Twenty-four heroes of the Los Angeles City Fire Department were given special awards and commendations Thursday for their actions above and beyond the call of duty.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department is preparing to deploy a 74-member team to assist in the rescue and recovery efforts in Japan. The California Task Force 2, a urban search and rescue team, was requested by the U.S. Agency for International Development and the U.S. Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance.
The 2011 Daniel A. Terry Legislative Conference will be held April 6-7, 2011 at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Sacramento. CLICK HERE for more details.
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.
Treasurer Bill Lockyer. CPF sits down with California's treasurer to talk about the state's fiscal crisis, the governor's budget and redevelopment reform.
Using Visalia's multimillion-dollar Fire Training Center for the first time, CAL FIRE firefighters got one step closer to being ready for fire season. The training was made possible by funding from the CPF co-sponsored California Fire Fighter Joint Apprenticeship Committee (CFFJAC).
Federal Firefighters Local F-33 mourn loss of Matt Moreno, who died off-duty at the age of only 26. A memorial with full honors will be held Saturday, Feb. 26 at 1 p.m. in Chula Vista.
LA County Fire Department's California Task Force 2 finished its first day helping the recovery effort in Japan without finding any survivors, a county fire department official said Tuesday.
Capitol Report. An overview of CPF's 2011 legislative agenda, aimed at protecting core services and vital firefighter workplace and benefit protections.
California Professional Firefighters' 2010 Annual Report is now available online. The 24-page report provides an overview of CPF, a rundown of its major accomplishments for the previous calendar year, and a look ahead to new challenges.
Thousands of mourners gathered in downtown L.A. on Friday for the funeral of fallen firefighter Glenn Allen, who died last week while fighting a house fire in Hollywood Hills. According to the L.A. City Fire Department, officials are expecting about 8,000 spectators, 200 dignitaries, about 200 fire apparatus and over 100 agencies from all over the country.
Capitol Report. An overview of CPF's 2011 legislative agenda, aimed at protecting core services and vital firefighter workplace and benefit protections.
The Professional Firefighters of Santa Cruz, Local 3605 and the Central Fire Protection District of Santa Cruz County is saddened to announce the loss of Firefighter John Tripodi of job related cancer. He was 58 years old.
A serious fall taken by a veteran firefighter from the roof of a burning home has raised some big questions about staffing shortages. Sacramento City Fire department Captain Gene Dibble along with Engine 60 and several other crews responded to the house fire Saturday night.
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.
A Special Election to fill the post of CPF 2nd District Vice President has ended with the election of Ventura County Professional Firefighters Local 1364 President Chris Mahon. Mahon, who currently serves on CPF's Health and Safety Committee, was the only individual nominated for the post and was elected by acclamation.
The city of San Diego needs to build and staff 10 new fire stations at a cost of well over $100 million to reach acceptable response times, according to a study released Monday.
On the heels of a round of layoffs that cost 49 firefighters their jobs, San Jose officials are vowing to slash nearly 1/4 of their fire and police services in the coming year's budget. But while threatening to decimate vital services, San Jose continues to siphon over $200 million in property-tax money to support developer subsidies through its redevelopment agency.
Overcoming long odds, fire fighters nationwide scored a significant victory when the U.S. House of Representatives voted 318-113 to reject massive cuts to fire fighter grants.
United Firefighters of Los Angeles City Local 112 is saddened to announce the loss of one of their own in the line of duty. Los Angeles Firefighter Glenn Allen -- a 36-year veteran of the department -- died Friday afternoon, February 18th, two days after being gravely injured battling a structure fire in Hollywood Hills.
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.
Get the latest copy of the California Fire Department Directory today. The California Fire Department Directory is your online resource for basic information about the fire service in California. Because it is updated monthly, it is the most up-to-date directory available of its kind.
Gov. Brown delivers tough medicine in State of the State message; CPF members give back to their communities at holiday time.
Newly released data about state and local government pensions sharply contradict statements by politicians who are attacking firefighters and paramedics with scurrilous statements about pension funding, the International Association of Fire Fighters said.
