by Jon McDuffieFirst Vice President

The month of March 2008marks the tenth anniversary ofa dark month in Los AngelesFire Department history. Adepartment that had gone near-ly 14 years without enduring aline of duty death suddenlyfaced the tragic loss of four ofour bravest in an inconceivably

short period of time. Two inci-dents separated by two weeksthat will never be too far fromthe thoughts of those touchedby those occurrences.

Rocked to our core by theshocking loss of CaptainJoseph Dupee at the PacificBird & Supply Company Fireon March 8, 1998, unexpectedtragedy struck again on March

23, 1998 when ApparatusOperator Michael McComb,Firefighter Lead ParamedicEric Reiner, and FirefighterParamedic Michael Butlerperished in the crash of LAFDHelicopter Fire 3. The anger,raw emotion, and disbelief thatpermeated the department afterJoe’s passing was heavy like acold, saturated, beach toweldraped over our collectiveshoulders. Two weeks later, theemotional suplex of the Fire 3crash left many feeling numbyet resolved.

Only 28 years old and onlyday dreaming of the fruits thatten years of fire departmentservice would bring me thatcoming Winter, Joe Dupee’swas the first of many FuneralDetails to which, over theyears, I would find myselfassigned. The organizationalclimate around Joe’s death andthe surreal experience of plan-ning the recognition of afriend’s ultimate sacrifice leftmany of us feeling empty at thecompletion of each painful day.Leading up to the Memorial, Ichose to capture my observa-tions, angst, and opinions in adaily personal journal whichserved as my outlet. One ofthose pages became an essaythat has become better traveled,through the written page andthe Internet, than I could everhope to be (see “You OnlyKnow Him Now” on page 2).

March 1998 found the Cityof Los Angeles embroiled in abudget crisis that led MayorRichard Riordan and his Bandof Machiavellians to cut firedepartment staffing. In the FireFatality Investigation Reporton the Pacific Bird Fire, theNational Institute for Occupa-tional Safety and Health(NIOSH) came to the conclu-sion that the accountability sys-tems that had been lost due tocuts in staffing played a part inthe tragedy at that fire.

The UFLAC President in

March 1998 was Ken Buzzell,who said succinctly in an inter-view with the Los AngelesDaily News days after theDupee Memorial, “We knew ifthey kept making cuts someonewould die. It’s time for [theMayor and City Council] to stopplaying their silly games whenpeople’s lives are on the lines.”

Come forward to the year2008 and we find Los Angelesis again at the precipice ofbudgetary shortfalls that willjeopardize the way Los Ange-

VOL. 46, NO. 2 March/April 2008

The

Los Angeles FirefighterOfficial Publication of United Firefighters of Los Angeles City—Local 112, IAFF, AFL-CIO-CLC

www.uflac.org

The Los Angeles Firefighter1571 Beverly Boulevard

Los Angeles, California 90026(#ISSN01907573)

March/April 2008

PERIODICALPostage Paid

atLos Angeles, CA

In This Issue . . .Article Page(s)LAPD Line of Duty Death – Officer Randal Simmons. . . . . 2, 12Officer’s Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3, 4, 5, 15Danny Cypert Memorial on Route 66 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7Worker’s Compensation – What’s New in 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Cancer Exposure to Firefighters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9IAFF Frontline News Brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10CPF – Legislative Agenda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11St. Baldrick’s Fund Raiser – March 15, 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Tribute to Apparatus Operator Thomas G. Taylor . . . . . . . . . . . 112007 Firefighter Fatality Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13LAFD “Fill the Boot” Campaign – April 14, 15, 16, 2008 . . . . 15LAFD Grass Valley 29th Reunion – May 12-17, 2008 . . . . . . 162007 Income Tax Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Time Marches On…

Remembering the Dark Month of March 1998

Continued on page 2

L.A. Voters Pass Prop. “S”

Whispers at City Hall Still Threaten LAFD Budget

by Steve TuftsPresident

On Tuesday, February 5,2008 voters in Los Angeles,driven by the excitementaround the presidential primarycampaign, turned out to voicetheir decision on Proposition S- the Telephone Utility Tax.The measure, a $243-milliontelephone tax seen as a defenseagainst a faltering economy,won by nearly 2 to 1, withabout 66% of voters in favor.

The 9 percent telephoneusers tax will replace an exist-ing levy expected to be invali-dated by a federal court.

It was very clear from thestart that if the revenue gener-ated by the existing tax waslost, either through the courtsor by Proposition S failing to

pass, it would have an immedi-ate and significant impact onparamedic and fire service inthe City of Los Angeles.UFLAC, along with the LosAngeles Police ProtectiveLeague (LAPPL) and the LosAngeles County Federation ofLabor, contributed to the cam-paign effort in various waysincluding financially.

The challenge that we nowface is, even by holding on toexisting revenues with the pas-sage of Prop S, the budgetdeficit the City is projectingand the cuts that City Officialswill seek to bridge decliningrevenues. All told, the CityAdministrative Office is pro-jecting a budget shortfall ofover $150 million in 2007-08and from $300 to $500 million

in 2008-09. If the projected fig-ures are even close to beingtrue the Fire Department willagain be asked to create sav-ings in a departmental budgetthat is already lean.

This time last year the Nego-tiating Team brought the mem-bership our existing contractfor ratification. Imagine theunthinkable: without an exist-ing contract, we could havebeen battling in arbitrationwhile also dealing with thebudget squeeze!

Our Image vs. Our NeedsThe service paramedics and

firefighters provide and thevalue we bring to our commu-nities is no secret. It isn’t asecret to the people of LosAngeles. It isn’t a secret to the

millions of people around theworld that watch our efforts on24 hour news channels. And itisn’t a secret to politicians -friends and foes alike.

Included in the languageused on the ballot, included inevery television and radio com-mercial, included in everypiece of mail that was sent toregistered voters was a stan-dard catch phrase to which thevoting public historicallyresponds: “FIREFIGHTERS,police officers, and PARA-MEDICS urge you to vote Yeson S for safety.” Why bracketlaw enforcement with firefight-ers and paramedics? Becauseof the historic relationship wemaintain with the folks we pro-tect!

The day after the election,

Police Chief Bratton (not oursisters and brothers at theLAPPL) took a verbal victorylap around the media whenProp S passed. As one coun-cilmember made public com-ments that the, “…people ofthis city voted for Measure Sbecause they want us to keephiring new cops,” anothercouncilmember said in consid-ering citywide cuts that,“…there will be no sacredcows.” So what message is thissending to UFLAC members?

Some will use the hard work,prestige, and image of our mem-bers to keep the City coffers fulland then wrongly assume wewill sit idly while our minimalresources are put on the chop-ping block. The current and

Continued on page 2

Page 2 Los Angeles Firefighter March/April 2008

“You Only Know Him Now”...as published in the book,

“The Heart Behind The Hero”

Written March 12, 1998 by Firefighter Jon McDuffie, in loving memory of Joseph Charles Dupee, who died

in the line of duty on March 8, 1998 while serving with the Los Angeles Fire Department.

We provide a faceless,nameless service to a com-munity that rarely knowshow much they need us. Weare a myriad of thousands,each with our own personali-ties, families and troubles. Aband of anonymous heroesthat subordinates ego andself-interest to serve a popu-lace that only knows that wewill be there when they call.We get paid for what we areable to do, on the occasionswhen we are called to do it.

This week, one of us got aname, a face, a rank, a family,a life beyond a badge. His lifeis now recognized, onlybecause it was sacrificed. Hegave his life defending theproperty of a person he didnot know, in a City that didnot know him.

His name is Joseph Dupee.I knew him before you and

will remember him long afterhis name wanes in yourshort-term memory.

Ten mornings a month, Joerose before the sun, kissed hissleeping family goodbye, andmade the drive to his secondhome. He exercised, he trainedhimself and his crew, helaughed, he sulked, and hehandled tedious projects. Heread his Bible and spoke about

it with others. He shared hisopinions at the kitchen tablewith his brothers and sisterswho drank thousands of cupsof bad coffee with him, all thewhile attempting to solve theproblems of the world. Andthen he would wait--for thecalls where he sometimesworked harder than you canimagine.

Some of his work days werespent waiting. Some days hisCity did not need him as muchas other days, but still, hewaited. If you needed Joe forsmall things - a broken waterpipe, a child locked in a car, apot of beans that cooked just abit too long - he responded toyour call. Other times, whenyou needed him for life threat-ening emergencies - to rescueyou from natural and manmade disasters, from fire,from accidents, from illness,from yourselves – he respond-ed to your call. You neverdoubted that Joe would bethere for you. You never knewhis name and he never askedyou to justify your need. Heserved you because he wantedto help, and he loved to helpyou. You could have stoppedgiving him pay raises, repair-ing his station, hiring morefirefighters, and he would still

be waiting to answer yourcall.

Joe loved his family, hisGod, and his country. He wasan opinionated prankster wholoved to talk, could not cook,and drove too fast behind thewheel of a fire engine. Hewas a good fire ground offi-cer who worked aggressivelyat incidents and diligently athis post. He was on my pla-toon for three years--he willbe my brother always. Butyou did not know him then.You only know him now.

Choose to think of him as ahero in death and I will tellyou that he was a hero in life.Use Joe's memory for sad-ness, and I will use it to com-fort his family and my broth-ers and sisters that must con-tinue to wait. Continue pour-ing out sympathy until itbecomes a faint trickle and Iwill still be here waiting forthe next call.

I provide a faceless, name-less service to a communitythat rarely knows how muchthey need me. If I am calledfrom a sound sleep to sacri-fice my life attempting tosave the life or property ofsomeone I do not know, I willdo so without regret.

Joe did it. Why wouldn't I?

les’ bravest protect our Cityand its inhabitants. There arethose who stand across thepolitical chasm shouting poorlythought out and catastrophicoptions to the City’s financialwoes. Many of the so-calledsolutions are circa 1998, whichwould again put firefightersand those we protect at risk. Donot confuse this observation ofhistory repeating itself with ascare tactic or a false cry of“fire” in a crowded room. Thesimilarities are eerie, valid, andworthy of our united attention.In the coming months, theefforts of the UFLAC member-

ship will be summoned toremind the Minders of our Citythat we are a resolute body ofstrong women and men.

On a personal level, the eventsof March 1998 formed an indeli-ble cast that continues to moldmy professional and personaljudgment today. As a member-ship, the events of March 1998should remind us all of theimportance of professional safe-ty and vigilance as well as per-sonal thankfulness for the bless-ings, big and small, in our lives.

But as an organization, theevents of March 1998 shouldremind us that we acknowledgethe price of the ultimate sacri-fice but fight each day never topay it; that the faceless, name-less service we provide willalways be a target for shortshrift by those who only honorus with lip service; and, thatour willingness to serve canonly be outmatched by ourwilling displays of, “Strengththrough Unity!”

Joe, Mike, Eric, and Michael:We miss you and we will neverforget.

Work Hard, Stay Safe, BeGood!

Remembering the DarkMonth of March 1998

Continued from page 1

Jon McDuffie

future budgetary challenges arereal and the entire city is goingto be forced to deal with it, notjust the Fire Department!

Whispers can be heard in thepolitical wind at City Hall pro-posing cuts in the Fire Depart-ment that are neither new norcreative. The “belt tightening”areas that will be “explored” atCity Hall will most likely be arehash of the types of slasheswe’ve seen in the past. UFLACchallenges that the departmentcan increase revenue and/or cre-ate savings by changing the wayit does routine business. How?

The City and Departmentneed to aggressively explorecharging for fire departmentservices that other city depart-ments already charge for:responses to false fire and bur-glar alarms, station level rein-spections, and utility problemsthat require fire departmentresponse, stand-by, and mitiga-tion as well other progressiveideas.

Subsequent to the brush firesof 2007, state level authoritiesare looking at ways to signifi-cantly augment the number offire resources and routine

staffing available statewide. AState Blue Ribbon Task Force isworking hard on making theseincreases a reality even in theface of nearly $14 billion in statedeficits. UFLAC is working toeducate local officials on thefolly in considering reductionsin local fire and EMS resourcesor staffing when it is commonknowledge that our services areimmeasurable in a regionplagued with natural disasters,caused disasters, and a medicalsystem constantly on the brink.

