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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://daily.iaff.org/frontline/morenews.html.

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

"Giuliani foes see another side to his 9/11 activities" (Los Angeles Times)
"Gulf Hits Snags in Rebuilding Public Works" (Lakeland Ledger (FL))
"IAFF Announces 2007 Fire and EMS Safety Stand Down" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Hometown Heroes fund slow to respond" (Riverside Press-Enterprise)
"Women Firefighters in Short Supply" (Philadelphia Daily News)
"Application Deadline for FIRE Act Grants Is May 4" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"City fire dept. to rotate officers" (Baltimore Sun)
"She's Out Fighting for Ohio Firefighters" (Bucyrus Telegraph Forum)
"DHS Calls for Tips From First Responders" (United Press International)
"Orlando returns $378,800 in misspent training grants" (Orlando Sentinel)
"Funding, Communications Discussed at CFSI Seminars" (Firehouse.com)
"Participate in the 20th Anniversary Celebration of the MDA Ride for Life" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Activists Want More Officers, Firefighters" (Arizona Republic)
"PBDEs: They Are Everywhere, They Accumulate and They Spread" (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
"Union Unhappy With Proposed Changes to Act" (Times Daily (AL))
"Washington Fire Fighter Wins Bodybuilding Competition" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Firefighters try burning fat" (Concord Monitor)
"Deadline for Casting Call for Season 2 of 'Escape to the Wild' is April 15!" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"No Hard Feelings, How About Some Eggs?" (KQED )
"IAFF Fire Fighters Receive PETA Compassionate Award" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Interoperability Plans Garner Additional $400M" (RCR Wireless News)



 

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Giuliani foes see another side to his 9/11 activities
Los Angeles Times (04/08/07); Wallsten, Peter

Rudy Giuliani has used his actions during and following the September  11 attacks in New York to move him to the top of the polls in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, but some groups at the center of the 9/11 experience are laying aggressive plans to tarnish that image and undermine a central pillar of his candidacy. The International Association of Fire Fighters, along with some relatives of September 11 victims, say they will publicly attack decisions Giuliani made as New York mayor before and after the terrorist strikes. So far, the IAFF, the country's biggest fire fighter union, says it will aim its anti-Giuliani effort at its own 280,000 members. But IAFF President Harold A. Schaitberger said the group will also "stand ready" to support a much more public campaign by families of fire fighters and workers who died in the World Trade Center. The union's actions are among several threats that could put Giuliani on the defensive in discussing the very aspect of his record that defines his national persona. Lawyers want to question the former mayor under oath as part of a federal lawsuit alleging that the city negligently dumped body parts and other human remains from ground zero in the Fresh Kills garbage facility on Staten Island.

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Gulf Hits Snags in Rebuilding Public Works
Lakeland Ledger (FL) (03/31/07); Eaton, Leslie

In St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, none of the Parish's 10 firehouses has been refurbished since Hurricane Katrina, even though local officials estimate that some 26,000 people are now residing in the area. The Parish is mulling the relocation and merging of firehouses, while the International Association of Fire Fighters is lobbying for funds so that the firehouses can be built better than before the hurricane, according to Brien Ruiz, a captain in the fire department and president of St. Bernard Parish, LA Local 1468. Parish officials say one of the biggest obstacles to rebuilding is the federal Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act of 1988, which places stringent conditions on local governments. For instance, the law requires local governments to bear 10 percent of the cost of construction projects and to advance funds for repairs for which the local governments would be later reimbursed. But Parish officials say they lack the money, and the federal government has rejected providing a waiver for the 10 percent requirement, even though it did so in the wake of September 11, 2001, and Hurricane Andrew. Meanwhile, the Federal Emergency Management Agency says it has provided Louisiana with $2.83 billion to distribute to local governments, but the state does its own screening to ensure that projects are eligible. Nearly all of the money that has been distributed by the state as of March 23 -- $1.28 billion -- has been used primarily for emergency expenses such as overtime pay, removing debris and generators.
(Web Link)
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IAFF Announces 2007 Fire and EMS Safety Stand Down
International Association of Fire Fighters (04/09/07)

The IAFF encourages all affiliates and members to participate in the Third International Fire and EMS Safety Stand Down, to be held during the week of June 17-23, 2007. This year's event offers maximum opportunity for fire departments to include all possible duty shifts. In addition to the expanded schedule, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has been added as an area of focus because of the integral role fire departments have in EMS in communities across the United States and Canada.
(Web Link)
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Hometown Heroes fund slow to respond
Riverside Press-Enterprise (04/10/07); Quan, Douglas

