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Spring 2019 Fire Fighter Quarterly vol. 102 no.2 33 Mount Pleasant Local 4693 Fights for Increased Staffing Truro Local 1627 Member Skyler Blackie 18 2019 Legislative Conference 34 Mourned Cover Features Departments 12 The Power of 16 IAFF Endorses Joe Biden for President n 5 From the General President Political Action Based on his unequaled record of Affiliates across the support on fire fighter issues, the IAFF n 7 From the General International are winning Executive Board voted unanimously to Secretary-Treasurer state and local support Biden in the Democratic primary. n 9 Letters legislative victories following the IAFF 18 Building On Our Legislative Success n 10 Noteworthy News political action playbook. IAFF legislative conferences provide opportunities to advocate on priority n 22 Across the IAFF On the cover: Montana Governor Steve legislation and solidify support for fire Bullock signs legislation giving fire fighter issues. n 33 Local Scene fighters presumptive protections. n 35 On the Road n 36 Retirees n 44 Never Forget n 46 Last Alarm Download the IAFF App The IAFF app is available for Apple and Android devices. Download the latest update today using this QR Code. Connect with the IAFF Visit Fire Fighter Quarterly online at www.iaff.org/mag 3 QUARTERLY Harold A. Schaitberger General President Harold A. Schaitberger, Publisher Edward A. Kelly General Secretary-Treasurer Mark Treglio, Supervising Editor IAFF EXECUTIVE BOARD 11th District Jane Blume, Managing Editor Sandy McGhee Doug Stern, Staff Writer Kristin Craine, Staff Writer Tim Burn, Staff Writer 1st District 1283 S. Detroit Avenue James Slevin Tulsa, OK 74120 Kristin Hazlett, Graphic Designer Michelle Yuen, Assistant Graphic Designer 167 Rockaway Avenue (918) 855-8228 (Cell) Mesha Williams, Staff Writer Meghan BouHabib, Editorial Assistant Garden City, NY 11530 (917) 757-6388 (Cell) 12th District Craig Renfro, Advertising Director • (972) 416-9782 • [email protected] (347) 903-1529 (Office) Walter J. Dix (347) 343-5720 (Fax) 11 NW 36th Avenue Periodical postage paid at Washington, DC and 1750 New York Avenue, N.W. Lauderhill, FL 33311 additional mailing offices. Washington, D.C. 20006-5395 2nd District (954) 444-8111 (Cell) Postmasters send changes of Published quarterly Mark Woolbright (954) 349-0331 (Home) address to: Subscription price $18 per year. 115 McMenamy Road IAFF Fire Fighter Quarterly (Print) St. Peters, MO 63376 13th District 1750 New York Avenue, N.W. (ISSN 2333-3669) (314) 393-9755 (Cell) Fred LeBlanc Washington, D.C. 20006-5395 (636) 397-1572 (Office) 317 Avenue Road Fire Fighter Quarterly (Online) (636) 397-3809 (Fax) Kingston, Ontario K7M 1C8 (ISSN 2333-3685) (613) 328-2195 (Cell) Official publication of and 3rd District © Copyright 2019 by the Jay Colbert 14th District INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION 20 Henry Ave. Danny Todd OF FIRE FIGHTERS® Printed in USA Somerville, MA 02144-2604 5150 Stage Rd. Suite 103 (617) 307-8076 (Cell) Memphis, TN 38128 Publications Mail Agreement No. 40065725 Canada Post: Return undeliverables to 901-386-3129 (Office) P.O. Box 2601, 6915 Dixie Rd, Mississauga, ON L4T 0A9. 4th District 901-409-6549 (Cell) Andrew K. Pantelis (901) 377-6549 (Home) INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE STAFF AUXILIARY TO THE IAFF 3060 Mitchellville Road Terra McKenzie Suite 217 15th District Jeff Zack Chief of Staff President Bowie, MD 20716 David Burry Mathew Golsteyn Chief of Operations (217) 424-5687 (301) 674-3448 (Cell) 16 Indian Pond Place [email protected] CBS, NL A1X6P8 Doug Steele Legal Counsel www.aiaff.com 5th District (709) 744-2709 (Home) Patrick J. Morrison Assistant to the General Thomas Thornberg (709) 689-7574 (Cell) President for Occupational Health, Safety and IAFF CHAPLAIN 23594 Ulysses St. NE Medicine Father Thomas Mulcrone East Bethel, MN 55005 16th District (612) 290-8015 (Cell) James B. Johnson Mark Treglio Assistant to the General IAFF Headquarters Office (612) 222-5706 (Office) 3195 Dayton-Xenia Road President for Communications and Media 1750 New York Ave. NW Suite 900-303 Dave Bernard Assistant to the General Washington DC 20006 6th District Beavercreek, OH 45434-6390 (202) 737-8484 (Office) President for Information Systems Mike Carter (202) 360-1318 (Cell) (202) 737-8418 (Fax) Scott Marks Assistant to the General 2234-30 Avenue NE President for Canadian Operations IAFF Canadian Office Calgary, AB T2E 7K9 CANADA TRUSTEES 350 Sparks St. Suite 403 (403) 630-7655 (Cell) Mark S. Ouellette Jim Brinkley Assistant to the General Ottawa Ontario, Canada K1R7S8 556 Aeolian Drive President for Member Services, Technical 7th District (613) 567-8988 (Office) New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168 Assistance and Information Resources Ricky Walsh (613) 567-8986 (Fax) P.O. Box 