Spring 2016 Fire Fighter Quarterly vol. 99 no.2 16 32 26 Photo by troy Palmer, CaPtain — Fort mCmurray, ab loCal 2494 Cover Features Departments 10 Life-Saving Training 12 Advancing the IAFF Legislative Agenda n 5 From the General President Bringing Fire Ground Lawmakers pledge support at U.S. and n 7 From the General Survival training Canadian Legislative conferences Secretary-Treasurer directly to you 16 Presumptive Protections Gain Support n 9 Letters Affiliates win cancer presumption for their On the cover: Members n 20 Across the IAFF of Fairfax County, VA members Local 2068 Scott Krant, n 36 On the Road James Kenney and Lithium-Ion Batteries Cause Safety Concerns Ryan Fletcher 18 n 37 Retirees Responding to emergencies involving new n 42 Never Forget Photo by joCelyn augustino technology raises questions n 43 Last Alarm Download the IAFF Frontline App from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Search for Connect with IAFF Frontline and download the app for your mobile device. the IAFF Visit Fire Fighter Quarterly online at www.iaff.org/mag Apple Android SPRING 2016 3 QUARTERLY Harold A. Schaitberger General President Harold A. Schaitberger , editor Thomas H. Miller General Secretary-Treasurer Jeff Zack , supervising editor Jane Blume , Director of Communications, managing editor IAFF EXECUTIVE BOARD 10th District James T. Ferguson Mark Treglio , staff Writer Kristin Craine , staff Writer Tim Burn , staff Writer 1st District 3029 Buchanan Street William Romaka San Francisco, CA 94123-4201 Kristin Hazlett , graphic artist Mesha Williams , staff Writer 427 Spruce Avenue (415) 760-8063 (Cell) Meghan BouHabib, editorial assistant Cindy Pinkney , administrative assistant West Islip, NY 11795 (415) 474-4121 (Fax) Craig Renfro , advertising Director • (972) 416-9782 • [email protected] (631) 893-9116 (Office) 11th District (917) 834-1414 (Cell) Sandy McGhee Periodical postage paid at Washington, 1750 New York Avenue, N.W. 2nd District 1283 S. Detroit Avenue DC and additional mailing offices. Washington, D.C. 20006-5395 Tulsa, OK 74120 Postmasters send changes of Mark Woolbright Published quarterly (918) 855-8228 (Cell) address to 115 McMennamy Road Subscription price $18 per year. IAFF St. Peters, MO 63376 Fire Fighter Quarterly (Print) 12th District 1750 New York Avenue, N.W. (314) 393-9755 (Cell) (ISSN 2333-3669) Larry Osborne Washington, D.C. 20006-5395 (636) 397-1572 (Office) Fire Fighter Quarterly (Online) 8743 Ricardo Lane (636) 397-3809 (Fax) (ISSN 2333-3685) Jacksonville, FL 32216-3536 Official publication of and 3rd District (904) 641-5407 (Home) © Copyright 2015 by the Jay Colbert (904) 219-8656 (Cell) INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION 20 Henry Ave. 13th District OF FIRE FIGHTERS ® Printed in USA Somerville, MA 02144-2604 Fred LeBlanc (617) 307-8076 (Cell) 317 Avenue Road Publications Mail Agreement No. 40065725 Canada Post: Return 4th District Kingston, Ontario K7M 1C8 undeliverables to P.O. Box 2601, 6915 Dixie Rd, Mississauga, ON L4T 0A9. (613) 328-2195 (Cell) William V. Taylor INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE STAFF AUXILIARY TO THE IAFF 206 Inlet Drive 14th District Jim Lee Chief of Staff Terra McKenzie Pasadena, MD 21122 Danny Todd President (410) 317-5546 (Office) 3740 Northcliffe Drive Doug Steele Legal Counsel (217) 424-5687 (443) 324-2529 (Cell) Memphis, TN 38128 Patrick J. Morrison Assistant to the [email protected] (410) 317-5548 (Fax) (901) 377-6549 (Home) General President for Occupational www.aiaff.com 5th District 15th District Health, Safety and Medicine IAFF CHAPLAIN Thomas Thornberg David Burry Jeff Zack Assistant to the General Father Thomas Mulcrone 23594 Ulysses St. NE 16 Indian Pond Place President for Media, Communications East Bethel, MN 55005 CBS, NL A1X6P8 and Information Systems IAFF Headquarters Office (612) 290-8015 (Cell) 1750 New York Ave. NW (709) 744-2709 (Home) Scott Marks Assistant to the General (709) 689-7574 (Cell) Washington DC 20006 6th District President for Canadian Operations (202) 737-8484 (Office) Lorne West 16th District Lori Moore-Merrell Assistant to the (202) 737-8418 (Fax) Box 581 Stn. Ft. Langley James B. 