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Fire chiefs urge funding for USAR, microgrants and regional preparedness at H.935 hearing
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Summary
Vermont fire and rescue leaders told a Senate committee that small microgrants, steady USAR funding and regional coordination are essential to keep volunteers trained and equipment geographically available; chiefs warned that loss of appropriations would hamper timely disaster response.
Local fire and rescue leaders told the Senate Committee on Government Operations on April 21 that H.935’s microgrant and USAR provisions address critical operational gaps and that unstable funding undermines readiness.
Eric, who identified himself as the fire chief for the town of Williston, testified in support of the technical rescue microgrant program and expanded all-hazards alerting. He said small departments often have to choose between replacing personal protective gear and buying specialized rescue equipment and argued microgrants would allow geographically strategic placement of essential equipment and training.
"This micro grant program, when properly managed...can work to build operational capacity and geographically strategic locations across the state," Eric told the committee, urging a focus on prevention and risk-management rather than ad hoc emergency responses.
David DiBiase, fire chief of the City of Vergennes and vice president of the Vermont State Firefighters Association, outlined the strain on volunteer responders and the limits of short-term grants. He said USAR deployments can run weeks at a time and that reliable funding is needed for training, equipment and a properly equipped facility.
"This team cannot continue to evolve without dedication and reliable funding," DiBiase said, describing multiweek deployments during recent flood events and the challenge of sustaining personnel and facilities on temporary grant cycles.
Both chiefs supported the bill’s public-safety communications work but warned that the removal of certain appropriations in the Senate construct — notably the Ready Response grant for food and water and small technical-rescue grants — would limit local capacity in a fast-moving event. Witnesses recommended regional prepositioning of supplies and continuing partnerships with organizations such as the Vermont Food Bank and the National Guard for staging and distribution.
Committee members asked whether regionalization of dispatch and shared revenue mechanisms could help sustain programs; witnesses said some regional consolidation or a dedicated revenue source would be necessary to maintain services as demands grow.
What happens next: Committee discussion focused on advocacy to appropriations; no formal action was taken at the hearing, and funding decisions will be finalized during interchamber negotiations.
