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Brothers and Sisters,
This past Saturday, Local 1014 was proud to host the official congressional campaign kickoff for our longtime partner and champion of working families, Supervisor Hilda Solis.
Our Union Hall became the hub of campaign activity, serving as the center for phone banking, organizing, and celebration. The event brought together our members, community leaders, and elected officials for an afternoon filled with great food, cultural dance, and a powerful show of unity as we support one of our own leaders stepping onto the federal stage.
Supervisor Solis is no stranger to the fight for working people. She previously served in the United States Congress and later as U.S. Secretary of Labor under President Barack Obama, where she fought to protect workers’ rights nationwide.
For over a decade, she has represented Los Angeles County’s First District, serving nearly two million residents across our communities and consistently standing shoulder-to-shoulder with firefighters and labor.
Now, Supervisor Solis is running to represent us once again in Washington, seeking election to California’s 38th Congressional District to ensure that government works for working families. The kickoff event was a true reflection of the broad coalition supporting her campaign, with our LA County Firefighters at the helm.
We were honored to welcome over 30 elected officials from cities across the First District, state leaders, and our own Supervisor Lindsey Horvath. We were also proud to stand alongside our brothers and sisters from across the labor movement who joined in support of Supervisor Solis and her continued leadership.
Local 1014 has always believed in supporting leaders who support us, and Supervisor Solis has proven time and again that she delivers for firefighters, public safety workers, and all working families.
Thank you, Supervisor Solis, for your years of partnership, your unwavering support of our members, and your continued commitment to fighting for labor at every level of government. We are proud to stand with you.
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Leading on Firefighter Health and Safety
Your Local 1014 continues to lead from the front when it comes to protecting the health and safety of our firefighters, not just here in Los Angeles County, but across the State of California.
Recently, 2nd Vice President Tony Carcioppolo represented our local at the California Professional Firefighters (CPF) Health and Safety Committee. Working alongside Committee Chair Trevor Jamison, CPF District Representatives Kevin Aguayo, Michael Pasqualicchio, and Joshua Smith, along with CPF EMS & Health and Safety Director Sean Burrows and CPF Legislative Advocates Doug and Megan Subers, the group took on critical work that will directly impact our members.
One of the major focuses was advancing improvements to the CPF Personal Exposure Reporting (PER) system. These updates include expanded tracking for lithium-ion battery fire exposures and the addition of a behavioral health component, recognizing that what we face on this job goes far beyond the physical. CPF is now working to implement these updates to better capture the full scope of firefighter exposures.
For those unfamiliar, PER is one of the most important tools available to you. California Professional Firefighters’ Personal Exposure Reporting (PER) offers an easy, secure, and comprehensive method of recording your exposure to cancer-causing chemicals and biological toxins.
Create your own name and password in PER and the information is encrypted for your protection. These reports provide critical documentation needed in Workers’ Compensation cases involving job-related illnesses and in medical diagnosis for those illnesses.
The records you create are yours forever—even after you retire. We strongly encourage every member to begin documenting exposures today.
The committee also reviewed two Local 1014-sponsored resolutions heading into convention:
- Expedited Employer Action for Life-Threatening Presumptive Injury Claims
- Statewide Joint Labor-Management Wellness & Fitness Initiative
These are homegrown Local 1014 initiatives that have the potential to be truly game-changing, not just for our members but for firefighters across California and nationwide. The committee fully supported the direction and importance of this work.
Another key discussion focused on peer support programs statewide. There is growing recognition that while peer teams are critical, we must also ensure we are supporting the peer support leads themselves. These members carry a heavy burden, often putting others before their own needs. Local 1014 thanks all of our peer supporters, leads, and clinicians. Your work does not go unnoticed.
The Health and Safety Committee also reviewed AB 700 and the significant, positive work being done through the California Firefighter Cancer Prevention and Research Program.
Through this program, the University of California has awarded nearly $6 million in state funding to support firefighter-driven, science-based research aimed at reducing cancer risks in our profession. These projects are co-led by firefighters and researchers, ensuring the work stays grounded in real-world conditions and delivers practical solutions back to the fire service.
Cancer remains the leading cause of death among firefighters, and our profession has been classified as a Group 1 carcinogen, alongside tobacco and benzene. Despite PPE and modern practices, we continue to inhale, absorb, and carry carcinogens from the fireground into our stations and homes. The AB 700 research is tackling this problem from every angle, exposures, biology, behavior, and culture.
Local 1014 is especially proud to recognize Los Angeles County Fire members who are directly contributing to this critical work:
- Firefighter Paramedic Thomas Sullivan – leading research on longitudinal changes in DNA methylation, studying how repeated exposure to products of combustion may create early biological warning signs of cancer
- Fire Captain Jamie Gabriel – working on harmonizing statewide firefighter cohorts to better understand cancer risks across a wide range of occupational, behavioral, and health factors
- Fire Captain Jeffrey Kimura – leading efforts to identify carcinogenic chemical exposures, including analyzing turnout gear and how embedded contaminants impact human cells
- Fire Captain Ryan Tripp - individualized exposure assessment of firefighters to airborne carcinogens, which will enable researchers to pinpoint which trainings caused chemical exposure and change these activities to reduce the risk.
To all of our members involved in this work—thank you. You are not only protecting yourselves and your crews today, you are helping build a safer future for the entire fire service.
We also recognize the continued efforts of our own Local 1014 Director, Dr. Derek Urwin, and all Local 1014 members contributing to cancer awareness, prevention, and research. This is what leadership looks like.
To all Local 1014 members, whether assigned to operations, EMS, prevention, training, or support roles, your professionalism and commitment continue to drive meaningful change across the fire service.
Looking ahead, the Health and Safety Committee will also be taking a deeper dive into emerging topics within the fire service, including:
- The increasing use of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)—evaluating both benefits and long-term risks
- The growing use of peptides, their application, and overall health impacts
These are evolving areas, and our focus will be on ensuring members have accurate, science-based information to make informed decisions about their health.
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Prioritizing Mental Health Together
As we move into March, it's an important time to pause and reflect on something that impacts every one of us-our mental health. While conversations around mental health have become more common, it can still be difficult to speak openly, especially within our profession.
For many reasons-cultural, societal, and within the fire service itself-mental health has often been treated as something to handle quietly. But we know that staying silent can make challenges worse. When concerns go unaddressed, they can grow into more serious conditions, affecting not only individuals but also families and our Fire Family as a whole.
The reality is simple: mental health matters, and addressing it early makes a difference. One of the biggest barriers to improving mental health is stigma. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, but we do know that honest conversations create understanding, build awareness, and help us make healthier decisions.
As a Fire Family, we are strongest when we look out for one another-not just on calls, but in everyday life. Supporting each other, checking in, and being willing to talk can make a real difference.
Let's continue working together to break the stigma. Let's create a culture where speaking up is a sign of strength, not weakness. By sharing our experiences and supporting each other, we build resilience, strengthen our community, and create more good days together.
We are fortunate to have some of the best resources available to us, including:
- A nationally recognized Peer Support Team
- An outstanding Chaplains Program
- Access to Dr. Steve through Local 1014 and the Fire Department
- Three culturally competent clinicians contracted directly with the Department
- Additional referrals to culturally competent providers in the community
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In Solidarity,
President Dave Gillotte and the Local 1014 Executive Board |
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