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With Fire-Department Layoffs and Furloughs Already Near 1,000, America Might Be Facing the Largest Cuts to Fire Service in Modern Times
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(92 seconds)
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(OPEN):
THE "COVID-19"-PANDEMIC HAS ALREADY TAKEN THE LIVES OF AT LEAST 26 FIREFIGHTERS, NATIONWIDE.
AND, RELATED BUDGET-CUTS HAVE, SO FAR, RESULTED IN THE LAYOFF--OR
FURLOUGH--OF ALMOST ONE-THOUSAND FIRE-DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES. THAT'S ACCORDING TO THE LATEST DATA FROM THE
"INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIRE-CHIEFS"--WHICH ALSO PROJECTS THAT AS MANY AS 30-THOUSAND FIRE-DEPARTMENT JOBS COULD BE LOST, BY THE END OF NEXT YEAR.
THE GROUP'S CURRENT PRESIDENT IS GARY LUDWIG--WHO'S ALSO THE
FIRE-CHIEF IN CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS...
(LUDWIG):
"THE SAME FIREFIGHTERS WHOM THE NATION CONSIDERED
'ESSENTIAL' IN BATTLING 'COVID-19' ARE SUDDENLY TOLD [THAT] THEY'RE NO LONGER NEEDED.
WITH NEARLY A THOUSAND FIREFIGHTERS AND SUPPORT-PERSONNEL MISSING FROM THE FRONTLINES AT THIS EARLY STAGE,
IT'S CLEAR THAT THESE CUTS WILL BE DEEP AND LONG-LASTING: WE'LL BE LESS-PREPARED TO DEAL WITH THE
PANDEMIC--AND WITH EVERY OTHER EMERGENCY. ALSO, SOME VOLUNTEER FIRE-DEPARTMENTS MIGHT BE FORCED TO CLOSE
ALTOGETHER--LEAVING ENTIRE COMMUNITIES WITHOUT NEARBY 'EMERGENCY MEDICAL
SERVICES' OR FIRE-PROTECTION."
(BRIDGE):
TO HELP THE NATION'S FIRE-DEPARTMENTS, LUDWIG URGES CONGRESS AND THE WHITE HOUSE TO ACT NOW...
(LUDWIG):
"MEANINGFUL FEDERAL-FUNDING IS ESSENTIAL TO PREVENT THE LARGEST CUTS TO FIRE AND
'E-M-S' SINCE THE GREAT DEPRESSION. THAT'S WHY WE'VE ASKED FOR 10-BILLION DOLLARS THAT WOULD GO DIRECTLY TO
FIRE-DEPARTMENTS--THROUGH TWO VERY SUCCESSFUL GRANT-PROGRAMS THAT WERE AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS, YEARS AGO.
MEMBERS-OF-CONGRESS PROUDLY ANNOUNCE THESE GRANTS, EACH YEAR, FOR FIRE-DEPARTMENTS IN THEIR OWN STATES AND DISTRICTS.
BUT, THEY'VE NEVER BEEN MORE CRITICAL THAN RIGHT NOW."
(CLOSE):
TO LEARN MORE, VISIT "I-A-F-C"-DOT-ORG.
