The Los Angeles Firefighter Winter 2013

We are deeply saddened by the sudden and tragic deaths of three active duty members in one month. These deaths serve as a reminder to

us all to live each day to the fullest. The Fire Department is a close knit family when a Fire Department member passes their family becomes our family.

UFLAC fought for the family of Matt McKnight in City Council so the family will receive his 100% sick time. (Continued on pages 5,6, and 7)

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Official Publication of United Firefighters of Los Angeles City — Local 112, IAFF, AFL-CIO-CLCwww.uflac.org

VOL. 51, No. 1 Winter 2013

Three Active Duty UFLAC Members Lost in One Month

This has been an unprecedent-ed year for UFLAC in building our relations with elected offi-cials.

We have had great success in endorsing candidates who have been elected into City Council. We have been reaching out to our elected officials consistently to keep them informed on a weekly basis matters that effect firefiight-ers on a local, state, and federal level.

UFLAC has also been involved in State Legislation and has been successful in endorsing candi-dates for the State Senate and State Assembly. We recently en-dorsed long-time friends of the Fire Department Alex Padilla for Secretary of State and John Perez for State Controller.

Successfully endorsing candi-dates who get elected into state office greatly assists firefighters when we propose bills at the state level to help increase public safe-ty and protect firefighter rights.

We have also been working closely with LAFD Management. It is important to maintain posi-tive relations with management when possible and challenge management when needed.

UFLAC Members were recent-ly asked to purchase their own safety equipment in a letter from Emergency Services Bureau. President Lima had a short and very cooperative discussion with interim Fire Chief Jim Feather-stone and he quickly agreed to rescind the letter. It was apparent that he shared in our concerns.

On behalf of the United Fire-fighters of Los Angeles City, Lo-cal 112, we want to offer a warm welcome to our Interim Fire Chief, Mr. James Featherstone,

who will be leading the Los An-geles Fire Department (LAFD) until a permanent Chief is se-lected.

As many of you know, James Featherstone is a former LAFD Captain and has been serving as the General Manager of the City of Los Angeles’ Emergency Management Department since 2007. A native of Washington, D.C. and veteran of the United States Navy, he began his years of service to the City of Los An-geles in 1986 with the LAFD.

While working for the LAFD, Mr. Featherstone served tours as a Public Information Officer, Academy Instructor, Chief Of-ficer’s Staff Assistant, Station Commander, and Task Force Commander.

Mr. Featherstone served as a UFLAC Negotiation Team Member for 19 years, as a Chief Negotiator for 5 years, and as a member of the Executive Board. He is also a member and past Executive Board Member of the Stentorians of Los Angeles City, a distinguished organization rep-resenting African Americans in the Fire Service. On his third day in office, UFLAC was honored to host Chief Featherstone and Assistant Chief Villanueva at the Firefight-er Cancer Support Network’s 6th Annual Gala Dinner & Fund-raiser. This was a wonderful op-portunity to share our mutual concerns regarding critical issues like high cancer rates in Firefight-ers and various medical risks our members face on a daily basis. We look forward to working with Interim Chief Featherstone and all of our elected officials in 2014. Happy Holidays.

An Unprecedented Victory

Photo By Mike Meadows

Captain Mario Martinez Captain II Jeffrey Johnson Captain Matthew McKnight

www.uflac.org

Page 2 Los Angeles Firefighter Winter 2013

1st Vice President’s I would like to thank those of

you who have allowed me the opportunity to serve our mem-bership for the past four years. A heartfelt thank you goes out to all the people who cast their votes for me, for believing and putting your trust and faith in me. It’s humbling to be re-elected for another term on our Local 112 Executive Board and I’m excited about working with the newly elected board members. I am equally honored to have been elected by the membership to the Negotiating Team. I look forward to the next two years as your First Vice President and elected Nego-tiating Team member. Brothers and Sisters keep your thoughts and ideas coming. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank You.

PensionsOur LAFPP plan is currently

83.1% funded for pension ben-efits. Former Mayor Riordan’s Charter amendment proposal if passed, would have created a new Defined Contribution plan to provide retirement benefits for all future City employees and would have made changes to the three Defined Benefit Plans (LAFPP, LACERS and, Water and Power- WPERP) for current employees. Brothers and sisters this is all out “trench warfare” as most of you are aware, Riordan was unsuc-cessful for now on obtaining the

254,000 signatures needed from registered Los Angeles voters for his proposed Pension Char-ter Amendment. However, we feel that this fight is not over and the attacks on our Defined Ben-efit plan could continue for some time. The Riordan initiative has been dead for some time, but the Reed one is still alive and well! A NEW BALLOT PROPOSAL “THE PENSION REFORM ACT OF 2014”

http://www.lafpp.com/LAFPP/news_pension_reform_act_2014.html

New members on the LAF-PP board appointed by Mayor Garcetti are Emanuel Pleitez, Carl Cade, Pedram Salimpour, and Corinne Tapia.

Election update UFLAC recently endorsed

Commissioner George V. Aliano for his re-election bid for the Los Angeles Board of Fire and Po-lice Pensions (LAFPP). UFLAC continues to work hard on your behalf and looks forward to sup-porting Commissioner Aliano who will continue to be a strong advocate for our pensions.

Click HERE for a copy of the letter.

NegotiationsWe are in a 3 year agreement/

contract and our MOU is from July 1, 2011 through June 30,

2014. See breakdown below.

Salaries07/01/13 you received a 1%

COLA increase.11/01/13 you received a 1%

COLA increase.03/01/13 you will be receiving

a 2% COLA increase.*7% COLA increase over the

life of the contract.

Health Insurance07/01/12 you received a 5%

increase ($53.03) of $1,060.54= $1,113.57

07/01/13 you received a 5% increase ($55.68) of $1,113.57= $1,169.25

Dental07/01/12= Additional 2%

($73.44)07/01/13= Additional 2%

($74.91)

Specialist Pay07/01/13 longevity amounts

were increased to $90.00/ $180.00/ $270.00

Uniform AllowanceCurrently $34.00 biweekly

Your Negotiating team has been working hard during many Meet and Confer sessions with management. Some of the recent items that were discussed through collective bargaining are:

• 400 series engine and 600 series rescue ambulance hiring, brush patrol hiring.

• Tactical EMS trial program.• Members working their

own holidays will not receive a work number. (You will receive credit for assign hire).

• No Turnouts in living quarter’s trial program.

• Overhaul procedures trial program.

• Motorcycle patrol team trial program.

• Assigned or detailed to Special Duty or serving in the rank of Fire Inspector be allowed to work all of their vacation leave

hours for cash each year. • Out of rank hiring to alle-

viate an assigned hire over the holidays.

• Continued talks about on duty representation.

• Continued Meet and Confer talks about MFC.

Feel free to e-mail suggestions for our upcoming MOU nego-tiations to [email protected] and we will share them with the Team.

NO on Prop 32 CampaignWe were outmatched financial-

ly for the first time in comparison to previous paycheck fights. As one of your “NO” on Proposi-tion 32 field representatives, I was pleased to see our member-ship rally behind the “NO” on 32 campaign. It took tremendous planning at the state level and we just want to say thanks to ev-eryone at the CPF who helped coordinate the campaign. Once our plan was in place, it was time

to mobilize, like never before, throughout the state with labor. The Local 112 membership came together at a time of need, every-thing from educating family and friends to volunteering off-duty time to phone banking at differ-ent locations near your homes. Congratulations again to all of our members who dedicated their time during the campaign. Below are a few numbers to compare…

Prop. 226: 47% yes, 53% noProp. 75: 46% yes, 54% noProp. 32: 43.4% yes, 56.6% no

Message from the MDAWe want to thank our mem-

bers for the year-long support you have given to the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). From Fill the Boot in the spring to volunteering at summer camp, UFLAC members have provided help and hope to many families living with a neuromuscular dis-ease. MDA appreciates your friendship and support.

Thanks Again For Your Vote of Confidence By Tony Gamboa

Mayday, Mayday, Mayday!LAFD Members Paying Our Respects in Prescott, Arizona

Another “WIN” for Local 112 membership! Through col-laborative efforts by your Local 112 Leadership and the current LAFD administration, we have made it safer on the fire ground.

