This video is from the Chicago Fire Department and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. It provides insight to some of what Chicago’s firefighters have been through dealing with Line of Duty Deaths (LODD’s), close calls, continuing to learn, and adjusting to change.
I challenge you to watch this entire video. Then share the video with your Brother and Sister Firefighters.
YOU HAVE TO LEARN.
You have to train.
You have to be ready.
Wear your seatbelts.
Understand what you are doing and why you are doing it.
Some of the topics include seatbelt usage, situational awareness, health and wellness, calling a MAYDAY, PPE, and much more.
If you think you got some good reason for not wearing this or for not doing things the right way write it down. Because I need to read that to your widow. Cause I’m not going to know what to say. You say it for me. – Chicago Chief of Training Peter VanDorpe
If this video doesn’t make you sit and think about your job and how you do it, you just don’t get it.
Sincere thanks to CFD Commissioner Bob Hoff, the Chicago Fire Department, Chicago IAFF Local 2, and the entire crew at the NFFF especially Rob Maloney, director of this video, for a spectacular job.
Several of my brothers from Roanoke completed the Tough Mudder in Wintergreen yesterday. Congratulations guys! You make the rest of us in Roanoke proud. I am sure it was a blast and I would have loved to have completed it with you. I had originally planned on traveling this weekend, but the plans fell through. Maybe next time.
This upcoming weekend, Willie and I will be traveling to New Jersey and New York City. Willie will be hanging out with Zach Green of MN8 in New York City. I will be teaching social media in New Jersey. I will also be teaching in Kentucky in November. Read more about my classes in New Jersey here.
Virginia LODD
The Fairfax County (Virginia) Fire & Rescue Department is mourning the loss of Firefighter Horace Pendergrass. Firefighter Pendergrass passed away in his sleep at station 41. Read more on VAFireNews.com here.
Daily911Deals™ has a brand new deal today. The latest is a custom Helmet Front Holder from Westsider Front Holder. The custom holder is made by a firefighter in North Carolina and offered mostly through Facebook. If you imagined you will get it at a great discount you are right! Daily911Deals™ is offering the Westsider Front Holder for 50% off. Get yours for $14.99 delivered. Regular price is $29.99.
According to Jonathan Nixon, the firefighter behind Westsider Front Holder:
Westsider front holders were made because I wanted a holder that would not give or bend when you were doing work. My original holder was was ruined when I got out of the academy. Now that I have a Westsider on my helmet, I have confidence that it will handle whatever I can throw at it.
If you are new to Daily911Deals™ you should definitely check it out! They have had one great deal after another after starting several months ago.
A cast of compelling characters brings to life a new and untapped perspective of the firefighting world. Through unique technology, watch the drama unfold from the viewpoint of the firefighters. Think COPS combined with Rescue 911. Toss in a “Real World” twist and mix in some hot firefighters, and you have “Beyond the Line.”
“Beyond the Line” sees the world through the eyes of the firefighters from Denver and West Metro Fire Departments. From gunshot wounds and drug overdoses, to rapes and transients drowning in the South Platte River, they see it all. In each 30-minute episode of “Beyond the Line” viewers experience the highs, lows, the joys and tragedies these everyday heroes face. With unprecedented access to the behind the scenes action of emergency calls and the daily lives of the rescue crews, we reveal the remarkable and inspirational stories of the firefighters and paramedics. Toss in a dynamic of brotherhood of raw characters, to say the least, and you experience the life of these firefighters.
Green lights for Volunteers in East Gwillimbury (located in Canada…somewhere)
East Gwillimbury has implemented a two-pronged green flashing light system for volunteer firefighters. The vehicles of the town’s 81 volunteer firefighters will be equipped with the lights that are affixed to the dashboard. As a courtesy, the town’s emergency services department is asking drivers to treat these vehicles as you would other emergency vehicles.
The death of a Time Warner worker sparks a Carl Monday investigation
GARFIELD HEIGHTS, OH (WOIO) – 19 Action News Investigator Carl Monday has a story about a local woman who lost her mom last month. Now, she has some serious questions about her death.
Was the good Samaritan who tried to save her prevented from doing everything she could?
Charlie Brown Restaurant Fire
Finally, check out this video from Newsworking in South Whitehall, PA. A stubborn 3rd alarm fire burns in the vacant Charlie Brown Steakhouse. The fire came in around 1am on October 23, 2011.
The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program has been extended again to September 23rd. This is the second extension offered this year. From what I am hearing, there have not been an abundance of grant applications this year.
As a fire service, we have a duty to make sure every attempt is made to utilize these grants. If we do not, the funding might not be there next year. Plus, free money? Who doesn’t want that. Maybe you don’t even know where to begin when writing a grant. There are several grant writing firms out there. Some offer customized grant writing, others offer samples of successful grants. What is $50 – $2000 (the higher for custom grant writing) when you could recieve thousands and maybe tens of thousands of dollars in grant money?
You can get started now! As soon as you purchase the deal, the narratives will be emailed to you. You don’t have to wait. These deals end soon!
Fire Chiefs and Administrators owe it to their firefighters to apply for these grants.
If you are a firefighter who cares about your department, and have identified a need within your agency, you owe it to your fellow firefighters to forward the above information to your Chiefs. Ensure they are aware of this opportunity.
The Secret List put it so eloquently:
Let’s make this REAL clear:
THE associations YOU pay dues to such as IAFF, IAFC, NFPA, NVFC and many others have all busted their organizational tails to get and maintain this program. If we don’t get applications in, the non-supportive politicians will use the lack of applications to cut these programs-leaving our supportive politicians empty handed. Read more
The following is from FEMA:
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announces that the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) application period will be extended for one additional week. The NEW deadline for AFG applications is September 23, 2011 at 5:00 P.M. EST. The earthquake that affected so many communities in the eastern United States, as well as the continued responses related to hurricane Irene, tropical storm Lee and the active wildfires in southwestern United States have had a direct impact on organizations ability to prepare and apply for grant assistance under the AFG program. We hope this extension will provide valuable time required to complete and submit your application.
