Press Releases
Pascrell Leads 159 Colleagues Demanding Support for First RespondersBipartisan letter to House leadership pushes increased funding for police, firefighters, EMTs on the frontlines
Paterson, NJ,
April 10, 2020
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Bill Pascrell, Jr.
(9735235152)
PATERSON, NJ – U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09), Co-Chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus and Law Enforcement Caucus, , today led 159 of his Democratic and Republican House colleagues urging the chamber’s leadership to ensure strong additional support for the nation’s first responders who work in one of the highest risk occupations for COVID-19 exposure in future emergency stimulus funding packages. This letter was co-led by Reps. Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD-5), Peter T. King (R-NY-2), and Mike Bost (R-IL-12), Co-Chairs of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, and Rep. John Rutherford (R-FL-4) , Co-Chair of the Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus. “First responders are routinely in physical contact with potentially infected persons and are facing unprecedented volumes of dispatch calls, especially in severely impacted areas. A short supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) for first responders to guard against disease exposure has left many police officers, firefighters, and EMS personnel exposed to the dangers of this crisis. This has resulted in too many across our nation contracting COVID-19, officers being forced to self-quarantine, and staffing shortages when our first responders are needed most,” the members write. A copy of Rep. Pascrell’s letter is available here, the text of which is provided below. April 10, 2020
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi The Honorable Kevin McCarthy Speaker Minority Leader U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515
Dear Speaker Pelosi and Leader McCarthy:
We appreciate your work to provide support for our nation’s police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical services (EMS) personnel in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. However, additional assistance is needed during this crisis. As Congress considers further legislation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we urge you to include additional support for our nation’s first responders who work in one of the highest risk occupations for COVID-19 exposure.[i] First responders are routinely in physical contact with potentially infected persons and are facing unprecedented volumes of dispatch calls, especially in severely impacted areas.[ii]
A short supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) for first responders to guard against disease exposure has left many police officers, firefighters, and EMS personnel exposed to the dangers of this crisis. This has resulted in too many across our nation contracting COVID-19, officers being forced to self-quarantine, and staffing shortages when our first responders are needed most.[iii] As of April 7 more than 1,900 New York City Police Department (NYPD) employees have contracted COVID-19 with 6,900 in total in quarantine, and 282 New York City Fire Department (FDNY) employees have contracted COVID-19 with 950 in total in quarantine.[iv][v] While New York City is the current epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, many other cities and states with developing outbreaks such as New Jersey[vi], Florida[vii], Detroit[viii], Seattle[ix], Washington D.C.[x], and several additional states and cities across the nation[xi] have reported a significant number of first responders contracting COVID-19 or in self-quarantine.
As this outbreak develops, many more first responders will undoubtedly contract COVID-19 or be forced to self-quarantine. To support our nation’s police officers, firefighters, and EMS personnel serving on the frontlines of this pandemic we urge action on the below items.
During a time of crisis, communities rely on local first responders as the first line of defense for protection and emergency response. As you continue to develop further legislation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we urge you to include the above items so our nation’s first responders can operate at full capacity as we fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sincerely, [iii] https://www.propublica.org/article/emergency-medical-responders-have-lacked-guidance-and-are-stretched-for-supplies-and-personnel-to-combat-coronavirus [v] https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/01/more-than-1000-new-york-city-police-officers-are-infected-with-coronavirus.html [vi] https://www.nj.com/coronavirus/2020/03/700-nj-police-officers-have-tested-positive-for-coronavirus-state-police-leader-says.html [vii] https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/local/jacksonville-area-coronavirus-updates-people-drinking-alcohol-cope-during-pandemic-research-shows/I3DJIWFY2JFVFI6Z7L2AL7KCRM/ [viii] https://www.wnem.com/news/detroit-mayor-updates-number-of-first-responders-testing-positive-for-covid-19/article_aed777c2-7452-11ea-8cb8-7f4b500357a9.html [ix] https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/seattle-has-booked-an-entire-downtown-hotel-for-first-responders-to-isolate-and-quarantine-during-coronavirus-pandemic/ |