Affiliate Leadership Training Summit (ALTS)

Jan. 29 - Feb. 1, 2023 • Las Vegas, NV

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Join us as we Train for Excellence at this year’s Affiliate Leadership Training Summit (ALTS) at the world-class Caesars Forum in Las Vegas.

The scourge of cancer in the fire service requires us all to educate ourselves and step up in support of our brothers and sisters. We will be joining together to continue our work toward a better future for our members, their families, and the next generation.

We will be announcing a new partnership between the IAFF and three nationally recognized toxic tort law firms that will be joining us in this battle to extinguish cancer from the fire service.

ALTS will also include the world premiere of the documentary film BURNED, which tells the story of the life-threatening connection between fire fighter turnout gear and cancer. The dogged pursuit of the truth by fire fighters, their loved ones, scientists, and the community will inform us as to the battle ahead and to the IAFF’s unrelenting mission to save lives.

This is not an event any of us can afford to miss. We look forward to seeing you in Las Vegas.

NOTE: New space has been added to certain classes that may have been marked full before. In addition, we have secured additional overflow hotels for the event.

Register

Agenda

SATURDAY, JAN. 28

9 a.m.-5:30 p.m.	DFSR Training	Alliance Ballroom 310-312
3-5 p.m.	Registration Open Badge Pick-Up/Onsite Registration for Pre-Conference and ALTS Workshops	Summit Ballroom 212-214

SUNDAY, JAN. 29

7 a.m.-5 p.m.	Registration Open Late Badge Pick-Up & Onsite Registration for Pre-Conference Workshops. Badge Pick-Up & Onsite Registration for ALTS Workshops.	Summit Ballroom 212-214
8 a.m.-12 p.m.	Exhibit Set-Up/Install	Summit Ballroom 215-228
9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.	DFSR Training	Alliance Ballroom 310-312
Pre-Conference Workshops
8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.	FIRE OPS 101 (Train the Trainer)
8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.	Responding to the Interface (RTI) Introduction
8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.	Union Skills for New Officers
8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.	Fit to Thrive (F2T) Program Implementation
8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.	IAFF Resiliency Training: How to Bend, Not Break
1-5 p.m.	Exhibit Hall Open	Summit Ballroom 215-228

MONDAY, JAN. 30

6:30 a.m.	IAFF Recovery Meeting*	Parlor D at Harrah’s
7-9 a.m.	Breakfast	Summit Ballroom 236/237
7 a.m.-5 p.m.	Registration Open Badge Pick-Up/Onsite Registration for ALTS Workshops	Summit Ballroom 212-214
7 a.m.-5 p.m.	Exhibit Hall Open	Summit Ballroom 215-228
9-11:30 a.m.	General Session	Summit Ballroom 229-234
11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.	Lunch	Summit Ballroom 236/237
1-3 p.m.	Workshop Session 1 Breakouts
3:30-4:30 p.m.	Information Sessions
4:45-6 p.m.	IAFF Behavioral Health Support Group**	411 at Caesars Forum
6-7:30 p.m.	Welcome Reception	Summit Ballroom 229-234

TUESDAY, JAN. 31

6:30 a.m.	IAFF Recovery Meeting*	Parlor D at Harrah’s
7-8 a.m.	Breakfast	Summit Ballroom 236/237
8-10 a.m.	Workshop Session 2 Breakouts
8 a.m.-2 p.m.	Exhibit Hall Open/Followed by Breakdown	Summit Ballroom 215-228
10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.	Workshop Session 3 Breakouts
12:30-2 p.m.	Lunch	Summit Ballroom 236/237
2-4 p.m.	Workshop Session 4 Breakouts
4:15-5:30 p.m.	IAFF Behavioral Health Support Group**	411 at Caesars Forum

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 1

6:30 a.m.	IAFF Recovery Meeting*	Parlor D at Harrah’s
7-8 a.m.	Breakfast	Summit Ballroom 236/237
8-10 a.m.	Workshop Session 5 Breakouts
10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.	Workshop Session 6 Breakouts

Health Screening by United Diagnostic Services (UDS)
Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday by appointment only. Location: Copper at Harrah’s

*IAFF Recovery Meeting
The IAFF Recovery Meeting is for any IAFF member coping with or in recovery from an alcohol or substance abuse problem. Formerly known as Friends of Bill, this peer-led meeting is intended to provide a supportive space for individuals to share their experience with other brothers and sisters interested in addiction recovery.

**IAFF Behavioral Health Support Group
The IAFF Behavioral Health Support Group is for IAFF members who may be coping with or in recovery from behavioral health challenges, including post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, sleep problems, or challenging life stressors. This is NOT an information session on IAFF behavioral health programming, but is a safe space designed for members who would like to share their personal experience or give support to others. The group will be co-facilitated by a licensed mental health clinician and a seasoned IAFF peer support instructor. Discussion may explore signs and symptoms of emotional distress, how to cope with stigma, how to build resilience through self-care, and options for receiving help.

Pre-Conferences

SUNDAY, JAN. 29

FIRE OPS 101 (Train-the-Trainer)
8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

FIRE OPS is a unique event that teaches elected officials and community leaders about the risks and challenges involved in firefighting by exposing them to real fire ground scenarios. At FIRE OPS 101, participants suit up in protective gear, feel the heat of live fires, rescue victims, and perform other duties that first responders do on the job. A FIRE OPS 101 event is one of the most effective ways an IAFF local can build relationships with elected officials, the media, and management. This pre-conference event will teach you how to prepare for and run a successful and effective FIRE OPS 101 event in your community. (Note: No PPE required.)

Fit To Thrive (F2T) Program Implementation
8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

NEW The IAFF’s new F2T program includes resources to help every fire fighter in their pursuit to be more active more often. Systems, strategies, and tactics are embedded to improve fire fighter fitness and performance, but an emphasis is also placed on behavior change and making active choices easy choices for everyone. Specifically, assistance is provided with the selection, design, and implementation of relevant initiatives for every department via the sharing of education and training-related resources, the mentorship of front-line ambassadors, and the distribution of best practice guidelines that provide direct support for departments. Through a combination of lectures and hands-on activities, affiliate leaders will improve their ability to assess the needs of their organization and identify possible actions to assist in program implementation. Attendees will be provided with a series of resources to assist with the development of an implementation plan.

IAFF Resiliency Training: How to Bend, Not Break
8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

IAFF Resiliency Training is a one-day classroom program delivered by IAFF master peer support instructors. This training experience is intended to foster individual and organizational resiliency through personal assessment, practical skill building, break out exercises, and action planning. Affiliate leaders will gain an essential foundation for personal resiliency on and off the job.

Responding to the Interface (RTI) Introduction
8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

This workshop uses actual events and practical activities designed to provide students a brief overview of the Responding to the Interface (RTI) program along with some of the course material. The students will learn about strategies and tactics, wrapping up the class with demonstration hose loads, quick deployment, and reloads outside with an engine. At the conclusion of this program, students will have an idea about the RTI program that is designed for fire fighters to safely operate in the urban interface environment and successfully defend homes while suppressing interface fires.

Union Skills for New Officers
8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

NEW Join other new union leaders in this pre-conference workshop track tailored for new union leaders. This track is designed for new leaders to obtain the basic skills, knowledge, and resources to effectively organize and run daily operations as union leaders and better serve our members. This workshop track will give an overview of the various IAFF departments/divisions and the services provided to members, develop strategies for bringing new members into existing unions, and how to plan for and run effective union meetings.

Information Sessions

MONDAY, JAN. 30

3:30-4:30 p.m.

Digital Brand Building for Beginners

NEW While most locals have a digital presence and brand, some leaders are still hesitant about social media for themselves or their local. This class will provide an entry-level, basic orientation of what social media is, what it can do, and how you can safely lead your local in to accessing the power and reach of your digital brand.

Directors & Officers Liability Insurance/Labor Organization Bond

What happens when your officers make poor decisions? Is there coverage for wrongful management? What happens when cash goes missing or an employee steals from your checking account – is your affiliate adequately covered? See how Directors & Officers Liability insurance and the Labor Organization Fidelity Bond can help protect your Local from these claims.

FIREPAC

NEW FIREPAC is a political action fund, managed by the IAFF, that is made up of voluntary contributions by fire fighters to advocate for the Fire Fighter Agenda. FIREPAC is an investment in the firefighter agenda and the protection of your future. Every decision about your job is governed by someone elected or appointed. FIREPAC allows fire fighters to build collective power and relationships by supporting campaigns and independent efforts to elect a fire fighter majority.

Per Capita Forum With General Secretary-Treasurer Frank Líma

Your dues are your investment in your union. Hear directly from General Secretary-Treasurer Frank Líma where your investment is allocated in the IAFF budget. This session will break down your per capita investment in an easy-to-understand and easy-to-convey to your members manner that will creating the accountability and transparency that they expect and deserve. This in-depth discussion will also shed light on the IAFF budget and how department lines are created and funded.

Public Safety Officer Benefits (PSOB): What Are These Benefits and Who Gets Them?

The Public Safety Officers Benefits (PSOB) are death benefits for fire fighters and law enforcement officers that died in the line-of-duty (emergency or non-emergency) from a traumatic injury. Learn about the various components of the legislation, who can receive these benefits, and the process to secure these for our fallen brothers and sisters.

Pension Analysis Q&A

Pension Analysis Workshop Required. How dos what you learned in previous workshop apply to your local’s situation?

Responding to the Interface

Current events and hyperbole on the impact of Urban Interface Fires can leave many questions and concerns unanswered. Urban Interface (WUI) fires are occurring more often, and are larger and more destructive, than in past decades. Every year, greater numbers of structural firefighters are called to respond. This session will focus on the IAFF Responding to the Interface training program designed by structural fire fighters for structural fire fighters.

Special Need Trusts and Life Care Planning

IAFF Families with children who have special needs have unique requirements that extend well beyond traditional financial planning and estate management. As an IAFF leader, learn about the IAFF-FC resources available to the families of your members with these circumstances.

Story Maps: Using Technology to Tell a Better Story

An innovative approach to effect changes influence opinion and create awareness. present your GIS report to stakeholders using state of the art map comparisons of current and recommended staffing levels, response capabilities, and assembly of effective response force. From integrating a new service into your department to showing decision makers where improvements to response must be made, story maps are the tool that will tell your story.

Working With the Media

NEW Many of us aren’t comfortable with the media. We’ve all heard the horror stories of mis-quotes, errors, and just plain bad press. Most media want to work with us and can be an asset to your local. This quick info session will give membership 5 quick tips to work with the media and not against them to help advance the mission and message of your local.

Workshops By Session

MONDAY, JAN. 30

Session 1, Jan. 30, 1-3 p.m.

118th Congress: What Comes Next?

NEW The 2022 mid-term elections have ushered in a new Congress and established new majorities on Capitol Hill. Instructors will review the election results, identify hot topics and themes for the incoming House and Senate majorities, and discuss the impacts these changes will have on the IAFF’s policy priorities. This class will provide opportunities for collaborative discussions about political trends at the national, state, and local levels.

Branding Your Local: A Case Study in Best Practices

Branding Your Local: A Case Study in Best Practices, Historical Perspectives, and Winning the Public. Branding is a term we hear thrown around a lot, but have you ever thought about the brand of your local union? How does your current band impact your ability to make tangible gains for your members? How do firefighters view their union? How do elected officials and the public view your union? In this class, students will review creative ways throughout history that labor unions have created effective branding campaigns with pro-union messaging that resonated with the public at large. We will discuss the national fire service brand and how we can leverage that brand with this new historical knowledge to win over elected officials and the public.

Discipline: Your Rights and Responsibilities as Union Officers

This workshop is also offered in Session 6, Feb. 1, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
This workshop will provide union leaders with an overview of their rights and responsibilities during the employment disciplinary process. Union leaders will learn how to best represent their members in accordance with their contract, civil service laws, and the Weingarten, Loudermill and Garrity decisions. This workshop is applicable to affiliate leaders in both collective bargaining and non-collective bargaining environments.

Fit To Thrive (F2T) Program Overview

NEW Regular exercise can help and is recommended as one of the first options for treating and preventing chronic conditions afflicting too many fire fighters. However, education and mandated fitness programs are not the answer. Emerging evidence highlights the need for behavioral solutions to improve the physical activity habits of fire fighters. The IAFF is leading an innovative charge to improve fire fighter health and wellness by launching the F2T program, a comprehensive initiative designed to help more fire fighters be more active more often. This workshop will outline the program’s commitment to education, training, support and mentorship and provide tips to assist with implementation.

Generational Differences

Currently, there are as many as four generations employed and working side by side in fire departments throughout the U.S. and Canada. Each generation brings its own individual values and behaviors, and these can be a source of conflict in the workplace. This workshop will examine each of the four generations in a humorous way, providing a better understanding of generational behavior, the value that each generation brings to the workplace, why conflict exists among them, and identify communications styles that work for each.

Health Insurance Basics, Do You Know All the Acronyms?

Health Insurance Track: Health Insurance Basics, Do You Know All the Acronyms?! The IAFF can help.

Healthcare is typically one of the largest contributors to personnel costs. This class will discuss terminology and the inner workings of insurance plans, including indemnity pans, HMOs, PPOs, EPOs, HDHPs, HSAs and many more acronyms! Understanding your Explanation of Benefits (EOBs), different types of networks, Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) and independent Third-Party Administrators (TPAs) is paramount to being able to negotiate healthcare plans.

Helping New Firefighters Get off on the Right Foot Financially

IAFF Wealth Management Initiative Track: Helping New Firefighters Get Off on the Right Foot Financially. What you need to know as Affiliate Leaders to help your new members make successful financial decisions in their life. Topics include:

Credit card debt
Basic personal finance –
- Setting and executing financial goals
- Creating a budget
- Creating an emergency fund
Deferred Compensation Deferrals
Mortgage Basics
IAFF 15 x 5 Principle

How to Effectively File and Handle a Grievance

NEW How to Effectively File and Handle a Grievance and Other Member Complaints. The work that you do before an arbitration hearing on a case is often more important than the actual presentation of the case at arbitration. In this class, you will learn the best practices and top tips for handling member grievances and complaints, including handling disciplinary interviews, investigating grievances, writing and presenting grievances, dealing with difficult management personnel, and settling grievances. We will put these skills to practice during the class.

