NVFC: Firefighters should press Congress to end shutdown

Mariam Zuhaib/AP

WASHINGTON — The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) is urging firefighters and EMS providers to contact members of Congress, pressing their legislators to end the Department of Homeland Security shutdown affecting fire and emergency services.

Through its advocacy campaign , the NVFC is calling on responders to press lawmakers to address the funding impasse over Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a dispute that has kept DHS shut down since Feb. 14.
According to the NVFC, the shutdown has delayed the application periods for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant programs, two major funding sources for fire departments across the country. The shutdown has also closed the U.S. Fire Administration and the National Fire Academy.

The organization said those closures are affecting departments that rely on federal grants, training and national-level fire service support. In response, the NVFC is encouraging firefighters to use its Legislative Action Center to send messages to senators and representatives urging action.

The form includes a pre-written message, which can be edited to align with firefighters’ specific concerns.

| HOW TO: Tell Congress to end the fire service shutdown