Two local fire chiefs recently traveled with ten others from Louisiana to attend the Congressional Fire Services Institute and meet with the U.S. Congressional delegation in Washington, D.C.

Westlake Fire Chief Jacques Picou and Carlyss Fire Chief Jude Savoie represented Calcasieu Parish. Besides representing their local departments,  they also represented the Louisiana Fire Chiefs Association as Chief Savoie is the immediate Past President and Chief Picou is the District 5 representative.

Both fire officials had a chance to speak to the delegation and discuss the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG), along with the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant programs.

The AFG program awards one-year matching grants to fire departments and certain EMS agencies. In addition, the SAFER program provides grants to fire departments for hiring firefighters and to regional and state fire associations to implement volunteer recruitment and retention programs. Carlyss applied for and received an AFG grant last year for about $100,000 and used the money to purchase radios for the new state radio system.

Both grants generally go directly to fire departments within months and are among the most cost efficient of all federal grants because the award goes directly to the fire departments.
The chiefs also asked for support of passage of the Volunteer Firefighter and EMS Personnel Job Protection Act. As it stands now, when volunteers are requested to respond to declared disasters, their primary jobs can be at risk. Under the proposed legislation, the jobs of volunteers would be protected for up to 14 days and their employer would not be required to compensate them when they are on a response.

The group also asked for more funding for the U.S. Fire Administration, which provides training and coordination, performs research and conducts specialized training courses as well as advanced management programs through its National Fire Academy (NFA) campus in Emmitsburg, Md. Courses are also available online and around the country through its Regional Delivery Program. The authorized level of funding for USFA is approximately $70 million; however, the group received less than $45 million in the last fiscal year. The NFA is the premier training facility for chief fire officers in the world and attending classes at their Emmitsburg facility is very affordable as the only cost not paid by the NFA is for meals.

Another topic of discussion was the passage of the Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act. Currently, businesses that voluntarily retrofit their buildings with sprinklers are eligible for a tax depreciation of the cost over a period over 39 years; the proposed legislation would change the deprecation to five years.

Other requests included funding for a state wide Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) plan that would fund equipment and training to provide three larger teams in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Shreveport, as well as smaller teams in Monroe, Alexandria, Lake Charles and Lafayette. Currently the closest federal USAR team is in College Station, Texas and would take about twelve hours for the team to respond to Lafayette. With the proposed teams in the state, there would be a USAR component within 2 hours of anywhere in the state.

The effort for a USAR component have already paid off, as Gov. Bobby Jindal announced earlier this month that $1.32 million in Homeland Security grant funding will be awarded to create a USAR system in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Shreveport.

 Overall, the trip was a worthwhile one for Louisiana.

“I have been involved in the Congressional Fire Service Institute over the last three years and it is very beneficial to us both at the local and state level. To have a group of constituents and others from the fire service sit down and discuss these issues has helped to get us better funding to protect the citizens in our fire district. Over the last four years we have received about $500,000 in grants from FEMA and I believe these meetings have helped procure this funding,” Chief Savoie said.

Chief Picou agreed. “ I have also been involved over the last three years and feel this was helpful in acquiring a grant for $75,000 for the purchase of a breathing air trailer for use throughout the Parish.”