The AFG Program Help Desk is ready to assist with any questions applicants may have and can be reached by calling 1-866-274-0960 or email at firegrants@dhs.gov.
The current AFG application deadline is September 23rd
We (firefighters) know that you just cannot beat a tried and true fire department. It is what works for our citizens. A fire department encompasses training, experience, knowledge, tradition, pride, ownership, bravery, determination, brotherhood, and is an all around well oiled machine.
However, none of that compares to the almighty dollar!
This day in age, the beancounters don’t care. All they care about is saving money by cutting fire department funding because they cannot equate our work to anything. Hell, even our Fire Chiefs help them by offering biased statistics that skew to the beancounters benefit.
The beancounters have turned to unconventional ways of replacing their fire departments with cheap and ineffective fire service. This after slashing fire departments to an all time low in relation to staffing, companies, stations, and everything else. Now they just get rid of us…
Public Safety Departments
Can one person do all of this? image from fitsupply.com
The public safety department concept is ineffective and an unsafe money saving option that I just cannot wrap my head around. This is just too much responsibility for one person to do well.
Public safety departments are those which employ public safety officers who are police officers, firefighters, and paramedics. This system is not very popular or widely used in the States.
I say it is ineffective because there are too many “what ifs?”. Who does what? Firefighters rely on the understanding of the public that we are not armed and do not uphold the law in the same sense of a police department. We stay out of conflict and allow police officers to handle that business. Police officers and firefighters have their own skill sets and are masters of what they do. To throw up police, fire, and EMT certifications/training up in the air and expect someone to master them all is not fair or obtainable.
If indeed it were that easy, then I say City Managers should also do refuse collection and cut grass!
At the very least, be your own secretaries! Is that asking too much?
Look at Kalamazoo, Michigan…in 1982, they took 164 firefighters and 219 police officers and cross-trained them to end up with 383 public safety officers. Now they have cut their staffing to 243 public safety officers. What the hell is that all about?
My City is only a little bigger than Kalamazoo and we have 240 firefighters alone. Then again, our most recent past Fire Chief was 2nd in command in Kalamazoo. He was the hatchet man in Roanoke and cut our department as the City wanted it.
Michigan has many public safety departments. There are more localities thinking about going to the model now. They view it as a huge cost saving option. Who cares about service delivery! LET’S SAVE SOME MONEY!!!! YEAH!
Jackson, Michigan officials are trying to follow the leader of neighboring areas and hoping to create a public safety department. Read the articles linked below. Everything is about the money…nothing about service delivery. It is blatantly obvious that the officials in Jackson have no idea what we do, how we do it, and why we do it!
Let’s just say this…if it were such a great idea then everyone would be doing it!
The mindset of officials is unfortunate:
It reflects the changing nature of the fire profession, he said. Of the 94,000 calls for service, only 1,100 were fire related, Hadley said. Advances in fire prevention, technology and building codes reduces the amount of fires. Hadley respects firefighters and their profession, but it is changing.
“It’s a very expensive insurance policy,” he said. “You can’t continue to pay them to sit in the fire station 98 percent of the time.
I think you can pretty much some it up with the comment “You get what you pay for”.
Fire Departments don’t have a corporate CEO who gets richer when the employees are forced to do less with more, meet the minimum expectations, and offer the bare minimum of service.
While I have not worked for a private contracted fire service. I have worked for a private EMS agency in a system status management style of delivery…it sucked. It sucked because it was the bare minimum and while we raced from call to call to meet the needs of our customers, the corporate CEO was sitting back sipping mojitos in his mansion and didn’t give a shit about the customers!
That is where the biggest difference exists. We care. We understand. Our “customers” are our neighbors.
You get what you pay for.
We might cost more…but I assure you, we aren’t getting rich.
We are paid for our knowledge, our experience, our bravery, and our determination.
How many people do you know who would be willing to give up their life so that you might live….for $10 an hour…or even minimum wage? Not me…I would rather be a Wal Mart greeter! That can’t be nearly as stressful of a job…and it probably pays $10 an hour!
It is very disturbing that localities are willing to disband their fire department for a privately contracted fire service to save money but they aren’t willing to cut the budgets of other non-critical departments and programs.
If it has really gotten to the point of contracting your fire service, then trash pick-up, libraries, parks and recreation, lawn cutting, paving, and everything else should also be contracted services….and then they can contract out the person who made the decision in the first place!
What do you think?
I say you can keep both of them…neither are viable options!
As involved in politics as I once was, I was able to learn a lot…Much of what I learned is that most of our battles are uphill and can only be won with sheer numbers of lobbyists (individual informed firefighters), time, and determination.
More recently that thought process has changed. We need help. We need a lot of help! We are fighting legislation that will set us back more than 50 years. We stand to lose many benefits and rights that some of us have been cozy with for a long time. These are rights that we signed on with. When I got hired, part of the reasoning for taking the job was the light at the end of the tunnel…my pension. Even at the ripe old age of 22, I had my sights set on the reward for a career and lifestyle in public service. My pension, to me, was payment for a dangerous job and less then glamorous pay. I am now half way through my career and beginning to think that in the very near future I might be fighting for that pension locally just as so many firefighters are fighting for elsewhere.
Collective bargaining is a little different for me. That was more of a dream working in Virginia where we do not and have never had collective bargaining. Up until last year, I thought that collective bargaining was within reach. I didn’t view it as a way to fatten my pay and benefits…I actually saw it as a means to regain some of the benefits that were stripped from me….benefits that I had and enjoyed when I got hired. They have taken from me and my family and I wanted it back.
