Firefighter Visits Jax to Speak Out Against Giuliani

By Grayson Kamm First Coast News

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- One of the world's largest firefighters' unions is launching a statewide campaign to speak out against Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani.

The man speaking on the First Coast on Thursday evening was Jim Riches, a retired New York City assistant fire chief. He lost his son Jimmy Riches, also a firefighter, on September 11th, 2001.

Riches is part of what the International Association of Firefighters calls its "Fire Brigade."

They intend to tour Florida, spreading the message that -- in their eyes -- any mythical status Giuliani has attained since 9/11 is based only on myths.

Everyone knows Rudy Giuliani was the mayor of New York City when terrorists struck on September 11th, 2001. But one of the world's largest firefighter unions says it's sending folks to Florida to tell you what you don't know.

This web video from the International Association of Firefighters outlines why the group's leaders believe Giuliani is climbing toward the presidency on the backs of fallen firefighters who they say should not have died that day.

The group says Giuliani knew firefighters' radios were having problems for years, and eventually replaced them with new faulty radios.

Radio problems left more than 100 firefighters unable to hear orders given to evacuate the north tower of the World Trade Center nearly an hour before it collapsed, the group says.

And Giuliani moved New York City's emergency command center into the World Trade Center after terrorists bombed the towers in 1993. The command center was destroyed in the September 11th attacks.

Giuliani's website responds to those claims with a 14-point list.

Each item outlines a way Giuliani's campaign says he improved conditions, health, and safety for firefighters in New York during his tenure as mayor.

The list includes buying new gear, purchasing new thermal cameras to spot trapped civilians and rescuers, and increasing how often firefighters are examined for health problems.

In Jacksonville, Riches spoke to members of the Jacksonville Association of Firefighters at the union's headquarters in Riverside.

That group's president says his members have not yet decided whether to support any candidate -- they just wanted to hear what Riches had to say.

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