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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://daily.iaff.org/frontline/morenews.html.

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

"Mayor Nagin Shortchanges New Orleans Fire Fighters" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"IAFF to Host Public Employee Forum on GASB 45" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Fire Fighters File Suit Against Hualapai Valley Fire District" (International Association of Fire Fighters)
"Random thoughts about town" (Newton Tab)
"Firefighters Rally For Staffing Boost" (The Day)
"St. Paul's fire chief anticipates controversy after audit" (St. Paul Star Tribune )
"Ravenstahl To Pass On Chance To Cut Fire Bureau" (KDKA TV)
"Most Trusted Professionals: Firefighters, Not the CEO" (FireFightingNews.com)
"N.Y. council delays action on fire union pact" (Buffalo News)
"Proposed Bill Puts Flame Retardant in Spotlight" (FireRescue1)
"Firefighters getting retroactive pay" (Worcester Telegram & Gazette)
"A glimmer of hope in firefighter dispute" (St. Catharines Standard)
"Commerce Stakes Out Interoperability Bill" (Communications Daily)
"Charity event starts spat on money" (The Herald )
"Stamford's Lone Female Firefighter Files Complaint" (Hartford Courant )
"Future Fire Fighters Train Early in Phoenix" (International Association of Fire Fighters)

"Frontline News Brief" is Sponsored By:

Mayor Nagin Shortchanges New Orleans Fire Fighters
International Association of Fire Fighters (01/30/07)

New Orleans fire fighters expected a big pay raise last month. Instead, some got shortchanged. A pay dispute that has festered in New Orleans for decades remains unresolved, despite judicial rulings and promises from city officials to boost fire fighter salaries. "We're depending on the judicial system, which has always been fair, to continue to put pressure on the city administration and the mayor to bring fairness to fire fighters," says Nick Felton, president of New Orleans, LA Local 632. The long-running dispute between Local 632 and New Orleans city officials over fire fighter pay should have been resolved January 26 with the implementation of two raises. Fire fighters have long challenged New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin's administration over paltry salaries. Starting salaries for fire fighters in New Orleans are as low as $8.34 an hour.
(Web Link)
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IAFF to Host Public Employee Forum on GASB 45
International Association of Fire Fighters (01/30/07)

The IAFF is holding a special Public Employee Forum on GASB 45 at the Holiday Inn Capitol Hill on Wednesday, February 7, 2007. The four-hour program, offered in partnership with other public employee unions and NCPERS, will also be available in streaming video on the IAFF web site via time-delayed webcast. GASB Statement 45 concerns health and other non-pension benefits, also known as post-employment benefits -- along with retiree health care programs -- which are by far the most costly for employers. In general, all public sector employers offering post-employment benefits -- other than pensions -- will be required under GASB Statement 45 to reflect the costs of those benefits in the financial statements. This new requirement could drive municipalities to propose cuts that would adversely affect the financial health and well-being of IAFF members.
(Web Link)
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Fire Fighters File Suit Against Hualapai Valley Fire District
International Association of Fire Fighters (01/24/07)

Six members of Kingman, AZ Local 4191 have filed a lawsuit against the Hualapai Valley Fire District in Kingman, Arizona, charging that the Fire District violated their constitutional rights. The suit in federal court arises from the terminations of Local 4191 members James Schnabel, Kamrin Dooley, Mike Carlson, Randall Nyberg, Jeff Campbell and Oscar Lopez -- all of whom were employed in good standing with the Fire District before being discharged. "It's hard to believe that this kind of intimidation and violation of individual rights and freedoms can take place in this day and age," says IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger. "I want to put the Hualapai Valley Fire District, its Fire Chief and its Board of Directors on notice that we will use the full force of the 280,000 members of the IAFF to bear on this matter. We will protect our members' First Amendment rights, no matter how long it takes to correct this injustice."
(Web Link)
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Random thoughts about town
Newton Tab (01/31/07); Mountain, Tom

It might be time for Newton, Massachusetts Mayor David Cohen to conclude that his ongoing feud with Newton, MA Local 863 has finally run its course. A few weeks ago, Local 863 staged another rally, marching to City Hall with more than 200 in attendance, including fire fighters from as far away as Worcester and Providence , as well as General President of the International Association of Fire Fighters Harold Schaitberger. In typical fashion, the mayor ran and hid, this time in a police cruiser to Boston for what was surely pressing business.
(Web Link)
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Firefighters Rally For Staffing Boost
The Day (01/17/07); Warchut, Katie

Members of Groton, CT Local 1964 joined hundreds of members of the fire fighting community, their families and local residents outside the City Municipal Building to push for the city to increase its fire department staffing levels. The crowd wore yellow T-shirts, carried signs that read "Our community, our fire fighters 4 safe staffing," and passed out stickers of the number "4." Four is the number of fire fighters that should be required, by contract, for each shift. Local 1964's contract, which expired in June, requires three fire fighters per shift. Local 1964 President Daniel Tompkins estimates the addition of a fourth fire fighter per shift would cost about $50,000 a year. As its written, the contract -- which has been referred to the State Board of Mediation and Arbitration --  hinders the ability of fire fighters to respond to emergencies, threatening both their safety and the safety of city residents. When a shift of three fire fighters responds to a fire, they either have to wait for aid from volunteers or other departments before going inside or risk their lives by ignoring safety guidelines. "If a person's house is on fire, how am I going to explain I have to wait?" says fire fighter Kevin Zoilkovski. The fire department's problems were showcased during three house fires in recent months when only a small number of city fire fighters could respond. Mayor Dennis L. Popp maintained he would not negotiate the fire fighters' contract in public, and said contract discussions involved more than just staffing. He said the reality is that serious fires will happen.

