IAFF leadership testifies at the Senate Commerce, Science and Technology Committee in support of the nomination of Gordon Vickery as administrator of the U.S. Fire Administration and the re-authorization of the National Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974, among other legislative priorities.
The U.S. Civil Service Commission changes its name to the Office of Personnel Management. With the passage of the Civil Service Reform Act, PL 95-454, federal employees, managers and supervisors face numerous personnel policy changes that affect how management and unions work together.
The IAFF seeks to eliminate exclusions in the line-of-duty death benefits law. The Public Safety Officers Benefit (PSOB) Act of 1976 excludes from coverage fire fighter deaths caused by job-related diseases such as heart attacks.
Three Lubbock, Texas, fire fighters die in a smoky building fire at the Moris Kitchen and Ice Cream Parlor and two others are treated for smoke inhalation and released. Each man’s air by-pass valve had been turned on, indicating the men were aware of a foreign substance entering their air flow. Autopsy results indicated evidence of smoke inhalation, traces of carbon monoxide and internal hemorrhaging.
The U.S. Fire Administration awards the IAFF a $30,000 contract to develop a new set of data elements for more detailed reporting of fire fighter injuries and illnesses.
The union of fire fighters has not survived for six decades by crying in a corner when things don’t go just the way we want them to. We learn early in our firefighting careers about adversity and danger. But we also learn that eventually every fire is contained … and this is the basis for my wishes to you for a very Happy New Year in 1979!
William H. McClennan, IAFF President (1969-1980)
The IAFF hosts a three-day “Open Learning Fire Service Program” meeting in Washington, DC, with representatives from colleges and universities participating in a pilot test.
The U.S. Department of Labor concludes that the wages of production workers in states with right-to-work laws compare poorly to the wages of the same workers in the 30 states without right-to-work laws.
The IAFF criticizes NIOSH over its failure to regulate the Scott Aviation Corporation’s breathing apparatus sooner, which might have prevented the deaths of three Lubbock, Texas, fire fighters. After three years of IAFF prodding, NIOSH issues a USERS WARNING and STOP SALES recommendation to the manufacturer. Scott Aviation agrees to provide retrofit packages free of charge to fire departments after considerable advocacy by IAFF.
Three Etobicoke, Ontario, fire fighters are killed battling a fire at the Kimberly-Clark paper company. The fire had started in an area at the back of the plant where 600-pound rolls of paper were stacked, five rolls high. The company’s sprinklers were working and had saturated paper near the fire by the time the fire fighters arrived. The lower rolls had absorbed so much water that they were starting to sag under the weight of the others. The three fire fighters were killed when the rolls of paper suddenly collapsed under the weight of water and fell on them.
IAFF President William H. McClennan announces his decision to not seek re-election at the 1980 IAFF Convention in Toronto.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, fire fighters are the most heavily organized group of public employees in the United States, with 72 percent holding union membership.
The IAFF offers collector prints ($15), mugs ($18) and clocks ($40) from the mural “The Last Alarm” by Lynn Campbell for sale to members. Partial proceeds benefit the IAFF Scholarship Fund.
The IAFF’s “1978 Annual Death and Injury Survey” shows a decrease in fire fighter deaths from occupational diseases and in the line of duty.
An IAFF survey proves that binding arbitration laws prevent the incidence of strike action by fire fighter local unions.
The IAFF launches a petition drive to collect signatures of millions of Americans demanding the immediate and unconditional release of the hostages who have been held since November 4, 1979, at the American Embassy in Teheran.
In the early 1980s, fire departments begin embracing physical fitness programs as long as they are “not used as a ruse to eliminate someone from his job.” Reasons for implementing fitness programs included the supposition that “a physically fit fire fighter is not likely to be seriously injured as often and hence put on early retirement.” One of the first locals to participate in a fitness program was Ogden, UT Local 1654.
The IAFF mourns the passing of two labor leaders, former AFL-CIO President George Meany and former IAFF Secretary-Treasurer George Richardson.
The IAFF enlists the aid of U.S. Vice President Walter Mondale to standardize entry requirements for paid professional fire fighters in the United States.
IAFF President William H. McClennan and U.S. Fire Administration Administrator Gordon Vickery send a letter to the Washington Post regarding an article on the disparity of funds allocated towards the promotion of fire fighters versus mine workers’ safety, contending that fire fighter resources are much more limited, but health and safety issues are paramount nonetheless.
Fifteen state legislatures enact new arbitration laws, or amend existing ones, affecting public employees’ rights. Most enactments strengthen arbitration procedures to settle bargaining disputes, provide remedies for injured parties in unfair labor practice proceedings and permit negotiations of agency shop contracts.
IAFF President William H. McClennan and other IAFF leaders testify before the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee on the Occupational Safety and Health Improvements Act of 1980, taking sharp exception to a bill that could exempt an estimated 90 percent of all workplaces from routine federal job safety inspections, potentially endangering fire fighters.
NBC’s late-night weekly television program, “Prime Time Saturday,” deals with the abuse of pension programs by fire fighters and police officers. IAFF President William H. McClennan complains to NBC that these abuses are rare and that the segment is “cheap journalism by one of our largest television broadcasting chains.”
With the entry of women in the fire service, the IAFF compiles a directory of “practical information” to address recruitment, physical performance testing and training of qualified women.
IAFF President William H. McClennan warns fire fighters of three challenges stemming from the problems of city financing: staffing, consolidation and privatization.
IAFF President William H. McClennan appoints a committee to study the feasibility of entering into an agreement with the American Educational Television Network to produce and telecast a variety of educational programs for fire fighters via satellite transmission.
Fire today is not the same as it was 40 or 50 years ago. The very buildings we fight them in are different. Different in make, design and material, both interior and exterior. Synthetic rubber, plastic pipes, fabricated wood, chemical parts – how do they respond to fire and heat? What gases do they produce and what price must we pay to find out?
Frank Palumbo, IAFF Secretary-Treasurer (1972-1980)
The IAFF partners with RJF Associates to develop a new injury reporting system for fire fighters that determines what causes accidents rather than who is responsible for them. The NFPA and USFA collect and produce data on numbers, types and circumstances of civilian fire-related injuries but comparatively little about fire fighter injuries.
The IAFF presents dramatic testimony at a congressional hearing on a bill to amend the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA). General President McClennan speaks in opposition to Richard Schwieker’s (R-PA) bill to exempt 90 percent of all workplaces from routine federal job safety inspections. IAFF Burns Coordinator Tom Herz shows the charred turnout gear that failed to protect him, resulting in third-degree burns on over 80 percent of his body and eight months of hospitalization.
In these days of budget cutting and tightening of purse strings and with the absence of mandated and enforced requirements, many of the public employers have put off the purchase of personal protective equipment for fire fighters.” He further noted that “after eight years of effort by the IAFF in getting OSHA to understand the seriousness of the occupational hazards involved in firefighting, we are fearful that our work will be nullified by the OSHA enforcement bill before us.
IAFF President William H. McClennan (1969-1980)
Retiring IAFF President William H. McClennan is honored for his 40 years of dedication to the fire service. More than 500 guests attend the event and donate more than $13,000 to the IAFF Scholarship Fund in his honor.
U.S. Secretary of Labor Ray Marshall signs into law standards regulating personal protective equipment for fire brigade personnel that serve as fire suppression forces in private industry.
The IAFF’s “1979 Annual Death and Injury Survey” shows that a leveling off of deaths and injuries may be taking place. But overall, the numbers remain high.
The IAFF and the Muscular Dystrophy Associations of America plan a series of six meetings in 17 states to encourage the greatest participation possible by membership in the MDAA’s 1980 fundraising campaign and annual Labor Day Telethon.
The Canadian Standards Association meets to consider the development of improved standards for self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and the use of personal alarm devices for fire fighters.