In addition, collective bargaining might have helped with getting a raise in the past 4 years. Four years without a raise…yet groceries, health care, gas, and everything else continues to rise in price. When I say “no raise”…I mean nothing at all. Not even a cost of living raise.
But my issues are small in comparison to others…
Most firefighters rely on other firefighters to fight their battles. Whether it is the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), State Professional Firefighter Associations, Local IAFF Chapters, or even the National Volunteer Fire Council…these organizations are run by firefighters. Whether on staff or voluntarily working for the good of the organization they are only as strong as their membership. Not all of us participate for one reason or another…unfortunately.
Recently, we have had others assisting in lobbying for us. Case and point – Jon Stewart on The Daily Show and MSNBC’s Ed Schultz. Firefighters also have many legislators fighting in their corner. Unfortunately, many of them are outnumbered by the opposition.
So many firefighters have been fighting for collective bargaining for years…and now that fight has swayed to keep collective bargaining for the ones who already have it.
Now our pensions are under attack. Our pensions, and our salaries are being scapegoated as the reason for budget deficits. We are the problem according to some.
Wisconsin Firefighters were spared from a recent Union busting bill even though they were there to fight against it. I can imagine why…we all know what is next…including public safety to save even more money and put public safety at risk. Ohio firefighters are still fighting the passage of Senate Bill 5 which strips public workers of collective bargaining rights…including police officers and firefighters. (read more) Senate Bill 5 is here
Bill Maher had a great debate on March 9th with Representative Keith Ellison (D-MN), Paul Begala, Former Representative Tom Davis (R-VA), Dana Loesch, Bill T. Jones. This is a must watch for every firefighter! It gives great insight into what the two sides of the aisle think about pensions and collective bargaining.
“In all, 13 governors have proposed layoffs, or cuts in pay or benefits for state employees. And it’s not just Republicans — Democratic governors, like Jerry Brown in California and Andrew Cuomo in New York have also put state workers on notice.”
And…we are are worst enemies. We are counter-productive. We have some who make us all look bad. Damage control is not easy when any and EVERY bad story related to a firefighter makes it in the evening news or in print.
Luckily for the attackers, they don’t have to look far to point the finger. Look at Clark County, Nevada. Some firefighters are being accused of sick leave abuse. There is no doubt in my mind that some of the firefighters are guilty from the reports. Is it as widespread as the media leads you to believe…probably not. But this issue now has people looking at firefighter salaries under a microscope. Who wins? It sure as hell won’t be the Clark County firefighters. They are experiencing the wrath of bad publicity and are getting the cold shoulder from the very people they are sworn to protect. (story here)
The International Association of Firefighters are currently in Washington D.C. for their Annual Legislative Conference. There is no doubt in my mind that these Pension attacks and Union busting will be on the forefront of the itinerary.
Madison Firefighters have been seen in the forefront of the protest against Governor Walkers assault on labor. IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger also joined in the march on the Capitol.
I am also very proud of the teachers! They have been all over the news as well. It is great to see people standing up for what they believe in (and their livelihood)!
A Quick update for all the staunch Republican firefighters out there….while you sit on your couch watching television and the news focuses on your brother firefighters fighting for your rights….the Democrats have not taken your guns away. Rest easy! (hopefully that isn’t as big an issue in Wisconsin as it is where I am!)
The legislation in question would virtually shut down all union rights for public sector workers.
The measure had been moving quickly through the Wisconsin state legislature on its way to Governor Walker’s desk. Despite several attempts to amend the bill, it sailed through the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee in a 12-4 vote.
Governor Walker has indicated that he wants the budget bill signed into law by February 22 before he begins work on the next year’s budget. IAFF 5th District Vice President Joe Conway says he expects more attacks on public sector unions in the next budget proposal as well. read more
Below is some video showing the protesters in action!
Rescue Me was a hit. Many firefighters enjoyed it. I thought it showed how dysfunctional firefighters can be…not all of us, but some of us. It started out being pretty heavy on the firefighting and light on the drama…it ended up being very heavy on the drama and light on the firefighting.
Trauma was just way over the top…and too many ambo drivers!
Emergency was excellent and still syndicated today…
The question now is what will be the next network show or movie about firefighting…
Here are some of the options…feel free to let me know if I overlooked one!
Updated: Thanks to Ron in the comments, he brought up First In and the Academy…I should have remembered both of these because I have posted on them as well. While they have already been on tv, they still belong on here somewhere!
Hosed is a brand new pilot show being shown on Youtube. It is a comedy about volunteer firefighters. As of this posting, there have been 3 episodes uploaded to youtube. The short videos available on youtube are a part of a grand scheme to get it on a network. Like I said before, I think it is hilarious.
Volunteers The Series offers a pilot on youtube as well. This show is about actual volunteer firefighting.
The mission of Volunteers The Series (VTS): It is our goal to increase public awareness and support by telling the stories of these brave men and women. We want to make a difference in each and every volunteer fire/ems house in the world. Whether it means increased donations or just shifting the public paradigm, our purpose is to see volunteer houses thrive, decrease LODD’s and see that ALL volunteer company’s have the funding to continue to properly support the communities they serve. If we can make a difference in just one volunteer fire/ems house, we will have been successful!
Formed in 1997 by David Furtado, Tule Fog Productions LLC (pronounced Tool-ee) conceives, develops, and produces original content for television, films, and the Internet.
For over three years, Tule Fog Production LLC has been developing and now producing The Battalion-The Series. Each webisode has the look and feel of a fully produced episodic series for television. Using state of the art streaming technology, they can be watched in full screen-mode online or downloaded to be viewed and saved on your computer to be viewed later or on an iPod, Cell-phone, and many other compatible devices.
