CPF Welcomes Six New IAFF Local Unions to our Great Union
Proudly representing nearly - IAFF local union affiliates throughout the Golden State, California Professional Firefighters is the largest and most respected statewide firefighter organization in California.
Since our last issue published in the winter of 2008, CPF President Lou Paulson and the entire CPF Executive Board have welcomed six new IAFF local unions to our proud statewide organization.
Apple Valley Professional Firefighters
Local 4742
Members: 37
Established in 1951, Apple Valley Fire District protects 206 square miles - 76 of which are incorporated by the town of Apple Valley, located 95 miles northeast of Los Angeles.
Five staffed stations and two unstaffed stations support Apple Valley's population of 90,000 as well as its surrounding communities. Apple Valley FD provides fire and EMS services, as well as HazMat and an urban search and rescue team. In addition, Apple Valley provides mutual aid and has recently obtained an OES engine to further assistance across the state.
The Apple Valley Professional Firefighters Local 4742 joined the IAFF and CPF in May 2009. It was CPF's strong member benefits that attracted them to join.
Like so many locals, Apple Valley is grappling with California's current economic crisis and their local's current goal is to work closely with management to regain constant staffing. Currently, Apple Valley Fire has rotating brownouts of one to two fire stations to cut overtime costs. This puts an added burden on the remaining fire stations, increases response times and increases mutual aid assistance from neighboring cities.
El Cajon Firefighters
Local 4603
Members: 63
Incorporated in 1912, the city of El Cajon in East County has a population of 97,000 and four fire stations that averaged 11,000 calls last year. The fire department handles calls for structure fires, wildland fires, EMS, traffic collisions, extrications and HazMat.
El Cajon Firefighters Local 4603 joined the IAFF in November 2008 and CPF in April.
"We knew when we joined the IAFF, it was equally as important to be a member of CPF," said Sam Rihan, President of Local 4603.
Rihan notes that as a new local, they continue to work to organize better, strengthen their organization and make the most of the resources that they have, especially in these economic times.
One of the Local 4603's big successes this year has been passing Proposition J earlier this year, which was a half-cent sales tax measure in the city of El Cajon. Revenues raised go towards city services including fire operations.
Imperial Beach Fire Fighters Association
Local 4692
Members: 11
Best known as the most southwesterly city in the continental United States, the coastal city of Imperial Beach has 28,000 residents and one fire station that averages 2,100 calls each year.
The department's calls include structure fires, wildland fires, vehicle fires, HazMat and car accidents. Since 2003, the fire department also has an Advanced Life Support program and paramedic-level emergency services.
Imperial Beach Firefighters Association joined the IAFF last September and joined CPF this April. They were eager to join the state association that represents California firefighters better than any other firefighting organization in the state, said Local 4692 President Craig Weaver.
The local's current goals include maintaining current positions and working with the chief to look into possible administrative mergers. So far, the Imperial Beach Firefighters have not had to take any pay cuts and have maintained all of their positions, but the local continues to deal with the budget battles that are facing so many locals in California.
Sycuan Professional Firefighters
Local 4741
Members: 34
Located on the Sycuan Indian Reservation in El Cajon, the Sycuan Fire Department serves a population of 15,000 with an initial attack and automatic aid response covering 20 square miles. With two stations - one fulltime all-risk station and a wildland division - the department responded to 685 emergency incidents last year, with about half of their calls coming from the reservation and the other half serving the surrounding communities.
In May of 2009, Sycuan Professional Firefighters Local 4741 proudly joined IAFF and CPF. The local is also a member of the San Diego County Council of Firefighters. SPF sought CPF membership for a variety of reasons including fraternal benefits, the opportunity to remain current with fire service trends, CPF benefits (especially long term disability and personal accident insurance) and professional recognition by the greater firefighter community.
"Our association remains dedicated to the fraternal bonds of its membership and to the fire service at large," said Zach Carrillo, president of Sycuan Professional Firefighters.
Sycuan Professional Firefighters strives to continue to serve the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, its employees, patrons and surrounding communities. For example, the local hosts a Secret Santa event every December, in which they provide Christmas gifts to underprivileged families on the reservation and the local area.
But SPF's biggest challenge is that the Sycuan Fire Department is not recognized as a public fire department within the state and federal fire service communities. As a result, their ability to access benefits traditionally offered to these public fire organizations has been hindered. It's a battle that SPF continues to wage for its membership.
Monterey Airport Firefighters
Local 3733
Members: 12
The Monterey Airport Fire Department is a single station department, which averages 400 to 500 calls each year. The fire department provides crash fire rescue as well as EMS and fire protection services to Monterey Airport. It also has automatic aid agreements with the surrounding jurisdictions, providing service for structure fire and vehicle accidents.
Monterey Airport Firefighters Local 3733 joined the IAFF in December of 1996 and joined CPF this March to provide further protection and assistance for their membership.
With the volatility of the airline industry and being an airport district, the fire department relies on funding that comes from passengers that fly in and out of Monterey. Monterey Airport Firefighters' biggest challenge is trying to maintain its staffing levels. Most recently, the local has stopped two potential layoffs within the department by working with management and the Board of Directors on other alternatives.
"While we consider this an obvious success, we know that with the current state of the economy, we have to continue our efforts to preserve the staff that we have," said Chris Grogan, President of the Monterey Airport Firefighters.
Palmdale Airport - USAF Plant 42
Local I-25
Members: 53
Palmdale Airport firefighters cover the 4.2 million square feet of industrial space that makes up US Air Force Plant 42, the city of Palmdale's largest employer. The plant is operated by contractors to the USAF, while the airport is operated by Los Angeles World Airports and is currently closed due to lack of interest from airlines and passengers alike.
Up to 9,000 people are employed at the plant, which produces spare parts for military aircraft and maintains and modifies aircraft such as the C-130, B-2 bomber and F-117 stealth fighter. All of the space shuttles were also built at the Palmdale plant.
With two new fire stations in the last two years, Palmdale Airport firefighters provide 24/7 personnel that responds to an average of 244 calls per year, with the majority of calls being standbys (as new aircraft or rebuilt aircraft leave their flight area), followed by medical emergencies.
Palmdale Airport Local I-25 joined the IAFF and CPF (which was then Federated Firefighters) in 1975, but left CPF in 1984. After a 25-year absence, Local I-25 returned to CPF in 2009.
The impetus to return to CPF started last year when Local I-25 sponsored SB 1271, which extended the public safety workers' compensation cancer presumption statute to members of Local I-25 as well as certain fire and rescue service coordinators employed by OES. CPF supported this bill and it motivated Local I-25 to return to the CPF fold.
Current goals for Local I-25 include improving their living conditions; getting the rest of the firefighter presumptions for their membership; and working with their congressman to change the McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act (SCA). The SCA already ensures that contractors performing services on covered federal contracts cannot offer service employees less pay, benefits, or safety and health standards that what they already receive. But Local I-25 would like to ensure that service employees have first right of refusal before a new contractor can bring in new hires to replace them.