OPINION: LaFrance is the right choice for a safer Anchorage

This spring, we’ll all have a chance to vote for someone who walks the talk on public safety. As vice president of our local firefighters union, International Association of Firefighters Local 1264, I’m proud to say that we strongly endorse Suzanne LaFrance for mayor. It’s time we have a mayor who can work like a firefighter: Make good decisions quickly, build effective teams, and manage well, even in a crisis. Anchorage has lacked that in the last four years.

Our union represents nearly 400 men and women. Our membership includes firefighters, dispatchers, mechanics, fire prevention, and office professionals here in Anchorage.

We do more than just put out flames. So we know how to get things done. So does LaFrance.

During her time in the Assembly, LaFrance built a rock-solid record on public safety. She consistently voted to invest in our local public safety departments and stayed above the fray of partisanship to do what’s smart and what’s right for public safety. She kept her focus local, and she was focused on solutions, not ideology. She will continue her strong track record as mayor, and she’ll create a community where our workers can afford to live and want to stay.

LaFrance is the person for the job.

She knows that keeping our community safe is one of the top jobs of the mayor. She’s also the only candidate running who will come into office ready to lead from the get-go. No other candidate running knows how local government works inside and out the way she does, or has the local relationships to bring people together to get things done.

The next months will bring a lot of talk about prioritizing public safety. Only one candidate has the track record to prove it. The Anchorage Firefighters Union has a tradition of supporting those who support us, LaFrance is the candidate for a safer Anchorage, and we’re proud to endorse her for mayor.

Justin Mack is vice president of IAFF 1264. He lives in Anchorage with his family.

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