The IAFF holds its 35th Convention in Toronto, Canada. John A. Gannon is elected IAFF president and Martin E. Pierce is elected IAFF secretary-treasurer.
Two New York City fire fighters are killed during a building fire due to an unsafe nylon rope that failed to lower them to safety. A fire fighter was trapped on the seventh floor, and a second heard his cries for help and swung down from a roof on a nylon rope to rescue him. As they were about to be lowered to safety, the rope suddenly parted and both men fell to their deaths. Five weeks earlier, the fire department had been notified that their nylon ropes had been certified inferior and dangerous.
The IAFF closely monitors the U.S. Department of Transportation’s move to establish a “Third Service” composed of EMS personnel, separate from fire and police safety forces.
The IAFF signs a contract with the U.S. Fire Administration to conduct a series of emergency medical service management seminars.
When Jack Gannon was elected president, he was informed that the IAFF’s unpaid financial obligations were $262,000 but an audit reveals that the IAFF’s debt as of September 30 totals $882,142.29. Cost-cutting measures include a reduction in the cost of operations, such as publishing the International Fire Fighter in newspaper form beginning in January 1981.
A newly published government report, based on the 1977 Census of Governments, indicates that professional fire fighters are the most highly organized of all employees with 72.9 percent holding union membership.
Attorneys representing 11 IAFF districts attend a legal seminar to study some of the special legal problems that face fire fighters throughout the United States and Canada, including impasse and strike legislation problems; supervisory representation issues; federal constitutional issues arising in disciplinary proceedings; federal law prohibiting age discrimination; and the International Constitution and By-laws.
The IAFF teams up with the American Red Cross to establish two prestigious lifesaving awards to be given to fire fighters who have saved a life using techniques learned during Red Cross training.
Members of Washington, DC Local 36 operate aerial ladders to form a giant steel arch for the return of 52 American hostage diplomats who were illegally seized at the U.S. Embassy in Iran and spent 444 days in captivity.
President Ronald Reagan establishes a Commission on Pension Policy to examine the nation’s retirement systems and to develop recommendations for changes that would address current problems, including employee pensions, Social Security, disability, public assistance and inflation indexing.
The IAFF considers Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, no friend of organized labor. While Sandra D. O’Conner served in the Arizona state Senate from 1969 to 1974, she backed a farm labor law that prohibited secondary boycotts and provided for a 10-day injunction in the case of strikes around the harvest time. That law effectively destroyed the United Farm Workers’ organizing campaign in Arizona. O’Conner also supported legislation that would have prevented unions in Arizona from contributing to political campaigns.
Senator John Glenn of Ohio and Representative Dale E. Kildee of Michigan re-introduce the $50,000 death benefit bill for federal fire fighters.
The IAFF receives written assurance that President Ronald Reagan does not plan to include federal, state and local government employees in the Social Security system.
The IAFF opposes contracting out as a strategy to eliminate federal fire fighters. The Commercial Industrial Type Activities (CITA) is the new name for the government agency program to contract out federal employee jobs to private contractors.
Now it is time for IAFF members to put aside the disputes and the bitter feelings which arise out of the convention and the election contests, and to work unitedly to build the union. With layoffs and budget cuts looming throughout the country, the IAFF has a solemn obligation to its members to fight for proper manning of fire departments, and for adequate pay and security, so the fire service will not fall victim to false economies that can create a heavy cost in both lives and property for the people of our country.
John A. Gannon, IAFF President (1980-1988)
Congress passes a proposal, endorsed by delegates at the last two IAFF conventions, that will help to prevent members’ income from being pushed into higher tax brackets.
William H. Gardner, a member of Kansas City, MO Local 42 and the last surviving charter member of the IAFF, dies – almost on the 63rd anniversary of the first historic Convention in Washington, DC. He was 92.
The IAFF publishes an article on the techniques of fast water rescue.
The IAFF sponsors an anti-union busting workshop following the passage of Resolution 169 at the 1980 Convention calling for a national seminar to study and combat union-busting tactics. The 230 members attending the workshop were provided a list of 81 anti-union firms – an “admittedly incomplete list.”
Canadian fire fighters interested in taking upper-level college courses are permitted for the first time to enroll in American colleges associated with the IAFF’s Open Learning Fire Service Program. Now in its fifth year of operation, the program has record enrollments at the nine participating U.S. colleges and universities.
IAFF President John A. Gannon tells the Labor News Conference radio listening audience that tax savings from fire department cutbacks are a “false economy” as they are more than offset by higher insurance rates.
Based on a grant from the U.S. Fire Administration, the IAFF makes burn prevention materials available to members for local public education campaigns. These include a poster, brochure, wallet card and resource reference brochure.
IAFF members raise $3.3 million for the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s annual Labor Day Telethon.
Two Boston, Massachusetts, fire fighters die January 6 when a blazing building collapses.
The IAFF receives a $700,000 loan from the International Brotherhood of Painters and Kelly Press (the IAFF’s union printer) to pay off the bulk of its outstanding operating debt. IAFF Secretary-Treasurer Martin E. Pierce urges locals to pay back taxes to help relieve the IAFF’s indebtedness. Arrears per capita total $325,000.
The IAFF’s “1980 Annual Death and Injury Survey” shows an increasing number of deaths from carcinogens.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that minimum salary scales for fire fighters across the country rose 7 percent during 1980, while maximums rose slightly more than 8 percent. However, the cost of living during the same period rose 12.4 percent.
Members of Edwards Air Force Base Local F-53 are trained to prepare for any potential emergency when the Columbia space shuttle returns from its maiden voyage.
IAFF Secretary-Treasurer Martin E. Pierce sets forth the International’s position on the role of volunteer fire fighters: that there is a need for volunteers in sparsely settled rural communities for a fire service, which is largely free, based on total inability to pay for around-the-clock, on-the-job, professional expertise. The IAFF opposes men and women who work in urban or suburban settings who volunteer without essential training or experience, placing themselves and the public at risk. Professional fire fighters are essential in urban and suburban areas.
A U.S. Air Force heart specialist recommends that there be a mandatory retirement age of 55 for all fire fighters. The basis for his controversial thesis is that routine stress tests are not sophisticated enough to detect hidden heart problems in many fire fighters and other more complicated, dangerous and expensive tests, such as cardiac catheterization and radionuclide imaging, would be too impractical and costly to administer. Further, since three out of four individuals 55 years and older have significant coronary artery disease, all fire fighters should be retired from firefighting duties at age 55.
IAFF President Jack Gannon presides over a press conference called by the IAFF over concerns that an inadequately staffed and under-resourced fire department resulted in a larger loss of life and property in the tragic MGM Grand Hotel fire that killed 100 people and injured scores of others. The Las Vegas Fire Department – like many others across the country – fall considerably below NFPA staffing levels.
When the Florida Public Employee Relations Committee (PERC) levied a $12,500 fine on the President of Hollywood, FL Local 1375, Douglas Macready, members of the union walked into a city commissioners meeting with a steel barrel and emptied 100,000 pennies and 80,000 nickels as a first installment on the payment for the fine against the union for a four-day sickout. “Since the city has nickel-and-dimed us all these years, we’ve decided to pay you in kind,” said Macready.
Members of Marion, IN Local 676 are featured on the cover of the International Fire Fighter after they are arrested for attempting to peacefully negotiate a contract with the city.
The IAFF begins a new eight-page publication, the IAFF Quarterly Review, which will be mailed to the presidents and secretaries of all U.S. and Canadian affiliates and cover important court cases, arbitration awards and other legal and quasi-legal matters of potential interest to local union officers.
Two Racine, Wisconsin, fire fighters are killed when a roof collapses during a fire.
Because of President Ronald Reagan’s proposed fiscal 1982 budget, the U.S. Fire Administration budget is cut by $400,000.
IAFF President John A. Gannon seeks FEMA aid in reducing wide-ranging personnel cuts in states and cities.
