have through d.o.d. to add our money to their purchases for military bases independents. by pooling our resources, it has an effect on price, and to the extent we start cashing it out, we lose that margin, but we understand when very sympathetic to schools wanting to do more local purchasing, if that's what you're interested in. but we say, use some of the money you get from us, or from private paying students, to do that local purchasing. >> so i think we are just about out of time. is there one more question? yeah. okay. >> hi. you talked about whether eating healthier is more expensive than -- or like the cost of that. and so i was just wondering. i think that eating healthier can be just as inexpensive, if you know what to do, but i think that a lot of the food knowledge has been lost and cooking knowledge has been lost. can you talk about what you guys have been doing in terms of

food education and educating people on how to know what to do? >> i think the study i referred to, just released yesterday or the day before, by the economic research service, encouraged people to look at it. because it's very compelling. they look at food costs by calorie, by volume, by portion. and obviously timeliness is another factor in all this, but they -- they point out fruits and vegetables among food groups are the least costly and the economist i know at the briefing i was at, compared the price, the number of calories in a doughnut versus a medium sized banana, and the banana being less expensive than that doughnut and far healthier for you. so there are a number of very practical source of messages that way, but i want to say on that access to healthy foods, we're very mindful, and bill referenced this in his remarks, we're very mindful of the access question. i know that in the food stamp or

the s.n.a.p. program, about -- in excess of 90% of food stamp recipients have access to supermarkets or spend part of their benefits at least once during the month at a supermarket. so -- but we also know that a vast majority of stores that are able to process those benefits are small stores. i go to a 7-eleven routinely in maryland here, and i see a few bananas and a few other thing, but by and large, it's pretty lean in terms of healthy food. so part of our effort is to -- what we're thinking about the depth of stock, to me would be a step forward, not the silver bullet, but certainly a step forward, but also the healthy food financing initiative that's been referenced to try toll deploy more or encourage more supermarkets in poor areas. but it's also education.

so part of that is educating, using the collective resources in our nutrition education, and we are, you know, examining that earn ternly. internally. i mentioned in my remarks, we spend about $1 billion a year, if you add it all together, the center for nutrition policy and education and the wic program, s.n.a.p. for education, for people in the food stamp program, the feeding program on indian reserve acheses. all have nutrition education components. jerry mann, senior policy advisor, he is reaching out at our request to cdc, indian health service to a variety of sources in the federal government to say what are we doing, all of us, collectively, what do we know, and are there additional ways we can really have an effect in terms of

nutrition education? i, personally, am very wedded to and enthusiastic, if you can't tell, about the "my plate. the message is fairly simple and actionable. not the food pyramid, wonderful for professionals, but not so practical for the average person. the my plate or mi plato, make half your plate fruits and vegetables. it's pretty basic. and i've seen it in a number of schools i'm visiting where in the health sciences programs or classes, the teachers are using that outline, that template, and having the kids write in, fill in the quadrants so to speak, and the more we can reinforce this -- we've talked about food culture, understanding that is, again, one of the tools that i think is a powerful one that's right before us. >> i guess -- i think we -- i think we are out of time.

chris, are you coming up for a couple of last remarks? >> i just wanted to thank both of our speakers and thank you very much for attending the food policy conference, and we'll see you next year. thank you. more live programs coming up here on the c-span networks. vice president joe biden is campaigning in new hampshire

today, talking about the economy. you can see live coverage starting at 1:45 eastern on our companion network c-span. and don't forget to make c-span.org/campaign2012 your clearinghouse for all things related to the elections. watch speeches and rally, read endor endorsements and policy papers and follow the campaign money trail. again, all at c-span.org/campaign2012. i think this is one of those markets that i think people vote for the don't vote for the party. i think this is the city of wichita votes for the candidate. you've seen a lot more of that. even though it's heavily republican, midwest which is dynamic and it's great, but i think you're seeing more of that in the recent years here in the midwest. they are really voting a little bit more for what the person stands for. >> june 2nd and 3rd, book tv and american history tv explore the heritage and literary culture of

wichita, kansas. >> this is the only remaining original structure from the 1865-1870 time, and it was a very important building in our history in that it is a residence, but it's also the headquarters of the wichita town and land company that came down here to create, shall wep say, the city of wichita. >> watch for book tv and american history tv in wichita on june 2nd and 3rd on c-span2 and c-span3. this is c-span3, with politics and public affairs programming throughout the week. and every weekend, 48 hours of people and events telling the american story on "american history tv." get our schedules and see past programs at our websites, and you can join in the conversation on social media sites. this past thursday a house science space and technology subcommittee held and oversight

