Scott Powers
A bill co-introduced by Democratic U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy of Winter Park to provide money for anti-terrorism workshops for first responders has been approved by the House of Representatives.
The “Joint Counterterrorism Awareness Workshop Series Act of 2017,” House Resolution 3284, also introduced by U.S. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Pennsylvania Republican, and Dan Donovan, a New York Republican, provides funding for training of federal, state, and local first responders to prevent, prepare for, and respond to a coordinated terrorist attack. The House of Representatives approved it Thursday.
The program has been ongoing since 2011, conducting more than 30 workshops in cities across the country. Orlando hosted one in October, 2014.
“ I know firsthand the difference that highly-skilled, well-prepared first responders can make during a crisis,” Murphy stated in a news release issued by her office. “During the 2016 Pulse nightclub terrorist attack, law enforcement officials, medical professionals and other first responders saved many lives. Joint Counterterrorism Awareness Workshops will help communities across the country establish effective policies and procedures to prevent, plan for, and respond to a coordinated terrorist attack.”
