[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 158 (Wednesday, November 10, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S14533-S14534]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. CAMPBELL:
  S. 1899. A bill to redesignate the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency as the ``Federal Fire and Emergency Management Agency,'' and to 
amend the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act to 1974 to authorize 
the Director of the Federal Fire and Emergency Management Agency to 
make grants to local fire departments for the purpose of protecting the 
public and firefighting personnel against fire and fire-related 
hazards; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.


    The Firefighter Investment and Response Enhancement Act of 1999

  Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, today I am introducing legislation which 
would better equip our nation's firefighters to fight the ever-
increasing threat of property destruction and potential loss of life.
  The ``Firefighter Investment and Response Enhancement (FIRE) Act of 
1999'' would authorize the newly-named Federal Fire and Emergency 
Management Agency to make available matching grants on a competitive 
basis to fire departments for the purpose of protecting the public and 
firefighting personnel against fire and fire-related hazards. This bill 
is a companion to H.R. 1168, which was introduced by my colleague in 
the House of Representatives, Congressman Pascrell.
  Mr. President, each year approximately 100 of our nation's 
firefighters pay the ultimate sacrifice to preserve the safety of our 
communities. Increased demands on firefighting personnel have made it 
difficult for local governments to prepare for necessary fire safety 
precautions. The fire loss in the United States is serious, and the 
fire death rate is one of the highest per capita in the industrialized 
world. Fire kills more than 4,000 people and injures more than 25,000 
people each year. Today, 11 people will die due to fire. Two of these 
people are likely to be children under the age of 5. Another 68 people 
will be injured due to fire. Financially, the impact of America's 
estimated 2.2 million fires annually is over $9 billion in direct 
property losses. Those numbers are staggering, and many of these losses 
could have been prevented.
  The bill I introduce today would make grants available to train 
firefighter personnel in firefighting, emergency response, arson 
prevention and detection, and the handling of hazardous substances or 
pollutants or contaminants associated with the illegal manufacture of 
amphetamine or methamphetamine.
  This bill also creates partnerships by allowing for the effective use 
of the capabilities of the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology, the Department of Commerce, and the Consumer Product Safety 
Commission for research and development aimed at advancing the health 
and safety of firefighters; information technologies for fire 
management; technologies for fire prevention and protection; 
firefighting technologies; and burn care and rehabilitation.
  In addition, this legislation would ensure that grants would be made 
to a wide variety of fire departments, including applicants from paid, 
volunteer, and combination fire departments, large and small, which are 
situated in urban, suburban and rural communities.
  Mr. President, despite the risks, 1.2 million men and women 
firefighters willingly put their lives on the line responding to over 
17 million calls, annually. Our greatest challenge is to put limited 
resources to work where they will make the most difference in saving 
lives and reducing losses.
  I am pleased that the bill I introduce today has been endorsed by the 
Colorado State Fire Chief's Association.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important bill. I 
ask unanimous consent that the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1899

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Firefighter Investment and 
     Response Enhancement (FIRE) Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds that--
       (1) increased demands on firefighting personnel have made 
     it difficult for local governments to adequately fund 
     necessary fire safety precautions;
       (2) the Federal Government has an obligation to protect the 
     health and safety of the firefighting personnel of the United 
     States and to help ensure that the personnel have the 
     financial resources to protect the public;
       (3) the United States has serious fire losses, including a 
     fire death rate that is one of the highest per capita in the 
     industrialized world;
       (4) in the United States, fire kills more than 4,000 people 
     and injures more than 25,000 people each year;
       (5) in any single day in the United States, on the 
     average--
       (A) 11 people will die because of fire;
       (B) 2 of those people are likely to be children under the 
     age of 5;
       (C) 68 people will be injured because of fire; and
       (D) over $9,000,000,000 in property losses will occur from 
     fire; and
       (6) those statistics demonstrate a critical need for 
     Federal investment in support of firefighting personnel.

     SEC. 3. REDESIGNATION OF FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY.

       (a) In General.--The Federal Emergency Management Agency is 
     redesignated as the ``Federal Fire and Emergency Management 
     Agency''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     Federal Emergency Management Agency shall be deemed to be a 
     reference to the Federal Fire and Emergency Management 
     Agency.
       (c) Conforming Amendments to Federal Fire Prevention and 
     Control Act of 1974.--Sections 4(4), 17, and 31(a)(5)(B) of 
     the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 
     U.S.C. 2203(4), 2216, and 2227(a)(5)(B)) are amended by 
     striking ``Federal Emergency Management Agency'' each place 
     it appears and inserting ``Federal Fire and Emergency 
     Management Agency''.

     SEC. 4. FIREFIGHTER INVESTMENT AND RESPONSE ENHANCEMENT.

       The Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 
     U.S.C. 2201 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:

     ``SEC. 33. FIREFIGHTER INVESTMENT AND RESPONSE ENHANCEMENT.