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St. Paul's fire chief anticipates controversy after audit
St. Paul Star Tribune (01/29/07); Medcalf, Myron P.

A pending independent audit of the St. Paul, Minnesota  Fire Department may give city officials a strong set of recommendations to consider when it's released in March. In similar studies for other fire departments conducted by TriData, audits have recommended multi-million-dollar upgrades, fire station closures and staff changes. St. Paul Fire Chief Doug Holton anticipates the findings in St. Paul "could be controversial." St. Paul, MN Local 21 agreed to the $200,000 audit.  T he study, which will consider whether the department has the proper staff size, is the first comprehensive review of the department in 20 years. Pat Flanagan, president of St. Paul Local 21, says he hopes the study will call for an administrative reorganization, but doesn't want city officials to use the audit results to cut staff or exonerate Chief Holton. "We want the City to e mploy all of TriData's recommendations or none of them," Flanagan says. Local 21  gave the chief a vote of no confidence last year, and has disputed administrative decisions, overtime pay and hiring practices since Holton came from Milwaukee three years ago. Flanagan, who reports that the union has filed 30 grievances against the chief, also questions whether the audit would be objective, because Holton once worked as a consultant for TriData during his years in Milwaukee .
(Web Link)
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Ravenstahl To Pass On Chance To Cut Fire Bureau
KDKA TV (01/26/07)

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl says he will not reopen Pittsburgh, PA Local 1's contract or reduce the size and cost of the Fire Bureau. The fire department has long been a target for those who want to reduce the size of city government, but Ravenstahl says there are no financial savings to be made by reopening the fire fighters' agreement. The Pittsburgh Fire Bureau is smaller than it used to be since the closing of five station houses and a reduction in the budget from $60 to $48 million. According to Ravenstahl, the problem is that the city still has no plan to reduce or reorganize the bureau, although the state oversight board has certainly spent enough money to try to come up with one. Two years ago the board spent $125,000 on a study but rejected the plan as too expensive to implement. Now the board is spending an additional $193,000 on a new one. Pittsburgh Local 1 President Joe King agrees that the City cannot reopen the contract until it has a new plan. He is calling for an expanded fire bureau and the reopening of closed fire stations. He also argues that the hiring of more fire fighters will reduce the need for overtime. Ravenstahl is supported in his decision by both the state oversight committee and the state administrator.
(Web Link)
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Most Trusted Professionals: Firefighters, Not the CEO
FireFightingNews.com (01/22/07)

A new survey of 1,000 Canadians from Sympatico.MSN finds that Canadians deem fire fighters to be the most trustworthy professionals, with 93 percent of respondents citing them as trustworthy. The least trustworthy professionals, according to the study, are CEOs, with an approval rating of just 21 percent. National politicians and salespeople brought up the rear, with just 7 percent of respondents citing them as trustworthy. Respondents said they used criteria such as reliability, integrity and adhering to promises as the basis for their responses.
(Web Link)
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N.Y. council delays action on fire union pact
Buffalo News (01/27/07); Meyer, Brian

The Common Council of Buffalo, New York, has delayed action on a new contract with Buffalo, NY Local 282 amid concerns about a residency rule for new fire fighters and the agreement's projected savings. The contract will save the city $8 million by 2012, even though fire fighters' salaries would increase by more than 30 percent over five and a half years. Council President David A. Franczyk and several others want to settle a concern that newly hired fire fighters might be able to easily circumvent a rule that requires them to live in Buffalo for at least 15 years. They  want assurances that the contract language is strong enough to prevent such abuses.  C oncessions made by Local 282 will save millions of dollars, and include surrendering 48 hours of paid vacation time and one personal paid day off and changes in health insurance coverage. Another Council concern involves a contract change that would allow the fire commissioner to temporarily close a fire station if more than seven fire fighters call in sick on a specific shift. Currently, the Council has the power to authorize firehouse closings.
(Web Link)
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Proposed Bill Puts Flame Retardant in Spotlight
FireRescue1 (01/23/07); Thompson, Jamie

