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.
 

"Investigator Says Facts From Fire Will Be Emotionally Difficult" (Charleston Post and Courier)
"Boston Vice President Loses Battle With Cancer" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"A NIST Initiative for the Fire Service" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"FEMA to Pay for Fire Fighter Overtime " (New Orleans Times-Picayune )
"USFA Releases Emergency Incident Rehabilitation Manual" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"California Fire Fighter Loses Battle with Meningitis" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Fire Fighter Joins Wellington Council" (Palm Beach Post)
"Firefighter Files for Rep. Lim's House Seat" (Gresham Outlook)
"Jury Says Volusia Fire Fighter Unfairly Fired" (Daytona Beach News-Journal)
"Firefighters Travel to New Orleans to Help Fellow Firefighters" (Lancaster Eagle-Gazette)
"Firefighters: We Fear for Our Safety" (Benton Courier (AR))
"New CPR Technique" (CNN)
"Ladders, Personnel Factors in Fire Fighters' Three-Floor Plunge" (CBC News)
"IAFF Receives Directors' Award From MDA" (Medical News Today)
"N.H. Police, Firefighters, Oppose Increase in Retirement Age" (Concord Monitor (NH))
"Time Runs Out on Paramedic Fire Fighter Quest" (The Mountain Enterprise)
"Lack of Staff Driving Up Fire Department OT" (Wilmington Star News)
"Orange County Pushes Out Private Ambulance Firm" (Orlando Sentinel)
"New Aurora Fire Chief Quick to Take on Morale, Diversity" (Denver Post)
"Minneola Firefighters' Personal Information Posted on Website for Days" (WFTV.com--Eyewitness News 9 (Florida))
"Fire Fighters Union Fights Budget Cuts" (WYMT News (Lexington))
"County Advances Ambulance Takeover" (Ocala Business Journal)
"Stoughton Town Leaders, Fire Union Reach Agreement" (Enterprise News)
"Police Pull Double Duty" (Home News Tribune)
"Arizona Local Regains Meet and Confer Rights" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Robbinsville Fire Fighters Go Green" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"In Police and Fire Depts., a Bit o' Brogue Survives" (New York Times)

 

Investigator Says Facts From Fire Will Be Emotionally Difficult
Charleston Post and Courier (03/17/08); Smith, Glenn

A fire investigation report is soon expected on the June 18 fire at the Sofa Super Store in Charleston, South Carolina, in which nine city fire fighters died. The report is likely to produce strong emotions in the community and possibly renew calls for changes in the fire department's leadership. The interest goes beyond Charleston -- the head of the six-member panel investigating the fire, Gordon Routley, says he is asked about it wherever he goes. Fire fighters everywhere want to know what happened so they can learn from it, while IAFF spokesperson Jeff Zack says the report will likely show that the Charleston Fire Department has a "unique, damaging and wildly dysfunctional command culture" and that there will be more calls for Fire Chief Rusty Thomas to step down for failing to protect his fire fighters with proper equipment and training.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

Boston Vice President Loses Battle With Cancer
International Association of Fire Fighters (03/14/08)

The IAFF has lost one of its most notable union leaders and fire fighter safety advocate in the line of duty. Boston, MA Local 718 Vice President Robert Kilduff died March 13 after a courageous five-year battle with occupational cancer. "I would be hard-pressed to find a fire fighter more dedicated to the fire service than Brother Kilduff," says IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger. "When he learned he had cancer, he never thought about himself. He dedicated the rest of his life to making sure other fire fighters understood the importance of early detection."  
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

A NIST Initiative for the Fire Service
International Association of Fire Fighters (03/25/08)

The U.S. Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed and launched a new web site that outlines the Institute's efforts to develop and apply technology, measurements and standards to better understand fire behavior, control and prevention and to improve operations, equipment, fire suppression, fire investigations and disaster response. 
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

FEMA to Pay for Fire Fighter Overtime
New Orleans Times-Picayune (03/26/08); Gyan, Joe Jr.

