Police officers lined up behind Sen. Rick Santorum while a group of firefighters pledged its support for Democrat Bob Casey today as the candidates for U.S. Senate each picked up major public safety union endorsements.

Mr. Santorum was lauded as "a truly great friend of police officers" as he appeared in Wilkinsburg with officials of the state Fraternal Order of Police.

Mark Koch of the state FOP hailed the incumbent's work on public safety issues and said that Mr. Santorum had been particularly responsive to the police union on issues affecting retiree benefits.

State Attorney General Tom Corbett joined the police union officials and praised Mr. Santorum's record on a range of issues including drugs and Internet predators.

"As far as I know, Mr. Casey has no track record on these issues," the GOP prosecutor said.

Mr. Casey's press secretary dismissed the GOP charges. Larry Smar noted that the Democrat had met with FOP and other police groups across the state. He also pointed out that the Democratic Party had offered legislative proposals to increase the number of police officers across the country and to remedy the gaps in emergency responders' communication gear.

About the same time Mr. Santorum was showcasing his police support, firefighters from throughout the western side of the state gathered in an Uptown fire station in Pittsburgh to back Mr. Casey. The firefighters also rebutted a Santorum commercial featuring former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and volunteer firefighters.

The commercial "is deceiving. It's a misrepresentation of firefighters," said Joe King, president of International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1, which represents city firefighters. "They had a small group of volunteer firefighters outside of the city of Philadelphia. Giuliani and Santorum portrayed it as firefighters being for Santorum, and that's not true."

The Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association distributed a list of seven votes in which Mr. Santorum, a Republican, supported cuts or opposed increases in federal aid to professional firefighters.

"We're tired of Rick Santorum not supporting firefighter issues," said George Ban, the western district vice president for the state firefighters association and a member of Butler's fire company. "Bob Casey is committed to providing safe communities and seeing that our firefighters statewide are adequately funded."

A spokesman for Mr. Santorum rejected the firefighters' criticism.

"Sen. Santorum takes the needs of first responders and protecting our homeland very seriously as proven by his support in securing $155 million for Pennsylvania Fire Grants and in Allegheny County alone supported grants of more than $12 million," said spokesperson Erica Clayton Wright.

Firefighters from Altoona, Johnstown, McKeesport and several other cities crowded the city's No. 4 station in Uptown for a show of support. Many said their departments had been squeezed by local funding cuts and a lack of money from Washington.