Welcome to the IAFF Frontline News Brief, distributed twice a month to IAFF affiliate leaders and IAFF members. We encourage you to forward this news to your members and others in the fire service.

The Frontline News Brief is delivered directly by email and is also published on the IAFF web site. You can view past issues at http://www.iaff.org/Comm/frontline/news.htm.

Your feedback is also welcome - email pr@iaff.org with questions and comments.

 

"Economic Crisis News Headlines" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Biden Talks Fire Fighters at AFL-CIO Meeting" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Oregon Cancer Presumption Heads to Governor’s Desk" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Police Posing as Firefighters Prompt Outcry in N.H" (Seacoast)
"Supreme Court Rules: Governments Can Outlaw Payroll Deductions for Political Purposes" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Des Moines Picks TeKippe to Lead Fire Fighters" (Des Moines Register)
"Lynchburg Fire Fighter Reflects on Meeting Obamas, Watching Address" (The News & Advance)
"Union Fights for Laid Off Firefighter Serving in Iraq" (South Coast Today )
"Uniformed Heroes Earn Wide Praise for Pay Cuts" (Dispatch Politics)
"San Francisco Fire Fighters Campaign to Keep Firehouses Open" (International Association of Fire Fighters )
"Bill Would Increase Cancer Benefits for Firefighters" (Radio Iowa)
"Edison Ordered to Get Uniforms for Firefighters" (New Jersey Star-Ledger)
"Edmond Firefighters With Cancer Battling for Benefits" (NewsOK)
"Plan to Cut Fire Fighters Delayed" (My FOX Austin)
"Houston Fire Fighters to Get Almost 10 Percent Pay Raise" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"IAFF Statement on Appointment of Fugate to Head FEMA" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Connecticut Local President Promotion Still Pending" (International Association of Fire Fighters )
"Fire Fighters Group Donates $50K to Buy Van" (The Herald-Mail)
"Tennessee Fire Fighter's Spouse Competes on Hell's Kitchen" (International Association of Fire Fighters )
"Remembering the Woolworth Fire" (WCHS Radio 58 (Charleston))
"Corzine Signs Bill Limiting Unpaid Suspension" (Newsday)
"Seattle Fire Fighter Takes Second in Stair Climb" (seattlepi.com)
"Longtime Virginia Fire Fighter Publishes Fly Fishing Book" (International Association of Fire Fighters )
"Good Old USA Quietly to the Rescue" (Flathead Beacon)
"After Years of Helping Fill the Boot, Firefighter Struggles With Diagnosis of Lou Gehrig's Disease" (Star-Telegram (TX))
"Record Dry Start to 2009 Worries Farmers, Fire Fighters" (USA Today)

Economic Crisis News Headlines
International Association of Fire Fighters

The economy is affecting IAFF members throughout this union through staffing reductions, station closures, cost shifting and wage concessions as local governments lose revenue. To help IAFF members get a clearer understanding of the depth of the financial crisis, the effect it's having at every level of the economy -- including local and state budgets -- the IAFF has prepared the following summaries of and links to "economic crisis" news articles related to cuts in state and local budgets, fire fighter staffing, health care benefits, compensation, pension plans and other areas as a result of the economic downturn.
(Web Link)
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Biden Talks Fire Fighters at AFL-CIO Meeting
International Association of Fire Fighters (03/05/09)

Vice President Joe Biden spoke March 5 to the AFL-CIO Executive Council Annual Meeting in Miami Beach, Florida. Below are excerpts from Biden's speech.
(Web Link)
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Oregon Cancer Presumption Heads to Governor’s Desk
International Association of Fire Fighters (03/11/09)

Oregon state legislation (HB 2420) that will expand the list of cancers presumed to be work related and covered under workers’ compensation insurance for fire fighters is on its way to Governor Ted Kulongoski’s desk.
(Web Link)
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Police Posing as Firefighters Prompt Outcry in N.H
Seacoast (03/05/09); Ramer, Holly

Newport, New Hampshire, Police Chief David Hoyt is unapologetic about police officers who impersonated fire fighters in order to arrest a man. On March 4, Hoyt's officers wore fire fighters' clothing and triggered an alarm in order to enter the apartment of a man who allegedly pointed a gun at an officer. The police officers had been investigating a complaint about loud music. The incident was criticized by the state's largest fire fighters' union, as well as the New Hampshire Association of Fire Chiefs. David Lang, president of the Professional Firefighters of New Hampshire, warned that the incident could lead to "a breach of trust with the public." Portsmouth Fire Chief Christopher LeClaire, president of the Seacoast Chief Fire Officers Association, said some people might stop paying attention to fire alarms if they believe they are false. He and other officials urged the state to order the police to refrain from acting as fire fighters in the future.
(Web Link)
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Supreme Court Rules: Governments Can Outlaw Payroll Deductions for Political Purposes
International Association of Fire Fighters (02/25/09)

