Rep. Desjarlais' phone number in D.C. is (202) 225-6831; to send him an email, go to his website: (link...)

Here's a sample letter with talking points (courtesy of the National Volunteer Fire Council):

Later this week the House of Representatives will consider FY 2012 Homeland Security Appropriations legislation that would cut the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant programs by a combined $460 million (nearly 60 percent). These cuts would be devastating to fire and emergency services agencies in communities across the country, including my own.

AFG and SAFER provide critical assistance to local fire departments (who have to put up matching funds) to help pay for equipment, training, apparatus and staffing. Funding is distributed through a competitive, peer-review process that directs resources where they are most needed.

Approximately 20,000 fire departments apply for more than $3 billion each year just through AFG, which received an "effective" rating in a recent Department of Homeland Security (DHS) assessment.

Congressman LaTourette is offering an amendment that would restore $320 million of the $460 million cut in the FY 2012 Homeland Security Appropriations bill. I urge you to vote 'yes' on the LaTourette amendment!

More talking points:
As I pointed out in a previous post ((link...)), in the last fiscal year, Roane County provided only 19%, less than 1/5, of West Roane VFD's funding. The rest had to come from other sources. These grants are a major source of this funding.

Cost per run last fiscal year was under $700, a very efficient amount compared with the $19,000 or so Rural Metro, a private fire department, charged a homeowner over by Knoxville, just for showing up. And West Roane VFD does not charge the victim! :)

The vote is coming up soon.

-- OneTahiti