Next week’s 2024 IAFF Legislative Conference, from March 3 to 6 in Washington, D.C., will allow members to engage directly with legislators and advocate for crucial issues affecting fire fighters’ jobs, health, safety, and economic security.
The Alfred K. Whitehead Legislative Conference has long been the cornerstone of the IAFF’s legislative efforts. Over the years, the IAFF has won many significant victories – such as creating a national fire fighter cancer registry, establishing the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program to support safe staffing, ensuring the first responders of 9/11 receive the health care they deserve, and defeating legislation designed to undermine our members’ defined benefit pensions – due in large measure to the work of local IAFF leaders at this conference.
We spoke with two members about what they look forward to the most at the annual IAFF Legislative Conference and why it’s important to build relationships with their elected officials.
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Roy Cormier, Local 341, Houston, TX
Q: Have you ever been to the IAFF Legislative Conference and what is your favorite part of the event?
A: I have been to the Legislative Conference, and I normally go annually. It is a great conference to go to. One of the highlights for me is that it allows you to reach out to your U.S. Representatives and Senators and push some of the IAFF’s political agenda items. This event has always brought about great speakers. In 2023, we had President Joe Biden, that was great to be there to hear his support for fire fighters firsthand. There have been great speakers in the past. I would say the IAFF even one year had Tucker Carlson, and he was a great speaker.
Q: What would you tell other members about building relationships with elected officials?
A: As the largest city in Texas, we have more representatives and senators than any other, so much of our effort is dedicated to ensuring that other cities understand their significance in this process. We cannot rely solely on Houston representatives to address all the needs of our city. Additionally, considering the committees each member serves on, a Houston-related issue might be overseen by a committee representative from Brownsville, for example. It is essential to involve firefighters from Brownsville, Dallas, San Antonio, and beyond. Building relationships with these groups is crucial for our success in addressing the needs of Houston firefighters, Texas firefighters, and the firefighting community.
Jon Harvey, President of the Ohio Association of Professional Fire Fighters
Q: Are you going to LegCon this year?
A: We are going. In Ohio, we make sure that we have our state leadership go, and we encourage our members to go, but the biggest thing for us being at LegCon is the ability to network with those politicians that we do not usually see in the state very often. Also, being a part of the political program and trying to push our agenda. It helps when we go in as the electorate to these politicians to be able to voice our opinions and what it means to the 13,000 professional fire fighters in the state of Ohio.
Q: How do you build relationships with elected officials or those running for office?
A: Most politicians love the idea of fire fighters. It is convincing them that we need more than just a pat on the back. The IAFF gets it right 100 percent. We support those who support us, and that motto goes a long way. In Ohio, we have switched our political program to show us your support by doing something, not just telling us. We have tied some of our political contributions to what people are doing and really reached out to both sides of the aisle and tried to grab those moderates that we can work with, and that has been the biggest help for us.”
Q: What is your advice to other members about being more politically involved in local, state, and national politics?
A: A lot of our members like to think our job is not political, and every part of our job is political. The gear we wear, the trucks we ride on, the wages we make are all voted on by politicians, and our pension is controlled by the state legislator. Every aspect is political. If you are not engaging in that you are asking someone else to win the game for you. As fire fighters, we rush into a burning building to extinguish flames; we do not stand outside and expect someone else to put it out for us; if we do the house will just burn to the ground. Locals that are not engaged politically, it will just burn to the ground eventually.”