IAFF Behavioral Health Resources You Need to Know

NEW The most effective affiliate leaders prioritize behavioral health programming as central to the fabric of their organization. This session will provide a comprehensive overview of all behavioral health resources currently available to IAFF affiliates, including peer support and resiliency training, advanced peer training, clinician education, addiction recovery support, behavioral health toolkits, technical assistance, and more. An introduction to the IAFF Center of Excellence will be provided, including how to be prepared when a member needs help fast. Attendees will also receive exclusive updates on the IAFF west coast treatment center, as well as emerging treatment resources specifically for Canadian affiliates. Learn about the IAFF resources you need to be an effective behavioral health champion back home.

Increasing Membership Participation

The strength of a local depends on the active involvement of its members. Whether it’s a committee meeting, political campaign, or public relations effort, your members make the difference between success and failure. This workshop provides methods to increase member participation and build an effective union.

Introduction to Communications for New Local Leaders

You’re a member of your local’s executive board, now what? This class will work to provide new union leaders with the tools and perspective to communicate the mission and the brand of their local. We will review proven, basic terms, messages, and key branding “must-haves” to help you promote your local effectively.

Labor-Management Case Studies

This workshop is also offered in Session 2, Jan. 31, 8-10 a.m.
On a daily basis, fire departments are confronted with a variety of issues that require labor and management to work together. The best departments have the tools in place to work through those issues successfully – even if they don’t always agree. This workshop will address best practices and how labor and management leaders create a team culture, build trust over time and develop consistent involvement. Case studies will be addressed where labor management cooperation was utilized to address situations that are generally met with conflict. In addition this workshop will address that there is no perfect system and even with collaborative labor-management relations, there will always be ups and downs.

Negotiations Bootcamp Track

This workshop track (Sessions 1-6) has been reviewed and approved for potential college credit by Purdue University Global, our partner in education. Preparing for Negotiations: Collective Bargaining is the first part of the track.

Preparing for Negotiations: Collective Bargaining workshop addresses the collective bargaining process which allows you to negotiate for wages, benefits, and other conditions of employment. To be successful at the bargaining table, you must thoroughly research and develop your strategy. In this workshop, you will learn how to set realistic goals for your membership and collect the data needed to support your case.

Visit Workshops By Category to learn more on Negotiations Bootcamp Track.

Negotiating Strategies for Tough Economic Times

We are a union regardless of the status of the economy. Therefore, when we are in tough economic times, we may adjust our mission but not change our vision to continually advance. These challenges may be in the form of decreased tax revenues, cuts in state aid to local government, or cuts in other sources of revenue. The reductions in revenue that result in municipal budget cuts have affected IAFF locals by influencing wages, benefits, or operational resources. This workshop will provide an understanding of how fiscal crises impact the negotiation process, as well as providing insight on how to address wages, benefits, working conditions, and staffing issues in tough times. The workshop will specifically address the above outlined issues for locals with collective bargaining agreements or a formal negotiation process.

Organizing the Unorganized

From Right to Work States to Collective Bargaining States every professional firefighter deserves to be represented by the IAFF. Both internal and external organizing brings Safety, Security, Dignity, and a Voice to those that are not represented. This session will provide you with the tools to begin your own organizing campaign.

Parliamentary Procedures

This workshop is also offered in Session 3, Jan. 31, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
This interactive course on Parliamentary Procedure is an interactive learning experience designed to give participants the ability and confidence to fully prepare for and participate in a meeting and to understand and exercise their rights as members. It covers topics such as making motions, amending and disposing of motions, presiding, the roles of the officers, the bylaws, committees, reports, voting, secret ballots, elections, the minutes, and the role of the board. Questions are encouraged.

Pension Analysis

This workshop will give you the tools you need to analyze the status and outlook of your pension system, including funding levels, the underlying assumptions on which cost calculations are based, and the funding history of the plan sponsor.

Planning a FIRE OPS 101 Event

FIRE OPS 101 is a unique event that teaches elected officials and community leaders about the risks and challenges involved in the fire service. At this event, decision-makers suit up in protective gear and put out fires, rescue victims and perform other duties that fire fighters and EMS workers do on the job. Through FIRE OPS 101, participants learn about the importance of sufficient staffing and the critical role that time plays on the scene of an emergency. A FIRE OPS 101 event is one of the most effective ways an IAFF local can build relationships with elected officials, the media, and department management. This workshop will focus on how to customize a FIRE OPS 101 event in your community.

Sudbury, Ontario - Safe Staffing Arbitration

NEW This workshop will examine the recent arbitration decision in Sudbury, Ontario where the affiliate was successful in convincing an arbitration board that: (1) safe staffing for firefighters was an arbitrable issue; and (2) deciding that safe staffing for a first in apparatus was four firefighters. This landmark decision marked the first successful staffing arbitration in Canada in 30 years. Focus will be on the expert evidence and other factors necessary to successfully advance a staffing argument based on firefighter health and safety in both the U.S. and Canada.

Union Administration Track

This workshop track (Sessions 1-6) has been reviewed and approved for potential college credit by Purdue University Global, our partner in education. Understanding Union Leadership is the first part of the track.

Understanding Union Leadership workshop will address many facets of being a union officer, including the responsibilities associated with each role. This workshop will also address how to be a union advocate, using the skills of the executive board, and how to organize members and increase their participation to build a stronger local.

Visit Workshops By Category to learn more on Union Administration Track.

Union Leadership Track

This workshop track (Sessions 1-6) has been reviewed and approved for potential college credit by Purdue University Global, our partner in education. Local Union Governance is the first part of the track.

Through its constitution and by-laws, your local establishes its basic organization, including the duties and responsibilities of your local union officers, executive board and committees, as well as the various procedures that govern different types of meetings. Your local’s constitution and by-laws should provide the precepts necessary for governing your members. It should meet their needs, as well as be flexible for reasonable and future change. In this Local Union Governance workshop, you will learn the important aspects of your local’s constitution and by-laws, be given tools to understand how this document influences your role as a union leader and learn how to properly govern your local based on this important text.

Visit Workshops By Category to learn more on Union Leadership Track.

TUESDAY, JAN. 31

Session 2, Jan. 31, 8-10 a.m.

Best Practices for Secretary/Treasurers

this is a 4-hour workshop, Sessions 2-3, Jan. 31, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Taking care of your local’s financial health is one of the most important responsibilities of a local leader. This four-hour session will break down the responsibilities of the Secretary, Treasurer, and Secretary-Treasurer role and provide valuable tips and tools for your local to utilize. From the basics of financial communications to fiduciary responsibilities to preparing your budget, this class will review the best practices involved in these important roles in your local. Led by GST Staff and experienced secretary/treasurers, the session will also address the importance of auditing and fiscal oversight to help build trust in your local’s financial health.

Building Your Strategic Communications Calendar

NEW Building Your Strategic Communications Calendar – A Hands On Workshop. This hands on operations level class will help you strategically build a communications calendar unique to your local and community. We will work together to quickly research historical events, current trends, and evergreen content that connects you with your local audience. This class will encourage live, hands-on work. Your enthusiastic participation is welcome and appreciated.

Canadian Political Analysis: COVID, Convoys, and Coalitions

NEW This workshop will examine the ideological shift in the federal political landscape under a minority government with a new Opposition Leader as all parties determine pathways to a post-pandemic recovery. We will explore the impacts on the economy and strategies for IAFF Locals on how to navigate this new normal. This workshop will also look at the UCP leadership race in Alberta leading up the spring 2023 provincial election, the ripple effects across other provinces, and the potential implications at the federal level.

Conducting Negotiations: Collective Bargaining

This workshop is a part of the Negotiations Bootcamp Track (Sessions 1-6)
Actively negotiating a contract is one of the most important functions IAFF affiliate leadership can perform for members and is the key ingredient in fire fighter–employer relations. In this workshop, you will learn how to create ground rules that benefit unions, participate in mock negotiation sessions and learn how to apply bargaining techniques.

Frontline Union Representative Basics

This workshop is a part of the Union Administration Track (Sessions 1-6)
This workshop addresses the knowledge and skills involved in effectively enforcing contract provisions and representing workers’ rights with your fire service management and jurisdiction. It will introduce and explore the issues and best practices involved in handling grievances, enforcing contract language, and handling discipline issues. Additionally, this workshop reviews ways that key union personnel can inform membership on the benefits of union membership and active involvement.

Funding Your Pension: Reduce Potential Attacks

Funding Your Pension: Reduce Potential Attacks on Retirement Security. Tired of politicians’ damaging & ineffective attempts to increase pension funding levels by cutting benefits and increasing member contributions? Then come to this highly informative class on pension plan funding where the experts will discuss a wide range of tools that include pension obligation bonds, revenue bonds and more.

Health Insurance Trusts- Right or Wrong for your Local

NEW Health Insurance Track: Health Insurance Trusts- Right or Wrong for Your Local.

Should your Local create or join a Health Trust? Are you and your Board informed on all the nuances of not only creating, but administering a Trust? Learn the basics about a Health Trust, as well as what the IAFF is doing to help.

IAFF Legislative Priorities

The IAFF pursues a robust legislative agenda to enhance and protect members’ jobs, benefits, and health and safety, as well as provide them with the resources they need on the job. This class will provide newly elected leaders with comprehensive education about key IAFF legislative priorities. Instructors will discuss the IAFF legislative philosophy, major bills and initiatives, and future opportunities and challenges. Instructors will also lead a discussion on how affiliate leaders and IAFF members can participate in the department’s work.

IAFF Union Leadership: Self-Awareness

What kind of leader am I and what kind of leader do I want to be? This workshop will help IAFF affiliate leaders learn what kind of union leaders they are and will provide them with several tools to become more effective leaders. During this workshop, participants will identify their own leadership styles and will learn how those styles are perceived by and impact the members that they lead.

Increasing Membership Participation

This workshop is a part of the Union Leadership Track (Sessions 1-6)
The strength of a local depends on the active involvement of its members. Whether it’s a committee meeting, political campaign, or public relations effort, your members make the difference between success and failure. This workshop provides methods to increase member participation and build an effective union.

Labor-Management Case Studies

This workshop is also offered in Session 1, Jan. 30, 1-3 p.m.
On a daily basis, fire departments are confronted with a variety of issues that require labor and management to work together. The best departments have the tools in place to work through those issues successfully – even if they don’t always agree. This workshop will address best practices and how labor and management leaders create a team culture, build trust over time and develop consistent involvement. Case studies will be addressed where labor management cooperation was utilized to address situations that are generally met with conflict. In addition this workshop will address that there is no perfect system and even with collaborative labor-management relations, there will always be ups and downs.

Local Union Governance

Through its constitution and by-laws, your local establishes its basic organization, including the duties and responsibilities of your local union officers, executive board, and committees, as well as the various procedures that govern different types of meetings. Your local’s constitution and by-laws should provide the precepts necessary for governing your members. It should meet their needs, as well as be flexible for reasonable and future change. In this module, you will learn the important aspects of your local’s constitution and by-laws, be given tools to understand how this document influences your role as a union leader and learn how to properly govern your local based on this important text.

Making the Best Mid-Career Financial Decisions

IAFF Wealth Management Initiative Track: Talking to Active Firefighters About Making the Best Mid-Career Financial Decisions. What you need to know as Affiliate Leaders to help your active members make successful financial decisions mid-career. Topics include:

Building wealth
Managing investment risk vs. reward
Ensuring you have provided sufficiently for you family should a tragedy occur
457(b) strategies for active firefighters who have not started saving
Maximizing self-directed brokerage to boost return on investment

Overview of Membership Services

This overview provides essential information for new affiliate leaders so they can be effective in their roles. This course is ideal for affiliate leaders with up to two years of experience or seasoned veterans who want to refresh their skills. Overview of Membership Services examines the various IAFF departments/divisions and the services provided to members, as well as an understanding of their respective state or provincial organization.

Recruiting and Developing Leaders

This workshop is a 4-hour workshop, Sessions 2-3, Jan. 31, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
NEW Your local relies on the strength of its members. Between dwindling active participation and your local’s organizational history retiring with past union leaders, it becomes harder to run an effective union. New leaders become involved when they understand the local’s core values and find a calling for their talents and passions. This class will provide current local leadership with a framework on how and why they should recruit and develop new leaders, strategies for reaching out across different generations, a brief overview of labor history to help new members understand the value of their membership, and a plan for mentoring rising leaders to carry your local into the next generation.

Suicide and Suicide Prevention in the Fire Service

NEW This presentation reviews what is known, and more importantly what is not known, about fire fighter suicide. Participants will learn about suicide prevention and suicide postvention, defined as an organized response in the aftermath of a suicide to facilitate the healing of individuals from the grief and distress of suicide loss, mitigate other negative effects of exposure to suicide, and prevent suicide among people who are at elevated risk after exposure to suicide. Content will include effective suicide prevention strategies, evidence-based treatments for suicide, resources for suicide loss, and new IAFF efforts to understand and address suicide.

The IAFC/IAFF WFI Study

NEW The IAFC/IAFF WFI Study: Obstacles and Facilitators to Implementation . In 1997, the IAFF and IAFC established a historic partnership with the launch of the Fire Service Joint Labor Management Wellness-Fitness Initiative (WFI). Since its inception, the WFI has become the principal and most comprehensive and inclusive resource to support fire fighter wellness and fitness. In 2020, the IAFC and IAFF renewed their commitment to the WFI by collaborating on a FEMA-funded study to examine the obstacles, facilitators and best-practice strategies to assist with wellness-fitness program implementation. Surveys and focus groups were used to gather information from fire chiefs and labor leaders from 150+ small, medium and large-sized departments across the United States and Canada. This workshop will share lessons learned, best practice guidelines and practical examples to help every department and local improve the health and wellness of their fire fighters.

The Importance of Labor History in Today’s Fight

The impact of the labor movement in the U.S. has been deliberately hidden from American workers. There is a lack of labor education in public schools, a prevalent anti-union bias in the media, and a hidden history of militant and effective public employee/firefighter organizing. In this class, students will examine ways labor history is subverted, the history of firefighter and public employee organizing, and how understanding and educating members about this history can help us build strong locals today.

Tips and Techniques for Presenting a Case

NEW Tips and Techniques for Presenting a Case before an Arbitrator or Hearing Officer. Have you ever wondered what goes through the mind of an Arbitrator as you are presenting your case or what an Arbitrator looks for in determining whether you will win or lose your case? This class will include the insight and experience of a seasoned labor arbitrator who will share his/her perspective as to what makes for a successful presentation at an arbitration hearing. You will also be able to ask the Arbitrator the questions that you have always wanted to ask. We will provide a review of the nuts and bolts of preparing and presenting a case to an arbitrator or hearing examiner, including how to prepare witnesses and documents to use at the hearing. We will also review typical evidentiary issues that arise at a hearing, including hearsay objections and past practice. Participants will also learn how to prepare an opening statement and how to conduct an effective cross-examination. Finally, there will be opportunities to participate in various role play scenarios with feedback provided from the arbitrator and the attorney presenters.