The February 24 U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding an Idaho state law prohibiting payroll deductions for political activities is disappointing for the IAFF and other labor organizations, but it is not the end of payroll deductions (such as FIREPAC Check-off) for political purposes. The Court's decision says it is lawful for states and local governments to disallow check-off for political purposes. However, if a jurisdiction allows check-off for political use, that is fine, too, meaning the law does not affect jurisdictions that already allow it, or may permit it in the future in accordance with their own state laws.
(Web Link)
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Des Moines Picks TeKippe to Lead Fire Fighters
Des Moines Register (03/07/09); Pulliam, Jason

Des Moines City Manager Rick Clark will promote from within to replace outgoing Des Moines Fire Chief Phillip Vorlander. Clark tapped Captain John TeKippe, who accepted the position March 6. TeKippe, 41, is a 16-year veteran of the fire service and has been with the Des Moines department since 1996.
(Web Link)
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Lynchburg Fire Fighter Reflects on Meeting Obamas, Watching Address
The News & Advance (02/25/09); Thompson, Dave

Lynchburg fire fighter Abbey Meacham was sitting in the gallery of the U.S. Capitol with first lady Michelle Obama and two dozen other guests selected to watch President Barack Obama's address to a joint session of Congress. The whole time, Meacham said, she was awed by the presence of judges, legislators and government executives. But it was the presence of the other guests that made her question why she was there. "To sit amongst people like that and to think what in the world am I doing here? ... '" she said. "It was kind of emotional to think that there's 290,000 fire fighters in our union, and other than the U.S. military I don't respect anybody in the world more than I respect them." After the address, Meacham had her picture taken with both of the Obamas and got them to sign her ticket to the event. "I just told him how proud I was to be representing the (union) and my hometown," she said. "And he was pretty excited about the support that he got from the firefighters, and that was it."
(Web Link)
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Union Fights for Laid Off Firefighter Serving in Iraq
South Coast Today (03/05/09); Lade, Jennifer

Navy petty officer Leo Pike, a fire fighter with the New Bedford Fire Department, was laid off in February along with 37 other fire fighters. The union has vowed to file an appeal to the state Civil Service Commission on behalf of Pike pointing out that under civil service law, an employee must have a hearing and get seven days' notice before the hearing prior to being laid off. "Neither one of those was afforded to Leo Pike," said Lt. James Allen, head of New Bedford, MA Local 841. Pike has been serving in Iraq since August, but the fire department had difficulty notifying him of the hearing scheduled for February 24 to discuss layoffs. Fire Chief Paul Leger said the decision to lay off Pike was made on the basis of seniority.

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Uniformed Heroes Earn Wide Praise for Pay Cuts
Dispatch Politics (03/06/09); Lane, Mary Beth

Lancaster and Columbus fire fighters were the first city workers in their communities to step forward with wage concessions to save their jobs and help their mayors balance the municipal budgets. For that, they received applause from residents and praise from their mayors. Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman said in his State of the City speech February 26 that he plans to nominate the fire fighters for a Profile in Courage Award, given annually by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation to elected officials and public servants who, the foundation says, "do what is right rather than what is expedient." Lancaster Mayor David S. Smith led a standing ovation for the city fire fighters in his State of the City speech February 11. The Lancaster fire fighters are scheduled to record an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show via a video hookup from a city firehouse.

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San Francisco Fire Fighters Campaign to Keep Firehouses Open
International Association of Fire Fighters (03/04/09)

San Francisco, CA Local 798 is kicking off a campaign to ensure that every neighborhood is served by a fully staffed firehouse. In 2005, San Francisco voters passed the Neighborhood Firehouse Protection Act, keeping all of the city's 42 fire stations open. But now, with San Francisco facing a budget deficit of nearly $600 million, those firehouses are again at risk for closures.
(Web Link)
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Bill Would Increase Cancer Benefits for Firefighters
Radio Iowa (03/02/09); Henderson, O. Kay

Fire fighters in Iowa may soon see increased cancer benefits if a proposed bill becomes law. The bill is being sponsored by state Senator Jeff Danielson (D), a fire fighter from Cedar Falls. "In many ways this is a widow's bill and a children's bill that provides some measure of financial help for those families that have to deal with that diagnosis from that point forward," he explained. Danielson said the legislation would provide fire fighters with more substantial disability checks and death benefits if they are diagnosed with cancer. He acknowledged that the legislation would require fire fighters to make bigger contributions to their pension plan and that cities that hire fire fighters would have to pay more. Current Iowa law provides higher disability benefits immediately only to fire fighters diagnosed with heart or lung disease, not cancer. Fire fighters in the past have been successful in convincing lawmakers that those diseases are job-related.