The LAFD will be utilizing the hailing term “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday” when a FF is in a “LIFE THREATENING” situation and needs immediate assistance. When a Mayday is heard over the

radio members should react as if a FF’s death clock just began, meaning that we need to find the member or assist without delay. There will be no other use for this term other than a FF being in a LIFE-THREATENING situation. The new procedure gives our fire-fighters a chance to declare a life threatening situation without the communication being lost or mis-understood.

The system is a two tier sys-tem. We will continue to use the term “Emergency Traffic” for im-portant information such as wires down, sagging roof or to commu-nicate a switch from offensive to defensive operation.

The purpose of the new two tiered system is to take away the wide latitude that “emergency

traffic” had hailed...meaning ev-erything from FF in need of res-cue (MAYDAY) to Wires down and all the dangerous situations in between.

With the new “Mayday” pro-cedure we are in full compliance with the NFPA and FIRESCOPE.

The term “Mayday” for the Los Angeles City Fire Department has a projected implementation date of Sunday January 5, 2014 @ 0630.

On another note, take advan-tage of the Fire Ground Survival Prop in the basement at the FH-MTC. The prop was designed to build confidence and to challenge our members as if they were fighting for their life at a real-life incident. The survival prop was not meant to be a race for time,

but rather a way to practice and be exposed to something that you would be able to walk away from if you didn’t get it right. In the real world of firefighting you don’t come back to tell the story if you don’t make it out alive with your company.

Local 112 believes that it is always better to see mistakes or lack of knowledge be addressed in a controlled, safe environment. The scenarios in the basement of FHMTC are based on past Line of Duty Deaths (LODD).

You can access the IAFF Fire Ground Survival Awareness Course by clicking on http://www.iaff.org/hs/fgs/fgsindex.htm and taking the 4 hour online course and get certified to the awareness level.

At Hope for Firefighters with San Diego Brothers

Presenting a Map to Councilmember Joe Buscaino CD15

Paul Combs: www.ArtStudioSeven.com




mailto:[email protected]

http://www.iaff.org/hs/fgs/fgsindex.htm



www.ArtStudioSeven.com

Winter 2013 Los Angeles Firefighter Page 3

By Frank Lima

Greetings and welcome to the Biennial CPF Convention. This is my first as 8th District Vice President, an opportunity result-ing from my recent election as president of United Firefighters of Los Angeles City (UFLAC), IAFF Local 112. It is an honor and a privilege to be a part of the CPF Executive Board, represent-ing the men and women of the Los Angeles Fire Department, as we serve together to work on behalf of all California firefight-ers.

Although this is my first con-vention as president, I’ve been active in the leadership of Local 112 for many years, and have at-tended previous CPF conventions and IAFF meetings. What is most impressive about these events is the spirit of solidarity and com-mitment among the delegates. Whether their local is large or small, the leadership is dedicated to the cause of making life bet-ter for our members on the front lines.

As a local, UFLAC was proud to be an active part of the cam-paign to defeat Proposition 32. Officers and rank-and-file mem-bers alike were active in planning, strategy, publicity, phone banking and whatever else it took. The size of our victory vindicated this effort but it came at a price. We must all be on guard for the next attack, which we know will inevi-tably come.

The view from District 8 is a lot like that elsewhere in the state – fighting to preserve criti-cal resources in the face of some-times openly hostile leadership. Under two-term Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, we saw a rash of station brownouts – reductions that left our citizens dangerously unprotected. The confrontational attitude taken by the mayor and some at City Hall simply un-derscores the simple truth about the importance of staying politi-cally active. Our philosophy is simple: Stand with us and we will stand with you … and never

mistake our kindness as a weak-ness.

Even as we remain determined in the political realm, Local 112 is working with CPF to fix a shock-ing loophole that hurts those for whom we care the most – the sur-vivors of our fallen. Tom Dowl-ing, a 30 year veteran who con-tracted non-Hodgkins lymphoma died a few years back after a six-year battle with cancer. When his widow, Betty, applied for survi-vor benefits, they were denied. It seems that Tom had, in essence, lived “too long”, thanks to a cen-tury-old time limit on applying for survivor benefits. When we brought the issue up, CPF took up the cause in the Legislature, and has shown stubborn determina-tion in the pursuit. I’m confident we will win the fight.

As a local, we continue to be committed to broader member participation at all levels. Every-body is welcome at their union hall, everyone has been included, everyone has had a voice at every

meeting, and we are seeing new faces every meeting. Growing this participation is a top priority going forward.

I have learned so much from so many of you in this great orga-nization and look forward enthu-siastically to continuing to play a part in something that we all so very much believe in.

Historic Times for Los Angeles

CPF Convention Report

Greetings. A year ago I had the distinct honor of running and be-ing elected as President of United Firefighters of Los Angeles City (UFLAC), IAFF Local 112. As such, I now have both the op-portunity and the responsibility to serve as Vice President for the CPF in the 8th District.

As a union official for the last several years, I have joined many others throughout this state who have come togethe at CPF Con-ventions, CPF District meetings, IAFF functions, and, most recent-ly, in the great effort we all made to defeat Proposition 32. I have

learned so much from so many of you in this great organization and enthusiastically look forward to continuing to play a part in some-thing that we all so very much believe in.

Relationships go a long way in this profession. As we move forward, UFLAC is running on a simple philosophy, “Treat us well, and we’ll treat you better. And never mistaken our kind-ness as a weakness.” This will apply to our managers and poli-ticians. Without re-hashing all of the things that all of us in CPF did to defeat the real enemies of California’s working families in our anti-Prop 32 campaign (you all know and can be proud of how well you answered the call), I will say that members and officers of Local 112 were proudly active in planning, strategy, publicity,

Historic Times for Los Angeles and phone banking in the fight. We should never be shy about reminding our members of what they accomplished last Novem-ber. That way, we’ll be better ready for the next round - as it

will inevitably come. Our PAC account took a big hit to fight Prop 32, however we will be looking into rebuilding our PAC and becoming a major player in the political arena.

The biggest change so far is the increased member participation. The Executive Board is very tal-ented, hard working, and on the same page working as a team. Our membership uniting together is something special to see.

The UFLAC membership has been through very tough times with permanent closures to 22 Trucks, Engines, Ambulances, as well as firefighters and our in-spectors.

With that said, TEAM UFLAC is going to get through things to-gether, united. Everybody is wel-come at their union hall, everyone has been included, everyone has had a voice at every meeting, and we are seeing new faces every meeting. In December 2012, we faced the possibility that a man who took the life of one of our brothers might be set free. An arsonist, who was convicted of

murder for setting the 1981 North Hollywood fire that took the life of Apparatus Operator Tom Tay-lor (and seriously injured several other firefighters), was recom-mended for parole by the State Parole Board. UFLAC and oth-ers were successful in persuading the Governor, supported also by a prison psychologist’s report, to overrule and veto the parole board and keep him in prison, citing “… negative factors that demonstrate he remains unsuitable for parole.”

We have had great success this

year in endorsing elected offi-cials and building our relations with City Council. We have in-creased out communications with City Council in an unprecedented manner and send them a weekly newsletter about issues and news clippings affecting firefighters at the local, state, and federal levels.

It has been a lot of work, but UFLAC is heading in the right direction. I am humbled to serve as the UFLAC President and as a Vice President for the CPF.

Frank Lima and Councilmember Curren Price - CD9

Firefighter of the Year Bobby “Moose” Mihlhauser


LA City ElectionsUFLAC Wins Big in LA City Elections

This year’s Primary and Gen-eral Elections in the City of Los Angeles were probably more wide-open than in any time in the past 30 years. Of the 12 of-fices up for election (all three of the city-wide offices, the 8 odd numbered Council offices, and the 6th District vacated by Coun-cilmember Cardenas’ election to Congress), 9 were for “open seats” with no incumbent running for re-election.

UFLAC participated in all 12 - and our efforts were largely suc-cessful. We endorsed in every contest after holding membership conducted candidate interviews – and membership votes for every endorsement – in several meet-ings, both at UFLAC and off-site. A special thank you goes to all who participated.

We congratulate Mayor Garcetti and look forward – along with all other City labor organi-zations – to working with him to advance the interests of those we represent and protect. May-or Garcetti is a committed and

honest public representative. In fact, just days after his election, he seconded the Alarcon motion in Council to add over $11 mil-lion to the Department budget to allow for the expansion of ambu-lance service while maintaining full Truck Company staffing.

