Federal Fire Fighters Secure Victory in House

October 1, 2010– Legislation to allow federal fire fighters to exchange shifts without impacting their pay was passed unanimously by the U.S. House of Representatives September 30.

The bill, H.R. 3243, was introduced by Representative John Sarbanes (D-MD) to rectify a loophole in the law that prohibited federal fire fighters from swapping shifts outside a pay period in the way that many municipal fire fighters do.

“Federal fire fighters put their lives on the line every day to keep our communities safe,” says Representative John Sarbanes. “For years, a legal technicality has made it difficult for federal fire fighters to balance their demanding schedules with personal obligations like a sick family member. I hope we can resolve this issue and allow federal fire fighters to take advantage of the same common sense trade time policies that are available to state and municipal fire fighters.”

The bill had previously been approved by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, where it was championed by Subcommittee Chair Stephen Lynch (D-MA) and enjoyed broad bipartisan support.

“I’d like to thank Representative Sarbanes and Chairman Lynch for their hard work on this important issue,” says IAFF 16th District Vice President Jim Johnson. “Federal fire fighters hold some of the nation’s most hazardous and stressful jobs working at military bases and protecting our communities from wildfires. They deserve to enjoy the leave flexibility granted under H.R. 3243.”

H.R. 3243 was among the final bills considered before the House recessed for the November elections. The legislation now proceeds to the Senate where the IAFF will continue to work for its passage.