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.

 

"Firefighters See Cuts Eroding Safety" (USA Today)
"IAFF Members Respond to Deadly Train Collision" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"New Rules Allow SAFER Grants to Prevent Layoffs, Restore Cuts" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Firefighter Ranks as Most Demanding Job, Says CareerCast.com Study" (RedOrbit)
"Providence Fire Fighters Picket U.S. Conference of Mayors" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"IAFF Mourns the Loss of Ed McMahon" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Ruling Clears Union" (Sun Journal (ME))
"Governor Nixon Grants Death Benefits to Families of First Responders " (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Winnipeg Firefighters Take Swine Flu Precautions" (Canada.com)
"Ontario Tells Council: 'Seconds Count in Emergencies'" (Niagara This Week)
"Two Years Later, Charleston Tragedy Still Fresh for Fire Fighters" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Orlando Fire Fighters Protest Layoffs" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"San Francisco Fire Fighters Rally to Save Public Safety" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"South Tucson Fire Fighters Negotiate First MOU" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Cessation Program to Help Firefighters Who Smoke" (York Daily Record (PA))
"Senator Conrad Welcomes Fargo Fire Fighter Recruits" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Sink Wins Endorsement From Florida Professional Firefighters Union" (Orlando Sentinel (FL))
"Economic Crisis News" (International Association of Fire Fighters)

Firefighters See Cuts Eroding Safety
USA Today (06/18/09); Johnson, Kevin

The prospect of fire fighter layoffs across the country has raised concerns that such budget cuts may prolong emergency response times. Harold Schaitberger, head of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), said, "Whatever you do that results in increasing response times [to fires], you are absolutely playing Russian roulette." An IAFF survey of its members shows that up to 5,000 fire fighting jobs are at risk of cutbacks. In Flint, Michigan, the layoff of 22 fire fighters has been blamed for the slow response to a fatal fire in April, and several 24-hour fire stations have been closed in Atlanta.
(Web Link)
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IAFF Members Respond to Deadly Train Collision
International Association of Fire Fighters (06/22/09)

More than 200 fire fighters from the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia responded to a deadly Metro train collision that killed nine people and injured scores of others, including two fire fighters. One Metro transit train smashed into the rear of another during the Monday rush hour. Cars of both trains were ripped open and smashed together, and a District of Columbia fire spokesperson said crews had to cut some people out of what he described as a "mass casualty event." Rescue workers treated 70 people at the scene. Officials have no explanation for the accident. The National Transportation Safety Board took charge of the investigation and sent a team to the site of the worst accident in the Metro system's 33-year history.
(Web Link)
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New Rules Allow SAFER Grants to Prevent Layoffs, Restore Cuts
International Association of Fire Fighters (06/18/09)

Congress has voted to allow the use of federal funding to rehire laid off fire fighters and prevent fire department staffing reductions. The new rules for Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants make funding available to help keep IAFF members safe and on the job and bring back those who have been laid off as a result of the current financial crisis. The bill is now on its way to the White House. "The IAFF made it an urgent priority to pass this proposal to waive current requirements and allow SAFER grants to be used to save our members' jobs and restore cuts made to staffing," says IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger. "With the passage of this waiver, fire departments can use this money to prevent layoffs and ensure adequate staffing."
(Web Link)
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Firefighter Ranks as Most Demanding Job, Says CareerCast.com Study
RedOrbit (06/16/09)

Fire fighters, surgeons and senior corporate executives have been named three of the most demanding jobs in the United States in a new CareerCast.com study. This list was compiled using a combination of Department of Labor data and CareerCast.com's exclusive Jobs Rated data. Each occupation was assessed and ranked according to length of average work week, stress scores and physical demands.
(Web Link)
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Providence Fire Fighters Picket U.S. Conference of Mayors
International Association of Fire Fighters (06/15/09)

Picket lines in Providence, Rhode Island began June 12 at the U.S. Conference of Mayors Annual Meeting, culminating a week in which Vice President Joe Biden and more than 25 members of the Obama administration canceled plans to attend the U.S. Conference of Mayors' event in Providence rather than cross a picket line protesting Mayor David Cicilline's treatment of Providence Local 799 fire fighters.
(Web Link)
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IAFF Mourns the Loss of Ed McMahon
International Association of Fire Fighters (06/23/09)

IAFF General President and Vice President of the Muscular Dystrophy Association Harold Schaitberger issued the following statement on the death of Ed McMahon: "Ed McMahon was a great friend to the members of the International Association of Fire Fighters. A true entertainer who also selflessly served his country as a Marine pilot in World War II and the Korean War, and who gave his time, heart and soul to help Jerry's Kids and the families of those who are battling muscular dystrophy. "The IAFF has raised money for MDA since 1954. For many years, we were lucky enough to share the stage with Ed and witness his noble devotion to MDA's cause. We send our thoughts and prayers to his wife, Pamela, and his loving children. Thank you for the gift of your life, Ed. We will miss you."
(Web Link)
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Ruling Clears Union
Sun Journal (ME) (06/17/09); Karkos, Terry

An independent arbitrator has exonerated 10 union fire fighters who were suspended without pay last spring for backing selectmen candidates. The town of Rumford, Maine, must pay for their lost time, expunge the disciplinary action from their records, and avoid interfering with Rumford, ME Local 1601 and members who participate in protected union activities.

