Press Room: Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – Senator Jay Rockefeller recognizes the enormous contributions of West Virginia first responders and he whole-heartedly supported a bipartisan proposal to designate September 25, 2008 as National First Responder Appreciation Day. The resolution passed the Senate and is now pending before the U.S. House of Representatives.

 

“I’ve seen first hand the incredible work that West Virginia first responders do in keeping our communities safe, protecting our families, and most importantly, saving lives. And, I can’t thank them enough for everything they do,” said Rockefeller. “These dedicated individuals put their lives on the line every day for our security and they deserve to be honored. It is absolutely right that we take one day out of the year to thank our neighbors who serve in volunteer fire departments, who wear a badge or who rush to give medical help to those who need it.”

 

“West Virginia’s first responders need to be prepared for everything from car crashes to natural disasters, and I will never stop doing everything I can to make sure they have the resources they need. Every police, fire, emergency medical service and public health professional is a constant source of inspiration to me and I thank them not just on this National First Responder Appreciation Day, but every day.”

 

Senator Rockefeller noted that when compared to other states, West Virginia’s disaster preparedness is consistently rated very high. 

 

To maintain that status, Senator Rockefeller routinely holds first responder roundtables and events in the state, including this year’s third annual Homeland Security Summit in Morgantown in June. These summits and roundtables have opened a dialogue about issues such as interoperable communications, industry preparedness, improving public health response, and statewide disaster planning. Progress has been made in the state on a statewide communications network; improving planning among agencies and neighboring states; and, strengthening a network of public health facilities so they’re better ready for response.

 

 

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