Jefferson Parish fire districts secured a $540,000 commitment from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for disputed overtime pay from Hurricane Katrina. The districts asked FEMA to cover the overtime it paid to fire fighters for 14 days after Katrina, when they were asked to stand guard around the clock. The agency denied the reimbursement of any overtime charges beyond the first 48 hours.  
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

USFA Releases Emergency Incident Rehabilitation Manual
International Association of Fire Fighters (03/14/08)

The U.S. Fire Administration collaborated with the IAFF on the newly released, updated and revised Emergency Incident Rehabilitation Manual. The new edition examines critical topics related to emergency incident rehabilitation, including operational issues, human physiology, weather and technology. The report addresses ways to better protect fire fighters and other emergency responders through the use of proper protective clothing and improved tactical procedures. The revised manual updates the original USFA document published in 1992.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

California Fire Fighter Loses Battle with Meningitis
International Association of Fire Fighters (03/14/08)

The IAFF is sad to report the March 10 passing of Murrieta, CA Local 3540 fire fighter Matt Moore. Moore was hospitalized on and off since November 2007 with a rare form of meningitis caused by exposure the Balamuthia mandrillaris amoeba. It is so rare that less than 150 people have ever been diagnosed with it. 
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

Fire Fighter Joins Wellington Council
Palm Beach Post (03/26/08); Robinson, Dwayne

Fire fighter/paramedic Matt Willhite squeaked out a victory against local attorney Howard Coates Jr. in the March 25 council runoff election. By a 42-vote margin, Willhite will claim Seat 4 on the Wellington Village Council in April. Two weeks ago, Coates came out on top with 40 percent of the vote in the four-way Seat 4 contest. Willhite came in second with 34 percent. But Willhite was the victor -- this time with 51 percent support. "I think people saw me get into the race with five weeks to go, and they saw for the four weeks me standing on the street corners, knocking on doors, and they saw a hardworking person," he said.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

Firefighter Files for Rep. Lim's House Seat
Gresham Outlook( 03/14/08); Ureel, Michael

Fire fighter Greg Matthews is running as a Democrat for the Oregon House of Representatives, saying politics is a natural extension of his life of public service. Matthews has been a fire fighter for 11 years. "I feel like I'm very connected to this community, and I feel strongly about the livability issues in Gresham," he said. "It came down to a passion about Gresham and the direction that we need to get into." Some issues that are important to him are public safety, schools and a living wage. Matthews has been endorsed by the Oregon Education Association.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

Jury Says Volusia Fire Fighter Unfairly Fired
Daytona Beach News-Journal (03/22/08); Haug, Jim

After speaking out on the lack of staffing at Volusia County fire stations and leading a no-confidence vote against Fire Chief Jim Tauber, union official Kurt Vroman was fired as a county fire fighter in 2004. A federal jury in Orlando agreed that Vroman's dismissal was a violation of his First Amendment rights, awarding him $10,000 in damages.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

Firefighters Travel to New Orleans to Help Fellow Firefighters
Lancaster Eagle-Gazette (03/20/08); Cyphert, Anne Darling

Twelve Ohio fire fighters are among a group that traveled to New Orleans last month to help six fire fighters rebuild homes that had not been reconstructed after Hurricane Katrina. The IAFF has coordinated such trips for the past three years, bringing fire fighters with specialized skills to build homes in New Orleans where fire fighters have had trouble obtaining settlements from insurance companies. Fire fighter Keith Noya said he received only $32,000 from his insurance company for nearly $200,000 in damage, but with free labor from Ohio fire fighters his home is almost in move-in condition. "It was unbelievable how hard those guys worked and how much they got done in the amount of time they were here," Noya said. The fire fighters said the labor they have contributed so far this year is worth about $60,000, but that their bond is what is important. "That's what we're supposed to do -- we're fire fighters and we have camaraderie between us," said Ohio fire fighter Chip Pritsel. Columbus, OH Local 67 and CME Credit Union made donations for gas cards and meals.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

Firefighters: We Fear for Our Safety
Benton Courier (AR) (03/18/08); Jones, Whit

Fire fighters in Bryant, Arkansas, say they fear for their safety. Five fire fighters penned letters to the mayor after Fire Chief Randy Cox allegedly exhibited threatening and unstable behavior. Cox, who has been on medical leave since February 18, carries a city-issued handgun. The fire fighters say the fact that Cox is armed worries them, especially because he allegedly stated that "I am having a nervous breakdown and cannot handle it anymore." Members of Bryant, AR Local 4606 recently issued a vote of no confidence in Cox. Among the charges fire fighters have leveled against Cox and presented to the city council are "serious concerns about [Cox's] integrity, honesty, character and professional fire service leadership skills."
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

