International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) News

Fire Service-Based EMS Electronic Tool Kit: Resources for Leaders New Fire Service-Based tool kit is provided as a cooperative effort between the IAFC, the IAFF and the Metropolitan Fire Chief’s Association. A new resource for fire and emergency service leaders looking to strengthen or protect their department’s position as a fire service-based EMS provider is now available. Fire Service-Based EMS Electronic Tool Kit: Resources for Leaders is a brief, web-bas...

IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger has replied against the claims of state Republican Party The IAFF is the leading advocate in North America for the health and safety of first responders. International Association of Fire Fighters General President Harold Schaitberger issued the following statement in response to the West Virginia Republican Party's false claim that a political ad produced and paid for by our union's federal political action committee and supporting...

New EMS study shows lot of changes related to fire emergencyresponder crew size Study of EMS and public safety by IAFF and NIST shows that size and design of first responder crew and ALS crew affect the fire department’s ability to react on calls for emergency medical service. A new study issued by a broad coalition in the scientific, fire fighting, EMS and public-safety communities shows that the size and configuration of an EMS first responder crew and an advanc...

9/11 Health and Compensation Act, was approved by a vote of 268-160 “World Trade Center responders know they are finally one step closer to receiving the care and benefits they need and deserve.” said IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger. Legislation to establish health treatment and monitoring programs for World Trade Center responders was overwhelmingly approved by a bipartisan majority of the U.S. House of Representatives. H.R. 847, the James Zadroga 9/1...

USFA and IAFF both feel that diseaseawareness for firefightersis poor  The goal of this project was to research the long-term effects and post-exposure mitigation of occupational respiratory exposure to firefighters and develop a report based on this research. The United States Fire Administration (USFA), in partnership with the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), announces the release of Respiratory Diseases and the Fire Service, a report discussing the f...

The enhanced program is for emergency responders to make their job safer and easier USFA and the International Association of Fire Fighters developed best practices for Emergency Vehicle and Roadway Operations Safety The United States Fire Administration (USFA), in partnership with the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), announced the release of Best Practices for Emergency Vehicle and Roadway Operations Safety, which highlights the results of a U.S. Department...

The new act will allow discussions between first responders and agencies that employ them Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act will ensure that every state allows discussions between first responders and the agencies that employ them. The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill to give collective bargaining rights to fire fighters and other public safety officers. The Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act assures that fire fighters in every state w...

'Fit for duty' is the theme of safety week which would be held between June 20 and 26  Safety Week's Fit for Duty theme will cover a variety of topics that are extremely important to all fire fighters and EMS personnel. This year's Fire/EMS Safety, Health and Survival Week also known as Safety Week—runs June 20-26. Sponsored by the IAFC and the IAFF, and in partnership with other national fire service organizations, the theme for this year's event is Fit for Duty...

Safety, Health and Survival Week is in partnership with more than 20 national fire service organizations Safety Week’s Fit for Duty theme will cover a variety of topics that are extremely important to all firefighters and EMS personnel.The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) have announced the theme for the 2010 Safety, Health and Survival Week (Safety Week): Fit for Duty. Safety Week, which w...

The Labor-Management Initiative Conference will be held between 20 and 21 January, 2011, Phoenix An education program is being planned for the 2011 LMI conference. The International Association of Fire Chiefs and the International Association of Fire Fighters are currently planning the education program for the 2011 Labor-Management Initiative (LMI) Conference in Phoenix, Ariz., on January 20-21, 2011. Mark your calendar now and make plans to attend this unique networking an...

The new SCBA is expected to improve the safety of fire fighters on the frontlines. Photo: Justin DiPierro The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) and the Prince George’s County, Md., Fire/EMS Department have conducted a field test of a new self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). “These important field tests give us the information we need to ensure that this cutting-edge technology is safe, reliable and ready to be deployed. This is one of th...

IAFF has selected MSA to develop a prototype of a new SCBA New pressure-vessel technology of SCBA will increase fire fighters safety. The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), under contracts with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, has selected global safety equipment manufacturer MSA  to build a prototype of a new self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). The IAFF's next-generation SCBA prototype will rely on pressure-vessel technology, which p...

Paul Hufnagel is the 8th District Vice President of the International Association of Fire Fighters Retired Lansing fire fighter and Michigan Professional Fire Fighters Union President Paul Hufnagel has been elected 8th District Vice President of the International Association of Fire Fighters. Hufnagel replaces Tommy Miller, who in January was nominated and elected to become General Secretary-Treasurer of the IAFF. Hufnagel was sworn in March 11. "I am confident t...

Indianapolis fire fighter selected to become officer at International Association of Fire Fighters Long-time Indianapolis fire fighter Thomas H. Miller was selected to become the General Secretary-Treasurer of the International Association of Fire Fighters, which represents nearly 300,000 paid, professional fire fighters in the United States and Canada. The General Secretary-Treasurer is the second ranking officer in the IAFF. "I am honored to assume this awesome resp...

The IAFF has worked for years to end the use of the flame retardant decabromine Rep. Pingree's bill - H.R 4394, the Decabromine Elimination and Control Act of 2009 - coincides with an announcement by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on a scheduled withdrawal of decabromine from the domestic marketplace. The International Association of Fire Fighters has applauded Chellie Pingree (DME) for introducing a bill to ban decabromine, a dangerous flame retardant....

