California Professional Firefighters' online video news. Pension-slashing measures introduced; LA County FFs on the ground in Haiti; Terrorism Consequence Management behind-the-scenes.
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CPF's online video news. Local leaders pitch lawmakers on local fire funding; Alameda Co. Fire Ops helps locals "feel the heat."
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Premiere of CPF online video news podcast. Gov. introduces new pension, state budget proposals; Emergency Response Initiative reintroduced; California's fallen firefighters remembered.
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CPF's online video news. Locals fight back with video; Locals on the web
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CPF's online video news. Labor unites to push for more jobs; Firefighters on Your Side -- elderly disaster preparedness
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CPF Firevision -- No on Prop. 32CPF Firevision is California Professional Firefighters' online video news service.
Stop the Special Exemptions Act -- Prop. 32 on the November ballot would silence the voices of firefighters and working families, but give special exemptions that allow Super PACs and the super rich to spend unlimited money on...
Proposition 32 on the November ballot -- the Special Exemptions Act -- would choke off the effective voice of you and your fellow firefighters, all the while protecting the rights of corporations and the super rich.
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Looks like Californians aren't as crazed to slash retirement security as some would have you believe. A new independent poll shows more than half believe pension levels are about right or too low. Voters also back public employee collective bargaining.
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Like those in Stockton, city residents in San Bernardino aren't faulting employees for the city's bankruptcy attempt. Instead, they are fingering years of fiscal mismanagement by local leaders.
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Some 4,000 local state and federal firefighters are battling a group of Northern California wildfires that collectively have burned nearly 40,000 acres.
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IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger has penned an op-ed for the Huffington Post debunking skewed study from Pew Centers. Bottom line: Funding "crisis" is overstated.
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Stop the Special Exemptions Act -- Prop. 32 on the November ballot would silence the voices of firefighters and working families, but give special exemptions that allow Super PACs and the super rich to spend unlimited money on campaigns.
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The new president of AFSCME says national attacks aimed at firefighters and other public workers is creating a "race to the bottom" that hurts the Middle Class.
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Californians for Retirement Security's Barbara Maynard tells Fox 11 LA that public sector employees want to end pension abuses but that reform attempts must be thoughtful and must avoid one-size-fits-all solutions.
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A statewide pension analyst often quoted by anti-union forces has run the numbers in San Bernardino. Conclusion: Economic meltdown, mismanagement and toxic politics are at the heart of the San Bernardino bankruptcy bid.
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Super PACs and business special interests already have a pervasive influence over California elections. Passage of Prop. 32 would, however, make it easier for Super PACs to gain even more control of our electoral system, while union members and working families are stripped of their political voice.
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Another city seeks a free pass for mismanagement by rushing to bankruptcy. "Fraud, misuse of funds and financial waste" alleged.
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The fight to defeat the latest attack on firefighters and other working families is in full swing, and the stakes were never higher.
This week, a San Francisco Chronicle analysis revealed the truth about Proposition 32 — it provides Special Exemptions that protect the super rich but deal a "devastating blow" to labor and working families.
San Francisco Chronicle analysis underscores Prop. 32's risks. The initiative's special exemptions let partisan mega donors continue spending freely on campaigns, but deals a "devastating blow" to labor.
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A four-alarm fire in North San Jose wound up burning longer and causing more damage, thanks to city-imposed brownouts. According to San Jose fire officials, the loss of a browned-out second response engine caused a delay in setting up a water supply.
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Because of the low rainfall levels to date, Ventura County fire officials predict a dry and dangerous 2012 fire season. Budget cuts and lay offs makes proper coverage even more challenging during this unpredictable summer.
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The big money backers of the so-called "Stop Special Interest Money" initiative have a secret they don't want you to know: Their "fair and balanced" solution gives special exemptions that protect billionaire businessmen and corporate special interests.
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United Profession Firefighters of Contra Costa County Local 1230 is saddened to announce the line-of-duty death of East Contra Costa FPD Engineer William West. Brother West succumbed to job-related cancer on June 12, 2012.
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Sacramento Bee columnist Dan Morain says the deceptive Special Exemptions Act, headed for the November ballot, will make California the next anti-union battleground.