Some environmentalists assert that a class of chemicals used as flame retardants -- polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) -- may be toxic and impair children's brain development. The state of Washington is poised to become the first to prohibit the use of all types of PBDEs, including the commonly used deca that is used in televisions and other electronic and electric appliances. The legislation calls for fire department leaders to agree on an appropriate flame retardant before any bans can be implemented. If approved, the legislation would ban deca from mattresses from 2008 and from electronics and furniture from 2011. Patrick Morrison, director of health and safety at the International Association of Fire Fighters, says, "We are looking at possible substitutes, whether there is something out there that can do the same thing as deca, but is safer on the environment. The bottom line is that if deca is replaced, will it mean a rise in residential and commercial fires?"
(Web Link)
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Firefighters getting retroactive pay
Worcester Telegram & Gazette (01/31/07); Kotsopoulos, Nick

More than eight months after the Joint Labor Management Committee handed down its arbitration award on a divisive salary dispute between the City of Worcester, Massachusetts, and Worcester Local 1009, fire fighters will receive the retroactive pay owed them for fiscal 2005 and 2006. Last month, fire fighters received their retroactive pay for fiscal 2004. The City says  it has taken so long to make the payments because of the complicated nature of the fire department's payroll.
(Web Link)
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A glimmer of hope in firefighter dispute
St. Catharines Standard (01/18/07)

There is a glimmer of a hope that a prolonged impasse between St. Catharines, ON Local 485 fire fighters and their chief will come to an end. After Local 485 addressed the newly-elected City Council about the strained relations between the fire fighters and management, city councillors agreed to bring in a facilitator to settle the dispute and review and comment on the state of relations and how they can be improved. A similar process in Niagara Falls ultimately resulted in new leadership in both the union and management. Local 485 President Terry Colburn applauds the St. Catharines City Council for taking a leadership role in getting past the accusations and allegations between the city and its fire fighters and resolving this dispute.
(Web Link)
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Commerce Stakes Out Interoperability Bill
Communications Daily (01/26/07)

A new Senate Commerce Committee measure includes instructions for spending $1 billion in interoperability funds earmarked in the 2005 Deficit Reduction Act. S-385 would indicate to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration how to distribute emergency communications grants to fire fighters, police, and emergency medical crews. The bill would provide up to $100 million in aid for emergency agencies to ready communications equipment in state or regional facilities, and require the government to depend more on "rapid deployment of equipment, supplies and systems rather than the warehousing or storage of equipment and supplies available" at the time reserves are established. The measure would also order the Federal Communications Commission in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to assess the "technical feasibility" of developing a contingency emergency system that would complement existing resources and take into account next generation and advanced telecom technologies.

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Charity event starts spat on money
The Herald (01/28/07); Cornfield, Jerry

A fundraiser held in Seattle to benefit New Orleans fire fighters has sparked controversy after New Orleans, LA Local 632 President Nick Felton discovered that 72.5 cents of each dollar raised went for commissions and other expenses -- an amount he considers "reprehensible." The Mardi Gras gala was held to help New Orleans fire fighters and their families rebuild their lives in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. In a January 6 letter to Vicki Gillis, who raises money primarily for political candidates, Felton fired her citing excessive expenses, sending  copies to elected leaders in Louisiana and Washington, including Louisiana's  congressional delegation and every member of the state legislature. " I thought it was important because of the gravity and nature of the story," Felton says.
(Web Link)
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Stamford's Lone Female Firefighter Files Complaint
Hartford Courant (01/29/07); Lee, Natasha

Stamford, CT Local 786's only female fire fighter has filed a grievance with the city and fire chief after a volunteer assistant chief allegedly tried to remove her from the Springdale firehouse. Local 786 filed the grievance on behalf of Michele McEwen in the January 5 incident in which Assistant Chief Brant Kelley reportedly told a Stamford Fire & Rescue captain that McEwen was not allowed in the firehouse at the order of the Springdale Fire Co. chief. Springdale Fire Co. is a private, nonprofit agency that has a joint operating agreement with the city that allows for 16 paid Stamford Fire & Rescue fire fighters to staff the firehouse in addition to its 30 volunteers. In the grievance, Local 786 says  McEwen was part of a crew sent to Springdale to cover for a Stamford Fire & Rescue engine out on a call. When the crew arrived, Kelley told Stamford Captain Shaun Tripodi that Springdale Fire Chief Shawn Fahan had instructed him that McEwen was not allowed in the station. An eight-year veteran, McEwen is the only female among more than 230 fire fighters in the city. The grievance marks the third time McEwen complained of harassment by Springdale volunteers. The city investigated the complaints and suggested volunteers participate in sexual harassment and sensitivity training. "Anybody that works for the city of Stamford or represents themselves in a career or volunteer capacity should be held in the same standard," says Brendan Keatley, president Stamford Local 786.
(Web Link)
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Future Fire Fighters Train Early in Phoenix
International Association of Fire Fighters (01/30/07)

High school students interested in a career in fire fighting or law enforcement are training early, thanks to a magnet program in Phoenix, Arizona. Working with the state department of education, Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon created the school to train future fire fighters and police officers. Phoenix Local 493 member Scott Crowley served on the committee to develop and implement the program.
(Web Link)
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