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Recently in Washington
Blaine County Volunteer Firefighters Receive Grant
Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson recently announced that the Blaine County Fire Chiefs have been awarded a four year $1.7 million grant. The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant will help recruit and retain volunteer firefighters for Blaine County.
“Fire departments, like many businesses and institutions, have been hit hard during these tough economic times,” said Simpson. “The number of emergency responses has increased in Blaine County placing a strain on fire departments and their volunteers. I’m hopeful this grant will help the County recruit more volunteer firefighters and improve their emergency response capabilities.”
A volunteer firefighter will put in several hundred hours of time between responding to emergencies and training within a year. This grant will allow volunteer firefighters to earn a set amount monthly that can be used for tax deferred benefits such as healthcare insurance, retirement and other benefits. The volunteers will have to maintain a certain level of participation to receive these benefits.
“I was very excited to learn of the grant award for the Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighter/EMTs,” Wood River Fire & Rescue Chief Bart Lassman said. “In my many years as a Chief of a volunteer fire and rescue department this has been the largest hurdle to overcome and affects service to our citizens. These grant funds will allow us to provide benefits to our existing volunteers and recruit new volunteers through new advertising and media channels.”
The Blaine County Fire Chiefs (BCFC) moved forward applying for this grant last year after being encouraged to try to provide benefits for volunteering. Blaine County fire departments have limited paid staffing in several departments and the need for good dedicated volunteers is very high. There are approximately 145 active volunteers in Blaine County and the BCFC would like to increase that number to over 240 active volunteers by the end of this grant.
The recruitment and retention of additional volunteer firefighters will help protect thousands of citizens. An increase in volunteer firefighters also will support operational needs, providing adequate staffing to ensure timely emergency response capabilities.
SAFER funding is a competitive grant program that is administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency in cooperation with the U.S. Fire Administration.
Floor Schedule
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10TH
On Monday, the House will meet at 2:00 p.m. for legislative business. Votes will be postponed until 6:30 p.m.
Legislation Considered Under Suspension of the Rules:
1) H.R. 3397 - Cabin Fee Act of 2011, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Doc Hastings / Natural Resources Committee)
2) H.R. 2706 - Billfish Conservation Act of 2011, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Jeff Miller / Natural Resources Committee)
3) H.R. 6007 - North Texas Zebra Mussel Barrier Act of 2012, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Ralph Hall / Natural Resources Committee)
4) H.R. 2489 - American Battlefield Protection Program Amendments Act of 2012 (Sponsored by Rep. Ralph Hall / Natural Resources Committee)
5) H.R. 2139 - Lions Club International Century of Service Commemorative Coin Act, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Peter Roskam / Financial Services Committee)
6) H.R. 6186 - To require a study of voluntary community-based flood insurance options and how such options could be incorporated into the national flood insurance program, and for other purposes (Sponsored by Rep. Gwen Moore / Financial Services Committee)
7) H.R. 4264 - FHA Emergency Fiscal Solvency Act of 2012, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Judy Biggert / Financial Services Committee)
8) H.R. 6122 - To revise the authority of the Librarian of Congress to accept gifts and bequests on behalf of the Library, and for other purposes (Sponsored by Rep. Dan Lungren / House Administration Committee)
9) H.R. 406 - To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to permit candidates for election for Federal office to designate an individual who will be authorized to disburse funds of the authorized campaign committees of the candidate in the event of the death of the candidate (Sponsored by Rep. Walter Jones / House Administration Committee)
10) H.Con.Res. 132 - Providing funding to ensure the printing and production of the authorized number of copies of the revised and updated version of the House document entitled "Hispanic Americans in Congress", and for other purposes (Sponsored by Rep. Dan Lungren / House Administration Committee)
11) H.R. 6336 - To direct the Joint Committee on the Library to accept a statue depicting Frederick Douglass from the District of Columbia and to provide for the permanent display of the statue in Emancipation Hall of the Capitol Visitor Center (Sponsored by Rep. Dan Lungren / House Administration Committee)
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11TH, AND THE BALANCE OF THE WEEK
On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for morning hour and 12:00 p.m. for legislative business.
On Friday, the House will meet at 9:00 a.m. for legislative business. Last votes expected no later than 3:00 p.m.