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The attack on public employee pensions is already having an effect on the wealth of families in the U.S. Unless, that is, you're family has a CEO in it.
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Fresno firefighters responded to a major industrial fire in Calwa, near Fresno. City, county, CAL FIRE members all responded. Photo gallery from the Fresno Bee.
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Critics are often at the forefront of pension reform, but can tangible solutions arise by cutting from the livelihoods of thousands of public employees? Before we hurt the ones who have dedicated their lives to help others, take the time to understand how the system works.
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Ten Years Honoring California's Fallen -- Part 1 of a series of profiles commemorating the 10th Anniversary of the California Firefighters Memorial in Sacramento.
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The Daniel A. Terry Scholarship provides higher education financial assistance to the children of California's fallen firefighters. Applications are being accepted for the 2012 scholarships.
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Apprenticeship Works -- New documentary outlines value of firefighter and building trades apprentices in training for the jobs of the future.
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CPF Firevision is California Professional Firefighters' online video news service.
Special Report: A Fight We Can't Afford to Lose: CPF Firevision spotlights the November battle over a Corporate Power Grab initiative that would muzzle working families while preserving political fund raising for...
In 2012, firefighters and other workers are under attack - and everything is at risk! Your salary, your benefits, your retirement, your safety, staffing, equipment. Everything.
This November, the big-money special interests will try to steal our voice so they can steal everything else. Their weapon: a ballot initiative we call Paycheck Deception.
There's new evidence that so-called "pension reforms" don't deliver the promised cost savings. A report from the Legislative Analyst is backed up by CSU accounting professor Steven Filling.
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Firefighters and their families with a "need for speed" can get their NASCAR fix and help the California Fire Foundation. California's first responders will be honored at Firefighter Appreciation Day at the Auto Club 400 on March 25th. Special ticket packages are available.
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Governor Brown has released details of his plan to roll back the retirement security of current and future employees. The plan proposes to bypass collective bargaining by imposing a range of pension rollbacks and locking them into the state constitution. CPF and dozens of other organizations denounced the move as an assault on current and...
A Fight We Can't Afford to Lose: CPF members from throughout California gathered in an urgent Special Convention in January to take action against a November initiative aimed at working people in California.
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San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed has tossed around a scary $650 million estimate of the city's pension obligation. But an investigative report by NBC11 in the Bay Area has revealed that the number was something the city just pulled out of its ... hat.
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Citing funding shortfalls and ballot language that was too close to the truth for their liking, anti-pension activists have suspended their attempt to undermine retirement security for millions of California workers.
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LA County Firefighters Sarah Cortez and Eleni Pappas are buying the ice cream at their stations this week. The two were profiled in a CBS2 Special Report spotlighting the challenges and rewards of being a woman in the fire service.
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The CFFJAC and its Women’s Commission have launched a groundbreaking mentoring program designed to help firefighters succeed in a tough, demanding career, and help fire departments retain and promote their best and brightest.
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The state Public Employment Relations Board has ruled that the San Diego ballot measure to eliminate public pensions violates California's collective bargaining laws, and constitutes an unfair labor practice. The ruling clears the way for San Diego employees to file suit to remove the measure from the city's November ballot.
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Ending redevelopment will eventually produce $5 billion of additional general fund money for vital services. So says the non-partisan Legislative Analyst's office. According to a new LAO report, local agencies will eventually see an increase of up to 15% in available property tax revenue without redevelopment.
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This weekend's Auto Club 400 NASCAR race in Fontana will be honoring California first responders on Firefighter Appreciation Day. A portion of each firefighter ticket goes to support the California Fire Foundation. Tickets are still available -- the race is Sunday, March 25th.
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Recruit ... Retain ... Promote: A groundbreaking new program for departments, designed to help retain and promote the best and brightest through formal peer mentoring.
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CDF Firefighters Local 2881 is saddened to report the loss of CAL FIRE Heavy Equipment Operator Gordon Varney, who succumbed to job-related cancer.
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A blistering investigative report suggests that San Jose city officials exerted influence on a supposedly "independent" audit of its retirement system to inflate the fiscal risk to the city. The report also indicates city officials withheld vital information from its Retirement Board.
