On July 17, 2006 the LAFDagain suffered the loss of anactive member. Juan Ojedadied with his family by hisside, leaving his beloved fami-ly and many friends and co-workers deeply grieving.

Juan was married to the loveof his life, Monica (Pacheco),

for over 25 years. The joys of hislife were his three childrenDavid Nicholas, John Michaeland Marissa Anne. He is preced-ed in death by his parents Eduar-do and Myra and is survived byhis brothers Eduardo, Ernesto,his sister Josefina and severalactive duty fire department

members on both the Ojeda andPacheco sides of the family.

Juan was born in Long Beachand lived his entire life in theHarbor area. He graduatedfrom Carson High School in1975, where he was an AllLeague, All South Bay andFirst Team All City FootballPlayer. At 17, he was namedthe L.A. City Bench PressChampion with a 390 lbs. lift.He was a firefighter for theCity of Los Angeles for over 29years. He touched many peoplewith his big heart, his laugh,his sense of humor and storytelling. Juan’s storytelling waslegendary. He said when tellingstories, “I never let the truth getin the way of a good story” and“I don’t tell them like they hap-pened, I tell them the way theway I remember ’m.”

Juan loved his family, Baja,

VOL. 44, NO. 5

The

Los Angeles FirefighterOfficial Publication of United Firefighters of Los Angeles City—Local 112, IAFF, AFL-CIO-CLC

The Los Angeles Firefighter1571 Beverly Boulevard

Los Angeles, California 90026(#ISSN01907573)

September/October 2006

PERIODICALPostage Paid

atLos Angeles, CA

In This Issue . . .Article Page(s)In Memoriam – Juan Ojeda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1, 8Report from the President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3DROP Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4“HOT” Training Conference Volunteers Needed. . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Cambridge Integrated Services Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Unions Must Change Tactics Politically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Pension Reform Bill Passes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Firefighters Helping Firefighters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 7Henry Gasparri Blood Drive – Family Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9New Members – Fire/Police Pension Commission . . . . . . . . . . 9Disability under the New Work Comp Law. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Your Health – Youths Hearing at Risk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11IAFF Efforts Increase SAFER Funding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1248th Annual So Cal Journalism Awards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Study Finds 9/11 Responders Suffer Lung Aging . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Death Benefit Protection Signed: Governor StillPushing Against Survivors in Court

Two years after the death ofher daughter, Gloria Foster hasgotten a little bit more closure.

The mother of Jaime Foster,LA City’s first female line-of-duty death, will no longer faceintimidation from the State ofCalifornia over her lawful sur-vivor benefits, thanks to bipar-tisan legislation that hasbecome law.

Assembly Bill 2292, byAssembly Member CindyMontañez, breaks through abureaucratic legal conflict thatallows the state Department ofIndustrial Relations to seizemoney from the estate of thosewho die in workplace-relatedinjuries, in situations where thesurvivor is not a spouse. Thelegislation won unanimousapproval in both houses of theLegislature earlier this month.It was signed into law July22nd.

“When someone dies on thejob, their heirs should not befurther victimized by statebureaucracy,” said AssemblyMember Montañez. “This leg-islation makes it clear that,when there is a dispute oversurvivor benefits, the familycomes first.”

Despite the enactment ofAB 2292, these importantsurvivor benefits are stillunder attack by the governor.

The Schwarzenegger admin-istration is still lobbying in thecourts to overturn the death ben-efit owed Foster under workers’compensation law. In a legalbrief filed in a private case lastyear (Six Flags vs. Workers’Compensation Appeals Board),the governor’s Department ofIndustrial Relations argues thatthe benefit itself is unconstitu-tional.

“We’re pleased to see the bill

signed, but it won’t mean muchfor future survivors if the gov-ernor gets the courts to takeaway the benefit altogether,”said CPF President, LouPaulson. “If the governor isserious, he should abide by thespirit of AB 2292 and withdrawthe punitive and mean-spiritedcourt action.”

CPF urges GovernorSchwarzenegger to fullyembrace the spirit of AB 2292by withdrawing its punitive

court filing.Jaime Foster, a 25-year-old

rookie firefighter, died onAugust 15, 2004, responding toa structure fire. She was thefirst Los Angeles City femalefirefighter to die in the line ofduty, but the vibrant young fire-fighter left no surviving spouseor children — her mother, Glo-ria Foster, was her sole heir.

The law says that she is enti-tled to a survivor benefit. Butwhen it was paid out, theDepartment of Industrial Rela-tions’ Division of Workers’Compensation tried to take it

away. They said it should go tothe state instead.

AB 2292 fixes this tangle bymaking it clear that, when itcomes to the benefits owed tothose who die on the job, theneeds of the family outweighthe desires of the bureaucracy.

“Gloria Foster has sufferedthe loss of her precious daugh-ter Jaime, and now she’s beingmade to endure additional painbecause of an unnecessarylegal tangle,” said PatMcOsker, President of UnitedFirefighters of Los Angeles

In Loving Memory…

Juan Ojeda – Active Firefighter IIIJune 23, 1957 – July 17, 2006

Juan Ojeda

Continued on page 8

Nearly 250 city and county firefighters and eight water-drop-ping helicopters battled a 25 acre brush fire which broke outbefore noon in Benedict Canyon, damaging one structureand sending smoke and ash billowing over the San Fernan-do Valley. More information and photos on page 8.

Photo by Mike Meadows, CFPA

Continued on page 16

Assemblywoman Cindy Montañez, D-Mission Hills, discuss-es AB 2292 at Fire Station 73 in Reseda. Gloria Foster, right,holding a photo of her beloved daughter Jaime Foster, arookie firefighter killed in August 2004. Also shown, left toright: Pat McOsker (UFLAC Local 112 President), MikeMcOsker (UFLAC Secretary), Andy Doyle (Los Angeles Coun-ty Local 1014 Director), Lew Stone (Burbank Local 778Firefighters President), Assemblywoman Cindy Montañez,Ted Nonini (UFLAC Treasurer). Photo by Carroll Wills, CPF

Benedict Canyon Brush Fire

September/October 2006

Page 2 Los Angeles Firefighter September/October 2006

These emblems on the masthead of any labor publication certifies that the publi-cation is a member in good standing of the International Labor Communications

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

The Los Angeles Firefighter(ISSN #0190-7573)

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

Published Bi-MonthlyPeriodical Postage paid at Los Angeles, CA

Known Office of Publication isUnited Firefighters of Los Angeles City,

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

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Contributing Photographers

California Fire Photographers Association (CFPA)

Ross Benson, CFPAIsaac Burks, LAFD Gene Blevins, CFPA

Juan Guerra, Valley News ServiceBrian Haimer, CFPA

Bill Hartenstein, CFPAChris Jensen, CFPA

Gavin Kaufman, LAFDBrian Litt, CFPA

Rick McClure, LAFDMike Meadows, CFPA

Jeff Miller, CFPA Martin Nate Rawner, CFPA

Boris Yaro

This union newspaper is printed by a union printer on union-made recycled paper.

