Public Safety Organizations Support President to Open Resources for All COVID19 Affected Areas
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, a coalition of public safety organizations has come together to support the President in declaring a national emergency in order to direct federal resources to local communities which are being affected by the COVID-19 virus. The men and women in local communities are on the frontline of servicing the public and they will continue to need funding to access equipment and training which will protect our first responders and empower them to better serve our citizenry during this outbreak as soon as possible.
The following statement was made and supported by the following organizations: Major County Sheriffs of America, National Sheriffs’ Association, Major Cities Chiefs Association, International Association of Fire Chiefs and Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association.
“We appreciate the support of the President and his continued partnership and communication with first responders on the COVID-19 pandemic. As we individually work through the ramifications of this virus on our communities and agencies, it is apparent the need for funding and equipment to the local level is imperative, especially as resources dwindle and programming shuts down. Our agencies are suffering from staff shortages, overtime costs, strains on equipment, and lack of supplies and personal protection equipment (PPE). Today, we support President Trump declaring a national emergency to free up federal resources in order to equip and financially support those communities who are navigating this health crisis. This support will allow first responders across the country to continue to deliver services and reallocate our manpower as needed to protect and serve our citizens.”
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Media Inquiries
Major County Sheriffs of America: Sheriff Mike Bouchard ocso@oakgov.com (248) 858-5001
Major Cities Chiefs Association: Chief Art Acevedo art.acevedo@houstonpolice.org (832) 492-6106
National Sheriffs’ Association: Patrick Royal patrickroyal@sheriffs.org (703) 838-5341
International Association of Fire Chiefs: Jim Phillips jphillips@iafc.org (703) 273-0911 ext. 329
Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association: Ken LaSala klasala@iafc.org (703) 537-4847
