Friday, February 3, 2012 

Delaware County Fire Police

Hosting

Pennsylvania Fire Police Association

65th Convention 2012

 

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When:  Saturday, 5/19 (Dinner, Entertainment)

and Sunday, 5/20 (Memorial Service – noon, Meeting – 1:00 and Dinner following)

 

Where:  Aston Beechwood Fire Company

 

Donation:  $15 per ticket

 

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Tickets are available from Bob Owsiany (delegate) or at our County meetings in February, March and April.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012  Federal Fire Grants   
 
Getting Grants
by Jerry BrantAsk Congress not to cut fire funding in 2012We need to tell our federal legislators that foundation laid by Commission on Fire Prevention and Control needs to be supported rather than destroyed By Jerry Brant

As 2011 ended, we marked the 40th anniversary of one of the most influential pieces of legislation involving the nation's fire service. In 1971, the United States Congress appropriated funding to establish the National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control. Up to this point, subjects such as fire suppression, fire prevention and related topics were perceived not to be a national problem but a local issue.

After two years of work, the Commission released its report entitled "America Burning." The report was groundbreaking for its time. It called for a national fire academy, the development and enforcement of uniform building codes and the establishment of a national fire administration, along with other initiatives. The report estimated that 12,000 people were dying annually as the result of fires in this nation.

"America Burning" also recommended that more emphasis be placed on fire prevention, increased training of fire service personnel and educating the public about fire safety.

In 1987, the USFA convened a workshop to examine the changes that had taken place as a result of the Commission's recommendations and to develop plans for the fire service that would take us into the 21st century.

In 1999, President Clinton appointed a panel "to reexamine the evolving role of the fire services in the safety and sustainability of today's American communities." The commission's report reached two major conclusions:

1. "The frequency and severity of fires in America is a result of our nation's failure to adequately apply and fund known loss reduction strategies. The primary responsibility for fire prevention, suppression and action on other hazards dealt with by the fire services properly rests with state and local government. Nevertheless, a substantial role exists for the federal government in funding and technical support."

2. The panel's chair, George K. Bernstein, stated, "Until the USFA is empowered by funding and staffing to truly become the leader in our nation's firefighting efforts, unless the fire services are adequately funded, and unless local communities enforce known fire preventive and suppression measures, the establishment of this commission and its efforts to develop recommendations will have been an exercise in futility."

The reason I have given you this historical information is because it appears that the current congressional leadership is about to diverge from this four-decade-old policy. Recently the U.S. House and Senate passed the Fiscal Year 2012 Appropriations Plan.

The 2012 spending plan lowers the amount of funding for the AFG and SAFER programs to $337.5 million. This is a collective reduction of $135 million from FY 2011, when both programs were funded at $405 million. The USFA is cut by $1.5 million, and the program's budget is now more than 40 percent less than it was in 2002.

Congress further reduced the amount available to other Homeland Security Initiatives, including Urban Areas Security Initiative, the State Homeland Security Grant Program and Citizen Corps. These programs were cut by nearly 50 percent from their 2011 funding levels.

We have made substantial progress in the fire service in America since the National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control first issued its report. Civilian fire deaths have decreased by 66 percent, and firefighter fatalities have dropped from 157 to 87 in 2010.

At the same time, the number of calls answered by our nation's firefighters has continued to increase. Now a fire call is received every 1.18 seconds in our country. Also, the number of firefighters answering these alarms has been drastically reduced.

In particular, the number of volunteer firefighters in this country has dropped by 10 percent in the past 25 years. During that same time, the average age of volunteer firefighters has increased dramatically. In 2009, the percentage of volunteer firefighters over the age of 50 was 21.8 percent; this is nearly double the amount it was just 12 years earlier.

The fire service in America needs to respond to related cuts in the federal budget, and we need to do it quickly. In the time it took you to read this article, fire departments in our nation responded to nearly 200 alarms.

We need to tell our federal legislators that the foundation laid by the Commission on Fire Prevention and Control needs to be supported and built upon rather than destroyed. We need to tell them that programs like AFG, SAFER and the Fire Prevention and Safety Grants are working and now is not the time to take steps backward.


