Fire Fighters Leader to Visit Wildfire Fight,
Boost Morale and Assess Staffing, Resources

Washington – With horrific wildfires still raging in California, Harold Schaitberger, the head of the International Association of Fire Fighters, is traveling to front lines of the fight to assess the situation and encourage exhausted members.

“Fire fighters never blink when they’ve got a job to do, no matter how imposing,” Schaitberger said. “I want to make sure they know they have the entire nation supporting them as they do their duty.”

The 2003 wildfires in California were called a “100-year event” because many believed they represented the worst wildfires that would occur in a century. But this week’s fires in southern California threaten to be worse than the 2003 wildfires. “I want to make sure our members are getting the support they need,” Schaitberger said. “Once again, fire fighters are in the eye of the storm, putting their lives on the line for their communities.”

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Note to editors: Schaitberger will be available for interviews Thursday. Call contact number for more information.

The International Association of Fire Fighters, headquartered in Washington, DC, represents more than 281,000 full-time professional fire fighters and paramedics who protect 80 percent of the nation’s population. More information is available at www.iaff.org.

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