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Edison Ordered to Get Uniforms for Firefighters
New Jersey Star-Ledger (02/27/09); Haydon, Tom

Fire fighters in Edison, New Jersey, have secured a court order to get uniforms promised to them last year. On February 20, Superior Court Judge Frank Ciuffani signed an order calling for the township to immediately furnish clothing, including pants, long sleeve shirts and short-sleeve shirts. "This is clothing required by OSHA," said Edison Township, NJ Local 1197 President Robert Yackel. He said that in May 2008, the township pledged to provide the clothing to fire fighters in accordance with an arbitration consent agreement. However, some 90 fire fighters still had not obtained all of their clothing by December 2008.
(Web Link)
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Edmond Firefighters With Cancer Battling for Benefits
NewsOK (03/02/09); Baldwin, Diana

Fire fighters in Edmond, Oklahoma, who have contracted cancer while on the job are battling the city to get the disease classified as a work-related injury so they can collect workers' compensation benefits. Oklahoma state law already presumes colon cancer is job-related because fire fighters are repeatedly exposed to smoke, chemicals and hazardous materials, but the city says the law is unconstitutional because it offers special treatment to fire fighters. The fight has reached the Oklahoma Supreme Court, and if Edmond loses, all cities in the state will have to pay workers’ compensation for fire fighters who contract cancer or heart and lung problems. The same problem exists in Oklahoma City, where fire fighters with cancer are being denied workers’ compensation benefits. “We think municipalities are handling it wrong,” said Oklahoma City, OK Local 157 President Gary Copeland. In addition to fighting cancer, the fire fighters now must hire a lawyer to fight for their rights, says John Werhun, an Edmond fire fighter with stage four colon cancer. “The burden of fighting a court case makes it that much harder to handle the [cancer] treatment.”
(Web Link)
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Plan to Cut Fire Fighters Delayed
My Fox Austin (03/05/09)

The Austin City Manager is delaying a plan to reduce the number of fire fighters on some trucks from four to three. The plan is part of the city's overall efforts to close a $20 million budget shortfall. Reducing fire fighter staffing from four to three is estimated to save the Austin Fire Department about $200,000 in overtime costs. The cuts are delayed to allow for more public input and the consideration of alternatives. The Austin firefighters' union held a press conference at City Hall calling on the city to find other cuts. Fire fighters say reduced staffing has a negative impact on their ability to put out fires and rescue potential victims.
(Web Link)
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Houston Fire Fighters to Get Almost 10 Percent Pay Raise
International Association of Fire Fighters (03/03/09)

Over the last year, Houston, Texas -- like most cities -- has been hit hard by the recession. When Hurricane Ike made landfall in September 2008, the City experienced an increased number of financial challenges as well. But despite the economic shortcomings, Houston Local 341 has negotiated a positive two-year contract with the City that includes wage increases and safe staffing measures. 
(Web Link)
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IAFF Statement on Appointment of Fugate to Head FEMA
International Association of Fire Fighters (03/04/09)

The International Association of Fire Fighters and its state association, the Florida Professional Firefighters, issued this statement on President Obama's choice of Craig Fugate to head the Federal Emergency Management Agency: "Craig Fugate's performance in his role as head of Florida's Division of Emergency Management received high marks and praise from our state association there," IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger said. "Secretary Napolitano has confidence that Fugate will perform well in carrying out the mission of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and President Obama, and we fully support them in their work to protect our nation. Mr. Fugate has our full support in his new role and we look forward to working with him to continue improving FEMA."
(Web Link)
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Connecticut Local President Promotion Still Pending
International Association of Fire Fighters (03/10/09)

The Connecticut State Board of Labor Relations has ruled that the City of New Britain violated the state's Municipal Employee Relations Act (MERA) when it failed to promote New Britain Local 992 President Ed Preece. Consequently, the board is requiring that the City immediately promote Preece to lieutenant and award back pay for the position. 
(Web Link)
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Fire Fighters Group Donates $50K to Buy Van
The Herald-Mail (02/25/09)

Hagerstown, MD Local 1605 has made a donation towards the purchase of a van for the John R. Marsh Cancer Center, a department of Washington County Hospital. The Local 1605 Foundation donated $50,000 towards the cost of the van in order to provide free transportation to and from the cancer center for cancer patients.

