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| For the past week, our nation has been on high alert.
During the Memorial Day weekend, our eyes turned to places like New York,
Washington, DC, and even San Francisco as we braced ourselves and wondered
if our country is prepared for another terrorist attack. Meanwhile,
communities in our own backyards are still waiting for the resources they
need to protect us from harm.
On Friday, with the help of the Hot Springs Fire Department, I unveiled the results of a survey I conducted among our district’s first responders – our firefighters, police officers, EMS and emergency preparedness personnel, and others. In this new era of homeland security, they face added challenges in protecting their communities and in conducting this survey; I set out to find exactly what our first responders need. The report reveals a deficiency that as a citizen, I find unacceptable. One responder asked, “How can we even think about being prepared for a large attack when a house fire is almost too much for us to handle?” Our first responders do an excellent job with the resources they have – they protect lives and property every day, and I am grateful for all they do. But the simple fact is, our police and fire departments, our emergency response personnel, our public health agencies are under funded. How can we expect them to take on more responsibility with meager funding for the training, equipment, and adequate personnel necessary to keep us safe in this post-9/11 era? I want you to know that as your Congressman, I will do my part in making sure that our needs are brought to light. I believe our district represents a typical slice of rural America, and as the Department of Homeland Security continues to develop, I want the needs of first responders to be heard and represented. I plan to share this report with Secretary Tom Ridge, so he will know that this part of our homeland is not secure. |