UFLAC endorsed former Councilmember and Assembly-member Mike Feuer for City Attorney. This organization had previously endorsed him for his prior offices and has always had a good relationship with him. He was one of our best friends in Council during the dark Riordan regime. Mike won handily.

Your Union was hugely suc-cessful in the 8 City Council Elections. In the 8 completed elections, 5 UFLAC candidates won outright in the Primary and didn’t even need to go to the May 21st decider. Newcomers Bob Blumenfield, Felipe Fuentes, and Mike Bonin were elected in the 3rd, 7th, and 11th Districts respectively. Councilmembers Paul Koretz and Joe Buscaino

were re-elected in the 5th and 15th. In the 1st, 9th, and 13th Districts, there was no decision in the Primary. UFLAC supported candidates Gil Cedillo and Cur-ren Price who won their run-offs in the 1st and 9th.

It should be noted that, in the 6 even-numbered Districts for which there was no election this year, 5 of them are held by

UFLAC endorsed Councilmem-bers (Parks being the only excep-tion). Our success in this year’s election means that, when the new Council sits down in July, 13 of the 15 will have sought and received Firefighters’ support in

their most recent quest for office. We congratulate all of them

– as we do the Mayor, City At-torney, and Controller – and we anticipate working successfully together for many years to come.

Councilmember Joe Buscaino - CD15

Campaign Party for Council Member Bom Blumenfield - CD3

Campaign Party for Council Member Gil Cedillo - CD1

Campaign Party for Council Member Felipe Fuentes - CD7

UFLAC Members with Jennifer Riviera - Gil Cedillo’s new Deputy Chief of Staff

Councilmember Paul Koretz - CD5

Councilmember Curren D Price - CD9

Councilmember Mike Bonin - CD11


Active Duty DeathMario was born in San Diego

October 9, 1956. He moved to the small town of San Pedro in 1959 when times were much slower.

At that very young age, Mario was always with his doctor’s kit which lead him to his ultimate profession of serving his com-munity

The community of San Pedro embraced the family by building their character.

Raised by a single parent, Ma-rio and his brother Mark accepted the challenges of raising their younger siblings. Mario’s leader-

ship skills did not stop there, but continued to thrive throughout his middle school and high school career. Throughout those years he held the record for the 200 yard dash at Dana Middle School for 12 years, he played football for San Pedro Boys Club and he also played varsity football at San Pe-dro High for all three years and was also acclaimed MVP in 1975. After graduating high school, he continued his education at Harbor College where he graduated with his Associates in Fire Science.

His career began in 1980 when

he was hired by LAFD.In 1982 he continued his edu-

cation by transferring from fire-fighter to paramedic. The Fire Department was his life.

With his unconditional dedica-tion, unyielding passion and as-tounding work ethic he was pro-moted to fire captain. He did not take this job lightly; he carried himself with grace and integrity. Through his years as Captain he was an EMS trainer and a men-tor. He was a man who cultivated the best from within his brothers. A prime example would be his

nephew Mark Jr. From a young age my Dad was his role model, and now after he is gone he will proudly carry his legacy as a Los Angeles Firefighter. Eric, Mario’s son, was fortunate to travel the world with his father and share so many amazing memories like backpacking through the moun-tains of Machu Pichu or treading through the rainforests of Brazil. Mario taught him to go after what he wanted in life and no matter what Eric could always count on him to support his life’s deci-sions. Now that he’s gone we will

keep the memories we have close to our hearts and will never forget all of the things that he has taught us. I think this quote best ex-plains Mario “Sometimes people are beautiful. Not in looks. Not in what they say. Just in what they are.”

We as a family lost a beloved member, and you as a community lost a great icon. And although our hearts are heavy, our love is undying and together we stand with love in our hearts.

Captain Mario Martinez

In Loving Memory...

Mario MartinezCaptain

Active Duty - Fire Station 43 - AAppointed to LAFD: 1980

Deceased: July 25, 2013

The officers and members of United Firefighters of Los Ange-les City, Local 112, IAFF, AFL-CIO-CLC extends our heartfelt

condolences to the family and many friends of brother Mario Martinez.

May he rest in peace.

Photo By Tony Senior, SBAYEXPOSURE.COM

SBAYEXPOSURE.COM


Active Duty DeathIt is an honor to remember

a man who bravely served his country in the United States Air Force and then went on to serve his community as a firefighter. And it’s amazing to see someone who accomplished so much in such a short life. The LAFD is all about tradition and Jeff was one of those guys who appreciated that and set the bar high . . . for the rest of us to follow.

Jeffrey Karl Johnson was born in Los Angeles, California on Dec 1, 1957. He was the young-est of four children born to par-ents, Robert and Constancia. Jeff attended Belmont High School where he studied hard and played football, ran track & field and studied the art of Tae Kwon Do.

After High School, Jeff joined the United States Air Force. He served honorably as a “Senior Airman” from 1975 to 1979. Dur-ing his service in the Air Force, Jeff earned a good conduct med-al, an Outstanding Unit Award, and an Honorable Discharge in 1979

In 1981, Jeff joined the Los Angeles Fire Department. He started his career in the San Fer-nando Valley at Drill Tower 89 and then was assigned to various areas of the City. He then promot-ed through the ranks of Apparatus Operator, Captain I and Captain II.

Jeff worked everywhere from West L.A., East L.A., Hollywood, South L.A., and Downtown. Cap-tain Johnson also served in spe-cial duty assignments as a Drill Tower Instructor at the Academy and at Building Administration. Jeff was very content to end his career at his last assignment- Fire Station 29.

In all, Captain Johnson served the Los Angeles community for just over 32 years. He will be missed by the men and women of the Los Angeles Fire Department. Members of the LAFD who had the privilege of working with Jeff described him as being a quiet, conscientious and talented leader who cared for the people in the community he so proudly served,

as well as his firefighter family.Jeff spent his off duty time

enjoying photography and was particularly proud of one of his photos being published in the lo-cal newspaper. He loved playing golf, riding bikes, flying radio control helicopters and listening to music. His favorite past time was traveling and spending time with his family.

Captain II Jeffrey K. Johnson

In Loving Memory...

Jeffrey “JJ” JohnsonCaptain II

Active Duty - Fire Station 29 “B”Appointed to LAFD: 1981

Deceased: July 29, 2013





Active Duty DeathOn Saturday, August 24, 2013,

hundreds of family members, friends and many firefighters from outside agencies joined the McKnight’s church family and Los Angeles Fire Department’s uniform detail at the Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village to pay tribute to our good friend Matt McKnight. Matt died unexpectedly while he was on duty and in command at the Met-ro Fire Communications Center in the early morning hours on August 12, 2013.

Matt was originally appointed to the LAFD as a single-function paramedic on May 3, 1982, and spent about four years work-ing at various busy assignments. Then on February 2, 1986, Matt was appointed to the Firefighter Drill Tower. During his time as a firefighter, Matt worked at many locations throughout the city, but his favorite assignment was the time that was spent at Fire Sta-

tion 14. The best way to describe Matt’s reputation on the job is, “he was a firemen’s fireman”.

During Matt’s career, he worked as a Peer Group Instruc-tor at Westlake Training, he was a dispatcher back in the days of OCD and Matt was also a Staff Assistant, where he drove a few different chiefs including the Drill Master from his own Drill Tower, Battalion Chief, John Squire.

Matt was promoted to the rank of captain in 2003. When his cap-tain’s list was published, Matt was at the top of the list in the number one position. He was a well-respected captain on our job who lead by example and pro-vided outstanding leadership. In 2004, while assigned to the In-Service Training Section, Matt served as the department’s Para-medic Training Officer where he was instrumental in reviving our program delivery. This change

greatly enhanced the number of members who volunteered to at-tend the training.

In March of 2007, Matt volun-teered to return to OCD, this time as an officer. His prior experience as a dispatcher served him well as he quickly became a well-respect-ed and competent Floor Captain. Matt was a calming presence on the dispatch floor, easily handling

the challenging demands during busy floor operations. Matt as-sisted with the transition from OCD to the new facility at MFC and worked hard to bring the new facility up to fully operational status. Matt entered the DROP in July of 2012 and intended to fin-ish his career assigned to MFC.