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A Fight We Can't Afford to Lose: CPF Firevision spotlights the November battle over a Corporate Power Grab initiative that would muzzle working families while preserving political fund raising for corporations and the super rich
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The effort by San Jose city officials to tilt the field in a June fight over pensions has been struck down by the courts. Declaring it "impermissibly partisan and misleading," a unanimous appeals court rewrote biased ballot language drafted by the city for its retirement security rollback measure.
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A new Census Bureau report indicates that California's retirement funds helped pace a national rebound in pension fund returns. According to the new report, state and local pension funds in California grew at a 12.4% rate in 2010, surpassing the national average of 10.6%.
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A 21-member independent commission developing changes in Santa Rosa's city charter has voted overwhelmingly to preserve binding arbitration protection for firefighters and police. The commission refined the existing language, but ultimately decided that public safety officers deserve to have their contract disputes resolved through...
A statewide special election has concluded with the election of Los Angeles City firefighter Steve Norris as CPF Trustee. ...
The brave rescue of a mother and her two young daughters has been featured on NBC's The Today Show, where they were reunited with Santa Barbara County Firefighter Local #2046 Greg Knuckles and CHP Sgt. Tom Mullin and offered their heartfelt thanks.
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California firefighters and fire departments can now obtain the latest in online EMS training from the National Paramedic Institute (NPI) at a discount, thanks to a new partnership agreement between IAFF, NPI, and California Professional Firefighters.
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California Professional Firefighters and its non-profit California Fire Foundation have launched a statewide campaign, in Spanish and English, on the importance of having and practicing a fire escape plan. "Firefighters On Your Side/Bomberos A Tú Lado" is designed to teach families how to safely evacuate a home that is on...
Want to win some cool cash for those hot-shot fire line photos? Then enter CPF's 2008 Photo Contest. Whether you're a serious photographer or a weekend shutterbug, you can win up to $1,500 for your best shots of fires and firefighters, whether they're in the hot zone or working at the station. Deadline for submitting photos is June 15th. CLICK...
Another 2,000 National Guard ground troops will join its aerial mutual aid assets in battling the swarm of lightning fires burning throughout much of Northern California. That brings the total to 2,400 troops ordered by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to provide personnel for hand crews, transportation and command and control support. More than...
The votes were finally counted on Monday, and Barack Obama has won California by a vote of 55 to 0. And the man doing the counting was a familiar face to California's first responders. Participating in a ritual dating to the founding of the Republic, California's Electoral College was convened December 15th at the State Capitol in Sacramento. CPF...
Firefighters, family members and dignitaries from throughout California came together Saturday, October 18, 2008 in remembrance of those who paid the ultimate price to protect the lives and property of Californians.
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Although lawmakers continue to argue over how to resolve the state's fiscal crisis, both parties appear to be willing to reduce funding for public schools, colleges, transit programs and programs that help a wide range of people with special needs.
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As Australia's wildfires claimed the lives of over 180 people, new concerns are being raised about that country's highly controversial "Stay And Defend" fire policy. Scores of those who perished in the blazes were residents that stayed behind to protect their property or evacuated too late. Residents armed with garden hoses were...
CalPERS is getting a new chief investment officer, but don't expect any immediate wholesale changes in how the big pension fund invests its money. Joseph Dear, the newly appointed chief investment officer at CalPERS, says this isn't the time to panic. (SacBee registration may be required.)
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Affirming its tentative ruling from last week, L.A. Superior Court Judge Helen Bendix has tossed out a lawsuit by the Orange Co. Board of Supervisors seeking to take away negotiated retirement benefits. Rejecting legal arguments that the payments are unconstitutional, Judge Bendix affirmed a judgment favoring the Orange County Deputy Sheriffs...
Thanks to a strong push from California Professional Firefighters and technical support from the IAFF, a new standard has been adopted that will reduce first responders' risk of exposure to infectious disease.
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For CFFJAC Women's Commissioner d'Lisa Davies, the chance to participate in the Soroptimist International of Riverside's event was a dream opportunity to show middle school girls that firefighting is a career option for them. CPF is a co-sponsor of the California Fire Fighter Joint Apprenticeship Committee (CFFJAC).