It's been a year since the City of San Diego started rolling brownouts at local fire stations. Most agree response times are slower, but the question is how long will it last. "We've seen response times increase significantly," said San Diego Fire Chief Javier Mainar.
Firefighters In Focus: A new training video, developed through the experiences of Sacramento firefighters, is changing the way first responders view organ donation.
Understanding the 2010 Elections CPF spoke with two independent experts to analyze state and local election results and what they mean for California's future.
CPF Firevision wraps up the November elections, and then takes a look at this year's CFFJAC Firefighter Career Expos, looking for the next generation of first responders.
Two firefighters who were killed trying to protect their fellow firefighters stuck in the path of last year's Station Fire will have Angeles Forest Highway named after them Monday.
Boy Scouts from throughout the Bay Area will be collecting Thanksgiving food donations for the area’s hungry and homeless. For the second year in a row, the California Fire Foundation is a sponsor of “Scouting for Food”, the annual food drive in the greater Bay Area.
About 30 Local 891 members gathered at Mary's Mercy Center in San Bernardino on Wednesday morning to unload a truck full of donations for the nonprofit organization that serves the poor. It's the fifth year the local has made the annual donation and they have partnered again with Stater Bros. Supermarkets to increase the size of their donation.
Beverly Hospital officials say fire station closures may be delaying treatment for heart attack victims. Between April and June, the hospital dropped from No. 6 or No. 7 among the 32 hospitals participating in the "STEMI" rapid heart attack treatment program to No. 27.
It was a tough Thanksgiving Thursday for the family of a teenage boy who was shot to death last week, the victim of gang violence. But a group of Long Beach firefighters took it upon themselves to make the day a little brighter, by preparing and delivering a holiday feast for the family, all 80 of them.
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.
Firefighters In Focus: A new training video, developed through the experiences of Sacramento firefighters, is changing the way first responders view organ donation.
Elizabeth Harman, FEMA's assistant administrator of grant programs, discussed FEMA grant opportunities available to the fire service and related emergency medical organizations. She also revealed mistakes applicants make during the grant writing process.
Every year, California Professional Firefighters invites photographers to share their unique view of the front lines with us through photos. This year, Craig Rose, Chris Nichols and Wes Schultz have been awarded first, second and third place respectively for their stunning entries to the CPF Photo Contest.
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.
The city of Pasadena Tuesday ended a "brown out" in emergency fire services, reinstating a four-firefighter ladder truck that was temporarily taken out of action earlier this year to save money, officials announced.
Javier coached Little League baseball, played in a men's basketball league and played the trombone. He had a passion for traveling and often took roadtrips to Grants Pass, Ore., to visit his mother, brother and sister.
Understanding the 2010 Elections: The voters have spoken, but what were they saying? CPF posed this and other questions about Campaign 2010 to two independent experts who are veterans of the Capitol wars.
The success of firefighter-backed candidates was a cause for celebration at the state and local levels. Further down the ballot, however, a less hospitable wind was blowing.
Contra Costa County firefighters have put together 350 new bicycles this year to be given out to low-income children in the annual Bikes for Tykes program. Every year for the past 20 years, firefighters have spent their pre-Christmas off-duty time assembling bicycles and tricycles at fire stations throughout the county for the program.
In December, CPF's EMS/Health and Safety Director Kevin White was honored for his leadership and contributions with a Distinguished Service Medal by the Emergency Medical Services Authority and the Commission on Emergency Medical Services.
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 filibuster.
As Arnold Schwarzenegger leaves office seven years later, his record is that of a governor who made a difference for first responders ... on the front lines and in their professional lives. The outgoing governor capped his term by appointing two CPF members to the state's EMS Commission.
Last year was record-setting. The US Fire Administration reports the fewest on-duty deaths of firefighters since the agency started compiling statistics in 1977. There were 85 on-duty deaths in 2010, according to preliminary statistics.
The Pipes and Drums of California Professional Firefighters kicked off the new year in style, performing for the first time at the 122nd Rose Parade in Pasadena. The show was aired on over a half dozen TV networks in the US and broadcasted in more than 200 countries.