Matt’s dedication and commit-ment to what he believed in both

on and off duty earned him high praise from everyone whose life he touched. He will be missed by all of us.

Last month, UFLAC success-fully lobbied the City Council to pass a resolution granting 100% of Matt’s sick time pay to be di-rected to his surviving spouse and young children.

Captain Matt McKnight

In Loving Memory...

Matt McKnightCaptain

Active Duty - Metro Fire CommunicationsAppointed to LAFD: 1982Deceased: August 12. 2013




“There are no bad days, just some are better than others.”

- Matthew G. McKnight


LAFD in Action


Photo By Juan Guerra

Photo By Steve Gentry


Photo By Adam VanGerpen

Photo By Greg Doyle


LAFD in Action

Photo By Rick McClure Photo By Steve Gentry

Photo By Keith D. Cullom Photo By Rick McClure

The Los Angeles Fire Depart-ment proudly assisted the Neigh-borhood Councils of the San Fer-nando Valley at the 6th Annual Valley Disaster Preparedness Fair on October 5, 2013

The Fair was held at Fire Sta-tion 87 in Granada Hills an sponsored jointly by the North-ridge East, Northridge West, Northridge South, Granada Hills South, Granada Hills North, Lake Balboa, Chatsworth, North Hills West, Porter Ranch and Mission Hills Neighborhood Councils, The Valley Disaster Preparedness

Fair is designed to help everyone in the community be prepared for emergencies and disasters.

The sponsoring Neighborhood Councils gave away 500 emer-gency preparedness starter kits.

There was free food and a blood drive sponsored by Rotary and Kaiser hospital. The Yogi Bear Shakey-Quakey School House. Free Child ID’s by Grana-da Hills Masons and Radio Dis-ney were there.

Along with detailed prepared-ness information, folks witnessed demonstrations and interacted

with local LAFD, LAPD, LAD-WP, HAM Radio Operators, Community Emergency Re-sponse Team (CERT) members as well as representatives from the Civil Air Patrol and American Red Cross. The first 100 CERT members to the event received a special appreciation gift. It was a fun and free event for the whole family.

6th Annual Valley Disaster Preparedness Fair

Photos By Adam VanGerpen

CD 12 Staff


Reasonable Suspicion

By Rey Delgado,Director

It is an honor to be serving my brothers and sisters of UFLAC but unfortunately my four terms in office include “ after hours”calls to assist a member in difficult situations.” Reasonable Suspicion” is a term used when a supervisor, usually a Captain, suspects that an employee is under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

The determination is usually based on behavior but other reasons could also exist. When the Captain makes that determination

he or she will notify the Battalion Chief who will immediately place the employee and sometimes the apparatus the employee was working on “ out of service “. Internal Affairs ( PSD ) is immediately notified and a cadre of PSD staff is dispatched to the work location.

The cadre usually includes the PSD Chief, a PSD Captain and maybe a civilian PSD member that is in training.

PSD will notify UFLAC that a “Reasonable Suspicion “ process is being initiated. A UFLAC representative will be sent to the work location to witness and preserve the rights of our UFLAC members.

As a UFLAC representative and Executive Board member, I recommend that any member who is in this situation not discuss ANYTHING until the UFLAC representative arrives and can advise you.

The member is not required to discuss the matter with anyone until the member is represented.

The member may be asked that his or her vehicle be searched. That answer should be absolutely NO.

A supervisor will usually be ordered to follow the member in the work location and not allow the member to be unaccompanied.

The member’s locker will be secured and any items taken from the locker will need an approval by the PSD representative on scene.

The member will be read an admonition and ordered to cooperate with the urine test.

The member will then be ordered to provide a urine sample, which will be witnessed by a PSD representative. After the urine sample the PSD cadre will provide the member transportation to the residence because of the alleged liability that PSD may encounter.

The member may be asked about any medication he or she may be taking. Medication and medical history is protected by HIPPA, a federal law.

If the supervisor or PSD

suspects alcohol intoxication, a scientific analysis will eliminate any physiological or any other etiologies that may explain the alleged behavior.

According to the LAFD a member should always be presumed innocent until a preponderance of evidence determines otherwise.

As a UFLAC representative and Executive Board member I advise that if a member is taking any medication , even a Doctor

prescribed medication, he or she should use good judgement when reporting for duty.

“Reasonable Suspicion “ is a difficult road to travel but our members need to know that your rights will be protected and the final determination will be based on evidence and not suspicion as the term reads.

If any members would like to discuss this article please call me (213) 392-1546

I just wanted to take this time and write a quick note to you all. I would like to think everyone who voted for me and re-elected me to another term on the Executive Board of UFLAC. I am excited to be back and have already jumped right in and started working on your behalf. It is indeed and

honor and a privilege to represent the men and women of this great Union and Department. President Lima has graciously appointed me to the Negotiating Team and Benefits Trust once again and I look forward to these challenging assignments.

The President is working hard to once again unite this Board and our membership, and I support his endeavor. We will surely face some of the most difficult challenges we have ever faced over the next two years. We will all need to work together to survive the attacks and come out even stronger. It will take a strong commitment from our Board and Management, to move forward and restore our resources and membership levels back to where they belong. I have hope that a

new Mayor and City Council will stand ready to support our efforts and bring this Department back to full strength. It will take this Board and Management, working together, to explain that second best is not good enough for the citizens we serve. Public Safety must always remain the number one priority of this City.

I also look forward to once again come to the table and negotiate the salaries and benefits that our members have earned and worked so hard for. During these hard economic times our membership has rose to the occasion, and given back more than its fair share. Now is the time however for the City to say “thank you”, and restore our benefits and resources. We have done so much, with so little, for

far too long. Each of you has demonstrated the kind of high quality individuals who work for this Department. The City should be proud of you and I have no

problem reminding them of that at the table!

Thank you all once again. Be safe out there and be good to each other.

I Am Excited To Be Back

By David Pimentle,Director

Photos By Adam VanGerpen, Editor

On November 10th USMC LAFD Veteran’s celebrated the 238th Marine Corps Birthday at the LAFD Fire Museum in Hollywood. Every year, Marines get together for this celebration no matter where they are or if they are active or retired.

The LAFD and UFLAC have

a proud history of supporting members of our military. Last year the LAFD won the Pro-Patria award for how the Department treats our Military reservists. All current reservists are encouraged to submit applications for the ESGR Freedom Award.

Semper Fi

Veteran’s Corner


Avoid Carbon Monoxide RisksBy Jim Brinkley,IAFF Blog

About 50 Atlanta school children were sent to the hospital with carbon monoxide exposure Monday. The scary incident put a spotlight on how lethal carbon monoxide can be. Here are some tips for IAFF members on how to protect themselves on incident scenes.

Known as the silent killer because you can’t see it or smell it, carbon monoxide is the number-one cause of poisoning deaths in the world. However, only 25 states require carbon

monoxide detectors in residential buildings.

Exposure to carbon monoxide can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. This is important considering nearly 50 percent of line-of-duty deaths among fire fighters are a result of heart disease and stroke.

Carbon monoxide exposure puts fire fighters at significant risk at the scene of a fire. Even mild carbon monoxide exposure can cause mental confusion – which can lead to poor decision making, putting both the exposed fire fighter and others at the fire

scene at risk.That’s why it’s so important to

wear your SCBA during overhaul and to test for carbon monoxide in the air before removing your SCBA or allowing residents back into the structure.

You can read this factsheet and go to this web site for more information.

The more you know about carbon monoxide poisoning, the better you’ll be able to avoid the unnecessary risk it presents.

Reprinted from www.iaff.org

Your Union constantly is looking out for your health,

safety, and welfare. Months ago the Department and UFLAC

joined together in a Union driven Letter of Agreement regarding a ‘Overhaul reduction’ trial program, and a ‘Limited use of turnouts in living quarters’ program. UFLAC attends the finest Health and Safety training in the nation. Just last month your UFLAC leadership attended an IAFF Health and Safety Symposium in Denver, Colorado, with the LAFD Safety Officer. We attended classes together regarding new turnouts, proper turnout gear care, and correct tracking of personal protective equipment (PPE).

The department is moving forward with the “Managed PPE Plan” which will now begin to align the department with NFPA 1851 regarding the selection, use, and maintenance of PPE’s. Your Union and the department

are moving forward together to minimize your exposure to contaminated gear, and create a safer environment for our members. Remember, Firefighters have a much higher rate of cancer than the normal population. That is why UFLAC has been involved, and continues to be involved in pushing legislation like Cancer presumptive. Many states in the union do not have that legislation, and you can thank your Union, not the City for the cancer presumptive legislation we currently have.

The tracking and personal sizing portions of this PPE plan, are set to begin on Monday, September 9, 2013. The first portion of the program endeavors to size each member, bar code turnouts, and enter information into the data base.

As this project moves forward UFLAC will continue to monitor and support the department, as long as they stay in alignment with providing you the best equipment possible.

This program will certainly have a lot of questions generated. However, this is a vital program pushed by the Union, and recently supported by the department. It seeks to ensure the safety of our members, limit the serious health risks of contaminated gear, improve the selection, use and maintenance of your PPE’s.

Thank you for your all of your hard work out there on the line. Continue to stay safe even though 20% of our department was permanently cut, and Truck companies continue to be run below the minimum staffing levels.

UFLAC Pushes For Health and Safety of MembersPhoto By Juan Guerra

Health & Safety

Photo By Greg Doyle

On the eve of the 12th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, an historic meeting was held at the UFLAC Union Hall for our membership as well as for Chief Officers, retirees, and civilians affected by the exposures to the World Trade Center (WTC) while serving as rescue workers. The presentation, given by the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) Department of Occupational Health and Safety, outlined the resources available to 9/11 responders through the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. The Zadroga Act, signed into law by President Obama in 2011, was monumental Federal legislation lobbied by your IAFF and your UFLAC Executive Board which provides health care and financial aid for First Responders and

survivors of the 9/11 attacks.The meeting, with standing

room only, was kicked off by UFLAC President Frank Lima and IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger. A professional expert on the World Trade Center legislation and health program came from New York/Washington, D.C. to present a lecture educating our people on how to sign up and properly register for the national WTC Health Program. A special thanks to Theresa Gorman for her excellent presentation and for answering all the questions from the members present.

A sincere thanks to our IAFF Federal union, our CPF State union, the UFLAC Executive Board and Staff for providing such a great meeting open to all. Those who attended included members from the Urban Search and Rescue team CA-TF 1, and Firefighters who attended voluntarily on their own initiative. Also in attendance from the IAFF was Chief of Staff to the General President Pete Gorman, the President of FDNY Uniformed Officers Union Local 854 on September 11th, 2001, and several IAFF staff. From the California

Professional Firefighters (CPF), was our State Union President Lou Paulson. Thank you to the Los Angeles City Fire Department for working with UFLAC on this informational session and to Becca Doten from the Mayor’s Office of Homeland Security and Public Safety for attending. UFLAC also demonstrated its close working relationship with our Brothers and Sisters in blue with the presence of President Tyler Izen and Vice President Corina Lee from the Los Angeles Police Protective League.

The IAFF and UFLAC made sure that no firefighter was left behind, nobody was forgotten, and everybody was included equally. The relationships that your UFLAC leadership has forged and continues to build across the United States of America are coming back to benefit our membership and UFLAC will continue to seek the best training in Occupational Health and Safety for you.

UFLAC also recently played a key role in securing a second pair of Structure Fire Turnout Protective Equipment for you with the department. These innovative actions are just a couple examples

of what UFLAC does on behalf of you, your health, and your family’s wellbeing.

For more information on the Zadroga Act, please view the

following links that open up to the documents that were provided at the UFLAC meeting on September 10th.

UFLAC Leading the Way for Health and Safety

IAFF President Schaitberger Addressing UFLAC MembersPhotos By Oli Sanchez

www.iaff.org


On his third day in office, UFLAC was honored to host Chief Featherstone and Assistant Chief Villanueva at the Firefighter Cancer Support Network’s 6th Annual Gala Dinner & Fundraiser. This was a wonderful opportunity to share our mutual concerns regarding critical issues like high cancer rates in Firefighters and various medical risks our members face on a daily basis.

The Firefighter Cancer Support Network (FCSN) is a 501(c)3 charitable foundation organized to provide timely assistance and one-on-one support to fire/

EMS service members and their families in the event of cancer diagnosis and to educate the fire/EMS service about cancer awareness, prevention, early detection, and treatment options. The FCSN was founded in 2005 by Los Angeles County Fire Department FF/PM Mike Dubron (survivor of stage IV colon cancer) and UFLAC is proud to be an original sponsor of the foundation. A big thanks to Mike for all that he has done to help his brothers and sisters as this organization now helps people nationwide.

UFLAC looks forward to

continuing to support the FCSN’s efforts as well as a productive working relationship with Chief Featherstone in the months ahead. To learn more about FCSN, visit

firefightercancersupport.org.

Community Events6th Annual Firefighter Cancer Support Network Gala

Councilmember Mitchell Eng-lander hosted the 2013 E Awards For Excellence in Public Safety Recognition Luncheon for public safety personnel in the San Fer-nando Valley.

Joined by Mayor Eric Garcetti, City Controller Ron Galperin, Councilmembers Bob Blumen-field, Joe Buscaino, Felipe Fuen-tes and Paul Krekorian, and many others, we recognized outstand-ing individuals of the San Fer-

nando Valley.This year’s E Awards are a

continuation of a long tradition of recognizing public safety he-roes for their extraordinary acts of bravery and service with the Police Officers, Firefighters and Paramedics Recognition Lun-cheon initiated by former Coun-cilmember of the 12th District, Hal Bernson, and continued by Councilmember Greig Smith, and the Z Awards for ExZellence,

started by Councilmember Den-nis Zine.

The E Awards is a tribute to our heroes of public safety for the in-credible service they provide to our community, honoring our San Fernando Valley tradition while embracing the new. We recog-nized only a handful of the many law enforcement and public safe-ty personnel who put their lives on the line each and every day to protect our community.

2013 E Awards for Excellence in Public Service

LAFD E Award Honorees: Pilot Rick Wheeler, Captain Raul Miranda, Councilmember Englander, Firefighter Christopher Winn, Firefighter Kendal Koneval, and LAFD Chief Deputy Daren Palacios

Dan Crow, Mike Dubron, Donna MacDonald

Fire Chief Jim Featherstone at UFLAC Table Dave Gillotte, Maria Riggs, Michelle Staal, Frank LimaEmcee Mary Parks

firefightercancersupport.org


LegislativeIAFF Secures Long Needed Improvements to PSOB

Please see below a copy of the notification we recently received from the IAFF describing certain improvements they have fought for and secured in the administra-tion of the federal Public Safety Officer Benefits (PSOB) program. Over the years, the program had become burdened by red tape, re-sulting in many cases of unneces-sary and harmful delays in paying the needed and deserved benefits to the survivors of firefighters and police officers killed in the line of duty. Of particular concern has been the interference in the pro-cessing of claims by the DOJ’s Office of General Council (OGC). The Union pushed for and got a review of the procedures which has resulted, among other im-provements, in getting the OGC removed from the process.

UFLAC commends General President Schaitberger and the IAFF staff for their success in this

important matter.

PSOB Bureaucratic Red Tape Finally Shredded

The Department of Justice, which administers the Public Safety Officer Benefits (PSOB) program, has made major im-provements to the process for reviewing and approving claims. Over the last several years, the program had become laden with excessive bureaucratic require-ments and unreasonable delays in paying benefits to families of the fallen that were a result of the unnecessary and troublesome in-tervention of the DoJ’s Office of General Counsel (OGC).

The IAFF was instrumental in getting Congress to pass the ini-tial PSOB program, and was the principal author of every amend-ment affecting IAFF members’ coverage and the benefit amounts. Delay in payments of those ben-

efits had increased, hurting the families of fallen fire fighters. The IAFF has been at the forefront in advocating a thorough review of these issues and a process to re-form the program by taking the OGC out of the process.

“We worked to get these ben-efits in place so that if one of our members makes that ultimate sac-rifice, the family has some peace of mind financially,” says IAFF General President Harold Schait-berger. “It has been a long and frustrating journey, with attempts to shelf the legislation and make changes that would have made it ineffective, but we are finally see-ing solid results of our efforts to identify the problems and fix the program.”The PSOB program will now be entirely managed within the Bureau of Justice Programs, re-moving the Office of the General Counsel from the process. This

change will ensure that benefits are paid quickly and efficiently to the survivors of those killed pro-tecting their communities.