Burn – One Year on the front lines of the battle to save Detroit
BURN is a documentary about Detroit, told through the eyes of Detroit firefighters, who are on the front lines charged with the thankless task of saving a city — and an American Dream — that many have written off as dead. We made a 10-minute trailer. Please SHARE, ASK QUESTIONS, DONATE so we can start production on the film as soon as possible. From DetroitFire.org
Beyond the Lights and Sirens
Originally the Chronicles of EMS…and before that simply “The Project”
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah…I know what you are thinking…What the hell does EMS have to do with it? Well, it has a lot to do with it in this sense. While the pilot episode for Chronicles of EMS was sold as being about EMS (and it is), it is done in a Fire based EMS system. That is right, San Francisco was the setting and it one of the main characters, Justin Schorr, is a firefighter/paramedic for San Francisco Fire Department. I think it fits in the scope of what I am trying to do here.
Burning Down is a brought to you by Christopher Stadulis. He is trying to turn it into a major motion picture. See the information below and a video about the making of Burning Down.
I, Christopher Stadulis, have an incredible story to share that will have an affect on people from all walks of life. My personal story will inspire many who are struggling and or have struggled as recovering alcoholics and or drug addicts, those who have lived or still do live with a substance abuser and empower them with the strength to realize YOU can overcome anything life throws at you, but change starts from within!
My film, “Burning Down”, is a compelling, emotional Drama short inspired by true events. After completion, my long term goal is to pitch it to a number of A-list industry professionals, some of who I am in contact with and some I will reach out to for the first time to see who would be interested in getting it made into a full-length feature for theatrical release.
Tagline: After hitting rock bottom, a troubled NYC Firefighter relives his painful past in hopes of piecing together his future.
Think- “Goodwill Hunting” meets “Rescue Me” meets “Clean and Sober”
I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention the next one…while it might not fit in with all of the rest, it is about firefighting and offered on video.
Fire Rescue TV
Fire Rescue TV is a news platform developed by retired Virginia Beach Firefighter Martin Grube. The network continues to grow every day. Fire Rescue TV offers news broadcasts, fire coverage, and other news in the fire service. Visit FireRescueTV.com. They also post some of their video on youtube…see below.
Fireman Ross
Hell, maybe we should just make a half hour sitcom about Ross from the Tonight Show with Jay Leno!!! You didn’t think I would pass up an opportunity to post this video did you?
Some of the reviews in the works are: Boots: Lion Marshall 14″ fire boots and the Book: The Cavalry is coming by John Broyles. I am also waiting to hear back from two more products and awaiting my brand new Black Diamond X2 fire boots to review. Review the terms for product reviews by The Fire Critic here. Check out all of the product reviews here.
FireMom offers her thoughts on Ohio Senate Bill 5 - Quoted: “As a fire family, I staunchly oppose Senate Bill 5 (SB5; bill text here) which aims to remove collective bargaining from unions. Every time I think of this bill, sponsored by Senator Shannon Jones (R – Springboro), I get this mix of angry anxiety in the pit of my stomach. It’s not just the security of my husband’s job and thus our livelihood on the line. It’s the safety of the citizens of Ohio.”
The Austin (TX) Fire Department is hiring. They had 3300 applicants for their written test and currently have 108 positions to fill. As the 3300 applicants who began showing up at the testing site, some of them found out that they had been removed from the application process for filling out the application improperly. 350 to be exact…that is the number of applicants who were spit out for not filling it out properly.
Austin Fire Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr is standing by her process and decision to toss out the incorrect applications.
I couldn’t agree more. If they can’t fill them out correctly then we don’t want them…plain and simple.
Or is it?
Here is where I have an issue. If they filled them out errantly, why weren’t they notified before making the trip to Austin that they were not welcome to take the test?
While there is probably little the applicants can do in this situation, if indeed they were not notified until showing up or already on their way the fault lays in the lap of the Fire Department.
This is something that should have been addressed way before tickets were bought or travel arrangements were made. If they were told they were welcome to take the test, the door should not have been shut in their face.
Jamie Harlor flew in from Hawaii to chase her dream.
“I want to get in…that’s what I want to do,” Harlor said.
She bought a one-way ticket using airline miles to help cover the $370 cost. While at the airport she received the bad news.
“I got an e-mail saying, ‘You’re no longer qualified,’” Harlor explained. “It said I had an improper application.” Read more at KVUE.com
A simple red and white helmet sticker worn by Albuquerque firefighters is causing controversy. The sticker is a simple maltese cross with the letters FMB in the middle. If you check the list of common fire service acronyms you won’t find it. Albuquerque firefighters are claiming it means “Forever My Brothers”. Sounds good to me, case closed.
Oh wait…the controversy… Albuquerque’s Mayor is Richard Berry. Some people apparently think that this “FMB” has a derogatory connotation. I think what they are getting at is that it means “F&^$ Mayor B….y”…but I could be wrong. I just don’t see it, that is one heck of an imagination!
Lets play devil’s advocate…why in the hell would firefighters feel this way?
Maybe it is because Albuquerque firefighters were promised a pay raise but instead got a pay cut…oh…ouch…
Even if those who think that it has a derogatory connotation were right…would you blame them?
Unless you live under a rock, you should know by now that firefighters pensions are under attack. This is just the newest attack on firefighters (although it has been going on for some time). Not that all the others have gone away…that is far from the truth.
Firefighters are still battling staffing cuts, pay cuts, rolling brownouts, increased employee contributions to pensions, decreased funding, increased insurance costs, station closures, and much more…yet our phone number (911) is still the number that anyone and everyone calls when they need help.
