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.
 

"Only 10 Days Remain to Apply for FIRE Act Grants" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Washington State Passes PBDE, Presumptive Cancer Legislation" (International Association of Fire Fighters )
"Firefighters demand focus on the fallen" (Ottawa Citizen)
"Rudy gets earful at stop here" (New York Daily News)
"IAFF Seeks Fair Implementation of Hometown Heroes" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Australian Fire Fighters Visit U.S." (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"City Council rejects pay raise for firefighters" (San Diego Union Tribune)
"Clergy, Firefighters Most Satisfied Workers" (Reuters)
"Officers vote no faith in fire chief" (The Baltimore Sun)
"Firefighters Talk About Virginia Tech at FDIC in Indianapolis" (Firehouse.com)
"Philadelphia Local 22 Hep-C Activist Receives Disability Pension" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Collective Bargaining Bill Is More Than Halfway to Goal of 218 Cosponsors" (International Association of Fire Fighters )
"Bellevue backs domestic partner benefits" (SeattlePi.com)
"Embattled St. Paul Fire Chief Quits" (KARE 11 )
"Norwood, Firefighters Have New Contract" (Enquirer)
"San Francisco Fire Fighters Urge Action on Increased Risk of Bladder Cancer" (San Francisco Sentinel)
"City-county races to see more police, firefighters" (Indianapolis Star)
"Homeland Security Tours Pueblo Facility" (KKTV)
"Putting Out the Pension Fire" (The Charleston Gazette)
"No Public Safety Agency Is an Island" (Firehouse Magazine)
"Aurora Fire Chief's Tee Times Drawing Attention" (CBS 4 Denvet)
"LAFD battalion chief: 'I've been a fireman my whole life'" (Daily Breeze)
"Illinois Fire Fighters Elected to City Council" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"St. Louis firefighters are battling city schools" (St. Louis Post-Dispatch )
"Consultant Faults Oceanside for Failing to Keep Firefighters" (San Jose Mercury News (CA))
"Firefighter who died of cancer was killed in the line of duty, court says" (Canadian Employment Law Today)
"Muncie firefighter wins bronze at World Games" (The Star Press)
"Web site educates children about 911" (Connecticut Post Online)
"Wrentham firefighters want Civil Service" (The Sun Chronicle)
"Firefighters' union, local residents donate pet oxygen masks to Fire Department" (The Journal Times)
"Dog statue donation supports local fire stations" (The Exponent Online)




 

"Frontline News Brief" is Sponsored By:

Only 10 Days Remain to Apply for FIRE Act Grants
International Association of Fire Fighters (04/25/07)

The IAFF is reminding its affiliates and their fire departments that the deadline for applications for the 2007 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program is May 4, 2007. Fire departments and non-affiliated emergency medical organizations are eligible to receive these grants using new criteria -- which should benefit many of the fire departments represented by IAFF locals -- that give a higher level of consideration to departments with a high call volume and to departments that protect large populations.
(Web Link)
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Washington State Passes PBDE, Presumptive Cancer Legislation
International Association of Fire Fighters (04/19/07)

The Washington State Council of Fire Fighters (WSCFF) is celebrating two important legislative victories for its members. On April 18, the Washington state legislature passed an expanded presumptive cancer bill, which Governor Chris Gregoire is expected to sign. In addition, on April 17, the governor signed legislation banning polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE), fireproofing chemicals used in televisions, computers and upholstered furniture, making Washington the first state in the nation to phase out use of PBDE. WSCFF and the Washington State Fire Chiefs worked closely to pass both pieces of legislation.
(Web Link)
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Firefighters demand focus on the fallen
Ottawa Citizen (04/23/07); DeRosa, Katie

Delegates representing 20,000 Canadian fire fighters decided they will show up on Parliament Hill April 24 with a list of three issues they say need immediate government attention. The 130 delegates, who are in Ottawa for a four-day conference, will meet with MPs to ask for a compensation program for the families of fallen fire fighters, a national fire statistics office and better benefits under the Canada Pension Plan.
(Web Link)
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Rudy gets earful at stop here
New York Daily News (04/24/07); Saltonstall, David

Presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani is keeping a low profile in his hometown these days, perhaps with reason -- protesters who lost loved ones on 9/11 are picketing him whenever they learn his whereabouts in the city. The group, made up mostly of FDNY veterans, families and union leaders, says its goal is to educate Americans about what it sees as the tragic mistakes Giuliani made on 9/11 and the mythical image that has grown up around him from that day.
(Web Link)
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IAFF Seeks Fair Implementation of Hometown Heroes
International Association of Fire Fighters (04/20/07)

The IAFF, in conjunction with the International Association of Fire Chiefs and other national groups representing the interests of the fire service, have sent a letter to President George Bush requesting that he examine the Public Safety Officers Benefit (PSOB) program to ensure that fallen fire fighters are receiving benefits mandated by the Hometown Heroes Act.
(Web Link)
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Australian Fire Fighters Visit U.S
Internati onal Association of Fire Fighters (04/24/07)

Fire fighters from the United Firefighters Union of Australia (UFUA), traveling to the United States to attend the Women in the Fire Service (WFS) conference in Oakland, California, extended their trip to include stops in Washington, DC, Fairfax County, Virginia, and Montgomery County, Maryland.
(Web Link)
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City Council rejects pay raise for firefighters
San Diego Union Tribune (04/25/07); Hall, Matthew T.

San Diego fire fighters will work without a pay raise for a third straight year beginning in July. The The City Council deadlocked on a 2 percent bump in pay for the fire fighters union and then, to avoid a stalemate, imposed Mayor Jerry Sanders' final contract offer, which overhauls employee health care coverage and keeps salaries at the status quo. A 2 percent raise would have cost the city $2 million next year.
(Web Link)
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Clergy, Firefighters Most Satisfied Workers
Reuters (04/18/07)

According to a survey of 27,587 individuals by the National Opinion Research Center, altruistic professions generate the highest levels of job satisfaction and happiness. Clergy, fire fighters and physical therapists topped the list of employees with the most satisfying jobs, implying that jobs involving teaching, protecting and caring for others are the most satisfying. The top two professions for overall happiness were also clergy and fire fighters. Lawyers and doctors did not make it onto the lists of the top-12 happiest or most satisfied occupations. The least satisfying jobs tended to be those involving customer service and low-skill manual work. Overall, 47 percent of those surveyed reported being very satisfied with their careers, and 33 percent described themselves as very happy.
(Web Link)
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Officers vote no faith in fire chief
The Baltimore Sun (04/18/07); Fuller, Nicole

In a unanimous voice vote, about 50 Baltimore City Fire Department's top brass said they had no confidence in embattled Chief William J. Goodwin Jr. The call by members of the Baltimore Fire Officers' Union, representing 325 lieutenants, captains and battalion chiefs, follows a similar voice vote for the chief to step down by the union for 1,300 rank-and-file fire fighters.
(Web Link)
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Firefighters Talk About Virginia Tech at FDIC in Indianapolis
Firehouse.com(04/18/07); Slepicka, Lon; Snowden, Lisa

At the 79th Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) in Indianapolis, thousands of fire fighters assembled for training, classroom sessions and a chance to meditate on the Virginia Tech tragedy. Fire fighters, thinking about their own communities, noted the difficulty of being fully prepared for attacks from within. In Richmond, California, where six to 12 shootings occur each week, the fire department conducts youth outreach work, hoping that by uniting teenagers from different neighborhoods, violence will decrease. Most fire fighters emphasize the importance of training for emergencies, such as through inter-departmental drills and the housing of mass casualty trailers. However, some fire fighters feel more prepared than others.
(Web Link)
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Philadelphia Local 22 Hep-C Activist Receives Disability Pension
International Association of Fire Fighters (04/20/07)

