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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.
 

"Fire Fighter Stand Down Day" (WHSV-3 (Va)
"Firefighters Win Pay Raise" (WSBTV.com (Atlanta, GA)
"SAFER Application Periods Ends June 30" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"9/11 Memorial Faces Setback Over Names" (The New York Times)
"Governor uses flattery approach with firefighters" (The Press-Enterprise)
"Firefighters Have High Cancer Risk, Councillors Told" (The Record (Ontario)
"First-Responders' Group Wants FEMA to Stay Put" (CQ Homeland Security)
"Council member's plan handcuffs the city to help police union" (The Statesman)
"Virginia Fire Fighter Named White House Fellow" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"No Brownouts For Cincinnati Fire Stations " (9News)
"IAFF Endorses Call for Improved EMS" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Firefighters Think It May Be Time for a Divorce" (The Story)
"Marine Corps Marathon Entries Still Available " (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"California Fire Fighters Make Reality TV Debut" (International Association of Fire Fighters)

"Frontline News Brief" is Sponsored By:

Fire Fighter Stand Down Day
WHSV-3 (Va) (06/21/06); Symolon, Shane

Thousands of U.S. and Canadian fire stations took a break from their regular routine on Wednesday to concentrate on safety as part of Fire Fighter Safety Stand Down Day. The day was set aside for fire fighters and other rescue employees to learn how to save their own lives. There are more than 100 fire fighter deaths annually, as well as thousands of injuries in the United States. Throughout the nation, half of all fire fighter deaths are cardiac-associated, and one-fourth are connected to driving or vehicle safety. Fire fighters spent time performing in-depth safety checks of their gear.
(Web Link)
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Firefighters Win Pay Raise
WSBTV.com (Atlanta, GA) (06/20/06)

The city council of Atlanta has voted to grant fire fighters the same 3.5 percent pay raise approved for police officers, allocating $1.9 million for the increase. The mayor has resisted raises for fire fighters on the grounds that the fire department does not suffer from the same high turnover problems facing the city's police department. The mayor could still veto the pay increase, which would require 10 votes in the city council to overturn. The raise was approved by a 9-6 margin.
(Web Link)
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SAFER Application Periods Ends June 30
International Association of Fire Fighters (06/19/06)

The application period for the Assistance to Firefighters Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program closes at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on June 30, 2006. SAFER is administered by the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Grants and Training in cooperation with the U.S. Fire Administration.
(Web Link)
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9/11 Memorial Faces Setback Over Names
The New York Times (06/27/06); Dunlap, David W.

The Uniformed Firefighters Association Local 94 says it will not endorse the the World Trade Center memorial plan, even in its revised form, until officials -- including New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and New York Governor George Pataki -- agree that the names of those killed on September 11, 2001, will not be randomly displayed. The fire fighters' union, as well as the victims' families, want the 2,979 names arranged by the towers in which the victims worked and died, by affiliation (employer), and by floor, with their ages next to their names. Local 94 President  Stephen J. Cassidy said, " There'll be no support from me if they say, 'We'll get back to you on the names after the project is complete.' We're going to have to have this resolved upfront." T he Fire Department of New York suffered the second-largest loss of life -- 343 members -- in the attack. Under the revised memorial plan, the names of all 2,979 victims of the 1993 and 2001 attacks would be listed at plaza level on eight parapets around two square pools marking the location of the twin towers. Rescue workers and  fire fighters would be listed together. Cassidy wants the names  arranged "as they functioned and died: by division, battalion, unit and rank, with their badge number listed with their name."

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Governor uses flattery approach with firefighters
The Press-Enterprise (06/22/06); DeArmond, Michelle and Miller, Jim

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger praised California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection fire fighters during a photo opportunity after signing an executive order for staffing and resources for fire fighters. Schwarzenegger drew the ire of fire fighter unions and other public employees in last November's special election. F ire fighters, teachers and other union members  helped defeat an attempt by Schwarzenegger to restrict how unions use their members' dues. " Everyone in this state owes you a debt of gratitude," he told fire fighters and their family members. The executive order -- signed by the governor at the start of previous fire seasons -- includes few mandatory changes and does not allocate a specific dollar amount. A spokesperson for California Professional Firefighters (CPF) -- which endorsed Schwarzenegger's opponent in November, Democrat Phil Angelides -- said the governor's praise for fire fighters goes only so far. "It's an election year and there's no politician around who's not interested in posing for a picture with fire fighters," said Carroll Wills. The union representing state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection fire fighters -- Local 2881 -- has not endorsed in the gubernatorial election.
(Web Link)
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Firefighters Have High Cancer Risk, Councillors Told
The Record (Ontario) (06/20/06); Swayze, Kevin

Cambridge, Ontario's city council has come out unanimously in support of proposed changes to Ontario provincial worker-safety legislation to automatically grant fire fighters compensation for work-related illness. Council members were swayed by evidence that fire fighters are much more likely than other Ontario workers to develop cancer -- between twice and four times as likely, according to Brad Grimwood of Cambridge, ON Local 499. This "presumption legislation" for occupational diseases related to fire fighting has also been backed by the Ottawa city council, he said. Right now, compensation is paid to fire fighters on a case-by-case basis by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. Under the proposed changes sought by fire fighters, automatic compensation would kick in when a fire fighter contracts a disease -- such as cancers of the colon, brain, kidney, or bladder or neurological disorders -- that are known to be fire fighting job hazards. Fire fighters in the province would also like to see that all other emergency services workers and civilians exposed to chemicals at "large scale fires" be covered by the changes.