I guess all I have to say to people who want to take our pensions is…do you have any idea what a career in the fire service can do to us both physically and mentally. These very pensions are part of our pay & benefits (which for most is not enough). Harold Schaitberger does a pretty decent job at showing who is to blame for the mishandling, misappropriating, and loss of pension funds in the video below.
The media attention has increased since MSNBC’s Ed Schultz has taken a stand against those willing to take our pensions. The IAFF Frontline Blog offers email addresses for its members (and others) to contact the likes of Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly, Fox News Watch, and America’s Newsroom with Bill and Martha. Those email addresses also appear below. Read what the IAFF has to say about “Making the Case” here.
Email Glenn Beck: glennbeck@foxnews.com
Email Sean Hannity:http://www.hannity.com/contact
Email Rush Limbaugh: ElRushbo@eibnet.com
Email Bill O’Reilly:oreilly@foxnews.com
Email Fox News Watch: newswatch@foxnews.com
Email America’s Newsroom w/ Bill and Martha americasnewsroom@foxnews.com
Juston McKinney is turning the fire service on its head with this satirical look at volunteer firefighting. The short comedies are available on youtube and the idea behind it is a push for a network to pick it up as a comedy show. Episode 1 already has over 24k views on youtube in a week.
The interesting thing is the comments both on Statter911 and youtube. While most firefighters have enjoyed the parody, some have been throwing around the career (and/or IAFF) vs. volunteer firefighter argument. As for me, I think it is hilarious and some or most of it is probably true in some parts of the Nation. Even if the truth behind the humor only represents a small percentage of volunteers out there…and yes, paid firefighters can act like idiots too (but this show isn’t about them).
The cast and crew of Hosed. Photo from their facebook page.
So what do we do now? If I were a volunteer, I wouldn’t want this to become a network show…even though this is comedy I think this could have far reaching consequences for the volunteer fire service with public perception.
But I am not a volunteer…so I say have at it. I think it is hilarious!
Episode 1 states:“A comedy series about a volunteer fire department in Effingwoods NH. In this episode Ben (Juston McKinney) and Smitty (Gary Valentine) respond to a fire call. This episode co-stars Lenny Clarke (Rescue Me).”
Firefighter Matt Durham’s memorial service: ‘For the boys’
Photographs by Christopher Boffoli
Story by Tracy Record
for West Seattle Blog
Before dying of cancer at just 45 a week and a half ago, Matt Durham helped plan his own formal line-of-duty memorial service, according to one of his fellow Woodinville Fire and Rescue firefighters speaking at that service today.
“I want to do it for the boys,” Battalion Chief Greg Ahearn quoted Matt as saying – so that his young sons would see the support and the love showed by their father’s firefighter family, as well as that of their own relatives and friends.
FC Note: Matt’s Death is not recorded as a LODD by the USFA at this time. It is considered a LODD by the IAFF.
Can Philadelphia afford to continue cutbacks in the fire department? Yeah, Philly doesn’t need firefighters. Hell, the City might as well continue to cut positions, brownout, and close stations. I don’t see any need in them….then again, check out these two 5 alarm fires within 24 hours of each other and ask yourself that question again. There were around 150 firefighters on scene of each of these fires… I doubt even this could open some of the council member’s eyes!
More information on the City of Philadelphia’s plan on cutbacks:
5 Alarm Fire at a 4 Story Apartment Complex on Monday
Firefighters battle a blaze in an apartment building in Philadelphia, Monday, Jan. 10, 2011. Firefighters said the building had been evacuated safely and there were no reports of injuries. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) (Matt Rourke - AP)
KSRO.com:
Scores of firefighters battled a blaze in a four-story apartment complex on Monday but said the building had been evacuated safely and there were no reports of injuries.
Light smoke was reported in the four-story Windermere Court complex in West Philadelphia on Monday afternoon, and the fire quickly worsened, with flames shooting from the roof, Deputy Chief Willy Williams said. About 160 firefighters aided by 50 pieces of equipment were battling the blaze, Williams said.
Hoses poured water on the fire from several sides of the apartment complex, which has three large residential sections that are connected, as crews tried to keep the flames from spreading to nearby buildings, Williams said.
“Whenever you have gusting winds, always a chance embers will be spread,” he said. “The fire is coming up through the roof, so that is one of the concerns.”
Emergency crews had gone through the complex to get residents safely away from the fire, whose cause hadn’t been determined, Williams said.
ED HILLE / Staff Photographer The Global Leadership Academy at 5151 Warren St. in West Philadelphia may not resume classes for the rest of the week after Sunday's fire, the charter school's chief executive said. A spokesman said the Philadelphia School District had offered the school a temporary home. Read more: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/pa/20110110_Fire_rips_through_West_Philadelphia_charter_school.html#ixzz1Ag8mEA5a Watch sports videos you won't find anywhere else
A five-alarm fire that raged for more than an hour and a half early Sunday caused “substantial” damage to the 400-student Global Leadership Academy in West Philadelphia, Deputy Fire Chief Michael Wahl reported.
The cause of the fire, which started in the basement of the three-story building at 5151 Warren St., near 52d Street and Lancaster Avenue, is under investigation, Wahl said.
Naomi Johnson Booker, chief executive officer of the public charter school, said Sunday that classes might not resume for the rest of the week.
“Everything was lost in the fire,” Booker said. “There is not a pencil, not a book, not a crayon. And my teachers don’t have any instructional material, lesson plans.
IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger weighs in on the Holidays, the passage of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, and the Recent LODD’s in Chicago.
Previous Coverage of the 9/11 Health Care Bill here and here.
Previous Coverage of the Chicago LODD’s here, here, here and here.
The Silent Killer – visit the web site for more information and to request a free DVD.
