As we rest over this weekend, we must take time to remember those who have sacrificed so much to protect our way of life as Americans. Please join the entire Local 1014 Executive Board as we pause this weekend to reflect and remember all of the military personnel who have served or are serving our great Country. In all branches of service, Americans have proudly sacrificed so much to make America the greatest Country in the world. We proudly protect and serve the citizens within our great Country it is important to remember those who protect us and those who have given their all so that we may prosper and have the freedoms we enjoy.
These individuals come from all walks of life. As we set out to enjoy this long three day weekend, take time to watch the tributes. Look at a waving American Flag as you roll down the road. Don't let the sacrifices that are represented pass through you easily this weekend. Let the history of this Country and the memories of those who have served and given their all cause you to slow down and deeply reflect and pay your respects, pay our respects.
We would also like to once again take a moment to remind our membership to Drink Responsibly this weekend. This weekend traditionally sees a lot of travel and with that a high level of alcohol related accidents. Don’t let yourself be one of those individuals who finds themselves in trouble. Limit your drinking! If you make a mistake and have too much to drink, think you might have impairment from drinking, or if you know you will be having a few and be over the limit, DON'T DRIVE. Get a room. Get a cab. Get a driver.
Please also make the effort to put away the phone, food and any other distractions that impair your driving. Keep you and your family safe and sound. Thank you to all members who will be on the line this weekend protecting and serving our citizens in Los Angeles County.
Local 1014 Salutes all those who have served and we remember your sacrifice.
On Saturday May 21, 2016 LACFD and Local 1014 along with the AOC once again honored those members of 1014 who have sacraficed all to protect the citizens of LA County. The event had many uniformed FF's in attendance to pay their respects. Below are a few pictures from the event.
Representing over 3200 Firefighters, Paramedics, Dispatchers,
Pilots, Wildland Firefighters, Forestry and Health Haz Mat personnel
"WE SHALL NEVER FORGET"
"I GOT YOUR BACK BROTHER, SISTER"
"BROTHERHOOD - SISTERHOOD"
"WE WILL TAKE CARE OF YOUR FAMILY"
"WE WILL REMEMBER YOU ALWAYS"
"HONOR" "TRADITION" "PRIDE"
We often use these words to speak about our BROTHERS and SISTERS who have fallen in the line of duty.
I am asking OUR membership to do more than just speak these words this Saturday, May 21, 2016 at 10 am.
I am asking for the membership, as a FAMILY, to show support for the memories of our fallen, and for the families of the fallen who will join us at the Los Angeles County Fire Department Memorial Ceremony.
Saturday there will be two new names of our fallen 1014 brothers, John Cobos and Shawn Bayer, added to our wall of honor across from the P. Michael Freeman building (Command and Control).
PLEASE take time to come up and HONOR our fallen.
CAPTAINS I ask you to put this on your station clipboards where the programs for these memorial services no doubt are close by. At line-up review this and the attached program and get commitments from your crews AND yourselves to attend the solemn ceremony Saturday.
CHIEFS I ask for your commitment to attend as well.
If you are not working on Saturday May 21st then the only place you belong is standing shoulder to shoulder with your brothers and sisters who make up the great membership of Local 1014. We need to be there to help the families of our fallen to stand strong and show that those words you read earlier continue to ring in your ears. You need to be there to show respect to all those names on the wall. To many names!
"WE SHALL NEVER FORGET" – let that apply to this Saturday May 21st as well. Be there and show your support to the families of our fallen, the memories of our brothers and sisters as we always told them we would.
This new resource, developed in conjunction with the Fire Fighter Cancer Support Network (FCSN), started by our own LA County L1014 member, Mike Dubron, and guided under a Board of Directors and FCSN President Bryan Frieders, is designed to help members avoid and decrease individual risk factors for cancer.
In addition to understanding why fire fighters are at increased risk of cancer, this new training will:
Describe the most prominent types of cancer that affect fire fighters.
Identify the top carcinogens in the fire fighting environment.
Review the major routes of exposure to carcinogens for fire fighters.
Encourage behavior changes that can reduce the risk of developing cancer.
