March 16, 2009

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) today introduced the Firefighter Fatality Reduction Act of 2009. This legislation would determine the extent to which fire departments comply with consensus safety standards to reduce the number of avoidable deaths among firefighters. The legislation would further convene a task force to make recommendations to increase such compliance.

“Firefighters put their lives on the line everyday to keep our communities, our homes, and our families safe,” Brown said. “This bill is about protecting those who protect us. It’s our duty to do all we can to avoid preventable deaths and minimize injuries.”

“The loss of any firefighter in the line of duty is a tragedy. Even more tragic is a preventable firefighter fatality. Every year our nation loses roughly 100 firefighters in the line of duty, many of which could be prevented by following national voluntary consensus standards. These standards will provide the framework for every fire department to be as efficient and safe as possible,” stated Perlmutter. “Safer firefighters create safer communities.”

“An investment in our firefighters is an investment in the safety of our communities,” said Senator Joe Lieberman (ID-Conn.), a cosponsor of the bill and Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. “Every day they rush unquestioningly into the face of danger, which in turn demands constant attention to the best and most up-to-date safety standards.”

“The continued prevalence of avoidable fire fighter fatalities is the most serious problem facing the fire service today,” said IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger. “I applaud Senator Brown and Representative Perlmutter for tackling this problem head-on, and am proud to join with him to ensure that fire fighters nationwide have the tools and resources they need to ensure their safety and the safety of those they protect.”

According to the International Association of Fire Fighters, more than 100 fire fighters die in the line of duty each year, while tens of thousands of additional fire fighters sustain work-related injuries. In 2008, 114 fire fighters died in the line of duty, including six in Ohio and four in Colorado. While the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and other groups have developed industry safety standards, they are voluntary in nature and often ignored by fire departments. Brown’s bill would encourage the adoption of national consensus fire fighter safety standards and promote fire department compliance with such standards.

The Firefighter Fatality Reduction Act would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to determine the rate of fire department compliance with standards for safe operations, staffing, training and fitness among career, volunteer, and combination fire departments. DHS would also form a task force of firefighters, fire chiefs, and other individuals to study how to best increase fire department compliance with such standards. This bill would not mandate federal oversight of local fire departments, but instead would explore how the federal government could best promote fire fighter safety standards and assist fire departments with compliance.

Brown and Perlmutter introduced similar companion bills in the 110th Congress

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