New CPR Technique
CNN (03/17/08)

A new version of emergency CPR, without breaths, triples the survival rate in a new study. CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

Ladders, Personnel Factors in Fire Fighters' Three-Floor Plunge
CBC News (03/20/08)

Five Ottawa fire fighters were forced to jump for their lives from the third floor of a burning building in February 2007, partly because there weren't enough personnel to deploy the only available ladder long enough to reach them, an Ontario Ministry of Labour report has found. 
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

IAFF Receives Directors' Award From MDA
Medical News Today (03/24/08)

The Muscular Dystrophy Association awarded its highest philanthropic achievement honor, the MDA Directors' Award, to the International Association of Fire Fighters. The award honors people and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to MDA's battle against neuromuscular disease in the areas of corporate and organizational sponsorship, media and entertainment industry support, and personal fundraising. MDA President and CEO Gerald C. Weinberg presented the award to IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger at the Association's national headquarters in Tucson, Arizona.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

N.H. Police, Firefighters, Oppose Increase in Retirement Age
Concord Monitor (NH) (03/18/08)

Fire fighters in New Hampshire are currently battling a government initiative to raise the state's retirement age. The House is considering a bill that would raise the retirement age for new hires from 45 to 50. Fire fighters say this change could seriously jeopardize their recruitment efforts. Although the bill is expected to pass, fire fighters say they will continue to oppose it in the Senate.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

Time Runs Out on Paramedic Fire Fighter Quest
The Mountain Enterprise (03/21/08); Hedlund, Patric

"If it isn't fast, it isn't emergency response...We get no rewards for same day service," said a DVD report distributed to members of the Kern County Board of Supervisors by Pine Mountain resident Scott Robinson last week. The video explains why "90 percent of North Americans" now rely on fire service-based emergency medical services. "We have a standing army prepared to respond quickly," Dr. Eugene Nagel, of the Miami Fire Department, credited as a pioneer in EMS services, says.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

Lack of Staff Driving Up Fire Department OT
Wilmington Star News (03/16/08); Scott, Sam

Like many small and mid-sized cities, Wilmington, North Carolina, is looking for a way to decrease the amount of overtime hours accrued by the local fire department. Over the past five years, the city's fire department has far exceeded its overtime budget. The city manager has proposed capping overtime hours and pulling fire trucks out of service when fire fighters are absent instead of immediately calling for backup. The fire department is strictly opposed to pulling trucks, because doing so would be dangerous to fire fighters and residents alike. Wilmington currently adheres to the National Fire Protection Association's recommendation of four fire fighters on each truck. To do so, the department often has to call in volunteers if a fire fighter is sick, injured, on a training exercise or absent for some other reason. The fire department recommends hiring more fire fighters so that five personnel can be assigned to each truck. This solution would solve the city's overtime problem, but officials say it could cost more than $1 million a year. Ironically, the city's overtime hours have plummeted in the last two months from 2,900 per month to 260. The drop is reportedly thanks to a new practice known as overhiring. The city council recently allowed the department to train seven extra recruits in its latest class of rookies. The so-called "overhires" will be absorbed into the department as positions become available.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

Orange County Pushes Out Private Ambulance Firm
Orlando Sentinel (03/18/08); Damron, David

Orange County leaders voted unanimously to take away the ambulance business from a private company and hand the job over to public fire fighters. The takeover, slated for October 1, was aimed primarily at recouping the fees patients pay for an ambulance delivery to a hospital.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

New Aurora Fire Chief Quick to Take on Morale, Diversity
Denver Post (03/17/08); Illescas, Carlos

He doesn't play golf, says he's devoted to his wife and is the highest-ranking Latino in the city. Fire Chief Mike Garcia has been on the job four months. Already, city leaders, fire fighters and others say he's a breath of fresh air after the previous leadership and the right man to lead the 329-member department. "Night and day," said Randy Rester, president of the Aurora firefighters union.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

