The President has signed a $34.8 billion FY2007 homeland security appropriations bill into law, which includes $3.4 billion for first responders. The measure includes several provisions that enhance public safety communications, and establishes the Office of Emergency Communications within the Department of Homeland Security to focus specifically on emergency communications. (
See 10/2 blog posting for more.)
What this means for the fire service (as reported by the
Int'l. Assoc. of Fire Chiefs):
$46.8 million for the U.S. Fire Administration
$547 million for the FIRE grant program
$115 million for the SAFER grant program
$30.6 million for the Under Secretary of Preparedness
$770 million for the UASI grants
$900 million for state and local assistance grants and law enforcement terrorism prevention grants
$200 million for Emergency Management Performance Grants
$2.51 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
$25 million for Urban Search and Rescue teams
Overall, fire departments fared very well, as noted by the
Int'l Assoc. of Firefighters and the
National Volunteer Fire Council.
Unfortunately, law enforcement didn't fare as well. According to the
Int'l. Assoc. of Chiefs of Police:
Combined, the three primary assistance programs would receive $1.670 billion, a decrease of $45 million (2.6%) from FY 06. It continues a downward trend over the past five years in funding for these crucial programs. For example, the proposed funding levels represent a cut of almost 50% from just three years ago, when these programs received more than $3 billion in funding.
It is an outrage that our police departments continue to face such severe reductions in funding. In an age of enduring terrorist threats, America's law enforcement personnel are being asked to do more than ever to secure the homeland. But as the figures above illustrate, they're being asked to do more with less.
