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Sen.
Brown, Rep. Perlmutter Introduce the
Firefighter Fatality Reduction Act of 2009
Companion Bills Designed to Prevent
Firefighter Fatalities
March 16, 2009
WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown
(D-OH) and Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) today
introduced the Firefighter Fatality
Reduction Act of 2009. This legislation
would determine the extent to which fire
departments comply with consensus safety
standards to reduce the number of avoidable
deaths among firefighters. The legislation
would further convene a task force to make
recommendations to increase such compliance.
“Firefighters put their lives on the line
everyday to keep our communities, our homes,
and our families safe,” Brown said. “This
bill is about protecting those who protect
us. It’s our duty to do all we can to avoid
preventable deaths and minimize injuries.”
“The loss of any firefighter in the line of
duty is a tragedy. Even more tragic is a
preventable firefighter fatality. Every year
our nation loses roughly 100 firefighters in
the line of duty, many of which could be
prevented by following national voluntary
consensus standards. These standards will
provide the framework for every fire
department to be as efficient and safe as
possible,” stated Perlmutter. “Safer
firefighters create safer communities.”
“An investment in our firefighters is an
investment in the safety of our
communities,” said Senator Joe Lieberman
(ID-Conn.), a cosponsor of the bill and
Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs. “Every day they rush
unquestioningly into the face of danger,
which in turn demands constant attention to
the best and most up-to-date safety
standards.”
“The continued prevalence of avoidable fire
fighter fatalities is the most serious
problem facing the fire service today,” said
IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger.
“I applaud Senator Brown and Representative
Perlmutter for tackling this problem
head-on, and am proud to join with him to
ensure that fire fighters nationwide have
the tools and resources they need to ensure
their safety and the safety of those they
protect.”
According to the International Association
of Fire Fighters, more than 100 fire
fighters die in the line of duty each year,
while tens of thousands of additional fire
fighters sustain work-related injuries. In
2008, 114 fire fighters died in the line of
duty, including six in Ohio and four in
Colorado. While the National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA) and other groups have
developed industry safety standards, they
are voluntary in nature and often ignored by
fire departments. Brown’s bill would
encourage the adoption of national consensus
fire fighter safety standards and promote
fire department compliance with such
standards.
The Firefighter Fatality Reduction Act would
require the Department of Homeland Security
(DHS) to determine the rate of fire
department compliance with standards for
safe operations, staffing, training and
fitness among career, volunteer, and
combination fire departments. DHS would also
form a task force of firefighters, fire
chiefs, and other individuals to study how
to best increase fire department compliance
with such standards. This bill would not
mandate federal oversight of local fire
departments, but instead would explore how
the federal government could best promote
fire fighter safety standards and assist
fire departments with compliance.
Firefighter Fatality Reduction Act of 2009 (S. 602/H.R. 1499)
Title:
A bill to direct the Secretary of Homeland
Security to conduct a survey to determine
the level of compliance with national
voluntary consensus standards and any
barriers to achieving compliance with such
standards, and for other purposes.
H.R. 1499 – Introduced March 12, 2009 and
assigned to House Science and Technology
Committee
S. 602 – Introduced March 16, 2009 and
assigned to Senate Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs Committee
Posted
05-04-09 |
