Recent severe weather and wildfire disasters in Nebraska’s Third District have highlighted the critical role the Americans who serve our communities as firefighters, police, emergency medical service workers, and members of the National Guard play in protecting our communities and property and saving lives. As the men and women who dedicate themselves to service in the face of tragedy, crime, and disaster watch over us across the country, our emergency services do not take time off.These Americans deserve to be honored.
The readiness of Third District emergency responders to willingly place their lives on the line for our communities is extraordinary. As I wrote in my May 3rd column, when the Arbor Day tornadoes ripped through our communities, local and state responders were swiftly on the scene to care for injured Nebraskans and lead storm recovery.When Central Nebraska wildfires claimed over 70,000 acres in 24 hours in late February, volunteer firefighters played a primary role in containing the blaze. Among Nebraska’s fire departments, 92 percent are volunteer based, as are nearly 70 percent of departments nationwide.
This week, as we recognized National Police Week, the House passed several measures supporting law enforcement officers. To ensure retired officers are not hindered by burdensome firearm restrictions, the House passed Rep. Don Bacon’s (R-NE) Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA) Reform Act.This bill expands the authority for retired officers to carry concealed firearms across state lines and within public spaces which criminals may see as vulnerable, such as school zones, national parks, and certain federal facilities. If qualified former officers who spent a career in law enforcement are willing to continue to play a role in keeping Americans safe, we should take every opportunity to empower them to do so.