Understanding Pregnancy and Parental Rights and Accommodations

Members who become parents face increased demands on their time and resources. Local leadership need to help ensure that the local employing agency complies with applicable federal, state/provincial, and local laws, allowing these members the leave time and medical accommodation they need as they build their families. In addition, this workshop reviews how local leadership can advocate for family-friendly local policies and laws.

Work/Life Balance: How to Achieve Sustainable Success

This workshop is also offered in Session 4, Jan. 31, 2-4 p.m.
IAFF members are constantly confronted with choices that match work against family life and other personal obligations. Fire fighters must balance their 24 hour shifts with family events, holidays and other obligations. This workshop will give union leaders tools to help themselves and their members address these work-family issues for a better work/life balance.

Session 3, Jan. 31, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

A Road Map for Winning: Developing a Strategic Plan

Does your local tackle obstacles in a systematic, thoughtful, and collaborative way? Or does your daily workload push you into a place where you’re always reacting to the next crisis? In this class, students will learn the importance of engaging in deliberate strategic planning. We’ll talk about defining your mission as an organization, creating parameters to determine your strengths/weaknesses and opportunity/threats, and obtaining buy-in from members for the process. Students will engage in strategic planning exercises dealing with specific issues impacting their local.

Advertising Basics

This advanced class will expose you to new targeting approaches for ad buying, content placement, and funnel creation. We will cover changes in the Facebook ad buying marketplace, new audiences, and new types of ad placements to help your local compete in 2023 and beyond.

Building Local Political Power

Every decision about the pay, benefits, working conditions, and retirement of our members is made by someone elected to office or appointed by an elected official. This class discusses the information, tactics, and resources you need to in order to build political power to put to work for your members. In the lean budget years we may be facing, having political strength is essential for IAFF affiliates.

Building Your Peer Support Program

NEW The IAFF Peer Support training program continues to transform behavioral health conversation in the fire service. Attendees will learn how to access peer support training through locals and departments. We will also introduce a 10-step model to developing a successful peer support program. Topics include how to obtain program buy-in, select peer team members, utilize mental health clinicians in your community, conduct program outreach, evaluate your impact to stakeholders and more. Attendees will be provided with practical strategies and IAFF resources to build or enhance an existing peer support program.

Canadian Duty of Fair Representation

This workshop will examine DFR under Canadian Law. The workshop will look at the handling of DFR complaints in both the civil courts and under Labour Board tribunals in those provinces that allow DFR complaints to be heard by Labour Board tribunals. The workshop will also review current DFR decisions.

Defined Benefit Plans

Defined Benefit Plans: Legal, Legislative, and Regulatory Issues. Many state and local governments continue to grapple with changes to firefighter retirement plans. This workshop will provide legal, regulatory and legislative updates from both state and federal perspectives and how these changes are affecting public pensions. Also discussed will be the recent battles to convert defined benefit plans to defined contribution plans.

Generational Differences

This workshop is a part of the Union Leadership Track (Sessions 1-6)
Currently, there are as many as four generations employed and working side by side in fire departments throughout the U.S. and Canada. Each generation brings its own individual values and behaviors, and these can be a source of conflict in the workplace. This workshop will examine each of the four generations in a humorous way, providing a better understanding of generational behavior, the value that each generation brings to the workplace, why conflict exists among them, and identify communications styles that work for each.

Health Insurance: Bargaining for Retiree Health Insurance

Health Insurance Track: Bargaining for Retiree Health Insurance. IAFF leaders face many challenges, but few are more pressing than pre-65 health care options for retirees. From VEBAs, PEHP, HRAs, and HSAs, learn how to create opportunities through the collective bargaining process to engage employers to lower the cost of post-employment healthcare to allow IAFF members an earlier and more dignified retirement.

Helping Your Senior Members Get Ready for Retirement

IAFF Wealth Management Initiative Track: Helping Your Senior Members Get Ready for Retirement, and Maximizing Opportunities for Your Retirees

Understanding Social Security options
Pros and cons of professional asset management and distribution strategies vs. variable annuities and similar insurance options.
Insight into how taxes can impact your retirement plans
Tax efficiency in retirement requires a thoughtful approach to income planning that starts as early as 10 – 15 years prior. A more tax-efficient retirement income distribution plan can add tens of thousands of dollars to estate values or years to portfolio longevity.
Refresh your knowledge of tax basics like which investment accounts are taxable, tax deferred or tax free. And it will provide some sequencing strategies for drawing retirement income tax-efficiently.

IAFF Union Leadership: Leading Organization Change

How Can I Help Our Union Become More Effective? This workshop will provide tools to help affiliate leaders become more effective as IAFF locals continue to evolve to meet the serious challenges facing our union and our members in the 21st century. During the workshop, participants will learn how to assess and to prioritize union resources and leverage and how to engage in strategic planning to establish and achieve effective organizational goals.

Implementation Matters - An Overview of the IGNITE Program

NEW In January 2022, the IAFF launched IGNITE, a comprehensive wellness-fitness program, in collaboration with fire fighters from Navy Region Mid-Atlantic (NRMA). Created as an extension of the IAFF’s Fit To Thrive (F2T) program, IGNITE was designed to be accessible, inclusive, comprehensive in its scope, and behavior focused for the purpose of helping more fire fighters be more active. IGNITE involves 4 distinct but complementary phases that collectively serve to address members’ wellness and fitness needs by leveraging the benefits of education, training, mentorship, and support directed to an entire organization. This workshop will share details of each phase, discuss potential obstacles and facilitators to the implementation process, and offer practical tips and strategies to help any department improve the physical activity habits of their members.

Introduction to Grievances

This workshop is also offered in Session 6, Feb. 1, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
The manner in which you process grievances will determine how quickly they are resolved and how your members will perceive you. A good understanding of the grievance process will better enable you to enforce the collective bargaining agreement and avoid costly arbitration hearings. In this workshop, you will learn how to evaluate and file a grievance, reduce your chances of receiving a DFR claim, and develop effective grievance strategies. This workshop is ideal for local union officers and grievance committee members who have limited experience with grievances.

Local Human Relations Committee: Getting Started

The IAFF recommends that every local establish a human relations committee. Establishing a committee is a proven way to help locals sort through the opportunities and challenges that diversity presents. It can assist locals in resolving conflict and developing a proactive strategy for change. In this workshop, affiliate leaders will learn about the benefits of having a local human relations committee and strategies for developing their own committee.

Local Union Administration

Designed to help affiliate leaders achieve goals for their locals, this course teaches the skills necessary to be effective in any role as a union officer. Information is provided on the duties of each local union officer, as well as the responsibilities of the executive board and other committees in the local. It will also acquaint participants with the various services and assistance available from the IAFF.

Local Union Administration

This workshop is a part of the Union Administration Track (Sessions 1-6)
Designed to help affiliate leaders achieve goals for their locals, this course teaches the skills necessary to be effective in any role as a union officer. Information is provided on the duties of each local union officer, as well as the responsibilities of the executive board and other committees in the local. It will also acquaint participants with the various services and assistance available from the IAFF.

Negotiating Strategies for Tough Economic Times

This workshop is a part of the Negotiations Bootcamp Track (Sessions 1-6)
We are a union regardless of the status of the economy. Therefore, when we are in tough economic times, we may adjust our mission but not change our vision to continually advance. These challenges may be in the form of decreased tax revenues, cuts in state aid to local government, or cuts in other sources of revenue. The reductions in revenue that result in municipal budget cuts have affected IAFF locals by influencing wages, benefits, or operational resources. This workshop will provide an understanding of how fiscal crises impact the negotiation process, as well as providing insight on how to address wages, benefits, working conditions, and staffing issues in tough times. The workshop will specifically address the above outlined issues for locals with collective bargaining agreements

Parliamentary Procedures

This workshop is also offered in Session 1, Jan. 30, 1-3 p.m.
This interactive course on Parliamentary Procedure is an interactive learning experience designed to give participants the ability and confidence to fully prepare for and participate in a meeting and to understand and exercise their rights as members. It covers topics such as making motions, amending and disposing of motions, presiding, the roles of the officers, the bylaws, committees, reports, voting, secret ballots, elections, the minutes, and the role of the board. Questions are encouraged.

The Family Medical Leave Act

A detailed examination of the Family Medical Leave Act and similar Canadian laws and regulations and how they apply to public employees, with examples, case studies and Q&A. Additional attention will be paid to state/provincial/local FMLA-like laws as well as paid leave laws in the United States and Canada.

The Nuts & Bolts of Union Governance

What do I have to do to make sure that my Local is complying with the law and operating effectively? In this class, we will examine member rights, officer obligations, and local union requirements under the law and the IAFF Constitution and By-Laws. We will discuss best practices and top tips for making sure that your local union operates properly and your union elections run smoothly. We will also discuss cutting edge union governance issues such as virtual meetings and electronic elections. This will be an interactive and participatory class as we explore various union governance decisions.

Session 4, Jan. 31, 2-4 p.m.

All the Extra Insurance Your Members are Paying For

NEW Health Insurance Track: All the Extra Insurance Your Members are Paying for and How It Benefits Your Municipality, Not Your Local.

This class will walk you through ancillary insurance products that your members are signing up for at open enrollment. These products often have a huge advantage to your municipality. Learn how programs through the IAFF-FC can help switch these benefits to benefit your members and your Local.

Am I Entitled to Overtime Pay? Answers to Questions

NEW Fire fighter entitlement to overtime pay is subject to a series of complex rules and regulations. We will examine the relevant provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), including the Section 7(k) exemption that is unique to fire protection personnel. We will also examine the factors typically considered in determining whether fire protection personnel are properly classified as “exempt” under the “executive, administrative or professional exemption of the FLSA. We will discuss different factual scenarios that arise in the field with respect to FLSA violations and how to identity them. Finally, we will provide a question and answer session to address issues and concerns from members.

Cancer in the Fire Service

Cancer is a leading cause of death in the fire service and fire fighters are exposed to an array of carcinogenic agents in the line of duty. This workshop will review studies on biomarkers of exposure and effect as well as the effectiveness of interventions designed to reduce exposure. The panel will discuss the recent International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) decision to classify occupational exposure as a firefighter as a carcinogenic to humans (Group 1). Future directions in fire fighter cancer research with the aim of reducing cancer diagnoses and improving treatment outcomes will also be discussed in context with the Fire Fighter Cancer Cohort Study and National Firefighter Registry (NFR).

Community Crying Poverty? Let’s Follow the Money and Change the Debate

Cities and states give away huge corporate subsidy deals and then cry poverty on public safety. Learn how to document and expose these giveaways, plus successful fight-back strategies, messaging, and allies. Learn about Subsidy Tracker and Tax Break Tracker, plus a new government accounting rule that helps document how much tax revenue governments are losing to corporate tax breaks. They are labeled “economic development incentives,” but they are often unnecessary and sometimes fail to pay off. States lose so much revenue this way the losses often far exceed their pension obligations.

Deferred Compensation: What You Need to Know

IAFF Wealth Management Initiative Track: Deferred Compensation: What You Need to Know to Build the Best Program for Your Members.

How to open an RFP
What is a 401(a)?
Self-Directed Brokerage (SBDO)
What to know about consultants
What to do in your city manager’s office
Contract Language
How to get all FC initiatives into you CBA

Developing and Strengthening Internal Communications

A strong internal communications program is the backbone of any powerful union. How can you better communicate with your members? Everyday leaders struggle how best to reach their members. Internal communication is the key to activating your members and engaging them in local activities to build your brand and political power. This session will look at best practices being implemented today in locals around the country and will include a free-flowing discussion on what works and doesn’t work in your local.

Duty of Fair Representation

This workshop is also offered in Session 5, Feb. 1, 8-10 a.m.
As an affiliate leader, you may be subject to a legal standard, known as duty of fair representation (DFR), that governs how you represent your members in contract negotiations, grievances, and other labor matters. In this workshop, you will study relevant case law to learn what is required of you, how the courts have applied this standard to unions, the consequences of violating the standard, and best practices to avoid DFR lawsuits.

EMS Workload Analysis: Do You Have Enough Resources?

The provision of EMS response is an essential service that government must provide. However, for this service to be effective and efficient, it must be staffed and positioned appropriately to address emergencies in an equitable manner. When creating a staffing and deployment plan, it is important to understand how many units need to be in service and where they should be positioned. This course will outline how the IAFF utilizes demand and workload to calculate the necessary number of units to have in service and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to determine the optimal locations for units to be positioned.

Engage Members for Life

Engage Members for Life: The Power of a New Member Orientation. First impressions are critical. What is the rookie firefighter’s first impression of your local? Effective new member orientation programs can have a lasting impact on the strength of local unions and set the stage for members to participate in their union through their entire career. In this class, students will learn best practice, supported by behavioral science, for developing and delivering new member orientation programs.

Federal Sector Labor Relations Update

This session will provide updates on the parameters of the Biden Executive Order expanding bargaining in the federal sector. The session will also cover recent decisions by the Federal Labor Relations Authority and the Federal Service Impasse Panel.

Hands-on QuickBooks and Financial Reporting Training

QuickBooks can make a Secretary-Treasurer’s job easier, but it can be a difficult program to learn and navigate. This class will provide hands-on learning from seasoned secretary-treasurers to make sure that your local is getting the full benefit from using QuickBooks. Additional one-on-one time is also available for those interested in learning the trick of the QuickBooks trade.

IAFF Union Leadership: Culture, Communications & Coalitions

During the workshop, you will identify and learn how to effectively model union values while communicating with the membership, building an effective culture of union solidarity, and creating and working with coalitions to achieve local IAFF political and legislative goals.

IAFF Union Leadership: Self-Awareness

This workshop is a part of the Union Leadership Track (Sessions 1-6)
What kind of leader am I and what kind of leader do I want to be? This workshop will help IAFF affiliate leaders learn what kind of union leaders they are and will provide them with several tools to become more effective leaders. During this workshop, participants will identify their own leadership styles and will learn how those styles are perceived by and impact the members that they lead.

