News From Around the International

Fire Alert Over Sexy Bait
(The New York Post)

May 11, 2008 - Firefighters say they're the targets of stings designed to bait them into inappropriate or even criminal behavior.

In an April 18 memo, United Firefighters Association president Stephen Cassidy wrote to his members: "The UFA has confirmed that the City's Department of Investigation is conducting random 'integrity' tests of city employees."

Several firefighter sources told The Post the incidents that worried firefighters included cocaine dropped in a firehouse, an RV packed full of beer and babes, and a damsel in distress slipping a cash reward to a firefighter.
DOI assistant commissioner Keith Schwam told The Post that claims his agency was involved in three out of the four incidents described by firefighters were "utterly false."

Other union sources said they weren't sure who was carrying out the alleged stings, but believed set-ups were being staged. Some suspected the FDNY's own integrity bureau was behind them. (Read More...)

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Tampa Owes Merit Raises to Firefighters, Commission Rules
Tampa engaged in unfair labor practices by refusing to pay firefighters merit raises
(St. Petersburg Times)

May 2, 2008 - A state commission ruled this week that the city of Tampa engaged in unfair labor practices by refusing to pay firefighters merit raises after their contract expired in October.

The Public Employees Relations Commission ordered the city to retroactively pay the raises, with interest, to eligible firefighters.

Tom Gonzalez, a lawyer who represents the city, said Tampa was delaying the raises only until negotiations were complete on a new contract that might have created a different pay structure. "The city never said they weren't going to pay it," Gonzalez said.

Paying raises without a finished contract might mean some firefighters would have to return some of their money if they agreed to a lower pay scale.

City officials and firefighters are at a standstill over salary negotiations, so the existing contract remains in effect.

Larry Parker, president of the firefighters union, said he believes the city was holding back raises to strong-arm the union into a contract it doesn't like. "It proves that we were right all along that the city was bargaining in bad faith," Parker said of the commission's decision.

The total amount owed the firefighters was not available Thursday, but Parker said about 100 union members didn't receive merit raises they were due.

The commission's order can be appealed in district court, but City Attorney David Smith said he didn't know yet if he would go that route.

Meanwhile, firefighters want a 5 percent across-the-board pay increase and merit raises averaging 5 percent annually. The city is offering a 2.3 percent cost-of-living increase and merit increases averaging 3.5 percent.

After negotiations reached an impasse in December, the matter was assigned to a special magistrate. A nonbinding recommendation from the magistrate is due in about three weeks.

If the two parties still cannot agree, the City Council will consider the contract.

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Ex-firefighter Files Lawsuit Over Dismissal
(The Tennessean.com)

May 1, 2008 - Former Franklin firefighter Stephen Zachar has filed a federal lawsuit claiming his former bosses at City Hall unlawfully fired him.

The lawsuit, filed in late March in Nashville at the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, alleges that former Franklin City Administrator Jay Johnson, current city Fire Chief Rocky Garzarek and Human Resources Director Shirley Harmon "individually, separately and/or jointly" sought to remove Zachar after learning of his association with firefighters unions.

Zachar, who lost his job Aug. 7, wants back pay and other compensation, including possible reinstatement to his job or compensation as a result of his firing. Zachar was the first president of the Arlington Firefighters Association while at the Arlington Fire Department near Memphis. He later joined the Franklin firefighters union when he was hired here. "His record was pretty darn clean and pretty strong and there was no basis for discharging him," attorney Tom Woodley said. "Instead, they fired him because of his First Amendment associations."

Woodley is general legal counsel for the International Association of Fire Fighters, which reports 285,000 members. "You can't discharge a public employee because he engages in a union's activities," Woodley said.
City records show Zachar had received no written or oral warnings during his four months on the job, scored good marks on an evaluation and apparently was popular among his fellow rookie firefighters.

In a letter to Harmon, Garzarek wrote that Zachar "breached the chain of command" by discussing city policy with former Alderman Dodson Randolph. In the letter, Garzarek mentions Zachar's past role as a union representative. "I feel very strongly that no employee, much less a probationary employee, with the city of Franklin should be addressing an alderman concerning the adopted policies," Garzarek wrote.

Department directors can fire new employees without reason or right to appeal, according to city policy. New employees serve probationary periods, which for firefighters lasts one year. Interim City Attorney Shauna Billingsley said the Tennessee Municipal League has appointed an attorney to represent the city who will meet soon with aldermen and staff about the lawsuit "in an effort to discuss how to respond."

The city has been served the lawsuit but has not filed a response in court yet. It is the second federal lawsuit to be filed in recent months against current and former Franklin officials.

Former city Solid Waste Director Joe Williams has also filed a federal lawsuit against the city in the wake of his dismissal.

