U.S. Rep. Barbara Comstock Earns Endorsement from Fairfax County Firefighters Group

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA -- The Professional Firefighters and Paramedics IAFF Local 2068, which represents about 1,800 active and retired firefighters, paramedics, mechanics and dispatchers who work or have worked in Fairfax County, endorsed Congresswoman Barbara J. Comstock (R-10th) Tuesday in her bid for reelection to Congress for Virginia’s 10th congressional District.

This is the first time IAFF Local 2068 has endorsed Comstock in any of her elections for both U.S. Congress and Virginia state delegate, the group noted. Ten voting members of the 14-member executive board of the group voted on the endorsement; the entire membership did not vote on it.

"We are not a partisan organization," John Niemiec, president of the group, said Wednesday. "We support those who support us. She [Comstock] has a voting record that supports us." Comstock and her opponent, Democrat LuAnn Bennett, both took the opportunity to come speak to the executive board.

“Congresswoman Barbara Comstock has worked hand in hand with the brothers and sisters of the firefighter and paramedic community from day one in Congress,” Niemiec says in an announcement about the endorsement on the group's Web site.

“When she said that her door would always be open to us, she meant it and we appreciate that Congresswoman Comstock has already demonstrated herself as a leader on the development of a national cancer registry for firefighters and co-sponsoring the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Reauthorization Act," he said. "This legislation that was signed into law helps our brothers and sisters who responded to the terrorist attacks in New York and locally here at the Pentagon with the proper medical care for any illnesses that can be traced back to the events of that horrific day.”

“As I travel throughout Virginia’s 10th Congressional District and visit with professional firefighters and paramedics on the local level, I am constantly reminded of the sacrifices these brave men and women make on a daily basis to protect their fellow citizens in our community,” Comstock said in the announcement.

“That is why it is such an honor to receive this endorsement from the firefighters and paramedics of IAFF Local 2068," she said. "In Congress, I will continue to find bipartisan solutions that will help our firefighters and paramedics do their jobs in a safe manner. I appreciate the support of IAFF Local 2068 and look forward to continuing to work with these dedicated public servants in the future.”

PHOTO: Congresswoman Barbara Comstock, official photo from U.S. House of Representatives