Member News

Oct
07

Marin Firefighter Endorsements: 2020 Elections

Today voting ballots are beginning to arrive in everyone’s mailboxes.  Voting is an incredible opportunity and solemn responsibility.

The Marin Professional Firefighters thank you for your participation in our democracy and your involvement in issues that matter.  For you consideration, here is a list of our endorsed and suggested candidates for the November 3rd Presidential Election.

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1016 Hits
Aug
03

Virtual Fill The Boot Campaign

Virtual Fill The Boot Campaign

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many affiliates to postpone or cancel traditional Fill the Boot events that help raise funds for critically needed services for families in need.

With these iconic Fill the Boot fundraising drives on hiatus, the IAFF and MDA are launching a new virtual Fill the Boot campaign to help affiliates continue to support MDA and the more than 250,000 people living with neuromuscular diseases across the country. The virtual Fill the Boot is also a great opportunity to highlight your local's commitment to supporting MDA and community goodwill.

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1047 Hits
Jun
19

IAFF/EHRC Statement on the Murder of George Floyd

IAFF/EHRC Statement on the Murder of George Floyd


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Sisters and Brothers,

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May
15

Weekly COVID19 Updates May 15

May 18 – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has extended the deadline for applications for FY 2019 Staffing for SAFER grant funding to 5:00 p.m. on May 27, 2020. There is $350 million available in federal grants to add fire fighters to departments in need. Career, combination and volunteer fire departments are eligible to apply. Learn More

May 13 – The IAFF Financial Corporation is hosting a webinar Thursday, May 14 at 3:00 p.m. EDT on mortgage relief options with experts from CrossCountry Mortgage. Experts will discuss mortgage relief options, where to turn for help and how to avoid scams.

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918 Hits
May
31

Weekly IAFF COVID-19 Updates May 31

May 28 – IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger is quoted in today’s Washington Post story on the risk fire fighters and paramedics face without having the proper PPE they need during the coronavirus pandemic.

May 26 – Check out brand-new IAFF exercise guides, designed with the current environment in mind. More guides like these can be found in the Resources tab.

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Jun
08

Weekly IAFF COVID-19 Updates June 8

June 8 – The IAFF has released guidance on Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) related to COVID-19.

June 5 – We are saddened by the news that Local 22 member Eric Gore passed away from COVID-19 on June 2. Our hearts go out to his family and Local 22 brothers and sisters.

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1106 Hits
Mar
18

Update for CalPERS Health Members

Dear Valued CalPERS member:

I know that many of you are aware of widespread community disruption, event cancellations, and school closures due to COVID-19, and it is only natural that you may have questions about how the disruptions may impact your CalPERS health care coverage. I wanted to update you on actions we are taking to ensure you receive the highest quality health care during these challenging times. 

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794 Hits
Mar
16

New Covid 19 Resource Page

Marin Professional Firefighters has published an online COVID-19 resource for Marin's 395 IAFF Members/Professional Firefighters and EMS personnel. We're working to keep it updated hourly. See https://members.iaff1775.org/covid-19 if you're an IAFF Member in Marin.

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Mar
18

IAFF Preparation and PPE Protection Guidelines

Printable PDF: Interim Guidance for EMS


Recommendations for 911 PSAPs

  • Municipalities and local EMS authorities should coordinate with state and local public health, PSAPs and other emergency call centers to determine the need for modified caller queries about COVID-19.
  • Development of modified caller queries should be closely coordinated with an EMS medical director and informed by local, state and federal public health authorities, including the city or county health department(s), state health department(s) and the CDC.
  • PSAPs or Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) centers (as appropriate) should question callers and determine the possibility that this call concerns a person who may have signs or symptoms and risk factors for COVID-19.
  • More information: Guidance for Emergency Medical Services Systems and 911 Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) for COVID-19 in the United States

Preparation

COVID-19 Self-Screening Guidelines

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848 Hits
Mar
18

CPF Convention Cancelled/Postponed

As a reminder, the April 2020 CPF convention will be postponed due to developments concerning COVID-19. In keeping with statewide recommendations, CPF's Executive Board voted to postpone the convention until further notice. More details will be forthcoming regarding this postponement.
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795 Hits
Mar
19

IAFF addresses shortage of PPE on Fox News

The IAFF addresses shortage of PPE on Fox News on March 18, 2020.

First responders face high risk as they brace for outbreak. What are they doing to protect themselves from exposure? International Association of Firefighters member Jim Brinkley speaks out. Watch here...

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Mar
19

IAFF Self Screening Guidelines

See the IAFF self-screening guidelines for posting in every fire station. Review this with your shift.