IAFF members’ letters to Congress help save the $50,000 Death Benefit Act from the Reagan administration’s budget axe. The House of Representatives overwhelmingly passes the death benefit bill as the result of an extensive IAFF lobbying campaign.
IAFF leaders meet with Office of Management and Budget leaders to discuss the contracting-out of federal fire fighter jobs to private contractors.
Congress begins hearings on the Public Employees Retirement Income Security Act (PERISA). The IAFF’s Social Security Committee works hard to formulate many of its major provisions to protect the pensions of public employees.
The American Lung Association calls on the federal government to take responsibility in providing adequate protection to the nation’s fire fighters in the increasingly hazardous environment in which they work.
The IAFF holds its 36th Convention in Chicago, Illinois. IAFF President John A. Gannon is re-elected and Alfred K. Whitehead is elected secretary-treasurer.
Despite the argument by some delegates that medical exams “would increase our ability to prove that cancers and heart disease are caused by fire service employment,” a resolution to encourage locals to negotiate comprehensive medical examinations for their members was defeated.
The Senate Armed Services Authorization bill, S-2248, passes the full Senate. The bill contains an amendment that prohibits contracting-out of firefighting and security functions. Congress ultimately passes a one-year ban on federal contracting out at military installations. This major victory is a result of the IAFF’s total grass-roots lobbying operation and the cooperation of its affiliates.
NIOSH reports that fire fighters are being exposed to high noise levels and show large amounts of hearing loss, calling for further research.
The IAFF publishes a 100-page booklet entitled, “Occupational Cancer and the Fire Fighter.” It analyzes the available data linking cancer to exposures at fire scenes.
The IAFF’s “1981 Annual Death and Injury Survey” shows a minimal increase in the number of occupational illness deaths. However, the causal factors of those deaths remain relatively constant: 60 percent due to heart disease, 33 percent due to cancer and 4 percent due to lung disease.
A John P. Redmond Foundation-funded study concludes that an organized, consistent exercise regimen can increase the physical fitness of fire fighters and improve their ability to perform job-related skills.
The IAFF and MDA launch a joint life safety program for the disabled. MDA plans to spend $325,000 to develop a prototype mechanical or electronic system containing fire and smoke alarm security warning systems and medical alert data for physically handicapped people, particularly those with muscular dystrophy. The IAFF sponsors a one-day workshop of the IAFF Life Safety Program for the Disabled.
The IAFF makes a commitment to the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) to undertake a joint fire awareness effort to reduce death and injury rates in homes.
For years, we have been told that the acute and chronic health effects associated with the profession of firefighting were merely an inherent and unavoidable part of our lives. During the past two years, we have made considerable progress in destroying that myth. The adverse health effects suffered by fire fighters, physical as well as psychological, are preventable.
John A. Gannon, IAFF President (1980-1988)
IAFF affiliates raise $3,350,000 for the Jerry Lewis 1982 MDA Telethon.
Two Chicago, Illinois, fire fighters, one a veteran and the other a rookie, are killed when elevator cables melt. The fire fighters were trying to reach a fire 25 floors up, but the melted cable plunged them to their deaths.
IAFF President John A. Gannon announces that the computer era has arrived at the IAFF. The Labor Relations Press of Philadelphia awards a contract to convert the IAFF Research Department to data processing for five projects. By August, the IAFF is ready to implement two new services for local affiliates: 1) computer arbitration and 2) salary and working conditions searches.
12th District Vice President Charlie Hall calls on IAFF members to consider entering the mainstream of the legislative process by running for public office. Hall resigned from the IAFF Executive Board to run for a seat in the Florida House of Representatives. He attributes much of his election success to fire fighters who knocked on doors urging voters to support him.
The IAFF Executive Board authorizes $60,000 to finance effective public campaigns against consolidation.
The IAFF’s financial status improves due to a strict austerity program. Debt is cut to $847,829 and positive net worth is $297,041.
IAFF President John A. Gannon sends a letter to each IAFF affiliate alerting them to the precautions that should be taken when SCBA are used in cold weather.
IAFF Secretary-Treasurer Martin E. Pierce publishes a column on affirmative action. He supports fire departments’ efforts to remove any artificial barriers to employment to ensure equal opportunity for all employees and to enlist qualified minorities and females through the comprehensive use of employment recruitment techniques. He states that affirmative action should be a solution not a dilution.
Two Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, paramedics die at a four-alarm fire. The fire department was deemed grossly understaffed and, as a result, the needless deaths occurred.
The IAFF/FIREPAC program is successful in raising $100,000 since 1981. In total, 76 percent of IAFF-endorsed U.S. House and Senate candidates win their races in the November 1982 elections.
The U.S. Fire Administration praises IAFF leaders for helping save it from extinction in the wake of a budget-cutting tidal wave that is sweeping the nation.
The IAFF speaks out against the Federal Aviation Administration’s disregard for the safety of passengers and the fire fighters who protect them by failing to upgrade aircraft fire protection. Following widespread adverse publicity that the IAFF generated at a press conference on this matter, the NTSB recommends improved ways to detect fires in lavatories and use of better breathing gear and smoke goggles by flight crews.
The AFL-CIO backs Walter Mondale for president of the United States, but the IAFF endorses no candidate.
The IAFF prepares for a Social Security showdown regarding mandatory universal coverage. A total of 334 delegates from 33 states attend a special two-day Social Security Conference sponsored by the IAFF.
The IAFF successfully negotiates a $500,000 grant to finance the IAFF/IAFC Apprenticeship Program.
The IAFF receives a $450,000 grant from the U.S. Fire Academy to complete Project FIRES to field test prototype protective clothing that will enhance fire fighter protection, provide increased mobility and reduce weight by 40 percent.
Due to low response rates, the IAFF does not publish a 1982 death and injury survey.
IAFF President John A. Gannon suggests to affiliates that local union newsletters may be the best way for them to keep in touch with their members.
I am really looking forward to the 1983 Labor Day Telethon and the opportunity to once again welcome Jack Gannon to the show to let all America know what a great job the men and women of the IAFF have done for ‘my kids.’ I love you for your dedication to victory over Muscular Dystrophy, and for your steadfast determination to help us achieve it.
Jerry Lewis, Chairman, MDAA Labor Day Telethon
The IAFF is deemed the number-one fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. IAFF affiliates raise $4.4 million for the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon.
The IAFF decides to allocate 15 cents per capita towards the 1984 Convention to ensure a debt-free conference.
The first woman fire fighter – Lisa Long, age 19, of Seattle, Washington – dies in the line of duty. Long answered an alarm at a small house fire on July 3, and the fire was quickly extinguished, but she suddenly collapsed while hauling fire hose. She was hospitalized overnight and released the next day. Two days later she was discovered unconscious by her roommate on the bathroom floor. She was rushed to the hospital for open heart surgery and died on the operating table from a pulmonary embolism.
The IAFF hires an outside accounting firm to do a complete “clean audit” of the International’s finances. The Audit finds that the IAFF is facing a $1 million plus deficit, and the Executive Board implements an austerity program, laying off staff, reducing the International Fire Fighter from 16 to eight pages per issue, freezing salaries and asking each member for a $4 one-time voluntary contribution.
IAFF President John A. Gannon suggests to affiliates that they engage in a letter-writing campaign to organize the unorganized fire fighters in their communities.
The IAFF introduces new branded items for sale such as belt buckles and zipper lavaliers to support FIREPAC.
The IAFF Executive Board votes that “automobile decal replacements shall be furnished in a number equal to one third of its membership to each local upon written request without charge.”
The first IAFF National Legislative Conference is held in Washington, DC.
A second female fire fighter is killed in the line of duty. Mary (Molly) Matthews, age 29, of the Seattle Fire Department died from injuries she received when she fell from the tailboard of Engine 25 while responding to a false alarm.