LAPD Line of Duty DeathAs this edition of the Los

Angeles Firefighter newspapergoes to press, the Los AngelesPolice Protective League is com-ing to grips with the loss of one oftheir own, 51 year old S.W.A.T.Officer Randal Simmons, and hiscritically injured partner,S.W.A.T. Officer James Veenstra,also 51 . Both worked on theSWAT team for 20 years. Veen-stra is in critical condition atNorthridge Hospital MedicalCenter and is expected to survive.He is the husband of an LAPDcaptain from South Bureau.

Simmons and Veenstra hadspent more than 25 years in theLos Angeles Police Depart-ment. Even though the SWATteam has been involved inthousands of incidents, this wasthe first to have claimed the lifeof one of the unit's members.

The officers and members ofUnited Firefighters of LosAngeles City, Local 112, offertheir heartfelt condolences toOfficer Simmons wife and histwo children, and sincere bestwishes to Officer Veenstra, hisfamily and the members of theLAPPL and the LAPD. Moreon page 12.

L.A. Voters Pass Prop. “S”

Continued from page 1

Steve Tufts

Trust Funds Established for...

LAPD OfficerRandal Simmons

LAPD OfficerJames Veenstra

Due to overwhelming sup-port for LAPD SpecialWeapons and Tactics (SWAT)Team Officers Randal Sim-mons and James Veenstra,trust funds have been estab-lished in both their namesthrough the Los AngelesPolice Federal Credit Union(LAPFC).

To make a donation, pleasego to: www.lapfcu.org andclick on the red square titled“LAPFCU Community Cor-ner.” Donations may also bereceived by mail:

LAPFCUBlue Ribbon Trust Fund/Officer Randal Simmons

Acct. 2030077product code S4.12

16150 Sherman WayVan Nuys, CA 91410

(877) 695-2732

LAPFCUBlue Ribbon Trust Fund/Officer James Veenstra

Acct. 2030077product code S4.13

16150 Sherman WayVan Nuys, CA 91410

(877) 695-2732

Contributions in their honormay also be made to:

Los Angeles Police Memorial Foundation

www.lapmf.org 213-847-4239.

Los Angeles Police Foundation

www.lapolicefoundation.org213-489-4636.

For additional information, please call

Media Relations Section at213-485-3586.

March/April 2008 Los Angeles Firefighter Page 3

From the Secretaries Desk…

Update on Multiple Issues

by David PimentleSecretary

I hope you all had a wonder-ful Holiday Season and I apol-ogize for not having an updatefor you all in our last issue. It isa new year, but a lot of thesame problems continue toplague us. Due to the increasein workload at the UFLACoffice, I have been asked tocome down and work fulltime.It is with a heavy heart that Ileave the field, but I feel to bereally productive at UFLAC, Imust. I look forward to myincreased responsibilities andworking more with all of you.

FLSA LawsuitIt looks like this lawsuit will

never see a courtroom again.The mediation process hasbeen more successful then first

thought. The mediator assignedto the case has been fair andbalanced. She is close to anagreement that hopefully bothsides can live with. Memberswho are involved with thisaction should be receiving aletter from our attorney in thenear future describing the pro-posed settlement. Pleasereview it closely and ask theattorney any questions youmay have before signing any-thing. If all goes well, theprocess could be complete asearly as this summer.

1% Paramedic Educational Bonus

It has been almost a year sincethis issue was brought to theattention of management. Theyhave been very slow to respondto this issue, but two new devel-opments have occurred. On theSeptember 28, 2007 paycheckall members who were not pre-viously receiving the bonus thatwas owed to them, started to. InJanuary, the ERO states that 100members were paid their retrochecks and another 70 werebeing prepared. UFLAC hasrequested that each memberwho is being paid retroactivelybe provided with a financial

breakdown on how that figurewas reached. UFLAC has alsorequested the names of all mem-bers who have been paidretroactively so far. UFLACwill continue to monitor theprogress of management on thisissue.

Workers’ CompensationUFLAC has been proactive in

working with the City’s newworkers compensation admin-istrator, Tristar. We had a meet-ing with them on February 5thand had a chance to voice ourconcerns. We also learned moreabout workers compensationlaw and benefits in California.Tristar has been very receptiveto an open line of communica-tion between our two organiza-tions. There have been very fewcomplaints and when they’reidentified, Tristar has beenquick to respond. If you arehaving a problem with yourmedical treatment as a result ofbeing sick or injured on the job,please contact MLU. If MLU isunable to resolve your issue,please contact me. In addition,please fill out a “Tristar Com-plaint Resolution Form”, whichcan be located on our website,uflac.org.

EMS 5 Year PlanThe EMS 5 year plan con-

tinues to move forward. Talksbetween Management andUFLAC have started againand we continue to work onimplementing the plan.UFLAC hopes that Manage-ment will continue movingforward on the developmentof an LAFD ParamedicSchool and get it establishedthis year. There has been asignificant interest by ourmembers to attend Paramedicschool; however the last twoclasses had to turn away vol-unteers because there wasn’tenough room for them. If weestablish our own school, weshould be able to avoid thisproblem. In April, Battalions3 and 13 will be going fullyrotational. The hope behindthe fully rotational plan is toprovide workload relief, pro-vide a higher level of medicalcare to citizens, quickerresponse times, a chance toimprove and train in bothoccupations, and resolveongoing FLSA issues.

Stewards ProgramThe stewards program is still

going strong. We are getting

new members at each meeting.If you would like to be a stew-ard for your station or shift,please come to one of ourmeetings. They start at 7:30a.m. on the days of our Gener-al Membership Meetings.Please see me after the meetingand I will fill you in on therequirements. Our Stewardsare our direct line of communi-cation between UFLAC andthe field. Please join.

The New Year will continueto test and rally this Union’sExecutive Board. We will con-tinue to fight for you and pre-serve fair wages and workingconditions for all of our mem-bers. I hope that each of youwill take the time to participatein this Union. It is easy to com-plain and find fault. It is a lotharder to get involved andmake an effort to change some-thing. Please take the time tovisit our website at least once aweek. Read our paper, bul-letins, minutes, and take ourpolls. If you’ve never attendeda Union meeting, please do soat least once this year. If you donothing else, please take thetime to vote this year for yourUFLAC Executive Board.Thanks for reading.

“Bank Heist” Restaurant Fire Injures Five Firefighters28 Companies of Los Ange-

les Firefighters, 10 LAFD Res-cue Ambulances, 2 ArsonUnits, 3 Urban Search and Res-cue Units along with a myriadof LAFD resources respondedto a Major Emergency Struc-ture Fire at 5303 N. Lanker-

shim Bl. in North Hollywood.Firefighters arrived on scene tofind an older, two-story com-mercial building, with moder-ate smoke showing. Firefight-ers entered the structureattempting to locate the fire,while fellow Firefighters began

ventilation operations on theroof. The building, a formerbank built in 1926, had recentlybeen remodeled and was doingbusiness as the “Bank Heist”restaurant and night club.

Ventilation efforts wereextremely difficult and time

consuming dueto the Spanishroof tile cover-ing nearly adozen layers ofcomposi t ionroofing materi-al covering athick layer of

insulation foam, all laid on topof the wood sheathing. Due tothe extended time required toventilate the building, Firefight-ers inside the structure had toendure extremely hot andsmoky conditions for an extend-ed period of time.

In all, 200 Firefightersworked for over two hours togain control of this fire andprevent the total destruction ofthe historic building.

During this fire, five Fire-fighters suffered minor injuriesand/or smoke inhalation requir-ing transport to a local hospital

for evaluation. Three of theinjured Firefighters werereturned to duty and two wereplaced off duty to recuperatefrom home.

One civilian did suffer non-life threatening injuries andwas transported to ProvidenceSt. Joseph’s Hospital for med-ical care. The cause of this fireremains under investigationand the dollar loss is still beingtabulated.

Photos and information byMike Meadows, EPN

Page 4 Los Angeles Firefighter March/April 2008

Good Fortune...

“If you have no will to change it, you have no right to criticize it.” – Anonymous

by Frank LimaDirector

Remember the hard workand sweat we endured to getour badges in the Drill Tower?What a proud feeling it was theday our badge was pinned onour chest. The friends andcamaraderie that this great jobproduces is truly a blessing. Iwanted to once again say, I takegreat pride in representing you,the membership. It is a pleasureserving you, and thank you foryour continued support andconfidence in me.

Attitude of GratitudeI am in a very unique posi-

tion as a Union Director. Thepast two months since my lastarticle have been rewardingand my duties vary from day today and from shift to shift. Iwas on a very challenging, eye-opening, but rewarding detailas a defense rep for one of ourdecorated members in a Boardof Rights hearing. Unfortunate-ly, the Bamattre-ism’s continuein that venue! (more on thatlater). I have spent many daystaking the familiar trip down toOperations to rep somebodyfor an Internal Affairs investi-gation. I attended an E.M.T.refresher which was led by onethe best crews of paramedicsaround, and I visited many ofthe professionals who answer12,000 calls a day at O.C.D.

When I made my way backto the station, it was hydranttesting, fire preventing, train-ing, handball, wellness, main-tenance, more training, and thelist goes on and on….On one ofmy shifts, I was on scene andwitnessed brave Firefightersbelay down a cliff to save ahiker who was later hoisted outby the finest Air Ops staffaround. Another shift, I had thefortune to run a roof division ofa well involved attic fire, whereI was proud to see my crewfully suited up, impeccablyimplementing the Departmentbasics of laddering uninvolvedto the involved, sounding, cut-ting, and eventually strippingthe roof in the overhaul, whilethe Engine Companies flaw-lessly attacked the fire, whileprioritizing safety and salvage.One of the most rewardingaspects of my career is assist-ing firefighters with upcomingpromotions. Meeting new fire-fighters/inspectors at our mem-bership meetings is always apleasure, as well as seeingfamiliar faces from the past.

My point being, it has been avery rewarding few months for

me, because I have had theopportunity to represent themembership in many ways.From the special duty logisticspersonnel, all the way up to theTruckies on the roof in the field– It is a true pleasure watchingyou professionals work every-day…thank you for your serv-ice. Your work as a publicemployee is very honorable,thanks for what you do. Perpet-ual optimism is a multiplyingforce. Success in life should bedetermined by contributions,not accumulations. Rememberthat, happiness and attitude, isa choice. If you always lookexternally for something tomake your life fulfilling andjoyful, you will always end upbeing disappointed. Happinessand attitude are a result ofone’s own effort.

Board of Rights and Discipline

I’m sure you’ve heard theterm “Kangaroo Court”, right?Well that term is synonymouswith the LAFD Board ofRights. The mere fact that amultitude of successful law-suits have stemmed from aBoard of Rights decision, isonly the first of many indica-tors. The final outcome of aBoard of Rights should actual-ly prevent further litigation,rather than perpetuate it.

In direct contrast to theLAPD, our Board of Rightspanel consists of three Chief’swho are not required to haveundergone any formal inves-tigative training. I talked to asenior Battalion Chief recentlyand he said that in the past 10-12 years he’s been trained onetime. Instead, they are given aten or so page “Board of Rightsmanual”. Imagine that. Afterabout ten or so long pages ofreading, they are then deemedto have expertise in allowing inevidence, and sustaining oroverruling arguments. Whilesome take this position serious-ly and truly attempt to makethe right decisions, others lav-ish in the control and will maketheir decisions based uponpower, rather than evidence.

What are the Chiefs on theBoard to do, listen to the factsor back their own Chief Offi-cer? Unfortunately, all toooften it is the latter. A majorcontributing factor is the factthat the BES Commander hascreated an intimidating envi-ronment for his subordinateChief Officer’s (as well as therank and file) for years.

Unless you have been thesubject of a Board of Rights, itmay be difficult to understandthe stress and hardship it causesthe member and their lovedones, even when the evidence isclearly in their favor. A Boardof Rights is an importantprocess, either mandated by thediscipline proposed, or request-ed by the member as an act ofappeal to proposed discipline.Discipline is a vital component

of any successful organization.However, it should be consis-tent and just, and it shouldn’ttake an outside jury to ensurefairness. Our system is flawed,and it is hurting our member-ship. A neutral person may needto be brought in. One who canbring life experience, a back-bone, and everyday commonsense to render an unbiased andfair decision. If it takes a char-ter change, then that is what weshould be working toward.