Firefighters have enough to worry about on the fireground. Things like fire behavior, reading smoke, wearing PPE, building construction, and many more. Over the years, firefighters have developed training, education, protocols, safety ideology, and risk management in a job that is as dangerous as it gets. So many things in our job on the fireground we can recognize using our senses like smells, sights, feeling, and hearing…
We rely on these senses to recognize and understand our environment, and keep us as safe as possible while operating in deadly conditions.
What if there was something on the fireground killing firefighters that you cannot see, you cannot feel, you cannot smell, and you cannot hear. What if I told that that it could increase your chances of a heart attack and/or stroke even up to 72 hours AFTER you leave the fireground AND your exposure to it happens after MOST of the danger on the fireground is over.
What if I told you that it can kill you immediately.
Carbon Monoxide is the Number 1 cause of poisoning deaths in the world. Firefighters have an increased risk operating around Carbon Monoxide and Cyanide on the fireground.
Consistent exposure to Carbon Monoxide (CO) can cause serious disabilities, heart attacks, strokes, Neurological disorders, and premature death.
The leading cause of death for firefighters is heart attacks and strokes. Carbon Monoxide exposure increases those risks.
Randolph Mantooth hosts a short video teaching the effects of exposure to Carbon Monoxide. The video is also available as a DVD free of charge.
The video is not over the top and they don’t try to shove the lesson down your throat. The message is simple. Know your environment and wear your SCBA through the overhaul stages of fire. What you can’t see and can’t smell can kill you… Carbon Monoxide…The Silent Killer.
I also love seeing my IAFF logo in the video showing that they are doing their part to educate us on The Silent Killer.
“Firefighters take necessary risks every day, but CO is an unnecessary risk. Educate yourself on CO, wear your mask during overhaul, avoid exposure, and get yourself tested… so you’ll be around to share with your family, life’s most precious moments.”
Randolph Mantooth
Johnny Gage from Emergency!
Watch the video below, watch it with your entire crew. Email it and share it.
Chiefs…send it out to your entire department. Because what firefighters don’t know could kill them. As the soundtrack says in the video…Move Us Further Down The Line….Move Us Further Down The Line….
This morning, I was checking out FiregroundVideo.com (another site I run that is auto-fed youtube videos on fire service topics). One video caught my eye about dancing firefighters. I watched it and it led me to Fashion on Fire (FashiononFire.com).
Fashion on Fire is a charity event hosted by the Edmonton Firefighters.
Photo by Mariusz Sikorski
All I can say is WOW! These guys really know how to raise money, have fun, and entertain the crowd. These guys have obviously put a lot of time and effort into this event, choreographing, and practicing.
They are currently working on getting video posted from the 2010 event, but they have plenty to share from 2009. I will post an article with 2010 videos when they are available.
In 2009 they raised $25k for their charities. The 2010 event figures are not in yet, but they expect the money raised to be around $55k.
With seats going for $150 and an expectation of a complete sellout in 2011, I can only imagine that this event has raised a good bit of coin for the charities. Those charities are Muscular Dystrophy Canada, The Edmonton Firefighters Memorial, and the Firefighters Burn Treatment Society Edmonton Chapter.
Just watch some of the videos below. You can find all of the video from the 2009 event here.
Hat tip to The Ambulance Driver for this story (here).
Philadelphia paramedics are getting the boot from the State Labor Relations Board. The paramedics will no longer be allowed to be members of the Philadelphia Firefighters Union Local 22 because they are not cross-trained in firefighting.
The story is best told by the author of the First In blog (who is a Captain in Philadelphia). First In is a blog I have followed for years. It might not be a daily reader, but always has interesting articles.
The City of Philadelphia, specifically the Nutter Administration has declared war on the Fire Department. Ironically the Fire Department is by far the most efficient and hardest working department in the entire city government. We are also the most powerless. Until now Firefighters and Paramedics were part of the same union, Local 22 IAFF. Unlike a real union that most people are familiar with we are more of a bargaining unit. We can’t strike due to the essential nature of our work and extreme working conditions we face. That means at contract time we sit down with the city and each side presents its case before a panel of arbitrators. Normally the city pleads poverty and asks for draconian work rules while the local asks for minimum pay and benefit increases to keep the members who are legally bound to live in the city from going broke. After the testimony the neutral arbitrator, after considering the facts presented issues an award. Both sides are bound to live with it. At least that is what ACT 111 says.
I just wonder if a few changes to the Philadelphia Firefighters Union Constitution and Bylaws and possibly the change of name to Philadelphia Firefighters and Paramedics Union. I am not a huge fan of the name change, but it the outcome is positive and they really want the paramedics incorporated then it seems like a no brainer. I imagine the issue isn’t quite that simple though!
Photo from First In Blog
PHILADELPHIA FIRE DEPARTMENT
HEADQUARTERS
GENERAL MEMORANDUM #10-116
October 4, 2010
TO : All PFD Fire Service Paramedics
REF/AUTHORITY : Fire Commissioner
SUBJECT : IMPLEMENTATION OF PLRB UNIT CLARIFICATION DECISION
[the emphasis below is mine (FC)]
As you probably know by now, the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board (PLRB) ruled on September 21, 2010 that the position of Fire Service Paramedic should not be in the IAFF Local 22 bargaining unit because City of Philadelphia paramedics do not perform fire suppression and are not fire fighters under the law. The effect of this decision is that paramedics are now non-represented civil service employees of the City. The terms of the collective bargaining agreement/interest arbitration awards between the City and Local 22 no longer apply. This in no way diminishes any paramedics standing as a uniformed member of the Philadelphia Fire Department.
I am sensitive to the fact that this decision has raised many questions about what this means for the terms and conditions of your employment. The City is committed to implementing this decision in an orderly way.
