Washington, DC - Senator John Kerry, on the Senate floor today introduced and passed an amendment that would require an increase in funding for federal agencies to investigate firefighter deaths. Kerry’s amendment to the Department of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Act for FY08 would increase the funding for the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health’s Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program from $2.5 million to $5 million.

 
“Every year, firefighters die in the line of duty. This increase in funding will help ensure the bare minimum we owe to their families and their fellow firefighters: a thorough investigation to determine why they died and help determine what can be done to prevent tragedy in the future. I thank my colleagues in the Senate for making this funding the priority it should be, and helping to make sure our first responders remain as safe as they possibly can be,” said Senator Kerry.

 
Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery:

 
Mr. President, I call up Senate Amendment number 3398 and ask for its immediate consideration.  I ask unanimous consent to modify the amendment.

 
This amendment increases funding for the Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Fund within the National Institute for Occupations Safety and Health by $2.5 million.  This program has been flat funded at $2.5 million since 1998.  The amendment is offset through a pro rata reduction in consulting services appropriated for the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Education.

 
In February of this year, I sent a letter to the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services regarding a media report that the Centers of Disease Control had blocked an investigation into the deaths of six firefighters whose personal safety equipment failed between 1998 and 2000. 

 
In his response to me, which my office received in late August of this year, the Inspector General reported that flat funding at $2.5 million has resulted in a decreased number of investigations over time, and that as a result the National Institute of Occupations Safety and Health has had to prioritize certain types of investigations, such as those that result in large numbers of deaths or those likely to result in new types of safety recommendations.

 
Mr. President, nearly 100 fire fighters die in the line of duty each year, and since its inception the Fire Fighter Fatality program has reported valuable insight into deaths in nearly every state across the nation.  If we are to believe the Inspector General’s report, additional resources must be provided for this program in order to ensure that the cause of a fire fighter’s death is clear in every instance, and that no fatality falls through the cracks simply because of a lack of resources.


The International Association of Fire Fighters and the International Association of Fire Chiefs have sent a letter endorsing the amendment, which I have with me here. 

 
I would like to thank Senator Schumer for cosponsoring the amendment, as well as Senators Harkin and Specter for their continued leadership as we work to pass this important legislation.

 
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