International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) News

Zapatta, Texas Local 5355 is the newest IAFF local. The fire department in Zapatta County, located in southern Texas with only Falcon Lake separating the Texas county from the Mexico border, is a small all-career department that responds to emergency calls throughout the county. For many in the department, firefighting is more than just a job, says Local 5355 President Zenon Perez. Promoting firefighter health “We have fathers and sons, fathers and daughters, and brothers and sisters wo...

The IAFF is welcoming Colchester Local 5350, its newest Vermont affiliate. In July 2020, two fire departments – Malletts Bay Fire Department and Colchester Center Volunteer Fire Company – are collectively now called the Colchester Fire Department. The Colchester Selectboard approved the merger in hopes of better addressing the fire and emergency service staffing shortage. Networking opportunities “We decided to organize so that we will have a voice as decisions are made abou...

In response to a petition by the IAFF and other stakeholders, the U.S. Department of Education is overhauling its Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program in an effort to provide relief for those who fell through the cracks. The changes will greatly benefit firefighters and EMTs who have student loans. The IAFF has been working with the Department of Education, the Biden administration and other stakeholders to make changes to the PSLF program in order to provide its members with student...

New Orleans, LA Local 632 has spearheaded a successful effort to secure a $15 per hour minimum wage for firefighters and paramedics, as well as all other city employees. The New Orleans Civil Service Commission, which is responsible for city personnel, approved the raise pushed by Local 632 and other labor advocacy groups and approved by the city council, for a living wage for all city employees. Next municipal budget The plan, which will cost the city approximately $11 million, will raise ba...

In this exclusive interview, General President Edward Kelly sits down with Hoover, AL Local 4035 member Josh Jordan. The General President talks about his family, his love of the fire service, top priorities for his new administration and headquarters operations, and engaging rank-and-file members. In the interview, President Kelly also discusses the value and importance of union membership, work-like balance; future challenges for the IAFF and the labor movement, politics, the critic...

The IAFF Financial Corporation (IAFF-FC) is excited to offer supplemental insurance to members and their immediate family members for cancer and critical illness. The IAFF’s number-one priority is the members’ health and safety. Cancer And Critical Illness insurance Cancer in the fire service remains one of the most pressing concerns, along with other occupational illnesses. Firefighters are more likely to be diagnosed with certain types of cancer than the general public...

Fire chiefs from Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States participated in the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Urban Fire Forum (UFF) last week at NFPA headquarters in Quincy, Mass. NFPA President and CEO Jim Pauley welcomed the chiefs and provided an overview of the association’s mission, reinforcing the critical role urban fire service leaders play in reaching the Association’s goals and initiatives. Guest List Special guests included Chair of...

Firefighters in Canada’s Yukon Territory are welcoming news that their government is adding a number of cancers to those deemed occupational in firefighters, including two cancers that will be the first included in presumptive legislation anywhere in Canada. On September 17, Yukon Territory announced it will introduce legislation adding thyroid and pancreatic cancer to its list of presumptive coverage, which would make it the first jurisdiction in Canada to cover those illnesses. They are...

The IAFF welcomes the Canadian election result and is prepared to work with the Liberal minority government and MPs from all parties to continue advancing firefighter and public safety issues. “We congratulate all MPs elected to the House of Commons on September 20 and look forward to collaboration from all parties on the issues that matter most to Canadians, and the issues that we bring forward on behalf of Canada’s professional firefighters,” says IAFF Assistant to the Gener...

Federal Fire Fighters of Hawaii Local F-263 and Hawaiian Islands Local 1463 members have a special way of remembering the ultimate sacrifice made by the 343 members of the Uniformed Firefighters Association (UFA) Local 94 and the Unformed Fire Officers Association (UFOA) on 9/11. The Hawaii members climb the stairs to the top of the Koko Head Crater, some 1,048 steps, in full turnout gear. “Because every firefighter is like family to us, we take our pledge to never forget to heart,”...

