Bill Overview
Title: Fire Station Improvement Act of 2022
Description: This bill expands the eligible uses of firefighter assistance grant funds to cover the repair, modification, or improvement of fire stations, fire training facilities, and other similar facilities to improve the functionality of those facilities.
Sponsors: Sen. Ossoff, Jon [D-GA]
Target Audience
Population: People across the globe served by fire stations
Estimated Size: 300000000
- The bill specifically targets improvements to fire stations and related facilities.
- Fire stations are crucial for community safety, serving areas typically defined by the local jurisdiction/fire district.
- Firefighters are the primary personnel who will benefit from improved facilities.
- The broader community indirectly benefits from better-equipped and functional fire stations as it can enhance emergency response capabilities.
Reasoning
- The Fire Station Improvement Act specifically invests in physical structure improvements, which means direct impacts on firefighters' work environments.
- Indirect benefits can influence community members due to improved emergency services quality.
- Since fire stations serve both urban and rural areas, diversity in location and community size reflects the varied impact.
- The program's budget allows for extensive upgrades but primarily prioritizes areas with critical needs, directly impacting fire department personnel and indirectly benefiting the surrounding community.
- Given the existing number of fire departments and firefighters, the policy might not drastically alter wellbeing for all fire personnel but instead significantly improve environments where conditions were previously poor.
Simulated Interviews
Firefighter (New York, NY)
Age: 35 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The upgrades are much needed and will improve our response times.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
Volunteer Firefighter (Rural Ohio)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Better facilities could boost volunteer recruitment.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Fire Chief (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 42 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Resources are tight. Improvements would make a big difference.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 5 |
Retired Firefighter (Houston, TX)
Age: 60 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I wish these facilities had been available in my time.
- Would support current and future firefighters.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Firefighter Trainee (Chicago, IL)
Age: 25 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm looking forward to starting in improved facilities, it looks promising.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Firefighter (Miami, FL)
Age: 40 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Our station is frequently flooded; improvements are desperately needed.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
Emergency Services Coordinator (Seattle, WA)
Age: 32 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- These enhancements could improve interdepartmental coordination for emergencies.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 6 |
Paramedic/firefighter (Albuquerque, NM)
Age: 55 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Facility improvements are always welcomed, hopefully focused on training areas.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Fire Safety Inspector (Tulsa, OK)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Policy could streamline safety inspection protocols.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Fire Station Architect (Boston, MA)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy opens up new opportunities for designing better, safer facilities.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $600000000 (Low: $500000000, High: $700000000)
Year 2: $620000000 (Low: $510000000, High: $730000000)
Year 3: $640000000 (Low: $520000000, High: $750000000)
Year 5: $680000000 (Low: $550000000, High: $800000000)
Year 10: $750000000 (Low: $600000000, High: $880000000)
Year 100: $850000000 (Low: $700000000, High: $1000000000)
Key Considerations
- The Federal Emergency Management Agency's existing Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program serves as a benchmark for potential expenditure and operational frameworks.
- Variation in the condition and needs of fire stations across the country could lead to uneven distribution of funded projects.
- Economic and policy shifts affecting federal infrastructure spending priorities.
- Potential for advancements in fire safety technology over the duration of the bill’s implementation.