5604 (386) 314-5837 (Cell) James Ridley Assistant to the General West Richland, WA 99353 Alex Forrest President for Education, Training and Human (509) 999-3090 (Cell) 303-83 Garry Street Relations IAFF FINANCIAL CORPORATION Winnipeg,MB R3C-419 Canada Dave Lang Assistant to the General President Carrie Tucker 8th District Chief Operating Officer Mark Sanders (204) 783-1733 (Office) for Governmental and Public Policy 10527 Winding Way (204) 791-4980 (Cell) Ryan Weber Assistant to the E-18 MEDIA Harrison, OH 45030-2043 (204) 255-0383 (Home) General Secretary-Treasurer for Finance and Marty Sonnenberg (513) 260-2381 (Cell) (204) 253-0496 (Station) Membership Executive Producer (204) 772-2531 (Fax) 9th District Elizabeth Harman Assistant to Ray R. Rahne Anthony Mejia the General President for Grants 3444 S. Newland Ct. 2201 Cherry Avenue Administration and HazMat/WMD Training Lakewood, CO 80277 Signal Hill, CA 90755 (303) 619-2462 (Cell) (562) 989-3667 (Office) EMERITI OFFICERS Gerald O. Holland (303) 988-0177 (Home) (562) 212-2055 (Cell) Michael J. Crouse President Emeritus Ernest A. “Buddy” Mass 10th District GENERAL COUNSEL Alfred K. Whitehead Terry A. Ritchie Frank Lima Thomas Woodley Secretary-Treasurer Emeritus Kevin Gallagher 1571 Beverly Boulevard Bruce Carpenter Los Angeles, CA 90026-5704 Frank A. Palumbo Thomas H. Miller James A. Fennell (213) 507-6317 (Cell) William V. Taylor (213) 485-2091 ext. 1 (Office) Vice President Emeritus Lorne West Russell P. Cerami James T. Ferguson James L. Hill Larry Osborne Elliott Hastings Trustee Emeritus Dominick C. DiPaulo William McGrane Robert E. Palmer FIRE FIGHTER QUARTERLY Dennis Lloyd 4 Charles L. Buss Joe Biden’s Record of Support Earns IAFF Endorsement The IAFF Executive Board has been discussing the 2020 election cycle at While it is true that a strong majority of our the federal level for many months, evaluating all candidates and weighing union’s endorsements go to Democratic their records on fire fighter and union issues. lawmakers, it is because these candidates Since 1992, the endorsement for a candidate for president of the United have historically supported union rights, fire States has been based on the decision of the IAFF Executive Board, and fighter issues, your retirement security and that decision has been personally transmitted to the endorsed candidate. safety and health on the job with greater Over the many presidential elections over the last 27 years, when deciding regularity than their Republican on a candidate to endorse, your Executive Board has stayed true to the counterparts. But, the simple fact remains, IAFF’s core political principle of supporting those who have had our we support lawmakers and candidates who backs and stand up for us on the job. support us and have our back, regardless of Although there are many contenders running in the Democratic political party. presidential primary, one candidate’s record on fire fighter and union Our ability to work with lawmakers in both Harold A. Schaitberger issues rises above the rest of the field. That candidate is Joe Biden. parties was evident this year in several major Joe has been a long-time friend of your union, championing issues that legislative victories. In Montana, Mississippi, put additional fire fighters in fire stations across America, fighting for the North Carolina and Florida — all with strong Republican legislatures — Public Safety Officer Benefit (PSOB) to help the families of our fallen and the IAFF assisted our state affiliates in passing presumptive cancer supporting standards that allow IAFF members to receive the overtime pay legislation protecting our members who get sick as a result of the job. And they earn when they work additional hours, as well as many other issues. in Republican-controlled Idaho and Democratic-controlled New Mexico, He is also in the pragmatic center lane of politics at a time when so many legislators passed bills making post-traumatic stress a presumptive illness other candidates are drifting to the ideological fringes. for fire fighters. This April, already having the records on our issues and knowing that Joe And we engage Republicans in presidential politics. Both in 2008 and Biden is one of our strongest advocates — the IAFF also decided to conduct a 2016, we held presidential forums that drew high-profile Republicans — poll of members who are likely voters in the Democratic primary. Ted Cruz, Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio and others — as well as the eventual Knowing our union endorses on support for fire fighter issues, this poll nominee in 2008, John McCain. In the last election, we invested early for was meant to provide the Executive Board with additional information on Jeb Bush because as governor of Florida he had our back, but ultimately the views of our members on the Democratic field.