Jay Rockefeller: “I am proud today to cosponsor S. 2411, the Assistance to Firefighters Act of 2004. This legislation, introduced by my…”

“I am proud today to cosponsor S. 2411, the Assistance to Firefighters Act of 2004. This legislation, introduced by my colleagues Senators Dodd and DeWine, would reauthorize the FIRE Act grant program through 2010, as well as make a number of improvements to the existing program. This legislation will improve the ability of firefighters across to the country to do their jobs more safely and effectively. Four years ago, I was proud to be an original cosponsor of the Firefighter Investment and Response Enhancement (FIRE) Act, which has generated nearly $2 billion in grants since the program was enacted. It has provided critical dollars enabling fire departments to pay for the purchase of new equipment, to better train their personnel, and to establish fire prevention campaigns. Although this is a notable step forward, in West Virginia, and throughout the country, fire departments remain seriously underfunded. I hope my colleagues will agree that much more needs to be done before we can feel comfortable about the level of preparedness of our firefighters. In West Virginia, almost every single one of our approximately 460 fire departments is undermanned and without the necessary equipment they need to do their jobs. I worry, as I'm sure many of my colleagues do, that communities could find themselves in the unacceptable position of being ill-prepared to respond to an emergency.”