INTERNATIONAL JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009 MAKING FIRE FIGHTING SAFER — PAGE 20 contents JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009 JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIRE FIGHTERS / VOL 92. NO. 1 FEATURES ON THE COVER: An Economy in Crisis Financial meltdown threatens IAFF members ...................... 14 Making Fire Fighting Safer Study examines dangers of residential fires ........................ 20 Affiliate Leaders Learn How to P. 30 Conduct Fire Ops 101 Justice for Charleston Widow ............................ 24 General President’s Message No Silver Bullets ................................................................ 3 General Secretary-Treasurer’s Message Investment and Tax Planning ............................................ 5 Letters to the Editor .................................................... 6 Local Scene .................................................................. 8 Media Awards .............................................................. 22 Always On the Frontline .......................................... 25 Across the IAFF .......................................................... 26 Fully Involved Fire Fighters Spread Holiday .............................................................. 31 P. 11 Retirees Cheer to Less Fortunate .......................................................................... 35 In Memoriam/Last Alarm .......................................... 38 On The Cover Responding to the financial crisis. —story page 14 IAFF Member to Appear P. 28 on “Escape to the Wild” January/February 2009 2 From the General President No Silver Bullets wish I had a silver bullet that would solve our The most important first step is for you to get a problems. But the worst recession in decades is seat at the table in any talks over local budgets. You “Each Iputting workers across the United States in the line will be better off if you are part of the debate over affiliate must of fire as jobs are cut and nest eggs vanish. Tax your role in fixing the economic health of your town, revenues at all levels are down significantly. It’s clear city, county, state, province or fire district. determine that even public safety — usually one of the last to Force your public officials to open their books so be hit — won’t be immune from this recession. you know the full scope of the problem or whether the best path The headlines on the cover of this magazine opportunistic politicians are using recession fears to to take to show (you can view dozens more at www.iaff.org ) get cuts from employees. that no one and nothing in the United States is Tell public officials that there are safe, smart, time- protect its recession-proof — not even the fire service. In many limited ways that your affiliate can help your cities, our members’ jobs, wages, jurisdiction navigate its way out of a members. benefits and safety are already on the crisis. Just as importantly, let them chopping block. know there are unsafe, short-sighted And know Since economists can barely tell us measures — like cutting staffing — that we are which way is up these days, we truly that put lives of fire fighters and don’t know which jurisdictions will citizens at risk, and that you are going here to help be hit hardest, how deep the cuts to expose dangerous cuts. will run or how long the recession Being engaged gives you a better you in that will last. chance of convincing public officials work.” We do know that 2.6 million U.S. to look elsewhere for savings, to workers lost their jobs last year and help them figure out the right answer that the pace of layoffs picked up in and not settle for what appears to January of this year. Every segment be a quick, easy and usually of the economy is vulnerable; neither unsafe solution. the private nor the public sector is Harold A. For us, protecting our members’ lives being spared. Schaitberger comes first, and crew sizes and staffing Caterpillar is cutting 20,000 jobs, levels are the most important factors Pfizer is cutting about 20,000 jobs when it comes to your safety. and Microsoft cut 5,000 workers, to name a few of Use NFPA 1710. Hold it up as the minimum that’s the largest companies in the private sector. Canada acceptable, even if your jurisdiction is not at 1710 has lost thousands of manufacturing jobs, too. levels now — you should be working toward it, not New York City has shut down fire companies going backwards and endangering lives. overnight and is considering further cutting crew Engage your fire chiefs in this discussion. Every sizes on some apparatus. Atlanta, Georgia, and chief worth his salt will publicly support 1710’s goals Redlands, California, are furloughing fire fighters. In and should do everything in his or her power to Warren, Ohio, public officials began an indefinite draw the line at staffing cuts. Those who don’t layoff of fire fighters in January. The City of Vallejo support 1710 are clearly unprofessional and should has filed for bankruptcy. And those are only a few of not be in charge of our members’ lives or the many, many examples. public’s safety. So what do we do? Run and hide? Hell no. Each affiliate must determine the best path to take However, we also can’t deny that fire department to protect its members. And know that we are here to budgets could face the same fate as others in the help you in that work. public sector as a result of decimated tax revenue. We are lobbying Congress to get additional aid to I realize that in many communities throughout the state and local governments to address budget United States, our affiliate leaders already are faced shortfalls. We are developing a comprehensive online with severe budget problems and have been forced resource to arm IAFF affiliate leaders with to discuss a way out of the mess with their public information, tools, databases and other means so officials. For the rest of you, be warned: discussions they can help themselves. We have streamlined the over how to solve your jurisdiction’s potential process to access the IAFF’s vast programs and or current budget crisis are likely a matter of expertise, including our municipal financial analyses, when, not if. EMS operations assessments, GIS mapping and Our Canadian affiliates have so far escaped any public relations assistance. widespread cuts, but Canadian employers cut The reality is that there is no silver bullet to fix the 129,000 jobs in January 2009, the sharpest monthly economic chaos engulfing North America. But I plunge on record, and economists expect the jobless assure you, this IAFF will do everything it can to help rate — now at a four-year high of 7.2 percent — to our affiliates and members dodge the bullets that are climb further this year, so they aren’t far behind. likely coming your way from this recession. As your union, it’s our job to give affiliates a map so you can do your best to avoid the landmines. We need to help you develop a strategy so you are taking the right steps to minimize the potential impact on your members, your affiliate and your city. International Fire Fighter 3 INTERNATIONAL Harold A. Schaitberger General President Vincent J. Bollon Harold A. Schaitberger Jeff Zack Editor General Secretary-Treasurer Supervising Editor IAFF EXECUTIVE BOARD 10th District Jane Blume James T. Ferguson Managing Editor 1st District Kristin Craine 3029 Buchanan Street Staff Writer Kevin Gallagher Bill Glanz San Francisco, CA 94103 Staff Writer (415) 621-7103 (Office) Kristin Davis 2004 E. 29th Street Graphic Artist Brooklyn, NY 11229 (415) 346-7919 (Home) Katie Shelton 11th District (718) 934-4933 (Office) Administrative Assistant Sandy McGhee Craig Renfro (917) 767-9639 (Cell) Advertising Director • (972) 416-9782 • [email protected] (718) 332-0001 (Fax) 1283 S. Detroit Avenue Periodical postage paid at Postmasters send changes 2nd District Tulsa, OK 74120 Washington DC of address to Mark Woolbright (918) 599-8176 (Office) Published bi-monthly. 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