Philadelphia, PA Local 22 member Mary Kohler, who contracted Hepatitis-C and subsequently lobbied for a Pennsylvania state law giving Hepatitis-C infected fire fighters and paramedics the right to apply for worker's compensation, has been awarded a service-connected disability pension. Recognizing her long bout with Hepatitis-C, the Philadelphia Board of Pensions voted 5-3 to give Kohler 70 percent of her former pay -- tax free -- as well as lifetime coverage for her Hepatitis-C medical costs.
(Web Link)
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Collective Bargaining Bill Is More Than Halfway to Goal of 218 Cosponsors
International Association of Fire Fighters (04/20/07)

Thanks to the efforts of grassroots IAFF activists, 133 members of the House of Representatives have signed on as cosponsors of HR 980, the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act. The number puts the IAFF well on the way to achieve its goal of having 218 cosponsors -- a majority of the House of Representatives -- and virtually ensures passage of the legislation.
(Web Link)
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Bellevue backs domestic partner benefits
SeattlePi.com (04/25/07); Rowe, Claudia

After years of debate, Bellevue, Washington, is poised to join Seattle, Spokane and numerous other municipalities in offering health and other benefits to the domestic partners of its gay and lesbian employees. The decision came less than a weekafter three city employees, all of whom live in relationships with same-sex partners, filed a lawsuit accusing the city of discrimination because their partners have been denied benefits available to spouses of heterosexual employees. Within the Bellevue City Council chambers, the issue has simmered for years. Unions representing city police and fire fighters have pushed for domestic partner benefits in each contract negotiation, only to be repeatedly rebuffed.
(Web Link)
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Embattled St. Paul Fire Chief Quits
KARE 11 (04/20/07)

Weeks after the fire fighters union gave him a vote of no-confidence, St. Paul, Minnesota Fire Chief Doug Holton has been named the new fire chief in Milwaukee, where he built his fire fighting career. He will be leaving St. Paul at a time when many fire fighters and supervisors say morale is at its lowest.
(Web Link)
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Norwood, Firefighters Have New Contract
Enquirer (04/13/07); Kemme, Steve

Norwood, Ohio, and Norwood, OH Local 445 have finalized a new contract that demonstrates the fire fighters' commitment to helping the city with its economic struggles. The contract includes no pay raise for 2007 and a 2 percent raise for 2008. Though city union contracts typically last three years, the fire fighters accepted a two-year contract in exchange for an additional 1 percent lump-sum bonus. The fire fighters also agreed to lower minimum staffing quotas by one individual per day for a year. Local 445 President Rickie Paul deemed the new contract "fair" to all involved, and Mayor Tom Williams noted the symp athetic and accommodating stance of the city's labor unions. The city's three other labor unions also received cuts to standard pay raises as part of the city's efforts to lower operating expenses and manage large budget deficits.
(Web Link)
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San Francisco Fire Fighters Urge Action on Increased Risk of Bladder Cancer
San Francisco Sentinel (04/24/07)

More than 300 active and retired fire fighters gathered on the steps of San Francisco's city hall to honor their fallen members who lost their lives to cancer and called for action to increase awareness of the silent death of fire fighters from job-related cancers. The fire fighters announced the establishment of the San Francisco Firefighters Cancer Prevention Foundation, a non-profit organization that is leading a campaign to bring awareness to the increased risk that fire fighters have of getting cancer.
(Web Link)
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City-county races to see more police, firefighters
Indianapolis Star (04/16/07); O'Shaughnessy, Brendan

Frustrated about rising crime, police and fire department mergers, and unsettled labor contracts, a large number of public safety officers will be on the ballot for seats on the Indianapolis City-County Council next month. Depending on Election Day results, one third of the next City-County Council could be filled by police and fire fighters. Eleven are running.
(Web Link)
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Homeland Security Tours Pueblo Facility
KKTV (04/12/07); Earl, Josh

