| Fire Fighters Say Thanks for Donations
March 19, 2010 -- People still stop fire fighters Mike Hayes and Tim O'Keefe to ask them about their marathon fundraiser last fall. The pair ran the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC, and with their team of 60 fire fighters from across the country, raised more than $95,000 for the IAFF Burn Foundation.
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| Three Fire Fighter-Friendly Candidates Elected in Florida
March 19, 2010 – Palm Harbor/Oldsmar Professional Fire Fighters Local 2980 in Florida endorsed one mayoral candidate and two City Council candidates for the City of Oldsmar. Thanks to Local 2980’s dedicated campaigning, Mayor Jim Ronecker will be serving his second term and Janice Miller and Linda Norris won seats on the City Council March 9. Read More...
| Maine Fire Fighter Death Benefits Broaden to Protect Families
March 17, 2010 – Thanks to the steadfast lobbying efforts by the Professional Fire Fighters of Maine (PFFM) and Lewiston, ME Local 785, Maine Legislative Document (LD) 1558, “An Act Regarding Accidental Death Benefits for the Beneficiaries of Deceased Firefighters,” will soon become state law. LD 1558 was passed by the House 143-0 and the Senate followed suit with a 33-2 vote. The legislation now is on the governor’s desk awaiting his signature. Read More...
| Florida Fire Fighters Fight Attacks on Retirement Benefits
March 16, 2010 -- The Florida Professional Firefighters (FPF) are launching a campaign to defeat three proposed pieces of Florida state legislation that, if passed, would put unwanted limitations on fire fighter pensions and retirement plans. Read More...
|  Mesa Council Member, Residents Fired Up Over Brownout
March 15, 2010 -- Last Sunday, one fire truck never left Mesa Station #217. It wasn't because there weren't any calls -- there were eight. It was because there was a brownout for the first time in City history. Faced with millions in budget cuts, the fire department has banned overtime pay. So when a fire fighter called in sick, officials decided not to replace him but instead shut down the engine company. "This will not happen again in Mesa," council member Scott Somers said. Somers didn't find out about the brownout until hours after it happened, and he wasn't happy about it.
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| Plantation Pays $385,000 To Fired EMT
March 11, 2010 -- A former emergency medical technician, fired after he tried to start a union at the fire department, has settled his lawsuit with the City for $385,000. The City Council approved the deal with Jude Diaz, who claimed he was the victim of unfair labor practices. Hired by the City of Plantation, Florida, in 1996, Diaz waged an unsuccessful bid in 2005 to form a union in the Rescue Division of the fire department. He claimed that after a knee injury in 2007, former Plantation Fire Chief Robert Pudney refused to grant him temporary unpaid leave.
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| Houston Budget to Consider Police, Fire Fighter Furloughs
March 11, 2010 -- The City of Houston will consider furloughs for police officers and fire fighters as it weighs options to save money, Houston Mayor Annise Parker said. The option is something that long-time political watchers in Houston say they have never seen: the words “furlough” and “classified employees,” in the same sentence in a letter from the mayor talking about potential ways to close a budget gap. The letter states that the city of Houston’s budget deficit for 2011 is nearly $100 million, and getting bigger.
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| New Hampshire Fire Fighters to File Lawsuit
March 11, 2010 -- The Professional Fire Fighters of New Hampshire will file a class action lawsuit against the Local Government Center and its Health Trust alleging that the LGC "has been amassing a large amount of New Hampshire taxpayer dollars that must be returned to the cities and towns," according to union President David Lang. Lang said the union's review has shown that the LGC "has misdirected and illegally transferred funds from the Health Trust into other areas of LGC business." The move comes after the fire fighters won a state Supreme Court ruling forcing the LGC to open its books to allow public access to how it uses money contributed by the cities and towns.