Mock Negotiations and Mediation

This workshop is a part of the Negotiations Bootcamp Track (Sessions 1-6)
To get results at the bargaining table, a negotiator must be able to develop a bargaining strategy and master key negotiation skills. In this six-hour workshop, you will practice key negotiations skills and tactics in simulated, scenario-based negotiation sessions. You will learn how to strengthen your bargaining position, determine an acceptable settlement range, respond to common management tactics and objections, make concessions, package your proposals and work with mediators. This workshop is designed for affiliate leaders who have mastered the basics of negotiation and wish to improve their skills at the bargaining table.

Overview of Employment Law

This workshop is a part of the Union Administration Track (Sessions 1-6)
This workshop will provide you with an overview of the employment laws that affect fire fighters and emergency workers. You will learn how the courts define harassment and discrimination in the workplace and how to respond to members who believe their rights have been violated. This workshop will help you better serve the needs of your membership.

Overview of the ADA and ACA

NEW This workshop provides an overview of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the amendments which now make it officially the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA). This workshop will also address the Accessibility Canada Act (ACA) and similar legislation in Quebec and Ontario. The workshop will explore the basic principles of the legislation, examples of how it applies to fire service employees, plus case studies and Q&A.

Preparing for Grievance Arbitration: Choosing an Arbitrator

Despite your best efforts to resolve all disputes internally, some grievances cannot be settled at the local level and must be heard by a neutral arbitrator. To win at arbitration, a union leader must be well prepared and have a good understanding of the arbitration process. This workshop will give you an overview of arbitration procedures and protocol, methods for selecting an arbitrator and strategies for cutting costs. This workshop is ideal for local union officers and grievance committee members who work in collective bargaining environments and have limited experience with grievances.

Relational Organizing & Coalition Building

Relational organizing is the single most effective way to make direct contact with supporters, and countless organizations and movements have leveraged relational organizing with great success. Relational organizing is the act of mobilizing personal contacts within your network. It can be as simple as a call, text, talking at a community event, or even in the firehouse. Participants will learn how to build their coalition leveraging their contacts and network and how to build and expand political and legislative partnerships.

Staffing for Safety: An Introduction

Fire suppression and emergency medical activities are labor-intensive jobs that require an adequate number of fire fighters on scene to protect property and save lives safely and effectively. Studies by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and updates to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1710 standards have shown that inadequate staffing can result in unnecessary loss of life and property and serious injury to fire fighters and the citizens they protect. In this workshop, you will be introduced to standards and studies that indicate best practices regarding staffing and that help you make decisions regarding staffing in your community.

Supporting Members in Treatment

NEW Supporting Members in Treatment: Strategies and Lessons Learned for Affiliate Leaders. Affiliate leaders will explore the role the affiliate leader plays in collaboration with their fire administration to develop departmental policies, standard operation procedures and language in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) as it relates to behavioral health issues. Additionally, the more behavioral health programs are recognized and embraced, the more issues are normalized for our members and the administration. The workshop will discuss SOPs and policies, access to resources, return to work, and last chance agreements.

Teamwork and Inclusion

Fire fighters put their lives and health at risk to save other people’s lives and property; they don’t stop to ask who lives in the burning building or for background information on the heart attack victim. At the same time, fire fighters need to bring that respect for community, diversity, and ethics back to the firehouse, living up to their own – and their community’s – highest standards for providing a safe, diverse, and respectful workplace. Similarly, a station house must be a place where teamwork standards live up to fire fighters’ – and their community’s – standards for fairness and transparency. This workshop helps examine what it means to be a good team member, how to make effective changes in individual behavior, and how to build a culture of teamwork that respects and embraces diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Work/Life Balance: How to Achieve Sustainable Success

This workshop is also offered in Session 2, Jan. 31, 8-10 a.m.
IAFF members are constantly confronted with choices that match work against family life and other personal obligations. Fire fighters must balance their 24 hour shifts with family events, holidays and other obligations. This workshop will give union leaders tools to help themselves and their members address these work-family issues for a better work/life balance.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 1

Session 5, Feb. 1, 8-10 a.m.

Advanced Social Media Management

Learn advanced techniques to manage your local’s social media accounts that grow your digital audience. This class is an advanced class and requires you to have a good foundation of your social media platforms. We will cover a lot of tools broadly and allow time for Q/A to address specific membership needs. Tools and topics will include 2FA, Business Manager, Business Suite, Creator Studio, Tweetdeck, Twitter for Teams, and Authenticator.

Consultants: New Spins on Old Tricks

COVID economy will renew the desire for decision makers to attack firefighters and EMS workers for cuts. Decision makers frequently rely on third party consultants to determine plans of action for public safety because they don’t understand what firefighters and EMS workers do. This workshop is designed to inform affiliate leaders how they can use their data, including publicly available resources, science, and subject matter expertise to refute their findings.

Duty of Fair Representation

This workshop is also offered in Session 4, Jan. 31, 2-4 p.m.
As an affiliate leader, you may be subject to a legal standard, known as duty of fair representation (DFR), that governs how you represent your members in contract negotiations, grievances, and other labor matters. In this workshop, you will study relevant case law to learn what is required of you, how the courts have applied this standard to unions, the consequences of violating the standard, and best practices to avoid DFR lawsuits.

Ethics for Union Leaders

Most IAFF leaders are public employees and have fiduciary responsibilities to their membership. Due to the nature of your position, you are subject to higher ethical standards than the average member or employee. These standards must be upheld in order to maintain the trust of your members and run an effective local. Failure to do so can result in loss of credibility, loss of union position, or even criminal charges. This workshop will cover the principles of ethics, the requirements of public employees, and strategies for making ethical decisions. You will use these strategies to analyze scenarios and case studies.

Federal Sector Office of Workers Compensation Program (OWCP)

This session will provide valuable updates to federal affiliates on OWCP programs to include filing claims and the processes involved in claim approval. This session will also cover recent updates to the OWCP Fire Fighters Special Claims Unit.<

Frontline Union Representative Basics

This workshop addresses the knowledge and skills involved in effectively enforcing contract provisions and representing workers’ rights with your fire service management and jurisdiction. It will introduce and explore the issues and best practices involved in handling grievances, enforcing contract language, and handling discipline issues. Additionally, this workshop reviews ways that key union personnel can inform membership on the benefits of union membership and active involvement.

IAFF Medical Expense Reimbursement Plan (MERP)

What is the IAFF MERP? What can it do for you and your members? And how do you as an Affiliate Leader implement the IAFF MERP for your members? This class will explore these questions and more and will provide participants with a clear roadmap for how to bring the IAFF MERP into your home Local.

IAFF Union Leadership: Leading Organization Change

This workshop is a part of the Union Leadership Track
How Can I Help Our Union Become More Effective? This workshop will provide tools to help affiliate leaders become more effective as IAFF locals continue to evolve to meet the serious challenges facing our union and our members in the 21st century. During the workshop, participants will learn how to assess and to prioritize union resources and leverage and how to engage in strategic planning to establish and achieve effective organizational goals.

Increasing Membership Participation

This workshop is also offered in Session 1, Jan. 30, 1-3 p.m.
The strength of a local depends on the active involvement of its members. Whether it’s a committee meeting, political campaign, or public relations effort, your members make the difference between success and failure. This workshop provides methods to increase member participation and build an effective union.

Introduction to Grievances

This workshop is a part of the Union Administration Track
The manner in which you process grievances will determine how quickly they are resolved and how your members will perceive you. A good understanding of the grievance process will better enable you to enforce the collective bargaining agreement and avoid costly arbitration hearings. In this workshop, you will learn how to evaluate and file a grievance, reduce your chances of receiving a DFR claim, and develop effective grievance strategies. This workshop is ideal for local union officers and grievance committee members who have limited experience with grievances.

Mock Negotiations and Mediation

This workshop, continued from Session 4, is a part of the Negotiations Bootcamp Track (Sessions 1-6)
To get results at the bargaining table, a negotiator must be able to develop a bargaining strategy and master key negotiation skills. In this six-hour workshop, you will practice key negotiations skills and tactics in simulated, scenario-based negotiation sessions. You will learn how to strengthen your bargaining position, determine an acceptable settlement range, respond to common management tactics and objections, make concessions, package your proposals and work with mediators. This workshop is designed for affiliate leaders who have mastered the basics of negotiation and wish to improve their skills at the bargaining table.

Preparing for a Line-of-Duty-Death

NEW How do you plan and prepare for the most horrible event imaginable? How do affiliate leaders act when faced with what can often be a crippling organizational event? Listen to IAFF leaders and staff as they provide suggestions to affiliate leaders about relationships and networks to establish before tragedy strikes, guidance on immediate steps to support surviving members and families, the ceremony, the incident review, and championing positive change in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Self-care and follow-up efforts. Self-care and follow-up efforts are also discussed.

Preparing for Grievance Arbitration: Contract Language

The collective bargaining agreement is a contract between union and management that outlines the wages, benefits and working conditions for fire fighters. To maintain flexibility in the workplace, negotiators sometimes include language in the agreement that is ambiguous or general in nature. Occasionally, this ambiguity leads to disputes between the two parties over the meaning of the contract. When these disputes are brought to arbitration, the arbitrator must determine which interpretation is the most reasonable and best reflects the mutual intent of the parties. This workshop will teach you how arbitrators consider contract language, past practice and other contributing factors in order to reach a decision.

Protecting Yourself and Members: First Amendment

Protecting Yourself and Members: First Amendment Speech, Internet and Social Media. As a public employee, knowing your First Amendment rights will allow you to advocate for yourself, your members and your co-workers while keeping yourself and your Local out of trouble. We will examine the various First Amendment protections afforded to union officials and members, both on and off the job. In addition, we will provide guidance on the perilous intersection of the First Amendment with the internet and social media platforms. Finally, we will discuss the various federal and state laws concerning the recording of meetings, phone calls, video conferences and similar forms of communications. As part of this class, there will be the opportunity to participant in a trivia/game show type contest to review the most important aspects of First Amendment protections.

Resources Impact on Response

Providing a timely response to emergencies is crucial for a fire department. NFPA 1710 establishes precise objectives for the travel time to the scene of incidents. Travel times depend on the distribution of department resources and department workload, as well as on city-specific factors, such as traffic, one-way roads, and geographic barriers. Predicting how the interplay of these factors affects travel times when resources are added or removed is often difficult. The IAFF developed a forecasting software, based on the combination of Geographic Information System tools and Computer Aided Dispatch data, which allows to simulate how travel times and the workload of a department are affected by adding or removing units, closing, or opening stations, and by any other change in the response model of the department. The software considers real world factors, such as historical traffic level in the jurisdiction, variations in the calls volume during the day, and can be adapted to any response model as desired. This course will show examples of the IAFF forecasting tools applied to several fire departments.

Response to ESS/EV Incidents

NEW On April 19, 2019, four fire fighters were seriously injured when a cascading thermal runaway within a 2.16 MWh lithium-ion battery energy storage system (ESS) led to a deflagration event. IAFF partners at Underwriters Laboratories Fire Safety Research Institute studied the event and will educate attendees on the ESS dangers and response strategies.

Signing up New Members

NEW Signing up New Members: Best Practices of Internal Organizing. Internal organizing is the systematic process of signing up new members. In this class, students will hear from IAFF leaders that have built effective local unions from the ground up in some of the toughest anti-union environments in the US. This class isn’t just about getting new firefighters to sign membership cards. It’s about how we can win hearts and minds for your local and the firefighter union movement.

Subsidy Tracker and GASB

NEW States and cities spend an estimated $70 billion per year on corporate tax breaks and other subsidies called “incentives.” But as some IAFF locals are learning, secretly-negotiated “megadeals” can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars per job! These costly giveaways can actually undermine the tax base for public safety. Good Jobs First will explain how to expose specific deals with its Subsidy Tracker database and also how to document the total harm to public budgets thanks to the government accounting rule called GASB Statement 77. The first step to curbing corporate welfare is sunshine!

The Truth About Annuities and Firefighters

Why annuities have historically gotten a justifiable bad rap, and despite that, how today’s variable annuities and similar insurance solutions may be the right option for IAFF retirees. Many IAFF members leave the job with sizable deferred compensation accounts and DROP accounts, and very frequently those assets are not deployed in a manner that maximizes opportunities for those IAFF retirees. This class will explore how and why annuities got a bad reputation amongst firefighters, and more importantly, why IAFF leaders should become familiar with how modern annuities may be the right option for some IAFF retirees.

Understanding and Developing SAFER Grants

The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grants (SAFER) were created to provide funding directly to fire departments to help them increase or maintain the number of trained, “front line” firefighters available in their communities. This workshop will provide an overview of SAFER grant legislation, available funding, program priorities, and the application process. Instructors will provide tips and tricks for writing effective grants for their department, actual grant applications for critique, and a question and answer session. .

Session 6, Feb. 1, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Advanced Messaging Techniques to Grow Your Brand

This advanced class is designed for local leaders who already have a social media presence and a basic brand built. We will discuss new techniques, tools, and targets to grow your influence in your local community. If you’re ready to move to the next level and grow your ability to influence local politics, then this class is for you.

Contractual Language and Medical Marijuana

NEW Today’s fire service is dealing with the challenges of legal medical marijuana. The panelists will discuss their experience with the legalization of medical marijuana, contract language, and propose solutions for current and emerging challenges.

Discipline: Your Rights and Responsibilities as Union Officers

This workshop is also offered in Session 1, Jan. 30, 1-3 p.m.
This workshop will provide union leaders with an overview of their rights and responsibilities during the employment disciplinary process. Union leaders will learn how to best represent their members in accordance with their contract, civil service laws, and the Weingarten, Loudermill and Garrity decisions. This workshop is applicable to affiliate leaders in both collective bargaining and non-collective bargaining environments.

Federal Fire Fighters – Retirement

Special category retirement considerations.

Financial Planning and Life Insurance for IAFF Members

What is financial planning, and why every single IAFF member needs to have a professional relationship with a fiduciary financial planner. Most IAFF members are significantly underinsured, frequently resulting in our survivors not only coping with a loss of their firefighter, but also struggling to make ends meet in their absence. This class will take a deep dive into the fiduciary financial planning process and also examine how every IAFF member can protect their family should something tragic happen on, or off the job, or should something happen to their spouse.

IAFF Union Leadership: Culture, Communications & Coalitions

This workshop is a part of the Union Leadership Track
During the workshop, you will identify and learn how to effectively model union values while communicating with the membership, building an effective culture of union solidarity, and creating and working with coalitions to achieve local IAFF political and legislative goals.

