Ā The Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) is pleased to announce that Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska will serve as the chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus for the 117th Congress. Since joining the U.S. Senate in 2002, Senator Murkowski has been a strong advocate for our nationās fire and emergency services. In 2019, Senator Murkowski was named CFSIās Legislator of the Year in recognition of her work on behalf of our nationās firefighters and emergency services personnel.Ā
āThroughout my time as a U.S. Senator, Iāve developed relationships with some of Alaskaās bravest men and women: our Fire Chiefs and firefighters. Iāve worked on a number of initiatives at the federal level of great importance to the fire service. In recent years, as communities across Alaska have faced record-high fire seasons, I met with firefightersācareer and volunteerāand saw firsthand the dedication and grit it takes to do their job. And in spite of COVID-19, our fire services have never faltered; they adjusted operations as needed and continued toward their mission to protect their respective communities and each other,ā said Senator Murkowski. āIām proud to chair the Congressional Fire Services Caucus in the 117th Congress in support of firefighters who face disasters head-on, with great courage and commitment. I will continue to advocate for the health and safety of our fire service members, empowering them to serve and protect the public to the best of their abilities.ā
āSenator Murkowski has worked tirelessly in the Senate in support of initiatives to help the fire and emergency services. Her commitment to advancing public safety through bipartisanship makes her well-prepared to lead the Congressional Fire Services Caucus in the 117th Congress,ā said Bill Webb, Executive Director of the Congressional Fire Services Institute. āCFSI looks forward to working with her to expand the membership of the caucus in the coming years and ensure that Congress is well-educated on the needs of our nationās first responders.āĀ
Formed in 1987, the Congressional Fire Services Caucus was established to educate members of Congress about work of the fire and emergency services, which goes far beyond simply fighting fires. Today, the fire and emergency services respond to calls pertaining to fires, medical incidents, hazardous materials incidents, natural disasters, and much more. The Fire Caucus was created to be a bipartisan group where Republicans and Democrats could work together to learn about our nationās fire and emergency services, improve the readiness of local first responders, and jointly recognize their valor and dedication. A current list of Fire Caucus members can be found on CFSIās website.