UFLAC 2005-2006 Executive BoardPRESIDENT

Patrick S. McOsker, Engineer . . . . . . . . . . UFLAC Office

SECRETARYMike McOsker, Engineer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . UFLAC Office

FIRST VICE PRESIDENTPaul J. Gilbrook, Apparatus Operator . Fire Station 38-B

SECOND VICE PRESIDENTStephen E. Norris, Captain II. . . . . . . . . Fire Station 63-B

TREASURERTed Nonini, Firefighter III . . . . . . . . . . . Fire Station 70-C

DIRECTORRey Delgado, Firefighter/Paramedic . . . Fire Station 42-BJoe Flores, Firefighter/Paramedic . . . . . Fire Station 23-BJames G. Featherstone, Captain II . . . . Fire Station 64-ADavid Pimentle, Captain/Paramedic . . . . . . . . . . . EMS-3,

Fire Station 46-ASteven Tufts, Firefighter III . . . . . . . . . . Fire Station 70-A

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE DIRECTORJerry Brakeman, Retired Firefighter/Attendant. . . . . . . . . . . UFLAC Office

EDITORJim Perry, Retired Fire Captain II. . . . . . . UFLAC Office

Paramedic CommitteeMembers

David PimentleCommittee Chair. . FS-46-ABill Ramsey . . . . FS-74-ADave Barnes . . . . FS-86-CMike Brown . . . . FS-84-ACedrick Cleveland. FS-38-BRey Delgado . . . . FS-42-BJim Gibson. . . . . . FS-6-AAaron Mungary. FS-47-CDave Raya . . . . . FS-44-BPaul Semerjian FS-105-CStacy Taylor . . . . . FS-5-CLou Torres . . . . . FS-20-C

If You See An Error…

The Los Angeles Firefighterstrives to maintain accuracyand fairness in all stories,graphics, photographs andother copy that appears in ourunion newspaper. It is our prac-tice to correct errors in theissue immediately followingtheir discovery.

If you have a correction orclarification request, please callthe UFLAC office at 800-252-8352 or email the editor:jpfire1@charter.net

GeneralMembership

Meetings9:00 a.m.

September 27“B” Platoon on duty

October 25“A” Platoon on duty

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Los Angeles

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Schwarzenegger Fined for Campaign Finance Violations

by Mike HallAFL-CIO News

Not only did California Gov.Arnold Schwarzenegger (R)fail in his attempt to limit therights of state workers in lastyear’s special elections; now itturns out the “governator” andhis campaign committeeengaged in big-time campaignfinance violations.

On June 30, the state’s FairPolitical Practices Commission(FPPC) slapped Schwarzeneg-ger and his California Recov-ery Team (CRT) with a

$200,200 fine—the state’s sec-ond highest-ever fine for cam-paign finance violations.

The commission saidSchwarzenegger and the CRT,his main campaign committee,failed to file timely reports onmore than $25 million in expen-ditures in the special election.

The election included sever-al ballot initiatives thatattacked union members’ polit-

ical freedom, teachers’ jobs andschool funding. All three failedas working families and thestate’s unions mobilized todefeat the initiatives.

The Alliance for a Better Cal-ifornia, a coalition of more than50 unions and their allies, ledthe drive against the initiativesand filed the complaint withthe FPPC over the campaignfinance violations.

Station StewardsAssignment Platoon Name001 C Robert Pumphrey002 B Michael Pinel003 C Thomas Kennington004 B Gerry Malais004 B James Williamson006 A Jim Gibson008 C Mark Kleckner009 C Scott Souter012 C Bryan Riley015 C Marc Samama015 A Cameron Kennedy017 B Leonard Ruvalcaba020 C Louis Torres023 A Ramon Haro025 B Richard Rivas027 B David Fabela027 C Adelino Jaminal035 B Dave Sifuentes037 A John Libby044 B David Raya048 B Frank Hurtado059 A Ron Price060 B Jason Teter061 A George James064 A Ruben Chan069 A James Just069 A Doak Smith070 B Jeffrey Rickey073 A Robert Ruffino074 A William Ramsey075 A Adam M. Van Gerpen079 A Jason A. Johnson085 B Matthew Powell089 B Ricardo Najera092 A John Sullivan094 B Martin Mullin095 A Buck O’Connor096 A Ronald Myers106 C Paul Semerjian107 C Michael Crandall109 C Craig Fletcher111 B James L. Hunt112 A Ed Campos112 C John DonatoACCOUNTING Brenda LeeARS A Jose SanchezARS B Leslie WilkersonLEGAL LIA. Andrew M. GutierrezOCD B Joe ColemanQI S Michele BanksTech S Gary Carpenter

September/October Station Stewards MeetingsTime: 7:30 a.m.

Prior to Monthly Membership Meetings

September/October 2006 Los Angeles Firefighter Page 3

Pat McOsker

Report from the PresidentReport from the President

Photo by Joe Ortiz, LAFD-HS

Caring for Our OwnPeople sometimes ask me,

“What’s the toughest part ofyour job as the president of afirefighter’s union?” Theanswer to the question is aseasy to arrive at as it is difficultto talk about: The toughest partis dealing with the death of abrother or sister firefighter.

Statistically, our profession isthe nation’s most dangerousjob. Each year half of all pro-fessional firefighters sustain aninjury in the line-of-duty thatrequires medical treatment.Looked at another way; ourrate of injuries is eight timeshigher than the national aver-age for all other professions.But our high rate of injuries isalmost the good news here:Each year in America, about100 professional firefightersdie sudden line-of-duty deaths,or succumb to the long termeffects of exposures and theextreme physical demands offirefighting.

LAFD Memorial WallHere in Los Angeles, the

LAFD Historical Society is inthe final stages of construc-tion of a beautiful memorialwall and plaza honoring ourfallen firefighters. The wall isnearly complete, and thenames of the 249 LAFD mem-bers who made the ultimatesacrifice during our 120 yearhistory are already engravedon it. Each name on thememorial wall tells a uniquestory of the selflessness andsacrifice of a fallen hero, andof pride and profound tragedyfor loved ones left behind.Each date alongside thosenames tells part of the story aswell, and when taken alto-gether they reveal that ourprofession is becoming moredangerous with each passingyear.

14 Active LAFD Firefighters lost in 31/2 years

I’ve been the President ofLocal 112 for 31/2 years. Duringthat time 14 active LAFD fire-fighters have suffered line-of-duty or duty-connected deaths– part of an alarming recentincrease in the frequency ofthese tragedies. If the currentrate continues, over the next120 years, 480 more activeLAFD firefighters will makethe ultimate sacrifice. Thatwould be nearly a two-foldincrease in deaths over the pre-vious era.