Introduction to Grievances

This workshop is also offered in Session 3, Jan. 31, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
The manner in which you process grievances will determine how quickly they are resolved and how your members will perceive you. A good understanding of the grievance process will better enable you to enforce the collective bargaining agreement and avoid costly arbitration hearings. In this workshop, you will learn how to evaluate and file a grievance, reduce your chances of receiving a DFR claim, and develop effective grievance strategies. This workshop is ideal for local union officers and grievance committee members who have limited experience with grievances.

Mock Negotiations and Mediation

This workshop, continued from Sessions 4-5, is a part of the Negotiations Bootcamp Track (Sessions 1-6)
To get results at the bargaining table, a negotiator must be able to develop a bargaining strategy and master key negotiation skills. In this six-hour workshop, you will practice key negotiations skills and tactics in simulated, scenario-based negotiation sessions. You will learn how to strengthen your bargaining position, determine an acceptable settlement range, respond to common management tactics and objections, make concessions, package your proposals and work with mediators. This workshop is designed for affiliate leaders who have mastered the basics of negotiation and wish to improve their skills at the bargaining table.

Municipal Financial Analysis

This workshop is a part of the Union Administration Track
This workshop is designed to educate affiliate leaders about municipal financial analysis (FMA). In order to ensure proper staffing and reasonable wage and benefit increases, a local must know the basic financial condition of its government, as well as what monies are available to fund its needs. Municipal financial analysis is a service provided by the IAFF that examines a jurisdiction’s financial records and determines its financial condition. The value of the analysis is dependent on affiliate leaders effectively understanding the key indicators of a government’s financial condition and knowing how to use the information appropriately.

PFAS

NEW What are PFAS chemicals and how are fire fighters exposed to this class of chemicals? This session will explore the impacts of exposure to PFAS chemicals found in the firefighting environment, in the foam and in our gear. This session will also discuss this class of chemicals and the ongoing research to better understand fluorine free foams and next generation turnout gear.

Predicting Your Incidents: Best Practices for Community Risk Assessment

Risk assessment is a fundamental part of a fire department organization and deployment of resources as well as a key component of the accreditation process. Understanding the risk in a community means determining the likelihood of incidents, the consequences that incidents can have on the community, and the impact on the responding agency. The analysis of demographic and socio-economic data enables quantitative forecasts of the risk.

The IAFF has developed a statistical approach to predict the likelihood of incidents based on the combination of demographic and economic variables with the incident statistics provided by fire departments. The method helps to predict the future likelihood of incidents, even in areas of the community which are evolving or developing, and determines what factors are driving the number of incidents. Assessing the risk means also ensuring preparedness for disasters and learning from previous events.

Preparing for Grievance Arbitration: Evaluating Evidence

To win your case in grievance arbitration, it is crucial to have evidence to back up your arguments and assertions. Without sufficient evidence, it is difficult to convince an arbitrator to rule in your favor. This workshop will teach you how to gather evidence, identify the types of evidence admissible in arbitration and determine which types carry the most weight with arbitrators. This workshop is ideal for local union officers and grievance committee members who have limited experience with grievances.

Recruiting and Endorsing Candidates

For political candidates, the endorsement of fire fighters is the most coveted endorsement in campaigns today. The political action of an affiliate is what it takes to move fire service issues forward. In this workshop, you will learn how to select a candidate and campaign for political action, understand the endorsement process, and create a local endorsement process.

Understanding & Developing the AFG Grants

The AFG Training and Equipment grants are for critically needed resources to equip and train emergency personnel to recognized standards, enhance operations efficiencies, foster interoperability, and support community resilience. This workshop will provide an overview of AFG grant legislation, available funding, program priorities, and the application process. Instructors will provide tips and tricks for writing effective grants for their department, actual grant applications for critique, and a question and answer session.

Understanding Union Leadership

This workshop will address many facets of being a union officer, including the responsibilities associated with each role. This workshop will also address how to be a union advocate, using the skills of the executive board, and how to organize members and increase their participation to build a stronger local.

Using Your GIS as a Tool to Push, Pry, Pull, and Shove Your Way into Change

A Geographic Information System (GIS) coupled with Workload Analysis are two great ways for you to start owning your data. However, although these resources could stand on their own, their power is tied to your ability to use the data, tell your story, and build winning arguments. This workshop will show local leaders how to gather necessary data, assess their community risk, interpret a workload capacity, and explain how the results can inform fire service administration. Join us to see the resources the IAFF has provide fire department operations insight.

Workshops By Category

CANADIAN WORKSHOPS

Sudbury, Ontario - Safe Staffing Arbitration

Session 1, Jan. 30, 8-10 a.m.
NEW This workshop will examine the recent arbitration decision in Sudbury, Ontario where the affiliate was successful in convincing an arbitration board that: (1) safe staffing for firefighters was an arbitrable issue; and (2) deciding that safe staffing for a first in apparatus was four firefighters. This landmark decision marked the first successful staffing arbitration in Canada in 30 years. Focus will be on the expert evidence and other factors necessary to successfully advance a staffing argument based on firefighter health and safety in both the U.S. and Canada.

Canadian Political Analysis: COVID, Convoys, and Coalitions

Session 2, Jan. 31, 8-10 a.m.
NEW This workshop will examine the ideological shift in the federal political landscape under a minority government with a new Opposition Leader as all parties determine pathways to a post-pandemic recovery. We will explore the impacts on the economy and strategies for IAFF Locals on how to navigate this new normal. This workshop will also look at the UCP leadership race in Alberta leading up the spring 2023 provincial election, the ripple effects across other provinces, and the potential implications at the federal level.

Canadian Duty of Fair Representation

Session 3, Jan. 31, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
This workshop will examine DFR under Canadian Law. The workshop will look at the handling of DFR complaints in both the civil courts and under Labour Board tribunals in those provinces that allow DFR complaints to be heard by Labour Board tribunals. The workshop will also review current DFR decisions.

COMMUNICATIONS AND STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

A Road Map for Winning: Developing a Strategic Plan

Session 3, Jan. 31, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Does your local tackle obstacles in a systematic, thoughtful, and collaborative way? Or does your daily workload push you into a place where you’re always reacting to the next crisis? In this class, students will learn the importance of engaging in deliberate strategic planning. We’ll talk about defining your mission as an organization, creating parameters to determine your strengths/weaknesses and opportunity/threats, and obtaining buy-in from members for the process. Students will engage in strategic planning exercises dealing with specific issues impacting their local.

Advanced Messaging Techniques to Grow Your Brand

Session 6, Feb. 1, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
This advanced class is designed for local leaders who already have a social media presence and a basic brand built. We will discuss new techniques, tools, and targets to grow your influence in your local community. If you’re ready to move to the next level and grow your ability to influence local politics, then this class is for you.

Advanced Social Media Management

Session 5 Feb. 1, 8-10 a.m.
Learn advanced techniques to manage your local’s social media accounts that grow your digital audience. This class is an advanced class and requires you to have a good foundation of your social media platforms. We will cover a lot of tools broadly and allow time for Q/A to address specific membership needs. Tools and topics will include 2FA, Business Manager, Business Suite, Creator Studio, Tweetdeck, Twitter for Teams, and Authenticator.

Advertising Basics

Session 3, Jan. 31, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
This advanced class will expose you to new targeting approaches for ad buying, content placement, and funnel creation. We will cover changes in the Facebook ad buying marketplace, new audiences, and new types of ad placements to help your local compete in 2023 and beyond.

Branding Your Local: A Case Study in Best Practices

Session 1, Jan. 30, 1-3 p.m.
Branding Your Local: A Case Study in Best Practices, Historical Perspectives, and Winning the Public. Branding is a term we hear thrown around a lot, but have you ever thought about the brand of your local union? How does your current band impact your ability to make tangible gains for your members? How do firefighters view their union? How do elected officials and the public view your union? In this class, students will review creative ways throughout history that labor unions have created effective branding campaigns with pro-union messaging that resonated with the public at large. We will discuss the national fire service brand and how we can leverage that brand with this new historical knowledge to win over elected officials and the public.

Building Your Strategic Communications Calendar

Session 2, Jan. 31, 8-10 a.m.
NEW Building Your Strategic Communications Calendar – A Hands On Workshop. This operations level class will help you strategically build a communications calendar unique to your local and community. We will work together to quickly research historical events, current trends, and evergreen content that connects you with your local audience. This class will encourage live, hands-on work. Your enthusiastic participation is welcome and appreciated.

Developing and Strengthening Internal Communications

Session 4, Jan. 31, 2-4 p.m.
A strong internal communications program is the backbone of any powerful union. How can you better communicate with your members? Everyday leaders struggle how best to reach their members. Internal communication is the key to activating your members and engaging them in local activities to build your brand and political power. This session will look at best practices being implemented today in locals around the country and will include a free-flowing discussion on what works and doesn’t work in your local.

Engage Members for Life: The Power of a New Member Orientation

Session 4, Jan. 31, 2-4 p.m.
First impressions are critical. What is the rookie firefighter’s first impression of your local? Effective new member orientation programs can have a lasting impact on the strength of local unions and set the stage for members to participate in their union through their entire career. In this class, students will learn best practice, supported by behavioral science, for developing and delivering new member orientation programs.

Introduction to Communications for New Local Leaders

Session 1, Jan. 30, 1-3 p.m.
You’re a member of your local’s executive board, now what? This class will work to provide new union leaders with the tools and perspective to communicate the mission and the brand of their local. We will review proven, basic terms, messages, and key branding “must-haves” to help you promote your local effectively.

Signing up New Members: Best Practices of Internal Organizing

Session 5, Feb. 1, 8-10 a.m.
NEW Internal organizing is the systematic process of signing up new members. In this class, students will hear from IAFF leaders that have built effective local unions from the ground up in some of the toughest anti-union environments in the US. This class isn’t just about getting new firefighters to sign membership cards. It’s about how we can win hearts and minds for your local and the firefighter union movement.

The Importance of Labor History in Today’s Fight

Session 2, Jan. 31, 8-10 a.m.
The Importance of Labor History in Today’s Fight: Understanding the Past to Secure Your Future. The impact of the labor movement in the U.S. has been deliberately hidden from American workers. There is a lack of labor education in public schools, a prevalent anti-union bias in the media, and a hidden history of militant and effective public employee/firefighter organizing. In this class, students will examine ways labor history is subverted, the history of firefighter and public employee organizing, and how understanding and educating members about this history can help us build strong locals today.

FEDERAL FIRE FIGHTER TRAINING

Federal Sector Labor Relations Update

Session 4, Jan. 31, 2-4 p.m.
This session will provide updates on the parameters of the Biden Executive Order expanding bargaining in the federal sector. The session will also cover recent decisions by the Federal Labor Relations Authority and the Federal Service Impasse Panel.

Federal Sector Office of Workers Compensation Program (OWCP)

Session 5, Feb. 1, 8-10 a.m.
This session will provide valuable updates to federal affiliates on OWCP programs to include filing claims and the processes involved in claim approval. This session will also cover recent updates to the OWCP Fire Fighters Special Claims Unit.

Federal Fire Fighters – Retirement

Session 6, Feb. 1, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Special category retirement considerations.

FINANCIAL CORPORATION

All the Extra Insurance Your Members are Paying For

Session 4, Jan. 31, 2-4 p.m.
Health Insurance Track: All the Extra Insurance Your Members are Paying for and How It Benefits Your Municipality, Not Your Local.

Deferred Compensation: What You Need to Know for Success

Session 4, Jan. 31, 2-4 p.m.
NEW IAFF Wealth Management Initiative Track: Deferred Compensation: What You Need to Know to Build the Best Program for Your Members.

How to open an RFP
What is a 401(a)?
Self-Directed Brokerage (SBDO)
What to know about consultants
What to do in your city manager’s office
Contract Language
How to get all FC initiatives into you CBA

Financial Planning and Life Insurance for IAFF Members

Session 6, Feb. 1, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
What is financial planning, and why every single IAFF member needs to have a professional relationship with a fiduciary financial planner. Most IAFF members are significantly underinsured, frequently resulting in our survivors not only coping with a loss of their firefighter, but also struggling to make ends meet in their absence. This class will take a deep dive into the fiduciary financial planning process and also examine how every IAFF member can protect their family should something tragic happen on, or off the job, or should something happen to their spouse.

Health Insurance Basics, Do You Know All the Acronyms?

Session 1, Jan. 30, 1-3 p.m.
Health Insurance Track: Health Insurance Basics, Do You Know All the Acronyms?! The IAFF can help.

Health Insurance Trusts- Right or Wrong for your Local

Session 2, Jan. 31, 8-10 a.m.
NEW Health Insurance Track: Health Insurance Trusts- Right or Wrong for Your Local.

Health Insurance: Bargaining for Retiree Health Insurance

Session 3, Jan. 31, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Health Insurance Track: Bargaining for Retiree Health Insurance. IAFF leaders face many challenges, but few are more pressing than pre-65 health care options for retirees. From VEBAs, PEHP, HRAs, and HSAs, learn how to create opportunities through the collective bargaining process to engage employers to lower the cost of post-employment healthcare to allow IAFF members an earlier and more dignified retirement.

Helping New Firefighters Get off on the Right Foot Financially

Session 1, Jan. 30, 1-3 p.m.
IAFF Wealth Management Initiative Track: Helping New Firefighters Get Off on the Right Foot Financially. What you need to know as Affiliate Leaders to help your new members make successful financial decisions in their life. Topics include:

Credit card debt
Basic personal finance –
- Setting and executing financial goals
- Creating a budget
- Creating an emergency fund
Deferred Compensation Deferrals
Mortgage Basics
IAFF 15 x 5 Principle

Helping Your Senior Members Get Ready for Retirement

Session 3, Jan. 31, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
IAFF Wealth Management Initiative Track: Helping Your Senior Members Get Ready for Retirement, and Maximizing Opportunities for Your Retirees.

Understanding Social Security options
Pros and cons of professional asset management and distribution strategies vs. variable annuities and similar insurance options.
Insight into how taxes can impact your retirement plans
Tax efficiency in retirement requires a thoughtful approach to income planning that starts as early as 10 – 15 years prior. A more tax-efficient retirement income distribution plan can add tens of thousands of dollars to estate values or years to portfolio longevity.
Refresh your knowledge of tax basics like which investment accounts are taxable, tax deferred or tax free. And it will provide some sequencing strategies for drawing retirement income tax-efficiently.