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City Firefighters, Employees Protest at City Hall Over Pension Proposal
(The Kansas City Star)

May 1, 2008 - More than 100 Kansas City firefighters and other city employees packed a City Council meeting Thursday to protest Mayor Mark Funkhouser’s proposal to explore changing the city’s pension system.
Louie Wright, president of Local 42 of the International Association of Fire Fighters, said his members became alarmed by the statement in Funkhouser’s recent State of the City speech that he wants to bring the city’s pension funds more in line with standard business practice.

Many companies have moved away from defined benefit retirement plans to defined employee contribution programs such as 401(k) plans. “It’s off the table. It’s not negotiable,” Wright said. “We’ll not make that change as long as I’m the leader of Local 42.”

Funkhouser said he has great respect for the firefighters and other municipal employees, and he worked hard as a former city auditor and now as mayor to make sure the city’s pension plans are fully funded. But he also said the cost to taxpayers to fund those pension systems is growing at an alarming rate. He pointed to a report by the city auditor, Gary White, that said the required contributions for those systems nearly doubled to more than $52 million from $27 million over the last eight years. “We can’t probably sustain that for the future,” Funkhouser said, while emphasizing that any changes would not affect existing benefit commitments. He said he’s beginning a conversation that needs to occur as the city transitions to a more modern approach to retirement benefits.

In the meeting, firefighters hoisted placards with messages such as, “Keep Your Funky Hands Off My Pension” and “Local Unions #42, 3808 and 500 Support Retirement with Dignity and Security.”

Wright argued a move away from a defined benefit program would not be cheaper. He gave council members packets of information stating that, “Taxpayers will foot the bill for the high costs to change from a proven traditional pension system to a radical new system of millions of private accounts.”

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Providence Firefighters Win 10th Straight Pension-Related Arbitration
(The Providence Journal)

April 30, 2008 – The Providence firefighters union has won an arbitration decision that will mean higher pensions for a small group of retirees who retired from 2001 to 2004, the latest in a string of arbitration victories for the union. "This is the 10th consecutive pension-related victory that we've won, in arbitration, in grievances and in the court and yet they continue to fight us tooth and nail," said Paul Doughty, president of Providence's Local 799 of the International Association of Fire Fighters.

Arbitrator Mark L. Irvings ruled that the city violated the contracts for the years from 2001 to 2004 by failing to pay firefighters who retired during that period annual 3-percent compounded cost-of-living increases on their pensions.

Instead, the city was paying the retirees a smaller benefit, based on a city ordinance, not the fire contract.
That will mean a retroactive pay award for the 37 firefighers affected and higher payments going forward.
Despite the retroactive pay award, this decision is not expected to mean a big financial hit for the city, with its $616.7 million budget. Only 37 firefighters are affected, and to varying degrees, depending on their retirement date. Kerbel would not put a dollar figure on how much it would cost, but Doughty mentioned the $100,000 range as a possibility.

Providence has long been mired in a series of arbitrations with its fire union, which has a fractured relationship with Mayor David N. Cicilline's administration.

Chief of Administration Richard I. Kerbel said that the city plans to continue to fight for a reduction in the costs of retiree benefits, particularly the annual increases. "We're looking to have reasonable COLAs. That's something the mayor has talked about forever -- reasonable pension costs," he said.

This fight was touched off last May, when a retiree realized that his pension payments weren't adding up to what he thought they should.

Earlier arbitration decisions had mandated that the cost-of- living allowance be a compounded 3-percent of a retiree's entire pension. It would start in January after the third anniversary of an employee's retirement.
But following the arbitration decision that settled the 2001 to 2004 contract years, the city was not paying those cost-of-living increases to retirees who left city service during that period.

Instead, it was substituting a smaller annual increase of $360, based on a city ordinance that limited the cost-of-living increase to a non-compounded 3-percent on the first $12,000 of a retiree's pension -- which works out to the flat dollar amount of $360.

The union filed a grievance contesting this and the two sides went to arbitration. The city argued that previous court decisions have ruled that retiree benefit levels are not affected by arbitration decisions on active firefighter contracts.

The union argued that although the arbitration award was issued after the firefighters' retirement, they were active firefighters while the arbitration was pending and the contracts unresolved. All firefighters who were active on July 1, 2001, should be granted the 3-percent compounded increase, the union argued. The city also argued that the union had missed deadlines for filing its grievance.

The court ruled that because the firefighters had retired between the effective date of the contract and the date of the decision, they should be covered.

This decision may have an impact on subsequent arbitration decisions. The city and the fire union are in arbitration on the 2006 fiscal year and the arbitrator's award in this case states that the higher benefit levels "shall also be paid prospectively."

Doughty said the meaning of that is clear: this applies in the future. "It seems to me that his position here and his position in this award will make it crystal clear," he said.

Kerbel said that the city is looking at the potential impacts of this on future arbitration awards. "The city's concerned and will always make an argument of controlling pension costs. Will it be something that an arbitration will consider when they make a decision? Sure," he said.

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Dallas Fire-Rescue Begins Mandatory Health Screening
(The Dallas Morning News)

April 22, 2008 - Sammy Williams admits he has been overweight -- 290 pounds at his heaviest. "I've gained and lost the equivalent of six or seven grown men in my lifetime," the Dallas firefighter says. Now weighing in at 230 pounds, he is a "reformed fat man," fellow firefighter Paul Walukas said.

Because Mr. Williams, 44, is feeling healthier, it didn't surprise him when he received a superior ranking in Dallas Fire-Rescue's new mandatory health screening, which started in March.

Despite the rigors of his job, Mr. Williams hadn't had a physical since he joined the department 23 years ago. The department's testing revealed that though he had no urgent health problems, he needed treatment for high cholesterol.

In cases such as Mr. Williams', in which a medical issue doesn't limit one's ability to work emergency operations, the program allows firefighters 45 days to consult a physician to develop a treatment plan. They then must be cleared to return to duty by doctors contracted through Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas.

Chief Training Officer Norman Seals, administrator of the department's new $1.2 million wellness/fitness program, said doctors are looking mainly for major health problems such as cancer and heart disease, but they are also checking for high blood pressure and cholesterol. The program is designed to find such problems at an early stage, he said. It "promotes a healthier, more fit firefighter who is able to do their jobs for the citizens," Chief Seals said. "The better shape we're in, the better we can serve the citizens and the city."

Although less than 10 percent of the 1,600 emergency responders have been screened so far, the program has inspired a renewed sense of competition. "Firefighters are real competitive," Mr. Williams said. "Workouts have become real intense because they want to do well on the physical."

Capt. Jack Martin said that most younger firefighters don't get regular physicals and that some don't continue their workout regimen over the years as they should.

Perhaps that's why some firefighters are resisting the new wellness mandate, Mr. Williams said. Some don't want the fire department to know about potential medical problems because they are worried they'll be forced into desk jobs. "It may end some guys' careers," Mr. Williams said. "That may be the only downside to it."

Chief Seals said that desk assignments wouldn't be ruled out but that sick time could be used until medical issues are resolved.

Citing confidentiality, he said he couldn't elaborate on what types of medical conditions have been found during the initial screenings.

Officials intend for the program to become a permanent benefit for firefighters. They also hope to make the screenings accessible to all Fire-Rescue employees.

Dallas Fire Chief Eddie Burns said the mayor, city manager and the City Council should be commended for deciding to fund a program he has made a priority. "A more fit firefighter is going to be a safer firefighter," he said. "It's going to change how we do business."

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2008 Safety, Health and Survival Week:
Committed to Long-Term Results
June 22-28, 2008
(International Association of Fire Chiefs)

Committed to Long-Term Results encourages long-term investments by chiefs and firefighters to enhance their health and safety. The ultimate goal is to institute a strong culture of health and safety within the fire/EMS service.

This year’s theme reflects the need for organizational action that supports and encourages a safety culture. Recommended activities and materials will incorporate three key areas where standard operating procedures, policies and initiatives—along with the training and enforcement that support them—can limit fire/EMS personnel’s risk of injury or death:

1. Initiate an emergency vehicle policy, to include:
   • Always buckle up.
   • Always stop at red lights and stop signs.
   • Always drive at speed limits and defensively.
2. Fully implement the Wellness-Fitness Initiative:
   • Provide annual medical and physical evaluations.
   • Provide equipment and time for exercise.
   • Provide nutrition information.
3. Fully implement NFPA 1500, especially sections addressing PPE:
   • Provide compliant PPE.
   • Train and enforce use of PPE, including respiratory protection.

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Columbus Firefighters Join Union
181 signed up to join International Association of Firefighters
(The Columbus Ledger-Inquirer)

April 11, 2008 - The Columbus Firefighters Association voted this week to join the International Association of Firefighters, a labor group that represents more than 287,000 people worldwide. "This means the Columbus Firefighters Association will have more resources to gather more information, access to education to learn more about employee rights and more benefits," said local president Bobby Dutton, a battalion chief in the Columbus Fire and Emergency Medical Services.

At meetings Tuesday and Wednesday, 181 Columbus firefighters signed up for the IAFF. They needed 147 members -- just over half of the department's 293 field personnel -- to sign up to approve the move.
The local association has about 265 members of the Columbus Fire and EMS. The membership ranged from firefighters to Chief Jeff Meyer and most of his command staff. The new active membership will be limited to those battalion chief or below, Dutton said. "It will be open to anybody in the department, but some members in the chief ranks will be affiliate members," Dutton said. "People are looking for a place to voice their opinion and talk about their concerns so they can come up with solutions without feeling like they are being looked at or watched over by management."

Meyer said the decision by the association to join IAFF "was completely up to the employees...I didn't try to encourage or discourage the decision," Meyer said. "There was no input from management."

With the affiliation to IAFF, the monthly dues will increase from $10 per firefighter to $20. Public unions have no collective bargaining power in Georgia.

Dutton said he plans to meet with Meyer, Mayor Jim Wetherington and the 10 Columbus Council members in coming weeks. "I would like to explain to them how this can benefit us all," Dutton said.

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Jury says Volusia Firefighter Unfairly Fired
(Daytona Beach News Journal)

March 22, 2008 - After speaking out on the lack of staffing at Volusia County fire stations and leading a no-confidence vote against Fire Chief Jim Tauber, union official Kurt Vroman was fired as a county firefighter in 2004.
A federal jury in Orlando on Wednesday agreed that Vroman's dismissal was a violation of his First Amendment rights, awarding him $10,000 in damages.

U.S. District Judge John Antoon II could also rule that Volusia County must rehire Vroman, a former lieutenant, and compensate him for lost salary and benefits as well as require the county to pay for about a half million dollars for his attorney fees.

Jeremiah Greathouse, public information officer for the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 3574, said the greater principle was defending the right of free speech. "For us, it was that our local government didn't recognize the Constitution of the United States," Greathouse said.

County offices were closed for Good Friday and Chief Tauber was unable to be reached. Messages left with two county spokespeople on their work cell phones were not returned Friday.

Besides Tauber and Volusia, former Director of Public Protection Terry Moore and former Deputy Director of Public Protection James Willits also were named in the suit. Willits is currently director of the Public Protection department.

Officially, Vroman was fired for violating the department's dining out policy, or spending too much time away from his fire station.

The alleged violation occurred just a few workdays after Vroman had presented the union's no-confidence vote to the County Council. According to court documents, Chief Tauber and Assistant Chief Frank Pocica had shown up at Vroman's fire station, took out a fire truck and returned it with empty water and fuel tanks.

County officials later complained they could not contact Vroman while he was refueling the fire truck and getting food at a restaurant near the gas station.

Vroman's lawyers, in court documents, claim a firefighter had never been fired for such an offense. They say county officials had to retroactively extend Vroman's probation period and rely on an outdated policy memorandum to stack up enough misdeeds to fire him. Before this, Vroman never had a poor performance evaluation, court documents show.

Vroman's firing had a chilling effect on the department, as other firefighters became reluctant to speak out or participate in union activities, Greathouse said.

Vroman got a job with the Deltona Fire Department and remains a union official, but lost income since he had to start a new job at beginner's pay grade, Greathouse said.

The International Association of Fire Fighters assisted the local union member in the case by providing lawyers from the Washington, D.C. firm of Woodley and McGillivary.

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Lexington, KY Fight Budget Cuts - "Cuts Would Be Devastating"
(WKYT.com)

March 19, 2008 - There's an old saying that change is good. But first responders say that's not the case, when it comes to saving lives, they say, the way they do it now works just fine. "We've had three person staffing on the ambulances for over 30 years, says", Mark Blankenship with the Lexington Professional Firefighters union.

But that thirty year service tradition--of two paramedics and one driver per patient-- needs to change according to a team of hired money saving consultants. The consultants have told Mayor Jim Newberry and Lexington Fayette Urban County Council that to cut the budget, one paramedic will do.

Blankenship with the fire fighter union says that's foolish. "Anybody with common sense can tell you that having two people working on you instead of one has to be better, he added, "...establishing I.V.'s, administering, drugs, hooking up a heart monitor, managing airways, monitoring the patient, interviewing the patient, not one person can do that just by themselves".

The city's hired consultants say other cities do the job with one. But Blankenship says, Lexington Fire isn't willing to sacrifice quality. "To give everybody the standard of care they are accustomed to is to send two trucks instead of one. So you'd either get two ambulances or continue to get an engine as a first responder and an ambulance".

But he says that will tie up people and resources from dealing with other emergencies. He adds that people should really ask themselves, when you're life is on the line, "What do you want, what are you willing to pay for?"

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City & Gloucester Firefighters Union Negotiate Contract Based on New Model
(Gloucester Daily Times)

March 14, 2008 - The firefighters union and Mayor Carolyn Kirk have agreed in principle to a new model for deployment that would put optimal-sized teams on trucks at headquarters — even if it means fewer trucks and fewer outlying stations in service.

In fire safety circles, "per piece manning" is the term for the approach that the union and mayor have endorsed in negotiations to settle a contract that expired last July.

The willingness of both sides in contract negotiations to discuss the details of their talks publicly is highly unusual. (More...)

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USFA Releases Emergency Incident Rehabilitation Manual
(International Association of Fire Fighters) (Emergency Incident Rehabilitation.pdf - 5.6mb)

March 14, 2008 – The U.S. Fire Administration collaborated with the IAFF on the newly released updated and revised Emergency Incident Rehabilitation Manual. The new edition examines critical topics related to emergency incident rehabilitation, including operational issues, human physiology, weather and technology.

The report addresses ways to better protect fire fighters and other emergency responders through the use of proper protective clothing and improved tactical procedures. The revised manual updates the original USFA document published in 1992.

Emergency responder rehabilitation is designed to ensure that the physical and mental well-being of IAFF members operating at the scene of an emergency do not deteriorate to the point where it affects their safety. The information in the manual can help prevent serious and life-threatening conditions – such as heat stroke and heart attacks – from occurring.

Fire ground rehab refers to the care given to fire fighters and other first responders while performing their duties at an emergency scene, including monitoring of vital signs, rehydration and nourishment and rest.

“This rehabilitation of fire fighters during emergency operations or training exercises can significantly reduce their risk of illness or injury,” says IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger. “The IAFF was pleased to work with USFA to enhance fire fighter health and safety.”

For more information, click here.

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The Less-Alarming Wake-Up
Turning Down Decibels Healthier for Firefighters
(The Washington Post)

March 10, 2008 - Jesus Escobedo is nodding off atop his Batman sheets when the little red lights flip on, casting a low light across his face. A woman's voice informs him gently, almost seductively, that it's time to get up. An alert is going out because an elderly nursing home patient is on the edge of death. "Engine, medic, altered level of consciousness," the voice tells the Arlington County firefighter as he jumps out of his bed at the Ballston firehouse. In a matter of minutes, Escobedo is dressed and hurtling down Carlin Springs Road toward the nursing home. "One minute you're sleeping, and the next minute you're going 50 miles an hour," said Escobedo, 27, sitting in the firetruck, sirens blaring, on his way to the 911 call last week. "And it can happen several times a night. It's a lot better when the waking up part is a little bit nicer."

A firefighter's job can be very stressful, involving long shifts, emotionally draining work and a response time measured in seconds, often many times a night. To reduce the cumulative stress on their 315 firefighters and paramedics, Arlington was one of the first jurisdictions in the Washington region to install kinder, gentler wake-up calls in its 10 firehouses. "Before we put this in, fluorescent lights would snap on overhead, lighting up the whole place, and there would be this loud, shrill, rapid-fire beeping," said Capt. Randy Higgins, an Arlington firefighter for 24 years and Escobedo's shift supervisor. "You'd go from sound asleep to your heart beating wildly in your throat several times a night."

The consequences can be alarming.

Cardiac arrest -- not fighting fires -- is the leading cause of death among the estimated 300,000 full-time firefighters throughout the country, said Patrick Morrison of the International Association of Fire Fighters. Morrison, assistant in charge of education and training at the union, said that more than 50 firefighters die each year of heart attacks. "The big thing we're seeing is that loud, sudden sounds give them a huge adrenaline dump," he said. "And the cumulative effect of that is contributing to early heart disease."

Morrison said studies have shown that heart rates more than double when firefighters, even the youngest, most fit ones, are roused by loud sounds and lights. Arlington is at the forefront of a national trend toward less jarring wake-up calls at firehouses, he said. "When you go through that surge of adrenaline as many times as we do, it's worth making these kinds of investments in a system that diminishes that effect just a little bit," Arlington Fire Chief James Schwartz said.

Arlington installed its system in 2004, just six months after the city of Manassas Park. Since then, Prince William and Stafford counties have opted for the system, which is sold by several vendors.

Other local fire departments, including Fairfax, want to make the switch as they upgrade their facilities or their budgets allow it.

With the economic downturn, it is unclear when funds will be approved for the county to install the system in its 38 fire stations, Fairfax Battalion Chief Dean Cox said. "It's becoming the standard in the Metro area," he said.

Besides a healthier wake-up, the system has other advantages.

It's targeted, so it alerts only the crew needed on a specific call, not everyone in the firehouse. And the computer-activated system is faster, so it shaves important seconds off response time. The firefighters are usually already running toward their vehicles by the time they hear where they're going. "It might save them 10 to 15 seconds," said Carol Saulnier, Arlington's chief fire marshal. "That might not seem like a lot, but it can really make the difference between life and death."

Arlington's average response time -- from the moment the dispatcher advises the firefighters to the time they get to their destination -- is four minutes, which is better than the national standard. Arlington firefighters and paramedics answered 24,215 emergency calls in 2007; Escobedo's station in Ballston took 5,565 of those calls.

Schwartz gets excited about another feature of the system: the ability of one jurisdiction to directly dispatch firefighters from another. That won't work until everyone is on the same page, though. "Several times a day already, units from Fairfax run into Arlington to serve our citizens who dial 911 on the west end of Columbia Pike, since the closest unit to a good deal of that portion of Arlington is in Baileys Crossroads," said Schwartz. "When Fairfax comes online with the system, we will be able to alert them from our own dispatch center, which could cut up to a couple minutes off our response time."

Schwartz said that "response time is everything" in the emergency services business. "If you're in cardiac arrest, you need CPR within four minutes," he said.

A few decades ago, volunteer firefighters in many rural communities across the country would be roused from beds in their own homes by loud wailing sirens that would wake up the whole area.

Then came the night-watch method of alert, where firefighters would take turns staying up to answer a dispatcher's call on the phone and then wake up the rest of the team. Or one firefighter would sleep next to the phone and have the responsibility of answering it and waking everyone up. After that, the radio-based system with the loud, shrill beep-beep prevailed.

Still, in some fire departments in the country, every time there's a call, every fire station in the area gets notified, according to the IAFF.

Escobedo, who's only worked with the new system, admits he's got the sultry woman's voice turned up as high as it goes. He said he tends to be a heavy sleeper.

Is there any worry that it's all just a little too gentle? "Nah," said Higgins. "There's a lot of peer pressure to get up quickly in this job. You don't want to be the guy who slept through the alarm. You get called Rip Van Winkle and stuff like that. You never live it down."

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Experts: Lack of Guidelines Problematic
(The Scranton, PA Times-Tribune)
In its 107-year history, the Scranton Fire Department has never had a written set of standard operating procedures.

March 9, 2007 - Operating without written guidelines is not against any state law, and city administrators say there are normal procedures firefighters follow during emergencies. But many experts say the lack of thought-out and accepted standards could cause confusion and danger at fire scenes.

“It’s inconceivable, in this day and age and especially in cities and towns that have older structures, to not have standard operating procedures,” said retired Colorado Fire Chief Kenneth Willette. “If you don’t have written procedures and you have a department with a few or a lot of young firefighters facing emergencies at 100-year-old buildings and houses, you could easily run into problems that could endanger an entire community.

The Fire Department’s practices have been thrust into the spotlight recently, following fire-scene confusion that contributed to the Jan. 6 electrocution of Capt. James Robeson. The firefighters union also conducted a no-confidence vote for Fire Chief Tom Davis and has called for his ouster, citing safety concerns that include a lack of written procedures.

Most have standards

Dunmore Fire Chief Chris DeNaples said his borough, which often works with Scranton fighting fires in both municipalities, has long had written standard operating procedures. “Our procedures are based on those set by the National Fire Protection Association,” Mr. DeNaples said, while declining direct comment about Scranton’s department.

The National Fire Protection Association, a Massachusetts-based organization, is recognized as the world’s largest and most influential fire safety organization and publishes approximately 300 codes and standards intended to prevent the loss of life and property, spokeswoman Peg O’Brien said. Members include more than 66,000 fire safety professionals.

She said the standards are revised regularly and are generally accepted and followed by fire departments throughout the country, as well as most international fire departments. “It is recommended by any number of national organizations, including NFPA and the U.S. Fire Administration, that all fire departments have written standards,” Pennsylvania State Fire Commissioner Ed Mann said. “Some call it procedures, some call it guidelines, but it is recommended. However, there is no law in Pennsylvania that says you must have these.”

City Council President Bob McGoff said Scranton has never had a code of standard firefighter operating procedures. “Firefighters only have standard training,” he said.

No state mandate

Pennsylvania is not governed by federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration laws that mandate written procedures for fire departments, Mr. Mann said. In what has been an oversight for decades, the state has never entered any formal agreements with OSHA or other organizations that would compel departments to have written guidelines, Mr. Mann said.

What’s more, he said, there are also no state laws governing training for firefighters. “You can walk into a volunteer station and say you want to join, and that night you could get the call to go out to a fire,” Mr. Mann said. “Fortunately, a lot of our leadership and departments require that firefighters have a certain level of training. Most of our career departments send people to a recruiting school, although that, too, is not required.”

Scranton firefighters have complained about the city’s lack of written guidelines, particularly those pertaining to standards to achieve certification for operating certain vehicles. “This is something that the federal government is pushing for, especially if your department is seeking grant money for apparatus,” Scranton firefighter John Judge said.

“There needs to be some type of policy in place. Let’s say one new firefighter on the job grew up in Mayfield and one grew up in Taylor and neither knows Scranton too well and are riding together,” Mr. Judge said. “Are they going to know what to do? Are they going to be able to get to the fire safely without driver training and no formal policy? “Most of what we in the union are asking for costs nothing. I understand that this (also) wasn’t done under past administrations, but we need written policies.”

Mr. Judge outlined several operating procedures accepted and codified by NFPA, but which remain nonexistent in Scranton. Citing NFPA codes 1001, 1002, 1006, 1021, 1500 and 1710, Mr. Judge said safety is at the forefront of those particular guidelines. For instance, 1001 and 1002 require specific training for fire personnel. NFPA code 1006 spells out procedures for what firefighters should be aware of when confronted with a fire in a confined space. The code also specifies what specific piece of apparatus should be used and how it should be handled, Mr. Judge said.

The last time any suggested practices were established was when the first paid city department was formed in 1901, officials said.

Scranton firefighters are required to receive 315 hours of training at Harrisburg Community College and additional EMT training based on a stipulation in the union’s 1992 contract, Scranton Deputy Fire Chief Terry Osborne said. “The training has been a Godsend,” Mr. Osborne said. “The guys receive hazardous materials training and other NFPA operations training.”

The city administration began meeting with union officials last month to develop written procedures, and that process is moving well, Mayor Chris Doherty said. “We’re working with them, we said we would, and we’ll get it done,” Mr. Doherty said.

Firefighters are trained at a recruit school in Harrisburg and go through a rigorous course before being certified, officials said. “We will be 100 percent efficient,” Scranton Fire Chief Tom Davis said. “There is no question we will.”

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Fire Fighters Call Town of Stoughton “Most Unpatriotic Town in America”
(International Association of Fire Fighters)

February 29, 2008 - National, State, and local union officials and firefighters from across Massachusetts descended on the town of Stoughton, calling the Town of Stoughton, “The Most Unpatriotic Town in America.”

Fire fighters say the town is unpatriotic for failing to compensate Stoughton Fire Captain Doug Campbell, who is on active duty in Iraq, as a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard. Other Stoughton Fire Department members have been working his tours of duty at the fire department in order for him to receive his entitled benefits.

“Brother Campbell is the ultimate public safety employee serving on the frontlines, both as a fire fighter and member of the Air National Guard.” says Bob McCarthy, president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts. “I am appalled and shocked by the actions of the Stoughton Selectmen in choosing to ignore Brother Campbell’s situation. It is time for the Town of Stoughton, and the Board of Selectmen, to step up to the plate and support Brother Campbell and his family while he fights for all of us.”

Massachusetts has recognized the sacrifice of members of the Armed Services by enacting laws in support of employees serving during this time of war. Many municipalities are providing salary and health insurance benefits for the families of these employees. Stoughton’s Board of Selectmen has chosen not to address Campbell’s benefits while he is on active duty.

“Stoughton fire fighters take pride in protecting the residents and businesses of this town,” says Peter Denneno, president of Stoughton Local 1512. “Brother Campbell and his family are also part of this community. We need to come together to help them in their time of need. Depriving him of his benefits while he fights for our country is just unacceptable.”

Campbell is an 18-year veteran fire fighter and a 20- year member of the Air National Guard.

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City Ordered to Reinstate Firefighter who had Seizures
(Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

February 26, 2008 - An arbitrator has ordered the City of Pittsburgh to bring back to work a firefighter who had two seizures last year and sued the city in federal court last week. The arbitrator's award, issued yesterday and separate from the federal lawsuit, compels the city to furnish Fire Capt. David Cerminara with back pay that a union attorney said will total at least $35,000.

Joe King, president of International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1, said the award stems from the city's abandonment of a past policy of accommodating firefighters with health problems. "It's their way or no way, and that's what came back and kicked them," he said.

Capt. Cerminara, 51, of Banksville, is a 27-year veteran of the bureau who suffered seizures while sleeping in March and April. He was placed on medication, suffered no further problems and was released to return to work by his doctors in May.Then a doctor paid by the city wrote to Capt. Cerminara's neurologist, indicating that the city follows a national standard that a firefighter be off seizure medications and seizure-free for one year before he can work. The neurologist rescinded the work release.

The arbitrator, Downtown attorney John J. Morgan, found that the one-year seizure-free standard applies only to new recruits, not to established firefighters. Mr. Morgan also quoted city officials as testifying that the bureau does not make accommodations for firefighters with medical problems. He found that to be a change from past policy that the city should have negotiated with the union, but didn't. "Having a policy stating that you are not going to accommodate employees with physical or mental impairments is equivalent to having a policy that expressly permits unlawful discrimination," said Josh Bloom, an attorney representing the union.

Capt. Cerminara hired attorney Samuel J. Cordes, who sued in federal court alleging that the city violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by using an inapplicable standard and keeping him off work. The complaint demands damages for distress and payment of legal fees. The city has 30 days to appeal the arbitrator's decision to Common Pleas Court. Administration officials did not comment yesterday.

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 IAFF Mourns Death of Joe Kilgallon
(International Association of Fire Firefighters)

February 20, 2008 - It is with deepest regret and sorrow that the IAFF reports the death of Joe Kilgallon, 75. Kilgallon died on February 12, 2008, while vacationing with his wife in Antigua.

"Kilgallon will long be remembered for all his assistance to IAFF affiliates and members through his technical assistance that help improve salaries and working conditions," says IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger. "For more than 40 years, he assisted many of our locals during collective bargaining and arbitrations." (More...)

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Firefighter Shortage Strains El Paso's OT Budget
(The El Paso Times)

January 23, 2008 - EL PASO, TX – The El Paso Fire Department has been shifting staff, some of whom don't normally fight fires, because of a shortage of firefighters and a crunch on the overtime budget. The Fire Department, according to a financial report given to the City Council on Tuesday, is projected to be $2.5 million over its personnel budget this fiscal year, which ends Aug. 31.

About 80 percent of the funds budgeted for overtime has already been spent, department spokesman Lt. Mario E. Hernandez said. "Temporarily, they did reassign personnel," Hernandez said. "They reassigned three Haz-Mat techs, 12 inspectors and investigators in Fire Marshals (office) to place them back in rotation to work in the (fire) line."

Staff from the communication division and the fire academy also have been shifted temporarily to fill holes at fire stations, especially during weekends, Hernandez said. Staff members, all of whom are trained as firefighters, will work part of the week in their regular posts and the rest of the time at a fire station.

Hernandez said overtime has increased because the department is 67 firefighters short from its allotted level of 940. Hernandez emphasized that public safety has not been compromised by the shortage.

The problem is not unique to El Paso. The National Fire Protection Association has reported the need for more firefighters in cities across the country. Some relief is in sight: Two El Paso Fire Department academies are scheduled this year, department officials said.

On Feb. 18, a training academy of 24 cadets pre-certified as firefighters will begin. They will graduate in late March. Usually, pre-certified cadets have gone through firefighter classes at a community college. On April 14, a traditional six-month academy class with 60 cadets will start and will graduate in September.

El Paso Firefighters Association President Joe Tellez said the shortage grew over the years because some academies for pre-certified applicants did not graduate enough cadets who met department standards. About four years ago, the department also shifted staff to fill vacancies at fire stations, he said. "The problem is it's hard to recruit people," Tellez said. "The Police Department has also had problems recruiting. We are competing with the federal agencies for the same talent."

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In Spite Of Mayor's Prediction Of Receivership, Michigan Voters Refuse To Repeal Firefighter Staffing Rule
From The Detroit Free Press

January 16, 2008 - PONTIAC, MI – Pontiac Mayor Clarence Phillips said late Tuesday night he predicted the city would slide into receivership after voters soundly rejected Phillips' pleas to let his administration lay off firefighters and make other changes to balance the city's budget. "It's kind of like our community shot itself in the foot," Phillips said after four proposals went down to defeat at the polls.

As he spoke, scores of firefighters gathered in downtown Pontiac at Crofoot nightclub, where outside sat idling Pontiac fire engine No. 30. Inside, their union president Rick Luxon said, "The citizens spoke and made public safety their top priority." However, a tax increase for police spending failed.

Two of five proposals on the ballot involved the firefighters' compensation and were crucial to giving the city flexibility with its budget, Phillips had maintained. One – a charter amendment that would repeal the city's "minimum manning requirement" at fire stations. It lost by a 68-32% margin Had it passed, it would've let the city slash its firefighting budget by an estimated $5 million – after a 40% cut in firefighters' staff – freeing up money to restore deep cuts made to police, the mayor said. The other, which would've allowed the city to reallocate 2 mills of property tax currently earmarked for firefighters' salaries and benefits, freeing it to spend an estimated $2.9 million per year on any expense related to the fire department, lost by a similar margin.

Two other proposals, for temporary tax increases, had mixed results. One, a 10-year property tax increase of one-half mill for youth recreation, was defeated by nearly 10 percentage points. The other, a 10-year property tax increase of 1 mill for police personnel, fell by less than 1 percentage point.

Before the election, Phillips warned that if all proposals failed, "We'll lay off between 20 and 30 police officers, and 30 and 40 other city workers, and we'll probably go into receivership." Passage would allow him to restore police staffing and pare down the fire department.

A fifth proposal, which would require the mayor to give a proposed budget for the following year to the City Council a month earlier than currently required, also was too close to call.

Around metro Detroit, Pontiac and about a dozen other cities are required – either by labor contracts or by city charters – to maintain minimum levels of firefighters on duty during each shift. Pontiac's rule has been one firefighter for every 2,000 residents, Luxon said Tuesday. "We're a 150-year-old urban city with older buildings and older wiring, and we make more than 8,000 EMS runs a year," said Luxon, who heads the city's 114-member firefighters union – Pontiac Professional Firefighters Local 376.

But the city's mayor has long fought the minimum-manning rule, flouting it in 2006 with layoffs that the union so far has successfully challenged in court. For years, Phillips said he needed to lay off 40-45 firefighters from a department that has about 120 employees,, as well as close two of the city's five stations and contract emergency medical services to a private ambulance company.

Unless major improvements occur in the state's economy and in how cities, townships and villages collect taxes, more voters in other cities will be asked to increase their taxes or choose what services to slash, said Huntington Woods City Manager Alex Allie, who chaired the Michigan Municipal League's finance and tax committee, from 1995 to 2005. "The prioritizing of essential services is a question that more and more communities are going to face," Allie said on Tuesday.