Bush continues to cut the NFA

[scfire86]

Got this from the chief of our department.

THE FOLLOWING IS FROM THE NEWLETTER FOR THE SOCIETY OF NATIONAL FIRE
ACADEMY INSTRUCTORS. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO BELIEVE THAT THE PROGRAMS OF THE
NATIONAL FIRE ACADEMY AND THE UNITED STATES FIRE ADMINISTRATION ARE
IMPORTANT TO THE FIRE AND ALLIED EMERGENCY SERVICES NOW IS THE TIME TO
ACT.

THE FUTURE OF THE NFA AND THE USFA ARE AT STAKE. I HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED
WITH
ACADEMY AS AN ADJUNCT INSTRUCTOR FOR OVER 20 YEARS AND SEE MANY UPS AND
DOWNS, BUT THE CURRENT STATUS IS THE WORST I HAVE EVER SEEN. ACT NOW OR
THESE WILL THESE PROGRAMS WILL BE ONLY A MEMORY.

THE BATTLE FOR SURVIVAL BEGINS!
We Open Fire on January 21st!
The Game Plan, If you really care about your National Fire Academy, what
it has done to improve life and fire protection for this nation, how it
has positively affected your home department in knowledge, skills, and
abilities, then YOU must take an active part in getting the Congress and
President to restore the funding that the bureaucrats in the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) have taken away over the past three years.

All of you are critical players in the war to reverse the trend that has
reduced the USFA budget by over 50% in the past 10 months. If this money
were going back to the General Fund to reduce the debt, maybe, there would
be less opposition from the fire service. But, it isn't going there, it is
going to other non-fire programs in DHS.

They are picking our pockets to fund law enforcement programs, not much
different than what FEMA did to us in the 1980s. We fought them then and
won; we must do it all over again. The script is the same, only the
players have changed. We are again fighting for the survival of the USFA
and NFA. If we fail, we only have ourselves to blame.

The Budget Reduction Details and Talking Points
USFA Budget - Dollars in Millions (rounded)
2002 - 64.8 million
2003 - 52.8 million
2004 - 51.7 million
2005 - 51.3 million*
* 2005 is a projected number before the latest cuts.
As can readily be seen, the USFA budget has lost $13.5 million since 2002.
Programs that USFA does for the National fire service has decreased by
$13.4 million. This is where the rubber meets the road. DHS has diverted
this money to other programs in the DHS.
Loss Since 2002
2002 - 30.6 million
2003 - 24.7 million
2004 - 23.1 million
2005 - 19.2 million*
* 2005 is the actual monies allocated after the latest cuts.
NFA has lost $1.1 million, mostly from the Simulation Lab ($300,000) and
some from printing (if you don't have new/revised courses, why do you have
to print?) etc.
Nation Fire Programs has lost $9.1 million, mostly in course development,
course revisions, and outreach (prevention, partnering with other
organizations, tech assistance, and major fire reports).
The Fire Data Center has been crippled.

More Talking Points
Again, these cuts in Fire Programs are extremely dangerous because they
prevent our ability to grow and produce the types of courses that are so
dearly needed by the American fire service. We could be on the verge of
extinction (and I think that is what the police/terrorism oriented DHS
leadership wants).

Funds for all programs which do not directly generate student numbers have
been reduced, including course development, course revisions, and TRADE
activities.

Funding for the National Fire Data Center has been severely reduced.
Funding for technology development initiative such as the simulation lab
and distance education projects have been reduced.
The Executive Fire Officer budget has been reduced from $233,000 to
$65,000.
The Harvard Executive Fellowship has been eliminated.
The NFA has become bureaucratically buried within the massive Department
of Homeland Security.
The functions and responsibilities of FEMA, a former cabinet-level agency,
have been spread across a wide variety of divisions, branches, and
agencies within DHS. While the need for the number and types of courses
offered by the NFA continues to increase, the Federal resources required
to meet these needs have been significantly reduced.

Precisely at the same time that the NIMS Integration Center (NIC) has
emphasized training as a priority for DHS grants to the States, we have
others in DHS cutting the USFA/NFA budget and moving that money to other
parts of DHS for terrorism and other efforts.

The American fire, rescue, and EMS services need, more than ever,
effective training to be prepared for terrorism events. Because of the
budget cuts, contemporary course materials and new courses will not be
available for this effort.

It seems that DHS does not care about the fire service or any aspect of
prevention or anything that furthers the cause of fire service
preparedness.

What You Need You To Do
Using the details and talking points, put together a letter that can be
sent to your Congressperson and two Senators. You can find their snail
mail addresses at http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home/.

At this site you can get the President's, Senators, and Congresspersons
snail mail addresses for your State and District. Go there now and get
them and write them down. The letters to the two Senators and
Congressperson can be virtually the same letter. The one to the President
should be somewhat more direct about what DHS is doing to the fire
service.

Also, get others from your agencies and departments to write a letter. The
more the better - especially, the chief of department. Use department or
agency letterhead where possible. EACH OF YOU IS CRITICAL IN THIS BATTLE.
WITHOUT A MASSIVE INPUT OF MAIL TO POLITICIANS, WE WILL FAIL. PLEASE DO
YOUR PART. WE ASK ONLY ABOUT A HALF HOUR OF YOUR TIME.

DHS reports to aver 80 committees in Congress. Your Congressperson and
Senators are probably on at least one of those committees. WRITE THEM!!
Do Not mail the letters until January 21, 2005. We are working with a
large segment of the fire service community and would like to have the
largest impact that is possible.

Please be aware that e-mails are an ineffective way of getting change to
happen in Congress.


Dr. James G. Munger, Ph.D., MIFireE, CFPS
James G. Munger and Associates, Inc
1504 Main Avenue NE
PO Box 1773
Cullman, AL 35056
www.jgmunger.com
Voice (256) 739-3755
Fax (256) 739-2465
Cell (301) 988-0665


Dr. James G. Munger, Ph.D., MIFireE, CFPS
James G. Munger and Associates, Inc
1504 Main Avenue NE
PO Box 1773
Cullman, AL 35056
www.jgmunger.com
Voice (256) 739-3755
Fax (256) 739-2465
Cell (301) 988-0665

[fireflymedic]

scfire86

what is the address to get on there mailing list, (not as an instructror just gen info) I recently attended the VIP program and they told us how but they did it at graduation and i did not have pin and paper.

You can tell they are low on money with all the broken concrete side walks and all, But I do incurage anyone/every one to go take a class, they are no longer mailing out the big books on class scedules due to money also.

but if you get there you wont regret it.