Union’s goal is to protectthe health and safety of

our membersAs you can imagine – and

should expect – the terriblelosses that we’ve suffered hasspurned Local 112 to action.Over the past few years we’veredoubled our efforts to protectthe health and safety of ourmembers. We partnered withmanagement to lobby for qual-ity, city paid medical exams forLAFD firefighters. We broughtthe issue of delayed repairs andinstallations of diesel exhaustevacuation systems in fire sta-tions to the CAO, and got helpand quicker action. We took onCambridge Integrated Servicesand improved IOD care for ourinjured members in theprocess. We fought for breath-ing apparatus for ambulances,replacement body armor andnew and improved turnoutclothing. We also insisted onnothing less than proper treat-ment for MRSA exposed mem-bers.

Added staffing and resources

Most importantly, weachieved a ten year long goal torestore safe, proper, 5-memberstaffing to each LAFD TruckCompany, and worked withmanagement to add newresources – especially rescueambulances – throughout thecity to reduce the fatigue andburnout of our members.

But our work to protect liv-ing members is only part of thestory. At the beginning of thisarticle I shared that dealingwith the death of a brother orsister was the hardest part ofunion work. That’s true not justbecause of the sense of loss wefeel whenever a coworker dies,but also due to the deep desireto help loved ones left behind,and the fact that there is only somuch that can be done.

New Surviving SpouseAssistance Policy

But we are always lookingfor ways to do more. At theJune Membership Meeting theExecutive Board recommendedthe establishment of a newUFLAC policy to assist surviv-ing spouses. We suggested thatthe union would serve its mem-bers well by paying for theservices of an attorney to han-dle the complex work compand disability pension issuesthat arise when an active mem-

ber passes away. We felt thatdoing so would give survivingfamily members the very bestchance for a secure financialfuture and relieve some of theburden of worry during a timeof tragedy. UFLAC membersagreed with that logic andpassed a motion creating ournew Surviving Spouse Assis-tance Policy. It’s somewhat bit-tersweet to report that as of thiswriting, we’ve already madethis service available to threeLAFD families.

Widow suggests new effort

Now we are about to embarkon a new effort, and credit forthe idea goes to the widow ofone of our recently deceasedfallen brothers. In July, BobOrtega’s widow, Susan, drovedown from her home in Lebecto the UFLAC office to sharesome thoughts with me. In thatconversation, Susan firstexpressed gratitude for all ofthe help, phone calls and visitsfrom firefighters she’s receivedin the year and a half since thedeath of her husband. Shedescribed many acts of kind-ness, ranging from a full-blownconstruction work party to thelocal engine company stoppingby just to say hello. Susan saidthat the concept of firefighterslooking out for loved ones leftbehind was a priceless thingand that it had helped her tocope with her loss.

Susan’s hope for the futurewas that firefighters would notonly continue to help survivingspouses, but also consider tak-ing the effort a step further. Shesuggested some pretty insight-ful improvements that could bemade to our delivery of service– for lack of a better phrase.

Susan believes (as we do)that each family of a fallen fire-fighter ought to receive equalattention regardless of wherethey live or other circum-stances. She also knows frompersonal experience that therecan be a certain awkwardnessinvolved in matters of assis-tance to loved ones of therecently deceased. As she relat-ed, everyone has a differentcomfort level when it comes tocalling on someone – especial-ly someone of the opposite sex– in the days, months and yearsafter a death of their spouse.Her impression has been that,“All the guys want to help butsome don’t know if they should

keep calling, or what theyshould do. And it’s just as con-fusing for the married guys asthe single guys. Everybodyought to have a comfort levelabout what is expected of themand about what to expect.”

She went on to describe tome her vision of a structuredfallen firefighter family supportnetwork. Susan suggested thatit ought to operate with a time-line spelling out when calls tospouses would be made – rea-sonably often at first, thentapering off with the passage oftime and healing. There oughtto be good suggestions aboutwhat type of help firefightersshould consider offering towidows. Perhaps most impor-tantly, there ought to be a col-laborative approach taken thatinvolves every local unionwishing to participate. In thatway other firefighters – not justthose who worked with thedeceased, but also those livingor working closest to the fami-lies of our fallen brothers andsisters – could help the effortby looking in on them in anemergency.

UFLAC will introduce aresolution at the IAFF Convention to create a

Fallen Firefighter’s FamilySupport Network

In her own experience, SusanOrtega received plenty of sup-port from Bob’s many friendson the LAFD and also from theKern County firefighters nearher home in Lebec. I wish toexpress Local 112’s deep grati-tude to Kern County Firefight-ers, Local 1301, their Presi-dent, Derek Robinson, and allof those who have lent a help-ing hand to the widow of our

fallen brother, Bob Ortega. It’squite possible that their gooddeeds will become the inspira-tion for a network of supportstretching across the entireU.S. and Canada.

After Susan’s visit toUFLAC, I shared her ideaswith the rest of the ExecutiveBoard. We discussed themthoroughly and decided on acourse of action. At the upcom-ing August IAFF Biennial Con-vention in Toronto, Canada wewill introduce a late resolutionregarding the creation of a fall-en firefighter’s family supportnetwork. Our resolution willinstruct the IAFF to formulatea policy and give structure to anetwork that every local unioncould participate in. Our hopeis that by going through theIAFF, the network will startbig, rather than growing slowlyfrom Los Angeles outward.

Our profession is difficultand dangerous, but it has itsrewards. One of the best thingsabout being a firefighter is thepeople you work with and theknowledge that they will bethere when you need them, orthere for your family if youcan’t be. Another is the solidar-ity of firefighters that extendsbeyond jurisdictional bound-aries and binds us all together,local to local, brothers and sis-ters. Thanks to all who givetheir time and energy to com-fort those who mourn. You givetrue meaning to the words “thefamily of firefighters”.

Fraternally,

Bob and Susan Ortega

Page 4 Los Angeles Firefighter September/October 2006

DROP Update

by Paul GilbrookFirst Vice President

On July 25th the City Counciltook the formal action of votingto honor our letter-of-agree-ment extending the DROP pro-gram for five years, beginningMay 1st, 2007. Please beadvised that their action doesnot extend the 5 year limitationon participation for any current

enrollees, but rather ensuresthat new enrollees will beaccepted into DROP for anoth-er five years beyond the previ-ously agreed upon April 30th2007 sunset date, provided thatthe program remains cost-neu-tral for the City.

Council action shouldsilence rumors

Under the agreement, ananalysis of the plan will beconducted during the first 6months of the extension, andthe parties will then meet-and-confer on possible adjustmentsfor the purpose of ensuringcontinued cost neutrality. Anyadjustments made will onlyaffect those who enroll afterthey are made, not thosealready in the program.

Many of you will recall thatLocal 112 and the Police Pro-tective League signed our let-ters of agreement on this issuemany months ago. Althoughwe at UFLAC understand thelengthy process involved in for-malizing an agreement throughthe writing of ordinance lan-guage by the City Attorney anda full Council vote, and weremonitoring the progress of ourDROP agreement withoutcause for concern, someUFLAC members began toworry and to inadvertently cir-culate false rumors about whatwas happening.

These rumors followed earli-er, even more ludicrous rumorsthat Local 112 didn’t supportan extension of the DROP atall. Hopefully the Council’s

action on June 25th will finallysilence these rumors for good.