Colorado's Transportation Technology Center plans to construct an $18 million Rail Tunnel and Passenger Training Facility that would allow emergency responders to practice responding to an underground terrorist attack on a subway tunnel. The Pueblo-based tunnel facility would serve as a mock subway tunnel that could be used for testing and training. Representative John Salazar (D-CO) is working to convince the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to help fund the tunnel. "I am very concerned that the United States currently does not have any adequate research facilities to properly prepare for subway or tunnel terrorist attacks," Salazar wrote in a letter to DHS last year. "This is an important step that the Homeland Security Department can take now to improve security on the nation's mass transit system." DHS Undersecretary Jay Cohen visited the Transportation Technology Center to discuss funding for the project.
(Web Link)
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Putting Out the Pension Fire
The Charleston Gazetts (04/23/07); Morris, Joe

West Virginia's biggest cities may finally be close to shoring up their woefully underfunded pension plans for fire fighters and police officers. According to an actuarial report carried out for the state, plans covering retirees in nearly 50 municipalities across the state -- including those in Charleston and Huntington -- have racked up more than $600 million in "unfunded liabilities," meaning that the plans would be in the hole by that amount in the event that all the people who have been paying into the plans claimed their money all at once.
(Web Link)
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No Public Safety Agency Is an Island
Fireh ouse Magazine (03/01/07) Vol. 32, No. 3, P. 88; Kuhlmann, Thomas J.; Morkel, Tarquin

Utah County, Utah, serves as an example of how smaller public safety agencies can achieve greater interagency cooperation. The second-largest county in the state has created an information-sharing network that enables 22 fire departments and 18 EMS organizations to communicate with each other and at all levels. In striving for interoperability, Utah County focused on facilitating interagency cooperation and support, implementing suitable technology and developing an effective training plan. By focusing on getting agencies to work together, Utah County was able to make the various departments feel more involved in the initiative, take their specific requirements into account, address funding issues more effectively and enhance their buying power. Utah County approached technology by focusing on cost-effective, practical features and choosing flexible solutions that gave it a certain level of control with regard to future decisions. Specific capabilities that end users have gained include mapping, dispatch, lookups, communication, training, reporting, inventory and administration.
(Web Link)
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Aurora Fire Chief's Tee Times Drawing Attention
CBS 4 Denver (04/19/07)

Aurora's Deputy City Manager said he wants a lot more answers about why city records seem to suggest Fire Chief Casey Jones spends big chunks of his time playing golf when he is scheduled to be on the job. "On the surface it doesn't look very good," said Randy Rester, president of Aurora, CO Local 1290, which represents most of the department's approximately 300 fire fighters.
(Web Link)
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LAFD battalion chief: 'I've been a fireman my whole life'
Daily Breeze (04/22/07); Altman, Larry

Having worked at fire stations from San Pedro to the San Fernando Valley, Larry Schneider is believed to be the longest-working field fire fighter ever to put on a uniform in the United States. He is a virtual history book in Los Angeles fire fighting, working at most of the city's major fires and catastrophes since the 1940s. The 79-year-old Torrance resident -- yes, he's 79 -- will bring to a close a remarkable 63-year career in the fire service.
(Web Link)
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Illinois Fire Fighters Elected to City Council
International Association of Fire Fighters (04/19/07)

Two Illinois fire fighters are serving on city councils in Illinois thanks to the strong support of their brother and sister IAFF members. East Peoria, IL Local 1498 fire fighter Dan Decker and Pekin, IL Local 524 member John Abel are serving their first four-year terms on their respective city councils in East Peoria and Pekin.   
(Web Link)
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St. Louis firefighters are battling city schools
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (04/17/07); Wagman, Jake

Many St. Louis fire fighters -- whose primary job keeps them tethered to home addresses in the city -- are drawing second paychecks to pay tuition at private and parochial schools. Turmoil in the city school district bolsters their claim that it's time to let fire fighters and other city employees move outside the city limits. The city fire department employs about 900 workers. Fire fighters and emergency medical technicians are backing state legislation that would allow th em to move outside the city if its public schools become unaccredited -- a designation that, appeals aside, will become official in June.
(Web Link)
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Consultant Faults Oceanside for Failing to Keep Firefighters
San Jose Mercury News (CA) (04/18/07)

The Oceanside, California, Fire Department experiences unusually large turnover among entry-level staff and needs to construct a minimum of three stations, a report by Citygate Associates claims. The report states that almost 42 percent of the 88 fire fighter-paramedics hired between July 1999 and January of last year had left by 2006's conclusion. The report notes that turnover is "indicative of something seriously wrong with the management, leadership, and/or hiring practices of the department." Fourteen of 18 new fire fighters in a year left the department to join other agencies that paid higher salaries. Since then, fire fighters have gotten raises of between 5 percent and 8 percent. The department is conducting an in-house review of the turnover rate.

