Safer SAFER

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) reported on the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Act that was enacted in 2003 in response to concerns about the adequacy of firefighter staffing. SAFER is administered by FEMA and is up for reauthorization.

The SAFER Act authorizes grants to career, volunteer, and combination local fire departments for the purpose of increasing the number of firefighters to help communities meet industry-minimum standards and attain 24-hour staffing to provide adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards. Also authorized are grants to volunteer fire departments for activities related to the recruitment and retention of volunteers.

With the economic downturn and local fire departments' budgetary problems, Congress is considering easing restrictions to enable more participation in the program.

Hawaii received its first SAFER grant of $1.6 million in FY2008.


Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response: The SAFER Grant Program, RL33375 (pdf, 13pp/176kB), from Open CRS, April 30, 2010

Examining pandemic: issues and resources

The National Academies Press publishes a ten-book series that "examines status of preparations, implementation strategies, and other aspects of the US response to the threat of pandemic influenze." Titles include:

• The Impact of Globalization on Infectious Disease Emergence and Control
• The Threat of Pandemic Influenza: Are We Ready?
• Ethical and Legal Considerations in Mitigating Pandemic Disease
• Dispensing Medical Countermeasures for Public Health Emergencies
• Antivirals for Pandemic Influenza: Guidance on Developing a Distribution and Dispensing Program

Pandemic Influenza Special Collection, by The National Academies Press
available as Open Text documents (select the "Buy this single book" option to access each free, full text availability)

Recent CRS reports

Recent Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports from Open CRS:

Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA): Selected Regulatory and Legislative Issues, RL34201 (pdf, 27pp/176kB), Nov. 26, 2008

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), first enacted in 1974, is administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which delegates primary enforcement of the drinking water program to states and tribes through the Public Water System Supervision (PWSS) program. In the 110th Congress, SDWA issues include: drinking water contaminants; perchlorate and pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in drinking water; drinking water infrastructure needs and funding; small systems (serving 3,300 persons or fewer) issues; and underground injection control (UIC) and geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.


Emergency Communications: The Future of 911, RL34755 (pdf, 36pp/200kB), Nov. 21, 2008

The current 911 infrastructure is based on analog technology that does not support newer, digital technologies, resulting in dropped or misdirected calls. According to CRS, modernizing 911 will require new technologies, collectively referred to as Next Generation 911, that should incorporate Internet Protocol (IP) networks. The most recent legislation passed by Congress, the NET 911 Improvement Act of 2008, P.L. 110-283 (pdf, 8pp), requires a national plan for migrating to an IP-enabled emergency network.


Iceland's Financial Crisis, RS22988 (pdf, 6pp/72kB), Nov. 20, 2008

Among CRS's conclusions:

The failure of Iceland’s banks raises questions about bank supervision and crisis management for governments in Europe and the United States. This incident raises questions about how national governments should address the issue of supervising foreign financial firms that are operating within their borders and how to protect their depositors when a foreign-owned firm may attempt to withdraw deposits from one market in order to offset losses in another.

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR): Votes and Legislative Actions, 95th Congress through 110th Congress, RL32838 (pdf, 37pp/204kB), Nov. 19, 2008

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) comprises 19 million acres that contain undeveloped oil and gas sources as well as a wide range of plants and animals. This report summarizes Congress's attempts to address issues of energy development and preservation in the Refuge, particularly from the 108th through 110th Congresses.