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Ouellette Kevin O’Connor Assistant to the 2216 57th Way NW 2681 Sicily Drive General President for Governmental IAFF FINANCIAL CORPORATION Olympia, WA 98502-3451 New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168 and Public Policy Carrie Tucker (360) 791-6201 (Cell) Chief Operating Officer (386) 314-5837 (Cell) Warren May Assistant to the 8th District Alex Forrest General Secretary-Treasurer for E-18 MEDIA Paul Hufnagel 303-83 Garry Street Finance and Membership Marty Sonnenberg 2545 Oxford Road Winnipeg,MB R3C-419 Canada Elizabeth Harman Assistant to Executive Producer Lansing, MI 48911-1036 (204) 783-1733 (Office) the General President for Grants (517) 281-2832 (Cell) (204) 791-4980 (Cell) Administration and HazMat/WMD (517) 484-7744 (Home) (204) 255-0383 (Home) Training 9th District (204) 253-0496 (Station) Ray R. Rahne (204) 772-2531 (Fax) EMERITI OFFICERS Charles L. Buss Gerald O. Holland 3444 S. Newland Ct. Anthony Mejia President Emeritus Lakewood, CO 80277 2859 Albury Avenue Michael J. Crouse Alfred K. Whitehead Ernest A. “Buddy” Mass (303) 619-2462 (Cell) Long Beach, CA 90815 Terry A. Ritchie (303) 988-0177 (Home) (562) 989-3667 (Office) Secretary-Treasurer Emeritus Frank A. Palumbo Dominick F. Barbera (562) 212-2055 (Cell) Kevin Gallagher Vice President Emeritus Bruce Carpenter GENERAL COUNSEL Russell P. Cerami James A. Fennell Thomas Woodley James L. Hill Trustee Emeritus Woodley & McGillivary Elliott Hastings William McGrane Dominick C. DiPaulo Dennis Lloyd Robert E. Palmer 4 FIRE FIGHTER QUARTERLY SPRING 2016 Campaign 2016: Staying Focused e campaign for president of the United States — on both sides of Noting that our decisions will not always the aisle — has been bizarre. be popular, even if they are focused on I’m not going to rehash the weirdness of debates over hand size or getting things done legislatively on your the name calling, because all of you have heard it already. behalf, one thing I want to make certain But the entertainment value of the 2016 presidential campaign aside, that everyone understands is that we will your union has remained focused on the fact that our next president not make an endorsement decision that of the United States will truly matter to the country and our members. could potentially tear our union apart at the All elections have consequences. at’s why we play hard in politics member level. e strength and solidarity — and it’s why we support those who support us, regardless of this union has built are too important. political party. Ultimately, if your Executive Board does e success of that simple philosophy has been shown to be very make a decision to endorse, it will be based successful through the years, and most recently resulting in legislation solely on the records and statements of the at the federal level to renew the Zadroga 9/11 Act, winning a process candidates remaining aer the respective Harold A. Schaitberger that potentially will make federal public safety officer benefits party nominees are clear. available for 9/11 responders, securing a two-year delay in the e fact remains that the presidency Cadillac Tax — giving us until 2020 to kill it — defeating a plan to matters greatly to your rights at work and replace defined benefit pensions with an insurance annuity and your job on many fronts. First and foremost, the president sets the winning increases in both the FIRE Act and SAFER grant programs. tone for the next four or eight years. Will the new administration be e importance of those legislative victories over the past year for friendly to unions and working families, or hostile? Can the next our members is clear. And it occurred because we have friends on president support and promote bargaining rights, protect public both sides of the aisle in Congress and the Executive branch who pensions, strengthen workplace safety standards and fully fund vital know they can count on us. grant programs? Or will our next president imitate the actions of the at’s why we have undertaken a very deliberative and methodical Scott Walkers, Rick Scotts, John Kasichs and Chris Christies of the approach to evaluate the candidates and where they stand on our issues. world and engage in well-coordinated attacks on unions and working Checking partisanship at the door, 18 months ago, we began our families, your rights and freedom to be part of a strong union? process. Simply put, we are looking to see where the candidates stand Our next president will also likely appoint at least two justices to the on our “basket of issues” and whether or not they have our backs Supreme Court. ose justices may determine whether public when it comes to protecting pensions, your safety on the job, employees remain covered under the Fair Labor Standards Act and supporting collective bargaining and other labor rights, funding our have the right to earn overtime; whether pension benefits must be SAFER and Fire Act grant programs and standing up for paid in municipal bankruptcies or whether retirees can be le holding hardworking, union families. the proverbial bag; whether union security clauses and fair share fees In our process to give every candidate in both parties an opportunity are permissible; and whether government employees have full to win the coveted IAFF gold and black endorsement, we first conducted workplace rights.