Missouri fire fighters, McCaskill discuss needs of first responders

Washington – Representatives of the Missouri Council of Firefighters met with U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill recently to discuss public safety and funding challenges facing the state’s fire fighters and what more can be done to help local departments.

“You hope you never have to call the fire department, but when you do, you want the first responders who bravely answer the call have the tools they need to do the job,” said McCaskill, who prosecuted arson cases as a Jackson County prosecutor.

“Our fire fighters make sacrifices every day to keep our families safe. We’ve got to ensure their government recognizes those sacrifices by prioritizing the resources they need to continue saving lives and property in our communities.”

A longtime advocate for Missouri’s fire fighters and first responders, McCaskill backed legislation to strengthen education benefits for volunteer fire fighters in departments across Missouri, bolstering the ability to recruit and retain volunteer fire fighters. The plan allows any volunteer fire fighter or first responder with student loans to be eligible to have their student debt paid off.

President Trump recently signed into law the McCaskill-backed Fire Grants Reauthorization Act, which provides funding for state and local first responders and law enforcement to train and equip Missouri’s emergency personnel. The program provides funding directly to fire departments, helping increase and maintain the number of trained fire fighters in local communities.