[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 103 (Friday, July 10, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S7357]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS ACT

  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, yesterday I was unable to be here for the 
consideration and final passage of the Homeland Security Appropriations 
Act because of a death in my family, but I would like to submit my 
support for this important legislation for the Record.
  Whether it is a natural disaster or an act of terrorism, we must 
maintain the ability to respond quickly and efficiently to security 
challenges. No job is more important than keeping our citizens safe, 
and no one does that job better than our front line public safety 
officials. This legislation provides them with the resources they need.
  My fellow Connecticut residents and I know first hand how important 
it is to be prepared. Just last week, officials from FEMA and DHS 
toured Farmington and Wethersfield after tornadoes toppled trees and 
utility lines, damaging buildings and closing roads. The worst of the 
storm hit Wethersfield square-on, severely damaging 70 houses and 
leaving several to be condemned.
  It is rare that a tornado touches down in Connecticut, but it reminds 
us that disaster can happen anytime, anyplace, anywhere.
  At these moments of crisis, we must be assured that our communities 
have the first-responder personnel, training, and equipment necessary 
to keep families safe.
  That is why I authored and continue to support the Assistance to 
Firefighters, FIRE, Grant Program to help equip and train firefighters, 
and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response, SAFER, Grant 
Program to increase the number of firefighting personnel.
  We have made the Federal Government a partner to our Nation's 
firefighters and because we did, we have delivered more than $55 
million to Connecticut communities in the last decade.
  This year's bill includes $420 million in SAFER grants--double the 
amount appropriated last year. This funding will help to stem the tide 
of layoffs so that our communities can be protected by an adequate 
number of dedicated firefighters.
  In addition, I was pleased that the Senate accepted an amendment I 
offered that provides an additional $10 million to the FIRE Grant 
Program. This increase will help more local fire departments equip and 
train first responders in Connecticut and across the country.
  The bill also provides $300,000 for the Coast Guard Academy in New 
London to begin work on Eagle Pier, which will be the permanent home of 
the EAGLE, the historic tall ship seized from Germany during World War 
II.
  For more than 60 years, Eagle Pier was the home of the Coast Guard 
Training Vessel EAGLE, but in recent years, as the aging pier has 
fallen into disrepair, the EAGLE has been homeported at a pier at Fort 
Trumbull.
  The EAGLE is a Connecticut icon and one of only two remaining 
commissioned sailing vessels in American Government service, the other 
being Boston's USS Constitution.
  In addition to showcasing a rich history, the EAGLE serves as a 
modern day seagoing classroom for Coast Guard Cadets, providing hands-
on maritime instruction to supplement the students' rigorous classroom 
workload.
  This bill makes important investments in our domestic security, first 
responders, and the State of Connecticut, and I am proud to support it.


                           Amendment No. 1430

  Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, today, I join with Senator Sanders, my 
colleague from Vermont, and Senator Carper, my colleague from Delaware, 
in supporting an increase in funding for two essential programs in the 
fiscal year 2010 Homeland Security appropriations bill to support our 
brave firefighters: assistance to firefighter grants, AFG, and staffing 
for adequate fire and emergency response grants, SAFER.
  The Assistance to Firefighter Grants, AFG, Program, commonly referred 
to as fire grants, helps fund the purchase of urgently needed emergency 
response equipment, apparatus, and training. The AFG Program relies on 
direct input from the locally affected fire services in the grant 
process to ensure funding reaches those agencies that are most in need. 
A fiscal year 2007 review of AFG by the Department of Homeland Security 
found this program to be 95 percent effective, the second highest 
rating of any program at the Department.
  A recent needs assessment survey conducted by the Fireman's Fund 
Insurance Company found that 60 percent of respondents report that 
their local fire department has delayed equipment replacement purchases 
due to the economic downturn, and 50 percent reported that if economic 
conditions do not improve in the next year, it could affect their 
ability to provide service to their communities. Local fire department 
and EMS agencies need fire grants to continue to ensure the safety of 
citizens across the country.
  A fire company in McAdoo County, located in east-central 
Pennsylvania, used its fire grant to purchase an automatic 
defibrillator. The biggest killer of firefighters in the line of duty 
is heart attacks, and now the brave men and women at McAdoo Fire 
Company are better protected as they risk their lives every day to help 
those in emergency situations.
  SAFER grants assist fire departments in the hiring of career 
firefighters and the recruitment and retention of volunteer 
firefighters. The single most significant challenge facing volunteer 
fire service is recruitment and retention. Over the past two decades, 
the percentage of volunteer firefighters under the age of 40 has shrunk 
from 65 percent to 50 percent. The SAFER Grant program was created to 
provide funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter 
organizations in order to help them increase the number of trained, 
``front-line'' firefighters available in their local communities. SAFER 
grants enhance the ability of local fire departments' to comply with 
staffing, response and operational standards.
  The Center Township Volunteer Fire Department, located in western 
Pennsylvania, received a SAFER grant in March of 2009. With that 
funding, they can recruit more volunteer firefighters and retain those 
who already give so generously of themselves in efforts to protect and 
help others. SAFER grants are particularly beneficial to municipalities 
that are growing by expanding the number of firefighters in conjunction 
with increased population growth and greater housing development. I am 
proud of the courage and self-sacrifice of volunteer firefighters in my 
home State and across the Nation and want to ensure that the Federal 
Government supports their dedication.
  This amendment offers critical funding assistance to emergency first 
responders and ensures that the safety of our citizens remains a 
national priority.

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