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| This Monday, we honored the victims of September 11th and remembered our fallen 343 brothers from FDNY. We are still seeing the effects of this tragedy today for our first responders, who are suffering from exposure to the toxic chemicals released when the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center fell. We will never forget. |
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Brothers and Sisters,
Every September, the International Association of Fire Fighters honors our members who have died in the line of duty at the IAFF Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial in Colorado Springs. The Local 1014 Executive Board is en route to honor our fallen brothers and add their names to the wall in Colorado Springs. This year, we will add Brothers Tory Carlon, Jonathan Flagler, Steve McCann, Brian Lavasseur, and Arn Tretsven to the wall.
The 2023 IAFF Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial service will be broadcast live via streaming video on Saturday, September 16. The ceremony in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which officially begins at 11:00 a.m. (Mountain Time), will honor IAFF members who died in the line of duty and were reported to the IAFF in the last year. |
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LOCAL 1014 / DEPARTMENT / CEO – JOINT LABOR MANAGEMENT FINANCIAL COMMITTEE (JLMFC)
Local 1014 joined the Fire Chief and the CEO, Treasurer-Tax Collector and the Assessors Office, Wednesday to continue the work to ensure that our Fire Department budget is solvent to afford year three of not only our contract, but the year three raises for the Chief Officers, Lifeguards and all other represented and non-represented employees of our Department. This work began as soon as we signed the contract with a year three raise in place and a reopener should the Department Budget truly not be for year three.
We are proud to report that the work of the JLMFC has identified property tax revenue estimates vs. actual collection data, mutually agreed upon cost reductions, added revenue source and budget adjustments based on the Union and Department efforts to return folks to work who were off on injury. As you remember, the efforts to help members advocate for their care and treatment diligently and a retraining for our third-party provider Sedgwick was tackled by the Union and the Department and has netted stunning results. The number one fiscal drain on our Department, other than regular ongoing expenses, including salary and benefits, is the extraordinarily high rates of injured workers, which we have identified as unsustainable financially and the biggest driver of recalls, denied days off, and the resulting impact on our members.
We are also collaborating with the Department to reassess and update the rates charged to our “Fee for Service” cities. We have completed El Monte, and La Habra, and now we are tackling Inglewood, Covina, Lynwood, Pomona, Hawthorne, and the other contract cities to adjust appropriately their rates. Paying for service through cost share must be evaluated annually and crafted to be fair and consistent.
We also have netted excellent returns on our brush inspection program, which will grow over the next three years to capture all revenue while ensuring the safety of the wildland-urban interface for those we serve. Through our Union / Department LMC, we have identified other sources of income such as going after the ISD fee to manage our building contracts. We also continue with our weekly planning with stakeholders to put forward a Fire Ballot Measure by signature petition, which needs a threshold of 50% plus one as the courts have now shored up the constitutionality of such measures for special taxes. This would be to fire district voters only, be a direct benefit to them and establish financial security for the District for the next 20-plus years regarding revenue.
The news is good. We are heading in the right direction, with year one and two of our budget and contract secure and funded with mutual agreement. We are also trending right for year three of the contract, and we believe confidently now that with a little more return on investment from our work, we will hit the mark. In fact, we are using the JLMFC momentum to work on the budget as a whole long beyond year three of our contract. We need a healthy Fire District for raises and benefits each and every year while also providing revenue for our critical needs operationally. This can best be achieved by three things: maximizing existing revenue sources, mutually agreed upon financial priorities with reductions in cost, and securing new revenue sources – all with growth for annual revenue and inflation offsets.
Stay tuned closely as we continue the work. We want to thank the Fire Chief, CEO, BOS for their collaborative work on the efforts needed for us all to not only survive year three of our contract but also thrive long beyond.
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Medical, Dental, Life Insurance, and Disability Plan for 2024
Local 1014, in partnership with 14 Unions in the Coalition of County Unions (CCU), bargained an agreement that provides critical and much-needed increases in medical, dental and vision premiums to keep up with the rising costs of medical care.
This Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the premium rates. This will help our members and their families with medical, dental, and vision benefits in the long term and help us continue to provide the highest level of care for our members.
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LA County Firefighters Association Health Summit
The Los Angeles County Firefighters Association Health Summit is hosting a one-day event free to all association members. Taking place at the world-renowned LA County Fire Museum, its focus is to impact firefighters through 6 different presentations focusing on various topics of health.
The presentations will be conducted in a short TED Talk-style, allowing personnel to take away actionable protocols that they can immediately implement to live a healthier life. This will lead up to the keynote speaker Travis Howze, drawing on his experience from being a marine, police officer and firefighter to speak on the subject of mental health for 90 mins. Lastly, the day will finish with a 60-minute social hour, allowing all attendees to interact with one another and the speakers.
The event will promptly begin at 0900 and end at 1600. Lunch will be provided on-site from 1200-1300. For further questions, please contact Captain Evan Halquist at evan.halquist@fire.lacounty.gov. |
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LACOFD CENTENNIAL YEARBOOK
As we celebrate the Department’s historic 100th anniversary in 2023, the Yearbook Committee has extended the deadline for Department and retired personnel to purchase a Centennial Yearbook. A preview of the Centennial Yearbook cover can be found in the attachment. Centennial Yearbooks are available to all personnel to purchase at their own expense on the LA County Fire Foundation Store webpage.
This is a profound benchmark in our history, as we celebrate our legacy in the fire service as we pay tribute to the many generations of team members who have proudly served with honor and bravery and paved the way for the next 100 years in the Department’s history. behalf of our Department and our members who boldly serve our communities. |
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In Solidarity,
President Dave Gillotte and the Local 1014 Executive Board |
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