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865 Hits
Mar
19

Update from Local 1775

I thought I’d pass along a few thoughts about how the outbreak is affecting the men and women of the Marin Professional Firefighters, IAFF Local 1775, who are doing everything they can to help the communities during this crisis.

We have 417 members who respond from 35 fire stations protecting the residents, workers, and visitors in Marin. They are split up into three shifts (A-B-C) and work around the clock 24/7/365. Calls for service are increasing and both the public and the responders are feeling the pressure of dealing with the Covid-19 virus and the Shelter in Place orders.

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884 Hits
Mar
21

Sen McGuire to Hold Telephone Town Hall March 25

We’re working with all levels of government to ensure a unified approach to the coronavirus response here in the North Bay and that needs are being met.

We also want to make sure you have the latest, most accurate information needed to protect yourself, your family and our community.

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774 Hits
Mar
21

CPF: Guidance on Refusing Risk for Firefighters

Excerpted from http://www.cpf.org/go/cpf/health-and-safety/wildland-firefighter-safety/properly-refusing-risk/

Accepting risk is part of the job of being a firefighter. But no employer has the right to force you to take an unacceptable risk, particularly if there are safe alternatives for completing the assignment.

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956 Hits
Mar
21

Updated: COVID-19 Resources for IAFF Members

As coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and exposures continue to grow, we want to make sure you have the latest guidance, best practices and information to protect your health and safety and the public's safety as you remain on the frontlines of this pandemic.

The information below is also available on our coronavirus resource online. This site is constantly updated so check back frequently.

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835 Hits
Mar
24

Two Milpitas firefighters test positive for COVID-19

Two Milpitas firefighters have tested positive for COVID-19 and up to four others in the department may have been infected, according to officials.

The spouse of one of the firefighters has also tested positive for the coronavirus.

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766 Hits
Mar
24

Labor Relations During a Pandemic: Employer Duties Under the NLRA in the Wake of COVID-19

The COVID-19 outbreak implicates many different laws for employers to consider as they develop and refine their responses to rapidly changing circumstances.

The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) is just one of these laws. Some employer obligations under the NLRA are limited to unionized workforces, but aspects of the NLRA apply to all employers. As the COVID-19 outbreak has spread across the globe  many issues are arising that implicate the NLRA—including union requests for information and/or workplace health and safety inspections, union demands to bargain over new employer policies, employees refusing assignments because of fear of exposure, and questions about requiring confidentiality of certain information related to exposure.

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775 Hits
Mar
24

Families First Coronavirus Response Act: Employer Expanded Family and Medical Leave Requirements

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA or Act) requires certain employers to provide their employees with expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons related to COVID-19.[1] The Department of Labor’s (Department) Wage and Hour Division (WHD) administers and enforces the new law’s paid leave requirements. These provisions will apply from the effective date through December 31, 2020.

Learn more about what the Act requires employers provide to all employees, and to employees that it has employed for at least 30 days...

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Mar
24

Coronavirus and the NLRA – Unilateral Changes in Emergency Situations

Employers with collective bargaining agreements and union relationships know they generally cannot make unilateral changes to terms and conditions of employment.  But in an unprecedented emergency like the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak we are all facing, union bargaining obligations may be relaxed, either based on the terms of a collective bargaining agreement, or under National Labor Relations Board law.  As employers are forced to make ever more difficult operational decisions in the face of this emerging threat, here are some issues unionized businesses should consider when contemplating major workplace changes.

Learn more from the Hunton Labor Blog...

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723 Hits
Mar
24

COVID-19 and the Workplace: Wage & Hour Division of the DOL

The Wage and Hour Division of the US Department of Labor provides information on common issues employers and employees face when responding to COVID-19, and its effects on wages and hours worked under the Fair Labor Standards Act and job-protected leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act.

For further information about Coronavirus, please visit the HHS’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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790 Hits
Mar
28

10% of San Jose Fire Department Sidelined by COVID-19

In San Jose, coronavirus infections have ripped through fire stations, sidelining more than one-tenth of the department.

Read more in the Washington Post.

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748 Hits
Mar
26

LA Times: COVID-19 outbreak in San Jose fire department may be early sign of danger for first responders

When it comes to the front line for the coronavirus, the San Jose firefighters are experiencing what officials fear will become a common problem among first responders.

Read more in this March 18 report from the LA Times

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763 Hits
Mar
28

What If First Responders Can’t Respond?

NBC Bay Area's Investigative Unit looked into what emergency plans are in place when firefighters are directly impacted by COVID-19.

