October 16, 2017 Fifty-Third Edition

CAL FIRE Local 2881 representatives Mike Lopez, Tim Edwards, Darren Dow alnog with IAFF General President Shaitberger and General Secretary Treasurer Ed Kelly, CDF Firefighters Benevolent Foundation Steve Hartman, and Rick Swan receiving information about IAFF members impacted by the current fires in the area from Tim Aboudara L1401.


The IAFF and L2881 at the Southern LNU Complex receiving the current fire information.


IAFF and CAL FIRE Local 2881 at the Tubbs Fire receiving a situational update on the incident.

IAFF GP Shaitberger, L2881 President Mike Lopez, IAFF GST Kelley discussing this weeks FIRE situation with Dist. 2 Assembly member Jim Wood. - at Sonoma County Fairgrounds


Want to keep track of California's fires? Click here to check out the FIRE map from CAL FIRE.

A CALL TO ACTION:  
  

On Monday, Oct 9th I received a text message from Kevin O'Meara explaining that there were new fires raging through Santa Rosa and Napa.  Initial reports indicated we had CAL FIRE employees and retirees who had lost their homes.  The Benevolent Foundation put me in charge of helping to get assistance to those in need. 

Danielle at CAL FIRE Local 2881 headquarters compiled a list of the employees and retirees who lost their homes and I was able to make contact with three of those individuals and deliver checks to them that afternoon in Santa Rosa.

I arrived in Santa Rosa at Local 1401 and met with Warren Parrish, Fire Captain from LNU where worked together sharing information.  By Friday afternoon, we had identified a total of 12 CAL FIRE employees and retirees who lost their homes and I was able to deliver eleven assistance checks with the twelfth declining our assistance saying "to give the money to someone that was less prepared".

The Benevolent Foundation believes we have identified all CAL FIRE employees and retirees who lost their homes in this latest round of devastating fires. If you have knowledge of any firefighters having lost their homes please contact Danielle at CAL FIRE Local 2881 Headquarters or Kevin O'Meara, CDF Firefighters Benevolent Foundation President.

I want to express my appreciation to President Lopez and the staff at L2881, Warren, Paul Duncan and the LNU Administration. Without their cooperation and coordination this task of identifying our members in need and getting assistance to them in a timely manner would not have been possible.  I would also like to thank Santa Rosa Firefighters, Local 1401 for their hospitality and support which made our job much easier.

Steve Hartman
CDF Firefighters Benevolent Foundation
Executive Board Member


IN THE NEWS

CURRENT FIRE INFORMATION
   
For a complete list of 2017 major incidents  click here. You can see the location of Major Incidents on the  Google Statewide Fire Map.   

"I'M NOT GIVING UP": FIREFIGHTERS BATTLING CANCER & WORKER'S COMP DENIALS
nbcdfw, 10/09/2017

This past weekend, October 7-8, was National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend. Hundreds gathered in Maryland to honor and remember fallen firefighters who gave their lives protecting us.

Many of them didn't die fighting flames, but fighting cancer. It's an invisible danger caused by exposure to smoke, soot and chemicals, and beating cancer is not their only fight.

When firefighters get sick, they can't focus solely on saving their own lives because they're having to prove their disease is caused by their job.  READ MORE

FIRE FIGHTER TREATMENT FACILITY RECEIVES TOP RECOGNITION
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT, 10/11/2017

Like many people who fled the North Coast fires this week, RedHawk Palleson was awakened at 1 a.m. Monday by the urgent knocking of a neighbor at the door of his Redwood Valley home.
He walked outside, greeted by the glow of what would become known as the Redwood fire.

The flames were getting closer, but Palleson wasn't immediately worried for his home or his family. He knows fire. He spent three decades fighting fires before retiring nearly two years ago as a captain with the California Department of Forestry.  But then the wind started in earnest. And everything quickly changed.  READ MORE

FIRE FIGHTER TREATMENT FACILITY RECEIVES TOP RECOGNITION
MARKET INSIDER, 10/11/2017

T he first and only addiction center focusing on treating fire fighters battling Post-Traumatic Stress and substance abuse has earned The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval® for Behavioral Healthcare Accreditation for its continued commitment to providing safe and effective care to the fire fighters it serves.

The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Center of Excellence (COE) is a joint project between the IAFF and Advanced Recovery Systems (ARS) to create and operate a full service residential treatment facility to combat substance abuse and the Post Traumatic Stress epidemic sweeping the fire service. From its 15-acre facility outside of Washington D.C., the IAFF Center of Excellence is a revolutionary facility designed to assist IAFF members who are struggling to cope with the stress and trauma that accumulates over the course of their career.   READ MORE

Charity Golf Tournament at Half Moon Bay Golf Links
 
OCTOBER 29, 2017
Shot gun @ 8:30 am

Presented by the CDF Firefighters Benevolent Foundation
&
the CAL FIRE local 2881, San Mateo-Santa Cruz Chapter
BENEFITING FIREFIGHTERS WITH CANCER AND THE FIREFIGHTER CANCER SUPPORT NETWORK

IAFF DISASTER RELIEF  




UPCOMING EVENTS

NOLB CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT
OCTOBER 29

PORAC CONFERENCE
NOVEMBER 16 - 19

EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING 
DECEMBER 4 - 6

NEW OFFICER TRAINING
JANUARY 9 - 11

52ND CAL FIRE LOCAL 2881 CONVENTION
JANUARY 17 -21

FINANCE DIRECTOR TRAINING
FEBRUARY 8 - 9

REPRESENTATION TRAINING
FEBRUARY 20 - 22

REPRESENTATION TRAINING
MARCH 19 - 23

For the full event calendar:

CDF FIREFIGHTERS
BENEVOLENT FOUNDATION
 
We provide funds for immediate life sustaining assistance to firefighters and their families who have suffered debilitating injury or loss of life.

Fore more information or to donate visit our website.


CAL FIRE LOCAL 2881
NO ONE LEFT BEHIND
 
Proceeds support the Firefighter Cancer Support Network.
 
For more information visit our website. 


UPCOMING EVENTS



Click here to check out this message from
President Mike Lopez.
For more informaiton follow, 

KNOW YOU RIGHTS

Knowing your rights can save your job.  Download The Firefighters Procedural Bill of Rights courtesy of the California Professional Firefighters (CPF).



CAL FIRE Local 2881  likes to stay connected with our membership.  We want to make sure every member has an updated mailing address.

Below is a list of both Active and Retired members that have bad addresses.  If your name is on the list or you have recently moved,  please contact Danielle at (916) 277-9885 or  dkelsch@L2881.org to update your address.







FOR MORE UPDATES, EVENTS & NEWS VISIT OUR WEBSITE: