July 30, 2010 — Legislation to establish health treatment and monitoring programs for World Trade Center responders was narrowly defeated in the U.S. House of Representatives. The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, H.R. 847, failed by a vote of 255-159 July 29.
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9/11 Health and Compensation Bill Defeated by Narrow Margin in House
July 28, 2010 – Thousands of fire fighters, family and friends are expected to travel to Bridgeport, Connecticut, to pay their respects to two fallen Bridgeport Local 834 fire fighters on Friday, July 30. Steven Velasquez, 40, and Michel Baik, 49, made the ultimate sacrifice Saturday, July 24, while fighting a house fire.
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Friday Services Scheduled for Fallen Connecticut Fire Fighters
July 28, 2010 – Members of Kern County, CA Local 1301, CDF Fire Fighters Local 2881 and strike teams from around the state of California are working in 12-hour shifts, 24 hours a day to contain two wildfires burning
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California Fire Fighters Work 24/7 to Contain Wildfires
July 23, 2010 — The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded another round of Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants, this time totaling $3,010,741. All six of the awards in this 13th round of SAFER grants will help bring IAFF members back to work.
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Fire Departments Awarded $3 Million in SAFER Grants
July 25, 2010 — The IAFF regrets to report the deaths of two Bridgeport, CT Local 834, fire fighters July 24. Lieutenant Steven Velazquez and Fire Fighter Michel Baik were killed while fighting a residential fire. General President Harold Schaitberger has been in contact with 3rd District Vice President Mike Mullane and Bridgeport Local 834 President Bob Whitbread. Further details will be provided as they become available.
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Bridgeport Fire Fighters Killed Battling Residential Fire
July 25, 2010 — The IAFF regrets to report the deaths of two Bridgeport, CT Local 834, fire fighters July 24. Lieutenant Steven Velazquez and Fire Fighter Michel Baik were killed while fighting a residential fire. General President Harold Schaitberger has been in contact with 3rd District Vice President Mike Mullane and Bridgeport Local 834 President Bob Whitbread. Further details will be provided as they become available.
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Bridgeport Fire Fighters Killed Battling Residential Fire
July 19, 2010 — For fire fighter Mark Kovach, the reality of municipal budget cuts hit home when he was tumbling down the staircase of a burning building in Flint, Michigan, after failing to rescue a man trapped on the second floor. After cutbacks last year, Kovach’s crew had only a small vehicle with basic equipment to respond to fires, not the usual ladder and pumping trucks. Absent water to beat back the flames, the blaze at a single-family home in late April of last year turned into an inferno that left Kovach with severe burns. Events are not always so dramatic as that night in Flint, but the most searing economic downturn since the Great Depression is relentlessly transforming the type and quantity of municipal services that citizens can expect from their local governments.
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Budget Cuts Take Their Toll on Essential City Services
July 19, 2010 — The list of suspended locals published on page 5 of the May-June issue of the International Fire Fighter incorrectly identified the following locals by the names of the cities in their mailing addresses — not by their official names. This was a publishing error, as our membership records accurately reflect the official names of each of these locals. We apologize for the error.
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Publishing Error Leads to Policy Change
July 16, 2010 — The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded another round of Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants, this time totaling $10,923,018 to help bring fire fighters back to work. These grants come at a critical time for IAFF affiliates as they struggle to prevent layoffs and maintain staffing levels in the face of tight budgets.
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FEMA Awards $11 Million More in SAFER Grants
July 13, 2010 — The IAFF has lost one of its most dedicated leaders, former Virginia Professional Fire Fighters (VPFF) Secretary-Treasurer and Roanoke Local 1132 President Emeritus D. Duane Dixon. Duane passed away July 10, 2010, after a courageous battle with cancer.
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Virginia IAFF Leader D. Duane Dixon Passes
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