President Obama Proposes Billions for New Jobs Initiative to Hire Fire Fighters, Preferences to Jurisdictions for Hiring Veterans

President Barack Obama, with IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger sitting close by, outlined an aggressive plan to provide more than $1 billion to hire and keep fire fighters on the frontlines, while giving preferences to jurisdictions for hiring veterans after returning from their tours of duty abroad. Speaking to fire fighters at Station 5 in Arlington, Virginia, President Obama acknowledged that tight municipal budgets have resulted in widespread layoffs of fire fighters and police officers and said his Veterans Job Corps program can boost hiring and help an economy that is struggling to recover.

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