[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 21]
[House]
[Page 28194]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      FIRE GRANTS REAUTHORIZATION

  (Ms. SCHWARTZ asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. SCHWARTZ. I rise today to recognize the importance of the Fire 
Grants Reauthorization Act. These grants are a prominent demonstration 
of the Federal support for our Nation's first responders by enhancing 
their ability to protect the public from fire and related hazards. The 
Assistance to Firefighters and SAFER grants included in the act will 
help ensure that our first responders get the critically needed 
personnel, equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training, 
and upgraded facilities they need to protect the public and the 
emergency personnel from fire and related hazards.
  Every day our Nation's firefighters risk their lives to keep our 
communities safe. From 30,000 fire departments in the United States, a 
firefighter responds to a fire every 20 seconds. Philadelphia is home 
to one of the oldest fire companies in the country, dating back to 
1736. The Philadelphia Fire Department is one of the busiest emergency 
management systems in the country, handling 260,000 responses in 2006.
  Throughout my time in office, I have fought to ensure that our 
firefighters receive the respect and resources they so keenly require. 
I am proud to support the reauthorization of these grants and to 
support our firefighters in the efforts to support our communities and 
families.

                          ____________________