March 16, 2009 (Press Release) -- WASHINGTON, D.C.-U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) today introduced the Firefighter Fatality Reduction Act of 2009.

This legislation would promote firefighter safety by directing the Secretary of Homeland Security to conduct a survey to determine the level of compliance with national voluntary consensus standards as well as determining what barriers may exist that prevent those standards from being met.

"Firefighters put their lives on the line every day to keep our communities, our homes, and our families safe," Brown said. "This bill is about protecting those who protect us. It`s our duty to do all we can to avoid preventable deaths and minimize injuries."

"The loss of any firefighter in the line of duty is a tragedy. Even more tragic is a preventable firefighter fatality. Every year our nation loses roughly 100 firefighters in the line of duty, many of which could be prevented by following national voluntary consensus standards. These standards will provide the framework for every fire department to be as efficient and safe as possible," stated Perlmutter. "Safer firefighters create safer communities."

"An investment in our firefighters is an investment in the safety of our communities," said Senator Joe Lieberman (ID- Conn.), a cosponsor of the bill and Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. "Every day they rush unquestioningly into the face of danger, which in turn demands constant attention to the best and most up-to-date safety standards."

"The continued prevalence of avoidable fire fighter fatalities is the most serious problem facing the fire service today," said International Association of Fire Fighters General President Harold Schaitberger. "I applaud Senator Brown and Representative Perlmutter for tackling this problem head-on, and am proud to join with him to ensure that fire fighters nationwide have the tools and resources they need to ensure their safety and the safety of those they protect."

According to the International Association of Fire Fighters, more than 100 firefighters die in the line of duty each year, while tens of thousands more sustain work-related injuries. In 2008, 114 firefighters died in the line of duty, including six in Ohio and four in Colorado. While the fire services and other groups have developed industry safety standards, they are voluntary in nature and often left unmet by some fire departments. The Firefighter Fatality Reduction Act bill calls for the creation of a Task Force to Enhance Firefighter Safety to develop a plan to increase and promote compliance with the national consensus standards.

The Firefighter Fatality Reduction Act would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to determine the rate of fire department compliance with standards for safe operations, staffing, training, and fitness among career, volunteer, and combination fire departments. DHS would form a task force to conduct a survey of our nation`s fire departments. The task force would survey the national voluntary consensus standards on safety equipment, training, and staffing levels.

The bill would not mandate federal oversight of local fire departments instead it would explore how the federal government should best promote fire fighter safety standards and assist fire departments with compliance. Brown and Perlmutter introduced similar companion bills in the 110th Congress.

Tomorrow, nearly 40 Ohio firefighters attending the International Association of Firefighters` legislative conference will visit Capitol Hill to lobby for legislative priorities including the Firefighter Fatality Reduction Act. Firefighters from the following Ohio municipalities are expected to participate: Akron, Avon Lake, Elyria, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Lancaster, Parma Heights, Plain Township, Steubenville, and Warren.