Tag Archives: IAFF

We (firefighters) know that you just cannot beat a tried and true fire department. It is what works for our citizens. A fire department encompasses training, experience, knowledge, tradition, pride, ownership, bravery, determination, brotherhood, and is an all around well oiled machine.

So many firefighters have been fighting for collective bargaining for years...and now that fight has swayed to keep collective bargaining for the ones who already have it. Now our pensions are under attack. Our pensions, and our salaries are being scapegoated as the reason for budget deficits. We are the problem according to some.

The measure had been moving quickly through the Wisconsin state legislature on its way to Governor Walker’s desk. Despite several attempts to amend the bill, it sailed through the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee in a 12-4 vote. Governor Walker has indicated that he wants the budget bill signed into law by February 22 before he begins work on the next year’s budget. IAFF 5th District Vice President Joe Conway says he expects more attacks on public sector unions in the next budget proposal as well.

Rescue Me was a hit. Many firefighters enjoyed it. I thought it showed how dysfunctional firefighters can be...not all of us, but some of us. It started out being pretty heavy on the firefighting and light on the drama...it ended up being very heavy on the drama and light on the firefighting. Trauma was just way over the top...and too many ambo drivers! The question now is what will be the next network show or movie about firefighting... Here are some of the options...

3 banger in Alexandria, helmet sticker controversy in Albuquerque, application woes in Austin, fire service product reviews, the Firemom weighs in on Ohio Senate Bill 5, Hosed humor on volunteer firefighters, bonus fire footage from Westerly, Rhode Island,firefighter fired after stealing, and Ed Schultz and Harold Schaitberger weigh in on firefighter pension attacks....check it out!

While there is probably little the applicants can do in this situation, if indeed they were not notified until showing up or already on their way the fault lays in the lap of the Fire Department. This is something that should have been addressed way before tickets were bought or travel arrangements were made. If they were told they were welcome to take the test, the door should not have been shut in their face.

Oh wait...the controversy... Albuquerque's Mayer is Richard Berry. Some people apparently think that this "FMB" has a derogatory connotation. I think what they are getting at is that it means "F&^$ Mayor Berry". I just don't see it, that is one heck of an imagination!

Unless you live under a rock, you should know by now that firefighters pensions are under attack. This is just the newest attack on firefighters. Not that all the others have gone away...that is far from the truth. Firefighters are still battling staffing cuts, pay cuts, rolling brownouts, increased employee contributions to pensions, decreased funding, increased insurance costs, station closures, and much more...yet our phone number (911) is still the number that anyone and everyone calls when they need help.

The interesting thing is the comments both on Statter911 and youtube. While most firefighters have enjoyed the parody, some have been throwing around the career (and/or IAFF) vs. volunteer firefighter argument. As for me, I think it is hilarious and some or most of it is probably true in some parts of the Nation. Even if the truth behind the humor only represents a small percentage of volunteers out there...and yes, paid firefighters can act like idiots too (but this show isn't about them).

Before dying of cancer at just 45 a week and a half ago, Matt Durham helped plan his own formal line-of-duty memorial service, according to one of his fellow Woodinville Fire and Rescue firefighters speaking at that service today. “I want to do it for the boys,” Battalion Chief Greg Ahearn quoted Matt as saying – so that his young sons would see the support and the love showed by their father’s firefighter family, as well as that of their own relatives and friends.