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.
 

"Schaitberger Visits Wildfire Crews" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Charleston Report Uncovers Hundreds of Failures in CFD Policies " (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"IAFF Redmond Symposium Videos Available On Demand " (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Ontario Fire Fighters Help Liberals Win Landslide Re-election" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Firefighter Raises Unrelated To Contributions, Officials Say" (The Washington Post)
"UFA/UFOA Hold Press Conference Claiming FDNY Deutsche Bank Fire Cover-Up " (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Dodd Gets Political on CA Fires" (MSNBC)
"Plan to Trim Crews Angers Firefighters" (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
"Fire Fighters Rally In Support of New Britain Mayoral Candidate" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"IAFF Calls for Halt to Air Force Staffing Cuts " (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Senate Votes to Strengthen Fire Fighter Fatality Investigations" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Fighting For Benefits" (The Connection Newspaper)
"Minimum Manning Issue Divides Pontiac Residents" (Oakland Press)
"Firefighters' Hearing-Protection Bill Advances" (Philadelphia Inquirer)
"New Orleans Local Scores Important Victory in Pay Battle" (International Association of Fire Fighters )
"Alabama Fire Fighters Win Fight for Reclassification Pay" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Pennsylvania Locals Partner Up for Fire Ops" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"City Workers Vow Pension Fight" (Burlington Free Press)
"Judge Sides With Fire Fighters" (Current Argus)
"New California Law Affirms Fire Fighters' Right to Fill the Boot" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Augusta Fire Fighter Raises $25,000 for Charleston Nine" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Department vet appointed Aurora's new fire chief " (Denver Post)
"Pennsylvania Fire Fighters' Political Power Rising Fast" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Fight Over Collective Bargaining to Pick Up" (Star Telegram)
"Washington Department Bans Lighting Up" (Spokesman Review)
"IU Researchers Will Monitor Fire Fighters' Stress Burden" (Courier-Journal)
"Vancouver to Donate Fire Trucks to El Salvador" (CanWest News Service)
 

Schaitberger Visits Wildfire Crews
International Association of Fire Fighters (10/25/07)

As the more than 7,000 IAFF fire fighters on the ground in southern California continue working 96-hour shifts to contain the 12 major wildfires, IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger, California Professional Firefighters (CPF) President Lou Paulson, CAL Fire Local 2881 President Bob Wolf and San Diego Local 145 President Ron Saathoff are on the ground surveying the damage, talking to exhausted fire fighters and meeting with policy makers, including Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
(Web Link)
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Charleston Report Uncovers Hundreds of Failures in CFD Policies
International Association of Fire Fighters (10/17/07)

Following the release of the Charleston's Fire Review Team report, IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger said Mayor Joe Riley's characterization of the report as a 'management review' minimizes the significance of the June 18 tragedy that killed nine fire fighters, as well as the need for immediate and real change. "This is a landmark report that highlights hundreds of problems and failures in a fire department whose policies and procedures contributed significantly to the deaths of nine fire fighters," he said. The findings of the independent panel are significant because Mayor Riley hand-picked the group to investigate the June 18 tragedy.
(Web Link)
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IAFF Redmond Symposium Videos Available On Demand
International Association of Fire Fighters (10/26/07)

IAFF members can now view all of the Redmond Symposium plenary sessions via video on demand (VOD). The plenary sessions were webcast live from the 19th IAFF John P. Redmond Symposium in Chicago. Select from 28 plenary presentations on fire fighter health and safety, operational issues, the Wellness Fitness Initiative, CPAT and line-of-duty death reports.
(Web Link)
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Ontario Fire Fighters Help Liberals Win Landslide Re-election
International Association of Fire Fighters (10/12/07)

