FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 31, 2005

CONTACT: Jeff Zack, (202) 824-1506 (Office), (202) 360-9778 (cell)
                   Jim McBride, (202) 824-1566 (Office), (703) 867-5070 (cell)

KATRINA DOESN’T STOP FIRE FIGHTERS FROM
WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK

IAFF Responds to Needs of First Responders As They Respond to Victims of Katrina

BATON ROUGE, LA – The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) has established a hurricane command response headquarters at the AFL-CIO headquarters in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to assist fire fighters and their families in the region devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

“The men and women of the fire service along the Gulf Coast have truly put themselves on the frontline to protect their communities by working endless shifts, throughout the day and night, before, during -- and now after -- this horrendous storm,” says Harold Schaitberger, general president of the International Association of Fire Fighters. “The IAFF is on the ground to ensure that our members are not forgotten as they face their own losses, yet work tirelessly rescuing those stranded by the storm and helping their communities through this terrible tragedy.”

Fire fighters throughout the region are leading search and rescue operations and recovery and relief efforts while they try to care for their own families, find missing loved ones and assess damage to their homes and property. IAFF 14th District Vice President Danny Todd and a team of IAFF representatives are assessing the needs of IAFF members and their families and are prepared to help them locate family members and provide direct relief where needed.

“Our members are rising to the occasion and putting in an incredible effort rescuing storm victims in the Gulf Coast right now,” says Todd, who represents fire fighters in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi. “In some cases, we have fire fighters living on the roof of their firehouse and who are out of touch with their families and in need of food and water. Still, our fire fighters are showing Katrina that they won’t be deterred from getting the job done.”

MEDIA: IAFF District Vice President Danny Todd and IAFF Assistant to the General President for Education and Training Eric Lamar are available to discuss the rescue efforts and forgotten needs of first responders in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

The International Association of Fire Fighters, headquartered in Washington, DC, represents more than 270,000 full-time professional fire fighters and paramedics who protect 80 percent of the nation’s population. More information is available at www.iaff.org .

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