Bill Metcalf, International Association of Fire Chiefs president and chairman of the board, identified "major problems" with the new National Preparedness Grant (NPG), including the possibility that local fire chiefs in some parts of the country may not be included in the "threat and hazard identification and risk assessment" (THIRA).
Metcalf's comments were delivered at a hearing of stakeholders about the potential impact on first responders and communities of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) proposal to consolidate the 16 homeland security preparedness grants into one program. The hearing took place before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications of the Committee on Homeland Security in April (http://1.usa.gov/1k4y5bL). Rep. Susan W. Brooks (R-Ind.) chaired the event.
Among the issues Metcalf listed as "major problems" were the following:
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