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Southern California fire officials have rolled out an updated fire preparation and evacuation plan to help citizens prepare for what's expected to be an exceptionally dangerous fire season. "Ready ... Set ... Go" emphasizes the need for homeowners in high-risk areas to make their homes fire safe and evacuate as early as possible. The new...
Show your pride as a California firefighter by shopping at CPFUnionShop.org! Choose from a range of high-quality, USA-made gear including polo shirts, key rings and hats - all are union made and proudly carry the CPF logo.
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Sacramento County ROP fire tech students spent the last year learning what it takes to be a firefighter. Last week, they met for their final class, which gave their families and friends a chance to see the students in action. The CPF co-sponsored CFFJAC and the Sacramento County Office of Education work in cooperation to make this ROP fire tech...
When firefighter David Wills received his pink slip from Alameda Fire Department in June, he was added to the Displaced Firefighters List. Two weeks later, on his termination date, he received a call from Moraga-Orinda Fire District, letting him know they were hiring. The very next day, he went for an oral interview and a paramedics skills...
More than 1,000 uniformed firefighters, family members and dignitaries from throughout California gathered this weekend to pay tribute to those who gave their lives to protect the lives and property of Californians. In a solemn ceremony featuring honor guards and the traditional pipe and drum salute, 82 firefighters who fell in the line of...
Fire officials are watching the skies in Southern California, hoping that increased humidity levels will continue to slow the march of the Station Fire. The blaze has now burned more than 127,000 acres, and stretches over nearly 200 square miles, but cooling temperatures have aided firefighting efforts in the Angeles National Forest, and the...
At a time when the retirement security is under attack, CalPERS firefighters can make their voices heard by participating in the CalPERS Board of Administration runoff election. Ballots have been sent to all CalPERS members and retirees for the runoff in Position A. CPF believes J.J. Jelincic is the best choice for firefighters and their families. ...
With the flu pandemic upon us, the state EMS Authority has set in motion a plan to allow local paramedics to administer the influenza vaccine. Under the plan, the LEMSA and the local health department may decide to temporarily expand the paramedic scope of practice to include administration of the pandemic vaccine, thereby enhancing community mass...
The story of property loss to major fires in the United States begins and ends in California. In its annual report on Large Loss Fires in the United States, NFPA says that California wildland fires caused a collective property loss of nearly $950 million in 2008. That means 40 cents of every dollar of major fire loss in the US in 2008 occurred in...
Warning of the "growing cost" associated with California's rapid development and urbanization of the wildlands, the Los Angeles Times this week editorialized in support of the CPF-backed Emergency Response Initiative. The Times said the proposal was "reasonable" and reflected a level of burden-sharing that is appropriate...
Los Angeles County firefighters credited with saving lives in the aftermath of Haiti's devastation are back in the U.S. Task Force 2 -- one of only two teams in the nation certified for world-wide disaster response -- was on the ground less than 48 hours after the quake hit. They returned late last week.
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CAL FIRE firefighter Becky Quigley was named 2nd Assembly District Woman of the Year this week in a ceremony recognizing the outstanding achievements of women from the State Assembly's 80 districts.
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When Sacramento Metro Fire Captain Barbie Law was a relief worker in Haiti, she befriended a 7-year-old Haitian boy with a heart defect. Law has since returned to the United States with a mission: To get him the surgical help that he needs.
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Sacramento Metro fire captain and Local 522 member Barbie Law knows how to mend a broken heart. In the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti, Law volunteered as a medical relief worker with the non-profit humanitarian agency, Relief International. It was here that she first met seven-year-old Lovensky Alexandre.
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Nearly 100 fire departments in California will be better prepared for a terrorist threat, after sending their training officers and Haz Mat personnel to one of the CFFJAC's Terrorism Consequence Management (TCM) Train-the-Trainer courses. The CFFJAC has held classes in 11 locations throughout the state over the past year.
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Seven firefighters from the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department and a Livermore police officer starred Wednesday in a training video meant to help their colleagues across the state learn what to do in the case of a chemical attack at an office building. FireStar Productions filmed the video Wednesday, which will be part of the CFFJAC's Terrorism...