Representing over 3200 Firefighters, Paramedics, Dispatchers,
Pilots, Wildland Firefighters, Forestry and Health Haz Mat personnel
Political Action Update
Political action is the life blood of our organization. It gives us a voice and a seat at the table in regards to the issues that affect our wages, hours, working conditions and benefits. It is what gives us- your union representatives, the ability to protect your rights. Your Executive Board does not take this responsibility lightly, so we work diligently to endorse and elect political candidates that have your best interests at heart. We work hard at all levels of our government, including City Council races, County Board of Supervisors, State Assembly, State Senate and Executive Offices. At the Federal level, we work with the IAFF through our per capita dues. Below is a brief update on some of our recent political action activities.
City
Local 1014 recently finished a very successful City Council election cycle on April 12, 2016. Five of the Contract Cities that we serve held elections for City Council seats or the Mayor’s office during this election cycle. Nine out of ten of the candidates we endorsed and supported were elected to office. That is a 90 percent success rate of electing candidates that have your best interests at heart. Political action and our partnerships with elected officials are what enable us to get things done- such as re-opening Fire Station 172 in the City of Inglewood and keeping Fire Station 167 open in the City of El Monte. These victories allow our Department to continue providing superior service and maintaining proper staffing levels, both of which are necessary to protect our members and the citizens of the communities that we serve.
County
In the last three Board of Supervisors races, your Local has supported and endorsed the three winning candidates, who are now sitting Supervisors. District 1 Supervisor- Hilda Solis, District 2 Supervisor- Mark Ridley-Thomas, and District 3 Supervisor- Sheila Kuehl. These three Supervisors will be inclined to hear and consider our issues and ideas when making their decisions on matters that affect us. This is an unprecedented success for this local! However, we are not done yet. In the upcoming November 2016 Board of Supervisors elections we have endorsed, and will strongly support, Janice Hahn for the District 4 seat and Kathryn Barger for the District 5 seat. These qualified candidates have proven track records of being our allies in their previous positions within the government, and will carry those friendships into office with them.
Please keep an eye out for any announcements or requests from your Executive Board for help with their campaigns. We will need help, and we are all in this fight together!
You can always depend on your Local 1014 Executive Board to be on the wall protecting your interests. We will strive to help candidates who support our issues get elected, no matter which side of the aisle they are on, or which political party they belong to. If they support us, we support them. We do not want slot machine votes or yes men but candidates that take public safety seriously and are willing to fight to make sure their residents are protected at appropriate levels.
Representing over 3200 Firefighters, Paramedics, Dispatchers,
Pilots, Wildland Firefighters, Forestry and Health Haz Mat personnel
FIREFIGHTER SPECIALIST EXAM UPDATE
This week, the phones at Local 1014 were ringing off the hook with members stating that the Exam Unit had disqualified perspective Firefighter Specialist Exam applicants for a number of reasons. These reasons varied from members not putting their current job title in their work history, not putting their specific job duties as a firefighter in their work history, or submitting their Paramedic card in lieu of their EMT card. These are just a small sample of the various reasons behind our Exam Units basis for denying our members the opportunity to partake in the upcoming Firefighter Specialist Exam.
If you have received an E mail and/or a letter from the Exam Unit stating you were disqualified, please pay close attention to the wording enclosed about your right to appeal. Understand that you have a very small window (10 calendar days) in which to submit your appeal in writing from the date on the hard copy letter. In your appeal, make sure to be very specific on what happened or how the confusion occurred. Should you need advice, if you have any questions about the appeal process, or any questions in particular about the upcoming exam feel free to call the Local 1014 Union Hall at (310) 639-1014 or email us at info@local1014.org.
Representing over 3200 Firefighters, Paramedics, Dispatchers,
Pilots, Wildland Firefighters, Forestry and Health Haz Mat personnel
Firefighters Local 1014 Retirement Seminars
still have openings!
Local 1014 will once again be hosting retirement seminars at Local 1014. These seminars are meant for NON Megaflex, Safety employees (Captain and Below).
