Winter 2008-2009 Boston Firefighters Digest International Association of Fire Fighters Local 718 Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts Massachusetts AFL-CIO • Greater Boston Labor Council Dedicated to the advancement of the moral, economic and social standing of the members of the Boston Fire Department in keeping with the dignity of their heroic calling. Merry Christmas and Best Wishes for a Safe and Healthy 2009 Local 718 IAFF Officers 2008-2010 Local 718 IAFF Executive Board Local 718 IAFF House Stewards 2008-2010 Ed Kelly, TL-17 .............................. President Artie Brown, E-2, L-19 ......................... Gr. 2 [email protected] Tom McCann, E-39 ....................... Division 1 Steve Ryan, E-3, H-2 ............................. Gr. 3 Rich Paris, R-2 ....................... Vice-President [email protected] Michael Lynch, E-4, L-24, D-3 ............. Gr. 4 [email protected] John Cetrino, R-1 .......................... Division 1 Jon Hernandez, E-5, D-1 ......................... Gr. 3 Nick DiMarino, TL-10................... Treasurer [email protected] Mark Sanders, E-7, TL-17, D-4 ............. Gr. 4 [email protected] Peter Gailunas, TL-17 ................... Division 1 Rick Johnson, E-8, L-1 .......................... Gr. 2 Ralph Dowling, FAO ...... Recording Secretary Mike O’Reilly, L-29 ...................... Division 2 ____________, E-9, L-2 ....................... ____ [email protected] [email protected] Tom Curtain, E-10, TL-3, R-1, C-6 ....... Gr. 1 Larry Curran, HQ .................. Legislative Rep. John Sarro, E-24 ............................ Division 2 Bill Carey, E-14, L-4, H-1 ..................... Gr. 4 [email protected] [email protected] Mike Hegarty, E-16, D-8 ....................... Gr. 1 Steve MacDonald, PIO .......... Legislative Rep. Bob Petitti, E-42 ............................ Division 2 Brendan Sullivan, E-17, L-7, D-7 .......... Gr. 3 [email protected] Peter Clifford, FAO ........ Fire Alarm Division James Scanlon, E-18, L-6 ...................... Gr. 2 Eric Vinitsky, Afghanistan Sergeant-at-Arms [email protected] James Connolly, E-20 ............................ Gr. 2 Sean O’ Brien, Academy .. Sergeant-at-Arms Bobby Gallagher, E-21 .......................... Gr. 2 IAFF Vice President, 3rd District Kevin Minor, E-21 ............ Sergeant-at-Arms Dan Reardon, E-22, H-3, W-25 ............. Gr. 1 Mike Mullane, E-21 ........ [email protected] Billy O’Sullivan, E-24, L-23 ................. Gr. 1 Office Manager Patricia Damigella Bill Murphy, E-28, TL-10, C-7 .............. Gr. 2 Boston Firefighters Digest Safety Committee Gregory Magee, E-29, L-11, D-11 ........ Gr. 4 Jay Fleming, Div. 2; Neal Mullane, Jr., HQ Pool; Dennis Conception, E-30, L-25 ............. Gr. 1 Boston Firefighters Digest is the official Mike O’Reilly, L-29 Hector Rodriguez, E-32, L-9 ................. Gr. 3 newsletter of Boston Firefighters Local Glen Martin, E-33, L-15 ........................ Gr. 3 Pension & Welfare Officers Barry Stafford, Fire Alarm Operations ... Gr. 4 718. Opinions are those of the authors and Ed Street, L-18 & Paul Keeley, D-12 not necessarily those of Local 718, its Steve Mortlock, E-37, L-26, D-5 ........... Gr. 3 members or its affiliates. Corrections will Hospital Representatives, C-11 Tom McCann, E-39, L-18, D-6, C-11 .... Gr. 4 be made when notified in writing. For a John Flowers, John Harding, Charles Popp, E-41, L-14 ...................... Gr. 2 subscription, mail requests to the Editor. Steve Langone & James Wright Bob Kilduff, Jr., E-42, R-2, D-9 ............ Gr. 1 Bob Finnegan, Fire Alarm Construction .... Gr. D Digests are distributed to all Boston Boston Firemen’s Relief Fund – 2008-2009 Ed Street, Headquarters ......................... Gr. D firehouses, Fire Alarm, Headquarters and Mike Tierney, E-24 President; Kevin McDonough, Fire Prevention ...... Gr. D mailed to member retirees, survivors and Ed Street, L-18 Treasurer; Joe Lohan, Fleet & Facilities ................. Gr. 2 friends. The cost of the Boston Firefighters George Patukonis, Training Secretary; Rich Johnson, Marine Unit .................... Gr. 4 Digest is borne by member dues. Bob Gallagher, E-21; Frank Jones, H-1; Oscar Francisco, E-48, L-28 .................. Gr. 3 Steve MacDonald, PIO; Robert Martin, FIU; Cornell Horton, E-49 ............................. Gr. 2 Editor Tom McCann, E-39; Steve Mortlock, L-26; Derek Melendy, E-50 ............................ Gr. 4 Melissa Hurley, Dick Ryan, EMS; Bill Tobin, E-22 Roosevelt Robinson, E-51 ..................... Gr. 4 MJH Communications Death & Welfare Committee – 2008-2009 Brian Dacey, E-52, L-29 ........................ Gr. 2 [email protected] Ed Kelly, TL-17, Chairman; Eric Deroches, E-53, L-16, D-12 ........... Gr. 3 Neal Mullane, Jr. HQ Pool, Treasurer; Paul Minton, Fire Brigade ..................... Gr. B Contributors Mike Walsh, R-2, Secretary; Vincent Easterling, E-55, D-10 .............. Gr. 1 Steve MacDonald, Paul Keeley, D-12; Ed Street, L-18; Joe Spinale, E-56, L-21 ......................... Gr. 3 Fire Information Officer John Harding, C-11; Nick Di Marino, TL-10; Jody Connolly, Fire Investigation Unit ...... Gr. 2 Gerry Lavey, E-2; Tom Marsters, E-2; Bill Noonan, Steve Mortlock, L-26; Mike O’Connor, E-24; Fire Investigation Unit, K-7 Barry Stafford, FAO; Tom McCann, E-39; Lest We Forget Chris Stevens, E-21; Sean Kelly, E-18; Boston Firefighters Jay Fleming, Jim Kenney, L-4; Bob Kilduff, Jr., R-2; Division 2 Tom Matthews, HQ; Tom McCann, E-39; Local 718 Neal Mullane, Jr., E-37; Ed Paris, TL-17; Vice President John Sarro, L-16; Ed Street, L-18 Lt. Robert T. Kilduff Ladder No. 23 Cover photo by Bill Noonan, FIU-K7 1947-2008 Boston Firefighters Local 718 55 Hallet Street Dorchester, MA 02124 Executive Board Representation 617-288-2100 he President assigns Executive Board members to specific Divisions and Districts of the 617-288-2090 fax Tdepartment to better serve the membership. Members should go to the E-Board Repre- Web site www.bostonfirelocal718.org sentative who is responsible for their District first to handle issues. Office Hours Of course, this does not preclude the members from dealing directly with the leadership of Monday – Friday the Local. 9:00 am – 4:00 pm The Districts are broken down as follows: Boston Firefighters Digest is designed by Districts 1 & 6 ........ Tom McCann, E-39 Districts 8 & 12...... Mike O’Reilly, L-29 Union Printworks, 1193 River Street, District 3 .....................John Cetrino, R-1 Districts 9 & 10............ Bob Petitti, E-42 Hyde Park, MA 02136, (617) 364-5050 Member of GCIU Local 600M Districts 4 & 11.... Peter Gailunas, TL-17 Fire Alarm, Headquarters & Districts 5 & 7 ............. John Sarro, E-24 Fire Prevention .... Peter Clifford, FAO 2 • BOSTON FIREFIGHTERS DIGEST Winter 2008-2009 President’s Report Ed Kelly, TL-17 The People of Boston Know That When They Need Us – We’ll Be There and the Mayor Knows It! he last 18 months have been some of the most challenging ing positions on a regular basis creating an increase times our Local has had to endure. Our personal and profes in acting out of grade retirements. The city could always just pro- Tsional character has been tested and challenged by the me- mote enough guys to cover the vacancies, but hop up stupid is dia, the administration, and the public. cheaper. What was the Mayor/Globe management solution? No generation exemplified the courage, commitment and Change the retirement laws to strip our benefits. sacrifice more than our members who served during “The War Along the way some of our sheep strayed from the flock. Some Years” of the late 60s to early 80s, fighting thousands of fires of these transgressions deserved the media attention they got, and and burying many friends to protect this city. It was during this some didn’t. What the media failed to mention: there are nearly time, when members showed great personal sacrifice and a 1,600 men and women that make up the Boston Fire Department steadfast dedication to the City of Boston that set the level of and to taint the entire department by association is journalism at respect that Boston firefighters have received from the public its worst. for so many years. One person has stood out for his consistency these past 18 But for the first time ever, who we are as people - our integrity, months. Rod Fraser has consistently insulted us at every turn: our personal flaws, even our devotion to duty have been publicly • He insulted Paul Cahill posthumously by stating publicly questioned. We have been so viciously attacked by the media on that Paul’s not wearing his mask suggests he was impaired. so many levels that even our friends and family are slow to defend Obviously, Rod never ran out of air in a fire building. If he us. To truly explain to someone in detail our side of the hundreds had, he would know the first thing you do when your air is of newspaper, magazine, and television reports and editorials we gone is remove your mask. Bad air is better than no air! I’d would have to write a book. like to know what they taught guys to do when they ran out Most of us would say it started after the Tao’ho fire, but in fact, of air at the fire academy he allegedly ran in the Navy. He the Mayor’s spin doctors began slandering us weeks before the must have taught his guys not to run out of air. fire by leaking to the Globe (through unnamed city officials of •When the Board of Inquiry (whose purpose is to investigate course) inaccurate information to justify their declaring an im- an incident and ensure our internal procedures and protocols passe at the bargaining table and filing at the Joint Labor Manage- did not contribute to any deaths or injuries) issued their re- ment Committee. Menino lied as he always has. The facts are we port in February, they concluded that interpreting autopsies agreed to all of the city’s management reforms and were in dis- and toxicology reports was outside their area of expertise.