Passed in 1976, the PSOB pro-gram provides a one-time line-of-duty death benefit to the survivors of fallen fire fighters, police of-ficers and other first responders. Over the years the law was re-vised to provide benefits for pub-

lic safety officers who died as the result of heart attacks and strokes while discharging their duties.

Other changes as a result of the review of the program include moving to an entirely paperless online system that allows claim-ants to file and monitor the prog-ress of their claims.

Union’s Massive LA Mobilization Helped Deliver the Statewide Margins of Defeat for 32 and Victory for 30

LOS ANGELES – Because of a mammoth grass-roots mobiliza-tion by L.A. Labor, Los Angeles County racked up 1,406,707 mil-lion votes or 28 percent of the 5,086,590 million-vote statewide margin by which Californians rejected Proposition 32, the anti-union measure on the November 6 ballot, according to figures

posted by the Secretary of State’s office. The same labor-backed endeavor contributed 1,351,925 million votes or 27 percent of the 4,959,206 million-vote statewide margin by which voters approved Proposition 30, Gov. Brown’s tax measure for schools and public safety.

In the final 12 weeks before

the fall election, the Los Ange-les County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO and its affiliated local unions ran a full-blown campaign to defeat Prop. 32 and pass Prop. 30 out of 21 offices spread from Lancaster to San Pedro and from Culver City to Claremont. More than 20,000 union members and labor activists made phone calls and walked door-to-door, tar-geting four million registered county voters. Those combined efforts produced 500,000 one-on-one conversations with vot-ers.

“Yes, we helped raise money so labor could compete with television ads because L.A. and California are so big,” said Maria Elena Durazo, executive secre-tary-treasurer of the county fed-eration. “But we also put much of our resources into mobilizing rank-and file union members

who walked the precincts and made the phone calls. Tuesday’s triumph against 32 and for 30 demonstrated what a local labor movement could do to change the way unions do politics. Instead of simply acting as an ATM machine for political candidates, L.A. La-bor dedicated itself to educating union members, registering them to vote, getting them to work in the campaigns and getting them to the polls. That helped make the difference in L.A. County, and the state.”

Durazo continues political practices begun by her late hus-band, Miguel Contreras, in the mid-1990s. They made the coun-ty labor federation, the second largest central labor body in the U.S., a model for the nation, able to put thousands of activists on the streets during any given elec-tion contest.

“Democracy can’t just be the play thing of the Koch brothers, Karl Rove and the Munger fami-ly,” Durazo said. “There has nev-er before been an election where the super-rich played so direct a role. With unlimited money they come into California like an in-vading army trying to silence the voice of workers through sup-port for Prop. 32, and to starve our schools, children, teachers and public safety by opposing Prop. 30. Yet their money could not overcome the hard work of firefighters, teachers, construc-tion workers, grocery clerks, ho-tel workers, longshoremen, truck drivers, nurses, and stagehands talking to family, friends, neigh-bors and co-workers.”

Reprinted from: http://launionaflcio.org

Harold Schaitberger, Elena Durazo, Lou Paulson, Lew Stone

UFLAC Supports Council President Herb WessonThank You for a Great Turn-

out to Support Council President Herb Wesson

On Wednesday, October 23rd, UFLAC co-hosted a fundraising reception with Jimmy Blackman & Associates for City Council President Herb Wesson’s re-elec-

tion campaign at your Union Hall. President Wesson is the leader of the Los Angeles City Council, a member of the critical Executive Employee Relations Committee (EERC), and someone who will be a champion for our Firefight-ers, Paramedics, and Inspectors as

we continue to fight to restore our Department.

UFLAC was honored to have some very special guests attend, including California State Sen-ate pro Tem Darrell Steinberg and California Professional Fire-fighters President Lou Paulson. Senator Steinberg and President Paulson were gracious enough to stay and address our members at the General Membership meeting that followed the morning fund-raiser to provide updates on State legislation that affects us here at the local level.

During the meeting, we also had the opportunity to hear from John Gregory who serves as the Legislative Director to LA City Councilmember Mike Bonin. As you know, Councilmembers Bonin and O’Farrell introduced a motion in City Council to ad-dress the critical staffing need in

our Department and we support their efforts to begin restoring Firefighters back into the Depart-ment with dual Drill Tower Acad-emy classes. Thank you to John for taking the time to give us an insightful and informative pre-sentation on the current state of the LAFD.

Overall, the fundraiser and membership meeting were a re-sounding success and we thank all of you who attended and sup-ported!

Educating our elected officials on the important matters that Firefighters, Paramedics and In-vestigators face is an ongoing process. Over the past several months we have done extensive outreach to the Mayor and the members of the Los Angeles City Council to educate them on our issues and fight for the members of our Department. Let’s continue

to show our elected leaders that the dedicated men and women of the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City are engaged in the issues that impact the health and welfare of our members and the safety of the communities that we serve.

Frank Lima, CPF President Lou Paulson, California State Sen-ate pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, Council President Herb Wesson

http://launionaflcio.org


EAP

By Nancy Mraz, CEAP

I would like to take the opportunity in this issue to remind our members and their families of the wide variety of services we offer in the Employee Assistance Program. We provide assessments on alcohol/drug problems and referral to treatment programs.

We also have extensive lists of counselors, both individual and marital. We have created a packet on elder care issues, and recently held 2 elder care workshops. We are also in the process of planning to repeat this workshop in new locations later this year. The EAP is also able to provide callers with names and number of lawyers practicing in many different specialties. On the UFLAC/EAP website is a complete list of pamphlets we have available in our office dealing with a wide variety of issues. We have also put the EAP Financial Guide on our website, this booklet deals with money issues from a multitude of perspectives from budgeting, consumer protection, to information on how couples sometimes have difficulties working together on money decisions.

If you have a situation doesn’t appear to be resolving itself, or solutions seem to be in short supply give us a call. Sometimes having someone help brainstorm a problem may uncover remedies you weren’t aware of.

It has also been the subject of much discussion that at multiple Fire Departments have seen an alarming increase in suicides among their members and extended families in the last couple of years. Theses departments, like LAFD, have EAP’S and multiple other services on mental health issues. So if the resources are available how can individuals be so close to help and so unable to access it? While the reasons may vary from individual to individual each of us needs to acknowledge that when a person slips into such despair, no matter what the reason, that

ending their life seems to be the only alternative they may no longer be in a position to help themselves.

This brings us to the meaning of the headline of this column, can each of us see ourselves as the bridge to help. You may be unsure how to approach someone about contacting the EAP, or how to open a conversation about what is troubling them. However if you’re willing to try, lives may be saved. Over the years I have helped many of you strategize how to approach someone you’re concerned about, and in many instances it has paid off in that individual contacting this office for help. Some of the saddest conversations I’ve had, were with friends/co-workers that knew someone was in a downward spiral and because no one knew what to do, and were afraid of

doing the “wrong” thing, they did nothing.

In these situations I frequently hear, “I wonder what would have happened if I had done…” or “I wonder what would have been different if I had said….?” There are no answers to these questions; none of us will know what would have been different. So in a very real sense we are our brothers keeper, we can and must look out for each other.

Give the EAP a call and we will help you look for the opportunities to become that bridge and potentially save a life. We can be reached at (800)252-8352, option 3 during business hours. After regular office hours and on the weekends we can be reached by calling our answering service at (213)250-1212.

A Bridge to Somewhere

How to Handle an In-Flight Medical Emergency EMSI am asleep at 30,000 feet when

I am woken up by a chime in the aircraft requesting a medical professional. In Los Angeles nearly 80% of our calls are EMS and I am Firefighter / Paramedic so I am push the call button and identify myself as a LAFD Paramedic.

Most Firefighters like to travel and you could easily find yourself in the same position I was in. Several things were going through my head as I approached the patient. I was not aware of what kind of medications or equipment were on the aircraft. I was not sure if I could legally give the medications, and I was not sure if I did give the medications if I was covered legally.

With a substantial increase in air traffic and an increase in the elderly population it is only a matter of time until you will be called on to assist a patient in flight. We all have a duty to act and if you are educated on in-flight emergencies you will be more willing to assist.

