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After weeks of aggressively lobbying the Virginia General Assembly, the Virginia Professional Fire Fighters (VPFF) has made great progress on three major legislative priorities, including added protections for members diagnosed with certain cancers and post-traumatic stress. Legislation also passed to allow for collective bargaining with a delay in implementation due to financial concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

An April 11 report in The Washington Post confirms what many IAFF affiliates and local jurisdictions have been experiencing firsthand for some time – that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has failed to secure, prioritize and deliver adequate supplies of N95 masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) to fire and EMS departments.

The Fiscal Year 2019 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) application period is  now open. The application deadline is Friday, May 15, 2020, at 5:00 p.m. (ET). There is $350 million available in federal grants to add fire fighters to departments in need. Career, combination and volunteer fire departments are eligible to apply.

New interim guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for Implementing Safety Practices for Critical Infrastructure Workers Who May Have Had Exposure to a Person With Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19 permits essential staff to continue working as long as they remain asymptomatic, even if they’ve been exposed to a positive COVID-19 patient or symptomatic coworker.

The IAFF is saddened to report the deaths of two members from the COVID-19 virus this week – Chicago, IL Local 2 member Mario Araujo and Detroit, MI Local 344 member Franklin Williams.

The IAFF is saddened to report the death of former IAFF 8th District Vice President Daniel “Danny” Delegato on March 21 at the age of 94.  

Fire fighters and emergency medical personnel will receive billions in aid from an economic stimulus package, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, to address the response to and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The IAFF lobbied with Congress and the administration to ensure fire and EMS needs were included in the bill, which passed the Senate by a vote of 96-0, passed the House by voice vote and was signed into law.

The IAFF and FirstNet Built with AT&T, in a public-private partnership with the First Responder Network Authority, are committed to educating fire fighters and paramedics about the benefits of FirstNet and the impact it can have on public safety communications during these critical times.

After receiving Peer Support Training from the IAFF, two Alabama members – Hoover Local 4035 member Toby Rigsby and Pelham Local 5049 member Jim Terrell – are developing Alabama’s first statewide peer support program for fire fighters.

Southwest, IN Local 5259 is one of the newest affiliates to join the IAFF.