Change – A New LAFDUFLAC needs input from the

membership, keep your sug-gestions coming in and try andmake a meeting. Drop an e-mail to any board member withtheir first initial, last name (forexample flima@uflac.org). Weare here to work for you. Yourwants and needs come first.Communication is the key tosuccess. Here is a quote to pon-der, in regards to the directionthe Department is heading.

Remembering those whohave gone before us

All too often we get wrappedup in our daily lives and bat-tles, and we forget the misfor-tunes and heartache that othersaround us are experiencing.Let’s always remember theFDNY 343, Tom Taylor, EarlDawkins, Lane Kemper, JimOtt, Harry Correll, Brett Harris,Jay Graf to name a few, and allthe heroes who died in dutyrelated deaths, serving the citi-zens. Just remember, we workfor the best Fire Department inthe world, and it is that waybecause of you, the member-ship. LAFD is the most talent-ed group of fire service profes-sionals around. It’s not theapparatus or fancy equipment.It’s the family bond amongstone another, the camaraderiethat we have, let’s keep it thatway. Take care of one anotherout there, and remember whenyou think things are bad, thereis always somebody worse off.Cherish those around us now,while God has lent them to us.

Lets all please keep the Pasosfamily (Jesus, FS 105) in ourprayers, as we near the oneyear anniversary (March 4th)of the tragic death of their

beloved son and brother, JesusPasos II (Jesus II, FS 73). Theone year window is a hard timein the grieving process, and wewill never forget the dedicationand honor that the Pasos familyhas given to the LAFD.

SafetyRemember we have a danger-

ous profession, and this meansnever get complacent…ever!Whether you are on a roof,directing traffic, participating inroutine training, overhauling, orresponding on a call; be care-ful. For example; expect carsnot to see you, wear your seatbelts, don’t walk cross country,sound roofs for integrity, etc.Firefighters nation wide aredying from the basics not beingdone, (i.e.) no sounding, no seatbelts, no breathing protectionduring overhauls, etc.

How many breaths do youhave left when you have 100psi. of air left in your bottle? Isyour bell still ringing at 100psi.? Does the bell ever stop? Ifyou are unfamiliar with any ofthese questions it is time to put

on that SCBA hook up “on air”and physically get to work.Hop on the stair climber, walkstairs, throw ladders, practiceswinging an axe, etc. My pointis, have the SCBA be secondnature to you, it is the mostimportant piece of equipmentyou have. Drain a bottle all theway down to nothing, so if itever happens to you at a fireyou’ll automatically revertback to your training, yourinstincts will take over and youwill be less likely to panicwhen your bell stops ringing.

______________On a personal note: I would

like to make a correction to mylast article in the Janu-ary/February 2008 issue of ourLos Angeles Firefighter news-paper. I mistakenly attributedthe quote, “Be good, if youcan’t be good, don’t get caught”to department Administration,when in fact, it came from otherLAFD officers, who take fullresponsibility for the content oftheir remarks. I apologize toanyone that was offended bythis unintentional error.

LAFD responded to a well involved house fire at 103rd andAvalon. All occupants made it out safely but needed housingand shelter services from the American Red Cross.

Photos and information by Jeff Zimmerman, EPN

March/April 2008 Los Angeles Firefighter Page 5

Getting on the Job…

We Can All Help Recruit Firefighters/EMT Personnel

by Jobe LeonDirector

As you all know I’minvolved in our recruitmentprogram. It’s time for all of usto step up to the plate. Think ofthis concept…if every stationand special duty unit foundONE PERSON who they felthad the potential to do this joband would help mentor him orher, you would be part of thesolution. There is no one onthis job that did not have helpfrom people that were alreadyon this job…NO ONE!

The following is a blue printeverybody can use on this jobto help your future co-workers.In the old days members gothired at 18, 19 and 20 yearsold. It’s very rare nowadays butit can happen. It’s rare becauseolder people are trying to geton this job and have more lifeexperiences that they can relateto this job. The more you havethe better your chances.

Prep work is very important.The belief out there is that allyou need to do is get your EMTcertification and you’re in.Trust me, you are going to needmuch more than that.

The Department is testingabout 300 new people everymonth. The pamphlets say youdon’t need Fire Science orEMT or fire related training,but I tell candidates, if youwant this job, having some firerelated experience is not goingto hurt. The Explorer Programis a good start with the agerange from 14 to 20 years old.The list of Explorer Posts canbe found at www.joinlafd.org .After age 20 you need to be apost advisor to continue.

Next, get your EMT certifi-cation. You can take EMT inhigh school as long as you turn18 by the time the class isover. Our recruitment unit atFHTC has a list of places totake it, and most junior col-leges offer that course. Havingaround 20 to 30 units of FireScience is respectable. Gettingyour Paramedic License willput you in an excellent posi-tion and the Department islooking into getting more

Explorers into the program.Taking a pre-paramedic

course before paramedic schoolgreatly improves your chancesof passing. Being a volunteerfirefighter is also advantageous.There are programs in OrangeCounty, Riverside County, SanBernardino County, VenturaCounty, Sierra Madre and LaHabra Heights. Paid Programsat Paramount Studios and Uni-versal Studios are other consid-erations.

For the volunteers, you haveto be 18, and have an EMT cer-tificate. Requirements some-times change so call first to getthe latest update. Volunteersusually work one day a week for24 hours. Try to work for a sea-son with the California Divisionof Forestry during the summerfighting brush fires. Getting intoa Fire Academy is also good andmost Junior Colleges offer thecourse. Having experience inpublic speaking helps and somevolunteering time in the com-munity won’t hurt.

You should also be wellversed in identifying and usingvarious tools. You don’t have totake engines apart but a basicunderstanding of tool knowl-edge in very important. Also,having some medical knowl-edge will go a long way. Nowif you have most of this, yourready to start testing.

The first test is CPAT. It costsaround $160.00 dollars to takeand the certification is good forone year. The recruitment unitwill let you take a practicemock test for free as manytimes as you want but it doesn’tcount. They run the course thefirst three Saturdays of themonth and you have to call foran appointment at (213) 485-8032. I will tell you this; CPATis just a warm up to the DrillTower.

The Drill Tower loses a lot ofcandidates due to being out ofshape. It will be a long timebetween the CPAT test andstarting the Drill Tower, so youhave to be in EXCELLENTshape. Running 3 to 4 milesregularly at a good pace andhitting the weights, especiallyworking the shoulders, becausethe ladders are heavy. Staminaand endurance is the key. A lotof candidates are just plain outof shape when they start theTower.

The next test is the WRIT-TEN and you have to go onlineto fill out a prelim applicationto take the exam. The test isbasic math and reading com-prehension, 12th grade level.

One problemthat has beencorrected isdropping themini-psycholog-ical test that wasattached to thewritten. We losta lot of goodexplorers andother highlyqualified candi-dates because ofthat test.

The next testis the mostimportant in myopinion. It’s theORAL INTER-VIEW and Istrongly suggest that candidatespractice until they are blue inthe face. I’ve done hundreds ofinterviews and today’s candi-dates just don’t prepare. Theaverage candidate has takenone or two mock interviewsbefore the real interview andmaybe visited one or two FireStations, which is not enough.The Recruitment Unit givesmock interviews on Saturdaysand all the Captains are excel-lent. You have to score high andI mean HIGH to continue.

From my experience I rec-ommend at least 20 practiceinterviews to get you there.You should have an openingstatement running down yourskills and abilities that relate tothis job…keep it around 3 min-utes. Remember to answer thequestion, tie your experience tothe question, and last but notleast, tie your experience to thejob of a firefighter. Dress con-servative, be clean cut with thehair and be early for the inter-view. Make sure to look peoplein the eyes when you speak andlook at everybody in the room.Also, it would be a good idea tobe passionate about the job andlet your enthusiasm show. Thebiggest problem in the inter-views is that the candidates arecoming in without being pre-pared and do poorly.

If you fail the interview orthe written exam it’s one yearbefore you can take the inter-view or the written again. Havecandidates get a book on oralinterviews and they should vistand learn the fire station rou-tine…especially what the jobof a firefighter is. I can’t stressthis enough. The feeling is outthere is that all one needs to dois visit a station one time, takeone interview, and Shazzam,I’m a firefighter.

I know that there are mem-bers out there helping candi-

dates that scored high, haveexcellent qualifications, andhave not yet been selected. TheFire Chief is looking into theprocess and will make changesafter analyzing the problemareas and developing a plan toimprove the process.

Next is the BACKGROUNDexam. If candidates score wellon the oral they will get papers tofill out for the background inter-view. After the interview youcould wait anywhere from 3 to 9months for the investigator toinform you that they are lookinginto your background. Whenthey are done, this is when can-didates get the letter that tellsthem there are more qualifiedcandidates available. My sugges-tion for candidates is, until youare offered a job by the FireDepartment, no matter whatyour abilities are, keep doingthings to improve your qualifica-tions. More fire science, medicaltraining, experience as a volun-teer firefighter or paramedicschool, and have them personal-ly bring the proof of completionto the personnel department toupgrade their folder.

Next is the MEDICAL…nothing they can do on this oneexcept if they fail, find out whyand protest. For example, oneof my explorers failed the med-ical because the Doctor report-ed to him that he had hepatitisC. I told him to get tested bytwo independent doctors andsend the results to the city doc-tor. He tested negative for hep-atitis by the two doctors,passed and is now on the job.

Always get a second opinion.The last test is the PSYCHO-LOGICAL EXAM. The test is1200 questions and takes eighthours. That’s it in a nutshell. Ifyou have any questions call meat Fire Station 47 “C” or theRecruitment Unit at FHTC. Ifyou don’t think recruitment isimportant, remember this…One of the questions on thethree whole score interview forcaptains was the following:“On your first day as a brandnew captain, the door bell ringsand a young person comes inand asks you how do you gainemployment as a firefighter foryour department?’

LAFD Explorer Post Advisors

Kent Koffler FS 11-C,Ruben Torres FS 12-B, Antho-ny Navarro FS 13-C, GaryKahler FS 23-A, David FabelaFS 27-B, Makar PashabezanFS 27-B, Craig Poulson FS33-A, Edmundo Elguea FS 44-C, Jobe Leon FS 47-C, AliciaWelch FS 59-B, RaymoundTopete FS 64-A, Danny WuFS 89-C, Adam Knabe FS 60-B, Eric Verwey FS 50-C,Derek Vehling FS 88-A, Gre-gory Holly FS 88-B, JohnGoshorn FS 105-C, CynthiaSato FS 68-C, Paul WingateFS 94-A, Don Batiste FS 67-A, Wayne Schuetz FS 84-A,Rudy Hill HQ., James DuffyFS 34-B, Chris Caropino FS38-A, Jared Hart FS 68-A,David Burwell FS 94-A,Antoine McKnight FS 29-C,and Alicia Mathis FS 51-A.

Firefighter Mark McLean demonstrates the function of theFour-Way Valve to LAFD candidate Neilsen.

LAFD Captain Jobe Leon right, counseling LAFD candidate Mike Neilsen.

New Orleans’ Record onRebuilding Firehouses

New Orleans has yet torebuild a single fire stationmore than two years afterKatrina destroyed or damaged22 of the city’s 33 firehouses.Appalled by the city’s lack ofaction, an actor is leading theway in reconstruction of the

fire stations. “I gave up onever hoping that politicians inthis country -- local, state orfederal -- would step in tohelp these guys,” said actorDennis Leary. After Katrinahit, FEMA estimated it wouldtake 10 years and millions of

dollars to rebuild the fire sta-tions. In the interim, firefighters have been workingand living in trailers attachedto the decimated firehouses.“It’s a bit heart-wrenching,”said fire fighter ChuckBrokmeier.

Page 6 Los Angeles Firefighter March/April 2008

Remembering Dannyby Dave Pimentle

SecretaryOn December 7, 2007,

UFLAC President SteveTufts, Secretary Dave Pimen-tle, and EMS BattalionCaptain Scott Gould official-ly opened the Danny CypertMemorial Library at theUFLAC office. This librarywas started by Danny whenhe first took office. It was alabor of love for Danny whoenvisioned the library beinga resource center for ourmembers. This room wassupposed to be Danny’soffice, but in yet anotherselfless act he wanted thespace to be for the members.That’s the kind of guy Dannywas. It was never about him.It was always about others.When Danny passed, it was

an honor for me to pick upwhere he had left off and fin-ish his project. I hope it is afitting tribute to a man whotruly encompassed the veryideals of the labor move-ment. Not just with words,but by his actions. Dannyyou are missed, but neverforgotten.