Aircraft Medical KitsI was initially very impressed

with the contents of the on board medical kit or what the FAA calls EMK. The EMK was designed to be more of a Doctor kit but has most of the medications that we carry in Los Angeles County.

You will be happy to find a stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, AED, BVM of assorted sizes, IV’s, cardiac medications,

antihistamines, and D50 to name a few.

The contents of the EMK are mandated by the FAA but most airlines exceed the requirements. Some of the limitations of the EMK include:

• Most do not include a glucometer so you might need to ask the passengers on board if anybody has one. I am currently working with a Airline at LAX requesting that they add a glucometer to their aircraft fleet.

• You will be not be able to get a 12-lead or SpO2 saturation level on most aircraft.

• Oxygen tank regulators are often low flow and may not be compatible with BVM.

Am I Covered?As EMT’s and Paramedic’s we

are all covered off duty under Good Samaritan laws. Additionally, while in the air we are covered by the Aviation Medical Assistance Act by Congress. We still need to act within our scope and will be covered unless there is gross negligence or willful misconduct. If you treat the in-flight emergency like any other medical call at the fire station you should be covered.

Use common sense and make contact with a ground physician just like you are contacting a base station hospital. I contacted a physician in Phoenix using a

headset provided by the flight attendant. MedLink was the service I used and it was very efficient. I was able to speak directly to the pilot of the aircraft and gave a report to the physician in Phoenix just like I was contacting base.

Challenges of In-Flight Emergencies

One of the biggest challenges you will encounter will be your environment. You will be working in tight quarters with equipment you may or not be familiar with and it can be very loud.

As LAFD members we are used to working in adverse conditions and the environment on an aircraft is actually much easier to work in than many of our incidents.

We are used to having a standard emergency kit but it will vary in the air depending on which air carrier you choose. Some airlines far exceed the FAA mandated minimum and some airlines only provide what is mandated.

You will be working in a small space. Flight Attendants are trained to assist people to the floor but you may need to ask for assistance from other passengers to get them to a galley or create more work space.

It can be difficult to auscultate so you may need to palpate a blood pressure.

You might encounter problems with other medical professionals. I have encountered both an EMT with very little experience who wanted to run the incident and a physician on the aircraft who was more than happy to let me run the incident. It is important to take charge of the in-flight medical emergency if you are the most qualified.

Flight DiversionGenerally the Physician you

talk to on Med-Link will make the recommendation to divert the aircraft of not. Remember that you are painting them a picture and if you firmly feel the aircraft needs to be diverted and do an emergency landing then you need to justify it.

Ultimately the decision to divert is up to the pilot. There is a large number of contributing factors that go into deciding to divert.

Incident ReportThe type of report taken varies

from airline to airline. When I was called to act I asked the Flight Attendant for a pen and paper so I could get the patients history, allergies, medications, and vitals

signs recorded. I was asked by the airlines to fill out a very short form that looks nothing like our ePCR or old 902M. Remember to be cognizant of the patients HIPPA rights. It is always a good idea to make note of what medications you gave and what procedures you performed as long as you don’t violate the patient’s HIPPA rights in the process.

ConclusionNow that you know that aircraft

have EMK ‘Doctor Kits’ on board and that you will be covered by the Good Samaritan Law and Aviation Medical Assistance Act hopefully the next time a medical professional is called in-flight you will step up and lend assistance.

The kits are not perfect but they are a drastic improvement from the basic kits in the past and they continue to evolve. The improvement being taken by the FAA and the airlines will save lives.

I am actively pursuing getting glucometers added to an airline fleet. Please contact me for any suggestions in getting glucometers added to aircraft or if you have any questions about this article.

By Adam VanGerpen, Editor


2013-2014 UFLACExecutive Board

PRESIDENTFrank Lima, Captain II ................................. UFLAC Office

FIRST VICE PRESIDENTTony Gamboa, Apparatus Operator ............ UFLAC Office

SECOND VICE PRESIDENTChuong Ho, Firefighter...................................Fire Station 105-C

TREASURERBrian Hishinuma, Captain II ........................ Fire Station 49-A

SECRETARYFreddy Escobar, Captain I............................ Fire Station 26-B

DIRECTORSDave Pimentle, Captain/Paramedic..............EMS 15-AMike Tobey, Captain/Paramedic .................. EMS 1-CJohn Cappon................................................... Fire Station 85-ARey Delgado .................................................... Fire Station 42-BDomingo Albarron......................................... Fire Station 56-C

BUSINESS REPRESENTATIVEMike McOsker, .............................................. UFLAC Office

EAP DIRECTORNancy Mraz, CEAP ........................................ UFLAC Office

EDITORAdam VanGerpen, Firefighter / Paramedic..Fire Station 87-A

General Membership Meeting(2nd Pay Period of Every Month)

Location – James A. Perry Labor Center1571 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026Refreshments and Free Parking Available

Union Stewards NeededWe are in the process of reorganizing and updating our Union Stewards Program. It is our goal to have a Union Steward at every work location. Current and prospective Stewards are requested to contact the James A. Perry Labor Center at (800) 252-8352.

This emblem on the masthead of any labor publication certifies that the publica-tion is a member in good standing of the International Labor Communications

Association and is bound to observe the ILCA Code of Ethics.

IAFF and AFL-CIO affiliates have prior approval to reprint or excerpt articles in the Los Angeles Firefighter — Please include credit line.

Note: Photos and cartoons may not be reprinted without the expressed written permission of the photographer or artist.

The Los Angeles Firefighter(ISSN #0190-7573)

Local 112, IAFF, AFL-CIO-CLCOfficial Publication of the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City is

Published Seasonally Periodical Postage paid at Los Angeles, CA

Known Office of Publication isUnited Firefighters of Los Angeles City,

1571 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles,California 90026-5798

POSTMASTER: Send Address Changes to The Los Angeles Firefighter1571 Beverly Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90026-5798

Union Office Phone NumbersAdministration:

(213) 895-4006 - (213) 485-2091 - Toll Free (800) 252-8352Benefits:

(213) 895-4990FAX: (213) 250-5678

Website: www.uflac.orgEAP Office: (213) 895-0910 or (800) 252-8352

EAP FAX: (213) 481-1038EAP 24 Hr. Help Line

Answering Service: (213) 250-1212

AffiliationsInternational Assn. of Fire Fighters, AFL-CIO-CLC

California Professional Fire Fighters, AFL-CIOL.A. County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO

California Labor Federation, AFL-CIOAmerican Federation of Labor

International Labor Communications Association, AFL-CIO-CLC

Contributing PhotographersMike Meadows, Juan Guerra, Adam VanGerpen, Shawn Kaye,Yvonne Griffin, Jeff Zimmerman, Steve Gentry, David DeMulle, Rick McClure, John Conkle,

Ryan Babroff, Ryan Ling, Bernie Deyo, Gene Blevins, EPN, LAFPThis union newspaper is printed by a union printer on union-made recycled paper.

Services DirectoryDepartment of Fire and

Police Pensions

360 East Second Street, Suite 400

Los Angeles, CA 90012(213) 978-4545

www.lacity.org/pen

ACTIVE MEMBERS

Applying for aService Pension(213) 978-4575

Applying for a Disability Pension

(213) 978-4500

Applying forDROP participation

(213) 978-4568

Buying Back Time(Academy Time, Bad Time,

Prior Service)(213) 978-4522

Contribution Statements(For Divorce, Loans,

Verification of Contribution)(213) 978-4522

Pre-Retirement Planning Seminars

(213) 978-4522

Refund of Contributions(213) 978-4522

Domestic Partner Information(213) 978-4522

RETIRED MEMBERS

Name, Address & TelephoneNumber Changes(213) 978-4575

Cost of Living(213) 978-4495

Direct Deposit (213) 978-4495

Tax Withholding(213) 978-4495

1099Rs(Year-End Tax Statements)

(213) 978-4420

Health/Dental Subsidy(213) 978-4560

Health/Dental Plans:Fire Relief (Health Only)

(800) 244-3439

UFLAC(800) 252-8352

Station StewardsWinter 2013

If You See An Error…The Los Angeles Fire-

fighter strives to maintain ac-curacy and fairness in all sto-ries, graphics, photographs and other copy that appears in our union newspaper. It is our practice to correct errors in the issue immediately following their discovery.

