The Senate is anticipated to pass the measure shortly and the President is expected to give it his signature, making the landmark FIRE Act law. I have said repeatedly that the fire services have been the 'forgotten part of the public safety equation. That ends with this legislation. Grants would be awarded directly to local fire departments best able to identify their needs to be used to hire new personnel, initiate education and training programs, or to purchase new equipment. The FIRE Act has been endorsed by all seven major national fire service organizations, including the International Association of Firefighters, nternational Association of Fire Chiefs, National Volunteer Fire Council, National Fire Protection Association, International Association of Arson Investigators, International Society of Fire Service Instructors, and National Association of State Fire Marshals.
Firefighters are our nation's 'first responders' and very often they are the last to leave.
This is really a dream come true. America's fire departments are the first on the scene to fires, natural disasters, hazardous waste spills, and terrorist attacks, yet the federal government has shown little commitment to the fire services. Every dollar that the federal government puts toward better training and equipment for firefighters, the less money residents will have to spend in taxes. We can't put a price on public safety, but this is truly a smart and long-overdue investment toward maintaining our fire services. When firefighters go into a burning house, they do not ask the inhabitants whether they are Democrats or Republicans.