On Thursday, downtown Mesa witnessed a significant gathering as a coalition representing over 350,000 firefighters and first responders endorsed Ruben Gallego for the US Senate.
The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) has officially given its endorsement to Gallego, which brings numerous advantages. Besides mobilizing its numerous Arizona members to support Gallego and volunteer for his campaign, the union and its political action committee are also able to financially back voter outreach initiatives and contribute directly to Gallego’s campaign.
“I’m proud to get this endorsement from the International Association of Fire Fighters,” Gallego stated. “Our first responders are essential to maintaining the safety of our communities. I have fought side by side with them, with reserves, with many other people who are first responders in their communities and to their nations.”
Gallego, who has enjoyed the support of firefighters since his initial run for the US House of Representatives in 2014, has consistently advocated for legislation beneficial to emergency workers. Back then, the Professional Firefighters of Arizona endorsed him in a competitive primary. Over the past decade, he has pushed for laws that allocate millions for emergency worker training and retention, reauthorized the Firefighter Cancer Registry Act, and proposed bills for covering medical treatment related to work illnesses and establishing a home loan program for rescue workers.
In an interview with The Copper Courier, Gallego emphasized the importance of better compensation and benefits for firefighters: “They do dangerous jobs. And so when we don’t increase their pay, when we don’t make sure they have good benefits after retirement, we don’t respect them at their jobs, and when we don’t take care of them when they fall ill because of cancer exposures, future firefighters see that and say, ‘I don’t want to get into that line of work.’ My job is to make sure that we are treating them with respect, and they get the salary and benefits they deserve.”
IAFF’s general secretary and Los Angeles Fire Department captain Frank Líma joined Gallego and numerous IAFF members at the Mesa union hall to make the endorsement official. Líma cited Gallego’s background as a veteran and his legislative efforts supporting first responders as key reasons for their endorsement.
“Ruben Gallego is one of those leaders who has been in this fight with us. He has had the backs of firefighters and supported our work to improve public safety,” Líma remarked. “I want Ruben to be there to vote for things that affect my family, not only in Arizona but across this great country.”
Líma and others highlighted two particular legislative efforts by Gallego: the reauthorization of the Firefighter Cancer Registry Act and the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act of 2023, also known as the HONOR Act. Established in 2018, the National Firefighter Registry aims to help researchers better understand and mitigate workplace hazards contributing to cancer among emergency workers.
The HONOR Act sought to extend additional benefits to emergency workers who develop cancer due to job-related exposure and to their families in case of death. Although this act did not pass, Gallego retains the option to reintroduce it in the US Senate if elected.