Lovensky Alexandre and his mother, Roselene Ducelus, are back in Haiti. They returned May 12, 26 days after Lovensky underwent successful heart surgery at Sacramento's Sutter Medical Center, thanks to the help of Sacramento Fire Captain and Local 522 member Barbie Law.
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At the second annual Live Your Dream Conference, sponsored by the Soroptimist International of Riverside, professional women speakers and panelists like CFFJAC Women's Commissioner d'Lisa Davies were on hand to spotlight a range of occupations available to young women. CPF is a co-sponsor of the CFFJAC.
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If you were faced with an emergency, would help be just around the corner, or responding to a more urgent call? That's the dilemma facing the Fresno City Fire Department because of budget cuts. Crews are now responding to fewer medical calls in order to get to more fires.
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Thanks to a "Hair Be Gone" event held on July 10 by the West Covina Firefighters Association Local 3226, one woman battling cancer can fulfill her dream of participating in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer with her husband.
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FireStar Productions' contributions to the fire service were recognized this year by the Telly Awards. The video production company was honored with six Telly Awards including awards for San Jose Fire Fighters Local 230's "Every Second Counts" video, CDF Firefighters Local 2881 and CAL FIRE's "California's Fire Department"...
San Diego fire officials said Wednesday that their department’s cost-cutting “brownouts,” which idle equipment, may have contributed to the choking death of a toddler in Mira Mesa.
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A study released by researchers at San Diego State University on Tuesday, shows increasing the number of firefighters per engine could save California millions. The researchers discovered that one extra firefighter per engine, could increase effectiveness of the state's firefighters by more than 50 percent, plus reduce the...
The LA Times, San Francisco Chronicle and more than a half dozen other key media across the state, have joined California Professional Firefighters in opposing Proposition 22, the League of California Cities' ballot initiative.
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Budget cuts at the Chico Fire Department are making it harder for firefighters to do their jobs. The loss of three firefighters and closure of an engine engine at Fire Station 1 in July means it takes longer for emergency response.
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Professional golfer Fred Couples was presented a helmet from the California Fire Foundation at a press conference Wednesday for his donation to the California Firefighters Endowment. In 2009, Couples donated $20,000 of his President's Cup winnings to the California Fire Foundation.
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For the past 17 years, Escondido Firefighters has baked pumpkin pies for St. Clare's Home in Escondido. This year, they will continue this tradition by baking 30 pies at the firehouse to bring holiday cheer to the homeless and battered women and children who are residents there.
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Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today awarded the distinguished Governor's Medal of Valor to 17 CAL FIRE employees for acting above and beyond the call of duty. The firefighters received the Medal of Valor, the highest honor that California bestows upon its public servants, as part of a ceremony recognizing 38 state employees.
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President Obama has signed the "James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act," which extends and expands eligibility for compensation under the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001. The measure passed during last year's lame-duck session, after being threatened by a GOP Senate filibuster.
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The U.S. Senate has overwhelmingly approved legislation that will provide compensation for first responders who answered the call on September 11, 2001. The measure, which allocates $4.6 billion to pay medical expenses for those who suffered illnesses related to their 9/11 response, was passed after a compromise removed the threat of a GOP...
The need for CPF locals to be politically active has never been more important than it is now. In times like these, it's good to have pros on your side. For more than two decades, Firefighters Print & Design (FFPD) has provided CPF locals and their members with high-quality union printing in support of candidates and issues important to the...
This past weekend’s multi-billion dollar spending binge by redevelopment agencies is drawing mounting denunciation, with one story terming it “the redevelopment equivalent of chugging Hurricanes on Bourbon St.”
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California Professional Firefighters today announced its support for Governor Jerry Brown's call for a special election this June to allow California voters to ratify his plan to close a $26 billion budget shortfall.
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In a stunning raid on future property taxes, the city of San Diego is scheming to lock up $4 billion in sweetheart developer projects, some of which won’t even begin until 2048. The proposed tax raid comes amid reports that San Diego remains critically understaffed in fire protection.
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Los Angeles County's search and rescue team, CATF-2, returned home Saturday, after six days aiding search efforts following the earthquake in Japan. The LA County team is one of only two in the nation certified for international response. Rescuers report being "stunned" by what they saw.
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