Tom Irwin, secretary-treasurer of the Riverside City, CA Local 1067, has yet to see benefits approved for a claim filed last year on behalf of the family of a fire fighter who had a fatal heart attack while battling a blaze. Under the  Hometown Heroes Survivors Benefits Act, passed in 2003, families of fire fighters, police officers and emergency medical technicians who die from heart attacks or strokes on the job are extended benefits. But five months after the claim to the U.S. Department of Justice was filed, Eduardo Teran's family is still waiting. Justice Department officials told Irwin they needed more paperwork specifying duties Teran performed during the 24 hours before his death. "It's been an eye-opening experience how the wheels of bureaucracy move slower than what you would hope," Irwin said. MSNBC.com reported last month that the Justice Department had not approved a single claim since the law was enacted. T he Justice Department requires claimants to submit numerous documents, including incident reports, death certificates, autopsy reports and medical records covering the past 10 years. "It is absolutely irrelevant what medical conditions may or may not have existed prior to the incident," said IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger, who added that the Justice Department is interpreting the law too narrowly.
(Web Link)
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Women Firefighters in Short Supply
Philadelphia Daily News (03/29/07); McDonald, Mark

The Philadelphia Fire Department intends to boost efforts to recruit female fire fighters. Currently, there are 42 female fire fighters, 44 female paramedics, and five female supervisors who together comprise 3.8 percent of the department's staff. However, the fire department's eligibility list is prone to slow turnover, complicating the department's capacity for female fire fighter recruitment. The eligibility list from November 2006 contains 2,074 applicants, 6.2 percent of whom are women. Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers believes more money needs to be allocated for recruitment marketing so women know about the department's opportunities and salary, which for a union member averaged $62,000 in 2006. Some fire fighters, however, feel the current, open application process is fine, and many top female fire professionals praise the department's progress in recent years. Captain Diane Schweizer, the department's highest-ranking female, notes that though the field has been male-dominated for decades, the department has been recruiting women since the 1990s, "and they have done a great job in such a short time." Schweizer has taken the battalion chief test, hoping to rise even further through the ranks, and recently encouraged a group of young women to consider rewarding fire department careers.

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Application Deadline for FIRE Act Grants Is May 4
International Association of Fire Fighters (03/30/07)

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will be accepting applications for the 2007 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program through May 4, 2007. Using new criteria -- which should benefit many of the fire departments represented by IAFF locals -- DHS will give a higher level of consideration to departments with a high call volume and to departments that protect large populations. The IAFF urges its affiliates to encourage their fire departments and fire chiefs to apply for these grants.
(Web Link)
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City fire dept. to rotate officers
Baltimore Sun (03/30/07); Linskey, Annie

The Baltimore Fire Department has announced a reorganization of its midlevel management -- weeks after fire cadet Racheal Wilson was killed in a training exercise that violated 36 safety regulations and five months after a veteran fire fighter, Allan M. Roberts, was killed battling a fire in Greektown. Rumors of the shuffle had been posted on fire fighter Internet forums for about a week, and the announcement was quickly condemned by leaders from unions who represent rank-and-file fire fighters and their supervisors. They said the changes would create confusion and undermine morale. Captain Stephan G. Fugate, president of the Baltimore Fire Officers union, said the move is "turning the whole department over on its head." Rick Schluderberg, president of Baltimore Local 734, called the change "an unsafe practice" since battalion commanders would be assigned to new, unfamiliar parts of the city. "They are going to be moved to a district that they don't know, so their response time will be longer," he said.
(Web Link)
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She's Out Fighting for Ohio Firefighters
Bucyrus Telegraph Forum (03/31/07); Gasuras, Kimberly

Lobbying gives Bucyrus, Ohio, fire fighter Tracy Koons an opportunity to focus more on helping fire fighters. As a member of the legislative committee of the Ohio Association of Professional Fire Fighters, Koons lobbies in Columbus as well as Washington, DC, to improve health and safety-related issues that impact fire fighters. A fire fighter with the Bucyrus Fire Department for the past 11 years, Koons has served on the legislative committee for six years. Koons says working conditions must be raised to meet minimum safety measures, and she adds that the lack of presumptive disability benefits means fire fighters could be exposed to HIV or hepatitis on the job, and would not obtain any coverage unless they can provide evidence on the specific run in which the disease was contracted. The cancer risk is 100 times greater, she says. "Because of the materials and chemicals that we are exposed to at a structure fire, such as burning plastics and a lot of other chemicals, we are at a much greater risk of getting several different types -- such as bladder, testicular and ovarian," says Koons.
(Web Link)
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DHS Calls for Tips From First Responders
United Press International (03/29/07)

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology directorate has launched a new program --  TechSolutions -- intended to provide new technologies to first responders by responding to their input. The program will feature an online submission process, and winning proposals will receive up to $1 million in funding. Congress has allocated $7.5 million in the budget of the directorate to support the program for 12 months. "No one understands the needs of first responders better than first responders," says Under Secretary for Science and Technology Jay M. Cohen. "Every day, hundreds of law enforcement officers, fire fighters, emergency medical services personnel and bomb-squad members think, 'there's a better way to do this,' and we want to hear from them."
(Web Link)
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Orlando returns $378,800 in misspent training grants
Orlando Sentinel (04/11/07); Schlueb, Mark

