Welcome to the IAFF Frontline News Brief, distributed twice a month to IAFF affiliate leaders and IAFF members. We encourage you to forward this news to your members and others in the fire service.

The Frontline News Brief is delivered directly by email and is also published on the IAFF web site. You can view past issues at http://www.iaff.org/Comm/frontline/news.htm.

Your feedback is also welcome - email pr@iaff.org with questions and comments.
 

"Fire Report Blasts City" (Charleston Post & Courier)
"City Firefighter Speaks Out Against The Chief " (ABC News 4)
"Embattled Executive Director Linked to Alleged Illicit Activities " (The Palmetto Scoop )
"IAFF Pays Tribute to 114 Fallen Fire Fighters" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Giuliani Party Draws Criticism From Dodd" (Associated Press)
"Featherstone will head emergency department" (LA Daily News )
"Louisville firefighters get contract after 2 years of talks " (The Courier-Journal)
"Vallejo Fire Fighters Awarded Favorable Staffing Arbitration " (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Flashover Photo Gives Insight into Deadly Boston Fire" (WBZ TV)
"House Moves to Strengthen Airport Fire Fighting" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"DoD Fire Fighters Get Long Overdue Uniform Allowance Hike" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Port of Walla Walla Loses Labor Dispute" (Tri-City Herald)
"McGuinty Drapes Himself in Public-Sector Union Support " (Canada.com)
"Robert Hall: A Fireman, He Successfully Fought to Have Different Cancers Recognized as Occupational Hazards" (Maclean's)
"TFD Local Union Execs: Picketing Possible" (WIBW)
"Kernersville Town Manager Resigns" (Winston-Salem Journal)
"Doctors: Ground Zero Workers Still Getting Sick" (Newsday)
"Omaha Fire Department Conducts Hands-On Training" (KETV 7 Omaha)
"Fresno Fire Fighters Fighting City To Cover Staph Infection Expenses" (KFSN TV )
"Former Franklin Fire Fighter Thinks Union Ties Cost Him Job" (Tennessean.com)
"City's First Woman Fire Fighter Topped Class" (The Providence Journal)
"Dispute Over Fire Union Endorsement" (Cincinnati Enquirer)
"Fire Ops 101 Is Big Hit in Pennsylvania" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
 

Fire Report Blasts City
Charleston Post & Courier (09/21/07); Menchaca, Ron and Smith, Glenn

The Charleston Fire Department knowingly ignored the safety of its fire fighters during the June 18 Sofa Super Store blaze, according to state officials, who slapped the city with one of the largest fines ever imposed on a public agency in South Carolina. Nine city fire fighters died in the blaze, the largest single loss of fire fighters since the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Return to Headlines

City Firefighter Speaks Out Against The Chief
ABC News 4

 A City of Charleston fire fighter says Chief Rusty Thomas should go. For the first time, in an exclusive interview, one of Chief Thomas' own speaks his mind. The fire fighter says he decided to talk now because he had hoped once official reports about the Sofa Super Store fire were released, something would change. But he says, now that OSHA's report is out and points to lacking leadership, it makes him sick to hear Mayor Joe Riley praise Thomas and the department he leads.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

Embattled Executive Director Linked to Alleged Illicit Activities
The Palmetto Scoop (09/04/07)

The South Carolina Fire Fighters Association may soon be the subject of an Internal Revenue Service investigation into alleged use of tax-exempt "charitable donations" under its nonprofit status and other resources to aid Giuliani's White House bid -- a violation of U.S. tax code. Jim Bowie, the executive director of the South Carolina Fire Fighters Association who fought to make South Carolina the only state to follow 2-in/1-out -- and who co-chairs "First Responders for Giuliani" -- was forced to resign. Additionally, he will no longer chair the committee in charge of the wellness of the families of the Charleston Nine. This is not the first time that Bowie has come under fire for allegedly crooked activities. FITSNews reported that Bowie "was indicted 15 years ago by a Lexington County, South Carolina, grand jury for 'breach of trust' related to financial irregularities at the State Fire Academy."
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

IAFF Pays Tribute to 114 Fallen Fire Fighters
International Association of Fire Fighters (09/15/07)

Hundreds of fire fighters, family and friends from across North America gathered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, for the 21st Annual Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial September 15 to honor the memory of 114 IAFF members who made the ultimate sacrifice. Those remembered died between June 1, 2006, and June 1, 2007. As a special honor to the fallen, a procession of fire apparatus and motorcycles, known as the "Ride to Remember," proceeded mourners to the memorial site in the shadow of Pike's Peak. IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger presided over the ceremony.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

Giuliani Party Draws Criticism From Dodd
Associated Press (09/25/07); Quaid, Libby

