CONGRESSIONAL CLIPBOARD

CONGRESSIONAL CLIPBOARD

Making a Difference

Not since Benjamin Franklin and George Washington stood side by side have fire service leaders had as close an audience with the president of the United States as they did on April 12, 1989. Then, at the First National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner, President Bush addressed more than 2,000 fire service leaders, saying, “You provide for us the definition of a successful life, for any definition must include serving others. We are partners, not islands unto ourselves—the sum total not of our possessions but of our good deeds.”

For the past 200 years, the partnership of the fire services on the local level has saved structures from total destruction, rescued families from danger, sought out lost children, and reinforced the fabric of local communities. But the issues facing today’s fire service are more complex than those of Colonial America: The 1990s call for a new, national partnership of the fire services—the first light of which was seen last April 12. From volunteers representing the smallest rural communities to the largest corporations, the fire safety constituency assembled to hear President Bush speak and to meet with their representatives in Congress but mostly to unite historically disparate interests into a single national constituency.

Just how important is this single voice? Let’s take an example. Not long after the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) was founded, Chief John J. O’Rourke of the City of New York Fire Department wrote in this magazine that the CFSI may turn out to be a paper tiger. His litmus test was , the Hotel-Motel Fire Safety Act, which was introduced but emasculated in the 100th Congress. It has fared considerably better in the 101st Congress, vigilantly promoted by the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, which focused on it as priority legislation for the fire community. H.R. 94 passed the House in November with tough federal travel requirements and is expected to be introduced in the Senate shortly. This doesn’t mean that every bill that the caucus supports will pass, but rather it has helped these issues gain enough momentum to make a difference in the legislative process.

More than 360 members of the House and Senate and their more than 3,000 staffers have been immersed in fire safety issues in the 101st Congress—whether they like it or not. Every week, the CFSI sends legislative staff a report detailing a piece of til legislation, announcing new programs or initiatives, or simply providing general information about fire safety issues. The subject of these reports is chosen based on the concerns of Congress and the priorities of the fire service community. In addition, the CFSI holds a number of special events for both members and staff to get them more involved with fire issues and the fire constituency. National Fire Prevention Week included activities ranging from training on how to handle a fire extinguisher (on live fires) to an exhibit of fire safety technologies. Events were well attended by both members and staff. All this has a palpable effect on legislative initiatives—take, for example, the Benjamin Franklin Memorial Fire Service Bill of Rights.

The Fire Service Bill of Rights (H.R. 3587/S. 1933) was introduced as a first step toward greater federal commitment to solving the problems of today’s fire service. This bill would dedicate approximately $70 million to programs such as providing every fire department in America with computer equipment to help cope with SARA Title III requirements, providing tuition scholarships to the children of fallen firefighters, and encouraging firefighters to pursue advanced degrees in fire science and related fields. H.R. 3587/S. 1933 is substantive legislation that not only establishes programs with immediate benefits for firefighters but defines an agenda for federal action to support the fire service in the future.

H.R. 3587 won 250 cosponsors within two weeks of its introduction—not exclusively on its merits but because these members wanted to support the fire service. Members have identified the fire service as a cohesive constituency and they are looking to become more involved with it. It is up to you to tell them how.

One way and one important point of contact will be the Second National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner. More than 70 members of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus attended the First Annual Dinner. The Second Annual National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner on April 18 is an opportunity not just to meet with the members of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus and other leaders of the fire service but to impress upon Washington the strength of our commitment to these issues and the breadth of our membership. While the dinner is an important fund-raising event to allow the Congressional Fire Services Institute to continue its work, it also shows members of Congress that the fire service is committed to the work of the CFSI.

The Second Annual National Dinner will be held at the Sheraton Washington Hotel in Washington, D C. The event has been expanded to include a full day of activities, including seminars on how to establish a fire services caucus in state legislatures and approaches to fire safety issues at both the state and federal levels. For more information, contact the Congressional Fire Services Institute, 900 2nd Street, N.E., Suite 207, Washington, D C. 20002, or call Karen Cook at (202) 371-1277.

Rick Lasky, Scott Thompson, Curtis Birt, and John Salka

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