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Tennessee Fire Fighter's Spouse Competes on Hell's Kitchen
International Association of Fire Fighters (03/11/09)

After making it through six rounds of eliminations on FOX's "Hell's Kitchen," Knoxville, Tennessee Chef Carol Scott has proven her ability to live up to the high standards of the show's cantankerous host, Chef Gordon Ramsey.
(Web Link)
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Remembering the Woolworth Fire
WCHS Radio 58 (Charleston) (03/04/09)

On March 4, fire fighters in Charleston, West Virginia, commemorated the sacrifice of seven fallen fire fighters who perished fighting the infamous Woolworth fire 60 years ago. The remembrance attracted retired and active duty fire fighters from around the city, culminating with the unveiling of a plaque bearing the names of the fallen. Charleston, WV Local 317 President Myron Boggess said the tragedy served as a reminder of what a dangerous line of work fire fighting is. "Every time the bell hits here in the city, it could be the last call we ever make," he said. The seven fire fighters died when the floor gave way beneath them.

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Corzine Signs Bill Limiting Unpaid Suspension
Newsday (03/05/09)

Governor Jon Corzine signed a bill March 5 that requires suspension without pay to last no more than 180 days for full-time fire fighters and police officers in New Jersey. The bill applies to officers who work for the state, a county or a municipality. The bill does not include individuals who are under criminal investigation.
(Web Link)
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Seattle Fire Fighter Takes Second in Stair Climb
seattlepi.com (03/09/09)

Seattle fire fighter Zach Schade took second March 8 in a race up the Columbia Center, even though the 41-year-old bettered the time he had when he won the overall event two years ago. A record 1,530 fire fighters from 244 departments participated in the stair climb, a fundraiser for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Fire fighters came from 25 states, three Canadian provinces, New Zealand and Germany. Kory Burgess, a 27-year-old fire fighter from Missoula, Montana, won the event, climbing the 69 stories in 10:55.75. "That time is ridiculously fast, and was nearly six minutes faster than I did the climb - and Burgess had at least 50 pounds of gear, including an air mask."  
(Web Link)
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Longtime Virginia Fire Fighter Publishes Fly Fishing Book
International Association of Fire Fighters (02/26/09)

The tie that bonds IAFF fire fighters is not just the profession of fire fighting itself; it's also shared hobbies and interests - such as fly fishing. For Beau Beasley, one longtime Fairfax County, VA Local 2068 fire fighter, fly fishing is more than a hobby. He has published a book, Fly Fishing Virginia: A No Nonsense Guide to Top Waters.
(Web Link)
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Good Old USA Quietly to the Rescue
Flathead Beacon (02/25/09); Schneider, Bill

Unknown to most anglers and hunters, the Good Old USA has been quietly working in the background for the past 18 months protecting their rights and future. And I'm not talking about the United States of America, but a new nonprofit organization called the Union Sportsmen's Alliance. Announced in January 2007 and launched five months later, the Union Sportsmen's Alliance (USA) focuses on "The Union Way" - working hard and playing hard to build support within organized labor for preserving our hunting and fishing heritage. USA is a one-of-a-kind project of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) and its trade union partners that is exclusively for conservation-minded union members, retirees and their families that hunt, fish and appreciate the outdoors.
(Web Link)
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After Years of Helping Fill the Boot, Firefighter Struggles With Diagnosis of Lou Gehrig's Disease
Star-Telegram (TX) (02/26/09); Vaughn, Chris

After 20 years of standing on street corners collecting money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) as part of the Wichita Falls fire fighters' annual Fill-the-Boot campaign, fire fighter Kelly Crush has himself been diagnosed with a neuromuscular disease. “I’m on the other side of the boot now,” Crush says. With the symptoms of muscle twitching, fatigue and a continually collapsing ankle, Crush, who was an active fire fighter who ate healthy, ran three miles a day and never smoked, saw his future change in an instant. He has lost weight and now walks with a cane, and admits to being angry when he first heard the diagnosis. “The hardest thing is not being a fire fighter anymore,” he said. “I couldn’t wait to go to work every day.” He still visits the station several times a week to see the guys, and they try to take care of him beyond the Fill-the-Boot campaign. He told them he’d like to see Rome before he dies, and the next day they called him and told him they’d bought him airfare, hotel, tours and spending money for a trip. "It was overwhelming," Crush said. "I get emotional talking about it. I’ve fought fire and lived with these guys. They’re family.”
(Web Link)
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Record Dry Start to 2009 Worries Farmers, Fire Fighters
USA Today (03/11/09); Dorell, Oren

The first two months of 2009 are the driest start of any year since the United States began keeping records more than a century ago, leading to severe drought in Texas, dipping reservoir levels in Florida and a surge in wildfires across the nation. Farmers and fire fighters and others worry that the dry start may be a harbinger of a bleak summer that could lead to increasing risk of fire and poor crop conditions.
(Web Link)
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