President Bush recently submitted his FY 2008 federal budget to Congress. The budget proposes only $300 million for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program and zero dollars for the Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response Act Grant program.

The proposed budget is a drop from 2007's appropriated $547 million for FIRE Grants and $115 million for SAFER Grants. The proposed budget also seeks to limit use of FIRE Grant monies to training, equipment and personal protective gear, so the battle for fire bucks is about to begin once again.

Last week, Deputy Chief Kevin Atwell Sr. of the S.M. Vauclain Fire Company, Crum Lynne, Pa., wrote to me. Crum Lynne is a small community of 3,500 people; one out of three residents is at or below poverty level. The department's response area includes both gas and oil pipelines; two major railroads; a large government contractor; I-95 and I-476; PECO, an Exelon company; and a chemical company.

Atwell wrote: "Is there anybody to turn to when you have just about run out of steam applying for grants that you have been turned down for the past several years while the township collects all the EMS tax and does not even give one dollar to the fire companies?"

The deputy chief said that his SCBA bottles and packs are almost 15 years old, and some of his turnout gear is even older. "With what we get from our Relief Association, it's enough to outfit one person per year, but then nothing for tools, hose, etc.," he wrote.

Mike Garvin became chief of Vauclain Fire Company last year and has worked to streamline and train the 25 active fire and EMS personnel. Garvin also is a career firefighter for Boeing. "It's the second largest defense contractor in the U.S.," said the chief, who expressed concern that Boeing's Pennsylvania facility is also a possible terrorist target — and his volunteer department would be the first responders.

Vauclain Fire Company's grant applications have been turned down three times in the past four years. "If I had known that I would have to be a grant writer, I would have taken that instead of fire classes in school," Garvin said. "The last time we asked for $80,000, yet other departments are getting their second and third grants."

The challenges are numerous. Garvin sold a 2001 rescue truck because it didn't carry water and replaced it with a 1993 rig that has water and carries more personnel. A casino recently was built two miles from his department; the highway exit is in his territory and responses to accidents have increased.

About his firefighters, Garvin said, "These guys are great and I take that campaign 'Everybody Goes Home' seriously and want them to go home to the wives and kids. I need help with air packs and I get frustrated."

The government has a right to ask and verify that AFG monies are used for the purpose intended. But the problem is that there is so much need. Does a department really need to replace a compressor that's only a few years old just because it can? Maybe departments that receive awards should be required to wait two years before applying again. Would that help?

It's tough to read about millions of federal dollars only to hear stories about volunteer fire departments like this one.