LACERA - Pre-Retirement Seminar
Empower Retirement (formerly Great West) Pre-retirement advice
(Classes begin at 9am and last until 1pm. You only need to attend one class, one day)
April 18 - Monday, C Shift
April 19 - Tuesday, A Shift
April 20 - Wednesday, B Shift
Spots are limited - To confirm a spot PLEASE email will.pryor@fire.lacounty.gov If you don't confirm a spot we cannot guarantee a seat!
Your spouses are welcome AND encouraged to attend.
Representing over 3200 Firefighters, Paramedics, Dispatchers,
Pilots, Wildland Firefighters, Forestry and Health Haz Mat personnel
We often get members who ask about Politics and our involvement in elections at the Federal, State and Local Levels to include the County Board of Supervisors. We are actively and powerfully involved in all aspects of Political Action and Lobbying and Legislation that affects our Profession, and our members and our families.
The bottom line is that electing folks that will be receptive to our issues, support firefighters and our community issues that protect our salary, pensions and our health care is your Union's business. We work with both parties on firefighter issues as well as those affecting the economic health of our communities which protects our revenue but also the health of the economies of those we serve.
We invite you to take a look at some of those elected leaders on the Federal Level by tuning in to the IAFF Webcast of the 2016 Alfred K. Whitehead Legislative Conference starting Monday April 4th and continuing on Tuesday April 5th. Log on and take a listen to both well respected Republicans and Democrats as they speak about our issues and issues in general.
Take a look at our Federal Issues Book and especially take a look at the PEPTA / SAVE Legislation and our opposition to these crafty assaults on our pensions.
PEPTA and the SAFE Retirement Act work in tandem to encourage states and municipalities to do away with defined benefit pension systems. PEPTA aims to confuse legislators by forcing plans to issue reports that create the impression that even the best funded plans are in danger of going bankrupt. It would achieve this by requiring plans to assume unrealistically low rates of return, and disregard the prudent fiscal analysis of plan actuaries. SAFE encourages states and municipalities to replace defined benefit plans with private sector annuity contracts that offer no guarantee of any retirement benefit at all. The first proposal fabricates a crisis while the second offers a harmful solution.
Local 1014 will be tackling these federal issue with our fellow IAFF Union Leaders and also getting set for Local and State Elections here in own Jurisdictions with two more County Board of Supervisors at the top of our ticket. We will keep you informed on our efforts as we progress into the 2016 political program.
Representing over 3200 Firefighters, Paramedics, Dispatchers,
Pilots, Wildland Firefighters, Forestry and Health Haz Mat personnel
Good Friday through Easter Sunday, many of our members will take time to reflect and remember sacrifice and give pause for all that we have and why. There will be everything from solemn services to Easter Egg Hunts, BBQ's and Family time. Some of us will be at the Stations taking care of others all weekend.
Local 1014 would like to ask all of our members to take a moment this weekend, faithful or not, to reflect and consider how fortunate we are to be American and to be the cloth that makes up the LA County Fire Fighters. We work hard to be a premier team of Professional Fire Fighters, Paramedics, Forestry, Dispatchers, Heavy Equipment, Pilots, Health Haz-Matters, FSA, Fire Prevention and Fire Personnel in the business and we should be humble and proud of our work and all those who serve.
This week has seen yet another Terrorist act in Brussels that has brought tragedy and turmoil to the world. Take a moment to send your thought's and prayers to the people of Brussels and keep their first responders in our hearts as they deal with the events that rocked their world.
The Flag of Brussels
We also ask that you mark your calendars for May 21st, 2016, and plan to be at the LA County Fire Fighter's Memorial Ceremony at LAO. We want every off-duty Local 1014 member to commit to attending this year. If you are not working, you need to be there. Join us to pay tribute and to "never forget" our fallen.
Easter Weekend is a perfect time to reflect, remember, sacrifice and commit to any number of things in our behaviors that make us better people, a better team of folks that serve others and to remember our fallen. We encourage everyone to celebrate responsibly and make a plan early if you are going to drink alcohol. Get a ride, get a room, get a driver set up before you roll. Your job and your life or others depends on it.
Happy Easter everyone an enjoy your families and our family this weekend.
2016.ff.memorial.program.pdf
