Ruppersberger Urges House to Restore Funding for Local First Responders

U.S. Rep. C.A. "Dutch" Ruppersberger urged his colleagues in the House of Representatives on Wednesday to restore critical public safety funding for local first responders in the proposed 2012 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill.

The legislation, which will be considered on the House floor Thursday, rolls nine state and local security grants including funds for firefighter assistance, port security and rail safety into a block grant and slashes the funding by 55 percent from last year’s budget.

“I have continually said that the budget debate is not about whether or not to cut—it’s about what to cut," said Ruppersberger in a statement. "These cuts must be smart and forward-thinking. Our priorities must be basic government services, foremost of which is public safety.

"We know from evidence collected during the raid at Osama bin Laden’s compound that terrorists plan to attack local rail systems. Now is not the time to slash funding that provides equipment, training and manpower that our first responders need to protect us from harm.”

The grant programs received $2.2 billion in fiscal year 2011. If the bill is approved as proposed, the programs will be competing for a share of $1 billion.

Included in the programs are the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (FIRE) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant Program (SAFER), which help local fire departments equip, train and maintain their personnel, preparing them to respond to all forms of emergencies, from house fires and medical emergencies to natural disasters and terrorist attacks.

Funding through FIRE and SAFER programs is awarded directly to fire departments instead of being funneled through the states, helping them address immediate needs.

 In FY 2010, fire departments in Maryland received nearly $6.7 million from the FIRE and SAFER programs. According to a news release, if these cuts are approved, the International Association of Firefighters estimates that thousands of firefighters will lose their jobs.