Skip to main content

Presidential Budget cuts 2.5M from vital grants!


I know that many of you are tired of hearing about the budget and the sequestration, fiscal cliffs and many many other things that are occurring in the federal budget.  Some of you don't care because it isn't currently affecting your department.  This is one budget update that you may want to pay attention to. 

In the President's 2013 budget, the SAFER and Assistance to Firefighter grant programs are not being funded to previous years levels.  Now that cut currently sits at 2.5 million out of a total of 335m per program.  However, and this is where I caution you any cuts can be a dangerous sign to the future of this program.  

As you know, emergency services (police, fire and ems) serves of America's first line of defense when it comes to dangerous situations.  These are the groups that are running towards the danger while others run out...i've always hated that quote, but it works.  Videos from the tragic events at the World Trade Center show just that.  People in uniform headed toward the site while other evacuated.  That is what is supposed to happen, but there are times when our agencies need help.  

There isn't many other times in history when our emergency services organizations were tasked with such specific events as to require equipment that would calculate into the millions of dollars.  During the months following the NYC attacks, continued attacks on the safety of American's was challenged as news reporters in New York were sent envelopes with potential anthrax which requires specialized equipment and training to respond to and mitigate scene involving such agents.  Even more our responders continue to expand interoperability which will allow cross communications, cross execution of response and an ability to share equipment to enhance protection. 

Many of these capabilities are available because the agencies have received vital funding through the AFG grants and personnel through the SAFER programs.  Cutting these programs will degrade the future response of our agencies.  

Work with your legislators to continue funding of the SAFER and AFG programs.  

Take Care and Stay Safe!
The Combomedic

twitter.com/dsblev

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

ELPA 6872 -Educational Technology

Good Morning Everybody. It has been a long time since I have posted on this blog.  The reason I am is a great reason for my Fire and EMS Audience, as well as my academic colleagues. After a very eventful beginning of 2018, my application was selected to join the latest cohort of students obtaining their Doctor of Education.  As part of this program, we are completing a course that is dedicated to technology and implementation into the classroom.  The delivery of this program is through technology based platforms, in that it is an online program. Here are some questions that I have about technology, and online learning. 1)  To mimic some of the classroom interaction and discussion, online educators use the discussion board with each module to foster communication.  For those of you having completed online educational programs, what made the discussion board useful? 2)  Does the set-up of the online course material make a difference in the success o...

The Original Sequestration

In the recent months, anybody that has a radio or television has heard the term sequester or sequestration.  If you look-up sequestration online you will find a definition basically stating that an object (of some sort) will be taken back.  In 1985 Congress adjusted the term to become a fiscal definition basically meaning to take money back.  You can get even more fancy with the definition; however, overall something was giveth and something will be taketh away!!! Now, my question to you today is whether you know what this means to you?  Really, you don't?  Well don't worry you are not in the minority in this case.  I think if you were to ask those that govern what the 2013 sequestration actually means and how the population of the United State is going to be affected.  Open up the paper (or online copy) and you will find a different editorial on how the sequestration is going to affect rank and file members of this wonderful country.  One edito...