The House Armed Services Committee voted to include a provision allowing federal firefighters to swap shifts in the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The Federal Firefighters Flexibility and Fairness Act, HR 2059, was introduced in the House by Representatives by John Sarbanes (D-MD) in 2020. Through cooperative, bipartisan efforts, Representative Donald Norcross (D-NJ), with assistance from Representatives Rob Wittman (R-VA) and Mike Turner (R-OH), worked to include t...

The IAFF is continuing to respond to membership needs. About 111 total requests for assistance have been submitted. The GO-Team has 56 active requests remaining which they hope to have completed by September 5. IAFF Go-Team members as well as IAFF member crews from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Tennessee, and Texas are on the ground in Louisiana responding to 102 membership assistance requests. HEART 911 is also in the area providing support. Requests for fuel and tarps Louisiana locals near an...

“The COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenging time for all of us. It has and continues to be very stressful on and off the job for our members and their families. We have now lost 49 members to COVID-19 – eight since August 3.” “Our union continues to encourage and strongly recommend that all members be vaccinated to prevent the spread of disease. The reality is, the vaccines work and our union can collectively fight COVID-19 and its variants. Please watch my video encou...

The City of Isle of Palms, South Carolina, has been without a fire chief for more than eight months, a situation that has damaged morale among firefighters and continues to threaten fire department operations. Isle of Palms Local 3967 says the city has thoroughly botched efforts to find a new fire chief, ignoring qualified candidates and offering the position to others who ultimately declined the job offer. Instead, the city has temporarily placed the fire department under the control of the ch...

The Virginia Professional Fire Fighters Association (VPFF) endorsed Terry McAuliffe in his bid to return to the governor’s mansion, thanking him for his support for firefighters and paramedics and vowing to join him on the campaign trail. McAuliffe is running in a tight race for governor against Republican Glenn Youngkin to replace Governor Ralph Northam, whose term ends in 2022. Northam replaced McAuliffe after his first four-year term in 2018. “Thank you for all that you did for...

Henri downgraded from a tropical storm to depression once it made landfall on August 22. While there are reports of flooded streets, power outages, and fallen trees, there have been no reports of damage to IAFF member homes. As the storm continues to weaken, a comprehensive IAFF Disaster Relief operation is not expected. As the storm moved inland, flooding, wind damage, and power outages have been reported in parts of Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. According to local power compan...

The IAFF’s political action efforts in Canada have led to two major advances in firefighter safety. On August 11, the Canadian government announced an action plan to reduce the harm that chemical flame retardants pose to the nation’s firefighters. On the same day, the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes finalized a new language for the 2020 edition of the National Building Code that finally recognizes the unique roles firefighters play during residential structure fires a...

Hundreds of IAFF members continue to fight a Northern California wildfire, the second-largest wildfire in state history. Known as the Dixie fire, it has burned more than 482,000 acres and more than 800 structures. Only the August Complex Fire of August 2020, which consumed more than 1 million acres, was bigger. Four CAL FIRE Local 2881 members, who are part of the department’s 18-person Butte unit, were injured when a large tree burned and fell on them. All four were transported to the ho...

Mecklenburg County, NC Local 5326 is one of the newest IAFF affiliates to organize in the southeastern United States. Mecklenburg County is in the southwestern part of the state and is the second-most populated county in the state. Several Mecklenburg County fire departments are beginning to shift from combination fire departments to career departments. To ensure they would have a seat at the table as decisions are being made about the future of these departments, 33...

Wildland firefighters are exposed to many of the same naturally occurring respiratory hazards as structural firefighters. They are also exposed to many of the same man-made respiratory hazards, especially when fighting fires in or near the wildland-urban interface. However, unlike structural firefighters, wildland firefighters are unable to use the current standard respirator systems. They are heavy and bulky, taking up valuable carrying capacity needed for the tools and supplies required for w...

