U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-California) visited a Fullerton fire station Tuesday to highlight $250,000 in federal funding for communications upgrades that city officials say will improve emergency response throughout the city.

The funding, secured by Schiff and Rep. Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana), will modernize the Fullerton Fire Department’s alerting and communications systems across its six fire stations. Officials said the improvements are expected to reduce response times and strengthen coordination with neighboring departments through Orange County’s mutual aid network.

During the visit, Schiff said the project demonstrates that bipartisan cooperation remains possible despite political divisions in Washington.

“I know the fighting in Washington gets most of the attention, but you can still get things done,” Schiff said, noting the funding received bipartisan support.

Following a roundtable discussion with firefighters, Schiff said department leaders expressed concerns about the rising cost of fire engines, multi-year delays and higher costs in receiving new apparatus. He pointed to industry consolidation as a contributing factor and said Fullerton is participating in legal action challenging what officials believe are anticompetitive practices within the fire apparatus manufacturing industry.

Schiff also criticized proposed reductions in federal Medicaid spending, saying lower ambulance reimbursement rates could reduce revenue for local fire departments. He said the Fullerton Fire Department could lose between $1 million and $2 million annually if the proposals become law, potentially affecting staffing and emergency response. Schiff’s comments about proposed Medicaid reductions reflect his position and that the legislation remains under debate.

Battalion Chief Bryan McConnell said the communications upgrades will improve public safety by helping firefighters respond more quickly to emergencies, thanks to Congress.

“They were able to put politics aside and have a win for public safety as a whole,” McConnell said of the bipartisan support for the funding. “This will greatly reduce response times and enable us to get to our job quicker and get there faster.”

Schiff, who briefly served as a seasonal firefighter with the U.S. Forest Service before attending law school, said the experience gave him a lasting appreciation for the risks firefighters face and reinforced his commitment to securing resources for first responders.