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|  Clackamas Fire Fighters Help Fire Fighters Worldwide
March 9, 2010 – Global Mission Readiness (GMR) – a non-profit rescue skills training organization started by a group of Clackamas, OR Local 1159 fire fighters – has returned from its first solo mission after several overseas missions partnered with other relief organizations. Read More...
| Atlanta Fire Fighters Protest Citizen Group
March 10, 2010 -- An estimated 200 Atlanta fire fighters waved protest signs and yelled "Stop, thief!" outside a Buckhead restaurant at members of an organization that sued the city last week, claiming it illegally approved pension increases for city employees in 2001 and 2005 that taxpayers cannot afford. Read More...
|  Hagerstown Bonanza Extravaganza Raises Thousands for Charity
March 9, 2010 – Hagerstown, MD Local 1605 fire fighters will hold their 5th Annual Bonanza May 7-8, 2010, at the Hagerstown Motorspeedway. Tickets are $100 each and are good for both days. All proceeds benefit the Local 1605 Foundation which distributes donations to various charities. Read More...
|  Jacksonville Fire Fighter Named 2009 Fire Fighter of the Year
March 9, 2010 -- The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department honored its own during its annual awards ceremony. The 2009 Firefighter of the Year went to Rescue 22 Engineer James Sparks for his donation of a kidney to fellow fire fighter John Hall. Hall was facing only a few more years of life a year ago due to failing kidneys when best friend and fellow fire fighter Sparks got tested and learned he was a perfect match. Surgery was done in July, and Sparks told the Times-Union he was “just grateful I’m able to help my buddy.” Hall said, “I owe him my life.”
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|  Flint Police Officers, Fire Fighters Take to Picket Line
March 9, 2010 -- Members of Flint's public safety departments and their families walked the picket line March 8, urging the City to stop the layoffs of 80 police officers and fire fighters. Those pink slips are to take effect by the end of the month. The cuts are supposed to save the City more than $1 million. But protestors say you cannot put a price tag on safety. Police officers and fire fighters took their case to the City Council, asking for help in saving those jobs.
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|  Canadian IAFF Members Keep Olympians Safe
March 8, 2010 – As the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games were taking place in Vancouver, Canada, several IAFF members were among those providing protection for the athletes and spectators. The effort, dubbed Operation PODIUM, was led by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Read More...
| Philadelphia Fire Fighter Prevails In Hearing Loss Lawsuit
March 5, 2010 -- A Philadelphia jury has awarded a fire fighter $100,000 in a hearing loss lawsuit filed over the design of sirens used by the City’s emergency response vehicles. The case is one of several hundred similar lawsuits involving hearing damage for fire fighters caused by Q-Sirens, made by Federal Signal Corp. Read More...
| Albuquerque President Back to Union Work
March 5, 2010 – The County of Bernalillo Second Judicial District Court in New Mexico has ruled in favor of Albuquerque Local 244 in its prohibited practice lawsuit against the City of Albuquerque. In its ruling, the court ordered the City to honor the collective bargaining agreement by allowing Local 244 President Diego Arencon to return to his 40-hour work week exclusively dedicated to union business. Read More...
|  Minnesota Fire Fighters Speak Out Against State Cuts
March 5, 2010 -- Fire fighters across Minnesota are crying foul over a proposal by Governor Tim Pawlenty that would cut nearly $10 million from a fire safety training fund — a fund often essential to outstate departments that have limited training budgets. Fire fighters say Pawlenty should keep his hands out of the training fund, which comes from a surcharge paid by homeowners on their insurance policies. “Rather than raising taxes, he’s stealing money from these fees,” Tom Thornberg, president of the Minnesota Professional Firefighters union, said. “Essentially, he is raising taxes. But he’s hurting services like ours.”
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|  Flint Police, Fire Fighter Layoffs Delayed
March 5, 2010 -- The City of Flint’s 80 police and fire fighter layoffs have been delayed until later this month. The pink slips, which had been scheduled to go into effect March 2, are expected to save about $1.6 million. The City is facing a projected $8 million deficit. The delay is due to special assignment issues and scheduling. Read More...
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