Legislation Considered Under Suspension of the Rules:
1) H.R. 4631 - Government Spending Accountability Act of 2012, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Joe Walsh / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
2) H.R. 538 - Government Customer Service Improvement Act, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Henry Cuellar / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
3) H.R. 4057 - Improving Transparency of Education Opportunities for Veterans Act of 2012, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Gus Bilirakis / Veterans’ Affairs Committee)
4) H.R. 4305 - Child and Elderly Missing Alert Program (Sponsored by Rep. Steve Chabot / House Judiciary Committee)
5) H.R. 6215 - To amend the Trademark Act of 1946 to correct an error in the provisions relating to remedies for dilution, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Lamar Smith / Judiciary Committee)
6) H.R. 6185 - Local Courthouse Safety Act of 2012, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Sandy Adams / Judiciary Committee)
7) H.R. 1775 - Stolen Valor Act of 2011 (Sponsored by Rep. Joe Heck / Judiciary Committee)
8) H.R. 6080 - To make improvements in the enactment of title 41, United States Code, into a positive law title and to improve the code (Sponsored by Rep. Lamar Smith / Judiciary Committee)
9) H.R. 2800 - To amend the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to reauthorize the Missing Alzheimer's Disease Patient Alert Program (Sponsored by Rep. Maxine Waters / Judiciary Committee)
10) H.R. 6189 - To eliminate unnecessary reporting requirements for unfunded programs under the Office of Justice Programs, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. John Conyers / Judiciary Committee)
11) S. 3245 - A bill to extend by 3 years the authorization of the EB-5 Regional Center Program, the E-Verify Program, the Special Immigrant Nonminister Religious Worker Program, and the Conrad State 30 J-1 Visa Waiver Program (Sponsored by Sen. Patrick Leahy / Judiciary Committee)
12) H.R. 6131 - To extend the Undertaking Spam, Spyware, And Fraud Enforcement With Enforcers beyond Borders Act of 2006, and for other purposes (Sponsored by Rep. Mary Bono Mack / Energy and Commerce Committee)
13) S. 710 - Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest Establishment Act (Sponsored by Sen. John Thune / Energy and Commerce Committee)
14) H.R. 5865 - American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act of 2012 (Sponsored by Rep. Dan Lipinski / Energy and Commerce Committee)
15) H.R. 3857 - Public Transit Security and Local Law Enforcement Support Act (Sponsored by Rep. Bob Turner / Homeland Security Committee)
16) H.R. 6028 - No-Hassle Flying Act of 2012 (Sponsored by Rep. Joe Walsh / Homeland Security Committee)
17) H.R. 1410 - Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2011 (Sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith / Foreign Affairs Committee)
18) H.Res. 484 - Calling on the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to respect basic human rights and cease abusing vague national security provisions such as articles 79 and 88 of the Vietnamese penal code which are often the pretext to arrest and detain citizens who peacefully advocate for religious and political freedom (Sponsored by Rep. Loretta Sanchez / Foreign Affairs Committee)
19) H.R. 1464 - North Korean Refugee Adoption Act of 2011 (Sponsored by Rep. Ed Royce / Foreign Affairs Committee)
20) H.Res. 177 - Expressing support for internal rebuilding, resettlement, and reconciliation within Sri Lanka that are necessary to ensure a lasting peace (Sponsored by Rep. Mike Grimm / Foreign Affairs Committee)
21) S.Con.Res. 17 - A concurrent resolution expressing the sense of Congress that Taiwan should be accorded observer status in the International Civil Aviation Organization (Sponsored by Sen. Robert Menendez / Foreign Affairs Committee)
H.R. 5544 - Minnesota Education Investment and Employment Act, Rules Committee Print (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Chip Cravaack / Natural Resources Committee)
H.R. 5949 - FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012 (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Lamar Smith / Judiciary Committee / Permanent Select Intelligence Committee)
H.Res. __ - Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2013 (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Hal Rogers / Appropriations Committee)
H.R. __ - The National Security and Job Protection Act (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Allen West / Budget Committee)
H.R. 6213- No More Solyndras Act, Rules Committee Print (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Fred Upton / Energy and Commerce Committee / Science, Space and Technology Committee)
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