Reflecting on the War in Iraq and the War Here at Home

As the war winds down in Iraq, we must take a moment to reflect on the service of the men and women of the U.S. military who, like fire fighters, risked their lives and in some instances gave their lives on behalf of their nation and its citizens.

Hundreds of the reservists and members of the National Guard called to duty were fire fighters and paramedics. They were IAFF members who traded one honorable profession and one honorable uniform for another. Two of them were IAFF staff members out of our Washington headquarters. Our union brothers and sisters who served in Iraq and in Afghanistan or provided logistical support for the front-line troops overseas showed in one more way the level of true patriotism that permeates the ranks of the IAFF.

I don’t have to tell those of you who served in the military about the similarities and the affinity between the military and the fire service. Like you and all members of the IAFF, these soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines put the lives of others ahead of their own in the pursuit of principle. Our military men and women performed admirably in Iraq and in Afghanistan and with great honor and risk to themselves. And they did so with a level of commitment, pride and dedication that is also the hallmark of our profession.

Over the past several months we have received many reports on the activities and actions of our union members serving in Iraq. Some of these brave men and women are already listed in our honor roll on our web site and in this newspaper. They deserve our recognition for a job well done.

As these fire fighters come back home to their jobs at fire departments across the U.S., the IAFF is monitoring their return to duty to make sure that employers follow federal law protecting their jobs. We have been working with the U.S. Department of Labor to make sure those employee rights are upheld for our members who served. In some cases, fire departments and our local union members went above and beyond what was required to protect the livelihood of their IAFF brothers and sisters who went to war.

Some fire departments continued to pay the entire salaries of their fire fighters while they were gone. In other departments, local union members banded together to work the shifts of their absent brothers and sisters to make sure that their families were kept whole while their loved ones were on the front lines in Iraq. These actions were admirable, and I commend those who showed such compassion.

Many of our members and other military personnel continue to serve in Iraq. They continue to brave the hardships of living and working in that harsh place. They continue to face danger, injury, or even death from pockets of enemy resistance, looters, land mines, and other hazards that exist in war-torn Iraq. We pray for all Americans at war and pray for their safe return.

In mid-May, the terrorist attack in Saudi Arabia that killed some American civilians sent a stark reminder to all citizens that the war against terrorism is not over, and the threat to American citizens on American soil remains very real.

The attack came at the same time that the Department of Homeland Security was conducting mock terrorist attack drills for fire fighters, EMS personnel, law enforcement, and public health personnel in Chicago and Seattle. The dramatic drills should raise awareness of the risks that exist across North America, but I also fear that it sends a false signal that fire departments across our two nations have the resources they need to respond to attacks involving weapons of mass destruction.

I have repeatedly told decision makers on Capitol Hill that IAFF members across our two nations are committed to doing whatever is necessary to protect citizens in the event of a terrorist attack. But I have also stressed that the federal government has failed to provide local fire and EMS departments with the resources to get the training, equipment and staffing they need to respond to such incidents safely and effectively.

It does no good to provide training and new equipment for our members to respond to chemical, biological, radioactive and nuclear incidents if two-thirds of fire departments continue to function with inadequate staffing. While we continue to push our legislation to seek federal funding to help communities hire more fire fighters, we run into stiff opposition from the Bush administration, which is unequivocally opposed to such programs. In fact, the administration has proposed eliminating a similar program, passed during the previous administration, that provides federal funding to help hire more law enforcement officers.

As the U.S. economy continues to decline, the impact on local fire departments - and our local IAFF affiliates - is very serious. We are seeing layoffs, station closings and reductions in the size of company staffing occurring or threatened in city after city from coast to coast. Thankfully, our Canadian brothers and sisters have so far avoided this fiscal crisis, but we are watching the situation there very closely.

While the Bush administration pushes for massive tax cuts at the federal level, the federal dollars going to cities and states continue to shrink. Many cities and counties, desperate for revenue, are enacting or proposing fire department cuts. Elected officials in other communities, who are not in dire straits, are using the economic crisis as an excuse to cut fire department staffing and weaken IAFF local unions. From Springfield and Worcester, Massachusetts to Minneapolis and New York City, politicians are seeking or making substantive cuts in personnel and service.

On top of this, the Congress is hunting for new and alternative sources of revenue that can be detrimental to your livelihoods. One of those proposals resurrects the concept of mandatory Social Security. For more than two decades this union has repeatedly led, fought and won the battle in Congress against mandatory Social Security and we will fight it once again during the current session of Congress.

We continue to work to seek revenue increases that will help rather than hurt our members and provide needed funds to municipalities and their fire departments. We are committed to making the federal government understand that it is just as important to fully fund the domestic defenders on the front line against terrorism here at home as it was to fully fund military operations in Iraq.

Our IAFF staff has been working with affiliates across our International to help them deal with the critical economic issues that negatively impact your safety and the safety of the citizens in your communities. Personally, I have traveled wherever and whenever I have been needed to make the case for maintaining and increasing staffing, and I will continue to do so when city managers, mayors, county commissions and councils propose or make foolish decisions to cut their already overburdened fire departments.

And God forbid if a city’s decision to cut fire fighter staffing or company staffing results in the death of one of our brothers or sisters. I promise you that I will be there to confront those city officials responsible, and I know in my heart that you will be there beside me.

This Union and our local affiliates will continue to fight as hard as our military did in Iraq to protect you and every IAFF member from the foolish decisions of elected officials who don’t understand or don’t want to understand the implications of fire department budget cuts.

Click Here to Read President Schaitberger's Past Messages

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