[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 93 (Monday, May 13, 2024)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 41295-41296]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-10532]


 
 
                         Presidential Documents 
 
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 89 , No. 93 / Monday, May 13, 2024 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 41295]]


                Proclamation 10751 of May 3, 2024

                
National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend, 
                2024

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                I have often said that God made man, and then made 
                firefighters. Their extraordinary courage embodies the 
                best of America--with every call they answer, they put 
                their lives on the line to keep the rest of us safe. It 
                is more than what they do; it is who they are. This 
                weekend, we honor the brave service of every fallen 
                hero who has made the ultimate sacrifice for our 
                communities.

                Last year, when the First Lady and I visited Maui in 
                the wake of the devastating fires there, we met 
                firefighters who had performed breathtaking acts of 
                heroism, rescuing families and saving lives, even while 
                many of their own homes burned. Over the years, I have 
                had the honor of knowing many like them, and I know 
                their bravery comes at a cost. They respond to hundreds 
                of thousands of fires, medical calls, and other 
                emergencies every year, some of which they were never 
                trained for. As the effects of climate change worsen, 
                local and wildland fire departments are being called to 
                fight deadlier and stronger blazes. Too often, they are 
                also exposed to toxic chemicals not only in smoke, but 
                in their own protective gear, risking their health down 
                the line. It is a dangerous profession, with everything 
                at stake.

                Firefighters have always had our backs; as a Nation, we 
                have to have theirs. I know that few things protect 
                firefighters better than more firefighters. That is 
                why, in my first months as President, I signed the 
                American Rescue Plan, getting States and cities the 
                funding needed to hire more firefighters during the 
                pandemic, often boosting pay and keeping these 
                essential heroes on the job. That law also increased 
                Federal firefighting grants by $300 million, paying for 
                hundreds of emergency response vehicles and thousands 
                of sets of turnout gear, while putting more local 
                firefighters in the field.

                At the same time, we are making sure more firefighters 
                have the quality health care they deserve. After years 
                of incredible valor battling dangerous flames, cancer 
                is in fact one of the leading causes of death in this 
                community--a silent killer that stays with folks long 
                after the blaze is out. Through our Cancer Moonshot 
                Initiative, my Administration is working to end cancer 
                as we know it. It aims to cut the cancer death rate in 
                half over 25 years by investing in research and 
                development, early detection, and screening, and better 
                supporting patients and their families from the moment 
                of their diagnosis. The Department of Labor has 
                established a new unit to more quickly process claims 
                for Federal firefighters with cancer. We are cracking 
                down on exposure to toxic PFAS--the so-called ``forever 
                chemicals'' that are used to make firefighting gear, 
                equipment, and suppression agents. We have increased 
                funding for research into the specific PFAS risks that 
                firefighters face, looking for new ways to address 
                them.

                When a firefighter is harmed in the line of duty, it is 
                on us all to make sure they get the support they 
                deserve. We have expanded benefits for those who are 
                permanently disabled, and extended them to family 
                members of those who have passed away after 
                experiencing trauma on duty. In 2022, I was proud to 
                sign the Federal Firefighters Fairness Act, getting 
                more

[[Page 41296]]

                than 10,000 Federal firefighters and their families 
                critical workers' compensation and other benefits, by 
                making sure certain heart problems, lung diseases, and 
                cancers are classified as job-related. After years of 
                service, we also have to make sure firefighters get the 
                retirement pay and benefits they have earned. I was 
                proud to sign legislation to keep their disability 
                retirement benefits tax-free. And I will always stand 
                with labor and defend their right to collectively 
                bargain for the good pay, benefits, and safety 
                protections they deserve. This Nation owes every 
                firefighter who gets up each morning and goes to work 
                not knowing if they will make it home. We owe their 
                families. We owe everyone who has ever lost a 
                firefighter that they loved. They lost a piece of their 
                soul. These heroes' courageous legacy lives on in the 
                communities they kept safe, and in our work to be there 
                for one another the way that they were always there for 
                us.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 4 
                through May 5, 2024, as National Fallen Firefighters 
                Memorial Weekend. On Sunday, May 5, 2024, in accordance 
                with Public Law 107-51, the flag of the United States 
                will be flown at half-staff at all Federal office 
                buildings in honor of the National Fallen Firefighters 
                Memorial Service. I call upon all Americans to observe 
                these events with appropriate ceremonies and activities 
                and honor our Nation's courageous firefighters who gave 
                their lives to keep the rest of us safe.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                third day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand 
                twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and forty-eighth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2024-10532
Filed 5-10-24; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P