As we near the one yearmark of Danny’s tragic acci-dent, Brother Scott Gould haswritten the following articlememorializing Danny’s lastrun. Brother Gould was afriend, brother, and fellow“Fire Hog” of Danny’s. Hewas instrumental in organiz-ing a fitting and lastingmemorial to Danny in the Ari-zona Desert. Please take thetime to read this article andremember Danny with us.Left to right: Steve Tufts, Scott Gould and Dave Pimentle dedicating the Danny Cypert

Memorial Library at the UFLAC Office.

Danny Cypert Memorial

by Scott GouldLAFD

This is a chronology ofevents, which depicts the tragicloss of our beloved DannyCypert and a brotherhoodbetween two distant IAFF localUnions unified in honoring ourfallen brother.

On April 27, 2007, Los Ange-les Fire Captain Danny Cypertwas riding a motorcycle at theannual Laughlin, Nevada RiverRun. This is the second largestmotorcycle event in the nation.Only Sturgis draws more par-ticipants. Danny Cypert wasriding a motorcycle on Route66 thirty miles northeast ofKingman, Arizona. He lost con-trol of his Harley Davidsonmotorcycle and suffered inter-nal injuries. Captain Cypertwas conscious and talking afterstriking a tree, but succumbedto his injuries while in the armsof Los Angeles Fire Fight-er/Paramedic Mike McNeil.

Captain Cypert was a 38-year veteran of the Los AngelesFire Department. He was aUFLAC Union Secretary and a

member of the LAFD “FireHogs” M.C. Danny loved toride his motorcycle all over thecountry and had recently trav-eled 48 states in 9-days. Thismember was a very generousand gracious man. He did notlive a life of opulence, becausehe gave to anyone who crossedhis path. If you were withDanny and mentioned that youwanted a certain object, itwould end up on your porch.

If you were a youngsteradmiring a toy or T-shirt, hewould buy it for you. He didnot want anything in return,just a smile on your face. Cap-tain Cypert was a dedicatedpublic servant and had a heartlike no man I had ever met.

The death of Captain Cyperthad a profound affect on thisdepartment. Danny was given afull traditional fire departmentmemorial service. This was thefirst time the LAFD conducteda traditional fire departmentservice for an off duty death.The procession was lead by200 members of the “FireHogs” on their Harleys eachwearing a fire helmet fromtheir respective fire station.This was followed by an honorguard, bagpipers, the caissonand various fire apparatus. Thememorial service was held onthe grounds of Los AngelesFire Station #5. Approximately800 people attended the cere-mony, which concluded withtaps and a missing man forma-tion of LAFD helicopters.

Danny Cypert successfully

passed the renowned MENZAtest, which is a personal chal-lenge to confirm one’s excep-tional intellectual abilities. Inrecognition for everythingDanny has achieved personallyand professionally, a beautifullibrary has been dedicated tohonor Captain Cypert. Thislibrary is located within theconfines of the UFLAC officebuilding.

Captain Cypert made state-ments to his closest friendsabout how he wanted hisremains to be distributed whenhe left us. He was to be cremat-ed and his remains were to beleft on Route 66. Danny diedon Route 66; therefore itseemed fitting to leave himwhere he left us.

In order to properly memori-alize Captain Cypert, we con-tacted Kingman Fire FightersLocal 4191 for help in conduct-ing a ceremony at the sightwhere Danny tragically left us.Robert Borker, President of theKingman Fire Fighters Unioncontacted the Arizona HighwayPatrol for permission to erect amemorial for Captain Cypert atthe accident sight.

At this sight, a large graniterock was erected with a beauti-ful bronze plaque. The accidentoccurred on Route 66 at the 88-mile marker.

On October 6, 2007, theKingman Fire Fighters hosted aformal ceremony for our broth-er at the Fire Fighters Memori-al Park in the City of Kingman.The event was attended by 240

people, including 100 bikersfrom the Fire Hogs who rode400 miles from Los Angeles.Included were personnel andfire apparatus from Kingman,Golden Valley and Truxton.

The Kingman Fire Depart-ment provided a formal 9-manhonor guard with a bagpiperand trumpeter. These fire fight-ers opened and closed the cere-monies and they were sharp.

The Arizona Highway Patrolprovided an escort from theFire Fighters Memorial Parkand back again. Formal cere-monies were conducted at bothlocations.

The Truxton Fire Departmentwas on scene of the rock cere-mony. Captain and ChaplainLarry Moore from the TruxtonFire Department lead us inscripture. In memory of Cap-tain Cypert, speeches wererecited by UFLAC PresidentSteve Tufts, LAFRA PresidentJohn Kitchens, Fire Hog Presi-dent John O’Connor, LAFDCaptain Scott Gould, KingmanFire Chaplain Patrick Quinnand Kingman Union PresidentRobert Borker.

Danny’s Fire Hog colorswere burned according to U.S.flag protocol. A beautiful oakplaque with a chrome axe andhelmet shield was given toKingman Local 4191 fromUFLAC Local 112. An encasedletter of gratitude from LosAngeles Fire Chief DouglasBarry was presented to King-man Fire Chief Chuck Oster-man. A letter of appreciation

was given to Officer RoyalMann of the Arizona HighwayPatrol by UFLAC PresidentSteve Tufts. Officer Mann wasthe first public servant on sceneon that fateful day and volun-teered to lead the procession toand from the memorial rock.The song “Danny Boy” wassung by Alicia Sullivan.

In conclusion, a fly-over wasperformed by the ArizonaHighway Patrol Air Rescue. Ina final tribute, Captain DannyCypert was honored at the“Hootie and the Blowfish”concert in Laughlin this sameevening.

The City of Kingman, Ari-zona is 400 miles from LosAngeles. We have no reciproc-ity or formal working agree-ments with one another. TheKingman Fire Department didnot have an honor guard priorto this event.

They formed a 9-man honorguard, spent $10,000 on uni-forms and hardware, attendedhonor guard school and prac-ticed for 2 months for this cere-mony; all to honor a fellow firefighter and union brother for hisservice and dedication. Theyasked for nothing in return.

It is with the greatest appreci-ation and gratitude that wethank the brotherhood of King-man IAFF Local 4191 for help-ing us honor Los Angeles Local112 Union Secretary DannyCypert. This selfless act ofkindness displayed by theKingman Fire Fighters deservesrecognition.

March/April 2008 Los Angeles Firefighter Page 7

Danny Cypert

Page 8 Los Angeles Firefighter March/April 2008

Workers’ Compensation – What’s New in 2008Overall, California was the 4th lowest state in the country in permanent disability compensation

by Robert J. SherwinLewis, Marenstein, Wicke & SherwinAttorney’s at Law

Since 2004, I have tried tobring you up to date on themany changes that haveoccurred in workers’ compen-sation due to the passage ofSenate Bill 899 (aka: the“Workers’ CompensationReform Act of 2004”). I haveadvised you of the benefits thathave been taken away includ-ing the limitations on medicalcare and the drastic reductionof permanent disability com-pensation. The horror stories Ihave witnessed with my clientsare too many to repeat butmany have been cited in myarticles for UFLAC. I haveattempted to guide you throughthe morass of new laws andregulations and advise you howto avoid jeopardizing yourrights by wading through theselaws on your own.

…workers’ have seen lit-tle relief since 2004

My firm, along with othershave also been proactive inattempting to change some ofthe new laws through the leg-islative process as well as chal-lenging them before the work-

ers’ compensation appealsboard. Unfortunately both theGovernor and the appealsboard have not been receptiveto many of these challengesand as a result, injured work-ers’ have seen little relief since2004. The Governor hasrepeatedly said that his reformsare working by saving insur-ance companies and employersmillions of dollars in theirworkers’ compensation costsand therefore he sees little rea-son to alter or tinker with hissuccess. Likewise, the work-ers’ compensation appealsboard in San Francisco, madeup of seven commissioners (allappointed by the Governor) hasconsistently ruled on behalf ofemployers in either reversingtrial judges or upholding unfa-vorable decisions againstinjured workers’.

No significant legislation wassigned by the Governor in 2005on workers’ compensation. In2006, the Governor did signlegislation eliminating appor-tionment of permanent disabili-ty to any injury presumed indus-trial for firefighters (heart trou-ble, cancer, etc.). This legisla-tion was written by this authorand supported by UFLAC. Itwas written in direct response tothe effects of SB 899 whichallow a doctor to “apportion”permanent disability to pre-existing non industrial factorssuch as family history, genetics,degenerative changes, etc.

…permanent disabilityratings were reduced by

50 – 70% under the new system

Also introduced in 2006 was

a bill to restore permanent dis-ability compensation to thelevel that existed before 2004.SB 899 created a new perma-nent disability rating systemthat is based on the AmericanMedical Association GuidesFor Impairment. Despite a rec-ommendation by the AMAauthor that these guides not beused to assess permanent dis-ability in workers’ compensa-tion, they were neverthelessadopted as part of the new lawbecause they would savemoney for insurance carriers.Indeed, it quickly becameapparent that injured workerswere receiving substantiallyless in permanent disabilitycompensation as a result of thisnew system. An initial studycompleted in 2005 indicatedthat permanent disability rat-ings were reduced by 50 – 70%under the new system. Furtherstudies in 2006 confirmed thisand based on a promise fromthe Governor that he wouldrevisit the issue of restoringpermanent disability if infor-mation supported doing so; abill was passed in 2006 by thelegislature partially restoringpermanent disability. The billcalled for an increase in perma-nent disability beginning in2008. The Governor vetoed thebill stating that further infor-mation was necessary to justifyaltering his reform.

In 2007, a new study by anindependent agency of the State,made up of appointees by theGovernor, again confirmed thatinjured workers’ were gettingshort changed on permanent dis-ability and that ratings wereapproximately 40 – 70% less

than the under the previous sys-tem. Parties from both sides ofthe system now realized that thereform legislation had gone toofar in cutting benefits and thatsome corrections were necessaryand warranted. As a result, thelegislature passed and submittedto the Governor a bill to restorepermanent disability with thechanges to become effective in2010. Again, the Governorvetoed the bill claiming that thepermanent disability inequitiescould be remedied by hisAdministrative Director throughregulatory change. As of January31, 2008, no changes have beenmade by the Governor or hisAdministrative Director. Statis-tics provided in 2007 by the U.S.Chamber of Commerce establishthat California now ranks nearthe bottom of all states in theamount of permanent disabilitycompensation provided to itsinjured workers. Overall Califor-nia was the 4th lowest state in thecountry in permanent disabilitycompensation.

2007 also saw significantcourt decisions on interpreta-tions of the new law and themajority of these decisions wereagainst the injured worker.Apportionment of permanentdisability was the subject ofmany decisions and will be thesubject of many cases through-out 2008. SB 899 allows a doc-tor to “apportion” or attributepart of an injured worker’s dis-ability to pre-existing yetasymptomatic conditions suchas genetic predisposition anddegenerative arthritis. Thisresults in a drastic reduction inthe amount of permanent dis-ability compensation an injured

worker receives in permanentdisability. As stated earlier, wewere successful in gettingapportionment eliminated onpresumptive injuries, but manyinjuries such as orthopedicinjuries are not covered by pre-sumptions and thus are subjectto the new provisions on appor-tionment. In a recent rare courtdecision favorable to injuredworkers, the Court of Appeal inNorthern California ruled thatapportionment to “age” is pro-hibited by state laws that pre-clude discrimination on age,gender, sex, etc. Thus, an ortho-pedist’s attempt to attribute partof an injured workers’ back dis-ability to age degenerativechanges was held improper as aform of discrimination.

Support SB 1115Senator Carol Migden of

Sonoma County has introducedlegislation in SB 1115 that pro-hibits apportionment of perma-nent disability to any conditionsuch as age, gender, sex, that isprotected by law. Undoubtedly,this bill will pass the legislaturebut whether the Governor willsign the bill will be anotherstory.

There will also be anotherbill introduced to restore per-manent disability and whetherit will meet the same fate asthose in 2006 and 2007remains to be seen. You will becalled upon later in the year tocontact the Governor to urgehim to sign Senator Migden’slegislation and any other thatseeks to restore the benefitsthat were taken away from youin 2004. In the meantime, staysafe and healthy.

