First Responders
A group of senators recently requested that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) assess federal firefighter hiring and retention at five agencies responsible for wildland fire management.
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) joined a bipartisan group of colleagues in forwarding correspondence to... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday that its Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) has released approximately $58 million in grant solicitations to advance community policing, combat opioid and methamphetamine use, and promote the health and safety of law... Read More »
U. S. Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Tom Carper (D-DE), co-chairs of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, introduced legislation Monday to ensure federal firefighters receive financial benefits if they contract a disease in the line of duty.
The Federal Firefighter Fairness Act of 2021 would... Read More »
Sens. Tom Carper (D-DE), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Jon Tester (D-MT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD) reintroduced legislation last week designed to support federal firefighters by correcting disparity between federal firefighters and state, local and municipal... Read More »
The House Committee on Homeland Security advanced seven pieces of legislation this week, including bills that would secure critical infrastructure networks, enhance air travel safety during COVID-19 and future pandemics, improve information sharing, and support first responders.
One of the bills... Read More »
Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) joined 16 colleagues to introduce this week legislation designed to create federal penalties for individuals deliberately targeting local, state, or federal law enforcement officers with violence.
The Protect and Serve Act would make it a federal crime to knowingly cause,... Read More »
While thankful for the support for system upgrades the newly introduced House LIFT America Act demonstrates, American 9-1-1 groups are concerned that elements of it could prove wasteful and delay and complicate deployment of a Next Generation 9-1-1 nationwide.
“The infrastructure bill is a... Read More »
According to the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), the American Recovery and Rescue Act being voted on in Congress this week contains significant funding for fire and emergency medical personnel.
The act passed the U.S. House of Representatives in late February and passed the... Read More »
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) officials said first responders now have access to the QuickRoute Mobile app, which aids with routing challenges.
“First responders now have a commercially-available navigational tool which takes into... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Richard Burr (R-NC) reintroduced legislation designed to improve communications networks during natural disasters Wednesday.
The Emergency Reporting Act would ensure the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) provided resources to state and local governments... Read More »
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) has introduced a bill designed to better protect firefighters in New York and nationwide from toxic exposure to PFAS chemicals.
PFAS are used as an ingredient in special foam used to fight fires, called aqueous film forming foam (AFFF). The use of the foam,... Read More »
Bipartisan legislation was introduced in this House of Representatives this week that would extend concealed carry privileges for qualified retired and active law enforcement officials.
The Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA) Reform Act (H.R. 1210) would allow active and retired law... Read More »
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) personnel are touting Team Awareness Kit (TAK) utilization - a training tool aiding California firefighters in wildland response efforts.
The mobile application harnesses wildfire situational awareness data and DHS... Read More »
A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators introduced legislation to help protect the health and safety of firefighters and emergency responders from adverse substances.
The Protecting Firefighters from Adverse Substances (PFAS) Act directs federal agencies to develop best practices, training, and... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN) reintroduced legislation designed to fund better training for police officers.
Further, the Just and Unifying Solutions to Invigorate Communities Everywhere (JUSTICE) Act would increase the number of body cameras and provide grants to police departments to help... Read More »
A bipartisan bill was introduced in Congress to ensure that federal firefighters, law enforcement officials, Border Patrol officers, and other federal first responders qualify for full retirement benefits if they are injured on the job.
The First Responder Fair RETIRE Act addresses inequities... Read More »
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has earmarked $1,542,113 to aid Alerts, Warnings, and Notifications (AWN) guidance development.
The DHS S&T funding allotment via its Long-Range Broad Agency Announcement (LRBAA) program was awarded to Corner... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Cheri Bustos (D-IL) and Tim Ryan (D-OH) introduced a bill that would require the federal government to cover the full cost of National Guard deployments for COVID-19 response efforts.
A companion bill will be introduced in the Senate on Jan. 21 by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT). These are... Read More »
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has partnered with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA JPL) to develop firefighter tracking technology.
The effort would allow first responders to locate team members in burning buildings more accurately.... Read More »
The violent suicide bombing that rocked downtown Nashville, Tenn., on Christmas morning and devastated dozens of businesses in the area also exposed the difficulties with an American reliance on reactive, rather than proactive, emergency planning efforts.
While much focus has been placed on... Read More »
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Defense Sciences Office (DSO) is exploring the development of next-generation night-vision goggle (NVG) technology.
The Enhanced Night Vision in eyeglass form (ENVision) program allows the DSO seeks to create lightweight NVGs offering a... Read More »
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and NASCAR officials recently joined Daytona International Speedway personnel, first responders, and law enforcement officials in conducting a Daytona 500 fan safety tabletop exercise.
The exercise serves as an example of the planning and... Read More »
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) is encouraging communities to apply for Supporting and Improving Rural EMS Needs (SIREN) Act funds in support of fire and emergency medical services (EMS).
“In many small and rural towns in Illinois and across the country, rural fire and EMS agencies are a lifeline in... Read More »
New York State Assemblyman John T. McDonald III (D) is co-sponsoring a bill that would enact co-prescription of an opioid and an opioid overdose reversal drug like naloxone in New York, following a trend of similar laws enacted in California, New Jersey, and nine other states.
Co-prescription... Read More »
The International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) is commending the inclusion of provisions benefiting IAFF members in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021.
“In a year when COVID-19 has been the primary focus of Congress, I am proud of yet another successful... Read More »
Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL) has forwarded correspondence to President Donald Trump advocating for the full restoration of federal funding for the National Guard’s COVID-19 response efforts.
Bustos said the funding allotment is slated to expire at the end of the year.
“With the confirmed... Read More »
The Alliance for Substance Abuse Progress in Bartholomew County, Ind., is wrapping up a month-long series of events to educate residents about the life-saving effects of Narcan, a medicine used for the treatment of an opioid overdose emergency.
Narcan, or the generic drug naloxone, is an opioid... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) are encouraging the Department of Defense (DOD) to conduct rapid antigen COVID-19 tests of military service members, their families, civilians, and contractors.
The effort stems from aiding in detecting asymptomatic virus carriers while... Read More »
Ohio Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) are urging federal officials to support Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s request to restore and extend full federal funding for the Ohio National Guard’s COVID-19 response mission.
Since the pandemic hit, approximately 2,000 members of the Ohio... Read More »
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is seeking commercial technologies to enable night vision for first responders.
Interested parties should submit their products by 5:00 p.m. EST on Dec. 10 for inclusion in a market survey by S&T’s National... Read More »
Naloxone hydrochloride kits — or Narcan kits for short — are helping the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) stem an increase in opioid-related overdose deaths.
During the last five years, SFPD has partnered with the San Francisco Department of Public Health and the Harm Reduction... Read More »
Federal lawmakers from Oregon are requesting financial assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help offset the costs of fighting the wildfires.
Specifically, they are asking FEMA to assume 100 percent of the cost share for debris removal and emergency protective... Read More »
According to the Center for American Progress, an independent thinktank, violent crime rates dropped in 10 jurisdictions that enacted comprehensive police reform.
The group analyzed violent crime rates in 10 jurisdictions where the police department fulfilled a reform agreement with the U.S.... Read More »
The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) is urging Congress to pass legislation that would help protect and preserve retirement benefits for firefighters and emergency workers.
The Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2020 (H.R. 8696), introduced by Reps. Richard Neal (D-MA) and Kevin... Read More »
In the wake of wildfires that have devastated much of Oregon this year, Erickson Aero Tanker of Hillsboro, Ore., won a $70.5 million federal contract for large air tanker services to aid wildland firefighting both in-state and abroad.
U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) both... Read More »