The U.S. Supreme Court lays down firm guidelines by a 6-3 vote on the crucial civil rights issue of seniority versus affirmative action in deciding a Memphis, Tennessee, fire department lawsuit. The event that led to the historic decision began in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1981 after the mayor announced that 40 fire fighters would have to be laid off because of budget problems. Black fire fighters and their attorney went to court arguing that this would violate the 1974 court-approved affirmative action agreement. Memphis Local 1784 challenged the affirmative action agreement saying it violated the seniority clause the local had signed with the city, which said, “last hired, first fired.” Ultimately, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld seniority for fire service personnel as a basis for decision making in budgetary crises.
IAFF Legislative Director Harold Schaitberger testifies before Congress on two pieces of legislation of vital importance to membership: H.R. 5555, the Pay Reclassification Bill for federal fire fighters and H.R. 5310, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967.
The IAFF reports on a Clemson University study that reveals that eating breakfast regularly may lower blood pressure.
The IAFF holds its 37th Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio. Delegates vote to increase the per capita rate to $3.37. President John A. Gannon is re-elected president and Alfred K. Whitehead is re-elected secretary-treasurer.
The IAFF, in cooperation with the Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York City, is undertaking a study of toxicity among fire fighters. The research is funded through a $25,000 John P. Redmond Fund grant.
IAFF President John A. Gannon urges locals to make donations to support U.S. and Canadian Olympic teams headed to the 1984 Games in Los Angeles, California.
The IAFF publishes results of a study on the impact of stress on fire fighters’ behavior. Some of the conclusions are that a considerable number of the causes of job-related stress are inherent in the job and that the best possible way to reduce their effect is for the individual to understand them as such and accept that reality.
The IAFF’s “1982 Annual Death and Injury Survey” shows improvements in fire fighter health and safety. Fire fighters now lag behind agriculture and mining-quarrying for the number of accidental work deaths per 100,000 workers. The IAFF survey finds that approximately 90 percent of all fire fighters are wearing station uniforms made of non-flame-retardant fabrics.
The William H. McClennan Scholarship Fund awards four $1,000 grants to benefit children of fire fighters killed in the line of duty.
The IAFF is one of 100 labor, consumer and environmental groups participating in a nationwide campaign to petition Congress on guaranteeing all Americans the right to be safe from harmful exposure to toxic substances.
Three Baltimore, Maryland, fire fighters are killed while battling a fire in a two-story furniture store. The blaze was apparently sparked by work crews using a cutting torch to remove a sign from the furniture store. The bodies of the three men were recovered from the rubble of the collapsed building hours later.
The IAFF warns members that the audiovisual program, “Vinyl in Today’s Environment,” may contain misleading information as it was developed with funds from the Vinyl Institute.
IAFF affiliates raise $4,494,000 for the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Association Labor Day Telethon.
The IAFF warns that fire departments may follow the lead of the federal government in use of polygraph tests.
IAFF President John A. Gannon accuses state and local governments of falling far short of their alleged goal to reduce high disability retirement experienced by the nation’s professional fire fighting forces and the associated cost to state and local government retirement systems.
Federal fire fighter locals that have inspectors or other personnel working a 16-hour day or longer work shift are entitled to FLSA for any time worked over 53 hours a week.
Five Buffalo, New York, fire fighters are killed when propane gas leaking from an illegal 100-gallon tank ignites and blows a wall out of a warehouse as they advance towards the structure to probe a reported gas leak.
The U.S. Department of Labor reports that union membership in the United States drops below the 20 million mark for the first time since 1968.
The IAFF creates the “Fire Fighters’ Calendar – 1985” featuring 12 award-winning photos form the IAFF media photography contest. The calendars cost $7.50 each and benefit the IAFF Burn Foundation.
The National Conference of Catholic Bishops, in a draft 120-page pastoral letter on the U.S. economy, defends the right of workers to organize and bargain with employers.
The U.S. Supreme Court issues two decisions involving the interpretation and application of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) that impacts non-federal fire fighters. In a unanimous decision related to a Baltimore age dispute lawsuit, cities must prove retirement age claims.
The defeat of fringe benefit taxes becomes the IAFF’s number-one legislative goal. In the three-week period following the lobbying efforts of IAFF members attending its Legislative Conference, Congress expresses a renewed interest in the health and safety of fire fighters.
The U.S. Department of Justice has written to 51 states, counties and cities asking them to reconsider affirmative action programs that may have caused reverse discrimination. I believe that this is a welcome and well-thought-out process, which, if it is fairly carried out, will remove an area of confusion that has caused irritation and divisiveness in many localities.
John A. Gannon, IAFF President (1980-1988)
IAFF pressure leads to the EPA issuing regulations that would require the removal of thousands of electrical transformers containing PCB fluids from commercial buildings by 1990.
More than 1,200 IAFF members attend the Fair Labor Standards Act Seminar programs in six separate locations. The purpose of the briefings is to “go slow” in pressing for litigation following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in which it ruled that the FLSA is applicable to state and municipal employers and their employees. The IAFF petitions Congress to uphold FLSA standards. Ultimately, the IAFF and three other AFL-CIO unions successfully turn back an 11th hour attempt by public employer groups to exclude fire fighters and police from coverage under Fair Labor Standards Act legislation.
The public relations firm Marketshare urges television stations to cancel airings of the audiovisual program, “Vinyl in Today’s Environment,” and claims that the IAFF has a commercial interest in the production. IAFF President John A. Gannon vehemently refutes this accusation, stating that health and safety is the IAFF’s paramount concern. The plastics industry asks the Federal Trade Commission to ban the film.
Due to stabilization of funding, the IAFF reinstitutes regional seminars. Fifteen educational seminars are held nationwide between December 1984 and 1985.
Project FIRES (Firefighters Integrated Response Equipment System) makes progress in finding the right mix of fabrics and other materials to create a maximum protective ensemble for fire fighters.
The IAFF’s “1983 Annual Death and Injury Survey” shows of all deaths attributed to occupational diseases, 48 percent were caused by heart disease, 42 percent were due to cancer and 7 percent were caused by lung disease.
A study of first responders in four states indicates that 87 percent of fire service personnel complain of job-stress related symptoms, such as sleep disturbance, irritability and headaches.
The IAFF, NIOSH and Johns Hopkins collaborate on a study to investigate reproductive defects among children of fire fighters due to hazardous workplace exposures.
Arkansas Governor William (Bill) Clinton (D) signs state Senate Bill 306 into law as Act 839, which provides a $100,000 line-of-duty death benefit for Arkansas fire fighters and police officers. The previous amount paid for a line-of-duty death by the state was $10,000.
The IAFF backs the Post Mortem Protocol Program to investigate the medical causes of fire deaths.
IAFF President John A. Gannon appeals to members to contribute to “The Special IAFF Members Burn Research Grant” fund to raise $40,000 to support burn research. In addition, he asks federal fire fighters to support the IAFF Burn Foundation through the Combined Federal Campaign.
Three Chicago, Illinois, fire fighters are killed when a roof collapses as they battle an arson fire at Vicstar Electronics. The three men were standing near an air-conditioning unit when that section of the roof collapsed and they were killed.
The IAFF Social Security Committee pinpoints several proposals that would unfairly add to the tax burden of fire fighters and many other groups of public employees. The IAFF provides a list of the five worst provisions, including double taxation of many pensions and taxation of health care benefits.
The new IAFF per capita tax increases to $3.37 per active member and $1.69 per active-retired member.
Twelve students receive a total of $24,000 from the W.H. “Howie” McClennan Scholarship program. The funds are awarded annually to the sons, daughters, dependents or legally adopted children of fire fighters who die in the line of duty.
The Lone Ranger teams up with a fire fighter to encourage fire fighters to wear their breathing apparatus.
IAFF Secretary-Treasurer Al Whitehead explains the importance of the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for fire fighters.