       ``(a) Definition of Firefighting Personnel.--In this 
     section, the term `firefighting personnel' means individuals, 
     including volunteers, who are firefighters, officers of fire 
     departments, or emergency medical service personnel of fire 
     departments.
       ``(b) Grant Program.--
       ``(1) Authority.--In accordance with this section, the 
     Director may make grants on a competitive basis to fire 
     departments for the purpose of protecting the health and 
     safety of the public and firefighting personnel against fire 
     and fire-related hazards.

[[Page S14534]]

       ``(2) Establishment of office for administration of 
     grants.--Before making grants under paragraph (1), the 
     Director shall establish an office in the Federal Fire and 
     Emergency Management Agency that shall have the duties of 
     establishing specific criteria for the selection of grant 
     recipients, and administering the grants, under this section.
       ``(3) Use of grant funds.--The Director may make a grant 
     under paragraph (1) only if the applicant for the grant 
     agrees to use grant funds--
       ``(A)(i) to train firefighting personnel in firefighting, 
     emergency response, arson prevention and detection, or the 
     handling of hazardous materials, which shall include, at a 
     minimum, the removal of any hazardous substance or pollutant 
     or contaminant associated with the illegal manufacture of 
     amphetamine or methamphetamine; or
       ``(ii) to train firefighter personnel to provide any of the 
     training described in clause (i);
       ``(B) to make effective use of the capabilities of the 
     National Institute of Standards and Technology, the 
     Department of Commerce, the Consumer Product Safety 
     Commission, and other public and private sector entities, for 
     research and development aimed at advancing--
       ``(i) the health and safety of firefighters;
       ``(ii) information technologies for fire management;
       ``(iii) technologies for fire prevention and protection;
       ``(iv) firefighting technologies; and
       ``(v) burn care and rehabilitation;
       ``(C) to fund the creation of rapid intervention teams to 
     protect firefighting personnel at the scenes of fires and 
     other emergencies;
       ``(D) to certify fire inspectors;
       ``(E) to establish wellness and fitness programs for 
     firefighting personnel to ensure that the firefighting 
     personnel can carry out their duties;
       ``(F) to fund emergency medical services provided by fire 
     departments;
       ``(G) to acquire additional firefighting vehicles, 
     including fire trucks;
       ``(H) to acquire additional firefighting equipment, 
     including equipment for communications and monitoring;
       ``(I) to acquire personal protective equipment required for 
     firefighting personnel by the Occupational Safety and Health 
     Administration, and other personal protective equipment for 
     firefighting personnel;
       ``(J) to modify fire stations, fire training facilities, 
     and other facilities to protect the health and safety of 
     firefighting personnel;
       ``(K) to enforce fire codes;
       ``(L) to fund fire prevention programs; or
       ``(M) to educate the public about arson prevention and 
     detection.
       ``(4) Application.--The Director may make a grant under 
     paragraph (1) only if the fire department seeking the grant 
     submits to the Director an application in such form and 
     containing such information as the Director may require.
       ``(5) Matching requirement.--The Director may make a grant 
     under paragraph (1) only if the applicant for the grant 
     agrees to match with an equal amount of non-Federal funds 10 
     percent of the funds received under paragraph (1) for any 
     fiscal year.
       ``(6) Maintenance of expenditures--The Director may make a 
     grant under paragraph (1) only if the applicant for the grant 
     agrees to maintain in the fiscal year for which the grant 
     will be received the applicant's aggregate expenditures for 
     the uses described in paragraph (3) at or above the average 
     level of such expenditures in the 2 fiscal years preceding 
     the fiscal year for which the grant will be received.
       ``(7) Report to the director.--The Director may make a 
     grant under paragraph (1) only if the applicant for the grant 
     agrees to submit to the Director a report, including a 
     description of how grant funds were used, with respect to 
     each fiscal year for which a grant was received.
       ``(8) Variety of grant recipients.--The Director shall 
     ensure that grants under paragraph (1) for a fiscal year are 
     made to a variety of fire departments, including, to the 
     extent that there are eligible applicants--
       ``(A) paid, volunteer, and combination fire departments;
       ``(B) fire departments located in communities of varying 
     sizes; and
       ``(C) fire departments located in urban, suburban, and 
     rural communities.
       ``(9) Limitation on expenditures for firefighting 
     vehicles.--The Director shall ensure that not more than 25 
     percent of the assistance made available under paragraph (1) 
     for a fiscal year is used for the use described in paragraph 
     (3)(G).
       ``(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--
       ``(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated 
     to the Director such sums as are necessary to carry out this 
     section.
       ``(2) Limitation on administrative costs.--Of the amounts 
     made available under paragraph (1) for a fiscal year, the 
     Director may use not more than 10 percent for the 
     administrative costs of carrying out this section.''.
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