hearing on the u.s. fire administration looking at the priorities of a fire service community for the future of the agency. witnesses included the administrator of the fire administration ernest mitchell. officials from the national fire protection association, and international association of firefighters and the tucson, arizona, fire department chief. thorn authorization of the u.s. fire administration expires september 30th of this year. senators joe lieberman and susan collins introduced legislation that would reauthorize funding through 2017. republican congressman ben quayle of arizona chairs this subcommittee hearing. it's about an hour. the subcommittee on technology and innovation will come to order. good morning. welcome to today's hearing entitled working for fire safe america, in the united states fire administration priorities. in front of you apacketses for

today's witnesses. i recognize myself for five minutes for an opening statement. today's hearing is being held to review the fire service community's priorities for the future of the united states fire administration, the usfa established following the 1973 report of the national commission on fire prevention and control. america burning which recommended the creation of a federal fire agency to provide support to state and local governments and private fire organizations and their efforts to reduce fire death, injurpies and property loss. the usfa is a substantial public sayy mission. although the fire death rate continues to decline, it is higher than more of half the industrialized countries. preparing first responders and health care leaders to react to hazard and terrorism emergencies. it supports the agencies of states and local governments providing training for first responders, educational programs and targeted outreach for

communities, and conducting and coordinating the research and development of technologies for the fire service. the usfa also assists with data collection, analysis and the dissemination of best practices for the nation's fire prevention and control in emergency medical services activities. in recent year, there's been an escalation of severe wildfires resulting in home and property loss. this can be attributed to expanding development in wildland area, which include an abundance of burnable brush and trees. 2011 was an exceptional year for wildfires in the united states. and major blazes affected my home state of arizona. in late may, 2011, the wallow fire raced across eastern arizona, forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents and burning more than 469,000 acres. making it the largest in arizona's history. the fires believed to have started after a campfire blew out of control and spread quickly due to dry weather and fierce winds.

over 4,000 firefighters were assigned to the wallow fire. currently, there are hundreds of firefighters working to contain at least four blazes in central and eastern arizona. this represents just a fraction of the thousands of first responders and firefighters who risk their lives each and every day battling fires across the country. the usfa supports these individuals. they don't take their responsibilities lightly and i as an authorizer of the usfa, neither do i. the testimony of our witnesses this morning should help the members of the subcommittee understand the priorities and to better the usfa's continued efforts to the reduce fire deaths, injuries and property loss. we thank our witnesses for being here today and look forward to your testimony. i now recognize the gentle lady for her opening statement. >> thank you, mr. chairman and thank you for calling this morning's hearing to examine the activities and priorities of the united states fire administration. i'm very pleased to welcome chief mitchell and our other

witnesses here today so we can larry more abohear more about h vision for the administration and pleased to welcome my good friend kevin o'connor as well as our other witnesses and thank you for taking time out of your schedules to be with us. it was created in 1974, goal of reducing fire represented deaths by have from a staggering 12,000 per year. we met this goal in 1988. the number of fire-related deaths continues to decline, but unfortunately, our country's fire-related death rate is still one of the highest in the industrialized world, and it's estimated that in 2009, fire cost the united states over 331 billion dollars in economic and human losses. chairman quayle just spoke about the loss in his own state. the fire administration continues to play a central role in reducing impacts of fire and making our communities safer. is the responsibility for improving the ability of fire

departments around the country to respond to fires safely and effectively through research and fire fighting training and for increasing fire prevention and preparedness, through public education and awareness activity. certainly fires are a major problem in our country and fire administration has continued leadership in this area is critical. however, we can't ignore the fact our firefighters are not just fighting fires anymore. on any given day our firefighters are rushing to the scene's in response to over 72,000 calls that range in scope from a house fire to a car crash to a hazardous materials spill to a medical emergency. the truth is that our firefighters are our first responders in all types of emergencies, including terrorist attacks and natural disasters. and the range of training and education they need to be successful, must expand -- and the last authorization in 2008

emphasized the need for safety emergency medical services. i'll's interested in hearing the status of those advances and learn from our witnesses whether the fire administration's training courses are in fact meeting the expanded needs of today's fires. i'm interested in hearing an the current state of fire-related research. until emerges areas or fire administrations contributing to these efforts and would like to learn more about prioritizing ree search and investments and howcoordinate with other federal ent tips engaged in fire-related research including the national institutes of standards and technology and the science and technology direct rit within the department of homeland security. more importantly, however, i'm 2re689ed in hearing recommendations or suggestions about what ought to be included in the next fire administration reauthorization bill. as you're aware, the current authorization for the fire

