BANGOR, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) this morning capped off his two-day security tour by convening a roundtable at the Bangor Fire Department that brought together federal law enforcement officers with state and local public safety officials to discuss coordinated efforts to combat terrorism here at home and keep Maine residents safe. Today’s discussion followed a similar one held yesterday at the Portland Police Department with officials from across southern Maine.

            “These roundtables have provided me with valuable insight into how we can strengthen coordinated communications strategies and better support Maine’s public safety officials who work tirelessly every day to protect our communities,” Senator King said. “Both today and yesterday, I heard how important it is for our first responders to have access to adequate resources and that’s why I will work in Congress to support efforts that provide Maine law enforcement and first responders with the tools they need to keep our communities safe and secure.”  

Today’s roundtable, which was convened and moderated by Senator King, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, brought together officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Customs and Border Control Agency, and the Office of the U.S. Attorney for Maine, with local first responders from across rural Maine, including Penobscot, Franklin, Somerset, Knox, Washington and Aroostook Counties.  

The roundtable provided federal and local officials with a forum to build on communications strategies in place, and gave Senator King an opportunity to hear about the challenges local public safety officials face and how Congress could take action to support their efforts. Senator King heard today, as he did yesterday, that federal resources that help provide for emergency response equipment and training have dwindled over the past few years. Yesterday, he announced his support for Congressional efforts to reverse that trend by providing grants to law enforcement agencies for antiterrorism programs and for community partnerships that combat homegrown extremism or the recruitment or radicalization of those living in the U.S.

Senator King intends to take the lessons of both discussions and return to Washington next week to explore what other steps can be taken to support Maine law enforcement and first responders as they work to keep people safe. For a complete list of participants in today’s roundtable, click HERE.

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