UFLAC led the charge for DROP

The truth regarding DROP isthat, at the earliest possibledate, the Local 112 ExecutiveBoard led the charge and beganthe effort to extend a programthat we cherish and will likelyeach participate in. We securedkey City Council and Mayor’sOffice support for our goal aswe worked with others toachieve it. Any suggestion thatwe don’t support DROP is afalsehood and anyone who asksyou to believe that ought to atleast come up with a plausibleexplanation of why we wouldbe opposed to an optional pro-gram that all of our members

love. If they can’t, then itmeans that they have an agendaand they think you’re gullible.

If in doubt call the union office

We hear an awful lot ofrumors. Please call me or anyother UFLAC Board Memberwhenever you hear one thatsuggests that Local 112 doesn’thave your best interests atheart. I guarantee you that wewill be able to refute what youare hearing. I’ve been a mem-ber of the Board for six yearsnow, and this Local has alwaysdone its very best for the mem-bership on every issue. Wedon’t win every battle, but wenever back down or sell out.We’ll keep working hard foryou…you stay safe out there.

Volunteers needed to host…

“HOT”Training Conference in Los Angeles September 8-11, 2007

by Ted NoniniTreasurer

United Firefighters of LosAngeles City, Local 112 hasjoined with the California StateFirefighter’s Association(CSFA), the California Profes-sional Firefighters and the Cal-ifornia Chief’s Association toendorse and support the Cali-fornia Fire Service TrainingConference (CFSTC) set totake place in Los Angeles onSeptember 8-11, 2007.

This unparalleled four-daytraining conference will feature

two days of “Hands-on TrainingClasses”(HOT) to be facilitatedby Local 112 members, and twodays of classroom training to befacilitated by the CSFA. Withouta doubt the most unique aspectof this training conference willbe the hands on training (HOT)opportunities to be presented.This is an unparalleled trainingopportunity that provides rigor-ous, informative, hands on expe-rience for the participants. Thehands on training (HOT) will

encompass ventilation, extrica-tion, USAR techniques, forcibleentry, and live fire training. Theintensive classroom sessionswill focus on Incident Com-mand, Terrorism, RecentLessons Learned, Haz-Mat, andvarious keynote speakers.

A considerable amount ofplanning will be taking placeover the next few months inpreparation for this conference.Volunteers will be needed toassist the LAFD in fulfilling its

role as host fire department forthe conference. Members whovolunteer will receive a com-plimentary conference packageenabling them to attend thecomplete conference. Depart-ment members who are inter-ested in volunteering can con-tact me at (213) 485-2091 ext.210, Captain David Spence atFire Station 61 “B” Platoon, orCaptain Allen Skier of the Tac-tical Training Section (213)485-3656.

An update on workers compensation issues…

Cambridge Integrated Services gets “Heart Transplant”

by David PimentleDirector

I reported in the July/August2005 issue of The Los AngelesFirefighter the multitude ofproblems associated with theadministration of our workerscompensation program. I enti-tled the article “Cambridge Inte-grated Services in need of hearttransplant”. This article was fol-lowed by newspaper articles,political pressure, and atten-dance at a multitude of commit-tee meetings. It would appearnow due to these external pres-sures that Cambridge hasindeed received its transplant.

Complaints decreasingI am happy to report now that

there has been a dramaticdecrease in the amount of com-plaints UFLAC receives in

regards to this issue. UFLACcontinues to work closely withCambridge, Personnel Ser-vices, MLU, and Risk Manage-ment to ensure the proper careand treatment of our member-ship. This partnership and spir-it of cooperation is a giant stepin the right direction, butUFLAC will continue to moni-tor all complaints.

Continuing work onenhancements

UFLAC continues to workwith Personnel Services andRisk Management to imple-ment workers compensation“carve outs” that will enhancethe level of care our membersreceive. Without going into toomuch detail, these enhance-ments would include additionaltreatments and a largerprovider network. These meet-ings are on-going and all par-ties are eager to provide thehighest level of care to ourmembers.

Keep MLU informedIt is important for our mem-

bership to understand that evenwith these improvements inplace, there will still be prob-lems from time to time regard-ing how your claim is handled.

If you experience problemswith lost paperwork, bills notbeing paid, treatments beingdenied, not being able to reachCambridge, or a denial of yourclaim, please contact MLU.The Medical Liaison Unit isyour advocate in these mattersand its members are committed

to ensuring that you receive thecorrect care in a timely fashion.

Contact UFLAC if furtherhelp needed

The amount of assistance andrapid response UFLACreceives now when dealingwith Cambridge is greatly

appreciated. I sincerely hopethat this “transplant” takes andthat our members receive thequality care they deserve. Ifyou continue to experienceproblems with Cambridge andMLU is unable to assist you,please do not hesitate to call onyour Union for help.

Los Angeles firefighters ventilate the attic of a large one story single family dwelling near theintersection of 48th and Budlong in South Los Angeles. Firefighters inside pulled the ceilingand advanced hose lines into the structure to attack the fire from below and also stretchedlines to protect exposures on both sides of the well-involved house. The fire was broughtunder control in 45 minutes. Photo and information by Martin Nate Rawner

September/October 2006 Los Angeles Firefighter Page 5

Some quotes from Gover-nor Schwarzenegger aremore memorable than others.Perhaps “hasta la vista, baby”and “I’ll be back” come tomind, but how about this one:

“I will go to Sacramentoand I will clean house. I don’thave to take money from any-body. I have plenty ofmoney.”

Despite all his self-pro-

claimed wealth, GovernorSchwarzenegger has taken awhopping $94 million in spe-cial interest money. That’s alot of cash, wonder where it’scoming from? I’ll tell you –over $7 million alone camefrom oil executives, insurancecompanies, and Wal-Mart.

Our grassroots - not specialinterests - is our power. Nowwe need our grassroots – over

70,000 activists and 22,000donors - to help the Democrats“clean house” and send Gover-nor Schwarzenegger home.

The Governor and his staff,plucked straight from theBush/Cheney White House,are claiming that I am going totake our state backwards.They’ve already spent $16 mil-lion on ads to try to convinceyou of that.

Unions Must Change Tactics and not Pledge BlindAllegiance to Democrats

Harold SchaitbergerFrom Labor VoicesThe Detroit News

Labor Voices columns arewritten for The News on arotating basis by United AutoWorkers President Ron Get-telfinger, Teamster PresidentJames Hoffa, Michigan AFL-CIO President Mark Gaffneyand Michigan Education Asso-ciation President Iris Salters.On months with five Fridays, aguest columnist joins the rota-tion. Today it is Harold Schait-berger of the InternationalAssociation of Fire Fighters.The News hopes to provide aforum for discussing work-place issues critical to a largesegment of Michigan’s popula-

tion, whether or not they areunion members.

This year’s midterm elec-tions are a key precursor to thepresidential election in 2008,and you can expect a louderand louder rallying cry fromorganized labor as Novemberapproaches.