It is with deepest regret that the Alameda Firefighters Association, IAFF Local 689, and the City of Alameda Fire Department announce the Line of Duty Death of Alameda City Fire Captain Scott Carnevale of occupational cancer. He was only 42 years old.
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.
Get a sneak peek of the latest issue of the CPF newspaper before it hits your mailbox! This issue includes stories about the 2010 election results, the California Firefighters Memorial, CPF's legislative successes, district reports and more.
The families served by the Muscular Dystrophy Association are truly grateful for the incredible support from the California Professional Firefighters. The impact that CPF members make on families throughout California is immeasurable.
CPF at Rose Parade. CPF Pipes and Drums make first appearance at New Year's parade; Fred Couples Helps Firefighters: Pro golfer gives to CA Firefighters Endowment.
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 lives of firefighters and their families.
Acting with unprecedented haste in response to an apparently specious rumor, local politicians up and down the state are on track to ram through more than $1 billion in special pet projects at the expense of public safety, schools and core services. Local governments throughout California jammed through a blizzard of special projects, creating massive new taxpayer debt with almost no accountability.
This past weekend’s multi-billion dollar spending by redevelopment agencies is drawing mounting denunciation, with one story terming it “the redevelopment equivalent of chugging Hurricanes on Bourbon St.”
The city of San Diego's decision to idle up to eight fire engines daily to save money has had an unintended consequence — revenue from fire inspections by those crews has plummeted.
With criticism mounting about cities’ fiscal protectionism, San Jose officials dramatically scaled back a plan to fast track tens of millions of redevelopment dollars to keep them away from core services.
Firefighters are taking longer to arrive at emergencies since staffing cuts were instituted nearly a year ago, fire Chief Javier Mainar told a City Council committee Wednesday. As many as eight fire engines are taken out of service each day on a rotating basis to reduce costs.
A new statewide poll by the respected Public Policy Institute of California indicates strong support for Gov. Brown's redevelopment reform. By a two-to-one margin, Californians support the governor's proposal to close redevelopment agencies, making billions available directly to local governments for core services such as public safety and education.
Based on survey data reported by fire departments, NFPA estimates that 78,150 firefighter injuries occurred in the line of duty in 2009. This is a decrease of 1.9 percent from the year before.
There were very few wildfires of note anywhere in California this year because of the unusual meteorological conditions. That's a good thing for homeowners and for air quality, but it's a drag on the pocketbooks of the thousands of seasonal firefighters who were laid off at the beginning of the month.
What does it take to be a firefighter? Hundreds of potential firefighter recruits had a chance to see for themselves at this month's Firefighter Career Expos, sponsored by the California Fire Fighter Joint Apprenticeship Committee (CFFJAC) and its Commission to Recruit Women for the Fire Service.
The 2010 Governor's Race: Why it Matters to You: For firefighters, 2010 is the "election of your career." CPF Firevision contrasts Jerry Brown's 40 year record of support for firefighters against Meg Whitman's vow to take away negotiating rights, secure pensions and job security.
The 2010 Governor's Race: Why it Matters to You: For firefighters, 2010 is the "election of your career." CPF Firevision contrasts Jerry Brown's 40 year record of support for firefighters against Meg Whitman's vow to take away negotiating rights, secure pensions and job security.
The Santa Anas are back this week, with gusts between 35 mph and 55 mph blowing through the valley tonight and into Wednesday morning. But local fire officials agree it's unlikely a catastrophic fire will strike before the month's end.
The July closure of an east Ventura fire station as a cost-cutting move has shaved $163,000 in overtime costs, but department response times to emergencies in the surrounding neighborhood have fallen sharply, records show.
Scammers are posing as solicitors for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, asking consumers for donations to support firefighter training. The department says it is not conducting any type of fundraising campaign to solicit help from consumers.
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.
California’s first responders have some strong new support on both sides of the political aisle in the wake of Tuesday’s general election. CPF-endorsed Jerry Brown won the high-profile governor's race, and CPF-backed candidates declared victory in six of seven statewide races and over 95% of all legislative contests.
