John Kerry: The Fire Fighters' Candidate

In October, the world watched in astonishment as Southern California was ravaged by devastating wild land fires. I visited the scene so that I could witness this catastrophic event first hand. I also needed to be there to offer my support to our courageous brothers and sisters as they fiercely battled the largest wildland fires in this country’s history.

I spent over 20 continuous hours on the fire lines and experienced the full magnitude of the heat, the horrible atmosphere, and the enormous walls of flame enveloping them. I watched the exhaustion on the faces of so many committed IAFF members who had already pulled 48 and 72-hour shifts, but refused to quit.

I visited the three injured members of Novato Fire Department, Marin County, Local 1775 at the burn unit the evening they were brought in and I mourned the death of their comrade, Steve Rucker.

While on location, I paused to reflect on our collective responsibility as fire fighters to ourselves; to each other and to the communities we serve.

We clearly face alarming staffing and equipment shortages during large-scale emergencies. We can no longer allow our front line defenders to be placed in harm’s way by inadequate staffing and lack of government support. We must take our fight for adequate resources to the next level.

 Professional fire fighters accept the dangers and challenges of our noble calling. This is the career we’ve chosen. But, we don’t expect and we will never tolerate having to beg for the resources we desperately need to do our jobs safely and effectively.

At the federal level, President Bush has refused time and again to support funding to hire new fire fighters. The Administration consistently refuses to fully fund the FIRE Act. It opposes your right to bargain collectively. It supports privatizing fire and EMS services. I don’t need to spin the facts. The facts are evident and indisputable.

Because our members are great patriots and feel a strong kinship to those serving in the military it is natural for us to support George W. Bush, as the Commander-in-Chief. However, professional fire fighters cannot continue to support George W. Bush, as the President and leader of this great nation, when he doesn’t support us.

It is time to elect a new leader. We need a President who respects our profession and embodies our values. One candidate, Senator John Kerry, fits that bill. He knows what it means to lead under fire and he has demonstrated courage, honor and integrity throughout his entire military and public service career.

I know that some of our members are asking, “Why endorse now?” “Isn’t it too early?” While the general election is a year away, the presidential primary process starts January 19th in Iowa. So the timing is right in order to impact the process and make our voices heard.

Why John Kerry? That’s simple.

Senator Kerry knows how important it is for every fire department across the United States to have safe, adequate staffing. That’s why he authored, The Father Mychal Judge Act, a federal program to hire 100,000 new fire fighters. He supports fully funding the FIRE Act and has since its introduction in 1998.

 John Kerry believes that every American deserves the absolute right to bargain with their employer and has been a co-sponsor of our collective bargaining legislation since day one.

More importantly, John Kerry is a true American patriot and hero. After college, he volunteered and was sent to Vietnam, where he served with honor winning multiple commendations for courage and valor.

When John Kerry returned home from the war, he continued to serve his country becoming a top prosecutor and later Lt. Governor in Massachusetts earning a reputation as being tough on crime, while at the same time protecting the gun rights of law-abiding citizens.

In 1984, John Kerry was elected to the U.S. Senate. He worked across party lines in supporting the Gramm-Rudman Deficit Reduction Act to create a balanced budget. He partnered with Sen. John McCain to search for the truth about POW/MIAs in Vietnam. And, today he is fighting to extend health insurance to all Americans while ensuring that middle class Americans, like fire fighters, aren’t burdened with excessive taxation. His accomplishments are clear.

Every day our members are on the front line protecting our communities. John Kerry has been on the front line for America since the day he enlisted in the Navy. He is on the front line as a member of the United States Senate. And most importantly, he is on the front line for professional fire fighters.

Fire fighters need someone who can light the proverbial fire in Washington to move our agenda forward. We need a man of commitment, values and action. We need a friend and partner in the White House. Join me on our political front line in supporting the fire fighter’s candidate, John Kerry, as the next President of the United States.

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