National Volunteer Fire Council
The most immediate and important comment in this edition of your FFAM magazine is to PLEASE READ THE PROPOSED OSHA’s New “Emergency Response Rule” Update.
A close second in importance if you have more time is the reauthorization of AFG & SAFER which is a statutory set to sunset on September 30th. The Senate signed off on reauthorization to 2030 by a vote of 95-2 (nearly unanimously, but Ron Paul from Kentucky who heads Homeland did not, and that complicated some procedural things. It is now required for the process in the House and… crickets! NVFC Regulatory Affairs Chief Ryan Woodward is working on this, and the Directors are put on notice to be watching for possible take-action notices if things are stalled.
NVFC is working on this in between the heavy load taken on by the proposed OSHA rule. With regard to proposed funding, we took a hard slap in the face with a 10% cut in both AFG and SAFER. It is not too late to get some of this restored, but that is the current standing. Full disclosure there was a 10% cut of all FEMA Grants with the footnote, ”There is only so much money and we have to pay for some wars.” Given the unrest and potential domestic terrorist exposures, they should be significantly increasing both, not cutting them. The AFG application ask was $2.5 billion vs. $360 million previously appropriated and this has been cut to $324 million. We were asking for $405 million. Similar to SAFER having an ask of $2.8 billion and the previous funding number was cut by 10%.
Since SAFER was initially funded, in 2011 it has been cut by $81 million and AFG has dropped from $565 million in 2009.
Due to the increase of the AD&D Life Insurance Policy for each NVFC member, the individual dues will be raised from $21 to $24 in 2025. For 2024, each member cost $21.96. The good news is individual membership currently stands at 37,494 but at 96 cents, that was a net loss of $36,000 which NVFC absorbed. Deficient spending cannot be sustained, so dues went up.
The National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS) representative provided an update. They are on time, on target, and on budget. NERIS is replacing the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). The launch will be in November 2024. They have an informational website that offers training at https://fsri.org/programs/neris .
I will have a more detailed summary of the Spring Meeting from April 25-27 in the July-August Magazine. If you are not an NVFC Member and want more information on the many benefits or are ready to join for just $21 (which goes up to $24 on January 1, 2025) go to www.nvfc.org/join-nvfc/ .
Please review the Proposed Emergency Response Rule Update
Thank you for your time and for allowing me to serve on your behalf with NVFC.
FFAM
