California Professional Firefighters

The widow of fallen Los Angeles City Firefighter John Lawrence won delayed justice this week, thanks to the efforts of United Firefighters of Los Angeles City. AFLAC Insurance originally denied the death benefit for Lawrence's estate, claiming that his death by job-related cardiac arrest was not covered as a heart attack. After pressure from UFLAC, AFLAC reversed its stand and paid the benefit.

 Firefighters have a reputation for being “Boy Scouts” – always doing good deeds. This year, California’s first responders are helping Bay Area Boy Scouts do their own “good deeds” by contributing to the annual Scouting For Food program.

At a time when the retirement security is under attack, CalPERS firefighters can make their voices heard by participating in the CalPERS Board of Administration runoff election. Ballots have been sent to all CalPERS members and retirees for the runoff in Position A. CPF believes J.J. Jelincic is the best choice for firefighters and their families. BALLOTS DUE THIS FRIDAY!

The new rules are in, and November 16th is the day that applications will open for the newly-expanded SAFER grants. The SAFER Grants can be used to rehire laid off fire fighters and birng back positions that have been left vacant due to the financial crisis.

 The brown-out at a fire station in Sacramento City added three minutes to the response time for a November 1st house fire. City fire officials say the blaze was closest to a fire station whose engine company was browned out, forcing crews to wait until the engine from the next-closest station arrived. Nobody was injured.

With the flu pandemic upon us, the state EMS Authority has set in motion a plan to allow local paramedics to administer the influenza vaccine. Under the plan, the LEMSA and the local health department may decide to temporarily expand the paramedic scope of practice to include administration of the pandemic vaccine, thereby enhancing community mass vaccination programs.  

 More than 1,000 uniformed firefighters, family members and dignitaries from throughout California gathered this weekend to pay tribute to those who gave their lives to protect the lives and property of Californians. In a solemn ceremony featuring honor guards and the traditional pipe and drum salute, 82 firefighters who fell in the line of duty – some from as far back as 1899 – were added to the California Firefighters Memorial.

This year's California Firefighters Memorial Ceremony, to be held Saturday October 17, 2009 beginning at 11:15am, will commemorate 82 individuals who paid the ultimate price to keep our state safe. The annual Memorial Ceremony honors firefighters who died in the line of duty, either from traumatic injuries in the field or from job-related causes.

Please bookmark this page for updated information on the event as it becomes available.

This past Sunday marked Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s bill-signing deadline for 2009. Among the bills approved was CPF legislation -- five years in the making -- that won firefighters and many other injured workers the right to see their own doctor when injured on the job.