It has been a busy year and we’re only in February.
The first 31 days of the year saw IAFF on the frontlines of major incidents, including the New Orleans terrorist attack, devastating California wildfires, the helicopter/plane crash near Reagan National Airport, and a medical jet crash in Philadelphia.
“IAFF members faced some of the toughest calls imaginable in January,” General President Edward Kelly said. “Each time, no matter the circumstance, they responded with the skill the public counts on and expects from fire fighters and emergency medical workers.”
IAFF members faced some of the toughest calls imaginable in January. Each time, no matter the circumstance, they responded with the skill the public counts on and expects from fire fighters and emergency medical workers.”
General President edward kelly
On Jan. 1, Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar drove his truck onto a crowded sidewalk on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing 15 people and injuring at least 57 more. The FBI classified the incident as an act of terrorism.
New Orleans Local 632 members responded to the scene to provide emergency medical care to the victims as law enforcement worked to stop Jabbar and protect the public.
Kelly, who was in town shortly after the incident to attend the IAFF’s Affiliate Leadership Training Summit, met the members who responded to the attack.
“Responding to that, you really have to muster your courage. You have to worry about secondary devices. You have to put your life on the line,” he told local media. “That’s what fire fighters do day in and day out.”
Their heroic efforts were honored during the Super Bowl February 9 in New Orleans.
On Jan. 7, a series of destructive wildfires ignited in and around Los Angeles, killing at least 29 people and burning or damaging 18,000 homes and structures. Twelve of those homes belonged to IAFF members.
As thousands of IAFF members were out fighting the fires, which were exacerbated by dry conditions and the Santa Ana winds, the IAFF was on the ground assisting impacted IAFF members, especially those who were displaced. Kelly and General Secretary-Treasurer Frank Líma, a Los Angeles Local 112 member, toured the devastation and met with crews on the frontlines.
Once the fires were under control, there was still work to do.
IAFF Chief Science Advisor Dr. Derek Urwin, a Los Angeles County Local 1014 fire fighter and adjunct professor at UCLA, is leading a critical research initiative to better understand the environmental exposures fire fighters faced during the wildfires and the long-term health impacts.
On Jan. 29, an American Airlines flight and a military helicopter collided near Ronald Reagan International Airport in Washington, D.C., sending both aircrafts and passengers into the Potomac River.
Among the first responders were fire fighters from Washington, DC Local 36 and Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority Local 3217. IAFF members from several locals in Maryland and Virginia also responded.
Local 36 President David Hoagland told CNN his members worked past exhaustion, searching for the crash victims and would remain there until the job was done.
The bodies of all 67 victims have been recovered.
And on Jan. 31, another deadly plane crash occurred – this time, a medical jet that had just departed Northeast Philadelphia Airport. All six passengers and one person on the ground were killed.
More than 200 Philadelphia, PA Local 22 members responded to the scene. They fought multiple structure and car fires ignited by the fiery plane crash.
“Fire fighters and emergency medical workers prepare for all hazards,” Kelly said. “Just minutes after someone calls 9-1-1, IAFF members are on scene and doing what’s needed to save lives and protect property. No matter the emergency, we show up. It’s the oath we take, and it’s a promise the public can count on.”
