Issue Position: First Responders

Issue Position

As a former U.S. Army Officer, I have served on the front lines in the struggle to keep Americans safe so I realize the importance of ensuring that our brave first responders have the resources that they need in order to do their job more efficiently.

Over the last decade, southern West Virginia has seen a significant rise in opioid and heroin addiction which has led to higher rates of crime. One thing is clear, our first responders need the best resources in order to keep our communities safe. Unfortunately, most communities are left with outdated equipment, understaffed teams and discouraged workers. In order to fix this, I hope to make funding for our first responders a top priority while in Washington.

While I believe that is it vital for us to reduce our deficit, I do not think it needs to happen at the expense of our first responders. I hope to target any recovered revenue from fraud, waste or abuse and use the recovered funds to support police officers, EMT's, fire departments and correctional officers. With increased wages, better equipment and quality training, I believe our first responders will have better job satisfaction which will create better lives for them as a whole.

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