BAUCUS WORKS ALONGSIDE MISSOULA FIREFIGHTERS
Senator Spends Signature "Work Day" With Fire Truck #111
(Washington, D.C.) – Montana senior U.S. Senator Max Baucus was in Missoula on Monday, working alongside Missoula Firefighters as one of his signature "work days". Baucus participated in land fire training, and went out on emergency calls with firefighters from Fire Truck #111.
"It was great to work alongside the firefighters today,” Baucus said. “I got to see firsthand their top notch operation and to participate in some simulations."
Baucus is committed to finding funding for Montana firefighters. He has supported funding for programs that provide funding to local fire departments, including the Assistance for Firefighters Grants (AFG) program and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program. Since 2008, those programs have provided over 90 grants for over $12.5 million to Montana communities to address firefighting equipment and staffing needs.
In addition to these programs, Baucus is a strong supporter for funding to fight wildland fires across the West and in Montana. He introduced the Stable Fire Funding Act in 2008 that would set up a new trust fund that the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management could tap during extraordinary fire seasons. The Stable Fire Funding Act also later served as the basis for the Federal Land Assistance Management and Enhancement (FLAME) Act, which passed last year.
Baucus has done work days ranging from driving an 18-wheeler to working in a pharmacy to building houses. He started doing the works days more than 16 years ago and says the days give him valuable insight into the challenges Montanans face every day.
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