Carol Shea-Porter: “I rise as a proud sponsor of this amendment, the Volunteer Firefighter and EMS Personnel Protection Act. The bill will…”

“I rise as a proud sponsor of this amendment, the Volunteer Firefighter and EMS Personnel Protection Act. The bill will provide job protection to the brave men and women who volunteer their time as firefighters and EMTs during national disasters. Some volunteers put their lives on hold to help others. Others literally put their lives on the line. When Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, our Nation's emergency services were overcome by the immensity of the disaster. Almost 400,000 people were displaced from their homes. The images of this tragedy will be seared in our minds forever. In the aftermath of the hurricane, I went down to do a very small part to help those, and I saw the devastation. But in a disaster of the magnitude of Hurricane Katrina or the recent tragedy in Kansas, we need more than an extra pair of hands. When our Nation's emergency services are overwhelmed, we need highly skilled professionals who can step in to provide such help. More than 800,000 skilled first responders volunteer for such emergencies each year. Volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians, EMTs, are a critical part of this effort. They are fighting fires and providing essential medical care. They are saving lives. But, under current law, when volunteer firefighters and EMTs return to their homes, there is no guarantee that they will still have their jobs. They can do the right thing for America and find out they are left out in the cold.”