Good News for Injured FirefightersTristar Risk Management has

replaced Cambridge IntergratedServices as the City’s third partyadministrator for worker’s com-pensation claims. ManyUFLAC members expressedand experienced less than favor-able service with Cambridgeover the years. It is UFLAC’shope that Tristar will providethe quality and timely medicalcare that our members deserve.

If you have problems secur-ing care from Tristar for a workrelated injury or illness,UFLAC needs to know. Whenissues arise with the proper

care of our members, UFLACwants to be able to provideboth the City and Tristar withinformation regarding theproblems as they occur.

If you are having problemswith Tristar’s service please dothe following:

• Notify the Medical LiaisonUnit immediately.

• On the UFLAC Website:www.uflac.org download andfill out the “Tristar ComplaintResolution Form”.

• The form may be printed,filled out and mailed toUFLAC at (800) 252-8352; or,

• The form may be down-loaded, filled out, and emailedto dpimentle@uflac.org.

• If you continue to haveproblems, please contact Sec-retary David Pimentle at theUFLAC office.

The UFLAC ExecutiveBoard hopes that your careeron the LAFD is both a safe andproductive one. If you do getinjured or sick while perform-ing your duties however, youhave the right to timely, profes-sional, and appropriate care.UFLAC will continue to securethose rights.

Firefighter Cancer Support NetworkThe objective of the Firefight-

er Cancer Support Network(FCSN) is to provide timelyassistance to all fire servicemembers and their families inthe event of cancer diagnosis.

We maintain and continuous-ly update a roster of mentorswho have personal experiencewith many types of cancerswho will personally guide youthrough the process of dealingwith your specific illness. Inaddition to our mentor pro-gram, we are always in need of

volunteers to assist us by help-ing to support our various com-mittees, specialized task pro-grams, member support activi-ties and specialized events weare asked to attend.

The FCSN also providesawareness to fire service mem-bers and their families aboutthe importance of cancer pre-vention and screening by coor-dinating educational opportuni-ties with various health pro-grams.

We do not provide legal or

medical advice but can provideassistance and guidance forother support options such asbehavioral health services, fireservice organizations, FireService Chaplains, and othercancer support programs. TheFCSN is in collaboration withthe American Cancer Societyand the Lance ArmstrongFoundation.

For more information call(866) 994-3276 or:

www.FirefighterCancerSupport.org

Los Angeles City Fire Station 56 “A” PlatoonCordially invite you to attend

the Retirement Dinner for

Firefighter Isaac BurksFormer UFLAC Director

Contributing Photographer – Los Angeles FirefighterLocal 112, IAFF, AFL-CIO-CLC

At the RENAISSANCE ®Hollywood Hotel

1755 North Highland AvenueHollywood, CA

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Cocktails, 6 p.m. – Dinner, 7 p.m.

$56.00 per person

Please RSVP at (213) 847-4634

The RENAISSANCE is offering discounted rooms for this event.

Please phone (323) 856-1200 for reservations

March/April 2008 Los Angeles Firefighter Page 9

Your Health…

Lack of Deep Sleep May Increase Diabetes Risk

by Anne Clifford, ConsultantFickewirth & Associates

A study coming out of theUniversity of Chicago MedicalCenter in late December caughtmy eye because it is relevant toUFLAC members – especiallyfirefighters working nightshifts and sleeping during theday. Indeed, when you do getthe chance to catch some shut-eye on your shift, chances areyou will be interrupted severaltimes during the day or night.Obviously, this is not con-ducive to a restful night’s (orday’s) sleep.

As you know, normal sleep isdivided into several stages, with“slow-wave” sleep consideredthe deepest. Researchers havethought that this sleep stage isthe most restorative, yet its sig-nificance for physical well-beinghas not been demonstrated.

The University of ChicagoMedical Center researchersfound that suppression of slow-wave sleep in healthy youngadults (the same population asour UFLAC members) signifi-cantly decreased their ability toregulate blood sugar levels, thusincreasing the risk of type 2 dia-betes. Previous studies haveshown that reduced sleep quan-tity can impair glucose metabo-lism and appetite regulation,resulting in increased risk ofobesity and diabetes. This studyprovides the first evidence link-ing poor sleep quality toincreased diabetes risk.

What the Researchers DidTo test how lack of deep

sleep takes its toll on the body,the researchers studied ninelean, healthy volunteers – fivemen and four women betweenthe ages of 20 and 31. The vol-unteers spent two consecutivenights in the sleep laboratory,where they went to bed at 11p.m., slept undisturbed butcarefully monitored, and gotout of bed 8.5 hours later, at7:30 a.m.

The same individuals werethen studied for three consecu-tive nights, during which theyfollowed identical nighttime

routines. During these sessions,however, when their brainwaves indicated that they weredrifting into slow-wave sleep,they were subtly disturbed bysounds administered throughspeakers beside their bed.

These sounds were loudenough to disrupt deep sleep butnot so loud as to cause a fullawakening. This techniqueallowed the researchers todecrease slow-wave sleep byabout 90 percent, shifting thevolunteers from the onset ofdeep sleep to a lighter sleepwithout altering total sleep time.

Interestingly, the volunteersrequired about an average of250 to 300 interventions eachnight, fewer the first night butmore on subsequent nights as“slow-wave pressure,” thebody’s need for deep sleep,accumulated night after night.

At the end of each study, theresearchers gave intravenous glu-cose (a sugar solution) to eachparticipant, and then took bloodsamples every few minutes tomeasure the levels of glucose andinsulin – the hormone that con-trols glucose update. They foundthat the ability of the volunteersto regulate blood sugar wasreduced by 25 percent – demon-strating that poor sleep quality

can also be a diabetes risk.

What Does This Mean forUFLAC Members?

Esra Tasali, MD, an assistantprofessor of Medicine at theUniversity of Chicago MedicalCenter, in a media releasenoted that “These results sug-gest that strategies to improvesleep quality, as well as quanti-ty, may help to prevent or delaythe onset of type 2 diabetes inpopulations at risk.” Thosemore likely to get type 2 dia-betes include people who:

• Are age 45 or older• Are overweight• Are not physically active• Have a family history of

diabetes• Have high blood pressure

or high cholesterol• Had gestational diabetes

(diabetes during pregnancy) orgave birth to a baby weighingmore than 9 pounds

• Have blood glucose levelsthat are higher than normal butnot high enough to be calleddiabetes

• Are African American,American Indian, Asian Ameri-can, Pacific Islander, or His-panic/Latino

• Have blood vessel prob-lems affecting their heart, brain

or legsThose UFLAC members

who find themselves lackingsleep, not getting enough sleep,or not achieving quality sleep(obesity, heavy loud snoringand sleep apnea can also inter-fere with sleep quality) shouldtake special note of this study.Talk to your doctor if you thinkthat you are experiencing poorsleep quality night after nightand have one of the risk factorsfor Type 2 diabetes.

Let’s face it, nothing beats agood night’s sleep.

* * *Through the Blue Cross Cal-

iforniaCare HMO and PrudentBuyer PPO plans, UFLACmembers and their familieshave access to the finest doc-tors and two of the most exten-sive networks in the state. WithCaliforniaCare, you can build arelationship with your primarycare physician and receivealmost all benefits includingoffice visits, hospitalization,surgery, routine physicalexams, well baby care and evenvision and hearing exams, forlittle or no out-of-pocket cost.Additionally, Prudent Buyer isthe best fee-for-service typehealth plan available forUFLAC members.

Cancer Exposure to FirefightersThe last thing someone needs when suffering from the ravages of cancer is to have to fight

with the City in order to get proper medical care and/or protect their family financially

by Ken BuzzellLAFD Retired

During the past twenty-fiveyears, cancer has become anever increasing problem forfirefighters across the UnitedStates and Canada. For LAFDmembers, the problem hasbecome almost epidemic, espe-cially for prostate, brain andskin cancers.

In recognition of this prob-lem, the State of California haspassed legislation that pre-sumes that cancer in firefight-ers is occupationally caused.Notwithstanding this legisla-tion, many members of theDepartment have had to fightthe City in order to prove thattheir cancer in IOD.

The legal statute requires“proof” of exposure

An issue that is continuallythrust upon our members is thelack of documentation to proveexposure to a known humancarcinogen. The legal statuterequires “proof” of exposure.Unfortunately, most membersare not aware of what sub-stances are known to be humancarcinogens. As a result, they

are unlikely to know where orwhen they experienced theseexposures.

The following information issubmitted to help mitigatethese problems. The legalrequirement is to show an on-duty exposure to a knownhuman carcinogen. It thenbecomes the employer’s prob-lem to prove that this exposuredid not cause the cancer. Thekey point to remember is theburden is upon the member toprovide documented proof ofthe exposure.

Hopefully, none of you willever need this information.However, if you do, the time totry and put this informationtogether is not when you aresick. The last thing someoneneeds when suffering from theravages of cancer is to have tofight with the City in order toget proper medical care and/orprotect their family financially.

Members should documentand forward this informationon an F-225 to the MedicalLiaison Unit. A station copyshould also be kept in eachmember’s personnel file.

A Listing Of KnownHuman Carcinogens ThatFirefighters Are Routinely

Exposed To:ARSENIC: Inorganic arsenic

compounds are used to preservewood. Arsenic is also a productin diesel exhaust emissions.Exposure during firefightingand overhaul operations atstructure fires and inside firestations.

ASBESTOS: Released fromdamaged ceiling tiles, sprayed-on acoustical material, floortiles, and heating system insu-lation material. Exposure whileengaged in firefighting andoverhaul operations at structurefires including numerousschool fires.

BENZENE: A product of thecombustion of Douglas firwhich is the primary framingmaterial used in the buildingconstruction Industry. Exposureoccurs during firefighting andoverhaul activities where woodframed construction is compro-mised by flame impingement.Because Benzene is a productcontained in diesel exhaustemissions, exposure also occursinside fire stations.

BUTADIENE: A product ofincomplete combustion of avariety of fuels, forest fires andwood burning. In addition tomotor vehicle exhaust, butadi-ene is produced during thethermal breakdown of plastics.Exposure occurs during fight-ing and overhaul operations atstructure, grass, brush, car andtruck fires.

CADMIUM: Used in batter-ies, pigments, stabilizers forplastics, electroplating andcoating. Also a product indiesel exhaust emissions.Exposure occurs at car andtruck fires; at fires in metaltreating and fabrication occu-pancies; and inside fire sta-tions.

CHROMIUM: Used inchrome plating and other metalfinishing operations. Also used

as a wood preservative. Expo-sure occurs during fighting fireand overhaul at metal platingfacilities.

COAL TAR: Roofing tars.Exposure occurs during fire-fighting and overhaul opera-tions. Turnout coats and hel-mets are routinely covered withtar that had liquefied anddripped from the roof of burn-ing buildings.

DIESEL PARTICULATE:Exposure occurs at emergencyincidents due to the necessityfor department apparatus toremain running during pump-ing, aerial ladder and rescueoperations. Exposure alsooccurs within the confinedspace of the fire station whenthe apparatus enter and exit thestation.

FORMALDEHYDE: Usedin the manufacture of resins,embalming fluid, air freshen-ers, fungicides, plastics, glues,wood products, insulation,paint, leather and rubber. Expo-sure occurs during firefightingand overhaul operations.

LEAD: Used in the produc-tion of batteries and metalproducts. It is also contained inthe paint of older buildings.Exposure occurs during fire-fighting and overhaul opera-tions at structure, car and truckfires.

POLYCHLORINATEDBIPHENYLS: Used as acoolant in electrical transform-ers. Exposure occurs fromsmoke emitted from fires inelectrical vaults and transform-ers on power poles.

POLYCYCLIC AROMAT-IC HYDROCARBONS:

PAHs are products of com-bustion of wood, soot,gasoline and diesel engineexhaust. Exposure occurs dur-ing firefighting and overhauloperations at structure fires,car and truck fires.

SOOTS: Produced by thecombustion of organic mate-rials such as coal, wood, fueloil, waste oil, paper, house-hold refuse and syntheticmaterials such as plastic.Soot contains PAHs. Expo-sure occurs while engaged infirefighting and overhauloperations.

