A Report by a Panel of the NATIONAL ACADEMY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION For the Department of Homeland Security April 2007 ASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTERS GRANT PROGRAM: Assessing Performance Panel James Kunde, ∗ Panel Chair Paul D. Brooks Glenn Corbett Harry Hatry* Bruce D. McDowell* Darrel W. Stephens* * Academy Fellow Officers of the Academy Valerie A. Lemmie, Chair of the Board Jonathan D. Breul, Vice Chair Jennifer L. Dorn, President and Chief Executive Officer J. Christopher Mihm, Secretary Franklin S. Reeder, Treasurer Project Staff J. William Gadsby, ∗ Vice President for Academy Studies Terry F. Buss, PhD, Program Area Director F. Steven Redburn,* Senior Project Advisor James Frech, Senior Project Advisor Rob Cimperman, Senior Project Advisor (Pivotal-Insight, Inc) Ednilson Quintanilla, Research Associate Martha S. Ditmeyer, Senior Administrative Specialist The views expressed in this report are those of the Panel. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the Academy as an institution. National Academy of Public Administration 1100 New York Avenue, N.W. Suite 1090 East Washington, D.C. 20005 www.napawash.org First published April 2007 Printed in the United States of America ISBN 1-57744-149-4 Academy Project Number: 2099 * Academy Fellow ii FOREWORD Now in its fourth year of operation, the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program (AFG) seeks to strengthen fire and emergency medical service response in communities across the nation. It awards grants directly to local fire departments to enhance their ability to protect the health and safety of the public and firefighting personnel who face fire-related hazards. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which administers AFG, asked the National Academy of Public Administration to identify potential new strategic directions for the program and recommend ways to most effectively plan, manage and measure accomplishments. An Academy Panel found that AFG could pursue several new directions to improve its impact on public health and safety. These include national preparedness for catastrophic events; prevention in addition to response; social equity to address needs of underserved communities; expanded regional cooperation; and a reevaluation of emergency medical services. Many thanks go to the members of the expert Academy Panel who oversaw this project. Their insights and guidance were substantial, as were the dedicated efforts of the project team. My sincere appreciation also goes to the AFG leadership, whose openness and accessibility were critical to the success of this study. We hope that the findings and recommendations contained in this report help AFG to enhance its already well-managed program. Jennifer L. Dorn President and Chief Executive Officer iii iv TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD................................................................................................................................iii ACRONYMS..............................................................................................................................xiii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................ xv CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION............................................................................................... 1 The Academy Study.................................................................................................................. 1 Overview of the Fire Grants Program....................................................................................... 1 Study Methodology................................................................................................................... 2 Organization of This Report .....................................................................................................3 CHAPTER 2: THE AFG PROGRAM AND ITS USES........................................................... 7 Overview of the AFG Program................................................................................................. 7 History ................................................................................................................................ 8 Eligible Uses of Funds...................................................................................................... 10 Program Priorities and Award Criteria Development ...................................................... 12 Grant Award Process........................................................................................................ 14 AFG Funding of and Awards to Fire and EMS ...................................................................... 15 Analysis of AFG AWARDS for FY 2005........................................................................ 17 CHAPTER 3: THE FIRE, EMS AND NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS PROBLEMS ...... 23 The Fire Problem .................................................................................................................... 24 Trends in Death and Injury of Civilians........................................................................... 25 Career and Volunteer Firefighters.................................................................................... 29 Trends in Firefighter Deaths............................................................................................. 30 Trends in Fire-Related Property Loss............................................................................... 33 Prevention......................................................................................................................... 33 Fire Expenditures in Proportion to the Economy............................................................. 40 v The Emergency Medical Services Problem............................................................................ 45 Rural EMS........................................................................................................................ 47 Aging and EMS ................................................................................................................ 48 On-the-Job Injuries and Deaths of EMS Personnel.......................................................... 48 The National Preparedness Problem....................................................................................... 49 Fire Service Preparedness................................................................................................. 50 EMS Preparedness............................................................................................................ 50 Preparedness for Coordinated Response .......................................................................... 51 Summary................................................................................................................................. 52 CHAPTER 4: THE AFG PROGRAM IN CONTEXT .......................................................... 55 Historical Developments......................................................................................................... 55 Federal, State and Local Government Roles........................................................................... 57 The Current Strategy Focused on Building Response Capabilities........................................ 62 Cost-effectiveness of the AFG Program........................................................................... 67 Leveraging Cooperative Relationships................................................................................... 72 Aligning to the All-Hazards Policy of DHS..................................................................... 73 Other Areas of Federal Interest: Commercial Markets, EMS, Social Equity .................. 75 Balancing Federal with Community Interests......................................................................... 76 CHAPTER 5: ALTERNATIVE VIEWS OF THE PROGRAM........................................... 79 Strategic Questions ................................................................................................................. 81 Views of Stakeholders...................................................................................................... 82 Disconnects and Strategic Choices................................................................................... 91 Views of a Strategic Review Panel .................................................................................. 92 Framing the Strategic Options ................................................................................................ 93 vi CHAPTER 6: STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS........................................................................... 95 Helping Fire Departments and EMS Organizations Adapt..................................................... 96 AFG and the National Preparedness Goal .............................................................................. 96 Targeting Community and National Risk............................................................................... 97 DHS National Preparedness Plan and the Universal Task List........................................ 98 Community Risk Assessments ....................................................................................... 102 Fitting the AFG into the Future...................................................................................... 103 CHAPTER 7: CONTINUOUS STRATEGIC PLANNING................................................. 107 OMB PART .........................................................................................................................