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First-Responders' Group Wants FEMA to Stay Put
CQ Homeland Security (06/21/06); Stables, Eleanor

The International Association of Fire Fighters has sent a letter to Congress recommending that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) remain part of the Department of Homeland Security. According to IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger, "R emoving FEMA would hinder efforts to integrate emergency preparedness and response, and would undermine an all-hazards approach to emergencies." The House Homeland Security Committee introduced legislation that would strengthen FEMA but keep it within DHS; the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee introduced a competing bill that would remove FEMA from DHS and restore it to an independent, cabinet-level agency. The IAFF is one of 12 first-responder organizations that has endorsed the House Homeland Security Committee's bill. "R eforming our nation's disaster response system must begin with an understanding that emergency preparedness and response are at the core of homeland security," Schaitberger wrote.

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Council member's plan handcuffs the city to help police union
The Statesman (06/22/06)

The Austin, Texas City Council has proposed to study merging the city's three speciality public safety agencies with the Austin Police Department.   Members of the three agencies -- the Austin park police, the airport police and the marshals who provide security for the municipal courts -- do not have to meet the same standards as Austin police and are paid less. Merging the 112 specialty officers with the 1,435-member police department means they would have to be trained and paid as regular Austin police officers, and that's a budget buster. T he city police and fire unions have unprecedented power over the Austin City Council. New Council Member Mike Martinez was president of Austin, TX IAFF Local 975. While running for council, Martinez promised that if elected, he would represent the taxpayers, not his union. He has an early opportunity to show that he will stand by that promise.
(Web Link)
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Virginia Fire Fighter Named White House Fellow
International Association of Fire Fighters (06/22/06)

Jeff Stern, a member of Arlington County, VA Local 2800 will serve as a White House Fellow from September 2006 to September 2007. After successfully navigating a highly competitive application process, Stern, an 18-year fire service veteran, is one of 14 to participate in the leadership program. The White House Fellows Program, founded in 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson, offers exceptional men and women first-hand experience working at the highest levels of the federal government.
(Web Link)
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No Brownouts For Cincinnati Fire Stations
9News (06/21/06)

A consulting firm hired by the Cincinnati, Ohio Fire Department to evaluate the fire department has recommended closing several fire stations, but  Cincinnati 's fire chief says none of the city's firehouses will close.  Chief Robert Wright reports that the department is within its budget, thanks in part to concessions by Cincinnati, OH Local 48 and, therefore, does not need to close any stations.
(Web Link)
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IAFF Endorses Call for Improved EMS
International Association of Fire Fighters (06/15/06)

The IAFF has reviewed the Institute of Medicine's report regarding emergency medical services and supports its call for stronger and improved EMS systems in local U.S. communities. "More than 90 percent of career fire departments in the United States provide first responder emergency medical services, and more than half provide advanced EMS care," says IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger. "The IAFF supports and promotes effective emergency medical services as essential to every community." The IAFF maintains that pre-hospital EMS resources must be adequately funded at the local, state and federal level to bolster day-to-day operations and disaster preparedness.
(Web Link)
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Firefighters Think It May Be Time for a Divorce
The Story (06/15/06); Daws, Jim

Wary of the political shenanigans of city officials, Atlanta fire fighters say it may be time to remove the fire department from the city government and create a separate entity. The city's strong-mayor government makes it difficult for the fire department to receive the budgetary support it needs. A solution to this problem would be to allow the fire department to be a stand-alone operation. It would have its own elected board and direct taxing authority, and would still serve Atlanta, without depending on the city for support. Such an arrangement would allow the fire department to consolidate its services throughout a geographic region and eliminate duplicate services.
(Web Link)
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Marine Corps Marathon Entries Still Available
International Association of Fire Fighters (06/23/06)

The IAFF has a limited number of entries still available for the Marine Corps Marathon, scheduled for October 29, 2006, in Washington, DC. IAFF members and their family members are eligible to enter the Marine Corps Marathon as part of the IAFF Burn Foundation fundraising program.

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California Fire Fighters Make Reality TV Debut
International Association of Fire Fighters (06/20/06)

Twin fire fighters Mathew and Martin Mullen from Los Angeles City, CA Local 112 made their television debut on NBC's "Treasure Hunters" June 18. Similar to CBS's "The Amazing Race," this adventure series features competing teams traveling the world looking for clues that will lead them to the end of the competition. Contestants compete for hidden treasure.  
(Web Link)
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