If you have a correction or clarification request, please call the UFLAC office at (800) 252-8352 or email us at [email protected].

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001 B David Braun 005 A Mario A. Garcia 007 A Nicholas Gonzales 008 C Mark Kleckner 009 A Felipe Villegas 009 C Adrian Vasquez 010 C Kevin Willis 011 C Gregory C. Malais 015 A Cameron R. Kennedy 018 A Robert Perez 018 A Daniel Mattera 018 C Leonard Gribbons 021 A Harold Raphael 033 A Craig Poulson 033 C Ronald Harmon 034 C Joseph Smith 035 C Daniel Foote 037 A Jose Holguin 037 C Christopher Martinez 037 A Jose Holguin 038 C Richard Shortle 039 A John Cardenas 042 C Ruben Terrazas 043 B John Balich 044 A Charles Garcia 044 B David Raya 046 A Brian Wall 047 C Mark Rousseau 047 B Chris Stellern 049 C Stephen Meiche 056 C Oliver Fry 058 C Kristine Larson 059 A Ryan Howes 061 C Martin Enriquez 062 B Alicia Mathis 064 A Christopher Bustamante 066 A John Marasco 066 C Anthony R. Temple 068 A Andrew Balandis 069 B Raymond Cuevas 072 C Henry Gasparri 076 C Francisco “Frank” Hurtado 077 B M. Benjamin J. Rossell 080 C Brendan O’Connor 083 C Rigo Arellano 084 A Thomas G. Chamberlin 085 A Ed Campos 085 A Hector Hernandez 085 B Eduardo Campos 085 B John Maestri 085 C Charles Herrera 087 A Adam VanGerpen 087 C Kenny Breskin 090 C Dane Jackson 092 A Christopher Contreras 096 A Ryan Quigley 096 B James Krebs 102 C George James 104 B Glen A. Kratkin 104 B James Krebs 105 B Keith Massey 108 A Paolo Sasso 109 B Benjamin R. Guzman 111 B Harold Hix 112 C John Donato LT MIL S Scott Carter VFP S Scott Miller VPP S Russell K. Rawls VIU S Jeffrey Rickey LEGAL S John Vigil

Station Stewards MeetingsTime: 7:30 a.m.

James A. PerryIn Memory Of...

Editor

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@UFLAC

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Increasing CommunicationsCommunications

Now, more than ever it is im-portant to continue to increase our communications to our mem-bers. We have been sending out regular email blasts to the mem-bership as well as sending bulle-tins out to the fire stations in order to reach the maximum number of members. We are also broadcast-ing updates through our website, Facebook, and Twitter accounts. Our followers are slowly but surely increasing. If you are not already following @UFLAC on Twitter and Facebook be sure and start today. If you are not regis-tered on the website or you have forgotten your password you can contact me at [email protected] or go put in a request from the website.

LA Press Club FinalistThe Los Angeles Firefighter

Newspaper won an 2nd place award for Best In-House / Cor-

porate Newspaper for 2012. The LAFD Blog took home a 1st place prize, and the Let’s Roll Documentary produced by Matt Holwick about the LAFD and LACoFD members who rode their bicycles from LA to NYC to honor the victims of 9/11 also received an award.

City ElectionsUFLAC was very active in

the LA City Elections this year.

We held Special Meetings at the James A. Perry Labor Center so the membership could voice their opinion and cast their vote for which candidate to endorse. Once we endorsed a candidate UFLAC actively campaigned on their be-half. It was great to see so much participation from our member-ship and we look forward to more involvement in the future.

Future Issues

As firefighters, we have been through several attacks the past few years. Our pension was un-der attack, our staffing levels, and our safety have all been directly attacked. Now more than ever you need to be involved in our union. When a request is made

for members to show up we need to show up in force. We also need to build our PAC fund to counter issues and candidates who threat-en us. Please get involved in our organization and make your voice heard.

The Los Angeles Fire Depart-ment Leadership Academy or LAFDLA is one of the few class-es you will take in your career that will change your life forever.

In four short weeks you form a bond with your classmates and build friendships that will last a lifetime.

The course is intense graduate level worked based on curriculum

from the West Point Leadership Academy. The instruction you receive would cost thousands of dollars in any other environment.

Taking this course does not au-tomatically make you a leader or ready for promotion but it gives you the tools you need to be a better leader, problem solver, and listener.

This course will make you a better firefighter, husband/wife, and friend. Lessons that you learn in this course can be applied to both your work environment or you home life.

If you are already in a leader-ship position this course will al-low you to self reflect and be given tools on how to better solve problems. You will become in-timately familiar with the Lead-

ership Problem Solving model which is a valuable asset to any leader.

Your families will notice an immediate change in you during the four months of class. You will because a better listener and not so reactionary. You will find yourself stepping back and look-ing at the big picture to identify the problem.

You will then identify trigger points or what is causing the prob-lem in the first place. After you have identified the trigger points you will identify the involved parties. You will determine what leadership theories and strategies can best be applied in order to solve your given problem.

Finally, you will develop an action plan on how to solve your

problem and an assessment plan to make sure your initial action plan was successful.

If you still have any doubt whether you should take this course I encourage you to contact one of the administrators for more information. Go ‘Like’ their

Facebook page at:https://www.facebook.com/

LAFDLeadershipAcademyYou can also find the schedule

for upcoming classes at:www.lafdtraining.org

By Adam VanGerpen, Editor

Los Angeles Fire Department Leadership Academy

Editor’s

A USMC Staff Sergeant keeps tradition alive and presents a Flag to the widow of retired LAFD Captain Kearns

By Adam VanGerpen

Tommy Lasorda, Paul Nelson, Kristen Crowley

Freddy Escobar, Adam VanGerpen, Chuong Ho

Glenn Allen Grandson College Fund-Raiser

Firefighter Glenn Allen

Actor Jack McGee and his wife, Stephanie, held their sec-ond annual college fundraiser for Glenn Allen’s grandson, Na-thaniel. They have combined this fundraiser with their celebra-tion called the “March Music Madness” where musicians and friends play music based on a theme. This years music theme

was “Motown” and the music and food was fantastic. Ap-proximately 300 people feasted on hamburgers and hot dogs cooked by the members of Fire Station 97. Some notable people in attendance were anchor person Christine Devine of Channel 11 News, actor Ed Begley, Jr., Steely Dan band member David Palmer, Maria Riggs of UFLAC and her husband Dick, Melanie Allen, Rebecca, Brandon & Nathaniel McPhie.

This event all came about after Jack and Stephanie heard about Glenn’s tragic death from the Viewsite Fire of February 2011. Jack & Stephanie had met Glenn when Stephanie fell while on a hike and was injured in Fryman Canyon Park requiring the servic-es of the LAFD’s finest, RA97. Jack, being a retired FDNY mem-ber, became the IC when RA97 arrived. When Glenn had finally

had enough of his directions, he asked Jack if he would like to run the incident or would he like RA97 to take care of Stephanie. An instant friendship had been made! Soon after Stephanie got out of the hospital, Jack was nom-inated for an Oscar for the movie, “The Fighter.” Instead of talking about himself on his special night on the Red Carpet, Jack, wearing his FDNY badge with memorial band, talked about Glenn and how the fire department family had truly suffered a tragic loss. The members of Fire Station 97 were so impressed by this, they invited Jack and Stephanie up for lunch and a friendship had begun. It was at this lunch, gathered in the kitchen of FS97, Jack and Steph-anie decided to add Nathaniel’s college fundraiser to their event.

Jack and Stephanie, as well as the members of Fire Station 97, would like to thank many people

that made this Second Annual fundraiser such a success. First off, thanks to UFLAC for their generous donation which allowed us to rent VIP porta-potties for the party. To Tony Watson of Andy Gump, who provided the porta-potties at his cost for this benefit and to Craig Sanford, for deliv-ering and picking up the mini-

Moab so that the members of Fire Station 97 could cook the food in a timely manner. We’d also like to thank Light Force 78 and Task Force 60 for stopping by and be-ing static displays for all the fami-lies in attendance.

John and Stephanie McGee with Fire Station 97



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www.lafdtraining.org

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The Los Angeles Firefighter Winter 2013