As strong patriots, willingworkers and the taxpayers whofoot the bill for this govern-ment and country of ours,we’ve all watched as the Bushadministration panders to thewealthy and ignores Americanworkers and the disappearanceof jobs.

Organized labor has plenty ofreason to be outraged and, likealways, we will play a key rolein the coming elections. How-ever, labor’s shrinking numbersmake it harder for us to influ-ence federal elections. That haschanged the game, and unionsmust change the way theyapproach politics.

It may sound strange comingfrom the president of a majornational union, but there areRepublican lawmakers runningin this year’s midterm electionswho have earned our support.

Support for RepublicansMichigan’s U.S. Reps. Joe

Schwarz, Fred Upton, DaveCamp, Mike Rogers and Can-dice Miller have provided cru-cial backing for fire fightersby supporting increased fund-ing for essential services toprotect our homeland andmeasures to improve retire-ment and health benefits forprofessional fire fighters. Wewon’t abandon lawmakers orother incumbent GOP mem-bers who help fire fighters andparamedics.

We also are giving unwaver-ing support to Gov. JenniferGranholm and U.S. Sen. Deb-bie Stabenow, Democrats whobelieve strongly in protectingour homeland and who havebacked that up with action tohelp Michigan’s fire fighters.We count U.S. Reps. JohnConyers and John Dingellamong our supporters, too. IfDemocrats make big gains inthe midterm elections and takeback the House, both men willhold key chairmanships.

Additionally, Sen. CarlLevin, Rep. Sander Levin,Rep. Dale Kildee and Rep.

Carolyn Kilpatrick championthe cause of fire fighters andremain Democratic allies.

But the strategy of organizedlabor in elections often is lim-ited to attempting to kick thebutts of Republican candi-dates. Our union doesn’tadhere to that approach. It isunwise and shortsighted.

The International Associa-tion of Fire Fighters makes itsvalue judgments based on acandidate’s support for ourissues. And that leads us tosupport incumbent Republi-cans, even when that supportputs us at odds with otherunions.

Union wears bipartisan boot

Don’t get me wrong: Wealso are prepared to kick butts,but we wear a bipartisan boot.We work with Republicansand Democrats sympathetic toworking-class Americanswhose health care and energycosts are rising, and whoseconfidence in the economyand nation weakens every timean employer like Delphi Corp.tries to jettison good-paying

jobs or a city like Detroit orPontiac moves to layoff firefighters and close stationsbecause of budget problems.

Labor can’t be an ATMmachine for either party. Ithasn’t helped us to supportonly Democrats, who told usto sit in the corner and shutup while they pushed theNorth American Free TradeAgreement through Congressunder President Bill Clinton.Labor shouldn’t bankroll the15 Democrats who providedthe key votes to approve theCentral American Free TradeAgreement last year. Unionsmust expect more in return.

Unions must do what itsmembers do in every singleelection: Make judgmentsabout a candidate as an indi-vidual. We must reward thosewho support us on key votesand specific issues. Unionscan’t continue to give, whilereceiving nothing in return.

Personally, I’m a Democ-rat. But my personal agendamust stay home when I makedecisions that affect mymembers. Blind allegiancenever works.

Message from IAFF General President Harold A. Schaitberger…

Pension Reform Bill PassesBrothers and Sisters,

I am very pleased and proudto announce that our unionscored an unprecedented Con-gressional victory by passinga pension reform bill thatincludes the HELPS RetireesAct, our signature retireehealth care proposal. The leg-islation, H.R.4, passed theSenate and was sent to theWhite House for the Presi-dent’s signature. The bill alsoeliminates early withdrawpenalties for accessing moneyfrom D.R.O.P accounts.

Your efforts to persuade theSenate to pass the pension billwere instrumental in our suc-cess. Earlier, the fate of thepension bill was linked to acontroversial package thatincluded a Minimum Wageincrease and reform of the

Estate Tax. As you probablyheard from news accounts,that package went down todefeat, but Senators from bothparties insisted that the pen-sion bill move as a stand aloneitem. Your emails and phonecalls made the difference, andyou should all take great pridein this enormous victory.

Beginning next year, all cur-rent and future public safetyretirees will receive a $3,000tax credit toward the cost ofhealth insurance or long- termcare insurance premiums.Depending upon a retiree’stax bracket, this will mean taxsavings of between $540 and$870 per year. We estimatethat the average retiree willsee a lifetime in pocket taxsavings of tens of thousandsof dollars.

The Congressional BudgetOffice estimates that the totalcost of HELPs is in excess of3.4 billion over the next tenyears. The passage of HELPswill be a real and measurablebenefit to every IAFF mem-ber.

Our staff will be puttingtogether fact sheets on HELPsthat will be available on linein the very near future.

Also included in H.R 4 islanguage eliminating the 10%penalty for withdrawingmoney from DROP accountsprior to age 59 1/2. BeginningJanuary 1, 2007 retirees willbe able to access DROPmoney at age 50.

I want to acknowledge andcongratulate my Assistant forGovernment and PublicAffairs, Kevin O’Connor,

Government Affairs Director,Barry Kasinitz and their staffsfor a magnificent effort. Thepassage of this bill resultedfrom eighteen months of hardwork and effective lobbying.Over the past month, I joinedour staff on the Hill lobbyingleadership from both partiesand conferees about thenecessity of passing a pensionbill that included our HELPsand DROP language.

Kudos also to all the localIAFF leaders who haveworked on this issue over thepast two years.

Finally, I need to underscorethe support we receive fromour Congressional allies. Inparticular, RepresentativeChris Chocola (R-IN), thebill’s principal sponsor, shep-herded the legislation

throughout the entire process.He worked the issue relent-lessly and we owe him a debtof gratitude. Beyond Chris,we received encouragement,advice and ultimately supportfrom the leadership of bothparties.

I can honestly say that thisvictory is the result of our bi-partisan approach to politicsand lobbying. Once again, ourunion has delivered realresults for our membership,highlighting the value andimportance of political action.

Congratulations and let’senjoy our victory.

Fraternally YoursHarold A. Schaitberger,

General PresidentInternational Association of

Fire Fighters

Frankly, what I think is“backwards” is a leader whogoes back on his word. In2003, Governor Schwarzeneg-ger promised to “clean house,”but he’s so beholden to his spe-cial interest donors that he has-n’t endorsed Proposition 89,the Clean Money Initiative onthe November ballot.

I am endorsing Proposition89 because I believe that gov-ernment should answer to thevoices of Californians, notcorporate special interests.

So don’t wait - join me todayas we take on this fight!

This election isn’t about big

bucks; it’s about change.22,000 people have generous-ly invested in our campaignbecause they believe we canput California back on track.

I know we will win thisfight November, but I needyour help today. Please don’twait – join us today.