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Governor Nixon Grants Death Benefits to Families of First Responders
International Association of Fire Fighters (06/22/09)

Standing inside a Kansas City fire station, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon signed a bill to benefit the families of Missouri emergency personnel killed in the line of duty. House Bill 580, which establishes the Line of Duty Compensation Act, allows a claim to be filed with the Division of Workers' Compensation on behalf of a law enforcement officer, fire fighter, emergency medical technician, air ambulance pilot or air ambulance registered nurse for a benefit of $25,000. Nixon signed House Bill 580 at Kansas City Station #19. The bill-signing ceremony was attended by fire fighters and law enforcement officers.
(Web Link)
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Winnipeg Firefighters Take Swine Flu Precautions
Canada.com (06/14/09)

Fire fighters and paramedics in Winnipeg have begun taking extra precautions when responding to medical calls in an effort to stop the spread of the swine flu. According to Alex Forrest, the president of the United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg, fire fighters and paramedics will now begin wearing goggles, masks and gloves when responding to calls from citizens with unknown illnesses. Fire fighters and paramedics in Winnipeg already wear goggles, masks and gloves when responding to a suspected case of swine flu.
(Web Link)
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Ontario Tells Council: 'Seconds Count in Emergencies'
Niagara This Week (06/19/09); Forsyth, Paul

Top fire fighting officials in Ontario had a sobering message for any Thorold city councillors who might be thinking of scaling back fire fighter responses to medical emergencies. Mark McKinnon, executive vice-president of the Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association, and Shayne Mintz, an executive board member with the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs, said doing so could lead to residents experiencing life-threatening medical emergencies dying. McKinnon and Mintz appeared before city council to speak after councillors asked John Cunnane, director of Niagara Emergency Medical Services (NEMS), to speak about how responses to medical emergencies are handled.
(Web Link)
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Two Years Later, Charleston Tragedy Still Fresh for Fire Fighters
International Association of Fire Fighters (06/18/09)

Charleston, SC Local 61 and the city of Charleston, South Carolina, are marking the two-year anniversary of the Sofa Super Store fire, the inferno that killed nine fire fighters who were trapped inside the building. The nine deaths made it the deadliest fire in the fire service since September 11, 2001. Although the Sofa Super Store occurred two years ago, the tragedy remains fresh in the memories of Charleston fire fighters, Charleston Local 61 President Bill Haigler says. "Everybody here still does something everyday to remember the guys who died," he says. "Moving forward is great. That's important. But we need to remember these guys." 
(Web Link)
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Orlando Fire Fighters Protest Layoffs
International Association of Fire Fighters (06/18/09)

Hundreds of fire fighters from across Florida picketed Orlando City Hall June 15 to protest Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer's proposal to lay off 46 fire fighters. Dyer plans to eliminate approximately 10 percent of the city's workforce to avoid a budget deficit projected at $43.5 million next year. IAFF members attending the Florida Professional Firefighters (FPF) Convention were among the union workers at the rally.
(Web Link)
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San Francisco Fire Fighters Rally to Save Public Safety
International Association of Fire Fighters (06/18/09)

Citizens, police officers and sheriff's deputies joined San Francisco, CA Local 798 fire fighters in an aggressive show of labor to encourage supervisors to vote "yes" to keep San Francisco firehouses open. On a flatbed truck outfitted with informational literature, loudspeakers and American flags, Local 798 members spoke fervently to citizens numbering in the thousands in an effort to convince the San Francisco Board of Supervisors that closing firehouses would drastically endanger the safety of the citizens of San Francisco.
(Web Link)
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South Tucson Fire Fighters Negotiate First MOU
International Association of Fire Fighters (06/19/09)

Twelve South Tucson, Arizona fire fighters - all members of Tucson Local 479 - have negotiated their first Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the City of South Tucson. The Local 479 members report the most significant thing to come out of the new agreement is the new open line of communication between labor and management. 
(Web Link)
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Cessation Program to Help Firefighters Who Smoke
York Daily Record (PA) (06/14/09); Czech, Ted

The Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association is sponsoring a smoking-cessation program for city fire fighters in York. According to Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association President Art Martynuska, the association is sponsoring the program primarily because it wants to improve the health of fire fighters. Martynuska added that the association is hoping the introduction of the program will convince state lawmakers to pass a bill that would designate a fire fighter's cancer treatment as a workers' compensation case, rather than a case that is handled by the fire fighter's health insurance. "We're taking a proactive approach to our safety, and we hope lawmakers will take a proactive approach as well," Martynuska said. The introduction of the program will also send the message to lawmakers that when fire fighters get cancer, they get it from doing their jobs and not from smoking, said Rick Gawlick, the political director of the Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association. Gawlick noted that fire fighters absorb toxins through their skin when fighting a fire -- toxins which accumulate over the years and can cause cancer. Gawlick's assertion is backed up by a 2006 University of Cincinnati study, which found that fire fighters are more likely to get cancer than are civilians.
(Web Link)
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Senator Conrad Welcomes Fargo Fire Fighter Recruits
International Association of Fire Fighters (06/23/09)

North Dakota Senator Kent Conrad met new recruits hired by the Fargo Fire Department with funding through the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program. "Our fire fighters are the bravest of the brave," says Conrad. "They risk their lives every day to protect our community and save lives -- from fighting fires to assisting with flood preparations, to helping with all types of emergencies. They have earned our respect and deserve all the support we can provide."
(Web Link)
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Sink Wins Endorsement From Florida Professional Firefighters Union
Orlando Sentinel (FL)(06/15/09)

The Florida Professional Firefighters (FPF), the fire fighters union that represents 24,000 full-time, paid professional fire fighters and emergency medical services personnel in the state, has announced that it is endorsing Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink in next year's gubernatorial race. Florida Professional Firefighters President Bob Carver said the union was endorsing Sink, who spoke at the FPF's Convention in Orlando on June 15, because she "has worked with fire fighters to make Florida a safer place to work and to live."
(Web Link)
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Economic Crisis News
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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