Proposed AFG Changes Could Ax Rural Depts.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The neediest fire companies across the country would be all but eliminated from receiving fire grants under a proposal penned by several major fire service organizations.

If approved, the match for departments serving populations of 20,000 or fewer would jump from 5 to 15 percent, while those with populations between 20,000 to 50,000 would be 15 percent, up 5 percent from what they pay now.

The largest departments, however, would see a 5 percent decline in the funds they would have to promise. Right now, it's 20 percent, but their share would be just 15 percent.

The proposal by the IAFF, IAFC, NFPA and CFSI surfaced Wednesday during a House subcommittee hearing on the Fire Act grant program reauthorization.

The NVFC was not consulted, and other groups including the International Association of Arson Investigators did not sign off on the 15 percent proposal.

The IAFC also introduced a proposal to create a waiver of the match for economically challenged departments. But, there are no guidelines for the measure.

A training officer from rural Nebraska who said he couldn't allow firefighters to participate in live fire exercises because their gear was inadequate told the legislators the 15 percent proposal for small departments would make it almost impossible for the majority to participate.

Ed Carlin said until last year, firefighters handling a 350 square-mile district in rural Nebraska depended on a 1948 pumper with a rusty tank that wouldn't hold water.

But, that changed when the department was awarded an AFG grant. They now have a mini-pumper. Before applying, however, they had to come up with the five percent matching funds.

Rep. Adrian Smith (R-Neb.) who said departments in his district call the AFG program their "lifesaver," also has reservations with the proposed changes.

"I am concerned about the Unified Fire Service's proposal to replace the program's current needs-based focus with one where statutory set-asides limit program flexibility based on department type. I fear this redistribution of AFG funds will put many rural and all-volunteer departments at a severe disadvantage when it comes to obtaining the necessary equipment."

He also said it worries him that priority would be given to larger departments.

"Populations and call volume isn't the only determinant of need, and we must be cognizant of the unique role our volunteer firefighters play in serving their communities, and not limit an extremely critical source of funding for their departments."

Another proposal would divide the pot -- 30 percent each for career, combination and volunteers. The remaining 10 percent would be up for grabs by all departments.

Grant applications are peer reviewed, and the AFG program has long been lauded as one of the most-effective in the federal government.

Kevin O'Connor, assistant to the IAFF general president, told the committee career departments should be getting more funds.

He said while since the program's inception in 2000, there has been an effort to insure that all departments would have a shot at a grant. "But, in our attempt to assure fairness, we over-compensated and created a situation in which the grants are skewed disproportionately against professional and combination departments," O'Connor said.

He pointed to records showing career departments have received 10 percent, compared to 68.6 percent to rural companies.