Tucson, Arizona, police continue to investigate multiple scenes shooting incidents that wounded two United Emergency Medical Professionals of Arizona Local I-60 members and one Tucson, AZ Local 479 member. Only one name has been released to the public so far, Local I-60 member Jacob Dindinger. He remains hospitalized in critical condition. The other Local I-60 member is expected to be released from the hospital on July 21. The Local 479 member has been treated and released. Serving the communi...

Bathurst Local 5283 is New Brunswick’s newest IAFF affiliate. Bathurst is in northeastern New Brunswick on the southernmost part of Chaleur Bay. Firefighters respond out of two fire stations to a population of about 12,000 people. They switched their affiliation from CUPE (Canadian Union of Public Employees) to the IAFF because the union best aligned with their membership needs. Being a valued IAFF member “The IAFF understands our issues and offers an abundance of resources. It is...

As IAFF members continue to search for the missing in the aftermath of the June 24 Champlain Towers condominium collapse in Surfside, Florida, the IAFF remains on the ground addressing health and safety concerns, including firefighter exposure monitoring and behavioral health. While visiting members during President Joe Biden’s visit to the disaster site, General President Ed Kelly commended the responding members for their efforts to help the families of the missing. Support services T...

During Safety Stand-Down Week, June 21-25, IAFF showcases the efforts to support and serve the members in providing the best possible service to your communities. This week is to honor the members, as well as remember those who have been lost in the line of duty in service to the communities. The IAFF’s theme for Safety Stand-Down Week 2021 is 'Our Community’s Frontline'. During this week, IAFF asks members to focus on being their healthiest selves so they are prepared to respond...

Under the leadership of IAFF Financial Corporation (IAFF-FC) Chief Executive Officer Ed Kelly and the Board of Directors, Kurt Becker has been appointed Chief Operating Officer of the IAFF-FC. A wholly-owned subsidiary of the IAFF, the IAFF-FC provides financial services and investment and insurance products to members and their families. Becker, a 22-year veteran firefighter and affiliate leader with the Professional Fire Fighters of Eastern Missouri, began his new role on June 1 and immediate...

Emergency responders will receive worker protections from COVID-19 under an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) released by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).  The Occupational Exposure to COVID-19, Emergency Temporary Standard establishes protections for workers who are exposed to COVID-19 in settings where people with COVID-19 are reasonably expected to be present. Inclusions in ETS The ETS applies to healthcare workers, including emergency responders, while...

The U.S. and Canada’s top swift water rescue experts, including many IAFF members, were in South Bend, Indiana, honing their rescue training during a three-day symposium. The 2021 Annual Water Rescue Symposium, held June 7-9, brought together about 140 firefighters from across the United States and Canada for one day of seminars and two days of field training on the East Race Waterway, the nation’s first artificial whitewater slew....

During the Governmental Affairs Committee meeting, June 2, General President Ed Kelly and General Secretary-Treasurer Frank Líma received a call from Vice President Kamala Harris expressing her gratitude for the IAFF’s dedication to the labor movement and to reaffirm the Biden administration’s pledge to support issues important to all unions, including the IAFF. “History will show we probably are one of the most pro-union administrations in a very long time,” sa...

Shreveport, LA Local 514 has taken a role in working with police and civic leaders to develop a long-term strategy for stemming escalating gun violence in the city. Louisiana’s third-largest city with a population of nearly 200,000 has been wracked with steadily increasing gun violence in recent years, driven largely by gang and drug activity in the city’s most impoverished neighborhoods. Local 514 President Barbara Sellers says the rise in gun violence is taking a toll on the und...

The Memphis City Council has approved a new contract and raises for its professional firefighters, marking a resounding and long-fought win for Memphis Local 1784. By a 10-3 vote, Memphis City Council members agreed to a new three-year contract that includes back-to-back 3% annual raises with an opportunity to consider an additional raise in the final year. Local 1784’s previous contract had expired, and the union and city were thrust into impasse negotiations that ultimately led to the M...