IAFF Medical Expense Reimbursement Plan (MERP)

Session 5, Feb. 1, 8-10 a.m.
What is the IAFF MERP? What can it do for you and your members? And how do you as an Affiliate Leader implement the IAFF MERP for your members? This class will explore these questions and more and will provide participants with a clear roadmap for how to bring the IAFF MERP into your home Local.

Making the Best Mid-Career Financial Decisions

Session 2, Jan. 31, 8-10 a.m.
IAFF Wealth Management Initiative Track: Talking to Active Firefighters About Making the Best Mid-Career Financial Decisions. What you need to know as Affiliate Leaders to help your active members make successful financial decisions mid-career. Topics include:

Building wealth
Managing investment risk vs. reward
Ensuring you have provided sufficiently for you family should a tragedy occur
457(b) strategies for active firefighters who have not started saving
Maximizing self-directed brokerage to boost return on investment

The Truth About Annuities and Firefighters

Session 5, Feb. 1, 8-10 a.m.
Why annuities have historically gotten a justifiable bad rap, and despite that, how today’s variable annuities and similar insurance solutions may be the right option for IAFF retirees. Many IAFF members leave the job with sizable deferred compensation accounts and DROP accounts, and very frequently those assets are not deployed in a manner that maximizes opportunities for those IAFF retirees. This class will explore how and why annuities got a bad reputation amongst firefighters, and more importantly, why IAFF leaders should become familiar with how modern annuities may be the right option for some IAFF retirees.

GRANTS

Understanding and Developing SAFER Grants: Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response

Session 5, Feb. 1, 8-10 a.m.
The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grants (SAFER) were created to provide funding directly to fire departments to help them increase or maintain the number of trained, “front line” firefighters available in their communities. This workshop will provide an overview of SAFER grant legislation, available funding, program priorities, and the application process. Instructors will provide tips and tricks for writing effective grants for their department, actual grant applications for critique, and a question and answer session.

Understanding & Developing the AFG (Assistance to Firefighter) Equipment and Training Grants

Session 6, Feb. 1, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
The AFG Training and Equipment grants are for critically needed resources to equip and train emergency personnel to recognized standards, enhance operations efficiencies, foster interoperability, and support community resilience. This workshop will provide an overview of AFG grant legislation, available funding, program priorities, and the application process. Instructors will provide tips and tricks for writing effective grants for their department, actual grant applications for critique, and a question and answer session.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Building Your Peer Support Program

Session 3, Jan. 31, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
NEW The IAFF Peer Support training program continues to transform behavioral health conversation in the fire service. Attendees will learn how to access peer support training through locals and departments. We will also introduce a 10-step model to developing a successful peer support program. Topics include how to obtain program buy-in, select peer team members, utilize mental health clinicians in your community, conduct program outreach, evaluate your impact to stakeholders, and more. Attendees will be provided with practical strategies and IAFF resources to build or enhance an existing peer support program.

Cancer in the Fire Service

Session 4, Jan. 31, 2-4 p.m.
Cancer is a leading cause of death in the fire service and fire fighters are exposed to an array of carcinogenic agents in the line of duty. This workshop will review studies on biomarkers of exposure and effect as well as the effectiveness of interventions designed to reduce exposure. The panel will discuss the recent International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) decision to classify occupational exposure as a firefighter as a carcinogenic to humans (Group 1). Future directions in fire fighter cancer research with the aim of reducing cancer diagnoses and improving treatment outcomes will also be discussed in context with the Fire Fighter Cancer Cohort Study and National Firefighter Registry (NFR).

Contractual Language and Medical Marijuana

Session 6, Feb 1, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
NEW Today’s fire service is dealing with the challenges of legal medical marijuana. The panelists will discuss their experience with the legalization of medical marijuana, contract language, and propose solutions for current and emerging challenges.

Fit To Thrive (F2T) Program Overview

Session 1, Jan. 30, 1-3 p.m.
NEW Regular exercise can help and is recommended as one of the first options for treating and preventing chronic conditions afflicting too many fire fighters. However, education and mandated fitness programs are not the answer. Emerging evidence highlights the need for behavioral solutions to improve the physical activity habits of fire fighters. The IAFF is leading an innovative charge to improve fire fighter health and wellness by launching the F2T program, a comprehensive initiative designed to help more fire fighters be more active more often. This workshop will outline the program’s commitment to education, training, support and mentorship and provide tips to assist with implementation.

IAFF Behavioral Health Resources You Need to Know

Session 1, Jan. 30, 1-3 p.m.
NEW The most effective affiliate leaders prioritize behavioral health programming as central to the fabric of their organization. This session will provide a comprehensive overview of all behavioral health resources currently available to IAFF affiliates, including peer support and resiliency training, advanced peer training, clinician education, addiction recovery support, behavioral health toolkits, technical assistance, and more. An introduction to the IAFF Center of Excellence will be provided, including how to be prepared when a member needs help fast. Attendees will also receive exclusive updates on the IAFF west coast treatment center, as well as emerging treatment resources specifically for Canadian affiliates. Learn about the IAFF resources you need to be an effective behavioral health champion back home.

Implementation Matters - An Overview of the IGNITE Program

Session 3, Jan. 31, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
NEW In January 2022, the IAFF launched IGNITE, a comprehensive wellness-fitness program, in collaboration with fire fighters from Navy Region Mid-Atlantic (NRMA). Created as an extension of the IAFF’s Fit To Thrive (F2T) program, IGNITE was designed to be accessible, inclusive, comprehensive in its scope, and behavior focused for the purpose of helping more fire fighters be more active. IGNITE involves 4 distinct but complementary phases that collectively serve to address members’ wellness and fitness needs by leveraging the benefits of education, training, mentorship, and support directed to an entire organization. This workshop will share details of each phase, discuss potential obstacles and facilitators to the implementation process, and offer practical tips and strategies to help any department improve the physical activity habits of their members.

PFAS

Session 6, Feb. 1, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
NEW What are PFAS chemicals and how are fire fighters exposed to this class of chemicals? This session will explore the impacts of exposure to PFAS chemicals found in the firefighting environment, in the foam and in our gear. This session will also discuss this class of chemicals and the ongoing research to better understand fluorine free foams and next generation turnout gear.

Preparing for a Line-of-Duty-Death

Session 5, Feb. 1, 8-10 a.m.
NEW How do you plan and prepare for the most horrible event imaginable? How do affiliate leaders act when faced with what can often be a crippling organizational event? Listen to IAFF leaders and staff as they provide suggestions to affiliate leaders about relationships and networks to establish before tragedy strikes, guidance on immediate steps to support surviving members and families, the ceremony, the incident review, and championing positive change in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Self-care and follow-up efforts. Self-care and follow-up efforts are also discussed.

Response to ESS/EV Incidents

Session 5, Feb. 1, 8-10 a.m.
NEW On April 19, 2019, four fire fighters were seriously injured when a cascading thermal runaway within a 2.16 MWh lithium-ion battery energy storage system (ESS) led to a deflagration event. IAFF partners at Underwriters Laboratories Fire Safety Research Institute studied the event and will educate attendees on the ESS dangers and response strategies.

Staffing for Safety: An Introduction

Session 4, Jan. 31, 2-4 p.m.
Fire suppression and emergency medical activities are labor-intensive jobs that require an adequate number of fire fighters on scene to protect property and save lives safely and effectively. Studies by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and updates to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1710 standards have shown that inadequate staffing can result in unnecessary loss of life and property and serious injury to fire fighters and the citizens they protect. In this workshop, you will be introduced to standards and studies that indicate best practices regarding staffing and that help you make decisions regarding staffing in your community.

Suicide and Suicide Prevention in the Fire Service

Session 2, Jan. 31, 8-10 a.m.
NEW This presentation reviews what is known, and more importantly what is not known, about fire fighter suicide. Participants will learn about suicide prevention and suicide postvention, defined as an organized response in the aftermath of a suicide to facilitate the healing of individuals from the grief and distress of suicide loss, mitigate other negative effects of exposure to suicide, and prevent suicide among people who are at elevated risk after exposure to suicide. Content will include effective suicide prevention strategies, evidence-based treatments for suicide, resources for suicide loss, and new IAFF efforts to understand and address suicide.

Supporting Members in Treatment: Strategies and Lessons Learned for Affiliate Leaders

Session 4, Jan. 31, 2-4 p.m.
NEW Affiliate leaders will explore the role the affiliate leader plays in collaboration with their fire administration to develop departmental policies, standard operation procedures and language in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) as it relates to behavioral health issues. Additionally, the more behavioral health programs are recognized and embraced, the more issues are normalized for our members and the administration. The workshop will discuss SOPs and policies, access to resources, return to work, and last chance agreements.

The IAFC/IAFF WFI Study

Session 2, Jan. 31, 8-10 a.m.
NEW The IAFC/IAFF WFI Study – Obstacles and Facilitators to Implementation.

In 1997, the IAFF and IAFC established a historic partnership with the launch of the Fire Service Joint Labor Management Wellness-Fitness Initiative (WFI). Since its inception, the WFI has become the principal and most comprehensive and inclusive resource to support fire fighter wellness and fitness. In 2020, the IAFC and IAFF renewed their commitment to the WFI by collaborating on a FEMA-funded study to examine the obstacles, facilitators and best-practice strategies to assist with wellness-fitness program implementation. Surveys and focus groups were used to gather information from fire chiefs and labor leaders from 150+ small, medium and large-sized departments across the United States and Canada. This workshop will share lessons learned, best practice guidelines, and practical examples to help every department and local improve the health and wellness of their fire fighters.

HEALTH INSURANCE AND PENSION

Community Crying Poverty? Let’s Follow the Money and Change the Debate

Session 4, Jan. 31, 2-4 p.m.
Cities and states give away huge corporate subsidy deals and then cry poverty on public safety. Learn how to document and expose these giveaways, plus successful fight-back strategies, messaging, and allies. Learn about Subsidy Tracker and Tax Break Tracker, plus a new government accounting rule that helps document how much tax revenue governments are losing to corporate tax breaks. They are labeled “economic development incentives,” but they are often unnecessary and sometimes fail to pay off. States lose so much revenue this way the losses often far exceed their pension obligations.

Defined Benefit Plans

Session 3, Jan. 31, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Defined Benefit Plans: Legal, Legislative, and Regulatory Issues. Many state and local governments continue to grapple with changes to firefighter retirement plans. This workshop will provide legal, regulatory and legislative updates from both state and federal perspectives and how these changes are affecting public pensions. Also discussed will be the recent battles to convert defined benefit plans to defined contribution plans.

Funding Your Pension: Reduce Potential Attacks

Session 2, Jan. 31, 8-10 a.m.
Funding Your Pension: Reduce Potential Attacks on Retirement Security by Improving Pension Funding. Tired of politicians’ damaging & ineffective attempts to increase pension funding levels by cutting benefits and increasing member contributions? Then come to this highly informative class on pension plan funding where the experts will discuss a wide range of tools that include pension obligation bonds, revenue bonds and more.

Pension Analysis

Session 1, Jan. 30, 1-3 p.m.
This workshop will give you the tools you need to analyze the status and outlook of your pension system, including funding levels, the underlying assumptions on which cost calculations are based, and the funding history of the plan sponsor.

HUMAN RELATIONS

Local Human Relations Committee: Getting Started

Session 3, Jan. 31, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
The IAFF recommends that every local establish a human relations committee. Establishing a committee is a proven way to help locals sort through the opportunities and challenges that diversity presents. It can assist locals in resolving conflict and developing a proactive strategy for change. In this workshop, affiliate leaders will learn about the benefits of having a local human relations committee and strategies for developing their own committee.

Teamwork and Inclusion

Session 4, Jan. 31, 2-4 p.m.
Fire fighters put their lives and health at risk to save other people’s lives and property; they don’t stop to ask who lives in the burning building or for background information on the heart attack victim. At the same time, fire fighters need to bring that respect for community, diversity, and ethics back to the firehouse, living up to their own – and their community’s – highest standards for providing a safe, diverse, and respectful workplace. Similarly, a station house must be a place where teamwork standards live up to fire fighters’ – and their community’s – standards for fairness and transparency. This workshop helps examine what it means to be a good team member, how to make effective changes in individual behavior, and how to build a culture of teamwork that respects and embraces diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Understanding Pregnancy and Parental Rights and Accommodations

Session 2, Jan. 31, 8-10 a.m.
Members who become parents face increased demands on their time and resources. Local leadership need to help ensure that the local employing agency complies with applicable federal, state/provincial, and local laws, allowing these members the leave time and medical accommodation they need as they build their families. In addition, this workshop reviews how local leadership can advocate for family-friendly local policies and laws.

LEADERSHIP

IAFF Union Leadership: Self-Awareness

Session 2, Jan. 31, 8-10 a.m.
What kind of leader am I and what kind of leader do I want to be? This workshop will help IAFF affiliate leaders learn what kind of union leaders they are and will provide them with several tools to become more effective leaders. During this workshop, participants will identify their own leadership styles and will learn how those styles are perceived by and impact the members that they lead.

IAFF Union Leadership: Leading Organization Change

Session 3, Jan. 31, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
How Can I Help Our Union Become More Effective? This workshop will provide tools to help affiliate leaders become more effective as IAFF locals continue to evolve to meet the serious challenges facing our union and our members in the 21st century. During the workshop, participants will learn how to assess and to prioritize union resources and leverage and how to engage in strategic planning to establish and achieve effective organizational goals.

IAFF Union Leadership: Culture, Communications & Coalitions

Session 4, Jan. 31, 2-4 p.m.
During the workshop, you will identify and learn how to effectively model union values while communicating with the membership, building an effective culture of union solidarity, and creating and working with coalitions to achieve local IAFF political and legislative goals.

Ethics for Union Leaders

Session 5, Feb. 1, 8-10 a.m.
Most IAFF leaders are public employees and have fiduciary responsibilities to their membership. Due to the nature of your position, you are subject to higher ethical standards than the average member or employee. These standards must be upheld in order to maintain the trust of your members and run an effective local. Failure to do so can result in loss of credibility, loss of union position, or even criminal charges. This workshop will cover the principles of ethics, the requirements of public employees, and strategies for making ethical decisions. You will use these strategies to analyze scenarios and case studies.

Generational Differences

Session 1, Jan. 30, 1-3 p.m.
Currently, there are as many as four generations employed and working side by side in fire departments throughout the U.S. and Canada. Each generation brings its own individual values and behaviors, and these can be a source of conflict in the workplace. This workshop will examine each of the four generations in a humorous way, providing a better understanding of generational behavior, the value that each generation brings to the workplace, why conflict exists among them, and identify communications styles that work for each.