Sean Kaldor got the call no organization’s leader wants to receive. As president of San Jose Fire Fighters Local 230, he was one of the first to be notified some of his members responded to a medical call involving a critical patient.

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756 Hits
Mar
28

IAFF Situation Update - March 27

Congress completed its work on an economic stimulus package intended to address the response to and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill includes significant resources for fire and EMS as follows:

  • $45 billion for the Disaster Relief Fund to reimburse fire and EMS departments for expenses related to the response to the virus.
  • $100 million in funding through the Assistance to Firefighters (FIRE Act) grant program, earmarked specifically for PPE and related supplies.
  • $100 billion to reimburse healthcare providers, including EMS, for healthcare expenses or lost revenue, including costs related to medical supplies and equipment, such as PPE, increased workforce expenses and surge capacity.
  • $41 million for the National Forest System and Wildland Fire Management for PPE and baseline health testing.

The CDC/NIOSH has updated the Ryan White Act to include COVID-19. Hospitals are now mandated to notify emergency response employees of any exposure to a positive COVID-19 patient.

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753 Hits
Mar
28

Marin’s first responders persevere against virus challenges

While residents of Marin are staying home amid the coronavirus pandemic, police, firefighters and paramedics continue to serve — and they’re adapting to limit the spread of COVID-19.

“Our firefighters put themselves in between the public and all kinds of risks,” said Novato fire Chief Bill Tyler, president of the Marin County Fire Chiefs Association. “A pandemic of this magnitude is something that no one wanted, but we’re seeing our first responders rising to meet the challenge.”

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711 Hits
Mar
28

Marin County allocates $2.5M for coronavirus response

Marin County supervisors have allocated $2.5 million to aid in the response to the coronavirus emergency.

The Emergency Operations Center was appropriated $2 million to cover expenses such as medical surge preparations and short-term housing.

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794 Hits
Mar
28

Marin County reports first coronavirus death

Marin County announced the first death related to the new coronavirus as more county residents in assisted living facilities and a mobile home park tested positive for COVID-19, health officials said Friday.

The man in his 70s, a passenger on the Grand Princess cruise ship during its Mexican Riviera voyage, was the county’s first reported coronavirus patient. He had been hospitalized for nearly three weeks. The man died Friday, county officials announced in a statement.

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805 Hits
Apr
02

New York Times Profiles Firefighters and EMTs during COVID-19 Pandemic

12 Fraught Hours With E.M.T.s in a City Under Siege

Special units of emergency medical workers in Paterson, N.J., respond to 911 calls for suspected coronavirus, entering homes and putting themselves at risk.

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824 Hits
Apr
03

IAFF Updates COVID-19 Guidance on Use of Surgical Masks

Following new guidance announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommending that the public voluntarily wear non-medical basic cloth or fabric masks, the IAFF strongly recommends that members begin wearing surgical masks at the fire station and to consider donning a surgical mask at home around family members to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, as well as sustain a sufficient workforce to protect our communities across the United States and Canada.

Download the IAFF COVID-19 guidance on Surgical Masks: Reducing Potential Exposure.

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808 Hits
Apr
09

IAFF COVID-19 Health & Safety Update

IAFF COVID-19 Health & Safety Update

Watch this episode of the Kitchen Table addressing many of the health and safety issues affecting you on the frontlines during this COVID-19 pandemic, including preparation and personal protective equipment (PPE), exposure documentation, quarantine and protocols and guidelines.  

Watch Video

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786 Hits
Apr
06

Free Telemental Health for IAFF Members

In these extremely stressful times as you continue to answer the call during the COVID-19 pandemic, it may help to talk to someone who understands the challenges of the job and the strain this deadly virus may be causing.

The Warriors Research Institute (WRI) - run by IAFF Behavioral Health partner Dr. Suzy Gulliver - is offering telemental health services at no cost to all IAFF members in the United States.  

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788 Hits
Apr
09

COVID-19 Guidance on Use of Surgical Masks

Following new guidance announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommending that the public voluntarily wear non-medical basic cloth or fabric masks, the

IAFF strongly recommends that members begin wearing surgical masks at the fire station and to consider donning a surgical mask at home around family members to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, as well as sustain a sufficient workforce to protect our communities across the United States and Canada.
Download the IAFF COVID-19 guidance on Surgical Masks: Reducing Potential Exposure.
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875 Hits
Apr
09

Behavioral Health Resources for COVID-19

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has affected every aspect of our daily lives. You continue to serve your communities on the frontlines and your families remain confined at home without their typical daily structure and activities. It’s putting a strain on everyone. Now more than ever, we need to make sure we have each other’s backs on the job and off.  

