John Edwards for President-Honoring Bravery and Ensuring Safety

Honoring Bravery and Ensuring Safety

John Edwards' Plan to Support Rural Firefighters

"The spirit of public service is so important to America's small towns. When we honor the bravery of rural firefighters, we strengthen entire communities." - John Edwards

Because rural areas have limited tax bases and smaller, more dispersed populations, they often struggle to provide vital public safety services. Death rates from fires are 35 percent higher in rural areas than in the rest of the country. Rural fire departments are stretched thin, and most small towns rely entirely on volunteers. As president, John Edwards will help rural firefighters by fighting for fair funding levels, ending the Justice Department backlog on death benefits and guaranteeing job protection for volunteers while they are responding to an emergency. Edwards believes that we must both strengthen support for professional firefighters and recognize the contributions of volunteer firefighters who put their lives on the line for little or no pay. [U.S. Fire Administration, 2006]

Giving Back to Rural Firefighters: Edwards will ensure that small-town and volunteer fire departments get the funding and training they deserve. He strongly supports the Rural Fire Assistance program that President Bush has tried to eliminate. The program will help rural districts buy equipment, train firefighters and prevent fires and requires local cost sharing.
Expanding Federal Security Funding Programs: Edwards will also expand the homeland security programs that help meet the needs of our rural fire departments. He supports more funding for the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program, which helps fire departments hire personnel and retain volunteers. He also supports the Assistance to Firefighters program, known as FIRE Grants, to support training, purchasing firefighting vehicles as well as communications and other equipment, health and safety programs and fire prevention and education programs
Guaranteeing Protection on the Job: Since the Hometown Heroes Survivors Benefits Act was signed into law, strengthening the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program, only two of the first forty claims have been approved. Two hundred families of fallen officers are still awaiting decisions. Edwards will streamline the process for awarding death benefits to fallen public safety officers, ending the Justice Department's backlog.
Supporting Those Who Serve: Edwards will prevent the IRS from taxing the modest local benefits volunteers may receive for their service. He will also protect firefighters from losing their jobs while responding to emergencies, similar to the protection currently offered to National Guard members. [NVFC, 2007]
Funding Rural America's Needs: The federal Payments in Lieu of Taxes program compensates areas for lost tax revenue from federally-protected land. Edwards will protect this important program from cuts like those President Bush has proposed. [Washington Post, 4/6/2007; NACO, 2007]