The IAFF represents more than 296,000 full-time professional firefighters and paramedics  The conference was organised around the theme - Preparing You for Survival: The Fire Ground, the Economy and Beyond. To more than 1,100 attending firefighters and paramedics, IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger kicked off the 20th John P. Redmond Symposium held in Los Angeles, California, November 8-12. Schaitberger kept to the conference theme - Preparing You for Su...

All new one- and two- family dwellings in the US are to have residential fire sprinklers starting 2011   American homes are one step closer to being more fire-safe, following an October 28 vote at the International Code Council (ICC) hearings in Baltimore, Md. The vote reaffirmed national building codes making it mandatory for all new one- and two- family dwellings to have residential fire sprinklers starting in 2011. American homes are one step closer to b...

Voters and legislators across the United States had consistently rejected TABOR initiatives In Maine and Washington, voters rejected the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR). On Tuesday, November 3, voters in many states went to the ballot box. In two states - Maine and Washington - ballot initiatives that would have severely impacted professional fire fighters and other public safety personnel were roundly rejected. In both states, voters rejected a proposal known as...

IAFF members can call their local country radio stations and request "My First Ride" The IAFF Disaster Relief Fund assists the US and Canada members who suffer financial hardship as the result of a federally declared disaster area. BLEVE Entertainment Group, LLC continues to work to raise money for the IAFF's and Fraternal Order of Police's (FOP) disaster relief funds from sales and performances of the country music single, "My First Ride," featuring recording a...

The International Association of Fire Chiefs and the International Association of Fire Fighters issue joint statement The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) today reaffirmed their support for fire service-based emergency medical service and urged public officials to support all efforts to broaden emergency medical care and ambulance transport by the fire service to better protect the public. The IAFC Boa...

A House-Senate Conference Committee has approved an increase in SAFER grant funding New funding will enable hiring of thousands of firefighters A House-Senate Conference Committee has approved a final version of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriation for FY 2010 that doubles funding for Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants. HR 2892 increases the SAFER appropriation to $420 million, providing funding to hire thousands of firefight...

Jim Ridley has been appointed IAFF Director New appointee a career firefighter with 29 years' experience International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) General President Harold Schaitberger has appointed James Ridley director of the IAFF Hazardous Materials and Weapons of Mass Destruction Training Department. Ridley, a career firefighter for 29 years, was president of IAFF Local 124 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, for 11 years. "I'm honored to be asked to take over a program t...

The IAFF has announced Elizabeth M. Harman is the intended nomination for Assistant Administrator at FEMA Former firefighter and paramedic is Obama's intended nomination U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today announced President Obama's intent to nominate Elizabeth M. Harman, a former firefighter and currently a Director at the International Association of Fire Fighters, to become an Assistant Administrator at the Federal Emergency Manag...

A FEMA image showing flooded homes in central Georgia Entire state remains under flash flood watch IAFF members across the state of Georgia are responding to flooding that has taken the lives of at least seven citizens and flooded homes, interstates and roads. IAFF 12th District Vice President Larry Osborne and Professional Fire Fighters of Georgia President Jon Dorman are reaching out to affiliates, especially those in the hard-hit metro-Atlanta area, to assess any potent...

Attendees of the IAFF International Burn Camp, held in Washington DC Event helps heal emotional wounds of burn injuries More than 40 burn survivors from the U.S. and Canada are attending the 14th annual International Burn Camp, an event in the nation's capital organized by the International Association of Fire Fighters' Burn Foundation to help teenagers cope with their injuries. Burn survivors on Tuesday will visit FedEx Field, home of the Washington Redskins, to meet Reds...

Station 14, one of the rebuilt and restored New Orleans fire stations New Orleans fire stations restored after Katrina New Orleans firefighters today will unveil fire stations throughout the city that were restored and renovated through a massive effort that began after Hurricane Katrina's destructive assault on the Gulf Coast four years ago this week. The New York City District Council of Carpenters Labor Technical College and the Leary Firefighters Foundation launched th...

Democrat Representatives have introduced bills progressing key issues for federal firefighters Democrats introduce historic pair of bills for federal firefighters With strong support from the IAFF, Representative Gerry Connolly (D-VA) and John Sarbanes (D-MD) have introduced a pair of bills that would make historic progress on two key issues for federal firefighters: retirement pay and trade time agreements. Representative Connolly introduced HR 3186, the Federal Firefight...

Maine firefighters, IAFF and government representatives sign the new legislation Legislation will benefit Maine firefighters who contract cancer Flanked by IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger, IAFF 3rd District Vice President Mike Mullane, Professional Fire Fighters of Maine (PFFM) President John Martell and several Maine fire fighters, Maine Governor John Baldacci signed new state legislation - An Act Allowing Workers' Compensation Benefits for Fire Fighte...

President Obama's approval of new SAFER rules will increase the funding available for fire departments In an economic crisis, changes will allow fire departments to use SAFER grants to retain fire fighters President Obama today 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 an economic crisis that is responsible for widespread layoffs of fire fig...

Fire services concerns over the safety of high-visibility apparel were upheld New rule addresses firefighter apparel safety concerns The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has adopted as final an Interim Final Rule that amends regulations to address safety concerns raised by the fire service regarding high-visibility safety apparel. The FHWA adopted this regulation to exempt fire fighters from the requirement to use high-visibility...