IAFF: FEMA Payment to Gulf Coast Communities for Fire Fighter Overtime Long Overdue

April 9, 2008 – IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger issued a statement on the decision by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to reimburse hurricane-affected communities for the overtime that fire fighters worked in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

"First responders stepped up and worked tirelessly in adverse conditions to help victims of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita stranded by flood waters. Their communities did the right thing by paying fire fighters for every hour they worked," says Schaitberger.

FEMA regulations initially allowed it to reimburse communities for only eight hours of overtime pay for each fire fighter, but first responders worked around the clock in flood-ravished parishes, towns and communities in the Gulf Coast to rescue citizens and bring them to safety.

"This agreement to reimburse communities is fair, even if it's long overdue, and the IAFF was proud to work with Senator Mary Landrieu in this fight," says Schaitberger.

FEMA agreed on March 24 to repay Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, fire departments for about $542,000 in overtime pay accumulated during the first 14 days after Hurricane Katrina, but there were no other agreements in place until now to reimburse other cities for overtime costs.

Schaitberger says more challenges remain, including finding federal funding to rebuild fire stations destroyed by the August 2005 storm and ensuring that first responders who were exposed to toxic flood waters and other environmental hazards continue to receive medical monitoring and the necessary medical treatment.