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WELLS, ME — Today, the Maine Professional Fire Fighters and International Association of Fire Fighters endorsed U.S. Senator Susan Collins, citing her long record of unwavering support for law enforcement and their families.“It is an honor to have the endorsement of the International Association of Fire Fighters and the Professional Fire Fighters of Maine, and to get to make this announcement surrounded by so many heroic first responders,” said Senator Susan Collins. “In my work as co-chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, the more than 1,300 dedicated members of the Professional Fire Fighters of Maine have been invaluable sources of information, insight, and inspiration. I will continue working with them to ensure our first responders have the resources to defend Mainers against the ever-present threat of fire and its often-disastrous effects, as well as the challenges of terrorism and threats of hazardous material exposure.”
“Since 1996, when Senator Collins first got elected, there is not one fire fighter issue that she has not supported. She’s one of the strongest supporters ever of IAFF issues, and she has a 100% voting record on the fire fighter issues that we put out there. Senator Collins has served for 20 years as the co-chair of the Congressional Fire Caucus. […] Just this year, in 2026, Senator Collins helped pass an appropriations bill to provide full and permanent funding for the World Trade Center Health Program, which cares for all of the 9/11 first responders and their survivors. […] For all of these reasons and many more that I can’t enumerate, the IAFF is proud to stand with Senator Collins to endorse her reelection,” said Jay Colbert, Third District Vice President, International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF).
“Today, the Professional Fire Fighters of Maine is proud to endorse Senator Collins for her reelection to the United States Senate. We do so because Maine’s first responders and the communities we serve need leaders who understand the importance of a strong, well-supported emergency response workforce. Senator Collins has a record of delivering that support to us in both the public and federal sectors throughout the state and across this country. She has supported and continues to support programs to help fire departments recruit and retain fire fighters, obtain apparatus and equipment, and improve staffing and training, including Assistance to Fire Fighters and SAFER grants. […] The Senator’s record matters in a state like Maine where communities, particularly rural ones, depend on reliable emergency services, dedicated fire fighters, and strong federal partnerships. That is why leadership matters, and that is why we are proud to stand with Senator Susan Collins and endorse her for reelection to the United States Senate,” said Kyle Moser, Fifth District Vice President, Professional Fire Fighters of Maine (PFFM).
As co-chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, Senator Collins has been a longtime champion for Maine’s fire fighters and all fire fighters throughout the United States. In addition to securing funding for fire stations and first responders across the state of Maine, Senator Collins has worked to ensure they have the resources they need to protect the communities and families that fire fighters serve every day:
- Senator Collins helped establish the federal Assistance to Fire Fighters and SAFER grant programs and authored the Fire Grants and Safety Act to reauthorize these critical programs through 2030.
- Through her role on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins has secured nearly $87 million for 45 fire stations across Maine since 2021.
- Senator Collins helped enact legislation to protect fire fighters from cancer and exposure to harmful chemicals, expand disability benefits for federal firefighters, and protect the pensions of first responders injured in the line of duty.
- Senator Collins authored the Social Security Fairness Act, signed into law in 2025, which restored the earned Social Security benefits for millions of public servants and their spouses, including Fire Fighters.