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Firefighter who died of cancer was killed in the line of duty, court says
Canadian Employment Law Today (04/12/07)

The City of Toronto must pay "killed in the line of duty" benefits and accidental death benefits to the estate of a deceased fire fighter after the Ontario Superior Court of Justice overturned an arbitrator's decision that he was not entitled to the benefits.
(Web Link)
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Muncie firefighter wins bronze at World Games
The Star Press (04/23/07); Werner, Nick

Muncie, IN Local 1348 fire fighter Melinda Webb earned a bronze medal in golfing in the 2007 World Police and Fire Games in Adelaide, Australia , last month. Webb, 43, scored a 236 in the women's open division. The first-place winner scored a 234, and second place scored a 236.
(Web Link)
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Web site educates children about 911
Connecticut Post Online (04/23/07); McDonald, Bill

Milford, CT Local 4260 has created a unique new web site to help children make emergency 911 calls. "Any kid who can operate a computer can benefit from this," said webmaster David Dixon. Th e new "kids only" link at Local4260.com is designed to educate citizens on what 911 does and what to expect when they call 911.
(Web Link)
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Wrentham firefighters want Civil Service
The Sun Chronicle (04/24/07); Peterson, Stephen

Wrentham, MA Local 2579 is petitioning for fire fighter positions to be Civil Service jobs. At a recent Wrentham town meeting, residents debated if fire fighter positions should be Civil Service jobs and if the fire chief should have reduced authority. The petition for Civil Service, which police officers have, is led by Local 2579 President Tony Marino and fellow fire fighters. "Basically it really gives the town a tool to put a system in place to get a larg er pool of candidates for entry level positions," Marino said, adding the pool of candidates is dwindling." Also, we are trying to give everyone a fair opportunity of promotion through merit. It kind of takes away the hiring of a best friend or acquaintance or making promises to someone who is not necessarily the most qualified candidate."Also, if there is a layoff, a fire fighter can be put on the Civil Service list and they can try to catch on with another department, Marino added.
(Web Link)
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Firefighters' union, local residents donate pet oxygen masks to Fire Department
The Journal Times (04/21/07); Killackey, Brent

If Fido or Fluffy becomes overcome by smoke during a fire, no longer will Racine, WI Local 321  fire fighters have to awkwardly administer oxygen with a mask designed for humans. Thanks to donations from residents of Racine and Racine Local 321, specially designed cat and dog masks are available on each of the city's three frontline rescue squads. Craig Ford, an executive board member with Local 321, said that there is a recent trend among fire departments and emergency responders to provide care for injured pets at emergencies. "Fire fighters understand that for many citizens, a pet is a member of the family," Ford said. "Racine fire fighters are honored to provide a long list of emergency services to Racine and are pleased to add emergency pet oxygen therapy to that list."
(Web Link)
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Dog statue donation supports local fire stations
The Exponent Online (4/20/07); Capo, Robert

The relationship between Dalmatians and fire fighters is now set in stone after a  local West Lafayette, Indiana, man donated two statues to the West Lafayette Fire Department. Since September 11, Jack Ruckel has been in awe of the risks fire fighters take and wanted to do something to show his support. He started his task by giving seven dalmation statues to Lafayette fire stations two months ago. Now every station has one. The history of Dalmatians and firehouses goes back more than 200 years to Chicago , according to Ruckel. The visual appeal of area stations has been enhanced by the statues. "They give a uniformity to the building ... you just can't miss these dogs," said Bill Patterson, a fire fighter at the Lafayette Fire Department.
(Web Link)
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