Illinois Firefighters Say No to Romney

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March 2012

The IAFF and the Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois (AFFI) are wading into the Republican nomination process with a new broadcast ad highlighting Mitt Romney's opposition to critical public safety programs, including Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) and Assistance to Firefighters (FIRE Act) grants.

"It is important for Illinois voters to know Romney's poor record on public safety," says IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger. "On the eve of the Illinois primary, we must let voters know that if Mitt Romney has his way, he will eliminate successful public safety programs that makes communities safer."

As governor of Massachusetts, Romney repeatedly attempted to cut local aid to communities, jeopardizing public safety and safe staffing. He also attempted to strip away the collective bargaining rights of fire fighters in the state.

"We want our members to know about Mitt Romney's failure to support fire fighter issues," says AFFI President Pat Devaney.

The SAFER program has put more than 5,000 fire fighters back to work across the country, giving a much-needed boost to public safety in countless struggling communities. In Illinois, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided fire departments $10.2 million in grants to hire or retain fire fighters last year.

Republished with permission of the International Association of Fire Fighters. View original article here.