The National Association of Emergency and Fire Officials’ (NAEFO) Legislative Committee will meet Tuesday, January 14, with the main objective of approving a federal policy platform to guide NAEFO’s policy engagement in 2025, with the 119th Congress, and beyond.

NAEFO Members and interested guests are invited to join the January 14 meeting at noon ET / 9 a.m. PT. Registration is required. Click here to register.

The Legislative Committee will consider a draft platform outlining eight core areas of general concern for the nation’s emergency service district boards and district services. Among the top issues covered in the platform are:

• Increased, sustainable, and more flexible funding for federal programs supporting local emergency services, such as with the Assistance to Firefighter Grant (AFG), Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER), Supporting and Improving Rural EMS Needs (SIREN), and more.
• Supporting solutions for rural emergency services and community development.
• Ensuring proper funding and processes for federal revenue supports and reimbursement programs such as with Treatment in Place policies and including major Medicare and Medicaid programs.
• Federal lands management and promoting fire safety in wildland-urban interface communities.
• Focusing on community risk reduction and promoting district involvement with hazard mitigation programs.
• Monitoring major regulatory issues, such as OSHA Emergency Response Standard, PFAS Toxic Substance rules, and more.
• Advancing nationwide adoption of Next Generation 9-1-1 service.
• Fostering awareness of special districts as a unit of local government; driving emergency service districts’ access to federal programs; and ensuring accurate federal understanding and representation of fire, ambulance, and 9-1-1 district services in federal reporting.

Marvin Hill, NAEFO Vice President, will chair the Committee meeting, when members and guests will also hear an outline of what to expect out of Washington, D.C., in 2025 and with the 119th Congress.

With the committee, NAEFO sharpens its legislative and regulatory focus for emergency services districts through robust engagement with member fire, ambulance, and emergency communications officials. The Committee will be comprised of representatives of NAEFO’s state organization members as well as up to five fire district officials, three ambulance/EMS district officials, and one 9-1-1/emergency communications district official. The structure of the Legislative Committee’s representation is reflective of the estimated proportion of each type of district.

Click here to read NAEFO's Policy 13, which outlines the Committee's structure and procedure.

NAEFO Members in good standing are eligible for committee membership and are appointed by NAEFO's President.

NAEFO Members interested in participating on the Legislative Committee to examine federal regulatory and legislative issue impacting the nation’s emergency services districts are encouraged to contact cole@naefo.org by Wednesday, January 8.