Increasing Membership Participation

Session 1, Jan. 30, 1-3 p.m.
Session 5, Feb 1, 8-10 a.m.
The strength of a local depends on the active involvement of its members. Whether it’s a committee meeting, political campaign, or public relations effort, your members make the difference between success and failure. This workshop provides methods to increase member participation and build an effective union.

Labor-Management Case Studies

Session 1, Jan. 30, 1-3 p.m.
Session 2, Jan. 31, 8-10 a.m.
On a daily basis, fire departments are confronted with a variety of issues that require labor and management to work together. The best departments have the tools in place to work through those issues successfully – even if they don’t always agree. This workshop will address best practices and how labor and management leaders create a team culture, build trust over time and develop consistent involvement. Case studies will be addressed where labor management cooperation was utilized to address situations that are generally met with conflict. In addition this workshop will address that there is no perfect system and even with collaborative labor-management relations, there will always be ups and downs.

Overview of Membership Services

Session 2, Jan. 31, 8-10 a.m.
This overview provides essential information for new affiliate leaders so they can be effective in their roles. This course is ideal for affiliate leaders with up to two years of experience or seasoned veterans who want to refresh their skills. Overview of Membership Services examines the various IAFF departments/divisions and the services provided to members, as well as an understanding of their respective state or provincial organization.

Recruiting and Developing Leaders (4 hours)

Sessions 2-3, Jan. 31, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
NEW Your local relies on the strength of its members. Between dwindling active participation and your local’s organizational history retiring with past union leaders, it becomes harder to run an effective union. New leaders become involved when they understand the local’s core values and find a calling for their talents and passions. This class will provide current local leadership with a framework on how and why they should recruit and develop new leaders, strategies for reaching out across different generations, a brief overview of labor history to help new members understand the value of their membership, and a plan for mentoring rising leaders to carry your local into the next generation.

Understanding Union Leadership

Session 6, Feb. 1, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
This workshop will address many facets of being a union officer, including the responsibilities associated with each role. This workshop will also address how to be a union advocate, using the skills of the executive board, and how to organize members and increase their participation to build a stronger local.

Work/Life Balance: How to Achieve Sustainable Success

Session 2, Jan. 31, 8-10 a.m.
Session 4, Jan. 31, 2-4 p.m.
IAFF members are constantly confronted with choices that match work against family life and other personal obligations. Fire fighters must balance their 24 hour shifts with family events, holidays and other obligations. This workshop will give union leaders tools to help themselves and their members address these work-family issues for a better work/life balance.

LEGAL

Am I Entitled to Overtime Pay? Answers to Questions

Session 4, Jan. 31, 2-4 p.m.
NEW Fire fighter entitlement to overtime pay is subject to a series of complex rules and regulations. We will examine the relevant provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), including the Section 7(k) exemption that is unique to fire protection personnel. We will also examine the factors typically considered in determining whether fire protection personnel are properly classified as “exempt” under the “executive, administrative or professional exemption of the FLSA. We will discuss different factual scenarios that arise in the field with respect to FLSA violations and how to identity them. Finally, we will provide a question and answer session to address issues and concerns from members.

Discipline: Your Rights and Responsibilities as Union Officers

Session 1, Jan. 30, 1-3 p.m.
Session 6, Feb. 1, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
This workshop will provide union leaders with an overview of their rights and responsibilities during the employment disciplinary process. Union leaders will learn how to best represent their members in accordance with their contract, civil service laws, and the Weingarten, Loudermill and Garrity decisions. This workshop is applicable to affiliate leaders in both collective bargaining and non-collective bargaining environments.

Duty of Fair Representation

Session 4, Jan. 31, 2-4 p.m.
Session 5, Feb. 1, 8-10 a.m.
As an affiliate leader, you may be subject to a legal standard, known as duty of fair representation (DFR), that governs how you represent your members in contract negotiations, grievances, and other labor matters. In this workshop, you will study relevant case law to learn what is required of you, how the courts have applied this standard to unions, the consequences of violating the standard, and best practices to avoid DFR lawsuits.

How to Effectively File and Handle a Grievance

Session 1, Jan. 30, 1-3 p.m.
NEW How to Effectively File and Handle a Grievance and Other Member Complaints. The work that you do before an arbitration hearing on a case is often more important than the actual presentation of the case at arbitration. In this class, you will learn the best practices and top tips for handling member grievances and complaints, including handling disciplinary interviews, investigating grievances, writing, and presenting grievances, dealing with difficult management personnel, and settling grievances. We will put these skills to practice during the class.

Local Union Governance

Session 2, Jan. 31, 8-10 a.m.
Through its constitution and by-laws, your local establishes its basic organization, including the duties and responsibilities of your local union officers, executive board, and committees, as well as the various procedures that govern different types of meetings. Your local’s constitution and by-laws should provide the precepts necessary for governing your members. It should meet their needs, as well as be flexible for reasonable and future change. In this module, you will learn the important aspects of your local’s constitution and by-laws, be given tools to understand how this document influences your role as a union leader and learn how to properly govern your local based on this important text.

Protecting Yourself and Members: First Amendment

Session 5, Feb. 1, 8-10 a.m.
Protecting Yourself and Your Members: First Amendment Speech, the Internet, and Social Media. As a public employee, knowing your First Amendment rights will allow you to advocate for yourself, your members and your co-workers while keeping yourself and your Local out of trouble. We will examine the various First Amendment protections afforded to union officials and members, both on and off the job. In addition, we will provide guidance on the perilous intersection of the First Amendment with the internet and social media platforms. Finally, we will discuss the various federal and state laws concerning the recording of meetings, phone calls, video conferences, and similar forms of communications. As part of this class, there will be the opportunity to participant in a trivia/game show type contest to review the most important aspects of First Amendment protections.

The Nuts & Bolts of Union Governance

Session 3, Jan. 31, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
What do I have to do to make sure that my Local is complying with the law and operating effectively? In this class, we will examine member rights, officer obligations, and local union requirements under the law and the IAFF Constitution and By-Laws. We will discuss best practices and top tips for making sure that your local union operates properly and your union elections run smoothly. We will also discuss cutting edge union governance issues such as virtual meetings and electronic elections. This will be an interactive and participatory class as we explore various union governance decisions.

Tips and Techniques for Presenting a Case

Session 2, Jan. 31, 8-10 a.m.
NEW Tips and Techniques for Presenting a Case before an Arbitrator or Hearing Officer. Have you ever wondered what goes through the mind of an Arbitrator as you are presenting your case or what an Arbitrator looks for in determining whether you will win or lose your case? This class will include the insight and experience of a seasoned labor arbitrator who will share his/her perspective as to what makes for a successful presentation at an arbitration hearing. You will also be able to ask the Arbitrator the questions that you have always wanted to ask. We will provide a review of the nuts and bolts of preparing and presenting a case to an arbitrator or hearing examiner, including how to prepare witnesses and documents to use at the hearing. We will also review typical evidentiary issues that arise at a hearing, including hearsay objections and past practice. Participants will also learn how to prepare an opening statement and how to conduct an effective cross-examination. Finally, there will be opportunities to participate in various role play scenarios with feedback provided from the arbitrator and the attorney presenters.

NEGOTIATIONS BOOTCAMP TRACK

Sessions 1-6, Jan. 30 through Feb. 1
This workshop track has been reviewed and approved for potential college credit by Purdue University Global, our partner in education. Selecting this track of workshops will automatically enroll you in the workshops listed below.

Preparing for Negotiations: Collective Bargaining

Session 1, Jan. 30, 1-3 p.m.
The collective bargaining process allows you to negotiate for wages, benefits and other conditions of employment. To be successful at the bargaining table, you must thoroughly research and develop your strategy. In this workshop, you will learn how to set realistic goals for your membership and collect the data needed to support your case.

Conducting Negotiations: Collective Bargaining

Session 2, Jan. 31, 8-10 a.m.
Actively negotiating a contract is one of the most important functions IAFF affiliate leadership can perform for members and is the key ingredient in fire fighter–employer relations. In this workshop, you will learn how to create ground rules that benefit unions, participate in mock negotiation sessions and learn how to apply bargaining techniques.

Negotiating Strategies for Tough Economic Times

Session 3, Jan. 31, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
We are a union regardless of the status of the economy. Therefore, when we are in tough economic times, we may adjust our mission but not change our vision to continually advance. These challenges may be in the form of decreased tax revenues, cuts in state aid to local government, or cuts in other sources of revenue. The reductions in revenue that result in municipal budget cuts have affected IAFF locals by influencing wages, benefits, or operational resources. This workshop will provide an understanding of how fiscal crises impact the negotiation process, as well as providing insight on how to address wages, benefits, working conditions, and staffing issues in tough times. The workshop will specifically address the above outlined issues for locals with collective bargaining agreements

Mock Negotiations and Mediation

Sessions 4-6, Jan. 31, 2-4 p.m. and Feb. 1, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
To get results at the bargaining table, a negotiator must be able to develop a bargaining strategy and master key negotiation skills. In this six-hour workshop, you will practice key negotiations skills and tactics in simulated, scenario-based negotiation sessions. You will learn how to strengthen your bargaining position, determine an acceptable settlement range, respond to common management tactics and objections, make concessions, package your proposals and work with mediators. This workshop is designed for affiliate leaders who have mastered the basics of negotiation and wish to improve their skills at the bargaining table.

POLITICS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS

118th Congress: What Comes Next?

Session 1, Jan. 30, 1-3 p.m.
NEW The 2022 mid-term elections have ushered in a new Congress and established new majorities on Capitol Hill. Instructors will review the election results, identify hot topics and themes for the incoming House and Senate majorities, and discuss the impacts these changes will have on the IAFF’s policy priorities. This class will provide opportunities for collaborative discussions about political trends at the national, state, and local levels.

Building Local Political Power

Session 3, Jan. 31, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Every decision about the pay, benefits, working conditions, and retirement of our members is made by someone elected to office or appointed by an elected official. This class discusses the information, tactics, and resources you need to in order to build political power to put to work for your members. In the lean budget years we may be facing, having political strength is essential for IAFF affiliates.

IAFF Legislative Priorities

Session 2, Jan. 31, 8-10 a.m.
The IAFF pursues a robust legislative agenda to enhance and protect members’ jobs, benefits, and health and safety, as well as provide them with the resources they need on the job. This class will provide newly elected leaders with comprehensive education about key IAFF legislative priorities. Instructors will discuss the IAFF legislative philosophy, major bills and initiatives, and future opportunities and challenges. Instructors will also lead a discussion on how affiliate leaders and IAFF members can participate in the department’s work.

Relational Organizing & Coalition Building

Session 4, Jan. 31, 2-4 p.m.
Relational organizing is the single most effective way to make direct contact with supporters, and countless organizations and movements have leveraged relational organizing with great success. Relational organizing is the act of mobilizing personal contacts within your network. It can be as simple as a call, text, talking at a community event, or even in the firehouse. Participants will learn how to build their coalition leveraging their contacts and network and how to build and expand political and legislative partnerships.

Planning a FIRE OPS 101 Event

Session 1, Jan. 30, 1-3 p.m.
FIRE OPS 101 is a unique event that teaches elected officials and community leaders about the risks and challenges involved in the fire service. At this event, decision-makers suit up in protective gear and put out fires, rescue victims and perform other duties that fire fighters and EMS workers do on the job. Through FIRE OPS 101, participants learn about the importance of sufficient staffing and the critical role that time plays on the scene of an emergency. A FIRE OPS 101 event is one of the most effective ways an IAFF local can build relationships with elected officials, the media, and department management. This workshop will focus on how to customize a FIRE OPS 101 event in your community.

Recruiting and Endorsing Candidates

Session 6, Feb. 1, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
For political candidates, the endorsement of fire fighters is the most coveted endorsement in campaigns today. The political action of an affiliate is what it takes to move fire service issues forward. In this workshop, you will learn how to select a candidate and campaign for political action, understand the endorsement process, and create a local endorsement process.

UNION ADMINISTRATION

Best Practices for Secretary/Treasurers (4 hours)

Sessions 2-3, Jan. 31, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Taking care of your local’s financial health is one of the most important responsibilities of a local leader. This four-hour session will break down the responsibilities of the Secretary, Treasurer, and Secretary-Treasurer role and provide valuable tips and tools for your local to utilize. From the basics of financial communications to fiduciary responsibilities to preparing your budget, this class will review the best practices involved in these important roles in your local. Led by GST Staff and experienced secretary/treasurers, the session will also address the importance of auditing and fiscal oversight to help build trust in your local’s financial health.

Consultants: New Spins on Old Tricks

Session 5, Feb. 1, 8-10 a.m.
COVID economy will renew the desire for decision makers to attack firefighters and EMS workers for cuts. Decision makers frequently rely on third party consultants to determine plans of action for public safety because they don’t understand what firefighters and EMS workers do. This workshop is designed to inform affiliate leaders how they can use their data, including publicly available resources, science, and subject matter expertise to refute their findings.

EMS Workload Analysis: Do You Have Enough Resources?

Session 4, Jan. 31, 2-4 p.m.
The provision of EMS response is an essential service that government must provide. However, for this service to be effective and efficient, it must be staffed and positioned appropriately to address emergencies in an equitable manner. When creating a staffing and deployment plan, it is important to understand how many units need to be in service and where they should be positioned. This course will outline how the IAFF utilizes demand and workload to calculate the necessary number of units to have in service and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to determine the optimal locations for units to be positioned.

Hands-on QuickBooks and Financial Reporting Training

Session 4, Jan. 31, 2-4 p.m.
QuickBooks can make a Secretary-Treasurer’s job easier, but it can be a difficult program to learn and navigate. This class will provide hands-on learning from seasoned secretary-treasurers to make sure that your local is getting the full benefit from using QuickBooks. Additional one-on-one time is also available for those interested in learning the trick of the QuickBooks trade.

Frontline Union Representative Basics

Session 5, Feb. 1, 8-10 a.m.
This workshop addresses the knowledge and skills involved in effectively enforcing contract provisions and representing workers’ rights with your fire service management and jurisdiction. It will introduce and explore the issues and best practices involved in handling grievances, enforcing contract language, and handling discipline issues. Additionally, this workshop reviews ways that key union personnel can inform membership on the benefits of union membership and active involvement.

Introduction to Grievances

Session 3, Jan. 31, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Session 6, Feb. 1, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
The manner in which you process grievances will determine how quickly they are resolved and how your members will perceive you. A good understanding of the grievance process will better enable you to enforce the collective bargaining agreement and avoid costly arbitration hearings. In this workshop, you will learn how to evaluate and file a grievance, reduce your chances of receiving a DFR claim, and develop effective grievance strategies. This workshop is ideal for local union officers and grievance committee members who have limited experience with grievances.