The City of Orlando, Florida, has returned $378,800 in homeland-security grants that administrators now admit the fire department never should have received. City administrators continue to insist there was no intentional wrongdoing when the department asked for federal reimbursement of training expenses that didn't exist. In 2005 and 2006, the fire department sent dozens of fire fighters to training classes on how to handle hazardous materials and rescue victims trapped in collapsed buildings. The training was necessary to qualify the department to respond to large, regional emergencies such as a terrorist strike. A federal grant program offered to reimburse departments that paid overtime to fire fighters while they were in class or paid other fire fighters to fill in for them. Orlando applied for the money and submitted lists of fire fighters who took the classes and their salaries. However, the city paid no overtime to fire fighters who attended the classes and did not assign other fire fighters to cover their shifts. Fire fighters each attended one 80-hour class on their days off. The controversy came to light when Orlando, FL Local 1365 , on the advice of its attorney, filed a complaint about potential fraud with the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Florida Attorney General's Office and the Florida Department of Financial Services. The union also filed a contract grievance over the matter. Local 1365 President Steve Clelland said union leaders shared their concerns with fire department administrators during a period of eight months before filing a complaint. "Anyone at this level of government would assume that 'reimbursement' means you actually would have had to spend the money," Clelland said.
(Web Link)
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Funding, Communications Discussed at CFSI Seminars
Firehouse.com (03/29/07); Peluso, Paul

Experts discussed a variety of issues related to the fire services at the 19th annual National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner and Seminars, which took place March 28-29. Andy Mitchell, director of operations at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Grants & Training, said the most significant change to the 2007 Assistance for Firefighter Grant (AFG) Program is that fire departments will be able to apply for more than one program. Representative Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-NJ) said since the 2000 passage of the Fire Act, the government has distributed nearly $3 billion in grants. He also stressed the need for interoperable communications, for which the government has earmarked $1 billion. Daniel Kaniewski, a member of the Homeland Security Council, asserted that "we've been focusing too much on the federal level and need to focus more on the local and state levels," because upwards of 99 percent of incidents occurring each day are handled at the local level. Michael Bopp, an official at the Office of Management and Budget, said that just one-third of DHS grant money bestowed to states actually reaches local departments. Kaniewski also said the DHS hopes to overhaul the National Response Plan so the plan can be more easily defined and understood. Josh Dozer, another member of the Homeland Security Council, said the DHS seeks to create metrics against which preparedness can be gauged. "Not everyone needs 50 SWAT teams, and the federal government should be the last one telling you what you need," he said.
(Web Link)
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Participate in the 20th Anniversary Celebration of the MDA Ride for Life
International Association of Fire Fighters (04/09/07)

Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Ride for Life to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) with thousands of motorcyclists in one of the biggest and best motorcycle rallies in the world. The ride will begin May 5-6, 2007, in Reading, Pennsylvania.
(Web Link)
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Activists Want More Officers, Firefighters
Arizona Republic (04/04/07); Brower, Lillie

Neighborhood activists in Phoenix, Arizona, as well as some City Council members, are promoting a ballot initiative to require the City to hire 100 additional fire fighters and 500 more police officers. Phoenix residents need to gather 14,844 valid signatures by May 4 for this "Phoenix Safety First" measure to be put on the ballot in September.
(Web Link)
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PBDEs: They Are Everywhere, They Accumulate and They Spread
Seattle Post-Intelligencer (03/28/07); Stiffler, Lisa

Researchers say polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) accumulation in humans is approaching dangerous levels. PBDEs have been around since the 1970s and are found in everything from the foam cushioning in sofas to televisions and computers. PBDEs are also found in homes and office dust. The problem is that flame retardants like PBDE particles travel and bioaccumulate over time, latching on to dust and other particles and eventually building up in people. Scientists have discovered PBDE dust in homes and in food, specifically in dairy and meat products. While studies are still being done to determine the health risks of PBDEs, preliminary evidence shows neurological defects in lab animals exposed to large amounts of deca-BDE, the most common form of PBDE. Researchers say sufficient evidence has been gathered about deca's toxicity to ban it, but PBDE manufacturers warn against rushing to outlaw a chemical that has proven so effective at preventing and slowing fires. But organizations representing fire fighters disagree. The Washington State Council of Fire Fighters supports the ban because of toxic chemicals fire fighters breath in when they are not wearing their masks. "Your gear is saturated with the stuff," says Scott Marcus, a fire fighter at Seattle, WA Local 27's Fire Station 10, who adds that his clothes and even his mustache reek of the contaminants days after fighting a major blaze. Washington state lawmakers are considering legislation that would ban the sale and making of mattresses containing deca starting next year.
(Web Link)
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Union Unhappy With Proposed Changes to Act
Times Daily (AL) (04/02/07); Stokes, Trevor

