|
|
|
|
SURPRISE REUNION
|
July 3, 2009 Watertown Firefighter Pat Martino was pleasantly surprised after returning from a call today by his son Dan Martino. Dan’s first stop after landing at Logan was to visit his father, a 30 year professional firefighter, and Army Veteran himself. Dan was able to make it home on leave 3 days earlier than expected from service in the United States Armed Forces.
Specialist Martino serves with the 772nd Military Police Company of the Massachusetts National Guard and has been serving with his fellow soldiers in an area of combat operations since October of 2008 in the Al Kut area of Iraq. Dan will return to Forward Operating Base Delta, Al Kut, Iraq in less than 2 weeks for at least another 4 months in a theater of operations.
The Martino’s are two people and an entire family that knows what it means to serve our Nation by protecting our communities and defending our way of life at the risk of their own. Thank You, and Safe Home to all our young men and women in Uniform.
Martino_Photo_Gallery
|
|
|
|
|
| Organize
Today! |
Looking
for more information on Organizing your workplace?
Click Here |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
President Obama Approves New SAFER Rules
Updated
On: Jul 01, 2009 (12:00:00)
June 24, 2009 – President Barack Obama has approved new rules that govern how fire departments can use funding from the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program, an important change during the economic crisis that has caused widespread layoffs of fire fighters throughout the country.
The new guidelines will apply to the $210 million that Congress approved for SAFER for Fiscal Year 2009. The IAFF wrote and lobbied for the new provision that was included in HR 2346, the Supplemental Appropriation bill – which was initiated and supported by President Obama – to allow the use of SAFER grant funding to rehire laid-off fire fighters and prevent fire department staffing reductions that occurred as a result of the current financial crisis.
“Changes in this supplemental appropriation extend a lifeline to fire departments across the nation at a time when fire fighters are losing their jobs,” says IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger. “Adequate staffing is the most critical component to effective response and civilian and fire fighter safety.”
SAFER provides money for all departments to increase staffing. The funding is available to all fire departments. Under the original law, passed in 2004, communities could only receive a SAFER grant if they planned to increase fire department staffing levels. Fire fighters hired with SAFER grants had to be retained for at least five years and fire departments couldn’t reduce staffing levels during this period. Those restrictions have combined to prohibit fire departments from using SAFER grants to prevent layoffs, and have discouraged fire departments from applying for SAFER grants during this current economic recession.
The rule changes approved by the president eliminate the language that has prevented using this money to alleviate the need to lay off a fire fighter. In addition, President Obama is proposing $420 million for SAFER in his Fiscal Year 2010 budget.
|
|
Supreme Court Upholds Unbaised, Job Related, Promotional Examinations
Updated
On: Jul 03, 2009 (16:17:00)
June 29, 2009 – The "New Haven 20" fire fighters who filed suit in federal court against the City of New Haven, Connecticut, after the City threw out the results of promotional exams prevailed over the City today when the United States Supreme Court, by a 5-4 vote, reversed a lower court’s decision.
In the case, Ricci v. DeStefano, the Supreme Court ruled that the City of New Haven could not throw out the results of a promotional exam simply because it feared the outcome of a test could potentially leave it vulnerable to lawsuits from minority fire fighters who were determined to be unqualified for promotion as a result of a test, with respect to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The IAFF recognizes that promotional systems are developed locally, where virtually every fire department in the country uses its own, unique system to best fit the needs of that community and its fire department. The IAFF also recognizes the fact that a variety of valid promotional testing processes have been developed that place emphasis on different elements of the testing procedure – including written and oral testing, seniority, table top scenarios, efficiency ratings and job-related skills, to name a few.
“Fire fighting involves life and death situations on a regular basis, so any system that is used to hire or promote must be completely unbiased and ensure that candidates are truly qualified to do the job,” says IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger. “It’s a tough balancing act for jurisdictions in developing their procedures, but they have a responsibility not to fail on either account because lives are at stake.”
In addition, the IAFF supports and advocates for unbiased, job-related, validated hiring and promotional systems for fire fighters on the basis of their skill and ability in the technical and demanding work of fire fighting and emergency response without regard to race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or national origin.
|
|
Ed McMahon
Updated
On: Jul 02, 2009 (10:07:00)
Ed McMahon, who spent thirty years as Johnny Carson’s right hand man on “The Tonight Show” and innumerable appearances on commercials which made him one of TV’s most well known figures, passed away on June 23, 2009. He was 86.
The membership of the Local would like to Mr. McMahon for his service to our Nation as a Marine fighter pilot during World War II and again during the Korean War. Semper Fidelis Brother!
Download:
IAFF Mourns the Loss of Ed McMahon.pdf
|
|
NEW ARRIVAL
Updated
On: Jun 30, 2009 (13:21:00)
Congratulations to Tim and Erin Fitzgerald on the birth of their son Liam Thomas Fitzgerald.
Liam arrived on Monday, June 8th at 9.7 lbs. Mother and baby are doing great.
|
|
MARINE CORPS MARATHON
Updated
On: May 19, 2009 (10:22:00)
A partner of the Marine Corps Marathon, the IAFF Burn Foundation has reserved a limited number of entries for IAFF members to participate in the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC on October 25, 2009, as a member of the IAFF Burn Foundation Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) Team.
Runners accepted for the IAFF Burn Foundation MCM Team must commit to raise $1,000 by October 25 (race day), with proceeds benefiting the IAFF Burn Foundation.
Click_here to register for the challenge.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| S |
M |
T |
W |
T |
F |
S |
|
|
|
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
|
12
|
13
|
14
|
15
|
16
|
17
|
18
|
|
19
|
20
|
21
|
22
|
23
|
24
|
25
|
|
26
|
27
|
28
|
29
|
30
|
31
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
