Senator Murray Introduces Bill Supporting Local First-Responders During High-Profile Events

Press Release

Senator Murray Introduces Bill Supporting Local First-Responders During High-Profile Events

The Local HEROs Grant Act will provide grants to local agencies that step up to the plate during national or international events

Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) introduced the Local Homeland Event Response Operations Grant Act (Local HEROs). This bill will allow state and local police and fire departments and emergency management agencies to apply for federal support when a major event of national or international significance occurs in their area.

"A local community should not be forced to bear the full burden and cost for providing the security on behalf of the entire nation," said Senator Patty Murray. "The Local HEROs Grant Act ensures that agencies won't have to worry about not having the resources they need to plan for major events or provide adequate numbers of first responders to maintain order and safety."

Events like the Super Bowl, presidential political conventions, presidential funerals and the Olympic Games place extra security burdens on state and local first responders who must plan and prepare for the events and work overtime to staff them. These events may only last a day or a couple of weeks, but the security costs associated with these events can drain a local government's ability to provide funding for police officers and fire fighters for the rest of the year. In 2010, the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia will place a similar strain on state and local first responders in Whatcom County to deal with the influx of visitors to the region as well as the heightened security risks.

Senator Murray is a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source