The Professional Firefighters Association of Mississippi issued the following statement on June 1, 2022, in support of Brice Wiggins for Congress:
Senator Brice Wiggins has served as the Chairman of the Mississippi First Responder Legislative Caucus for the Legislative Session 2021-2022 and has supported First Responders throughout his terms in office at the Mississippi State Legislature.
This year especially, many bills were passed for Firefighters:
- HB 1427 – Provided Premium Pay of $1,000 for Career Firefighters
- HB 451 – Funded the Mississippi First Responders Health and Safety Act passed in 2019, dedicating $500,000 annually to fund this Act. This Act provides presumptive cancer coverage for the fire service and law enforcement – THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN THE COUNTRY
- HB 779 – Revised the definition of Line of Duty Death for First Responders to include COVID-19 deaths, aligning with the federal law.
- HB 842 – Appropriated additional rounds of fire apparatus for counties and municipalities under the Rural Fire Truck Program, marking it the largest funding in years.
As a Professional Firefighter Organization, we are committed to improving PERS retirement benefits and firefighters’ health and safety.
We applaud Senator Brice Wiggins’ dedication to First Responders, and we support his election campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives.
Sincerely,
– Professional Firefighters Association of Mississippi
– Gulfport Firefighters Association IAFF Local 272
– Biloxi Firefighters Association IAFF Local 1583
– Hattiesburg Firefighters Association IAFF Local 184
– Laurel Firefighters Association IAFF Local 207
– Gautier Firefighters Association IAFF Local 3290
– Moss Point Firefighters Association IAFF Local 5199
– Pascagoula Firefighters Association IAFF Local 1469