Thirty-one firefighters who died in the line of duty were forever memorialized when their names were added to the California Firefighters Memorial this weekend.
2010 California Firefighters Memorial: More than 1,000 firefighters, family members and friends of the profession gathered in Sacramento October 16th to honor 31 fallen firefighters added to the California Firefighters Memorial.
California Firefighters Memorial: More than 1,000 firefighters, family members and friends of the profession gathered in Sacramento October 16th to honor 31 fallen firefighters added to the California Firefighters Memorial.
In fire stations across the state, firefighters have traded in their standard blue on-duty shirts for petal pink ones. It's one way that CPF locals are thinking pink in October to promote Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Stockton Firefighters Local 456 members were threatened with discipline this week for participating in a "Go Pink" breast cancer awareness campaign. A directive from the Stockton city manager imposed a variety of restrictions on firefighters' participation in the campaign, and barred the sale of charity "Go Pink" t-shirts. Firefighters were advised they faced discipline if they participated.
Twelve children of fallen firefighters will be attending college, thanks to the Daniel A. Terry Scholarship. The program, which was launched in 2006, awards scholarships of $2,000 each year to qualified applicants.
Firehouse Chefs: California is home to many of the country's best firehouse chefs, including CPF members Tara Daniels, Walter Scruggs and Eddie Sell, who have earned the title of celebrity chef.
Firehouse Chefs: California is home to many of the country's best firehouse chefs, including CPF members Tara Daniels, Walter Scruggs and Eddie Sell, who have earned the title of celebrity chef.
Record temperatures in Southern California have put LA and Ventura County firefighters on high alert, as a fierce Indian Summer rolls through the state.
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.
With the stroke of a pen, California’s firefighters have won new protection from the painful effects of job-related cancer. The CPF-sponsored William “Dallas” Jones Cancer Presumption Act — signed into law by the governor — doubles post-retirement coverage under the firefighters Workers’ Comp presumption from five years to 10 years.
In California, unprecedented cuts to fire station budgets are raising concerns about municipalities' ability to respond to emergencies, especially now that wildfire season has begun.
While uncertainty lingers over the fate of the long-overdue state budget, firefighters will benefit from new workplace safety, employee rights and retirement protection, thanks to CPF-sponsored legislation signed by the governor.
Families of fallen firefighters will be able to retain their loved one's California firefighter license plate and benefit from continuing attention to their needs, thanks to CPF-sponsored legislation signed by the governor. SB 88 protects the ability of firefighter survivors to keep their loved one's license and provides for a modest fee increase to families -- the first such fee increase in 15 years.
It is with deepest regret that Sacramento Area Fire Fighters Local 522 and Sacramento Metro Fire Department announce the death of firefighter Jim Saunders of Engine Company 101.
It is with deepest regret that San Miguel Fire Fighters Local 1434 and the San Miguel Fire District announce the passing of Fire Engineer Richard Pascall on October 1, 2010 of melanoma. He was 49 years old.
The 2010 Election is just weeks away and CPF has put together a special election issue of the CPF newspaper! The latest newspaper includes our CPF voter guide, our candidate comparison, statewide endorsements and more.
More than 2,000 firefighters, emergency personnel, friends and family gathered today at Sacramento State's Hornet Stadium for a memorial service honoring the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District firefighter James Saunders.
Hundreds of uniformed firefighters from throughout California will gather at the State Capitol in Sacramento to pay tribute to California firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice to keep our state safe. The California Firefighters Memorial Ceremony and Firefighter Procession on Saturday, October 16, 2010 will honor 31 individuals whose names will be added to the California Firefighters Memorial.
California Professional Firefighters members across California rolled out the welcome mat when IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger and CPF President Lou Paulson embarked upon their four-day station tour across the state.
Every year, California Professional Firefighters takes a moment to celebrate the heroic images that honor the profession of firefighting. Share your unique view of the front lines and you could be awarded $1,500! Photos must be submitted by November 22, 2010 to be eligible.
Witness to Courage: Profile of Jeff Zimmerman, a retired firefighter turned full-time fire photographer who has created stunning, iconic images of firefighters in action.