The IAFF International Organizational Study Committee meets for the first time to analyze the entire structure and operations of the International.
IAFF President John A. Gannon warns affiliates to proceed with caution in opposing a Supreme Court reversal to overturn a 10-year-old decision that certain provisions of a federal wage-hour law do apply to employees of state and local governments.
The U.S. Department of Justice releases a list of the 51 state and local government jurisdictions it has asked to voluntarily modify existing consent decrees by eliminating hiring and promotion goals in fire, police and other city departments.
The IAFF responds vehemently to an insulting article by Washington Post Syndicate Columnist Neal Pierce entitled, “Role of Firefighters Challenged.” According to the author, “fire departments are widely inefficient, politicized and sanctified. They’re the Department of Defense of city government. But politically, you can’t touch them.”
The IAFF offers an exclusive baseball-style, satin-finish nylon IAFF jacket for sale. All proceeds benefit the John P. Redmond Foundation.
Groundbreaking is scheduled for October for the National Fallen Fire Fighter Monument in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The $165,000 project is sponsored by Colorado Springs Local 5.
The IAFF offers branded T-shirts to raise funds for the Open Learning Fire Services Program Scholarship Fund. The T-shirts sell for $10 which includes shipping and handling.
The IAFF offers newly designed belt buckles to raise funds for FIREPAC.
The IAFF testifies before Congress, asking the body to amend the federal age discrimination law and allow cities and states to continue early retirement provisions for high-hazard occupations.
The Supreme Court rules that a union collecting an agency fee from non-members must provide advance justification of the amount of the agency fee, a reasonably prompt impartial hearing for non-members who object to the assessment and an escrow arrangement that preserves the funds of dissenting fee payers while their objections are being adjudicated.
Federal fire fighters, air traffic controllers and members of Congress become entitled to additional early retirement benefits following congressional approval of a new government retirement system plan.
The Open Learning Fire Service Program reports that 10,000 fire fighters have been enrolled in courses during the last six years.
Copies of the new IAFF publication entitled “Project FIRES: The Final Report” are made available for purchase for $10. The purpose of the report is to provide protective and durability requirements for the design and procurement of state-of-the-art protective clothing for fire fighters.
Scientific studies indicate that fire fighters are at increased risk of developing hepatitis B.
IAFF leaders attend the AFL-CIO Public Employee Department’s National Conference on “AIDS in the Workplace.” The IAFF provides affiliates with NIOSH’s list of precautions health care workers should take around people with AIDS.
The IAFF signs an agreement with the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health to use the IAFF as a training site for its post-graduate physicians pursuing residencies in occupational health.
The IAFF cautions members of the dangers of wearing plastic underwear made of polyvinylchloride (PVC) and recommends choosing silk, wool or wool/cotton blends.
James M. Melius, MD, DrPH, chairman of the Medical Advisory Board, begins a two-part series on the physical demands of firefighting, as well as occupational exposures leading to cardiovascular disease, cancer and respiratory disease. He urges fire fighters to undergo a battery of medical tests following hazardous exposures.
The IAFF’s “1984 Annual Death and Injury Survey” reveals that line-of-duty deaths have been reduced by almost 40 percent.
OSHA orders a tenfold reduction in worker exposure to asbestos, contending that the lower ceilings will lower by 90 percent the thousands of deaths and disabling illnesses blamed on asbestos dust.
The IAFF Burn Foundation expresses appreciation to locals for raising more than $100,000 for research grants.
IAFF President John A. Gannon encourages all members to support FIREPAC, especially as the November election approaches.
At the 38th IAFF Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, delegates vote to increase the per capita rate to $3.72 for each active member and $1.86 for each retired-active member. Delegates vote to allocate eight cents per capita over the next two years to finance FIREPAC, which had previously relied on T-shirt and buckle sales for revenue. President John A. Gannon and Secretary-Treasurer Alfred K. Whitehead are re-elected.
The U.S. Department of Labor reports that to raise a family of four on a “moderate” style of living, one wage earner in the family would need to earn $23,134 a year. The average minimum annual salary for the rank of fire fighter in the United States as of October 1, 1985, is $17,170 and the maximum salary without longevity is $21,181.
Increases in postal rates threaten the life of labor newspapers. The postal rate for the International Fire Fighter triples in six years.
With a deep breath, I would like to say to you that it is time for the International Association of Fire Fighters to take a look at the problems associated with substance abuse in the fire service. Sometime in the near future, we must implement a policy on how we as a union cope with the problems that the use of drugs inevitably produces.
John A. Gannon, IAFF President (1980-1988)
The IAFF Executive Board unanimously adopts a motion to notify all U.S. and Canadian affiliates to discourage their members from serving as volunteer fire fighters during their off-duty hours.
Drastic cuts in federal funding imperil the IAFF/IAFC Apprentice Program.
IAFF headquarters reorganizes with four principal departments that are functioning with skill and efficiency – governmental affairs, organizing and education, safety and health, and research and labor issues.
The IAFF enters into an agreement with the AFL-CIO Union Privilege Services to offer credit cards to union members in the United States. A similar program is sought for Canadian members.
The IAFF announces that a new Burn and Trauma Center at Cleveland’s Metropolitan General will be named for President John A. Gannon when it is completed in 1989.
Fourteen students receive a total of $35,000 from the W.H. “Howie” McClennan Scholarship program.
The IAFF creates Christmas cards for the firefighting family, printed in four colors on quality enamel paper. Boxes of cards cost $12.50 each and benefit the IAFF Burn Foundation.
The IAFF offers a raffle for a trip for two to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, for those who purchase IAFF rings or pendants.
The AFL-CIO makes an all-out effort to involve union members and their families in the process of choosing the next president of the United States.
Representative Mickey Leland of Texas introduces the Federal Fire Service Pay Schedule Act of 1987, H.R. 1174. This bill takes the federal fire fighter out of the Fair Labor Standards Act in dealing with hours of work and overtime.
The U.S. Supreme Court, in its broadest endorsement yet of affirmative action, rules 6 to 3 that employers may promote white women and minorities ahead of white males – without evidence of prior discrimination.
Representative Bill Clay of Missouri introduces legislation, H.R. 1201, in the House of Representatives to provide landmark collective bargaining rights to fire fighters who currently have minimal or no protection in state law.
At a press conference in August, IAFF President John A. Gannon launches a national campaign to encourage state legislatures to enact mandatory flammability standards on all upholstered furniture destined for use in hotels, motels, nursing homes and other high-risk residences. Model legislation will be introduced in four states.
Three Detroit, Michigan, fire fighters die in the line of duty at a five-alarm fire. Ten other fire fighters were injured in the blaze.
The IAFF hosts a two-day attorneys’ workshop. Topics include drug testing and AIDS in the workplace, discrimination and affirmative action, the Fair Labor Standards Act and collective bargaining, among others.
The fact that 39 states and the District of Columbia now have some type of collective bargaining law is an impressive testimonial to the drive, determination and effectiveness of the IAFF and its members over the years.
John A. Gannon, IAFF President (1980-1988)
The IAFF jointly sponsors 20 educational seminars with the cooperation of state and provincial affiliates during 1986-1987.
In accordance with the directives of Resolution 47 passed at the 1986 IAFF Convention in Las Vegas, an IAFF Civil Rights Conference is held in San Antonio, Texas. In many areas, minority fire fighters, especially blacks, Hispanics and women, are not joining the union and many are actively participating in other local and national organizations considered rival organizations by the IAFF and the AFL-CIO. The conference provides attendees opportunities to meet with IAFF leadership and suggests topics for the next year’s conference. Nearly 60 delegates representing 18 locals from 16 states and the District of Columbia attend the conference.
Representative Dennis Eckart of Ohio announces his intention to introduce the first federal infectious disease bill aimed at protecting fire fighters and emergency rescue and paramedic employees from a variety of infectious diseases, including Hepatitis B and AIDS.