Please make checkspayable to:

Angelides 2006, ID #1253280

1331 21st StreetSacramento, CA 95814

Page 6 Los Angeles Firefighter September/October 2006

UFLAC members join in…

Work Party Gathers at Lane Kemper’s Homeby Ted Nonini

TreasurerOn July 12, about 25 of our

dedicated UFLAC membersand other friends descended onthe home of our beloved Broth-er Lane Kemper. The purposeof this gathering was to assistthe Kemper Family with thehard scaping of their backyard.I am glad to report that the daywas a resounding success andthe finished product wasabsolutely beautiful!

On behalf of our UFLACmembers, we thank ApparatusOperator Randy Opperman ofFire Station 70 for organizingthis entire operation and his

personal hard work.UFLAC members Mike

Henry and Ralph Urquiza,along with Gary Gunn Land-scaping, as well as too manyother UFLAC members andfriends to mention, spent a dayof camaraderie and hard workat the Kemper residence. And,as I stated earlier, the finishedproduct was a beautiful newbackyard.

We were also able to get a lotof the materials donated. Mr.John Haig of Bonanza Concreteand Mr. Ron Ghrist of BellisSteele were gracious enough todonate much of the materialsneeded to accomplish the task

at hand. Mike Henry met withthese men, and after relating theunfortunate misfortune of theKemper Family, these two mengladly helped with the project.A hearty thank you from theentire LAFD goes out to thesefine gentlemen for their tremen-dous generosity.

This is another example ofhow our members continu-ously come together to helpthe family of one of our fel-low firefighters. Not only didour members step up, but wewere able to include con-cerned civilians who alsowanted to help.

Again, on behalf of the entire

UFLAC Board, a huge thankyou to all who worked so hard.

Editor’s Note:Lane Kemper and his lovely

wife Rose asked that weexpress their heartfelt gratitudeto all LAFD members and dearfriends who have been so kindand thoughtful during this timeof difficulty for their family.Not wanting to leave anyoneout, they thought it best to nottry to individually name allwho have been so considerateand compassionate. They want-ed all to know that Lane isundergoing chemotherapy andis in good spirits…Lane Kemper

Photo by Rick Waters, LAFD

Ron Ghrist of Bellis Steele (standing fourth from the left), Mike Henry (orangeshirt), UFLAC Treasurer Ted Nonini on the far right and unidentified workers.

John Haig of Bonanza Concrete and the crew from Fire Station 70.

Firefighter Cancer Support Network

by Mike DubronFCSN President

We are all, Fire DepartmentMembers, Fathers, Mothers,Sons and Daughters. We are allvolunteers whom have sat inthe chair which you sit in rightnow.

Mission StatementThe mission of the Firefight-

er Cancer Support Network is

to provide Fire Departmentmembers and their families anopportunity to receive assis-tance when dealing with can-cer.

Together we can offer com-fort, strength and hope throughour own experiences in dealingwith the devastating effects ofcancer.

Together we can educateFire Department membersregarding the importance ofcancer screenings and earlydetection.

Together we can provide anawareness that cancer does nothave to be dealt with alone.

For several months in 2003, Ihad battled fatigue accompa-nied by almost daily bloodystools. Believing that I hadhemorrhoids and attributingmy exhaustion to overworking,you can’t imagine my disbelief

when I was diagnosed with rec-tal cancer in 2004.

Here I was at the age of 39and I was convinced I wasgoing to die. Anger, disbelief,and confusion consumed mydays. The internet, which has awealth of information on can-cer, only made my personalscenario seem dismal at best.

To make matters worst, myHMO, at the time, was notoffering or willing to performany state of the art testing andor treatments. It was onlythrough the encouragement andtenacity of friends and familythat I ended up under the careof one of the top colorectalcancer surgeons in the nation.This decision, that took timeand money, gave me a com-pletely different quality of lifeoutcome than if I had gonewith my HMO.

Although I had in my opin-ion the best cancer fightingteam, I still experienced fear,pain, and disappointmentbecause of my diagnosis.

• Was I going to die? • Did I need chemotherapy? • Radiation? • Could I afford an out-of-

network hospital and doctor? • Would I be able to return to

work? These and many more ques-

tions caused many sleeplessnights. For me, talking to otherpeople, especially those whohad been diagnosed with thesame kind of cancer broughtme comfort, security, and hopefor the future. I am not thesame person I was before can-cer and I never will be. I have adeeper respect for life andcompassion for anyone diag-nosed with cancer. For these

reasons I have formed the Fire-fighters Cancer Support Net-work.

Contact me at mikedubron@firefightecancer-

support.orgTogether we can make a dif-

ference._____________

Editor’s note:Unfortunately we are see-

ing more and more of ourmembers, their families anddear friends being diagnosedwith cancer. During those dif-ficult times many do not knowwhere to turn or what to do.We are very pleased to rec-ommend assistance throughthe Firefighting Cancer Sup-port Network, founded byFirefighter Mike Dubron, aproud member of Los AngelesCounty Fire Fighters Local1014.

Photo by Randy Opperman, LAFD

September/October 2006 Los Angeles Firefighter Page 7

Thanks From the Ed Gonzales FamilyTo: Jim Perry, EditorThe Los Angeles Firefighter

I am writing this article as aspecial THANK YOU to all thefirefighters who came to helpmy wife Debbie and I completeour landscape project. Every-thing had come to a grindinghalt when I injured my shoul-der in November thatnecessitated surgery in May torepair a torn rotator cuff.

To make matters worse, mywife was told by her Oncolo-gist in April that her breastcancer had returned after threeyears. It metastasized itselfthroughout her body and shehad to begin an aggressive bat-tle with chemotherapy for 52agonizing weeks. As time wentby, the weeds in our new land-scape began to grow and takeover. With my arm in a slingand Debbie weakened by themedication, we decided to waituntil we were both healthyenough to start again. Debbie’sworst nightmare of never see-ing her finished back yardbegan to consume her.

The week before Mother’sDay, We received a call fromour good friend Jeff Hudsonfrom FS 75, where I had beenassigned prior to transferring toFS 28. He called to see how wewere doing and maybe gettogether for a fun day with thewives. When I gave Jeff all thebad news he felt heart brokento find out about our situation,especially what Debbie wasgoing through.

The next day at the fire sta-tion Jeff shared the news atline-up. He then suggested get-ting a few guys together for awork party and others suggest-ed a cruise for two. They calledDebbie and gave her thechoice. She chose to completethe back yard.

Jeff then took the logisticallydifficult job of project manag-er head-on. He contacted themembers of Fire Station 28who donated funds to help off-set the cost of 5 trees and 80potted plants. Funds were alsogathered from all the membersat fire station 75.

The date was set for May 26at 0700 hrs. And then it hap-pened…my wife’s dreambecame a reality. About 20firefighters and a few wivesbegan the most beautifultransformation of our backyard. I was completely over-whelmed by the response ofmy brother firefighters andextended family.

Twice, I had to retreatindoors and regain my compo-sure when I saw my wife withhappy tears on her face and thebiggest smile that was longover do. During the four hoursit took to complete, Debbiemade the rounds to personallythank every person that laboredso hard to make the project pic-ture perfect.