Local Union Administration

Session 3, Jan. 31, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Designed to help affiliate leaders achieve goals for their locals, this course teaches the skills necessary to be effective in any role as a union officer. Information is provided on the duties of each local union officer, as well as the responsibilities of the executive board and other committees in the local. It will also acquaint participants with the various services and assistance available from the IAFF.

Negotiating Strategies for Tough Economic Times

Session 1, Jan 30, 1-3 p.m.
We are a union regardless of the status of the economy. Therefore, when we are in tough economic times, we may adjust our mission but not change our vision to continually advance. These challenges may be in the form of decreased tax revenues, cuts in state aid to local government, or cuts in other sources of revenue. The reductions in revenue that result in municipal budget cuts have affected IAFF locals by influencing wages, benefits, or operational resources. This workshop will provide an understanding of how fiscal crises impact the negotiation process, as well as providing insight on how to address wages, benefits, working conditions, and staffing issues in tough times. The workshop will specifically address the above outlined issues for locals with collective bargaining agreements or a formal negotiation process.

Organizing the Unorganized

Session 1, Jan 30, 1-3 p.m.
From Right to Work States to Collective Bargaining States every professional firefighter deserves to be represented by the IAFF. Both internal and external organizing brings Safety, Security, Dignity, and a Voice to those that are not represented. This session will provide you with the tools to begin your own organizing campaign.

Overview of the ADA and ACA

Session 4, Jan. 31, 2-4 p.m.
NEW This workshop provides an overview of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the amendments which now make it officially the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA). This workshop will also address the Accessibility Canada Act (ACA) and similar legislation in Quebec and Ontario. The workshop will explore the basic principles of the legislation, examples of how it applies to fire service employees, plus case studies and Q&A.

Parliamentary Procedures

Session 1, Jan. 30, 1-3 p.m.
Session 3, Jan. 31, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
This interactive course on Parliamentary Procedure is an interactive learning experience designed to give participants the ability and confidence to fully prepare for and participate in a meeting and to understand and exercise their rights as members. It covers topics such as making motions, amending and disposing of motions, presiding, the roles of the officers, the bylaws, committees, reports, voting, secret ballots, elections, the minutes, and the role of the board. Questions are encouraged.

Predicting Your Incidents: Best Practices for Community Risk Assessment

Session 6, Feb. 1, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Risk assessment is a fundamental part of a fire department organization and deployment of resources as well as a key component of the accreditation process. Understanding the risk in a community means determining the likelihood of incidents, the consequences that incidents can have on the community, and the impact on the responding agency. The analysis of demographic and socio-economic data enables quantitative forecasts of the risk.

Preparing for Grievance Arbitration: Choosing an Arbitrator

Session 4, Jan 31, 2-4 p.m.
Despite your best efforts to resolve all disputes internally, some grievances cannot be settled at the local level and must be heard by a neutral arbitrator. To win at arbitration, a union leader must be well prepared and have a good understanding of the arbitration process. This workshop will give you an overview of arbitration procedures and protocol, methods for selecting an arbitrator and strategies for cutting costs. This workshop is ideal for local union officers and grievance committee members who work in collective bargaining environments and have limited experience with grievances.

Preparing for Grievance Arbitration: Contract Language

Session 5, Feb. 1, 8-10 a.m.
The collective bargaining agreement is a contract between union and management that outlines the wages, benefits and working conditions for fire fighters. To maintain flexibility in the workplace, negotiators sometimes include language in the agreement that is ambiguous or general in nature. Occasionally, this ambiguity leads to disputes between the two parties over the meaning of the contract. When these disputes are brought to arbitration, the arbitrator must determine which interpretation is the most reasonable and best reflects the mutual intent of the parties. This workshop will teach you how arbitrators consider contract language, past practice and other contributing factors in order to reach a decision.

Preparing for Grievance Arbitration: Evaluating Evidence

Session 6, Feb. 1, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
To win your case in grievance arbitration, it is crucial to have evidence to back up your arguments and assertions. Without sufficient evidence, it is difficult to convince an arbitrator to rule in your favor. This workshop will teach you how to gather evidence, identify the types of evidence admissible in arbitration and determine which types carry the most weight with arbitrators. This workshop is ideal for local union officers and grievance committee members who have limited experience with grievances.

Resources Impact on Response

Session 5, Feb. 1, 8-10 a.m.
Providing a timely response to emergencies is crucial for a fire department. NFPA 1710 establishes precise objectives for the travel time to the scene of incidents. Travel times depend on the distribution of department resources and department workload, as well as on city-specific factors, such as traffic, one-way roads, and geographic barriers. Predicting how the interplay of these factors affects travel times when resources are added or removed is often difficult. The IAFF developed a forecasting software, based on the combination of Geographic Information System tools and Computer Aided Dispatch data, which allows to simulate how travel times and the workload of a department are affected by adding or removing units, closing, or opening stations, and by any other change in the response model of the department. The software considers real world factors, such as historical traffic level in the jurisdiction, variations in the calls volume during the day, and can be adapted to any response model as desired. This course will show examples of the IAFF forecasting tools applied to several fire departments.

Subsidy Tracker and GASB

Session 5, Feb. 1, 8-10 a.m.
NEW States and cities spend an estimated $70 billion per year on corporate tax breaks and other subsidies called “incentives.” But as some IAFF locals are learning, secretly-negotiated “megadeals” can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars per job! These costly giveaways can actually undermine the tax base for public safety. Good Jobs First will explain how to expose specific deals with its Subsidy Tracker database and also how to document the total harm to public budgets thanks to the government accounting rule called GASB Statement 77. The first step to curbing corporate welfare is sunshine!

The Family Medical Leave Act

Session 3, Jan. 31, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
A detailed examination of the Family Medical Leave Act and similar Canadian laws and regulations and how they apply to public employees, with examples, case studies and Q&A. Additional attention will be paid to state/provincial/local FMLA-like laws as well as paid leave laws in the United States and Canada.

Using Your GIS as a Tool to Change

Session 6, January 12, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Using Your GIS as a Tool to Push, Pry, Pull, and Shove Your Way into Change. A Geographic Information System (GIS) coupled with Workload Analysis are two great ways for you to start owning your data. However, although these resources could stand on their own, their power is tied to your ability to use the data, tell your story, and build winning arguments. This workshop will show local leaders how to gather necessary data, assess their community risk, interpret a workload capacity, and explain how the results can inform fire service administration. Join us to see the resources the IAFF has provide fire department operations insight.

UNION ADMINISTRATION TRACK

Understanding Union Leadership

Session 1, Jan. 30, 1-3 p.m.
This workshop will address many facets of being a union officer, including the responsibilities associated with each role. This workshop will also address how to be a union advocate, using the skills of the executive board, and how to organize members and increase their participation to build a stronger local.

Frontline Union Representative Basics

Session 2, Jan. 31, 8-10 a.m.
This workshop addresses the knowledge and skills involved in effectively enforcing contract provisions and representing workers’ rights with your fire service management and jurisdiction. It will introduce and explore the issues and best practices involved in handling grievances, enforcing contract language, and handling discipline issues. Additionally, this workshop reviews ways that key union personnel can inform membership on the benefits of union membership and active involvement.

Local Union Administration

Overview of Employment Law

Session 4, Jan. 31, 2-4 p.m.
This workshop will provide you with an overview of the employment laws that affect fire fighters and emergency workers. You will learn how the courts define harassment and discrimination in the workplace and how to respond to members who believe their rights have been violated. This workshop will help you better serve the needs of your membership.

Introduction to Grievances

Session 5, Feb. 1, 8-10 a.m.
The manner in which you process grievances will determine how quickly they are resolved and how your members will perceive you. A good understanding of the grievance process will better enable you to enforce the collective bargaining agreement and avoid costly arbitration hearings. In this workshop, you will learn how to evaluate and file a grievance, reduce your chances of receiving a DFR claim, and develop effective grievance strategies. This workshop is ideal for local union officers and grievance committee members who have limited experience with grievances.

Municipal Financial Analysis

Session 6, Feb. 1, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
This workshop is designed to educate affiliate leaders about municipal financial analysis (FMA). In order to ensure proper staffing and reasonable wage and benefit increases, a local must know the basic financial condition of its government, as well as what monies are available to fund its needs. Municipal financial analysis is a service provided by the IAFF that examines a jurisdiction’s financial records and determines its financial condition. The value of the analysis is dependent on affiliate leaders effectively understanding the key indicators of a government’s financial condition and knowing how to use the information appropriately.

UNION LEADERSHIP TRACK

Local Union Governance

Session 1, Jan. 30, 1-3 p.m.
Through its constitution and by-laws, your local establishes its basic organization, including the duties and responsibilities of your local union officers, executive board and committees, as well as the various procedures that govern different types of meetings. Your local’s constitution and by-laws should provide the precepts necessary for governing your members. It should meet their needs, as well as be flexible for reasonable and future change. In this module, you will learn the important aspects of your local’s constitution and by-laws, be given tools to understand how this document influences your role as a union leader and learn how to properly govern your local based on this important text.

Increasing Membership Participation

Session 2, Jan. 31, 8-10 a.m.
The strength of a local depends on the active involvement of its members. Whether it’s a committee meeting, political campaign, or public relations effort, your members make the difference between success and failure. This workshop provides methods to increase member participation and build an effective union.

Generational Differences

Session 3, Jan. 31, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Currently, there are as many as four generations employed and working side by side in fire departments throughout the U.S. and Canada. Each generation brings its own individual values and behaviors, and these can be a source of conflict in the workplace. This workshop will examine each of the four generations in a humorous way, providing a better understanding of generational behavior, the value that each generation brings to the workplace, why conflict exists among them, and identify communications styles that work for each.

IAFF Union Leadership: Self-Awareness

Session 4, Jan. 31, 2-4 p.m.
What kind of leader am I and what kind of leader do I want to be? This workshop will help IAFF affiliate leaders learn what kind of union leaders they are and will provide them with several tools to become more effective leaders. During this workshop, participants will identify their own leadership styles and will learn how those styles are perceived by and impact the members that they lead.

IAFF Union Leadership: Leading Organization Change

Session 5, Feb. 1, 8-10 a.m.
How Can I Help Our Union Become More Effective? This workshop will provide tools to help affiliate leaders become more effective as IAFF locals continue to evolve to meet the serious challenges facing our union and our members in the 21st century. During the workshop, participants will learn how to assess and to prioritize union resources and leverage and how to engage in strategic planning to establish and achieve effective organizational goals.

IAFF Union Leadership: Culture, Communications & Coalitions

Session 6, Feb. 1, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
During the workshop, you will identify and learn how to effectively model union values while communicating with the membership, building an effective culture of union solidarity, and creating and working with coalitions to achieve local IAFF political and legislative goals.

Travel & Lodging

Hotel

Harrah’s Las Vegas SOLD OUT
3475 S. Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89109

Overflow Hotels:

The IAFF has secured additional room blocks at the Flamingo Las Vegas (use code SFALT3) and the Horseshoe Las Vegas (use code SBALT3). Click here to reserve a room at either hotel.

Conference Center

Caesars Forum
3911 S. Koval Lane
Las Vegas, NV 89109

Airlines

Air Canada: ATHPVJQ1
This a promotion code for the convention product. To book a flight with your promotion code, access aircanada.com and enter your promotion code in the Promotion Code Box to qualify for the Meeting and Conventions special fares

Delta: NY257
Delta Air Lines is pleased to offer special discounts for IAFF
Please click here to book your flights.
You may also call Delta Meeting Network® at 1.800.328.1111* Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. (EST) and refer to Meeting Event Code NY257
*Please note, there is no service fee for reservations booked and ticketed via our reservation 800 number.

United: ZMRK254340
We are pleased to partner with United Airlines for air travel to our upcoming event. To make flight reservations online, please click discount code: ZMRK254340
You make also call United Meetings Reservations Desk Monday-Friday at (800) 426-1122 for booking assistance.

Speaker Information

Hours

Sunday, Jan. 29	Set-Up: 8 a.m.–12 p.m. Hours: 1–5 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 30	7 a.m.–5 p.m. Closed for General Session: 9:15–11:30 a.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 31	8 a.m.–2 p.m. (followed by breakdown)

SATURDAY, JAN. 28

SUNDAY, JAN. 29

MONDAY, JAN. 30

TUESDAY, JAN. 31

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 1

SUNDAY, JAN. 29

FIRE OPS 101 (Train-the-Trainer) 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Fit To Thrive (F2T) Program Implementation 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

IAFF Resiliency Training: How to Bend, Not Break 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Responding to the Interface (RTI) Introduction 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Union Skills for New Officers 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

MONDAY, JAN. 30

3:30-4:30 p.m.

Digital Brand Building for Beginners

Directors & Officers Liability Insurance/Labor Organization Bond

FIREPAC

Per Capita Forum With General Secretary-Treasurer Frank Líma

Public Safety Officer Benefits (PSOB): What Are These Benefits and Who Gets Them?

Pension Analysis Q&A

Responding to the Interface

Special Need Trusts and Life Care Planning

Story Maps: Using Technology to Tell a Better Story

Working With the Media

MONDAY, JAN. 30

Session 1, Jan. 30, 1-3 p.m.

TUESDAY, JAN. 31

Session 2, Jan. 31, 8-10 a.m.

Session 3, Jan. 31, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Session 4, Jan. 31, 2-4 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 1

Session 5, Feb. 1, 8-10 a.m.

Session 6, Feb. 1, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

CANADIAN WORKSHOPS

COMMUNICATIONS AND STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

FEDERAL FIRE FIGHTER TRAINING

FINANCIAL CORPORATION

GRANTS

HEALTH AND SAFETY

HEALTH INSURANCE AND PENSION

HUMAN RELATIONS

LEADERSHIP

LEGAL

NEGOTIATIONS BOOTCAMP TRACK

POLITICS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS

UNION ADMINISTRATION

UNION ADMINISTRATION TRACK

UNION LEADERSHIP TRACK

Hotel

Conference Center

Airlines

Hours

FIRE OPS 101 (Train-the-Trainer)
8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Fit To Thrive (F2T) Program Implementation
8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

IAFF Resiliency Training: How to Bend, Not Break
8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Responding to the Interface (RTI) Introduction
8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Union Skills for New Officers
8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.