I wanted the public to
know how lucky we are to have the Lafayette Fire Department protecting
our community and helping those in need. On February 7, 2009 I had the
honor to attend and recognize the Lafayette Fire Department Local #619
at the 63rd Annual Professional Fire Fighters Association’s
convention in Hammond, Louisiana. The Muscular Dystrophy Association is
graciously included in their agenda each year. This year Lafayette
walked away with first place honors in the state with the #1 spot in
donations to the 860 families served by MDA in Acadiana. Donny Chauvin,
President, stated “Firefighters willingly risk their lives daily to save
the lives of others and this is no different because these diseases are
fatal-I only wish I was as courageous as Jerry’s Kids.”
Since 1954, Fire Fighter
efforts across the United State and Canada have distinguished their
organization as the single greatest contributor to MDA through their
signature “Fill-the-Boot” campaigns. They are committed, by
proclamation, to supporting MDA until together they succeed in
eliminating neuromuscular diseases.
So, please remember the
next time you see a Firefighter-please thank them for protecting you and
your family and for providing help and hope to those less fortunate.
August 28, 2008 – The IAFF has won a
major benefit for its members through the enactment of
legislation expanding student loan forgiveness benefits
for professional fire fighters. H.R. 4137, the Higher
Education Opportunity Act, creates a new program
allowing fire fighters to receive up to $10,000 in
student loan forgiveness and expands Perkins loan
cancellation benefits to fire fighters.
Under one program for service in areas of national need,
professional fire fighters would receive up to $2,000 in
loan forgiveness for each year of employment on or after
August 14, 2008. Benefits will be available for up to
five years, for a potential total of $10,000 in
forgiveness.
The legislation would give workers a fair and direct
path to form unions through majority sign-up,help
employees secure a contract with their employer in a
reasonable period of time, and toughen penalties
against employers who violate their workers'
rights.
The Employee Free Choice Act can restore the
balance, giving more workers a chance to form unions
and get better health care, job security, and
benefits – and an opportunity to pursue their
dreams.
President-elect Obama
Says 'Don't Cut Fire Fighters'
January 12, 2009 -- In a speech from
George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, on January
8, President-elect Barack Obama called on Congress to
act quickly on his economic package which focuses on
investing in priorities like energy and education,
health care and a new infrastructure.
"...[T]he overwhelming majority of the jobs created will
be in the private sector, while our plan will save the
public sector jobs of teachers, police officers,
fire fighters, and
others who provide vital services," he said.
IAFF Continues to Work to Ensure
Fire Fighter Pensions Remain
Unchanged
At the urging of the IAFF and
other public sector groups, the
IRS has announced it will delay
implementation of a regulation
that would change the rules for
determining pension eligibility.
Under a proposal issued last
year, the IRS sought to do away
with using years of service as a
criteria to determine
eligibility for a pension,
seeking to replace it with a
straight eligibility age.
The new regulation was scheduled
to go into effect on January 1,
2009, but after hearing about
the serious disruptions this
would create for public pension
plans, the IRS postponed the
effective date until January 1,
2011.
The IAFF will continue working
with the IRS and its allies in
Congress to assure that fire
fighter pensions remain intact.
Fire Station #4 at the corner of
W. Alexander and Azelie St. is closed due to maintenance neglect. For
years firefighters have reported safety and maintenance issues to
management only to have them ignored. Fire Captain Glenn Dugas is
credited with saying enough is enough, and refusing to remain in the
mold infested station. Good Job Captain Dugas!
Public Safety and Firefighter Safety
is being jeopardized daily by the random closing of Lafayette fire
trucks and stations due to dangerously low staffing levels and direction
from the Council Chairman that he would not vote to increase the fire
department's overtime budget necessary to cover the shortages.
Because Fire stations
are strategically located throughout the city, firefighters are
routinely the first form of life support at an emergency. Consider there
is about a four minute window before brain damage occurs;...
Read more!
Fire
departments are best equipped to deliver emergency medical
services, according to a new whitepaper,
Prehospital 911 Emergency Medical Response: The Role of the
U.S. Fire Service in Delivery and Coordination.
The IAFF Financial Corporation is working
with Nationwide Advantage MortgageSM Company to
offer you the fastest, easiest way to get a new loan or
refinance a current mortgage.
Through Nationwide Advantage Mortgage, IAFF
members can access low-rate, low-cost mortgage solutions
that offer several benefits that other mortgage companies
can’t offer.
Lafayette
Firefighters give
100% when
responding to emergency calls despite;
Staffing levels
constantly below National Standards
causes
Rescue &
Haz. Mat truck closures increasing public risk
Increased
responsibilities including medical calls, vehicle wrecks, vehicle
rescues, confined space rescue training, parish wide hazardous
materials & rescue response