TRICHLORO ETHYL-ENE: Used in solvents,degreasers and in the fabrica-tion of metal products. Expo-sure occurs when solvents anddegreasers are used on theengine, transmission andunderside of heavy apparatus.Exposure also occurs duringoperations at metal fabricationand treating facilities.

VINYL CHLORIDE: Vinylchloride is produced by thecombustions of polyvinyl chlo-ride (PVC), which is usedextensively in building con-struction, house wares, furni-ture and automobile interiors.Exposure occurs during fire-fighting and overhaul opera-tions at structure and automo-bile fires.

WOOD DUST: Producedduring the cutting of woodproducts. Exposure resultsfrom wood dust produced dur-ing chainsaw operations.

Page 10 Los Angeles Firefighter March/April 2008

Bargaining Bill, SAFERFunding Top List ofAccomplishments

The first session of the 110thCongress may well go down inIAFF history as one of the mostsuccessful for the nation’s pro-fessional fire fighters. Onissues ranging from funding tobargaining rights, to improvingemergency response opera-tions, 2007 produced anunprecedented string of legisla-tive victories.

“We can all take pride inthese extraordinary achieve-ments,” says IAFF GeneralPresident Harold Schaitberger.“While the election of a Demo-cratic Congress clearly openedthe door for us on a wide rangeof issues, it was the hard workof IAFF leaders across thenation that enabled us to marchthrough that door. No otherlabor union in America cameclose to matching our record ofsuccess.”

Heading the list of accom-plishments was House passageof the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act,which would extend basic col-lective bargaining rights to firefighters throughout the nation.While the legislation has longhad sufficient support to passthe House, the overwhelming314-97 vote shocked the politi-cal establishment. No contro-versial labor bill has everengendered such broad biparti-san support.

The IAFF is currentlyexploring options for movingthe legislation through the Sen-ate in the second session ofCongress — which conveneson January 15, 2008.

Another startling victory wasthe approved 65 percent fund-

ing increase for the SAFERgrant program. President Bushhad proposed abolishingSAFER in his budget proposalto Congress early in the year,and lawmakers found them-selves hamstrung in their effortto increase spending. Facingthe threat of presidential vetoesthat would have shut downgovernment, congressionalleaders caved into the presi-dent’s demand to dramaticallyreduce overall spending on allgovernment activities exceptfor the Iraq war.

While other homeland secu-rity programs were curtailed,Congress heeded the IAFF’srequest to place priority on theone grant program intended toaddress the severe staffingshortage in America’s firedepartments.

DoD and Airport FireFighters See Gains

The IAFF also scored leg-islative victories on issuesaffecting the nation’s fire fight-ers who protect military instal-lations and airports. The annualDefense Authorization billincluded several provisionsbenefiting Department ofDefense (DoD) civilian firefighters, including removingthe cap on uniform allowances,allowing fire departments torecoup funding followingmutual aid responses, andrestoring collective bargainingrights under the controversial

National Security PersonnelSystem (NSPS). Congress alsorejected President Bush’s effortto weaken the ban on contract-ing out fire protection at DoDfacilities.

The IAFF was also able toinclude language in a House-passed bill reauthorizing theFederal Aviation Administra-tion (FAA). Under the propos-al, which is awaiting action inthe Senate, the FAA would bedirected to upgrade AirportRescue and Fire Fighting(ARFF) standards to be consis-tent with NFPA’s much tougherstandards. If the FAA refuses toimplement NFPA standards inany area, it will have to explainto Congress why such standardis not practical.

Improved EmergencyResponse, Aid

In clear recognition of thegrowing importance of thenation’s fire fighters, Houseleaders designated an IAFF pri-ority bill as HR 1 — a numberreserved each year to indicatethe national significance of anissue.

In one of its very first actionsof the year, the newly electedDemocratic leadership in theHouse of Representativesintroduced legislation imple-menting recommendations ofthe 9/11 Commission as HR 1.The bill was passed and signedinto law later in the year.

Among the provisions of HR

1 were a new funding formulato ensure that emergencyresponders in larger metropoli-tan departments received theirfair share of federal grantmoney, requirements that fund-ing designated for first respon-ders get to the frontline agen-cies more quickly, and the cre-ation of a new grant program toimprove interoperable radiocommunications.

In separate legislation, Con-gress provided assistance toresponders to the two largest dis-asters to strike our nation inmany decades. Additional feder-al funding was provided to con-tinue the important work of theFDNY medical monitoring pro-gram for responders to the WorldTrade Center attacks and Con-gress voted to waive the matchrequired for federal assistance tothe local communities devastat-ed by Hurricanes Katrina andRita. Many Gulf Coast firedepartments had been deniedfederal aid simply because theircommunity could not afford the10 percent match to be eligiblefor disaster assistance.

Pocketbook IssuesAddressed

While issues such as collec-tive bargaining rights and fed-eral funding continue to drawattention, the IAFF also suc-ceeded in securing legislativevictories on several lower pro-file issues. Achievementsinclude creating a new student

loan forgiveness program forfire fighters who have certaintypes of federal loans andworking to clear up the backlogof PSOB claims under theHometown Heroes Act. Afternearly a four-year delay, thefamilies of fallen IAFF mem-bers who died in the line ofduty from heart attacks orstrokes finally began receivingtheir nearly $300,000 federalbenefit.

The IAFF also took the lead onthe difficult issue of fixing theAlternative Minimum Tax(AMT). The AMT was createdas a way to ensure that thewealthiest Americans could notuse tax shelters to avoid payingfederal taxes, but due to thestructure of the program it cur-rently can affect millions of mid-dle-income taxpayers. Knowingthat the image of a fire fighterwould carry significant politicalpower, Democrats in Congressasked the IAFF to play a leadingrole in the legislative battle. Bal-timore, MD Local 1311 Presi-dent Mike Day testified beforethe House Ways and MeansCommittee and participated inpublic relations efforts in the ulti-mately successful effort to pre-vent the AMT from raising taxeson middle-income Americans.

IAFF Legislative DirectorBarry Kasinitz credits theinvolvement of local IAFFleaders for these legislative suc-cesses. “Whether it’s SAFERfunding, collective bargainingor any of the other dozens ofissues we work on each year,there simply is no better mes-senger than a local fire fighter,”he says. “We could neverachieve what we did withoutthe efforts of hundreds of IAFFmembers around the country.”

A Banner Year on Capitol Hill

Bush Budget Destroys 9/11 Health Care ProgramsA steep 77 percent cut in

funding for 9/11 health careprograms contained in Presi-dent Bush’s proposed 2009budget would totally destroythe programs and cut off treat-ment and monitoring servicesto thousands of people,”according to Dr. James Melius,chair of the Steering Commit-tee for the World Trade CenterMedical Monitoring and Treat-ment Program.

The budget plan would cut thecurrent $108 million appropria-

tion for 9/11 health programs to$25 million for Fiscal Year2009. The programs are admin-istered by the Mt. Sinai MedicalCenter, the New York City FireDepartment and the City ofNew York. Current 2008 fund-ing for the programs includes anadditional $50 million providedthrough an emergency spendingbill passed late last year.

“It’s shocking that the presi-dent would use his final budgetto take an axe to 9/11 healthcare programs,” says Represen-

tative Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY). “Just a few weeks ago, theadministration cancelled a pro-gram for 9/11 responders fromaround the country because itsaid it lacked funding, and nowthe president releases a budgetthat doesn’t even ask for themoney needed. The administra-tion has failed in every singleone of its budget proposals todeliver adequate help to theheroes of 9/11.”

“This administration’s slash-ing of key federal funding for

9/11 health programs amountsto nothing less than an absolutebetrayal,” adds RepresentativeJerrold Nadler (D-NY).

Melius says he expects NewYork’s congressional delega-tion to wage a strong fight todemand the additional fundingneeded, and that the fight “maystretch into the term of the nextpresident.”

If the 2009 funding is notrestored, thousands of 9/11workers in treatment would facesevere hardship. “They would

be forced to rely on whatevermedical care providers theycould find to help them, but aswe know, many of them arewithout health insurance at thepresent time.” Melius notes.

“Even if they have healthinsurance, many of the healthinsurance companies will notpay for work-related healthproblems, so they would be in avery difficult situation andhave to pay for treatment out oftheir own pocket. This isn’ttenable,” he says.

President Bush’s Proposed Budget Threatens SafetyIAFF General President

Harold Schaitberger issued thisstatement February 4 on Presi-dent Bush’s proposed FiscalYear 2009 budget:

“As the end of the president’sterm in office mercifully drawscloser, his proposed budget isanother example of his wordsnot matching his deeds.

“President Bush says hewants to protect Americans, buthis budget proposal proves hiswords are meaningless. Onceagain, he has proposed elimi-nating or drastically reducingfunding for important pro-grams that make our neighbor-hoods, our citizens and our

country safer.“A president interested in pro-

tecting Americans would notcut funding for the HomelandSecurity Department’s firstresponder grant programs. Pres-ident Bush is surprisingly igno-rant of the value that the FIREAct and SAFER grants provideto the smallest towns and thelargest cities across this country.

“It shouldn’t come as a sur-prise that President Bush is nofriend of fire fighters becauseis a repeat offender. The presi-dent’s budget proposal for Fis-cal 2009 proposes merely $300million for the FIRE Act – thesame amount he proposed in

his Fiscal 2008 budget. He alsoproposes eliminating SAFERgrant programs – just as he didin his Fiscal 2008 budget.

“With his short-sightedbudget proposal, PresidentBush has ignored the wishes ofCongress, which made a verystrong bipartisan statement lastyear when it saved the SAFERgrant program and boostedfunding for the FIRE Act. Inthe end, members of Congressfrom both sides of the aisleunderstood the value of thefirst responder grant programs,appropriating $560 million forthe Fire Act and $190 millionfor SAFER grants.

“The IAFF will again workwith Congress to restore fund-ing to the Homeland SecurityDepartment’s first responder

grant programs and protectAmericans, despite PresidentBush’s attempt to eviscerateour nation’s security.”

Fire Safety Road MapComplete

After the 2003 infernos exposed alarming shortcomingsin California’s fire fighting capabilities, the state nowappears to be making progress toward remedies that insome cases were proposed years ago. Included in a newreview are several familiar proposals, from bolstering front-line defenses to adding aerial support. The Blue RibbonCommission Task Force report is described in a cover letterby fire officials as “a road map to serve our collectiveefforts to improve fire and life safety for all Californians.”

In 2007, California Profes-sional Firefighters won for itsmembers the most extensiveon-the-job protections enjoyedby any public worker -- theFirefighters Procedural Bill ofRights. CPF also won healthcare protection for widows offallen federal firefighters, newanti-terrorism funding and leg-islation streamlining firefightercar insurance reporting.

Believe it or not, that wasjust the first year of a two-yearlegislative session.

While the 2007-2008 Leg-islative Session is already asuccess, CPF is turning withnew urgency to the 2008 leg-islative year. This past week,the CPF Executive Board unan-imously approved an ambitious2008 legislative agenda.

This agenda is being trans-

formed into an aggressivepackage of bills on behalf ofCPF members, which statelawmakers will consider whenthey return to Sacramento onJanuary 7th.

The CPF Legislative Agendafor 2008 builds on resolutionsadopted by delegates to previ-

ous biennial conventions. Newpriorities will be introduced,and CPF will continue pressinglegislation introduced in 2007but still pending action in theLegislature.

Some of the proposals you’llfind in our 2008 bill packageinclude:

• The immediate accelerationof the purchase of 150 OESengines to be positioned withlocal government, designed tohelp combat the increasingurban-wildland interfacethreat;

• Updating PPE requirementsto ensure that each CPF mem-

ber on a responding engine hasadequate firefighting personalprotective equipment;

• Creating a low-interesthome loan or redevelopmentprogram, so CPF members canbuy affordable homes in suit-able communities;

• Eliminating the punitivepractice of “double jeopardy”in EMS disciplinary matters toensure that CPF members arenot faced with repeated disci-pline for the same issue;

• An MRSA presumption; •Clarifying the higher educa-

tion benefit eligibility for sur-vivors of fallen firefighters.

Continue checking the CPFweb site – www.cpf.org – inthe New Year for updates onour legislative package andways that you can help activelyadvance these issues!

