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1272, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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