Representative Mario Biaggi of New York introduces legislation that would double the federal death benefit from $50,000 to $100,000 for fire fighters and others included under the law who die in the line of duty.
The IAFF contends that the Federal Aviation Administration and the airline industry are derelict in implementing available technology to protect passengers. Areas for improvement relate to seats, fuel tanks and upholstery, among others.
The IAFF’s “1985 Annual Death and Injury Survey” reveals that firefighting has caused a greater life hazard than police work over the past decade.
A report conducted by the Administrative Conference of the United States warns that OSHA “risks total paralysis” under the Reagan administration.
The IAFF sends vaccine kits and VCR tapes explaining the risks of Hepatitis B to all locals.
In response to a growing need for bilingual emergency care for patients who don’t speak or understand English, the Houston Fire Department enrolls members in a 60-hour Spanish course designed for emergency response. Other departments follow suit.
The first Human Relations Conference is held in San Antonio, Texas, with the theme “Change from Within” to address human relations issues in the fire service.
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health begin a two-year study, Project Injury, aimed at making firefighting safer.
The IAFF Executive Board approves a motion to begin working with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The IAFF commits to publishing photos of missing children along with pertinent information regarding their disappearance.
Based on an appeal from IAFF President John A. Gannon, 6,000 union members donate nearly $80,000 to the IAFF Burn Foundation.
The IAFF Executive Board votes to support the work of the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that major collective bargaining agreements negotiated in 1986 for state and local government employees provided catchup wage increases averaging 5.7 percent a year.
The U.S. Department of Labor reports that unionized workers received wage increases in 1986 that were more than double those of non-union workers, averaging $119 more.
Cleveland’s Metropolitan General Hospital dedicates its new Burn and Trauma Center to IAFF President John A. Gannon. AFL-CIO President Lane Kirkland and Ohio Governor Richard Celeste speak at the dedication ceremonies.
IAFF President John A. Gannon is nominated to the National Fire Protection Association Board of Directors for a three-year term.
IAFF offers SENIORSHIELD benefits to members over age 65. These policies provide an affordable way to pay health care costs not covered in full by Medicare.
IAFF President John A. Gannon alerts the AFL-CIO to a new “honesty test” developed by Reid Psychological Systems. He refers to this as a tool of intimidation and discrimination, akin to the lie detector test that organized labor has been fighting for years. Labor backs bills restricting the use of lie detector tests.
IAFF President John A. Gannon is elected to the MDA Board of Directors.
A State Employees Benefits Survey shows that the 40-hour week is still the standard for most state government work forces, although 15 states have a shorter work week. In comparison, the U.S. fire fighters’ work week ranges from 40 to 56 hours, with federal fire fighters still working a 72-hour week. Canada has a standard 42-hour work week for fire fighters.
IAFF President John A. Gannon is named to the AFL-CIO Executive Council. He is only the second fire fighter elected since 1918.
An AFL-CIO Public Employee Department study confirms that states with comprehensive bargaining laws offer a more congenial environment for public employee unionism than states without such statutes.
The IAFF Burn Foundation offers a variety of shirt styles for leisure and dress to raise money for research. Fifteen percent of the sales price is contributed to the IAFF Burn Foundation.
The IAFF is among the unions singled out by the AFL-CIO Department of Community Services for its “good neighbor” policy in assisting others in need.
Bell Monument, a tribute to fallen fire fighters, is dedicated at the Canadian Conference of Fire Fighters in St. John.
The IAFF reports that Congress sided with U.S. President Ronald Reagan on only two of 16 key votes during 1987. This shift in the balance of power in Washington, DC, resulted in a “weakened president and an emboldened Congress.”
The IAFF endorses Democrats Mike Dukakis for president of the United States and Lloyd Bentsen for vice president.
IAFF representatives meet with congressional staffers to discuss a Government Accounting Office report regarding the federal fire fighters’ pay reclassification bill (H.R. 1174). The IAFF asks Congress to send letters to the GAO requesting further investigation of the seemingly erroneous data included in the report.
At a special oversight hearing before the House Education and Labor Committee, the IAFF urges Congress to update OSHA’s clothing and SCBA standards.
The 100th Congress pushes through a major Omnibus Drug bill that includes IAFF-sought improvements in the Public Safety Officers Death Benefit (PSOB) Act to increase the benefit from $50,000 to $100,000, retroactive to June 1, 1988.
The Federal Aviation Administration issues new 14 CFR Part 139 rules for airports. Airport managers and their fire departments are required to have fire protection equipment brought back to minimum levels within 48 hours after breakdown, instead of the previous 10 days. In addition, all firefighting and rescue personnel must take part in at least one live fire drill every year.
The IAFF pushes passage of a major tax bill affecting pensions. Congress adopts these legislative priorities in its Conference Report on a Technical Corrections Tax Bill, H.R. 4333, which includes several provisions of importance to IAFF members, their families and their future economic security.
The IAFF holds a Civil Rights Conference to elect delegates to attend three other meetings to discuss the needs and problems of minority fire fighters.
The IAFF’s first Burn Foundation Congress is held in Seattle, Washington.
The 39th IAFF Convention is held in Miami Beach, Florida. Delegates celebrate the 70th anniversary of the IAFF with great fanfare.
President John A. Gannon loses bid for a fifth term but is awarded a title of president emeritus. Alfred K. Whitehead is elected president. He is the first IAFF secretary-treasurer in the union’s 70-year history to successfully run for president. Vincent Bollon is elected IAFF secretary-treasurer.
Congress passes legislation recognizing the IAFF National Memorial to Fallen Fire Fighters in Colorado Springs, Colorado. A 17-foot bronze statue, “Somewhere Every Day,” is completed and shipped to the site. Groundbreaking is planned for spring 1989. The IAFF asks members to donate approximately $105,000 to complete the memorial.
The IAFF’s “1986 Annual Death and Injury Survey” reveals that of the 80 deaths attributable to occupational diseases, 56 percent were due to heart disease, 31 percent were caused by cancer and 8 percent were attributed to lung disease.
Fire fighters are warned that smoke inhalation increases cancer risk and thus they need to wear self-contained breathing apparatus when battling blazes.
OSHA revises its rules on wearing contact lenses with self-contained breathing apparatus.
The IAFF’s Hepatitis B prevention program enters a second stage with the addition of a new 15-minute video entitled, “The Hidden Danger.”
NIOSH’s Health Hazard Evaluation guide contains the most comprehensive medical surveillance program ever established for the fire service to evaluate respiratory complaints, neurological symptoms and dermatological problems among fire fighters, police officers and paramedics following a major chemical warehouse fire at the Research Organic, Inorganic Chemical Corporation in Sun Valley, California.
NIOSH documents hearing loss among fire fighters screened at the 1984 IAFF Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The AFL-CIO releases the results of a new Gallup Poll showing that 61 percent of Americans approve of unions and 25 percent disapprove. The new figures indicate that public approval of unions has continued to rise since 1979, when 55 percent approved of unions and 33 percent disapproved.
Five Hackensack, New Jersey, fire fighters are killed when a roof collapses on them as they fight a fire in an automobile dealership. A 60-foot section of ceiling at the rear of the dealership suddenly fell as five fire fighters were pouring water from hoses at the ceiling. The five men were killed in the tons of falling debris and fiery embers.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency awards $5 million to support improved training within state and local hazardous training programs.
Postage costs for the International Fire Fighter soar 362 percent since 1980.
The Environmental Protection Agency reimburses fire departments for emergency response to hazmat calls.
The U.S. Court of Appeals upholds a district court decision that Baltimore’s denial of additional pension credits for city fire fighters who continue working past age 60 violated the federal age discrimination law.
IAFF President Alfred K. Whitehead sends a letter of congratulations and commitment to collaboration to newly elected U.S. President George H.W. Bush.
