On April 2—3, the fire and emergency services attended the 20th Annual National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner and Seminars. Every year at this event, firefighters and EMS personnel from around the country converge on Congress to discuss important emergency-response issues. Attendees have the opportunity to hear from important political leaders, such as President Bush and Congressional Fire Services Caucus leaders like Senator John McCain and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. It’s inspiring to see members of the fire and emergency service turn out to make their voices heard by the nation. If you’ve never attended this event, I urge you to consider participating next year.
If you couldn’t attend this year, there’s no need to wait a year to get engaged. Many opportunities exist to meet with your elected federal officials, both in Washington, D.C., and at home. It’s important to use these opportunities to build a relationship with your elected officials so they are aware of the issues and will listen to you when voting on fire and emergency service issues.
An election year offers additional opportunities. Every representative, and one-third of the senators, are up for reelection in 2008. As you know, firefighting is one of the most respected professions in the country; serving as an elected official usually falls a little lower in the public’s esteem. During election campaigns, political candidates often reach out to respected members of the community for their support, as well as express an increased interest in public safety issues. As a result, the election cycle offers a unique opportunity for fire and emergency service leaders to educate political leaders–both incumbent and aspiring–on critical legislative issues.
Although some elected officials may just want to use these meetings to leverage some good press, don’t regard them as mere photo ops; use them to drive home issues important to your department. Congress must consider several vital issues relating to fire and EMS, starting with the federal budget. For fiscal year 2009, the White House is proposing to cut funding for the U.S. Fire Administration and National Fire Academy from $43 million to $41 million. In addition, it’s proposing to eliminate the SAFER grant program and to cut FIRE grants from $560 million to $300 million.
Other major bills on the table would protect the jobs of volunteer firefighters who help respond to major disasters and provide tax incentives for the retroactive installation of fire sprinklers. All of these important issues require the support of your senators and representatives. You can find information about these and other legislation at www.iafc.org/gr.
If you’re in Washington, D.C., arrange to meet with your senators and representatives. If you prefer to meet with them closer to home, take advantage of the Congressional recesses around Memorial Day, Independence Day and during the month of August. Members of Congress may also hold town-hall meetings in your district on weekends.
Be creative; invite elected officials to meet with you at a local fire station or tour fire department facilities. These meetings are a good opportunity for them to learn about your fire department, how you operate and what you need to protect your community. Note: When scheduling these meetings with federal elected officials, don’t forget to reach out to key state officials as well.
It may not be as immediately beneficial as knocking down a fire or extricating an accident victim, but educating your elected officials about fire and EMS issues is an important service that improves the safety of the general public–your core mission every day.
