Thursday, September 13, 2012

Police, fire officials endorse McCaskill re-election

(From the Claire McCaskill campaign)


Today, the Missouri chapters of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) and the Fraternal Order of Police announced their endorsement of Claire McCaskill for U.S. Senate, a testament to her strong record of standing with Missouri's first responders. As a former arson investigator and Jackson County Prosecutor, Claire knows firsthand the needs and challenges facing Missouri's fire fighters, police and EMTs, and will continue to be a strong voice on their behalf in Washington.

"Missouri's first responders are heroes in our communities, and they deserve every available resource as they work to keep Missouri families safe from harm," said McCaskill. "As a former prosecutor, I've gotten to know firsthand the bravery of those who risk their lives every day for our communities and I'm honored to have the support of our police officers, firefighters and emergency personnel in this election. Missouri's first responders can be sure I'll be a Senator on their side, working to ensure they have every tool and resource they need to serve families and communities in our state."

In the Senate, Claire's consistently fought for funding to equip and train local police and fire departments through SAFER, AFG and COPS grants, and she was a strong supporter of legislation to secure long-overdue benefits for the heroes of 9/11. Today's endorsement by the IAFF and Fraternal Order of Police highlights a clear difference between Claire, and her opponent Todd Akin.

"Firefighters and paramedics in Missouri know we've got a Senator on our side and we're proud to endorse Claire so she can continue working hard for first responders across our state," said Sherwood Smith of Fire Fighters Local 42.

"Claire knows firsthand the challenges and needs of our first responders and fire fighters, and that matters. It's rare to find a Senator like Claire who consistently delivers for Missouri's fire fighters, making sure we're able to protect Missouri's families day in and day out," said Tony Kelly, President of the Missouri Council of Firefighters.

The Missouri State Council of Firefighters represents more than 7,000 full-time professional fire fighters, emergency medical service personnel and other first-responders that serve Missourians every day.

"As police officers work every day to serve and protect Missouri's families, we need Claire working hard as our partner in the Senate for another six years," said Kevin Ahlbrand, President of Missouri Fraternal Order of Police. "It's critical that our elected officials be responsive to the needs of our local law enforcement, and Claire has shown that she'll support Missouri's finest so that we can continue to protect Missouri's families."

The Fraternal Order of Police has a proud 97-year history of representing police officers and local law enforcement. Their current membership includes over 320,000 law enforcement officers across the county, more than 5,500 of which are in Missouri.

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