[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 31 (Tuesday, March 15, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2739-S2740]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. SCHUMER:
  S. 625. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a 
$1,000 refundable credit for individuals who are bona fide volunteer 
members of volunteer firefighting and emergency medical service 
organizations; to the Committee on Finance.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I am pleased to come to the floor today 
and introduce legislation that would allow a $1,000 refundable tax 
credit for the true heroes in our society: those brave and dedicated 
Americans who serve as volunteer firefighters and volunteer emergency 
medical service personnel.
  I am introducing today a companion bill to H.R. 934, a bill 
introduced in the House of Representatives by a fellow New Yorker, 
Congressman Maurice Hinchey. His bill is cosponsored by six other New 
York Members of Congress: Tim Bishop, Steve Israel, Nita Lowey, Mike 
McNulty, Jerrold Nadler, and Major Owens.
  Many communities around New York State rely on volunteer firefighters 
and EMTs for much-needed public services, but it is getting harder and 
harder to find people to fill the slots because middle-class families 
have increasing demands on their time, or financial concerns that 
preclude their participation. This bill is designed to offer an 
additional incentive for people to get involved in their communities in 
this vitally important way.
  In 1736, Benjamin Franklin organized the Union Fire Brigade in 
Philadelphia, PA, and ever since, thousands of American municipalities 
have depended on civilians to protect lives and property from the 
ravages of fire. The ``volunteer firefighter'' is a true American 
invention, and its tremendous success for over 200 years has been 
rooted in the spirit of volunteerism that Alexis de Tocqueville was so 
taken with when he visited this country in the 1800s.
  That spirit is still alive today, yet it is becoming increasingly 
hard for municipalities to recruit and retain enough volunteer 
firefighters. Many people simply have less time to devote to community 
service. Families in which both parents work have become commonplace, 
and what little free time is left is often spent on organized 
activities such as youth sports and school functions. At the same time, 
the science of firefighting has evolved, and the mission of fire 
departments has diversified. This has caused the amount of required 
training to increase exponentially. While this is good for safety, it 
greatly increases the overall time commitment that volunteer 
firefighters must make. Twenty-five years ago, a volunteer could join 
and respond to a call in the same day. Today, that same volunteer must 
complete months of training before they can truly participate at an 
emergency.
  The situation has reached a crisis stage in many of our communities. 
According to the Fireman's Association of the State of New York, fewer 
young people are joining the ranks. Many departments are having a hard 
time filling crews, especially during the day when most people are 
working. All across the country, fire departments are depending on 
``mutual aid'' from neighboring departments to supplement their own 
crews. This leads to increased response time, which in turn, places 
further risk on life and property.
  While many local governments understand the need for a recruitment 
incentive, most simply do not have the resources to implement one. At 
the same time, we all understand that our firefighters are often on the 
front lines of the War on Terror, and essential to

[[Page S2740]]

our homeland security. Moreover, every single day we rely on volunteer 
firefighters to save residential and commercial property, and to clean 
up accidents and reopen our highways, all of which protects the 
economic prosperity of many of our communities.
  Let me offer a few examples from my State of how difficult the 
problems of recruitment and retention have become.
  In Duchess County, former fire chief Harold Ramsey is a current 
member of the volunteer corps. His company is 100 percent volunteer, 
with about 30 to 35 current members. When Mr. Ramsey joined the 
department in the mid 1980s, there were 60 to 75 members. They have 
significant suffered a loss of members in the past five years. He 
believes that a tax credit would be a major incentive to younger 
members and would help to recruit new members.
  In Orange County, Jeff Hunt is the President of Dikeman Engine and 
Hose Company in Goshen. His company currently has 55 active members. 
They are getting a new member next month, which will be their first new 
member in five years. In an effort to improve their numbers, they have 
been visiting area schools to recruit, with little success. The company 
has also looked into working with the Boy Scouts of America to increase 
enrollment. Membership is a major concern; during the day shift Mr. 
Hunt says he is lucky to get four or five members to respond to calls. 
That is not even enough to get all of the trucks and equipment out. He 
believes that the $1,000 tax credit would be a ``great start in the 
right direction'' to attract new members.
  In Westchester County, in the town of Lewisboro, Joe Posadas is the 
Chief of the South Salem Fire Department. His department also has 
severe recruitment and retention issues. In next six months, he expects 
to lose three of his top responders. Members of the company are moving 
out of Westchester because they can no longer afford to live there--an 
ongoing problem.
  The company has approximately 35 members on paper, but for daytime 
calls, only four members are typically able to respond. For night 
calls, 10 to 15 can respond. The property tax deduction approved by the 
state is so small that it provides little benefit or incentive for 
recruitment, so Mr. Posadas believes that the $1,000 federal tax credit 
would help. ``Anything we get helps attract new members,'' he said.
  Steve Mann is a member of my staff and a 17-year veteran of a 
volunteer firefighter squad. He is Captain of Engine 4 in Rensselaer, 
NY. His father and uncle are firefighters as well, and I guess you'd 
say it's ``in his blood.'' He devotes most of his spare time to the 
fire department--but with a young family and a demanding job, it's not 
always easy. He tells me that it is becoming harder and harder to find 
people who are willing to devote the necessary time to the fire 
department.
  These are just a few examples.
  Therefore, I believe it is appropriate for the federal government to 
take an active role in fixing this problem. This tax credit would give 
municipalities and fire departments an important tool in attracting new 
volunteers, and just as important, in retaining current members. The 
volunteer firefighters are just as important to this country today as 
they were in Benjamin Franklin's day, and we must do all that we can to 
preserve this legacy of service.
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