The Ontario Liberal Party has been swept back to power for another four years in the wake of an election campaign bathed in the IAFF's trademark gold-and-black colours of support. The Liberals have acted decisively on a number of important fire fighter issues, including presumptive cancer legislation. The October 10 landslide election win is a huge victory for the Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association (OPFFA), which had endorsed the re-election bid of Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty unanimously in June, and whose leadership and members surrounded the Premier at campaign stops across Ontario, their highly visible gold-and-black T-shirts and signs proclaiming "Fire Fighters for McGuinty" a fixture on nightly campaign news coverage.
(Web Link)
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Firefighter Raises Unrelated To Contributions, Officials Say
The Washington Post (10/31/07); Turque, Bill

The biggest single campaign contributor to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors doesn't put up homes, manage apartment complexes or develop shopping malls. The International Association of Fire Fighters Local 2068 brings big money to the table: more than $100,000 in the past four years, nearly all of it going to Chairman Gerald E. Connolly (D) and the incumbent supervisors seeking reelection Tuesday, according to the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project.
(Web Link)
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UFA/UFOA Hold Press Conference Claiming FDNY Deutsche Bank Fire Cover-Up
International Association of Fire Fighters (10/15/07)

The Uniformed Firefighters Association IAFF Local 94 and the Uniformed Fire Officers Association IAFF Local 854 held a joint press conference to expose the active effort by the New York City Fire Commissioner and his staff to hinder the investigations and the cloud of scandal surrounding the fatal Deutsche Bank fire that killed Local 94 fire fighters Robert Beddia and Joseph Graffagnino. Both locals said that the current FDNY building inspection program is a failure, and recommended establishing a dedicated building inspection task force.
(Web Link)
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Dodd Gets Political on CA Fires
MSNBC (10/24/07); Merten, Andy

The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) recently endorsed presidential candidate Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT). Meanwhile, at the IAFF's health and safety conference, Dodd commented on the response to the recent California wildfires. He said that although federal funding has been effectively allocated, still more funding is needed. He went on to criticize the lack of funding under the current FIRE Act and SAFER bill. Dodd said if elected he would institute a risk-based funding system that would send funding to areas like California that have an increased chance of wildfires.
(Web Link)
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Plan to Trim Crews Angers Firefighters
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (10/16/07); Sandler, Larry

Milwaukee fire fighters and their supporters turned out in force at an October 15 meeting of the city's Common Council. The meeting was to discuss proposed budget cuts that would trim the crews on three Milwaukee fire trucks from five to four. Initial safety projections say the cuts would have no effect on fire fighters' safety or on their ability to do their job. But fire fighters from around the country pointed out these statistics can be misleading. Washington, DC, fire Lt. Dan Dugan testified before the council that after the District cut crews three fire fighters were killed because of a lack of support at a fire scene, and the district returned to the five-man truck model. Supporters of the cuts argue the national average for crews is four. However, fire fighter Kevin Monaghan noted the average city council size in similar cities is 11 to Milwaukee's 15. In response to that statistic, Monaghan asked the council, "Which four aldermen would like to step down?"
(Web Link)
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Fire Fighters Rally In Support of New Britain Mayoral Candidate
International Association of Fire Fighters (10/31/07)

More than 150 fire fighters attended a rally October 30 to support New Britain (CT) mayoral candidate Jim Wyskiewicz. General President Harold Schaitberger, who participated in the rally, urged fire fighters to support Wyskiewicz and get to the polls on November 6. Wyskiewicz is running against incumbent Mayor Timothy Stewart, who is seeking a third two-year term. Schaitberger was joined at the rally for Wyskiewicz by Pete Carozza, president of the Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association of Connecticut, and New Britain Local 992 President Ed Preece.
(Web Link)
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IAFF Calls for Halt to Air Force Staffing Cuts
International Association of Fire Fighters (10/17/07)

The IAFF delivered a strong letter of warning to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates urging the reversal of fire fighter layoffs currently taking place at Air Force installations until IAFF concerns about the staffing reduction and its ramifications for Air Force fire protection nationwide are addressed. As a result of a 2005 budget directive from the White House, the Air Force is in the process of cutting as many as 920 fire fighters who protect Air Force assets and personnel, including 250 civilians, to pay for more aircraft. To accommodate these cuts, the Air Force has also initiated an overhaul of its fire protection standards and policies.
(Web Link)
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Senate Votes to Strengthen Fire Fighter Fatality Investigations
International Association of Fire Fighters (10/25/07)