I will be conducting informational sessions on Tuesday, October 5, 2010 and Thursday, October 7, 2010 from 1900 to 2100 hours at the Philadelphia Fire Academy. I invite all paramedics to attend and ask any questions you may have. In the meantime, this memo serves as the first attempt to answer some of your questions. More information will follow.
• Wages: There will be no change to your base wages at this time.
• Longevity Pay: Consistent with the rules in place for non-represented civil service employees of the City, longevity and step increments will be frozen until the Mayor determines that economic conditions permit increases to be made. Your current longevity and pay step will not decrease as a result of this freeze.
• Premium Pay and Overtime: The City will continue to calculate and compensate you for premium pay based on your regular work schedule and overtime for hours worked outside your regular work schedule on the same basis that it has been doing so: (Continued)
Premium pay will be paid in the amount of 3 hours per week at “Rate 3”, the higher rate used to calculate your overtime and premium pay. Premium pay will offset against any overtime due for working up to 42 hours per week.
If you work more than 15 minutes after your regular shift, you will be paid overtime at a rate of one-and-one-half times Rate 3, regardless of the day worked or how many hours you have worked that week.
If this is going to change in the future, you will be provided notice in advance.
• Union Dues: The City will stop deducting Union Dues beginning with the October 8, 2010 paycheck.
• Legal Service Fees: The City will stop making a contribution to the Union legal services fund on behalf of FSPs.
• Health Care: As a non-represented employee, you and your families are eligible for coverage under the City Administered Plan. Additional information about the City’s plans will be provided to you separately. The City has agreed with Local 22 that Local 22 will provide health coverage to you and your families for the month of October 2010 to allow time for that changeover to occur. • Leave Benefits: Your leave benefits will remain unchanged at this time.
• Grievance and Discipline: You will still be entitled to a trial board when charged with disciplinary action. You have the right to challenge certain personnel directions pursuant to the appeal process available to non-represented employees under the Civil Service Regulations. • Pension: Information about pension will be provided in the near future.
The administration truly appreciates everyone’s understanding and cooperation during this implementation process.
LLOYD AYERS
FIRE COMMISSIONER
When I volunteered, I got $3 a call for responding to a call. I understood this as a perk for my time. However, the County saw it differently as far as I was concerned. It was their way of being able to hold me to certain standards that might not have been followed had I not been reimbursed per call.
Canadian Volunteers in Springfield have earned the right to Unionize. Yeah, I know it sounds like a paradox.
However, these volunteers aren’t really volunteers in the truest sense of the word. They are getting paid.
Vlaming said senior volunteer firefighters get paid $16 an hour for every call they respond to, with a minimum payment per call of two hours.
So, actually what we have here is underpaid firefighters who respond to calls and consider themselves “volunteers”.
You might say that $32 dollars for a call that takes 15 minutes (false alarm) might be decent pay. But what about benefits. You might say that they don’t need them because these firefighters hold full time jobs outside their “volunteer” service.
So what is next? I am not so sure you can consider yourselves “volunteer” if you are a) being paid and b) unionized.
What Union will they join? The IAFF? I don’t think the IAFF will be happy with firefighters being paid w/o benefits! After all, the IAFF does not support volunteer firefighters…with the exception of the two hatters who are career firefighters and volunteer firefighters.
What will the Union contract say? Will they soon be more like “paid” firefighters instead of “volunteer” firefighters?
This is a conundrum.
I don’t know the answer, but this is very interesting and I will have to see how it works out!
The Boston Local has been fighting the smears for a while now. They have created a website (FireFightTheSmears.com) recently to provide more information to the public. The site is very informative and its sole purpose is to fight false information and allegations from their Mayor.
This is my take on the site…I think that the Boston Local has created a great product. The product being the web site, and the most beneficial part of it being the “Who We Are” section. Sure, the “Fact Vs. Fiction” part is great but the “Who We Are” section really makes the site unique.
Why you might ask? Because it provides a face for the public to view.
Lets be honest, all the public cares about is that we answer THEIR call for help. They don’t care if we answer Ms. Parker’s 911 call down the street. They don’t care about who we are, what we do, or who we go home to in the morning.
Back in the day, firefighters were pictured in the paper all of the time with news of what we were doing. We were special to the public and the newspaper knew it. Now the paper loves to print when we screw up. If they won’t do it for us then we must do it ourselves. Put our firefighter, our pictures, our stories, our plights on the computer of our citizens. Use twitter, facebook, youtube, flickr, and wordpress just like Boston’s Local has!
The Boston Local is on to something….I promise you that! What I recommend is your Local/Department/Crew doing the same thing. Oh, and one other thing…there should be a backlog of every Boston Firefighter waiting for their mug and info to show up on FireFightTheSmears.com!!!!
I got your attention huh. I am sure that many of you came here to see what I was saying about volunteers. Well this isn’t exactly about Volunteer Firefighters. This is more about people who volunteer their time for organizations within the Fire/EMS Service.
This is not about Paid vs. Volunteer Firefighters.
Organizations thrive on volunteers, although the term “volunteer” may not always be attached to their position. Just look around the Fire/EMS service and you will find an organization for just about everything. On the National, State, or Local level you will find at least one organization for the following: Professional Firefighters, Volunteer Firefighters, Black Firefighters, Hispanic Firefighters, Women Firefighters, Instructors, Prevention, Investigation, Arson, Christian Firefighters, Auxiliaries, Antique Fire Collectors, Wildland Firefighting, Burn Foundations, etc.
These organizations were formed for a common goal, agenda, or purpose. They were built by firefighters, EMT’s, and other public safety members. Many of them don’t have any full time employees and rely on members volunteering their time to “work” for the organization. Even the organizations which do employ full time staff, they thrive off of volunteers to keep the organization moving. They cannot afford to pay everyone for their positions and utilize members who are passionate about their cause.
