Our Wins

The IAFF had major legislative victories on Capitol Hill this summer, including securing the passage of the Fire Grants and Safety Act, making important progress on a bill to honor our fallen heroes, and more.

The new funding will allow the IAFF’s HazMat Training Department to certify more than 2,000 fire fighters in proper HazMat response, helping to keep them and their communities safe during hazardous material exposures.

After reiterating his belief of the importance of fire fighters in communities big and small, President Biden signed the bipartisan Fire Grants and Safety Act into law.

The bipartisan Fire Grants and Safety Act sailed through the Senate by a vote of 88-2 in a strong show of support for America’s fire fighters. This bill reauthorizes AFG/SAFER grant funding to ensure fire fighters have the training, equipment, and staffing they need to protect their communities.

The change comes amid a series of rail transit reforms following the 2023 Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. The new rule will ensure fire fighters and other emergency response workers know what hazardous materials are traveling through their communities.

The California Court of Appeals ruling is the latest development in a decades-long legal fight between Local 1319 and the City of Palo Alto over collective bargaining rights.

IAFF-endorsed legislation to fund the removal of AFFF – a common PFAS-laden firefighting foam – from use at U.S. airports was included as part of the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act.

Boeing, facing multiple federal investigations for repeated safety violations, eventually returned to the negotiating table following weeks of pressure from IAFF members, political leaders, and the public. A contract that met the needs of I-66 members was eventually agreed to on May 30.

Following a unanimous vote from the Board of Supervisors, San Francisco joined Concord, New Hampshire and Vancouver, British Columbia as the third North American city to require the removal of PFAS from fire fighter turnout gear and other personal protection equipment.

The path to collective bargaining in Virginia opened in May 2021 when a law allowing the process went into effect. Now after years of negotiations, Fairfax County Local 2486 is the fourth Virginia IAFF Local to have a collective bargaining agreement in place.

Oregon State Representative Dacia Grayber (D-Portland) dreamed of wearing a fire fighter’s uniform as a child. Now, after 16 years on the job, she’s taking her experiences in the fire service to the Oregon State House – and fighting for the issues that matter most.

Recognizing the similarities between union involvement and holding public office, fire fighter and former Local 727 President Jayson French used the knowledge he gained at IAFF Political Training Academy to secure a seat on the Tequesta, Florida city council.

After tragically losing his wife to lung cancer, Hudson Local 3154 member Chris Wyman advocated tirelessly for a bill to establish early detection screenings for retired and active career fire fighters across New Hampshire.

In a move hailed as a milestone in public health, the Biden Administration’s EPA issued a ban on the ongoing use of raw chrysotile asbestos, a hazardous carcinogen found in various consumer goods and one of the main causes of occupational cancer in fire fighters.

FIREPAC works to build collective power by backing campaigns and candidates that prioritize fire fighter concerns – such as longtime Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett, who secured a historic third term in office with the support of Indianapolis Local 416 and FIREPAC.

Houston Local 341 President Marty Lancton and Board of Directors member Roy Cormier shed light on the Local’s political efforts and the pivotal role IAFF resources played in ensuring pro-labor Mayor John Whitmire secured the city’s top job.

The right-to-work law had – since 2012 – prohibited unions from requiring nonunion employees to pay dues, even if they bargained on their behalf. MPFFU members continued to fight on behalf of unions until the repeal was passed in March 2023 and signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Richard Sacco, a respected retired fire captain and Canton, OH Local 249 member, with a lifelong dedication to public service, has triumphed in the Canton City Council Ward 8 election, bringing his passion and commitment to the forefront of local governance.

Austin, TX Local 975 – with assistance from the IAFF’s General Counsel – won a battle with a group of taxpayers funded by the Goldwater Institute over contract-protected association time in the Texas Court of Appeals.

H.R. 6946 seeks to establish a fund for military fire fighters to provide timely, adequate compensation to current and former military fire fighters and survivors suffering from illnesses related to on-the-job PFAS exposure.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, with the strong support of the Professional Fire Fighters Association of New Jersey (PFANJ), signed legislation into law extending workers’ compensation coverage for fire fighters, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), and paramedics who suffer fatal cardiac events or strokes.

Houston fire fighters had been without a contract since 2017, when negotiations with then-Mayor Sylvester Turner hit an impasse. The high court ruled in favor of Local 341, saying the city violated state law by refusing to resolve its contract dispute with the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association.

New professional fire fighters on the job in Illinois are learning the foundations of the labor movement thanks to advocacy from the AFFI.

South Fulton, GA Local 3920 achieved yet another historic milestone as its members unanimously voted to ratify their collective bargaining agreement, securing approval from the City of South Fulton for a new contract with the support of the IAFF.

Motion M-96 points out shortfalls in the Canadian Aviation Regulations requirements for airport firefighting and asks the Canadian Government to bring them up to International Civil Aviation Organization standards.

The SAFER grant will fund the salaries and benefits of 72 Philadelphia fire fighters/EMTs at Engine 6, Ladder 1, and Ladder 11 for three years.

The Boeing Fire Fighters Local I-66 St. Louis, Missouri, chapter has won a new contract after facing threats of a lockout from one of the largest corporations in the world.

In the face of mounting pressure from the IAFF and others, Newark, New Jersey, officials recently proposed several safety measures after two fire fighters – Augusto “Augie” Acabou and Wayne “Bear” Brooks Jr – died responding to a July cargo ship fire.

Advocacy by Orillia, ON Local 1100 and the Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association saved the jobs of four member dispatchers after the city reversed a decision made to contract out the service.

Morgantown, WV Local 313 fire fighters won holiday backpay dating to 2014 after the State Supreme Court ruled in their favor. Morgantown fire fighters were not being fully compensated for holiday hours in a dispute with the city that dates to at least 1985.