The U.S. Senate unanimously voted to double funding for the Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program (FFFIPP) within the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The program, created by the IAFF in conjunction with President Bill Clinton, conducts investigations of fire fighter line-of-duty deaths to formulate recommendations for preventing future deaths and injuries. The provision to double the program's funds was offered as an amendment to the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Act for 2008 by Senator John Kerry (D-MA).
(Web Link)
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Fighting For Benefits
The Connection Newspaper (10/17/07); Schultz, David

The president of the Arlington, Virginia, fire fighters union tried doggedly to secure mental health treatment for one of his fellow fire fighters who was suffering from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder after his involvement in the 9/11 rescue effort. But Mike Staples said that he was blocked at every turn by overzealous county employees who were trying to deny benefits to the troubled fire fighter.
(Web Link)
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Minimum Manning Issue Divides Pontiac Residents
Oakland Press (10/23/07); Smothers, Kaniqua Daniel

Pontiac has turned into a city divided with people who want to eliminate minimum manning in the fire department on one side and those who want to keep it on the other. The minimum manning rule, as stated in the City Charter, requires one fire fighter for every 2,000 residents on duty at all times. Police officers are saying minimum manning for the fire department has to go, as it is unfair to have cuts in one department while another remains untouched.
(Web Link)
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Firefighters' Hearing-Protection Bill Advances
Philadelphia Inquirer (10/18/07)

Lt. Brian McBride, president of Philadelphia, PA Local 22, recently testified about fire fighters' hearing loss. McBride informed policymakers about the "measurable hearing loss" suffered by more than 50 percent of the city's fire fighters during their careers, according to test results. Sirens, truck engines and air horns are some of the auditory hazards faced by fire fighters. Not only are the inexpensive foam earplugs fire fighters currently wear prone to melting, they are also hard to remove when entering a fire in full equipment. Fire fighters do not shield their ears inside burning facilities, because they need to communicate with each other and listen for trapped victims.
(Web Link)
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New Orleans Local Scores Important Victory in Pay Battle
International Association of Fire Fighters (10/19/07)

The Louisiana Supreme Court of New Orleans has ordered the City to restore salary increases for fire fighters that it has illegally withheld, ruling October 12 to deny the City's appeal of a Civil District Court judgment issued earlier this year establishing the correct level of pay for fire fighters based on longevity increases they should have received over the course of their career.
(Web Link)
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Alabama Fire Fighters Win Fight for Reclassification Pay
International Association of Fire Fighters (10/17/07)

The Huntsville City Council unanimously voted in favor of a fire fighter salary reclassification plan. Huntsville, AL local 1833 members were among the lowest paid fire fighters in their region. The new plan, effective October 22, gives fire fighters on average a 7 percent pay increase and pay parity with police.
(Web Link)
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Pennsylvania Locals Partner Up for Fire Ops
International Association of Fire Fighters (10/16/07)

Fire Ops programs in Pennsylvania are fast becoming a bonding agent between fire fighters, city leadership and the media. Following the success of the state's first Fire Ops in Altoona and Johnstown, five locals - Allentown Local 302, Bethlehem Local 735, Easton Local 713, Lehigh-Northampton Airport Local 2227 and Wilson Borough Local 1914 - pooled their resources to put on their own Fire Ops.
(Web Link)
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City Workers Vow Pension Fight
Burlington Free Press (10/12/07); Briggs, John

Close to 150 Burlington, Vermont city workers -- police officers, fire fighters, public works employees and others -- turned out to talk about the city's report on the pension system and how its recommendations might affect their pensions. The clear message they left with the city is that if the intent of the report was to take away benefits they had negotiated fairly in 2000, it wouldn't happen without a fight.
(Web Link)
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Judge Sides With Fire Fighters
Current Argus (10/22/07); Schneider, Tom