When the “knock down” wascalled, I treated them all to aBBQ lunch of tri-tip, chickenand potato salad that Debbieprepared the night before. Thefollowing week, we visited allthe stations and shifts that wererepresented and we treatedthem to a cut gallon of Baskin

& Robbins as a small token ofour sincere appreciation.

Not in my wildest of dreamsdid I ever think that I wouldever receive this type of helpfrom my friends at work. Somany times, my wife and Ihave been there for a sick childof a member, or the funeral of aloved one. And it is times likethese that we should never for-get. And if it happens to you,PAY IT FORWARD, and helpyour brother and sister fire-fighters who may be sufferingthrough hard times.

I cannot put into words howhappy I am to see my wife inher new patio and enjoying thesights of her birch tree, thepalm trees, the flowers, and thesound of the cascading water-fall. We will never forget thegenerosity of those who gavefrom their hearts. May the Lordbless you all for this unbeliev-able gift.

I would like to pay tribute tothe following members andwives:

FF Jeffrey Hudson - FS 24A

Capt. David Saylor - FS 72ATask Force 75 A, B, C

Capt. Christopher Cooper - FS 77A

Capt. John Lawrence - FS 75AInspector David Cohen - FPB

Capt. John Tohill - FS 75ALight Force 28 A, B, C

Engineer Michael Wetzel - FS 75A

A/O Charles Grube - FS 28AEngineer Phillip Bernal -

FS 75AFF Jason Lawrence - FS 39A

FF Roger Shu - FS 1APatty Tohill

FF Jason MastroDeborah Cohen

FF Adam Van GerpenA/O David Thomas - FS 75C

Capt. Joseph Szabados - FS 75B

FF York Truin - FS 75A

I will always be indebted toyou. THANK YOU!

Respectfully Submitted,Edward Gonzalez Firefighter IIIFire Station 28-A

Debbie and Ed Gonzalez

Helicopter maker settles 8-year-old suit by widows –Mechanical failure blamed for firefighters’ crash, deaths

by Jason KandelStaff Writer

Reprinted with Permission©2006 Daily News

A wrongful death case filedby the widows of three LosAngeles firefighters who died ina 1998 helicopter crash that alsokilled a Sun Valley girl was set-tled Tuesday after eight years inlitigation.

Details of the agreementbetween the widows and BellHelicopter Were not releasedand will remain confidential.

“We have agreed with the

defense that there would be nocomment on the resolution,”said Ron Goldman, an attorneyrepresenting the three widows.Stephen Brunk, an attorney forBell, did not return a call seek-ing comment.

The lawsuit was filed in 1999by Maria Butler, Lisa Reinerand Lorene McComb, the wid-ows of Michael Butler, 33, ofSanta Clarita; Eric Reiner, 33,of Carson; and MichaelMcComb, 48, of Crestline,respectively.

The firefighters died March

23, 1998, in Griffith Park whenthe 20-year-old Bell helicopterthey were in lost its tail rotorand crashed. Also killed wasNorma Vides, 11, of Sun Valley,a car crash victim who wasbeing airlifted to Children’sHospital Los Angeles.

Steven Robinson, 32, ofAgoura, the pilot, and firefight-er Dennis J. Silgen, 52, ofThousand Oaks, suffered seri-ous injuries and werehospitalized after the crash.

After the tail rotor fell off,Robinson managed to keep the

helicopter airborne for about a-half-mile. He steered the craft,shearing trees, clear of homes onFern Dell Drive before crashing.

The lawsuit alleged that thetail rotor yoke and assemblywere defective and that thedefects caused parts to fatigue.The rotor helps control a heli-copter’s lateral motion.

The case was tied up in litiga-tion for years, partly because ofan initial judge’s ruling thatupheld a federal law that pro-hibits such suits againstmanufacturers of helicopters

over 18 years old, Goldmansaid.

In 2003, that decision wasreversed by a state appellate;court that said the rule does notapply to this case because’ Bellhad failed to disclose to the.Federal Aviation Administrationfive prior military helicoptercrashes that had the same designyoke and fatigue fracture.

That decision sent the caseback for a retrial, whichoccurred over the last 11 days.

kandel@dailynews.com (818) 546-3306

Page 8 Los Angeles Firefighter September/October 2006

Benedict Canyon Brush Fire - From page 1

One city firefighter sustainedneck and back injuries when hewas hit with a broken hoseline, and an 18-year-old LosAngeles County inmate campcrew member suffered heatexhaustion.

The fire was contained in 2hours and the cause is underinvestigation.

The rugged BenedictCanyon area was one of sever-al that burned in a November1961 wildfire, called the “Bel-Air Fire” and dubbed the most“disastrous brush fire in thehistory of Southern Califor-nia,” according to archivedaccounts published by the LosAngeles Fire Department.

Unlike the hot, dry condi-tions 45 years ago, humiditywas high and winds blew atonly 5 mph.

Photos by Gene Blevins, CFPA

In Memoriam

Juan OjedaFirefighter III

Active DutyOperations Control Division, “C” Platoon

Born: June 23, 1957Appointed to February 28, 1977

Died: July 17, 2006The officers and members of United Firefighters of

Los Angeles City Local 112, IAFF, AFL-CIO-CLC extendsheartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Brother

Juan Ojeda durning this very difficult time...

surfing, and his 56 Ford “Clas-sic” pick-up. He raised thou-sands of dollars for the Fire-man’s Widows and OrphansFund by organizing the AnnualLAFD “Mayo Classic” surffundraiser at San Onofre.Whenever a friend needed helpJuan was there. He poured con-

crete, did plumbing and ham-mered nails whenever anyfriend needed help. He wasproud to consider himself “anold school fireman”.

Juan will be greatly missedby all who knew him, includinghis extended fire departmentfamily, made better by his timeamong us.

Juan OjedaContinued from page 1

Two of our own…

More Than Just Firefightersby Jim Perry

EditorTwin brothers Matthew and

Martin Mullen have been quitebusy since moving to Los Ange-les from Boston, Massachusettsabout ten years ago. Now fiveand six year (respectively) veter-an LAFD firefighters and proudmembers of United Firefightersof Los Angeles City, Local 112,they seem to be living thedreams of many young men.

Still young and single, they do

much more than fight fires. Intheir off-duty time Matt andMarty have played professionalroller hockey for Team Salsa onESPN and boxed for the LAFDBoxing Club in the AnnualFire/Police/Sheriff “Fight forLife” boxing tournament bene-fiting the City of Hope.

As members of the ScreenActors Guild, the brothershave done television commer-cials and appeared on severaltelevision shows. Just recently

they appeared in OliverStone’s new movie “WorldTrade Center” and wereselected for NBC’s weeklyseries, “Treasure Hunters”.

Similar to CBS’s “The Amaz-ing Race,” this adventure seriesfeatured competing teams trav-eling the world looking for cluesthat would lead them to the endof the competition. Contestantswere competing for hiddentreasure.

The Mullen brothers were

members of the team “SouthieBoys” along with a longtimefriend John Collins fromBoston, Massachusetts.

