It’s a decision Jones County Fire Coordinator Dan McKenna finds quite puzzling and disturbing. President Barak Obama’s administration agreed to give millions in bailout money to corporate conglomerates who have destroyed the lives of thousands, but has decided to decrease the amount of money allotted for a grant program that helps firefighters save lives.

Established in 2001 after the 9-11 tragedy, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), McKenna said last year Congress appropriated $565 million for the Assistance to Firefighters (a.k.a. FIRE) Grant Program and $210 million for the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant Program. However, in his fiscal year 2010 budget, the president proposes doubling the SAFER program to $420 million and cutting the FIRE grant program by almost 70 percent to $170 million.

On Tuesday, U. S. Representatives Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), Steve Austria (R-OH), Peter King (R-NY) and Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ) were denied to offer a bipartisan amendment on the House floor that would have increased the FIRE Grant Program by $40 million. The House Committee on House Rules reduced the amount to $10 million which passed the full House by a vote of 345 to 85.

Austria, who introduced the amendment to increase funding, said: “I was disappointed that the bill (HR-2892) cut funding of the Fire Grant. This program is important to our firefighters and our local communities, especially during these difficult times.”

McKenna said it’s good to have more than the $125 million suggested by the president on the table, but much more is needed. “Small volunteer fire departments, like those we have here in Jones County, will suffer because of this reduction,” he said. “Our volunteer fire departments have used money from FIRE grants to help purchase trucks, train firefighters and purchase much needed equipment to help us save lives.

“What sense does it make to take away money from those who are saving lives, while you provide money for those who are virtually destroying lives?” he asked. “To me, that’s backwards. It doesn’t make good sense at all.”

McKenna explained that FIRE grants provide funds to assist departments in meeting the firefighting and emergency response needs of fire departments and nonaffiliated emergency medical services organizations. Grant categories include training, wellness/fitness programs, vehicles, firefighting equipment, personal protective equipment, fire prevention programs, etc.

SAFER Grants, on the other hand, are designed to help departments in hiring firefighters, recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters.

“Small-town budgets won’t allow them to fund these things like purchasing fire trucks and training their own,” he added. “We’ve seen some success in applying for these grants. Several departments have benefited.

“We simply fear that with the proposed reduction of available funds and the large money of departments applying for the funds, we might miss out.”

Last year, 21,000 FIRE grant applications were filed. Jones County was fortunate enough to receive three of those grants, totaling about $307,000. Ellisville Fire Department received a $136,000 grant; Hebron Volunteer Fire Department, $76,000, and Johnson Volunteer Fire Department, $95,000.

“These departments used that money to pay for turnout gear, equipment used to extricate, tools, muzzles, rescue equipment like jaws of life, trucks, and much more,” McKenna said. “They basically purchased life-saving equipment and received training to help them improve their skills.”

While $307,000 in grants may seem like a lot of money, McKenna said it’s far less than what the county has received in the past. Since 2004, he’s noticed a continuous reduction in the number of grants awarded, as well as, amounts awarded.

“In 2004, Jones County was awarded $604,107 in grants,” explained McKenna. “Seven of our 19 fire departments receive funds.

“Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Mississippi and Louisiana began to see a reduction in the number of FIRE grants awarded,” McKenna said. “We believed we are being penalized because of the misconception that we received from hurricane relief funds. That simply hasn’t happened.”

McKenna has written letters to all Mississippi Congressmen, requesting them to fight against the reduction of funds.

“We hope when the bill moves to the Senate, someone will take up our cause and they vote against the cut,” said McKenna. “If that doesn’t happen and the cuts do take place, we will have to seek out whatever we can as sources for funding.

“Most of the Jones County Fire Departments are in rural areas,” McKenna added. “When push comes to shove, the grants will probably be awarded to departments in the highly populated areas.”