Last week, I suited up at the Allegheny County Fire Training Academy for Fire Ops 101, where lawmakers like me get a firsthand look at what our first responders face every single day.
From live fire training to vehicle extractions and aerial operations, I came away with a deeper respect for the physical and emotional toll of the job. The search and rescue simulation was particularly impactful. It is hard to describe how overwhelming it is to walk down the stairs into a pitch black room filled with smoke, crawl through a tunnel wearing 75-100 lbs of gear, stumble over unknown obstacles on the floor and attempt to drag a 40 lbs dummy back out to safety. And our firefighters do this all the time in our communities when lives are on the line.
I’ve fought hard in Harrisburg to make sure our first responders have the training and safety equipment they need. I want them to be protected when they are on scene and when they go home — that means co-sponsoring and passing legislation to cover post-traumatic stress injuries under workers' compensation. A few years ago, that kind of support didn’t exist. Now, it’s law.
Our end-of-month fundraising deadline is just three days away. Every contribution from now until then helps power the fight to ensure our emergency workers are safe, supported, and never taken for granted.
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