administration expires in just over four months. i'm pleased we're holding this hearing today and think it's an important first step, and i sincerely hope that decision to call this hearing is an indication that there are plans to draft and move a reauthorization bill through this committee in the coming weeks. i hope the chairman will be able to provide some insight into these plans this morning. as you may be aware, our colleagues in the senate passed a fire administration reauthorization bill through the committee on homeland security and governmental affairs just yesterday. i believe we also have an obligation and an opportunity to ensure that the fire administration's authority continues uninterrupt and i look forward to working with the chairman towards that end. again, mr. chairman, thank you for holding this important hearing. the fire administration plays an essential role in ensuring that our firefighters who are so critical to the safety and resiliency of our nation have the tools they need to protect us and keep us out of harm's way. i'm looking forward to hearing from our witnesses about the

tools congress can proip the fire administration that will allow them to effectively assist fire departments all across the country, and i yield the balance of my time. >> thank you, ms. edwards. if are-of-there are members that wish additional opening statements your statements will be added to the record at this point. i'm like to troupe our witnesses. our first witness is chief ernest mitchell jr. from the federal emergency management agency in charge of the united states fire administration at the department of homeland security. next, dr. john paul jr., division director of fire analysis at the national par friction association. the doctor has been active in fire analysis and research for nearly 35 years. our third witness is chief jim critchley, chief critchley represents the tucson fire kept in my home state of arizona and currently serves as the president of the western chir chief's oh. sour final witness mr. kevin o'connor, assistant to the

general president for the international association of firefighters. thank you again for, to our witnesses for being here today. as our witnesses should know, spoken testimony is limited to five minutes each, after all witnesses have spoken, members of the committee lieutenawill h minutes each to ask questions. i now recognize chief ernest mitchell. >> good morning, chairman quayle and distinguished members of the committee. i'm at the federal emergency management agency and the administrator in charge of the administration at the department of homeland security. it an honor to appear before you today to discuss the u.s. fire administration. the fire administration is committed to providing national leadership, to foster a solid foundation for our fire and emergency services stakeholders, and prevention preparedness and response. in my testimony today i will share an overview of the fire administration's core functions major priorities and present

activities and goals. despite making prol ovgress ove time, fire in the united states has been higher than most of the industrial world. true in fire deaths and dollar loss rates. thousands it die each year and thousands more injured. property losses reach becomes of dollars. average fire losses in the united states greatly exceed those from floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and other natural disasters combined in our country. the fire administration is a national leader in providing fire safety and prevention programs to help decrease tragic losses. we also lead the way in preparing communities to respond to fires and other hazards in the line. an approach to emergency management. we are supporting the efforts of local communities to reduce the number of fires and fire deaths, and champion of federal fire prevention and efforts and coordinates information about fire programs throughout the country. there are four traditional stars of the fire administration and the one relatively new or

budding star that we have initiated more recently. one is data collection, the data, national fire data center administers a national system for collecting, analyzing and disseminating data and information on fire and other emergency incidents to state and local governments and the fire community. two is through public education and awareness through partnerships and special initiatives, the fire administration involves the fire service, media, other federal agencies and safety interest groups in the development and delivery of fire 15i689y awareness and education program. three is training. the national fire academy offers educational opportunities for the advanced professional development of the mid-level and senior fire and emergency medical services officers, an allied professionals involved in fire prevention and life safety activities. four is research and technology, through research, testing and evaluation the fire administration works with public and private entities to promote and the improve fire and life

safety. research and special stumdies are conducted on fire detection, suppression and notification systems as well as eschews represe issues representing to health and safety. five, more recent, technical assistance and response. it's response. it's a recent initiative for the fire administration and developing a national firefighter deployment strategy. the mission's purpose is to establish an overall multidisciplined response and recovery support mechanism for fema by establishing a structured approach to engaging rand enhancing access to the nation's structural fire and emergency medical services skill set. there be expanding the capacity for responding and providing faster efforts to contain and minimize losses of life and property during disasters. within the scope of these efforts it is essential that we work on multiple levels and with a wide variety of partners. we engage governmental and in

emerging the fire emergency and response needs. one example is our collaboration with the national fire protection association on the home fire sprinkler oligs. and the mission of that coalition is to inform consumers about life saving benefits of installing home fire sprinkler systems. the more recent or emerging star has been utilized at this point to respond to disasters. and has resulted in some success. we provide technical expertise and assistance during the development of all hazard management teams across the country. we have responded to and demonstrated effectiveness in the 2011 flooding in colorado, alabama, georgia and during this april's tornados in texas. gralts of our highly sought after programs have contributed to and participated in these events. given the dynamics of our times, the fire administration has

identified five broad goals as a framework to provide national leadership on fire safety issues. we will continue to pursue these goals through the existing programs while evaluating issues and instituting new initiatives real vent to our current and future operating climate. thank you mr. chairman for giving me this opportunity to appear before few today. i will glad to answer any questions you might have. >> thank you very much. i now recognize dr. hall to present his testimony. my name is john hall to communicate our strong support of the reauthorization of the u.s. fire administration. next year marks the 40th anniversary of american burning. of the 90 recommendations in that report, the first was for establishment of a u.s. fire administration to provide a national focus for the nation'

