FRIDAY FEBRUARY 6TH UPDATE

Don't forget the General Membership Meeting Tuesday February 10th at 10:00 am at your union hall.

Please come join us at 10 am at the Alfred K. Whitehead Labor Center, our Union Hall this upcoming Tuesday to plug in and get updated on a number of important issues and items we are dealing with at the Local that affect our job. The Executive Board has been engaged in numerous battles and issues right from day one, and there will be no slowing from the looks of it. If we only had more hours in the day, and more days in the month! We are still setting our feet with duties and responsibilities and goals and priorities save and except the painfully obvious like contract negotiations and the cell phone antenna fight and more to come on that in the next couple of weeks as we finalize those items. You can expect assigned Executive Board Members for your Geographic Regions and Category Specific work also. We are moving back to revitalizing the Newsletter and Regional Union Meetings with Board Members assigned to handle logistics of those meetings to bring the meetings to you again at least 3-4 times a year. These regional meetings proved to be extremely helpful to all in connecting the Union hall to the stations by regions. So, get on down to the Alfred K. Whitehead Labor Center, Our Union Hall at 10 am Tuesday and have a little coffee and donuts and get the week started right by getting informed and be a part of the discussion affecting our job. Here a few items to be discussed and a quick update on them to start:

NEGOTIATIONS

All public safety contracts have expired and we are now on a month to month extension of existing terms and conditions until such time as we negotiate a successor agreement. We have been meeting with the Public Safety Unions and also with the County to move to set the table so we can begin formal negotiations. Following the BOS Elections and a CEO Changing of the Guard, things have been a little slower to get into gear, but movement to meet is beginning to heat up and set. Stay tuned to the website and web-blasts for more information as we move forward. Sign up to receive our Email broadcasts at www.local1014.org and also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

We have added a page to our member resources section on our web site to keep you updated and give you more information. We will update every Friday with any information. Log in and Click here.

CELL TOWERS

Your Local 1014 Executive Board has been in intense meetings this week with the CEO, Board of Supervisors and LA RICS regarding the cell towers being constructed at our fire stations. We have been in opposition to the cell towers on our work sites since we found out they were coming in August of 2014. Our major concerns are the health and safety of our members, future collocation of commercial cell antennas on the towers, the methods of modeling used to determine Radio Frequency Radiation (RF) exposure and the benchmarks that are being used to determine exposure safety levels.

Upon further investigation of the project Local 1014 discovered that LA RICS has been moving forward with reckless abandon. They have not been taking the proper steps to allow for the health and safety of our members. There are also numerous contract violations occurring because of the rate in which they are being allowed to proceed with the project. One major violation was the fact that they had not completed an RF Emissions report for each site prior to construction beginning. They only had one sample RF Emissions safety report and were using it to suffice for all stations.   

Local 1014 have requested that all construction at our fire department sites cease until all the stipulations in the contracts between LA RICS/LA County and Motorola/LA RICS are met and we have an RF Compliance modeling system that we trust to be accurate with RF exposure level bench marks agreed upon.  Be advised they may not stop construction as we have seen, and don’t interfere with them, but rather keep us informed on the work progress so we can accurately know what is actually occurring vs. the schedule.

We are still in meetings on this issue and hope to reach a favorable outcome with the County. We will be notifying you with our results here soon. Please pay attention to our web site, your personal e-mail and the bulletins to the stations from Local 1014. The time for us to take it to the streets and educate the citizens on this issue is rapidly approaching and we will need your help!

We have added a page to our member resources section on our web site to keep you updated and give you more information. Log in and Click here

Together we will protect our health and safety!

PARAMEDIC PRECEPTOR CLASS

Over the course of three days, February 3, 4, and 5th, Local 1014 and the EMS section conducted a series of classes titled "Paramedic Preceptor Training". This training came to fruition through many hours of meetings between the EMS Section, Local 1014, and many of our own members who are currently detailed to a 40 hour work week in the EMS Section.

The course was designed to train our Paramedic Preceptors and their new trainee’s in "stages". While this is not a necessarily new concept, it was morphed into what it is today by L.A. County Fire personnel using the skillset they were taught and combining that with new training methods. During the last three days, more than 90 L.A. County Fire Paramedics received the training.

The thought behind the training was to give the field preceptors the tools they need to make the trainees experience as successful as possible. The "stages" model defines the goals that the trainee needs to meet in order to proceed further. It also allows for the preceptors to get the EMS Section involved earlier if the trainee is failing to meet his or her goals. This program, hopefully, will provide more consistency as it relates to the Preceptor/Trainee roles.

Local 1014 is very proud to have hosted the classes, and looks to host more training events in the future.

CPAT FIREVISION

Local 1014 CPAT day 2014

As you may know we try to work with our management whenever possible. Most times we have a great working relationship with management, at times we do not agree on some things that may seem simple, but the end result is we work together every day to try and make things better for our membership and our department.

Back on December 13th, 2014, 1014 promoted and sponsored a 1014 CPAT day. Over 140 of our members, their children, FSA's and explorers had the opportunity to take the CPAT exam prior to the announcement of the LA County Fire Department Fire Fighter Trainee exam. During the "1014 CPAT day" Chief Osby, Chief Lawrence and members of the LAC HR Department came to the event and watched, learned and even participated in the event to get a good understanding of how the process works and what exciting things are on the horizon as an option for future testing.

All of this through the CPF and the FCTC, our state organization under the IAFF.

1014 CPAT video

ANTHEM CYBER ATTACK

Many of you are aware of the cyber attack that has breached Anthem's computer systems. It has been widely publicized in newspapers, TV and radio news programs and web news venues. Some of you may have received an Email from Anthem describing the cyber attack and what personal information may have been compromised.

Although the Local 1014 Health Plan processes LA County Fire Fighter claims, we contract with Anthem Blue Cross for the Prudent Buyer Preferred Provider Organization (PPO). As such, much of our claim data is shared with Anthem.

Local 1014 Health Plan is in contact with Anthem to determine what impact the cyber attack has had on our members. Anthem indicates that personal information such as names, birthdays, medical IDs/social security numbers, street addresses, Email addresses and employment information, including income data may have been compromised. At this time Anthem says there is no evidence that credit card or medical information (such as claims, test results or diagnostic codes) were compromised.

In addition, Local 1014 does not provide some of this information to Anthem.... specifically credit card and income and employment data.

Anthem will individually notify any Local 1014 member whose information has been accessed. They will provide credit monitoring and identity protection services free of charge to those who have been affected.

Anthem has created a dedicated website - AnthemFacts.com - where members can view FAQ's. As they learn more, the website will be updated.

Anthem has also established a dedicated toll-free number that you can call with questions related to the cyber attack. That number is: (877) 263-7995.

You may also contact Local 1014’s Member Services at: (800) 660-1014 or (310) 639-1014.

As we learn more we will update this message.

Thank you,

The Board of Trustees
The Los Angeles County Fire Fighters Local 1014 Health and Welfare Plan

February 5, 2015

We hope to see you on Thursday

Fraternally,

Your Local 1014 Executive Board

Check iafflocal1014.org or local1014.org for details