The International Association of Fire Fighters accused Republican Rudy Giuliani of exploiting the September 11 terrorist attacks because a supporter is holding a $9.11-per-person fundraiser for the presidential candidate. The union -- already a vocal critic of Giuliani's -- said that the fundraiser's "$9.11 for Rudy" theme is an abuse of the image and symbols of the 2001 attacks. "It is nothing short of disrespectful to the legacy of the thousands of civilians and 343 brave fire fighters who died at ground zero," IAFF President Harold Schaitberger said.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

Featherstone will head emergency department
LA Daily News (09/26/07); Cavanaugh, Kerry

Los Angelos Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has announced that longtime Los Angeles Fire Department Captain James Featherstone will take over as general manager of the Emergency Preparedness Department. Featherstone already has experience. He is a captain in the LAFD's tactical training division and he was the assistant general manager of the Emergency Preparedness Department from January through July 2006.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

Louisville firefighters get contract after 2 years of talks
The Courier-Journal (09/26/07); Klepal, Dan

After two years of bitter negotiations, public demonstrations and debate, Louisville's fire fighters began considering a new contract offer, which would provide their first pay raise in more than two years. A simple majority of 553 union members must affirm the four-year deal.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

Vallejo Fire Fighters Awarded Favorable Staffing Arbitration
International Association of Fire Fighters (09/20/07)

An arbitrator in California has put a stop to the City of Vallejo's attempts to reduce Vallejo Local 1186 minimum staffing from 28 to 24. This latest victory is one of many in a series of battles between the Vallejo fire fighters and the City in the last 32 years. "I am proud of the members of Local 1186 for not backing down when safe staffing is at stake," says IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger. "Our brothers and sisters in Vallejo are like many other IAFF affiliates who must do more on the job with less." The City has put fire fighter and citizen safety at risk by ignoring a contract-mandated meet and confer provision.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

Flashover Photo Gives Insight into Deadly Boston Fire
WBZ TV

A new digital photo showing the terrible power of a fireball that killed two Boston fire fighters is helping investigators understand more about what happened at the Tai Ho Restaurant. The image also helps to understand even more clearly the risks that come with fighting any fire, even ones that look routine. Fire fighters said the picture makes even the most seasoned among them wince, not because it shows flames, but because it shows an explosion.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

House Moves to Strengthen Airport Fire Fighting
International Association of Fire Fighters (09/21/07)

The U.S. House of Representatives voted to approve legislation strengthening current fire safety standards at airports. The FAA Reauthorization Act, H.R. 2881, was passed by a vote of 267-151. As passed, the bill requires the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to bring Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) standards into conformity with existing national consensus standards.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

DoD Fire Fighters Get Long Overdue Uniform Allowance Hike
International Association of Fire Fighters (09/21/07)

The Senate has unanimously approved an amendment to the defense authorization bill offered by Senators Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) effectively doubling to $800 the maximum yearly uniform allowance for Department of Defense (DoD) fire fighters, the first increase in 18 years.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

Port of Walla Walla Loses Labor Dispute
Tri-City Herald (09/11/07); Joshi, Pratik

A Walla Walla County Superior Court judge ruled against the Port of Walla Walla in a labor dispute involving its airport rescue fire fighters. The court upheld the state Public Employment Relations Commission's decision from last year that the port unlawfully interfered with protected employee rights. The latest ruling affirms the stand of Local 4203, which filed an unfair labor practices complaint against the port in 2004, said Ricky Walsh, IAFF 7th District Vice President.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

McGuinty Drapes Himself in Public-Sector Union Support
Canada.com (09/13/07); Cowan, James and Greenberg, Lee

Fire fighters have become a fixture at Premier Dalton McGuinty campaign events. McGuinty surrounded himself with some of the beneficiaries of his largesse in the public sector -- nurses, fire fighters and teachers. "(Conservatives) have never understood how important it is for families to rely on good public services," McGuinty said in Toronto. "I'm talking about the overwhelming majority for whom daily life is a struggle just to make ends meet, and care for your parents when they get sick ... and pay your taxes." Fire fighters went the extra yard, in fact, rushing outside before a campaign event in Toronto to cordon off a path for the premier.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

Robert Hall: A Fireman, He Successfully Fought to Have Different Cancers Recognized as Occupational Hazards
Maclean's (09/24/07) Vol. 120, No. 37, P. 96; Hall, Robert

Vancouver fire fighter Robert Hall was an activist for the needs and rights of the men and women who serve in his occupation. He was a fire captain, a union representative and a frequent provincial fire fighters' Burn Fund activist. But for all his good works, he was most devoted to obtaining support for fire fighters who develop cancer as a result of exposure to the toxic fumes they so often encounter. Thanks to his efforts, in 2005, Canada passed a law designating a number of cancers as just cause for workers compensation claims. On August 27, at age 51, Hall succumbed to colorectal cancer. Fire fighters from across North America came to see Hall given a hero's sendoff.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

