2019-2028

For 65 years, when not fighting fires, IAFF locals have been fighting another ongoing threat — muscular dystrophy, a disease that includes more than 40 neuromuscular disorders.

The NFORS Exposure Tracker app was created to give IAFF members a place to log exposure and incident details in a private, encrypted and secure online environment. The information shows when and where carcinogenic exposures are likely to have occurred. The app was developed through a partnership with the IAFF, the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association, International Public Safety Institute (IPSDI) and other fire service experts.

As more and more women choose fire fighting as a career, the IAFF moves forward with plans to better address women’s health issues including pregnancy to include health guidelines and other resources.

Soon after former Vice President Joe Biden, a long-time friend of the fire fighters and the labor movement, announced his candidacy for president, the IAFF announced its decision to endorse him. The International’s members got behind him 100 percent. The IAFF gold and black could be seen at nearly all Biden’s campaign events.

The Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act to permanently extend the September 11th Fund (VCF) was signed into law, the result of tireless efforts by the IAFF, the Uniformed Firefighters Association (UFA) Local 94, Uniformed Fire Officers Association (UFOA) Local 854 and many others to make sure those who become ill as a result of their work at Ground Zero get the benefits and care they deserve.

Thanks to strong lobbying efforts by the Professional Fire Fighters Association (PFFA) of Louisiana, the state legislature unanimously passed SB 107 adding post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to the list of injuries eligible for workers’ compensation. Governor John Bel Edwards signed the bill into law on June 5.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a bill granting benefits to fire fighters who develop cancer, making Florida the 47th state to recognize the disease as an occupational injury.

The law provides full coverage for cancer, including disability and death benefits and recognizes 21 cancers as linked to firefighting. The coverage will be provided, not through a workers’ compensation claim as in many other states, but instead through an employer-provided group health plan. The coverage includes a one-time, lump-sum payment of $25,000 to fire fighters upon a cancer diagnosis.

New Brunswick became the fifth province to formally recognize post-traumatic stress as an occupational disease among first responders. Legislation introduced earlier this year was officially signed into law June 29. The legislation helps protect members in seven IAFF locals in New Brunswick. Presumptive coverage for post-traumatic stress for the purpose of workers compensation benefits now exists in half of Canada’s 10 provinces and covers a vast majority of the nation’s 23,000 members.

Fire fighters in Canada’s easternmost province are celebrating a hard-fought victory with the announcement that Newfoundland and Labrador will amend its workers’ compensation rules to specify that 11 types of cancer are presumed occupational when contracted by fire fighters who have worked a pre-determined number of years on the job.

With these changes, presumptive coverage for professional fire fighters now exists in every Canadian jurisdiction in which there are IAFF affiliates.

Membership in the IAFF has grown to a record 320,000 professional fire fighters and paramedics in the United States and Canada. Since 2000, when Harold Schaitberger took office, membership has grown 45 percent.

After years of intense lobbying by the IAFF, Congress did the right thing and repealed the employer-provided health insurance tax, more commonly referred to as the Cadillac Tax.

The Cadillac Tax was set to go into effect in 2022 and would have imposed an arbitrary 40 percent tax on employer-provided health insurance. The dangerous tax would have shifted the burden of coverage on to workers through high deductibles-co-pays and coinsurance while doing little to lower costs.

Since the IAFF Center of Excellence opened its doors in 2017, the center staff has delivered three continuous years of treatment to IAFF members recovering from post-traumatic stress and co-occurring addictions. More than 1,200 members have been treated, enabling them to return to their work and home life.

The IAFF launched its fire fighter nutrition campaign to assist members who are striving to eat healthy while meeting the caloric needs of a physically demanding job. The campaign kicked off with a very successful nutrition challenge which asked participants to eat only whole foods for 30 days.

The IAFF became one of the first organizations in the United States to release safety protocols to prevent COVID-19 exposure and infection on Jan. 24, 2020, as cases begin to be reported in the country.

Chicago, IL Local 2 member Mario Araujo and Detroit, MI Local 344 member Franklin Williams become the first two IAFF members to die from COVID-19.

As soon as the IAFF learned about the potential impact of the coronavirus, the International positioned itself at the forefront of the pandemic response by issuing safety guidelines and protocols for members to utilize as they continued to serve communities across the U.S. and Canada.

IAFF Secretary-Treasurer Emeritus Frank A. Palumbo died on June 16. He was 90. Palumbo was elected 1st District Vice President in 1970 and two years later, Convention delegates elected him Secretary-Treasurer, a position he held until 1980.

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Legislation to ensure fire fighters who die or are permanently and totally disabled due to COVID-19 receive full federal benefits officially became law.

The Safeguarding America’s First Responders (SAFR) Act of 2020 was introduced by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) and establishes a presumptive benefit under the Public Safety Officer Benefit (PSOB) program for public safety officers who contract COVID-19.

Following successful lobbying efforts by the Rhode Island State Association of Fire Fighters (RISAFF), state legislators pass a law making cancer an occupational illness and providing accidental disability benefits to fire fighters who can no longer work due to cancer complications.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed HR 1646, the Helping Emergency Responders Overcome (HERO) Act by voice vote. Introduced in 2019 by Representative Ami Bera (D-CA), this high-priority legislation for the IAFF addresses the real need for increased mental health resources within the fire service.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Don’t Break Up the T-Band Act, HR 451, with a decisive bipartisan vote of 397 to 5. Representative Elliot Engel (D-NY) sponsored the bill, which repeals a 2012 law directing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to auction off the T-Band frequencies starting in 2021.

“Fire fighters and emergency medical responders cannot safely and effectively serve the public without dependable communication systems. The IAFF will always fight to make sure those on the frontlines have the tools, like reliable radio systems, they need to do the job,” stated IAFF General President Harold A. Schaitberger.

Healthcare protections and a line-of-duty death benefit for occupational cancer are extended to fire fighters thanks to the hard work of the Professional Fire Fighters Association of South Carolina (PFFASC).

H 5139/S 1071, the Firefighter Cancer Health Care Benefit Plan, calls for a one-time payment of $20,000 per cancer diagnosis and a healthcare benefit of up to $12,000 in out-of-pocket medical expenses. Additionally, the legislation provides a $75,000 line-of-duty death benefit for the families of fire fighters who die due to occupational cancer.

Always looking to expand and expedite services to members impacted by a natural disaster, the IAFF used its own supply trailer during this the 2020 Hurricane season for the first time. The trailer enables members to move supplies from site to site, speeding up the process of delivering assistance considerably.

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021 contains several provisions to benefit IAFF members, including addressing toxic chemicals in turnout gear and improving the work schedule for many 16th District members. The IAFF worked closely with congressional allies throughout the year to ensure fire fighter priorities were included in the final bill.

The NDAA includes provisions to reduce fire fighters’ exposure to the toxic chemical PFAS, known to be present in firefighting foam and turnout gear. Most significantly, the bill directs the National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST) to quantify the exact amount of PFAS present in turnout gear and determine the health dangers associated with the chemical’s use.

The Electoral College in all 50 states gathered to cast their ballots for President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris. In California, 10th District Vice President Frank Líma was the first IAFF member to participate in the process.