March/April 2008 Los Angeles Firefighter Page 11

CPF Sets Ambitious 2008Legislative Agenda

No Let Up in Richman Attack on Retirement SecurityFormer Assemblyman Keith

Richman failed as a candidatefor statewide office. His twoprevious attacks on retirementsecurity for firefighters, lawenforcement personnel, andother public employees failedto even qualify for the ballot.Like an "Energizer Skunk,"Richman keeps going andgoing. But his ideas still stink.

The termed-out politician hasannounced that, with "minorchanges," he is refiling his anti-public employee initiative andhopes to obtain enough signa-tures to qualify it for theNovember ballot. Among other

things, his punitive measurewould:

• Roll back and cap retire-ment formulas. For public safe-ty, it's 2.2% at 55. Some publicemployees would get as littleas 1% for every year ofemployment.

• Effectively cap maximumbenefits ... at 60-70% of salaryfor 30-years of putting your lifeon the line.

• Increase retirement age:Adds five years to minimumretirement age for firefightersand other public employees.

• Remove benefits from col-lective bargaining. Employers

could impose further benefitcuts on new employees.

• Attack long-term employ-ees. Pension based on averageof highest five consecutiveyears' salary (currently one-year highest).

• Require voter approval onall benefit hikes.

"The pension commissionappointed by Gov. Schwarzeneg-ger last year has come up withreasonable, balanced, bipartisanrecommendations to insure thatretirement benefits for publicemployees are adequately fundedin the future,” said CPF PresidentLou Paulson. “But instead of giv-

ing the governor and the legisla-ture time to act on these recom-mendations, unreasonable parti-san ideologues like Keith Rich-man would rather punish fire-fighters and other public employ-ees than seek fair solutions.”

Richman's backers in his lat-est assault on retirement securi-ty include Orange County'snotorious supervisor JohnMoorlach and anti-tax zealotslike Jon Coupal, Lew Uhlerand Kris Hunt. They are advi-sors to Richman's bogus Foun-dation for Fiscal Responsibili-ty, which is funding this irre-sponsible initiative campaign.

"Polls continue to show thatCalifornians do not want totake away hard-earned pen-sion and health care benefitsfrom firefighters, nurses,police and other publicemployees,” Paulson said.“That's why CPF, along withthe Californians for HealthCare and Retirement Security(CHCRS) coalition, will con-tinue to work hard to defeatMr. Richman again. And ifRichman tries to extend hisanti-worker campaign beyondNovember, as he has prom-ised, we'll be ready to beathim again.”

In Memory of Apparatus Operator Thomas G. Taylor“There are times when words

fail to convey the depths ofkindred feeling, when this dan-gerous service of ours, somesoul is called upon to pay theextreme penalty which thiswork exacts. There is not anindividual in the Departmentwhose heart does not go out insympathy to those who are leftbehind, for not one of us knowswhether the next alarm of firemay be our last call.”

During the early morninghours of January 28, 1981, Los

Angeles City Firefightersresponded to an arson fire inCugee’s Restaurant at 5300Lankershim Boulevard. Fire-fighters from Fire Station 60climbed to the roof to ventilatethe fire from above. As the firegrew in intensity, the roof par-tially collapsed, leaving severalfirefighters with no means ofsafely escaping.

Longtime photographer andfriend of the LAFD, MikeMeadows, captured a series ofdramatic photos showing the

horrors of that particular inci-dent. In this one photo, afirefighter’s outstretched handcan be seen below the aerialladder as he reaches out in aneffort to save his trapped com-rade. Tragically, moments later,Apparatus Operator Thomas G.Taylor perished when the roofbeneath him gave way and hefell into the raging fire below.

To this day, the aerial laddertruck at the local fire station isadorned with Thomas Tyler’sname. Since his death in 1981,

his locker at Fire Station 60holds his badge and remainsassigned to him. ApparatusOperator Taylor is memorial-ized at the site of this tragedyso that we may join his familyand our Los Angeles FireDepartment in never forgettingthe ultimate sacrifice he madefor our community.

…Fire Station 60, LAFD____________

Members of Fire Station 60worked with the developmentcompany of J.H. Snyder in cre-

ating and erecting two memori-als in honor of ApparatusOperator Thomas G. Taylor atthe exact corner where Taylorperished.

Photographer Mike Mead-ows donated his photo for theproject, and Tom Taylor’sfather, brother and children allgave their blessings for thesememorial.

Submitted by Al Poirier,

Captain II, Fire Station 60,“A” Platoon.

Photographer Mike Meadows standing next to his famous photo and memorial tribute to fallen Appa-ratus Operator Thomas G. Taylor.

Photo by David Crane, Daily News

Page 12 Los Angeles Firefighter March/April 2008

Firefighters Support PoliceOperation in Winnetka

On Wednesday, February6, 2008 at 9:30 PM, LosAngeles Firefighters werecalled to support the LosAngeles Police Departmentin their handling of a barri-caded suspect in a one-story single family home at19828 Welby Way in Win-netka.

Shortly after midnight,the incident escalated torequire the direct involvementof Fire Department personnel,who treated and rapidly trans-ported two injured Los AngelesPolice SWAT TEAM Officersto an area hospital. Despite theefforts of the Los Angeles FireDepartment and hospital per-sonnel, one of the officerspassed away. The other officerwas seriously wounded but willsurvive.

In order to protect both respon-

ders and members of the com-munity, Firefighters remained onscene throughout the night,strategically placed to render anynecessary medical care, rescueor firefighting services.

After dawn, a fire eruptedwithin the barricaded residence,and was prevented from spread-ing to adjacent homes by thejudicious use of defensive fire-fighting tactics in strict accor-dance with Police directives.

Soon thereafter, the scene

was made safe by PoliceOfficers, and the flamesfully extinguished by Fire-fighters at 7:58 AM.

LAFD personnel subse-quently declared anunspecified number ofcivilians deceased withinthe residence, whichremained an active crimescene.

The Los Angeles Fire Depart-ment ultimately assigned 96 per-sonnel to the incident, including11 Companies of Firefighters, 11Rescue Ambulances and otherLAFD resources. The incidentremained active with FireDepartment involvement in sup-port and logistic roles for morethan 24 hours.

Photos byGene Blevins, EPN

Information byBrian Humphrey, LAFD PSO

Greater Alarm Blaze23 Companies of Los Ange-

les Firefighters, 6 LAFDRescue Ambulances, and otherLAFD resources responded toa Greater Alarm Fire at 5449W. 6th St. in the Miracle MileDistrict.

Units arriving first on thescene found a two story, “U”shaped apartment building withsmoke and fire showing fromthe attic vents. Many of theoccupants responded and react-ed to smoke alarm activationsand self evacuated the building.

The cause was determined tobe workers sweating pipe in theattic space. The preliminary dol-lar loss is estimated at over $1million to the structure and thecontents is undetermined. Therewere no reports of injury tocivilians or firefighters. TheRed Cross was on the sceneassisting the 15 individuals dis-placed with their housing needs.

Photos by Juan Guerra, EPN

Information byd’Lisa Davies, LAFD

50 LAFD firefighters responded to a greater alarm structure fire at 2479 E. Porter Street andfound a 100 x 100 commercial building engulfed in flames. They had the fire knocked downin 21 minutes. One firefighter suffered a minor injury.

Photos and information by Jeff Zimmerman, EPN

March/April 2008 Los Angeles Firefighter Page 13

USFA Releases Provisional 2007 Firefighter Fatality Statistics

EMMITSBURG, MD – TheUnited States Fire Administra-tion (USFA) announced todaythere were 115 on-duty firefight-er fatalities in the United Statesin 2007. In 2007, there were fire-fighters lost in 33 states andWashington, DC. South Carolinaexperienced the highest numberof fatalities (11) while Pennsyl-vania, New York, North Caroli-na, and California each sufferedmore than 5 on-duty losses.

“This past year will be remem-bered by the entire fire service asone of the most tragic years for

firefighters in recent memory,”United States Fire AdministratorGreg Cade said. “We are com-mitted to continuing our dedicat-ed efforts with the InternationalAssociation of Fire Chiefs,National Volunteer Fire Council,International Association of Fire-fighters, and the National FallenFirefighters Foundation to makesure 2008 is not a repeat of 2007and a year in which EveryoneGoes Home at the end of theiremergency response assign-ments.”

Heart attacks and vehicle acci-

dents were responsible for thedeaths of 54 firefighters (47%) in2007, down from 54 of the 106(51%) firefighters in 2006. In2007, 10 on-duty firefightersdied in association with wildlandfires.

On June 18th, Charleston, SClost 9 firefighters while workingto control a fire in a large sofawarehouse facility. Each year,firefighters becoming trappedand disoriented represent thelargest portion of structural fire-ground fatalities. For 2007, 64%of all firefighter fatalities

occurred while performingemergency duties. Almost 42%were at structure fires with 19caught or trapped (16.5%).

Speed and a lack of seat beltscontributed to many deaths aswell. More than 2 of every 10firefighter fatalities in 2007occurred when responding to orreturning from an incident.While seat belts and speed werenot necessarily factors in all ofthese fatalities, 0hey were con-tributing factors for most ofthem.

These fatality statistics for

2007 are provisional and verymuch subject to change as theUSFA contacts State Fire Mar-shals to verify the names of fire-fighters reported to have died on-duty during 2007. The final,annual firefighter fatality reportfor 2007 is expected to be avail-able by early June.

For additional information onfirefighter fatalities, includingthe annual fatality reports from1986 through 2006 and the Fire-fighter Fatality RetrospectiveStudy 1990–2000, please visitthe USFA Web site.

38 companies of Los AngelesFirefighters, 7 LAFD RescueAmbulances and a myriad ofother LAFD resources respond-ed to a Major EmergencyStructure Fire at 851 San Julian

St. in the Fashion District. Engine 209 returning to

quarters from a medical inci-dent, noticed heavy smoke andfire coming from one unit onthe first floor of a 150 by 200

foot 2-story commercial build-ing in the Fashion District.

After calling for a greateralarm assignment, firefightersmade a concerted interior fireattack. The intense fire extend-

ed from the first to the secondfloor, forcing companies towithdraw because of consider-able sagging of the fire floor.

It took 225 firefighters an hourand a half to extinguish the fire.

Dollar loss to the Shawn TechCo. was estimated at $450,000.The cause is undetermined andhere were no reported injuries.

Photos and information byMike Meadows, EPN

You Can Win This New Harley

Dear Brothers and Sisters,I want to take a moment to

encourage you and your IAFFaffiliate to purchase raffle tick-ets to win a customized,one-of-a-kind Harley David-son Road King. In the process,you will make a charitable con-tribution to the IAFF BurnFoundation.

Tickets are $100. Only alimited number of tickets willbe sold and the winner will beselected during the 2008IAFF Alfred K. WhiteheadLegislative Conference inMarch. Tickets you purchasecan also be raffled off by yourIAFF local or state associa-tion as part of your ownfundraising event. Purchasetickets or call 800-562-5766,extension 105.

The IAFF Burn Foundationis a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicat-ed to ensuring specialized burncare availability, developing

effective prevention programs,advancing treatment tech-niques and improving survivorrehabilitation. The Foundationis self-supported through con-tributions from IAFF membersand affiliates, businesses andindividuals. Money raisedthrough fundraisers, such asthis motorcycle raffle, directlyfunds the programs and servic-es the Foundation offers to our287,000 IAFF members andtheir communities acrossNorth America.

On behalf of the Founda-tion, I want to thank you foryour generosity and partner-ship in improving the lives ofburn survivors. The contribu-tion you give will make adifference in the care thatIAFF members and those inyour community receive.

Fraternally,Harold A. SchaitbergerIAFF General President

Page 14 Los Angeles Firefighter March/April 2008

Landmark Church Burns in Hollywood

17 Companies of Los Ange-les Firefighters, 7 LAFD Res-cue Ambulances, 3 ArsonUnits, 3 Urban Search and Res-cue Units, and other LAFDresources responded to a MajorEmergency Structure Fire at1750 N. Argyle Ave. in theHollywood area.

First arriving resources on thescene reported a 2 story churchwas fully involved in flames.Additional companies wererequested immediately. Twenty

minutes into the fire fight,resources were ordered out ofthe building and transitionedinto a defensive attack to gaincontrol of the fire. Momentslater the second story collapsed.

