Legislation and Funding
As part of the FireRescue1 Legislation & Funding topic, we highlight articles that will affect the bottom line of fire department budgets and operations.
FEMA is proposing nearly $1 billion in cuts to grant programs that public safety agencies use to strengthen disaster preparedness
A proposed federal budget would eliminate funding for over half of FEMA’s emergency and homeland security grant programs, for training, equipment and readiness efforts
Baraboo will receive USDA funding to build a main 39,000-square-foot fire and EMS facility and a smaller satellite station to improve emergency response coverage
Giuseppe Falcone said he wasn’t performing welding at a building next door when the March 26 fire erupted
One small fire department’s financial woes show a much larger problem, here’s one possible solution
Politicians love to feast on the good feelings fire trucks bring, but grow alligator arms when the bill arrives
The department receives 25 percent of its funding from taxes, yet residents are slow to donate money needed to keep the department running
The temporary order returns staffing and response to levels before cutbacks; the union is seeking a permanent order
Conditions are ripe for a rough wildfire season and the money to fight it isn’t there
Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White says wider streets make it easier for fire trucks to operate
The layoffs became necessary after the city lost a federal grant that was to fund 50 firefighters next year; city staff found enough money to retain 15 of those jobs
Nearly two dozen volunteer firefighters threatened to drop their equipment and quit if the board failed to approve new rules
Markus Kaarma, a wildland firefighter, was charged in the shooting death of a 17-year-old exchange student in his garage
Terms of the deal were not released, but mediators said it will “provide an economically feasible agreement for the city as it emerges from bankruptcy”
Firefighter Kessler was threatened during her 20-year career; the judge called the department’s working environment abusive
A Senate bill would give mandatory jail time to anyone convicted of assault, and life in prison without parole for anyone convicted of murdering an EMT or medic
The plan would require rail companies to notify responders when transporting a hazardous material through their jurisdictions
The city filed a stay of arbitration in an effort to get a court ruling that would prevent the union from taking the matter to a state arbitrator whose decision would be binding
Former Fire Chief Ryan Scharber, who pleaded guilty to setting 9 forest fires, says stress from his son’s illness was what motivated him to start the fires
Five firefighters will be suspended for three months without pay for violating a statue that forbids responders from being involved with political campaigns while in uniform or on-duty
Chief Mike Ballmann and Division Chief Randy Sanders were offered buyouts in an effort to trim an organization that was too top heavy
“We were able to find enough money to keep 15 people employed, so rather than 50 (layoffs) we’re looking at 35,” said Reno Fire Chief Michael Hernandez
The owner says he’s being treated unfairly by the city after testifying in court that firefighters needed more than a 48-hour training course to become paramedics
The firefighter out on disability, caught on video weightlifting, has filed a suit against the city for suspending his disability pension
Documents detail problems the department had with staffing issues, fuel for generators, and even food for the firefighters
Their staff was nearly cut from 53 to 37 firefighters; as a result, they had to close a firehouse
Union officials say the new schedule is dangerous because the more frequent shifts will make firefighters overtired
Standard insurance coverage won’t pay for the work, which could jeopardize budgets for firefighter safety gear
Firefighter and city councilman charged the mayor with planning to dismantle the fire department
A part-time firefighter position is being eliminated and there will no longer be any paid firefighters at one fire station
The city’s inspector general said they should be fired, but the city noted a prior failure to make that punishment stick in a related case
Toxicology tests reveal Anthony Marsal’s blood-alcohol level was nearly tripled the legal limit and that he had ingested cocaine in the hours before the crash
“If we do this advertising in a tasteful manner, it’s with entities and businesses that fit our mission,” Fire Chief Scott Huntley said