Washington, March 10 (IANS) US Vice President JD Vance shared a deeply personal story about firefighters helping his family during his childhood, telling a gathering of firefighters in the nation’s capital that emergency responders once saved his mother’s life during her struggle with opioid addiction.
Addressing the 2026 Legislative Conference of the International Association of Fire Fighters, Vance praised firefighters and emergency medical responders for their service and said their work often gives families “second chances”.
“I picked up the phone, I called 911, and a number of brave, professional, compassionate firefighters from Middletown, Ohio, showed up, and they calmed my mom down, and they made it possible for us to go on with the rest of our day,” Vance said.
He said the moment left a lasting impression on him as a child. “They made a kid who was scared to death feel like he had an ally in this world,” he said. “I will never forget that.”
Vance also recalled another emergency when paramedics rushed his mother to the hospital after an overdose. “I remember holding her hand, hoping to God that she would be okay, that she would wake up,” he said.
His mother eventually recovered, he said, crediting first responders for helping his family during that difficult period. “By the grace of God, my mom did wake up, and by the way, she’s now been clean and sober for north of 11 years,” Vance said. He added that the family marked a milestone in her recovery at the White House.
“We celebrated her ten years of sobriety in the West Wing of the White House,” he said. “What an incredible testament to the American dream.”
Vance used the story to highlight the role firefighters and emergency responders play in communities across the United States.
“What you guys do is not easy,” he said. “But it does give people, millions of Americans all across this nation, a sense that somebody is looking out for them.”
The Vice President also noted the sacrifices made by people who serve in uniform, including firefighters, police officers, and members of the military.
“There’s a brotherhood, a sisterhood between the military, the police officers, and the firefighters,” he said. “You were the three categories of people who put on a uniform and put your lives at risk for your communities.”
He began his remarks by referring to the recent return of American soldiers killed overseas.
“I was honoured to be able to participate in the dignified transfer of six American soldiers who were killed overseas in this conflict with Iran,” Vance said, urging the audience to “spare a prayer for the six souls that we lost”.
During the speech, Vance also pointed to legislation supported by the administration that affects firefighters and other first responders.
He highlighted the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act, which recognises certain cancers caused by job-related exposure as line-of-duty deaths and allows families of affected firefighters to receive federal benefits.
“When a firefighter… loses your life because of cancer that was developed in the line of duty, their families are entitled to federal benefits that they earned,” he said.
Vance said the administration wanted to ensure firefighters receive the support they deserve.
“We are thankful to you. We are proud of you, we love you and we’re going to do everything we can to support you,” he told the gathering.
The International Association of Fire Fighters represents professional firefighters and emergency medical workers across the United States and Canada. The union regularly holds legislative conferences in Washington to advocate for federal funding, safety measures, and health protections for first responders.
–IANS
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