Courtney Announces Gales Ferry Fire Chief Anthony Saccone as Virtual Guest for President Biden’s State of the Union Address

NORWICH, CT – Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) announced that Gales Ferry Fire Chief Anthony "Tony" Saccone will be his guest of honor for President Joe Biden's virtual State of the Union address on Wednesday, March 2, 2022. Chief Saccone has served the Ledyard community as Chief of the Gales Ferry Firehouse for more than ten years, and was instrumental in the recent victory for fire police officers and their families across the U.S. through the Protecting America's First Responders Act.

"I am very honored to be Congressmen Joe Courtney's virtual guest to the State of the Union address, but more importantly, to represent the brave men and women across this nation who serve their towns and communities as first responders," said Chief Saccone. "This new law for Protecting America's First Responders has been a long, ten-year effort, passed in great part by the tireless commitment and effort of Congressmen Joe Courtney. Now, our first responders and their families can sleep easy knowing their love ones are protected, as they protect America."

"Chief Saccone and our local firefighters deserve all the credit in the world for the protections we recently secured for America's fire police officers and their families nationwide," said Rep. Courtney. "We need to be doing all we can to support our public safety and law enforcement officers right now, our Fire Police Fairness Act took some big steps towards doing so, and now it's been signed into law by President Biden—a bipartisan win, in the books. When fire police officers across the U.S. start to learn about these new benefits and protections for their families, they'll have our own Ledyard firefighters and Chief Saccone to look to for thanks. I am honored to have him join as my virtual guest to this year's State of the Union address."

For more than ten years, Chief Saccone and Rep. Courtney have worked together to advance the bipartisan Fire Police Fairness Act—a bill that would, for the first time, provide America's fire police officers and their families with the same federal injury and death benefits as other first responders. Chief Saccone first brought the issue to Rep. Courtney in 2011, and late last year their effort finally succeeded: the Fire Police Fairness Act was signed into law as part of the Protecting America's First Responders Act. Chief Saccone was invited to attend the White House bill signing ceremony in November, where he presented President Biden with his own Gales Ferry Fire Company badge.

Rep. Courtney announced the introduction of the Fire Police Fairness Act alongside Chief Saccone and first responders at the Gales Ferry Firehouse in 2011. Now that their effort is the law of the land, and America's fire police are officially eligible for federal injury and death benefits, Courtney stopped back by the Gales Ferry Firehouse last week to mark this effort completed. Last Thursday, Rep. Courtney presented Chief Saccone and the Gales Ferry Firehouse with an official signed copy of the Protecting America's First Responders Act.

To speak with Rep. Courtney or Chief Saccone regarding tomorrow's State of the Union address, email Rep. Courtney's office here.

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