Stating reasons of "fundamental fairness," District Court Judge Jane Shuler Gray has ruled in favor of Carlsbad fire fighters in their wage dispute with the city of Carlsbad. Shuler Gray dismissed the city's argument that an arbitrator's award of a 15 percent raise would require a re-appropriation of funds in its budget, noting that the award was made before the city's budget had been finalized. She called the city's claims "nonsensical and unfair."  
(Web Link)
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New California Law Affirms Fire Fighters' Right to Fill the Boot
International Association of Fire Fighters (10/16/07)

With the full support of the IAFF and the California Professional Firefighters (CPF), California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed SB 582 - a bill that preserves California fire fighters' right to "fill the boot." 
(Web Link)
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Augusta Fire Fighter Raises $25,000 for Charleston Nine
International Association of Fire Fighters (10/19/07)

Augusta-Richmond County, GA Local 3357 fire fighter Laddie Williams has returned home after cycling across the country to raise more than $25,000 for the families of the nine Charleston, South Carolina, fire fighters who perished in the June 18 Sofa Super Store fire.
(Web Link)
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Department vet appointed Aurora's new fire chief
Denver Post (10/30/07)

Aurora, Colorado, has appointed Mike Garcia fire chief, hoping he brings stability to a department that has seen its share of controversy this year. Garcia has been with the department since 1978, and has served as battalion chief for the past eight years. He takes over for interim Chief John Scott, who also was seeking the top spot after replacing former Chief Casey Jones.
(Web Link)
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Pennsylvania Fire Fighters' Political Power Rising Fast
International Association of Fire Fighters

Just one year after starting its own FIREPAC, Johnstown, PA Local 463 fire fighters are already seeing a difference in their political influence. In fact, for the first time, candidates for city and county council sought Local 463's endorsement. "I am proud of the success we have had so quickly," says Art Martynuska, president of Local 463 and chair of FIREPAC 463. "Last year, we were able to turn one candidate's campaign around in a short time. I think that is why our endorsement has become a hot commodity."
(Web Link)
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Fight Over Collective Bargaining to Pick Up
Star Telegram (10/25/07); Spangler, Anthony

Opponents of collective bargaining rights for Fort Worth fire fighters said their efforts will be picking up before the November 6 election. Local business leaders are urging residents to vote no on Proposition 1, a special ballot issue that would give fire fighters collective bargaining rights. But fire fighters are outspending their opponents nearly 20-1, according to campaign finance reports filed earlier this month. The Fort Worth Fire Fighters Committee for Equal Benefits, a political action committee formed by the firefighters, has spent $94,380 in support of the proposition, compared with $5,000 spent by opponents.
(Web Link)
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Washington Department Bans Lighting Up
Spokesman Review (10/23/07); Crane, Julianne

If you need your nicotine, don't even think about being a Spokane Valley fire fighter. Effective January 1, no new employees will be lighting up -- on the job or off. The policy of hiring only "nonusers of tobacco products" was approved unanimously by the Spokane Valley Fire Department Commission. The new language does not apply to the dozen or so present fire fighters who smoke or use smokeless tobacco, however under current rules even they cannot smoke or chew while on duty.  
(Web Link)
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IU Researchers Will Monitor Fire Fighters' Stress Burden
Courier-Journal (10/30/07); Callahan, Rick

Indiana University scientists hope to shed light on why so many of the nation's fire fighters die from heart attacks each year by outfitting dozens of fire fighters with sensor-laden vests to track their on-the-job stresses. No research has ever documented the specific physical toll fire fighters face on the job as they carry heavy equipment and enter burning, smoke-filled structures.
(Web Link)
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Vancouver to Donate Fire Trucks to El Salvador
CanWest News Service (10/15/07); Montgomery, Christina

Vancouver is about to make life a little easier for fire fighters in El Salvador, who scramble to protect the impoverished Central American country routinely hit by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides and wildfires. City council is expected to back a staff motion approving the donation of three decommissioned city fire trucks, through the Rotary Clubs of the Lower Mainland, to El Salvador's national fire service. The donations are being made through an "Engines for El Salvador" project backed by the fire department, the fire fighters' union and the consulate of El Salvador.
(Web Link)
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