The IAFF offers free and low-cost legal assistance to IAFF members in the United States and their families.
The IAFF presents its revised reorganization plan based on members’ input. President Alfred K. Whitehead appoints Harold A. Schaitberger as Executive Assistant to the President for Public Policy, Political and Governmental Affairs and David McCormack as the Assistant to the President for Member Services. This arrangement allows for the coordination of information and technically related resources while providing a logical method of conducting legislative affairs and other public responsibilities.
Six Kansas City, Missouri, fire fighters are killed battling a truck fire at a construction site explosion. Shortly after their arrival, 23 tons of ammonium nitrate, an explosive used in rock blasting, blew up, killing all six. Nearly 10,000 fire fighters and citizens attend their memorial service on December 3, 1988.
President Al Whitehead calls for a congressional inquiry on the facts surrounding the Kansas City multiple line-of-duty deaths at a press conference.
Fire fighters are warned of the risk of exploding Bic lighters.
On our 70th anniversary, we in the IAFF have every right to be proud of our progress. We have to be vigilant. If we get smug and self-satisfied, if we put selfish concerns ahead of the good of the union, we can be headed for trouble. Let us vow, on this 70th anniversary, to keep building and strengthening this IAFF of ours.
John A. Gannon, IAFF President (1980-1988)
A new “Welcome to the IAFF” pamphlet is available to members for $1.50, including printing and mailing.
The IAFF selects winners from entries submitted for new bumper stickers promoting the job. The first-place prize is awarded for the slogan, “Fire Fighters – There When You Need Them.”
The IAFF advertises new products including a charm bracelet, ultimate hang-up, axe, helmet and the Spirit of the Professional Hero sculpture.
A new, lifesaving portable defibrillator helps fire fighters prevent cardiac arrest deaths.
John C. Kabachus (1957-1964)
When Secretary-Treasurer Buck was elected acting President after President John P. Redmond died in office, the IAFF Executive Board elected John C. Kabachus of Boston, MA Local 718 as acting Secretary-Treasurer.
Kabachus was a fast-rising champion of labor in his home state of Massachusetts. He served as Boston Local 718 president for just two years, but his list of accomplishments is long, including the establishment of a fire fighters’ credit union and successfully lobbing the state legislature to allow for union dues deduction.
He also served as president of the Associated Fire Fighters of Massachusetts, successfully lobbying for the state’s first presumptive law protecting fire fighters diagnosed with heart disease.
After losing his bid to become president of the IAFF in 1964, Kabachus returned to the Boston Fire Department as a lieutenant.
Samuel A. Fink (1919-1919)
Samuel A. Fink took office in May 1919 and served through September of that year. He spent his entire fire service career in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and with Pittsburgh Local 1. When the IAFF was organized in 1918, Fink was elected 1st Vice President. One year later, as president, Fink focused on growing the membership, organizing 96 new locals. Fink resigned during the latter part of 1919 due to family obligations.
William H. McClennan (1968-1980)
In 1968, delegates at the 50th anniversary Convention in Toronto, Ontario, elected William “Howie” McClennan of Boston, MA Local 718 president following the retirement of President William Buck.
McClennan joined the Boston Fire Department and Boston Local 718 in 1942. From the beginning, he was dedicated to his calling as a fire fighter and to his duty as a union member. Among his many accomplishments while serving as Local 718 president, he successfully campaigned to reduce the fire fighter workweek from 84 to 48 hours. In 1958, he was elected 3rd District Vice President, a position he held until 1968 when he was elected president.
In 1977, the McClennan Scholarship Fund was established to provide financial assistance to children of IAFF members killed in the line of duty to pursue post-secondary education.
Frank A. Palumbo (1972-1980)
Frank A. Palumbo of the Uniformed Firefighters Association (UFA) of New York Local 94 was elected Secretary-Treasurer in 1972 following the retirement of Secretary-Treasurer Albertoni.
Palumbo joined the Fire Department of New York in 1956 and quickly became an active member of Local 94 as a company delegate. He continued to take on more responsibilities as sergeant-at-arms and vice president. He was elected 1st District Vice President in 1970.
John A. Gannon (1980-1988)
John A. Gannon was elected president in 1980. During his tenure, he established the IAFF Foundation to support members, their families and citizens affected by burn trauma. The Burn Foundation holds the International Burn Camp held annually in Washington, DC. IAFF members serve as camp counselors who work to make a difference in the lives of the campers who are burn survivors ages 13-15.
Gannon became a fire fighter in 1949, joining the Cleveland Fire Department and Cleveland, OH Local 93 after serving three years in the Navy Intelligence Unit in Europe during World War II.3. He held every office within Local 93 from steward to president. He was elected 8th District Vice President in 1976 and held that position until his election to General President.
Thomas H. Miller (2010-2016)
Following the retirement of General Secretary-Treasurer Vincent Bollon, then-8th District Vice President Thomas H. Miller was elected by the IAFF Executive Board to serve out the remainder of Bollon’s term. He was re-elected at the 2012 Convention.
After serving in the military, Miller followed in his father’s footsteps by joining the Indianapolis Fire Department and quickly became involved with Indianapolis Local 416. He served as trustee and vice president before being elected president of the Professional Fire Fighters Union of Indiana (PFFUI) in 1978.
In 2000, Miller was elected 8th District Vice President, a position he kept until he was elected General Secretary-Treasurer in 2010. As secretary-treasurer, Miller oversaw efforts to find revenue sources outside union dues. During his tenure, non per capita revenue went from $2.4 million to $19 million.
George J. Richardson (1920-1956)
The IAFF Executive Board selected George. J. Richardson of Vancouver, BC Local 18 to become the IAFF’s second secretary-treasurer in 1920, a position he held for 36 years.
Richardson began his career as a fire fighter with the Vancouver Fire Department in 1913. In 1916, he became a founding member of Canada’s first fire fighter union, which would later be chartered in 1918 as Vancouver Local 18.
He was officially designated as Secretary-Treasurer Emeritus of the IAFF in 1956. A year later, AFL-CIO President George Meany appointed him to be his assistant.
In 1974, Richardson published “Symbol of Action,” which chronicles much of what is known about the early history of the IAFF.
Fred W. Baer (1919-1946)
At the 2nd IAFF Convention in Portland, Oregon, Fred W. Baer of Kansas City, MO Local 42, was elected president. A fire fighter with the Kansas City Fire Department for 10 years, Baer played a critical role in organizing the Federal City Firemen’s Union in 1917, which became Kansas City Local 42 when the union affiliated with the IAFF the following year.
As president, Baer fought for members who were retaliated against for union organizing. When he was appointed in 1924 by then-Secretary of State Herbert Hoover to serve on a street and highway safety committee, Baer helped craft several national safety regulations related to highway traffic.
He served until his death in May 1946. Baer was attending a banquet during the Kanas State Council of Fire Fighters Convention when he suffered a fatal heart attack and cerebral hemorrhage.
Thomas G. Spellacy (1918-1919)
Thomas G. Spellacy of Schenectady, New York, was elected president at the first IAFF Convention in 1918. He chose to be Local 28 because he served on Engine 28 in Schenectady. President Spellacy took on the profound responsibility of developing the IAFF’s core mission of improving wages and benefits, increasing fire fighter safety and creating basic job security for fire fighters. He left office in 1919, handing the office over to 1st Vice President Samuel A. Fink.
William A. Smith (1918-1920)
William A. Smith of Washington, DC, was elected the first IAFF Secretary-Treasurer in 1918. In 1913, Smith was instrumental in forming and serving as secretary of the Fireman’s Association of the District of Columbia, which was later chartered as Washington, DC IAFF Local 36.
Smith introduced the first Convention resolution to be adopted by delegates, which resolved to form an international organization of unions and to affiliate with the American Federation of Labor.
John P. Redmond (1946-1957)
After the untimely death of President Fred Baer, the IAFF Executive Board voted to elect John P. Redmond of Chicago, IL Local 2 as acting president on May 15, 1946. Just a few days later, he was officially elected as president by delegates at the IAFF Convention in Toledo, Ohio.
Redmond began his firefighting career in 1912 with the Chicago Fire Department and soon joined the Chicago AFL’s Federal Local 12270. When Chicago fire fighters joined the IAFF in 1918 as Local 2, he served as vice president and trustee, as well as a member of several committees.
In 1930, Redmond was elected 8th District Vice President at the 10th IAFF Convention in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
President Redmond died from a heart attack in December 1957 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where he was attending the AFL-CIO Convention. The cause of death was determined to be occupational heart disease.
In his memory, the John P. Redmond Memorial Fund for Research of Occupational Disease of Fire Fighters was established by Convention Resolution 1 in 1958. Subsequently, the first John P. Redmond Symposium, the IAFF’s premier health and safety conference, was held in 1971 in his memory.
William D. Buck (1956-1957)
William D. Buck was first elected secretary-treasurer by delegates at the 23rd IAFF Convention in Montreal, Canada.
Buck began his career as a fire fighter with the St. Louis Fire Department in 1930 and soon became an active member of Local 73. He served as a vice president for the local and was also a member of several committees.
Buck was elected 2nd District Vice President in 1940. During his tenure, he was credited with forming three state affiliates, including the Missouri State Council of Fire Fighters, the Professional Fire Fighters of Nevada and the Kansas State Council of Fire Fighters.
William D. Buck (1957-1968)
William D. Buck was first elected secretary-treasurer by delegates at the 23rd IAFF Convention in Montreal, Canada. Less than a year later, he was elected by the IAFF Executive Board to serve as acting president after the untimely death of President John P. Redmond. As president, he set increasing membership as a priority, successfully growing the ranks by 50 percent to 115,370. He retired from his position as president in 1968 after celebrating the IAFF’s 50th anniversary.
Buck began his career as a fire fighter with the St. Louis Fire Department in 1930 and soon became an active member of Local 73. He served as a vice president for the local and was also a member of several committees.
Buck was elected 2nd District Vice President in 1940. During his tenure, he was credited with forming three state affiliates, including the Missouri State Council of Fire Fighters, the Professional Fire Fighters of Nevada and the Kansas State Council of Fire Fighters.
Albert E. Albertoni (1964-1972)
Albert E. Albertoni of Oakland, CA Local 55, was elected Secretary-Treasurer in 1964. Previously, he served two terms as 10th District Vice President from 1956-1960.
As a member of Local 55, Albertoni held several positions on the Local 55 Executive Board. He was also heavily involved in the Federated Fire Fighters of California (later renamed the California Professional Firefighters). He served in the offices of Vice President (three terms), president (one term) and Chairman of the Executive Board (one term).
Upon his retirement in 1972, Convention delegates adopted a resolution to bestow him with emeritus status, commending him on his dedication to solidifying the financial health of the IAFF.
Martin Pierce Sr. (1980-1982)
Martin Pierce Sr. was elected Secretary-Treasurer in 1980. He joined the Boston Fire Department in 1943 and became a member of Local 718 – which had formed just one year earlier. He was assigned to Ladder 17, where he served his entire 37-year career.
Pierce served as Local 718 president for seven, one-year terms before being elected president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts in 1960. In these leadership positions, he helped champion the reduction of the workweek from 84 to 48 hours and passage of the Heart Law, which presumed fire fighters with heart disease contracted the condition on the job.
He was elected IAFF 3rd District Vice President in 1968, a position he held until he was elected IAFF Secretary-Treasurer in 1980.
Alfred K. Whitehead (1982-1988)
Alfred K. Whitehead was elected General Secretary-Treasurer in 1982 before being elected General President in 1988.
He became involved in the labor movement as a member of the Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in the late 1940s and early 1950s. He joined the Los Angeles Fire Department in 1954 and joined Los Angeles County Local 1014, where he was elected president in 1970.
At the state level, he helped what was then called the Federated Fire Fighters of California (later renamed the California Professional Firefighters) develop an effective political action program and worked to save the state association from bankruptcy.
When Whitehead retired in 2000, Convention delegates renamed the IAFF Legislative Conference the Alfred K. Whitehead Legislative Conference.
Vincent J. Bollon (1988-2009)
Vincent J. Bollon was elected General Secretary-Treasurer in 1988.
Bollon joined the Fire Department of New York in 1959 after serving in the military and immediately became a member of the Uniformed Firefighters Association (UFA) of Greater New York Local 94, where he served as company delegate and secretary-treasurer before he was promoted to lieutenant and became a member of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association (UFOA) Local 854. There, he served as a lieutenant representative before being elected president.
Bollon served alongside General President Al Whitehead and General President Harold Schaitberger.
He retired in 2009 due to a lengthy illness and died in March 2011. In his honor, the Affiliate Leadership Training Summit was renamed the Vincent J. Bollon Affiliate Leadership Training Summit by IAFF Convention Resolution in 2012.
Harold A. Schaitberger (2000-2020)
General President Harold Schaitberger was elected by acclamation in 2000. Under his leadership, he has ensured that the IAFF is at the forefront in addressing health issues in the fire service, including cancer and behavioral health, devoting resources to preventing and treating cancer, as well as push for presumptive protections. He has also led efforts to help members struggling with post-traumatic stress and other behavioral health issues, including opening the IAFF Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Treatment and Recovery.
The IAFF’s political influence has increased considerably since Schaitberger was elected. The IAFF’s political action committee – FIREPAC – has grown by more than 600, raising and contributing more than $16 million to federal candidates and their campaigns.
One of the greatest challenges to face the union came soon after Schaitberger took the helm – the September 11 terrorist attacks. The IAFF committed its full resources to help members and the families of the fallen, including raising and distributing more than $160 million for the families of the 343 FDNY fire fighters killed in the line of duty and worked tirelessly in the efforts to pass the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act establishing the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program and the September 11 Victims Compensation Fund to provide health monitoring, treatment and compensation for 9/11 responders and survivors in all 50 states.
In his first term, he formed the IAFF Financial Corporation (IAFF-FC) to provide financial services and quality insurance programs at a minimal cost to IAFF members.
Schaitberger began his career as a professional fire fighter in Fairfax County, Virginia. He quickly rose to the rank of lieutenant, organized and served as president of Fairfax County Local 2068 and was elected president of the Virginia Professional Fire Fighters – all before he had seven years on the job. Before being elected General President, he headed the IAFF’s political and legislative operation for nearly 25 years.
Alfred K. Whitehead (1988-2000)
Alfred K. Whitehead was elected General President in 1988 after having served as General Secretary-Treasurer since 1982. He became involved in the labor movement as a member of the Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in the late 1940s and early 1950s. He joined the Los Angeles Fire Department in 1954 and joined Los Angeles County Local 1014, where he was elected president in 1970.
At the state level, he helped what was then called the Federated Fire Fighters of California (later renamed the California Professional Firefighters) develop an effective political action program and worked to save the state association from bankruptcy.
When Whitehead retired in 2000, Convention delegates renamed the IAFF Legislative Conference the Alfred K. Whitehead Legislative Conference.
Edward A. Kelly (2016-present)
Delegates at the 53rd IAFF Convention elected Edward A. Kelly of Boston, MA Local 718 IAFF General Secretary-Treasurer in 2016.
The son, grandson, brother, nephew and cousin of fire fighters, Kelly joined the Boston Fire Department as a fire fighter/EMT in 1997.
Kelly rapidly climbed the ranks of organized labor and is known and respected for his dedication to the fire service and labor movement. As president of Local 718, he helped members weather some of the most difficult times in the local’s history before he went on to become president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts in 2011.