About the author

Jerry Brant is a Senior Grant Consultant and Grant Writer with FireGrantsHelp and EMSGrantsHelp. He has 40 years of experience as a volunteer firefighter in rural west central Pennsylvania. He is a life member of the Hope Fire Company of Northern Cambria, where he served as chief for 15 years. He is currently an active member of the Patton Fire Company #1. For 20 years, Jerry was employed as the executive director and then president of a small non-profit community development corporation. Jerry has successfully written more than $52 million in grant applications and proposals. Jerry can be reached at Jerry.Brant@FireGrantsHelp.com.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012 


Fellow Emergency Responders, PA's Fire & EMS Grant Reauthorization NEEDS your support!!! PA's Fire and EMS Providers Support HB955 Take Action!

Fire and EMS Grant Support is Absolutely Necessary   "This program has been successful at helping countless volunteer fire, rescue and ambulance organizations over the years, and I am happy to ensure its continuation," said Barrar. "It was a bi-partisan effort to expand the program to cover municipal fire companies. Both volunteer and municipal firefighters are risking everything to protect the lives and property of Pennsylvania citizens. By expanding this program to include municipal fire departments, we may be able to keep more firefighters on duty in Pennsylvania."

HB955 would extend the VFCVASGP, which is set to expire on June 30, 2012, through the end of June 2016. With the amendment approved today by the committee, the total available funding in future years would increase from $25 million to $40 million. Funding for the program does not come from the state's General Fund, but is distributed from the State Gaming Fund.

During the meeting, Barrar was questioned about how the increase would impact gaming revenue distributions to the Property Tax Relief Fund.

"Funding for our emergency services is vital," said Barrar. "Along with the value added to our communities and properties from having a trained and reliable fire and ambulance service, volunteer fire companies save Pennsylvania taxpayers $6 billion annually. In addition to coming through when the fire alarm sounds or the 9-1-1 call is made, volunteers are hard at work in our communities with their efforts to educate the public about fire prevention and respond to non-emergency calls. This grant program will truly have a positive impact on the many emergency response efforts of our fire and ambulance organizations across the Commonwealth."

Information about the grant program and Barrar's other legislative priorities is available at SteveBarrar.com. He also posts updates at Facebook.com/RepBarrar.

Thursday, July 7, 2011  Cancer Bill Enacted:

 

Brothers and Sisters:

 

I am very pleased to report that after almost 25 years Pennsylvania’s Fire Fighters have Cancer Presumption legislation.  House Bill 797, sponsored by Representative Frank Farry was signed by Governor Corbett today.

This momentous piece of legislation will now afford our brothers and sisters much needed protection if they are stricken with one of several different types of cancer as a result of their exposure(s) on the job.

 

The PPFFA has made cancer presumption it’s number one priority for the past several years. 

 

 

In the meantime I want to thank all those who helped in this effort.  IAFF General President Schaitberger, DVP Taylor and Rich Duffy, officers, staff and members of the PPFFA, members of both the House of Representatives and Senate who never waivered in their support of Pennsylvania’s fire fighters. A special tip of the hat to Representative Frank Farry, Representative Kevin Murphy, Representative Stephen Barrar Senator John Gordner, Senator Dominic Pileggi, Senator Christine Tartaglione, Senator David Argall and their staffs. I would also be remiss if I didn’t give a shout out to the Pennsylvania Fire and Emergency Services Institute, who were also instrumental in getting this through.   Without the help, guidance and perseverance of these folks we would not be here today.

 

The PPFFA pledged to get this done and I am proud to say “mission accomplished.”

 

More information will follow shortly on this important piece of legislation.

 

 



 



 

Art Martynuska

President

Pennsylvania Professional

Fire Fighters  Association

Corporate Offices

2048 Derry Street

Harrisburg, PA 17104

717-221-8800  Phone

Residence

333 Meadow Drive

Johnstown, PA 15905

814-255-1563  Home

814-525-0536  Mobile

814-619-3087  Fax

amartynuska@ppffa.org

www.ppffa.org

 

Monday, June 6, 2011            Once again the Delaware County Firemen’s Association now proudly has an email list server for important information  to being sent to First Responders in Delaware County. Please sign up at the following link: http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/dcfanews




 

We will not ever sell your email addresses & prevent spam coming from our email list server.

Sincerely,

 

Robert Blithe

President

DCFA.ORG

Sunday, February 20, 2011  Please make sure your fire company or department has submitted your 2010 NFIRS Data.


If your department is having a problem trying to submit your NFIRS data.


Send the data to: ra-pennfirs@state.pa.us


Which is the Pennsylvania Fire Commissioner's Office who will submit your data to the national data base for you.


Thanks for taking care of this very important job.