TFD Local Union Execs: Picketing Possible
WIBW (09/21/07); Shively, Lindsay

The two sides met behind closed doors at the city manager's office for more than two hours. Topeka fire fighters warn they'll picket if their demands aren't met. They want Chief Howard Giles gone. Local 83 Union President Kent Dederick says they want Chief Howard Giles replaced. "I can't see healing happening in this department until the administration is changed."
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

Kernersville Town Manager Resigns
Winston-Salem Journal (09/19/07); Young, Wesley

Town Manager Marvin Davis resigned after the Kernersville Board of Aldermen met for more than three hours in a closed-door session. Davis was at the center of a controversy over paying fire fighters overtime, but Mayor Curtis Swisher said that wasn't the reason for his resignation. Davis resigned because of problems with employee morale and "philosophical differences," officials said.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

Doctors: Ground Zero Workers Still Getting Sick
Newsday(09/13/07) P. A28

According to reports made to Congress on September 12, there are still a number of first responders suffering from the after-effects of 9/11. Doctors testifying in front a House panel expanded on a study conducted last year on 2,323 Ground Zero rescue and clean-up workers. According to the study, workers were unknowingly exposed to a number of toxins in the 48 hours after the attack. As a result, 40 percent of patients suffer from lower respiratory illness, 59 percent from upper respiratory problems, and 36 percent from mental health issues. Doctors also said there is no telling how long these problems will persist or how many more first responders will begin to see effects in the years to come. The panel is part of a wider congressional investigation into the possible allocation of federal funding to aid the fire fighters affected by their experience at Ground Zero.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

Omaha Fire Department Conducts Hands-On Training
KETV 7 Omaha

The Omaha Fire Department held a demonstration for city leaders. But this was no show and tell; it was a hands-on experience in fighting fires. It was the first of what the Omaha Professional Firefighters Union hopes is an annual event. It was planned eight months ago before the debate over four or three fire fighters made news. But union officials say the timing couldn't be better.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

Fresno Fire Fighters Fighting City To Cover Staph Infection Expenses
KFSN TV (09/24/07); Milanes, Itica

Station 11 is one of the three fire stations where fire fighters have gotten sick. They want the City of Fresno to cover their medical expenses under workers comp. But, the city says fire fighters can't prove they got these infections at work. Jerry Duncan, Fresno City Council, says, "The evidence to me is pretty clear that MRSA staph infection bacteria are present in our fire stations and these fire fighters are getting it from that."
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

Former Franklin Fire Fighter Thinks Union Ties Cost Him Job
Tennessean.com (09/19/07)

A Franklin fire fighter fired for going outside "the chain of command" says he thinks he lost his job because of his work with a fire fighters union. Stephen Zachar, 30, had received no written or oral warnings during his four months on the job, records show. Zachar said he believes Fire Chief Rocky Garzarek fired him after discovering that he had helped found the Arlington, Tennessee Firefighters Association and is a former president of the group. "You can't fire somebody because they're a union leader," Zachar said. "That's wrong."  
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

City's First Woman Fire Fighter Topped Class
The Providence Journal (09/21/07); Castellucci, John

Pawtucket hired its first female fire fighter, and the question wasn't whether she was qualified. Michelle M. Eldridge graduated first in her class at the Pawtucket fire academy. The question was, what took the city so long to give a woman the job?
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

Dispute Over Fire Union Endorsement
Cincinnati Enquirer (09/17/07); Brunsman, Barrett J.

The union that represents fire fighters in this Clermont County community claims it is being retaliated against for endorsing someone other than an incumbent trustee in the November 6 election. The union filed an unfair labor practices complaint against the township today. Some fire fighters fear they will be fired for exercising their constitutional right to free speech, said Jamie Osborne, president of the Union Township Professional Firefighters Association Local 3412.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

Fire Ops 101 Is Big Hit in Pennsylvania
International Association of Fire Fighters (09/21/07)

Johnstown, PA Local 463 and Altoona, PA Local 299 successfully co-hosted a Fire Ops 101 at the Cambria County Fire Training Site in May -- the first ever Fire Ops program offered in Pennsylvania. "We now know how valuable this program is for all of our locals -- big or small," says Dave Eckman, president of the Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association. "The PPFFA has vowed to offer its affiliates any assistance needed to plan their own Fire Ops." For smaller locals, co-hosting the event as Locals 463 and 299 did can eliminate some planning challenges.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines