Here’s what we’ve been working on this fall to advocate for our nation’s Fire & EMS workers in the elections!

We believe it is crucial to engage with voters on the ground where they live and vote. To do this we have launched a Get Out the Vote campaign targeting voters in three states: Ohio, Illinois, and Washington. Our objective is to raise awareness for ballot measures and tax levies that are on the ballots in these locations which would provide vital funding for local fire departments.

Our outreach program utilized text, phone calls, and social media to reach voters. Executive Director, Jane Porter highlighted the importance of this effort:

We know that nearly 30% of all fire levies in the United States fail. American fire departments are at risk today from voters who do not understand the need for fire departments to adapt to modern-day challenges. Our Get Out the Vote initiative will target 60,000 voters across four cities who have a high likelihood of getting behind bipartisan causes like supporting Fire and EMS services. We provide information these voters can use to support their local fire departments on an individual basis.

One example of online resources we provided to potential voters on their local ballot measures and levies can be found below, targeting voters in Oak Harbor, WA:

Finally, we’ve released two videos that make an appeal to voters to support initiatives which would benefit their local firefighters.

“What’s the best way to keep Firefighters Safe?” features one local fire fighter highlighting the importance of funding for fire departments.

“America’s Fire Departments Need YOU on November 8th, 2022” underscores the hazards of old equipment and out of date fire infrastructure.

We are confident that these projects will have an important impact on the results of this year’s ballot measures and levy proposals and look forward to sharing the results.