Fire Fighters International Union President Praises Candidate Betty Sutton A Strong Friend to Fire Fighters and All Working Families in Ohio’s 13th District

Hundreds of Ohio Fire Firefighters Gather at Rally Sutton Lauded for her Efforts as a Longtime Advocate of First Responders

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Akron, OH – At an Akron rally of more than 100 Ohio Fire Fighters IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger praised Betty Sutton as a strong friend to fire fighters with a proven track record of fighting for the rights of all working families and the best candidate to be the next representative of Ohio’s 13th Congressional District.

“Fire fighters lend our strong support, our endorsement, and our commitment to work to elect Betty Sutton as the next representative of Ohio’s 13th Congressional District,” said Schaitberger, who is the leader of one of the nation’s most powerful unions. “She has spent her career both professionally and in public service working on the frontlines to protect the rights and raise the standard of living for fire fighters and all working families in the Akron community.”

Sutton was praised for her work as a Member of the Ohio State House and as a Summit County Councilwoman, including co-sponsoring a bill that ensured spouses of fire fighters killed in the line of duty were able to go to college. She also has fought to help workers deal with the problems of skyrocketing health care and prescription drug costs. The IAFF has endorsed Sutton’s candidacy.

“We know that Betty Sutton will ensure fire fighters and other first responders will have the staffing, training, equipment, and funding needed to do their jobs to make sure our homeland remains safe and your neighborhood stays safe,” Schaitberger told the crowd. “We know from her record that when Betty has given us her word she’s kept it and that kind of integrity is important to us, to the fire fighters across this country and most importantly right here in Ohio.”

Sutton thanked the fire fighters for their support, pledging to fight for more funding and health care coverage for fire fighters when elected. She vowed to run her election and serve with honor and integrity just as she did in her years of public service in Ohio.

“I want to thank General President Schaitberger and the fire fighters here and across the state for their support,” Betty Sutton said addressing the crowd. “Fire fighters are always first into the toughest fights, facing the challenge when everyone else is running scared. You were the first to stand-up for me and you know, I will always stand-up for you when I am elected to represent the great people of the 13th District of Ohio in the Nation’s Capital.”

The International Association of Fire Fighters, headquartered in Washington, D.C., represents more than 272,000 full-time professional fire fighters and paramedics who protect 80 percent of the nation’s population. The IAFF’s political action committee, FIREPAC, is in the top 2 percent of federal PACs among the more than 4,500 in the country. More information is available at www.iaff.org.

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