These IAFF behavioral health resources can help us all do just that.

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778 Hits
Apr
17

IAFF Online Recovery Meetings Begin April 20

For members in recovery from an alcohol or substance use disorder, public restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic can pose unique threats and challenges to an established recovery plan.

To support continued recovery during these unprecedented times, beginning Monday, April 20, we will offer IAFF online recovery meetings for members coping with or in recovery from an alcohol or substance use problem. Meetings are hosted through an external, web-based platform. You can choose to participate with video or with audio only and do not need to provide any identifying information to participate in the meeting. We are not monitoring or tracking who participates in the meeting.

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781 Hits
Apr
12

UPDATED: Firefighters and COVID-19 in the News

41 Year Old Indiana Firefighter dies days after contraxcting COVID-19
https://www.wlky.com/amp/article/41-year-old-indiana-firefighter-dies-days-after-contracting-covid-19/32121284

  

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729 Hits
Apr
17

Video Message to the "Tip of the Spear" from GST Edzo Kelly


Watch this short video from IAFF General Secretary/Treasurer Ed "Edzo" Kelly.

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Apr
20

IAFF Members: Protecting Your Finances in a Pandemic

IAFF members are on the frontline of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, but many of their spouses may be out of work due to stay-at-home orders. If this is the case for your family and you are under financial stress, below are some financial moves can you make right now:

  1. Write down every monthly bill you have. Label it essential or non-essential. Rent, mortgage, federal student loans, utilities, insurance, phone and internet are all essentials. In times like these, non-essentials can go unpaid for now. Don’t forget to review your credit card bills and bank statement for monthly subscriptions you don’t need right now or had forgotten to cancel – every dollar counts right now. Cancel those non-essential services.
  2. Call every essential bill provider and ask to defer payment for three months. Many will. Mortgage interest will continue to accrue but will be added to the back end of the loan. In Canada, payments are skipped for a period of time and interest accrued is added to the mortgage’s outstanding balance. The additional interest is incorporated into future monthly payments when they resume or on renewal at the end of the mortgage’s term.
  3. Use deferred rent/mortgage money to pay the essentials that you cannot defer. Deposit the rest into your emergency fund. We do not know the extent of this situation, so we must prepare for a long slog.
  4. Call each of your creditors (credit cards, auto loans, personal loans, etc.) to make temporary arrangements to reduce or pause your payments until your income returns to normal. Do not avoid or ignore them – contact them immediately.
  5. Spouse unemployed? Unemployment benefits are now available to those who were previously exempt: part-time workers, gig workers and the self-employed are all eligible in this environment. To learn how to apply, start at careeronestop.org and enter your state for the phone number. You will need to be persistent to get this done. Do not give up. In Canada, any spouse who has lost employment due to COVID-19 can apply for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit. The application process is very simple and can be done online on the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) website. Benefits are usually deposited within three business days.

If you are not under financial stress, consider that the long-term economic effects of this pandemic will be far-reaching. We all must prepare for the long haul by strengthening our finances in this time of uncertainty.

  1. Review your credit card bills and bank statement for monthly subscriptions you don’t need right now or had forgotten to cancel – every dollar counts. Cancel those non-essential services.
  2. Look for additional money to stash away. That proverbial rainy day is coming. Avoid any new credit card debt.
  3. If possible, eliminate the credit card debt you do have so that if you are in a tight spot later, you’re not using money you need to make payments. Prioritize your debt balances by the highest to lowest APR (annual percentage rate). Make the minimum payment on the rest and pay as much as you can on the debt with the highest APR. When that debt is gone, do the same for the next highest APR and so on until all credit card debt is paid.
  4. Expand your emergency savings account. In normal times, it’s smart to keep three to six months of bills and living expenses on hand. With this safety net in place, you can weather short-term unemployment without relying on credit cards or other debt. These are not going to be normal times, so reach a bit further for your safety net. Aim to have six months or more of living expenses on hand to handle the economic uncertainty ahead.
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Apr
29

UPDATED: COVID-19 Guidance for Fire Department and Union Operations

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) began to spread in the United States and Canada, we took early and unprecedented steps to protect the safety and well-being of our members and staff, their families and the communities in which we work and live.

The U.S. federal government has proposed three-phase guidelines for states and regions to reopen. It is important to mitigate the risk of resurgence, continue to protect those most vulnerable and make decisions that are based on the most up-to-date data during this transition.

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