When it comes to why people volunteer, I would like to dissect it into three types of people.
Many volunteers strive on their achievements and those of their organization to continue volunteering. They feel good about what they are doing and feed off progress to continue. These types do not require recognition and are usually very humble.
Some volunteers need recognition for their achievements in order to continue working. Without that recognition, they might find something else to do with their time that feeds their need for involvement.
Yet, other volunteers do it simply for recognition. They require recognition to feed their egos and will not continue their involvement unless they feel as though their ego has been stroked.
Here is the catch…
Organizations should take care of the needs of each of these types of people. Beggars cannot be choosers! I will be the first to tell you that I cannot stand the third type of individual above. I have worked around them and I think that their ego needs to be put in check.
From a management perspective, volunteers should be rewarded and recognized often. After all, the alternative to volunteers is hiring employees or closing up shop. Even the type 3 people above.
If you ask my wife, she would tell you that I am a type 1 individual (from above). She gets pissed off when I don’t get recognized or when someone else takes credit for something I did. I will be honest, I am way too modest. However, I do like being recognized if it happens. That realization has helped me understand that no matter what type of person I am dealing with, I always try to offer recognition and praise for their help.
Lest we forget about the people who aren’t on the list above. They might be card carrying members. They might pay dues, but don’t actually assist with growth.
Who needs volunteers?
This day in age, all organizations need them but none of them have enough of them. Just in my local area we have many fire/EMS related organizations; FOOLS, IAFF, Ladies Auxiliary, Christian Firefighters, IAAI, ISFSI, IAFC, among others. Between all of these organizations in the area I don’t think there is one full time employee. All the work of the organizations is done by the officers and other volunteers. Some of the officers might be paid, but it is by no means gainful employment.
All too often, I see volunteers get burned out. There is too much work and too few volunteers.
Check out these videos of Pipes and Drums at the 2009 IAFF Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The event was held yesterday. Man do I love the Pipes and Drums. Enjoy…
Senator Ted Kennedy has passed away. The Senator, otherwise known as the Liberal Lion, died in his home after battling brain cancer.
Kennedy is a long time friend of firefighters across the Nation. His fight for IAFF Firefighters National Collective Bargaining Bill almost got the Bill passed last year. His death comes just weeks after National Collective Bargaining Bill was reintroduced into Congress. Kennedy is a Sponsor of the Bill that could effect thousands of firefighters across the U.S.
BOSTON – Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, the liberal lion of the Senate and haunted bearer of the Camelot torch after two of his brothers fell to assassins’ bullets, has died at his home in Hyannis Port after battling a brain tumor. He was 77.
In nearly 50 years in the Senate, Kennedy served alongside 10 presidents — his brother John Fitzgerald Kennedy among them — compiling an impressive list of legislative achievements on health care, civil rights, education, immigration and more. Read More
The IAFF, which has been fighting for National Collective Bargaining for years, has relied on Senator Kennedy’s backbone to fight for the rights of firefighters. While many firefighters enjoy collective bargaining, those in Right To Work States do not. Firefighters in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida either have no rights to bargain or afforded the opportunity by their localities (although there are no guarantees the localities will change their stance).
The Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act, legislation granting fire fighters and police officers minimum collective bargaining rights by establishing minimum standards for state collective bargaining laws, was reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representatives Dale Kildee (D-MI) and John Duncan (R-TN) as H.R. 413, and in the Senate by Senators Judd Gregg (R-NH) and Edward Kennedy (D-MA) as S. 1611. Read More
The loss of Senator Kennedy will make this fight that much more difficult. Firefighters across the Nation need to join together and start speaking with their Senators for their support.
The bill is currently sponsored by a bipartisan group of nine senators. In addition to Gregg and Kennedy, other sponsors include Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Chris Dodd (D-CT), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Mel Martinez (R-FL), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Mike Johanns (R-NE).
The reintroduction of the bill brings the IAFF one step closer to guaranteeing that every fire fighter in the nation has the right to bargain collectively. For more than a decade, the IAFF’s chief legislative priority has been to enact legislation guaranteeing collective bargaining rights for professional fire fighters nationwide. IAFF affiliates across the country – in collective bargaining and non-collective bargaining states alike – have worked tirelessly as part of this unprecedented grassroots effort. Elected officials on both sides of the aisle have responded with unparalleled support year after year. Read More
Apparently, Harold Schaitberger has the National Right To Work Committee (NRTWC) shaking in their penny loafers. The committee, who is vehemently against the IAFF, has just posted a video to YouTube showing their disdain for Schaitberger, the IAFF, and the recent actions of President Obama. The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), led by President Harold Schaitberger, asked President Obama and his constituents to NOT cross the picket line in Providence, RI. If you watch the video you will see just how effected the NRTWC is by the IAFF’s efforts.
Wouldn’t it just be easier and make more sense to utilize the IAFF to help you retain firefighters and prove their worth and need? This will help you (the mayor) in cutting unnecessary departments and programs which are nice but unaffordable with the economy the way it is. Think about it, your work is done.
More importantly, the video addresses H.R. 413 is very important to America’s Firefighters. I suggest that you get on the horn to your Representatives today to ask them for support in passing this legislation.
At least, watch the video. They point out some very enlightening things about the IAFF and what they are doing for me. For all of those IAFF members out there who cry “What has the IAFF done for me”, this is for you. Read it, check ou the link to the Providence Picket Line, and read about H.R. 413…least of all watch the video.
IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger weighs in on the Holidays, the passage of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, and the Recent LODD’s in Chicago.
“Firefighters take necessary risks every day, but CO is an unnecessary risk. Educate yourself on CO, wear your mask during overhaul, avoid exposure, and get yourself tested… so you’ll be around to share with your family, life’s most precious moments.”
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