Leadership at the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) commended the $2.2 trillion relief bill signed by President Trump last week, stating more relief is still needed for firefighters and emergency workers.
IAFC President, Fire Chief Gary Ludwig, said the CARES Act is a significant step to help front line workers and individuals, it lacks adequate support for fire and emergency workers.
“While I am pleased that Congress and the President took action to help those who are suffering economically by allocating federal money for hospitals, law enforcement, educational institutions, airlines, and drug companies, I am extremely disappointed that federal funding desperately needed by the American fire and emergency medical services was largely overlooked,” Ludwig said.
In the relief bill, about $100 million was allocated for the fire service, while $850 million went to law enforcement agencies.
“I whole-heartedly support the federal funding that our brothers and sisters in blue are receiving from Congress,” Ludwig said. “They need it during this national emergency, but so do our firefighters and paramedics. The lack of funding in the CARES Act to protect our firefighters made it very clear that our U.S. Congress and the President of the United States orphaned our fire and EMS chiefs in their mission to protect their firefighters and emergency medical service (EMS) personnel who are on the frontlines in every community in the United States – providing life-saving treatment and emergency transportation to the hospital of the victims of this insidious virus.”
Ludwig said hundreds of firefighters and EMS personnel nationwide have contracted the virus, while thousands are being quarantined after being exposed.
“I receive multiple reports daily from fire departments that are exhausting their budgets to keep their firefighters and EMS personnel safe with masks, gowns, goggles, cleaning supplies while draining their overtime budgets because so many are out sick or quarantined,” Ludwig said. “Proper funding is absolutely required and needed to win this war and keep our communities safe. I call on Congress and the President to fully fund the needs of fire and EMS personnel in the next stimulus bill and ensure that funding provides immediate and direct funding to fire departments.”
Ludwig also called on Congress to repeal the FCC mandate to auction the mission critical public safety radio spectrum in the T-Band.
“Interoperable radio communications are key to fire, police, and EMS response to this pandemic. Failure to stop the mandated FCC auction will result in the loss of our ability to communicate in 11 of our most populous metropolitan areas during this crisis,” he said.