Fire fighter union representatives are displeased with proposed civil service act revisions that they say only target part of the act. Florence, AL Local 270 representative Thomas Malone Jr. and Florence Fire Captain Terry Willet say that they are still unclear about the changes presented at a March 20 City Council meeting and say that any revisions should be comprehensive and not just for a section of the act. Among the proposed changes at issue are 12-month probation terms for new hires or promoted workers who can be fired or demoted by the department chief without due process, and allowing fire or police personnel who appeal a civil service board ruling to take their case to the circuit court without starting their legal files all over again. "The mechanism we have now is if you don't like [a decision], go to court," Malone says. "Every fire fighter and police officer deserves an opportunity to know their rights for proceeding before the civil service board."
(Web Link)
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Washington Fire Fighter Wins Bodybuilding Competition
International Association of Fire Fighters (04/06/07)

A six-year veteran fire fighter from Washington State has placed first overall in the National Physique Committee (NPC) Vancouver Natural 2007 Bodybuilding Championships, held March 31, 2007. Richland, WA Local 1052 member and former Hanford Local I-24 member Joe DeRousie has been bodybuilding for 11 years, but this is the first time that he has won first place in an overall competition. 
(Web Link)
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Firefighters try burning fat
Concord Monitor (04/11/07); Davidson, Kate

Concord, NH Local 1945 fire fighter Aaron McIntire has teamed with a computer programming teacher at Merrimack Valley High School to create individual nutrition plans for Concord fire fighters. The project, part of the fire department's wellness program, was developed to address the high risk fire fighters face of dying of heart attacks while on the job. McIntire hopes the nutrition program, coupled with a structured fitness regimen, will increase overall department wellness, push down insurance costs and demonstrate to their insurance carrier that Concord fire fighters are serious about getting healthy.
(Web Link)
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Deadline for Casting Call for Season 2 of 'Escape to the Wild' is April 15!
International Association of Fire Fighters (04/10/07)

The deadline for applications to win a hunting or fishing trip of a lifetime on Season 2 of "Escape to the Wild" on Versus Television is April 15! IAFF members are eligible to appear with "Escape to the Wild" host Marc Pierce for an all-expenses-paid fishing or hunting adventure. Produced by Orion Multimedia as part of a cooperative effort between a coalition of AFL-CIO unions -- including the IAFF -- Versus Television and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, "Escape to the Wild" is dedicated to taking union workers on dream sporting adventures. Episodes air Fridays at 8:30 p.m. eastern time and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. eastern time.
(Web Link)
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No Hard Feelings, How About Some Eggs?
KQED (03/38/07)

The California Professional Firefighters (CPF) Legislative Conference featured most of the state's constitutional officers wearing red and gold aprons and serving breakfast to fire fighters who had gathered from around the state -- including Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The governor's unpublicized appearance is the true epilogue to the story of his 2005 political meltdown; it was CPF -- along with unions representing nurses and teachers -- that formed the alliance of powerful opponents to Schwarzenegger's ballot initiatives. Those union members doggedly followed the governor everywhere he went during that campaign, including fundraisers on the East Coast.
(Web Link)
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IAFF Fire Fighters Receive PETA Compassionate Award
International Association of Fire Fighters (04/05/07)

Fire fighters answer the call in all types of emergencies -- hazardous materials spills, medical emergencies, swift water rescues and terrorism threats, among others -- and the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is recognizing three IAFF members for coming to the aid of man's best friend. The PETA Compassionate Fire Fighter Award was given to Greeley, CO Local 888 member Dale Lyman; Denver, CO Local 858 fire fighter Tony Padillia Sr. and Detroit, MI Local 344 fire fighter Matt Schaecher.
(Web Link)
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Interoperability Plans Garner Additional $400M
RCR Wireless News (04/02/07); Silva, Jeffrey

A Senate measure proposes allocating $400 million to interoperable public safety communications. If passed, the legislation will join the ranks of two other interoperability grant programs. The proposal, which Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman (D-CT) and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) added as a non-binding budget measure, is intended to facilitate first responder communication during terrorist attacks and natural disasters. The amendment focuses funding on two programs: the emergency management performance grant and emergency communications. To date, the Department of Homeland Security has spent $2.9 billion on grants for interoperability, and the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration has created a $1 billion program to establish wireless communication among fire fighters, police and medics. Representative Bart Stupak (D-MI) hopes to make the latter program permanent, using spectrum auction revenue for funding.
(Web Link)
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