The building was formerlyknown as the “Country Churchof Hollywood”, a Hollywoodlandmark which has beenvacant since 1994 and in theprocess of being remodeled. Ittook 137 Firefighters forty sixminutes to call a knock down

on the fire. The cause and dol-lar loss estimate are undeter-mined until the completion ofthe investigation by the Houseof Worship Task Force. Onefirefighter was triaged andtransported to an area hospitalwith a small second degreeburn to the hand. No otherinjuries were reported.

Photos byMike Meadows, EPN

Information byd’Lisa Davies, LAFD PSO

March/April 2008 Los Angeles Firefighter Page 15

These emblems on the masthead of any labor publication certifies that the publi-cation is a member in good standing of the International Labor Communications

Association and is bound to observe the ILCA Code of Ethics

IAFF and AFL-CIO affiliates have prior approval to reprint or excerpt articles inthe Los Angeles Firefighter — Please include credit line.

Note: Photos and cartoons may not be reprinted without the expressed writtenpermission of the photographer or artist.

The Los Angeles Firefighter(ISSN #0190-7573)

Local 112, IAFF, AFL-CIO-CLCOfficial Publication of United Firefighters of Los Angeles City is

Published Bi-MonthlyPeriodical Postage paid at Los Angeles, CA

Known Office of Publication isUnited Firefighters of Los Angeles City,

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Los Angeles Firefighter Newspaper StaffJim Perry-Editorjperry@uflac.org

Aaron “Cap” Espy - Staff WriterJerry Smith - Staff Writer

Contributing Photographers

Emergency Photographers Network, (EPN)

Isaac Burks, LAFDGene Blevins, EPNRob Curtis, LAFDJuan Guerra, EPN

Brian HaimerBill Hartenstein

Joshua Harville, EPN

Ryan W. Ling, EPNBrian Litt

Rick McClure, LAFDMike Meadows, EPN

Jeff MillerMartin Nate Rawner

Jeff Zimmerman, EPN

This union newspaper is printed by a union printer on union-made recycled paper.

If You See An Error…The Los Angeles Firefighter

strives to maintain accuracyand fairness in all stories,graphics, photographs andother copy that appears in ourunion newspaper. It is our prac-tice to correct errors in theissue immediately followingtheir discovery.

If you have a correction orclarification request, pleasecall the UFLAC office at 800-252-8352 or email the editor:jperry@uflac.org

Union Stewards NeededWe are in the process of reorganizing and updating our Union

Stewards Program. It is our goal to have a Union Steward atevery work location. Current and prospective Stewards arerequested to contact UFLAC Secretary David Pimentle at FireStation 1 – “A” or call the union office at (800) 252-8352.

2006-2008 UFLAC Executive BoardPRESIDENT

Steve Tufts, Firefighter III . . . . . . . . . . . . .UFLAC Office

FIRST VICE PRESIDENTJon McDuffie, Captain II . . . . . . . . . . . . . .UFLAC Office

SECOND VICE PRESIDENTStephen E. Norris, Captain II . . . . . . . . . .UFLAC Office

TREASURERTed Nonini, Firefighter III . . . . . . . . . . .Fire Station 87-C

SECRETARYDavid Pimentle, Captain/Paramedic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .UFLAC Office

DIRECTORRay Delgado, Firefighter/Paramedic . .Fire Station 42-BJames G. Featherstone, Captain II, . . .Tactical TrainingJobe Leon, Captian II . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Fire Station 47-CFrank V. Lima, Captain II . . . . . . . . . . .Fire Station 69-BMike Tobey, Firefighter III . . . . . . . . . .Fire Station 33-A

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE DIRECTORJerry Brakeman, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Retired Firefighter/Attendant . . . . . . .UFLAC Office

EDITORJim Perry, Retired Fire Captain II . . . . . .UFLAC Office

Newspaper Mailing ListIf you are receiving this newspaper and have a change of

address or would like to be removed from our mailing list,please call the union office at 1-800-252-8352, Ext. 208 or clipand mail this note to:

UFLAC Local 112Attn: Maria

1571 Beverly Blvd.Los Angeles, CA 90026

Name __________________________________________Address ________________________________________City ___________________________________________State______________________ ZIP_________________

✃

General Membership

Meetings9:00 a.m.

March 26, 2008“A” Platoon Working

April 23, 2008“C” Platoon Working

United FirefightersUnion Office

1571 Beverly Blvd.Los Angeles, CA 90026

Refreshments and

Free Parking Available

Check UFLACWebsite

For latest news, information and

possible meeting date changes

www.uflac.org

by Steve Norris2nd Vice President

The third annual MDA “Fillthe Boot” fundraiser is beingorganized as this edition of theLos Angeles Firefighter goes topress. It is anticipated that thisyear’s program will be sched-uled for April 14, 15, 16, 2008.As in the past two years, thecampaign will take place citywide and there will be a select-ed intersection in each of thesixteen Battalions.

In addition to the collectiondates, it is planned that a spe-cial proclamation will be intro-duced at City Council on April11, 2008 to “Kick Off” this

year’s event recognizing theremarkable efforts of firefight-ers on behalf of MDA. In con-junction with this eventUFLAC will set up its BBQand sell lunches to the city hallcrowd trying to raise moniesfor “Jerry’s Kids”. All are wel-come.

Your efforts the past twoyears in this worthwhile chari-table event has been nothingless than outstanding and Ianticipate this year will be nodifferent. I personally thankyou for embracing thisfundraiser for those less fortu-

nate. (Jerry’s Kids)Specific details will be

announced at a later date. Thisprogram will be conducted byon duty members; howevervolunteers to assist the on dutymembers is highly encouragedto ensure a successful event.Give it some thought and comeout and put a smile on a child’sface when they are sent to sum-mer camp or provided the med-ical assistance they need. If youdo, I know it will put a smile onyour heart.

Thanks for listening and besafe out there.

2008 MDA – LAFD/UFLAC “FILL the BOOT”

CAMPAIGN

Station StewardsAssignment Platoon Name

001 A Mark B. Stafford004 A Charles Garcia008 A Michael Crandall008 C Mark Kleckner015 A Cameron R. Kennedy016 A Dan Butcher029 B Michael Ladue034 B Joe Smith042 C Ruben Terrazas044 B David Raya048 A Hector M. Hernandez048 B Frank Hurtado052 C M. Benjamin J. Rossell061 A George James063 B John R. Maestri066 C Anthony R. Temple070 B Jeffrey Rickey074 A William Ramsey075 A Adam M. Van Gerpen078 A Chambers, Sidney079 B Ed Campos083 C Bejamin R. Guzman084 A Chamberlain, Thomas G.084 A Douglas Deyoung084 C Russell Rawl085 B Andrew D. Muniz091 B Michael McGrady094 C Arellano, Rigo092 A Contreras, Christopher095 A Buck O’Connor096 A Ronald Myers105 B Henry Munoz112 A Keith Massey112 C John DonatoVFP Scott Miller

Station Stewards MeetingsTime: 7:30 a.m.

Prior to Monthly Membership Meetings

Page 16 Los Angeles Firefighter March/April 2008

2007 INCOME TAXINFORMATION

ACTIVE MEMBERS

ANNUAL DUES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$975.84

UFLAC UNITED CONCORDIA FLEX DENTAL PLANMember only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0.00Two-Party . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154.00Member with Dependents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .658.00

UFLAC DIRECT REIMBURSEMENT DENTAL PLANMember only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0.00Two-Party . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .360.00Member with Dependents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,018.00

ACTIVE CHIEF

UFLAC UNITED CONCORDIA FLEX DENTAL PLANMember only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0.00Two-party . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166.00Member with Dependents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .670.00

UFLAC DIRECT REIMBURSEMENT DENTAL PLANMember only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.00Two party . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .372.00Member with Dependents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,030.00

PREPAID PLANS

GOLDEN WEST DENTALMember only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0.00Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0.00

UNITED CONCORDIA PLUS DENTALMember only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0.00Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0.00

BLUE CROSS (CaliforniaCare)Member only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0.00Member and one . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .193.50Member and two or more . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .544.50

BLUE CROSS PPO (Prudent Buyer)Member only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .243.00Member and one . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2,942.85Member and two or more . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5,246.85

RETIRED MEMBERS

Retired members do not pay dues

UFLAC UNITED CONCORDIA FLEX DENTAL PLANMember only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672.00Two-Party . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .984.00Member with Dependents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,488.00

UFLAC DIRECT REIMBURSEMENT DENTALMember only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .731.00Two-Party . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,192.00Member with Dependents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,848.00

PREPAID PLANS

GOLDEN WEST DENTALMember only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240.00Two-Party . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240.00Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240.00

UNITED CONCORDIA PLUS DENTALMember only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .396.00Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .720.00

BLUE CROSS (CaliforniaCare)Member only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4,356.00Member and one . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8,376.00Member and two or more . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10,272.00

BLUE CROSS PPO (Prudent Buyer)Member only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6,861.00Member and one . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13,482.00Member and two or more . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15,476.00

If you are a retired member receiving a City health and den-tal subsidy, then you will need to adjust the above figuresby the subsidy amount you have received. In this case, youmay call the UFLAC Benefits office at (213)977-9014 orwrite for the correct rates.

New Retiree Health CareAllowance for Firefighters

The IRS has published newinstructions on how retired firefighters can take advantage ofthe Healthcare Enhancementfor Local Public Safety(HELPS) benefit on their 2007tax returns.

The IRS instructions for fil-ing 2007 tax returns explainshow to take advantage of thisvaluable benefit.

The IRS will allow retiredfire fighters to exclude fromincome distributions made from

eligible retirement plans up to$3,000 annually to pay the pre-miums for accident or healthinsurance or long-term careinsurance. The premiums canbe for coverage for the retiree,spouse or dependents. The dis-tribution must be made directlyfrom the retirement plan to theinsurance provider. Eligibleretirement plans include quali-fied trusts, section 403(a) plans,section 403(b) annuities andsection 457(b) plans.

On December 26, 2007, theIRS officially changed its posi-tion to allow participants inself-insured plans to be eligiblefor the HELPS Retirees benefit.The HELPS Retirees Act allowsqualified public safety officersto use up to $3,000 per yearfrom their qualified retirementplans for health and long-termcare insurance premiums.

For more information and todownload the IRS forms, go tothe IAFF web site, www.iaff.org.

Mileage Reimbursement for IOD Treatment

Remember to keep track ofyour mileage or transportationcosts whenever you seek med-ical attention for any workers’compensation examination ortreatment.

Keep a log of the date and theround trip distance betweenyour home and doctor’s office,hospital or physical therapistfacility and annually submit aletter requesting reimburse-ment. The City of Los Angelespays 48.5 cents per mile fordates in 2007 and 50.5 centsfor dates in 2008.

Submit the letter to the ana-lyst handling your case at thisaddress:

TRISTAR Risk ManagementP.O. Box 29104

Glendale, CA 91209-9104For further information you

can contact TRISTAR at thesenumbers: Company phone: (626)

407-0400 or toll free (866) 842-1547, or Fax: (626) 407-0435

Mileage for Doctor, Hospitaland Physical Therapy Treat-ments associated with (lumbarpain, heart, hernia, etc. for:

Name: _____________________________________________Worker’s Compensation Claim No. ______________________Date of Injury: ______________________________________All round trips from my home at (address) ________________Examples: Date: Destination: Round trip miles:• Feb 1, 2007 Dr._______ 90

Address________• March 21, 2007 Physical Therapy 20

Address________Total Mileage: 110Total owed me for 2007: 110 x 48.5 = $53.35

Safety Stand Down Week RenamedThe IAFF and the Internation-

al Association of Fire Chiefs(IAFC) led North America inthe fire and emergency services’first Safety Stand Down in 2005— a groundbreaking eventfocused exclusively on reducingline-of-duty deaths.

The program was supportedby other major fire serviceorganizations, and in the lastthree years has grown into a

successful safety awarenessand training initiative.

In 2008, the Safety StandDown will become known asthe Fire/EMS Safety, Healthand Survival Week, to be heldJune 22-28, 2008. This weekwill be devoted to reviewingsafety policies, evaluating theprogress of existing issues anddiscussing health and fitness.

The IAFF encourages all

affiliates and members to par-ticipate in the event and to passalong this information to allfire and EMS responders inyour local.

For more information, con-tact the IAFF Department ofOccupational Health, Safetyand Medicine at (202) 824-9304 or the IAFF Departmentof Fire/EMS Operations at(202) 824-1594.