Democrats believe that the most basic function of government is to provide for America's defense. Despite all the work that has been done on homeland security, more needs to be done to give our police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel the resources they need.

Fire departments across the country demonstrated that they have only enough radios to equip half the firefighters on a shift, and only enough breathing equipment for one-third. Only 10 percent of fire departments have the personnel and equipment to respond to a building collapse. Police lack the necessary protective gear for securing a site after an attack with weapons of mass destruction. And the number of police officers serving our larger communities has decreased since 2001 by over 15 percent.

We know that the first step toward ensuring America's national security is keeping our local communities safe from terrorism. That is why Democrats are fighting to make sure that our first responders have the equipment, resources, and training they need to keep us safe.

Reinforce the front lines of our domestic defense. Currently, state and local budget crises are forcing cities to fire police, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel even as more of them are needed to meet the increased demands of homeland security. Democrats want to strengthen the front lines of domestic defense by helping state and local governments hire more police, firefighters, and EMS professionals, and provide them with the tools and training they need to respond

Train and equip our first responders. The vast majority of the nation's first responders don't have the protective gear, equipment, and training they need to respond to another large-scale terrorist attack, especially if it involves biological or chemical agents. Democrats want to make sure that our police, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians have the tools they need to keep us safe.