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FACT
SHEET
THE
FIRST RESPONDERS PARTNERSHIP GRANT ACT
Chief
Sponsor: Sen. Patrick Leahy
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Since March 12, 2002, the
federal
Homeland Security Advisory System has kept the nation’s
first responders – firefighters, emergency rescue personnel and law
enforcement officers – on “yellow” alert, an elevated threat level of
a significant risk of terrorist attacks, which requires increased
surveillance of critical locations. From Sept.10, 2002, to Sept.24,
2002, Attorney General Ashcroft declared the nation at “orange” threat
level -- a “high condition” suggesting a high probability of a
terrorist attack, requiring additional precautions at public events.
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The National Governors’ Association estimated that States incurred
about $7 billion in security costs in the past year alone. As a
result, the national threat alerts and other federal homeland security
requirements have become unfunded federal mandates on our state and
local governments.
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Next week, Senator Patrick Leahy will introduce the “First Responders
Partnership Grant Act of 2003,” to establish a grant program at the
Department of Justice to provide $4 billion nationwide in annual funds
to support first responders in their efforts to protect homeland
security and prevent and respond to acts of terrorism.
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Similar to the highly successful Justice Department Community Oriented
Policing Services (COPS) and the Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership
Grant Programs, the First Responder Grants will be made directly to
state and local governments for overtime, equipment, training and
facility expenses to support first responders.
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The First Responder Grants may be used to pay up to 90 percent of the
cost of the overtime, equipment, training or facility expenses. In
cases of fiscal hardship, the Department of Justice may waive the
local match requirement of 10 percent to provide federal funds for
communities that cannot afford the local match.
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Under the bill=s
small-state minimum, Vermont public safety agencies would receive at
least $30 million a year in First Responder Grants when fully funded.
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The Professional Firefighters of Vermont, Vermont Sheriffs Association
and other Vermont public safety officials have endorsed the First
Responders Partnership Grant Act because of the critically needed help
it offers to the state’s first responders.
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SENATOR PATRICK LEAHY
REMARKS ON THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE
“FIRST RESPONDERS PARTNERSHIP GRANT ACT OF 2003”
SOUTH BURLINGTON, VERMONT
JANUARY 31, 2003
I am proud to be joined today by these
brave Vermont firefighters, emergency rescuers and law
enforcement officers. I want to thank each of these first responders
for the jobs they do for us day in and day out. In particular I want
to thank Chief Doug Bent of the South Burlington Fire Department for
hosting today’s event.
As a former States’ Attorney for
Chittenden County, I know that public safety officers are often
the first responders to any crime in Vermont. On September 11th,
the nation saw that the first on the scene were the heroic
firefighters, police officers and emergency personnel in New York
City. These real-life heroes, many of whom gave the ultimate
sacrifice, remind us of how important it is to support our state and
local public safety partners. But our first responders are not
getting the federal support they need and deserve to protect us, as we
want and need them to protect us.
Counties, cities and towns in
Vermont and across the nation are being overwhelmed by
increasing homeland security costs required by the federal
government. Since March 12th of last year, the
federal
Homeland Security Advisory System has kept state and
local first responders on “yellow” alert, an elevated threat level,
which is declared when there is a significant risk of
terrorist attacks and which requires increased surveillance of
critical locations. And from Sept.10 to Sept. 24 last year, Attorney
General Ashcroft declared our country at “orange” threat level, a
“high condition” when there is high probability of a terrorist attack
and when additional precautions by first responders are necessary at
public events.
When terrorists strike, first responders
are and will be the first people we think of and turn to. They get
the first call.
But the federal government has failed to
provide our first responders with the additional support they need to
meet these new federal demands. Indeed, the National Governors’
Association estimated that states incurred about $7 billion in
security costs in the past year alone. As a result, the national
threat alerts and other federal homeland security requirements have
become unfunded federal mandates on our state and local governments.
Our state and local law enforcement
officers, firefighters and emergency personnel are full partners in
preventing, investigating and responding to terrorist acts. They need
and deserve the full partnership of the federal government to meet
these new national responsibilities.
I have little doubt that the President
and the Congress will provide all the resources our military services
need to fight the war on terrorism abroad. Washington
is talking now about literally hundreds of billions of additional
dollars for that, for Iraq and beyond. The same cannot be said for
security here at home -- for the help desperately needed by our first
responders -- and for a year and a half I have been working hard to
remedy that, with allies like Senator Clinton and Senator Schumer from
New York. On the Judiciary Committee on which I serve, I have made it
a high priority to evaluate and meet the needs of our first
responders.
That is why I am introducing the “First
Responders Partnership Grant Act” to give our nation’s law enforcement
officers, firefighters and emergency personnel the resources they need
to do their jobs. My legislation will establish a grant program at
the Department of Justice to provide $4 billion nationwide in annual
federal funds to support state and local public safety officers in
their efforts to protect homeland security and prevent and respond to
acts of terrorism. Under the bill=s
small-state minimum, Vermont public safety agencies would receive at
least $30 million a year in First Responder Grants when fully funded.
Similar to the highly successful
Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) and
the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Programs, the First Responder
Grants will be made directly to state and local governments for
overtime, equipment, training and facility expenses to support our law
enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency personnel.
The First Responder Grants may be used
to pay up to 90 percent of the cost of the overtime, equipment,
training or facility. In cases of fiscal hardship, the Justice
Department can waive the local match requirement of 10 percent to
provide federal funds for communities that cannot afford the local
match.
Vermont has the reputation
of being one of the safest states in which to live, work and visit.
In no small part, this is due to the hard work of our public safety
officers who have sworn to serve and protect us. In a world shaped by
the violent events of September 11th, not a day goes by when we do not
call upon these officers to be ceaselessly vigilant and to put their
lives at risk in the line of duty.
Our state and local public safety
partners in Vermont welcome the challenge to join in our
national mission to protect our homeland security. But we cannot ask
our firefighters, emergency personnel, and law enforcement officers to
assume these new national responsibilities without also providing new
federal support.
The First Responders Partnership Grant
Program will provide the necessary federal support for our state and
public safety officers to serve as full partners in the fight to
protect our homeland security. We need our first-responders for the
security and the life-saving help they bring to our communities. All
they ask is for the tools they need to do their jobs for us. And for
the sake of our own security, that is not too much to ask.
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