Florida Firefighters Endorse John Kerry [View All]

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Florida Professional Firefighters Endorse John Kerry

Wednesday July 14, 10:10 am ET

FPF Backed George W. Bush in 2000

MIAMI, July 14 /PRNewswire/ -- The Florida Professional Firefighters has announced its endorsement of John Kerry for President. The FPF endorsed George W. Bush in 2000, and supported Jeb Bush in both of his campaigns for Governor of Florida.

The FPF represents 19,000 paid professional firefighters and EMS personnel working in over 150 cities, counties and fire districts throughout the State of Florida. Their endorsement is the latest in an outpouring of support from firefighters across the country for the Kerry/Edwards ticket, and is vital to Kerry/Edwards' get-out-the-vote efforts in the state that gave George W. Bush the victory in 2000.

"The FPF proudly endorses John Kerry for President because he shares our vision of a safe and strong America," said Bob Carver, President of the FPF. "There is no stronger voice on firefighter and Homeland Security issues than John Kerry, and we will work hard to help him win the state of Florida.

"Kerry has consistently championed legislation to provide our members with the right to collective bargaining and to improve funding and increase the number of America's firefighters, our training and to provide us with the equipment first responders need to serve the people of America in defense of our homeland in an emergency, natural disaster, or, God forbid, in the event of another terrorist attack."

Kerry has had the enthusiastic support of the International Association of Fire Fighters, AFL-CIO/CLC, at the national level since early in the Democratic primary campaign. The IAFF, which represents 265,000 professional firefighters and emergency response personnel in every state in the nation, was the first union to endorse Kerry for President and has become a fixture on the campaign trail with their gold and black "Fire Fighters for Kerry/Edwards" signs and shirts.

"Firefighters see the values, principals, experience and skills in John Kerry that citizens see in their firefighters -- sense of duty, commitment, courage and sacrifice," said IAFF General President Harold A. Schaitberger. "John Kerry's strong record of service to his country and to the needs of firefighters is why we are supporting him for President."

"I am running for president to improve this nation's security and I am proud to have the endorsement of Florida's firefighters, and of firefighters across this country. I look forward to working with them to protect our communities," said John Kerry. "Under my administration, firefighters will receive the support and recognition they deserve."

John Kerry is the cosponsor of IAFF's SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) legislation that authorizes 7.7 billion dollars over the next ten years to hire 75,000 new firefighters in order to address the critical staffing shortages that plague over two-thirds of the nation's fire departments. He has also been involved in a number of other endeavors on behalf of firefighters including fighting for more funding for fire equipment and sponsoring a bill to provide parity to federal firefighters with their municipal counterparts in classifying certain cancers and heart ailments as job related ailments.