Minneola Firefighters' Personal Information Posted on Website for Days
WFTV.com--Eyewitness News 9 (Florida) (03/17/08)

The city of Minneola, Florida, accidentally posted several fire fighters' personal information on its web site. The documents posted comprised union membership applications that contained names, addresses, phone numbers and Social Security numbers. Minneola's mayor says there will be no punishment for the posting because it was a simple mistake. City officials say the applications were accidentally scanned for the site. The city will now provide fire fighters with one free year of credit monitoring. Most fire fighters seem satisfied with the city's quick response and solution. However, some feel the posting was a veiled attempt to prevent them from unionizing.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

Fire Fighters Union Fights Budget Cuts
WYMT News (Lextington) (03/18/08); Roberts, Sherelle

There's an old saying that change is good. But first responders say that's not the case, when it comes to saving lives. They say, the way they do it now works just fine. "We've had three person staffing on the ambulances for over 30 years," says Mark Blankenship with the Lexington Professional Firefighters union. But that 30 year service tradition -- of two paramedics and one driver per patient -- needs to change, according to a team of hired money-saving consultants.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

County Advances Ambulance Takeover
Ocala Business Journal (03/19/08); Latham Carr, Susan

The Marion County Commission has voted 4-1 to approve a proposed organizational structure to the county's Fire Rescue Department, which includes adding 254 staff members to provide ambulance service. County Fire Chief Stuart McElhaney's preliminary budget indicates he can add the service at or below the current ambulance service's present budget of roughly $20 million.  
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

Stoughton Town Leaders, Fire Union Reach Agreement
Enterprise News (03/17/08); Alspach, Kyle

The town's fire union and town leaders have reached an agreement concerning compensation for a Stoughton fire fighter who is on active military deployment in Iraq. Captain Douglas Campbell will be paid the difference between the base salary he receives from the town and his weekly military salary as a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard. Campbell also will be allowed to receive health insurance from the town and will retain his seniority benefits, which include longevity pay and vacation accrual.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

Police Pull Double Duty
Home News Tribune (02/11/08); Bourbeau, Mary Ann

Police officer Greg Wilson was the first emergency responder to arrive at an apartment fire on November 23. He donned fire department turnout gear and used an axe to force his way through a door, where he found heavy smoke and fire in a hallway. Wilson conducted a search for occupants and when he found none, he exited the building and gave an update to fire fighters, who had just arrived. Wilson was able to help in this way because in addition to working as a police officer, he is an emergency medical technician and a volunteer fire fighter. Wilson is one of four police officers who are certified EMTs, and one of three who are trained fire fighters. The four are part of a new Emergency Services Unit (ESU), formed about six months ago by the police department.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

Arizona Local Regains Meet and Confer Rights
International Association of Fire Fighters (03/24/08)

Buckling under pressure from the Professional Fire Fighters of Arizona (PFFA) and Maricopa, AZ Local 4561, the Maricopa City Council has voted unanimously to grant Local 4561 meet and confer rights.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

Robbinsville Fire Fighters Go Green
International Association of Fire Fighters (03/13/08)

Robbinsville, NJ Local 3786 is the first public safety entity in the United States to participate in the TerraPass carbon offset program. The local purchased two TerraPass carbon offsets for its frontline emergency response vehicles -- Engine 40 and Ambulance 140-10 -- to spark community awareness about the dangers of global warming and climate change.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

In Police and Fire Depts., a Bit o' Brogue Survives
New York Times (03/17/08); Lueck, Thomas J.

The Irish brogue has been disappearing from the nation's fire departments over the last several years as fewer Irish immigrants fill vacant positions. Lt. Mike Lyons has been a member of the New York Fire Department since 1996. He sees his accent as an advantage because it helps him get attention from the public. Even though the number of Irish immigrants joining U.S. fire departments has declined, respect for the Irish heritage is stronger than ever. The Emerald Society, a brotherhood of current and retired Irish-American fire fighters, currently boasts approximately 7,000 members. The society offers scholarships to Irish-American students, fields teams in Gaelic football and sponsors pipe and drum bands. The pipe and drum bands "have played at funerals for every ethnic group," says Captain Liam Flaherty. "The Irish bands have become a symbol of the ... fire departments, no matter who you are."
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines