St. John's Fire Fighters Association
International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1075
| December 3, 2013 — IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger issued the following statement today following Judge Rhodes’ ruling that allows the City of Detroit to file for Chapter 9 bankruptcy. |
| November 22, 2013 – Congratulations to Jackson Township, OH Local 2280 – the winner in the 2013 IAFF “Best Pink T-shirt Design” Contest. Local 2280 received 2,290 votes. The winning T-shirt was designed by Local 2280 member Mike Crable’s wife, Vicky. |
| November 18, 2013 – After as many as 81 tornado sightings were reported November 17 in the Midwest, IAFF members from Missouri, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Ohio responded to storm-related calls for help. |
| November 18, 2013 — From the beginning of the national debate on healthcare reform, the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) has been very clear about our position — do no harm to our members, the fire fighters and paramedics who protect communities throughout this nation daily and when disaster strikes. |
| November 13, 2013 – Relief is slowly making its way to the Philippines after the country was devastated by Typhoon Haiyan on November 8. As airport runways open and roads are cleared of heavy debris, IAFF fire fighters who are members of Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams will likely be deployed to the most affected areas. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has not announced any projected departure dates. |
| November 13, 2013 — The IAFF Division of Occupational Health, Safety and Medicine has been notified of a safety issue concerning stored fire fighter turnout gear. W.L. Gore & Associates has issued a safety alert for all users of Gore moisture barriers. The identified problem involves seam tape separation when the gear has been stored in its original packaging for three or more years before being issued and worn. When this seam tape separation occurs, turnout gear may no longer be resistant to liquid penetration per the requirements of NFPA 1971. |
| November 8, 2013 – The hard work of the IAFF at every level – federal, state and local — on behalf of politicians who respect public safety and the rights of fire fighters paid major dividends on November 5 as candidates notched wins in several important elections across the nation. |
| Winners in the 2013 IAFF Media Awards Contest are now online. The winners list also appears in the Autumn 2013 issue of the International Fire Fighter magazine. |
| November 4, 2013 – The IAFF is saddened to report the death of Shaun Probert, a member of Shaker Heights, OH Local 516 and spokesperson for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). Probert,45, lost his battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s) November 2. |
| November 4, 2013 – More than 100 United Firefighters of Los Angeles City Local 112 members responded to the November 1 shooting at Los Angeles International Airport in Terminal 3 that left one dead and several others wounded. The suspect remains unresponsive at a local hospital after being shot several times by police. |
| November 1, 2013 – General President Harold Schaitberger is urging President Obama to take immediate action and appoint a task force on wildland fires. In a letter to the president Schaitberger wrote, “Today’s issues and challenges surrounding wildland fires are analogous to the issues surrounding urban fire problems of the previous generation. To address adequately the wildland issues, the federal government must take a lead role in coordinating and leading the effort.” |
| November 1, 2013 – Throughout October, IAFF members wore pink T-shirts as part of their support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. More than 100 IAFF affiliates submitted these shirts in the IAFF 2013 Best Pink T-shirt Contest. |
| October 31, 2013 – As Congress begins work to negotiate a budget framework for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2014, President Harold Schaitberger urged members of a Congressional budget conference committee to protect policies benefiting America’s fire fighters in any final deal. |
| October 30, 2013 — If Detroit were a bank, it would have been bailed out years ago. And if Brendan Milewski were a banker, he wouldn’t be contemplating financial ruin. But Detroit isn’t a bank. It’s an arson-plagued city trying to ditch $18 billion in debt in bankruptcy court. And Milewski isn’t a banker, he ‘s a fireman. Or at least he was until Aug. 13, 2010, when a burning building collapsed on top of him. After the accident, Milewski was featured in an independent film, called Burn, about the trials Detroit fire fighters suffer daily. |
| October 29, 2013 – This U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released the Fiscal Year 2013 Assistance to Firefighters grant program (FIRE Act) grant guidance and application kit. The application period for the FY 2013 FIRE Act grant program opens Monday, November 4, 2013, at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time and closes Friday, December 6, 2013, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. |
| October 17, 2013 – A new study conducted by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) on mortality and cancer incidence in career fire fighters shows an elevated risk of several types of cancer – and of all cancers combined – compared to the general U.S. population. |
| October 17, 2013 – Late on October 16, Congress voted to pass a stop-gap measure to end the government shutdown that had plagued the nation for nearly three weeks. The bill, H.R. 2775, also prevented a government default by raising the debt ceiling, provides back pay for furloughed federal workers and includes $636 million for urgent wildland fire suppression activities. |
| October 1, 2013 – The Assistance to Firefighters (FIRE Act) training and equipment grant application period is expected to open this month. More than $288 million is available for fire equipment and training across the nation. |
September 28, 2013 — A bailout still isn’t on the books for Detroit, but top Obama administration officials have announced an aid package that will total at least $300 million.
September 27, 2013 — 44 teenagers from across the country are in the D.C. area this week for a special camp sponsored by the International Association of Fire Fighters. The kids are playing hooky from school, but teaching us a thing or two.