fire problem. the report identified tasks appropriate to the federal role in what would continue to be primarily a local responsibility. quote, technical and educational assistance to state and local governments, collecting an analyzing fire information, conducting research and development in certain areas and providing a financial assistance when adequate fire protection lies beyond a community's means. the mandated focus has maintained. the report also set out ambitious goals saying quote, a reduction of 50% in deaths, injuries and property losses is quite possible in this generation. how has america done on this goal? civilian fire deaths declined by about 60%. firefighter on duty fatalities declined by half. civilian fire injuries by about 40%. firefighter injuries by about 1/3 and direct property damage adjusted for inflation by about 1/4. even so, we still have some of

the highest fire loss rates in the developed word world. we know how far we have come, we know how much better we can do because we see greater safety in countries like us. thanks to the national fire incident reporting system used with the nfpa survey we have a greater ability to target problems and to design and evaluate programs than any other country in the world. in the years since the usfa was founded the fire service has transformed itself into an all hazard emergency response force. reported fires have declined by more than half since 1980, however, hazardous material responses have more than doubled and medical aid calls have more than tripled. imagine a gasoline tank truck rolling over on a highway in a small community. the truck was built and loaded in other states and crashed on an interstate built and maintained by the federal government. the fire department will be expected to contain the spill and clean up in according toance with state and national environmental regulations using

training and personal equipment in compliance with national standards. it is far from easy to find a local responsibility in such an incident. now add in natural disasters, terrorist attacks and fire scenarios unheard of two decades angelina such as a burning building with a roof covered with sew lohr power cells. we have asked our fire service to perform more varied tasks with more rules whenever something goes wrong. they have responded to every challenge and everything we have asked of them. but it takes a nation to save a village. they need our help. for nearly 40 years the usfa has been there. recent surveys of fire service needs conducted by nfpa in cooperation with the usfa have found the following. by comparison with national standards the fire service has extensive needs for every type of resource, fire departments serving the smallest communities are most likely to have needs. although the needs are still

great, there have been -- there has been great progress. the assistance to firefighters and safer grant programs have been well targeted to real needs and collectively effective in reducing the needs they targeted. america burning identified research as a priority. the usfa has filled research gaps and complimented research partners when appropriate. some major current or recent projects the,ur, sfa has led or supported include the following. the next generation of home fire alarms. the next generation of firefighter personal protective clothing, safety in the wildland urban interface and decision support tools for dealing with unwanted alarms. nfpa salutes chief ernie mitchell newly confirmed fire administrator and the latest in the distinguished line of leaders who have headed the usfa. we look forward to working with them. so to sum up, nfpa urges you to reauthorization the usfa.

we urge you to provide funding for the training programs, the grants program. the usfa does great work. they have made a great difference and they can and will do more all in keeping with the original vision of an agency that would provide focus on fire through actions appropriate to a federal role. thank you very much for the opportunity to speak be you on behalf of nfpa and like chief mitchell i will be happy to answer your questions. >> thank you, dr. hall. i now recognize the chief for five minutes to present his testimony. >> good morning, chairman quail and ranking member edwards. i am chief crisply. i am also a member of the international association of fire chiefs. i thank the committee for the opportunity to testify about the vital work that the u.s. fire administration does for america's fire and emergency medical service. it is important to recognize the

major accomplishments that have taken place since the usfa was created in the 1970s. in 1978, 172 firefighter died in the line of duty. in 2011 we had 83 firefighters. a decline of more than 50%. in 1978 we had -- we have seen a number of civilian fire deaths also drop over 50% to a little over 3,000 in 2010. united states fire administration has played a major role in these accomplishments through fire service training, public education and research. as a local chief, i would like to especially emphasize the importance of the national fire academy which used online training, online learning oncampus classes and other educational tools to train more than half a million responders in 2007. through 2011. i am proud to be one of the more than 6,000 arizonians who has completed the nfa classes during

this time period. the highlight of the chris matthews klum is the executive fire officer program. this program is a gold standard for developing transformative fire officers ready to deal with the nation's future challenges. as a local fire service instructor the nfa provides material based on best practices to help me train the next generation of fire service leaders. this companying training provides inoperablity at the scene of many national disasters. the usfa provides excellent kata through the national fire data center and national reporting system. it allows the local fire department to report incidents in their area and identify national trends. i use the report to compare their statistics in the incidents that i have in tucson. this capability allows me to prepare for the future threats that -- to my citizens. the usf, a's budget has been reduced 25% over t