In the premier episode, theMullen brothers braved the ele-ments of the Artic Circle withfour of the other nine teams tofind the first clue, buried some-where in the ice. Meanwhile, theother five teams board theU.S.S. Jefferson in the SouthPacific to decipher Morse codeas part of their first clue.

The weekly show ran fromJune 18 throughout the summer.As this issue of The Los Ange-les Firefighter was going topress, the television series hadbeen concluded but was still onthe air and the results wereunknown. Stay tuned… I’m surewe’ll be seeing more of thesephysically active brothers.

Matthew is assigned to FireStation 85, “B” Platoon andMartin is assigned to Fire Sta-tion 94, “B” Platoon.

Matthew and Martin Mullen “Treasure Hunters” “Team Salsa” (Tough Duty)

Los Angeles Mayor AntonioR. Villaraigosa recently com-pleted his appointments to theFire and Police Pensions Com-mission.

“The men and women whokeep us safe deserve the verybest,” said Mayor Villaraigosa.“My appointees’ expertise andcommitment to public servicewill serve our city well.”

The Fire and Police PensionsCommission is responsible foradministering pension plans,disability benefits, and post-retirement health subsidybenefits for all full-time swornpolice officers and firefightersof the City of Los Angeles. Thesystem, overseen by this com-mission covers approximately12,700 active system membersand 11,800 retired members.

The Mayor appoints fivemembers to the nine-personcommission. Sworn membersof the Fire and Police Depart-ments each elect one memberand the retired Fire and Policemembers each elect one mem-

ber. Since the beginning of histerm, the Mayor has appointedthree new members to the com-mission in addition to retainingtwo current members.

The five new members of theboard are:

• Elliot Broidy - Founderand Chairman of MarkstoneCapital Partners

• Sean Harrigan - ExecutiveDirector of the United Foodand Commercial WorkersUnion Western State Council

• Steve Juarez - FinancialPractices Manager, J. PaulGetty Trust

• Patricia Means - Founderand President of Turning PointCommunications

• Louis Moret - former ChiefOperating Officer, SouthernCalifornia Association of Gov-ernments

______________

Current Roster of Fireand Police Pension

Commissioners• Sean Harrigan,

President

• Mike Carter, Vice President LAFD Representative

Members:• George V. Aliano - Retired

LAPD Representative• Elliott Broidy

LAPD representative• Sam Diannitto -Retired

LAFD Representative• Steve Juarez• Don Keith• Patricia Means• Louis F. Moret

______________

Contact Dept. of Fire andPolice Pensions

360 E. Second Street, Suite 400

Los Angeles, CA 90012Tel: (213) 978-4545

(800) 787-CITY (800-787-2489)

Fax: (213) 978-4450email:

ensions@fppen.lacity.org

September/October 2006 Los Angeles Firefighter Page 9

Successful Blood Drive forEngineer Henry Gasparri

The members of Fire Station73 would like to thank theirfellow LAFD members andthe staff at Northridge Hospi-tal for their participation in theblood drive for EngineerHenry Gasbarri.

Members responded to thecall and donated over 190pints of blood!

After six weeks in ICU,Engineer Gasbarri wasreleased from the hospital andstarted a long recovery,including nine months ofintense physical therapy.

Due to the projected long

term recovery, LAFD mem-bers can assist with thefinancial impact by makingdonations to the “GasbarriFamily Fund” in care of theLos Angeles Firemen’s CreditUnion.

LAFCU members may callthe credit union at (800) 231-1626 and transfer moneydirectly to the fund. The fami-ly will receive 100% of yourdonation.

For others, donations canbe made by going towww.eRibbon.org and clickon the Henry Gasbarri name.

Be advised that 90% of thiscontribution goes directly tothe “Gasbarri Family Fund”and 10% goes for eRibbonadministrative costs.

Engineer Gasbarri, his wifeCarrie, and four childrenwould like to express theirappreciation for the supportthey’ve received from theirbrothers and sisters on theLAFD, and firefighters andfriends around the country.

For further information,please contact the StationCommanders at Fire Station73 at (818) 756-8673.

Woman Dies, Off-Duty Firefighter Critically Injured in Northridge Collision

On Saturday, May 27, 2006 at6:04 a.m. off-duty Los AngelesFire Department EngineerHenry Gasparri was drivinghis pick-up truck on the way towork at Fire Station 73 in Rese-da, and was struck by a speed-ing SUV at the intersection of

Roscoe and Reseda Blvd’s.The driver of the SUV was

being chased by her 17-year oldgirlfriend at speeds up to 100mph. The crash caused Gaspar-ri’s vehicle to over turn andsmash into a stopped Metro Busand two other stopped vehicles

trapping him in his pick-up.Firefighters from Gasparri’s

own station quickly extricatedtheir trapped off-duty col-league. He was treated andtransported to adjacent North-ridge Hospital Medical Centerin critical condition.

The twenty-two year oldfemale driver of the SUV wasdeclared dead on the scene.The driver of the Metro Busand one passenger (serious)and one individual from thepassenger cars (minor injuries)were all assessed, treated and

subsequently transported tolocal hospitals.

The 17-year old was arrestedand showed no remorse. Thecause of the collision is cur-rently under active investiga-tion by the Los Angeles PoliceDepartment.

Carrie and Henry Gasparri with their children: Shea 16, Gino 7 mo., Nico 4 and Calista 7.

LAFD Engineer Henry Gasparri was driving the white F350pick up truck on his way to work at Fire Station 73 when theSUV hit him. Onlookers said that one woman driver waschasing another and was traveling at more than 100 mphwhen the collision occurred. Gasparri’s engine and trans-mission were knocked completely out of his truck and found30’ down the road. The bus in the photo kept the accidentfrom entering the corner gas station.

Photo by Steve Tufts, LAFD

Most PrestigiousOccupations

Americans view firefightersand doctors as having themost prestigious professions,according to a recent HarrisInteractive poll.

When read a list of differentoccupations, 63% of respon-dents to the telephone poll saidthey feel firefighters have “verygreat” prestige, while 58% saiddoctors do. Other professionsthat were seen as having verygreat prestige included: nurses(55%), scientists (54%), teach-ers (52%) and military officers(51%).

The occupations seen by thefewest people as having verygreat prestige were: real-estate brokers (6%), stockbro-kers (11%), business execu-tives (11%), actors (12%),union leaders (12%) and jour-

nalists (12%).Actors were seen by the

largest percentage of people(37%) as having “hardly anyprestige at all,” followed byreal-estate brokers at 32%.

Harris Interactive has beenasking about the prestige ofdifferent professions and occu-pations since 1977. Over thecourse of that time, teaching isthe only occupation that hasseen an increase in prestige,rising 23 percentage points to52% since 1977.

Lawyers have seen the great-est decrease in very great pres-tige, down 15 percentagepoints to 21%. Scientists haveslipped 12 percentage points to54%, and business executiveshave fallen seven percentagepoints to 11%.

New Members on the Fire andPolice Pension Commission

Never Forget

Page 10 Los Angeles Firefighter September/October 2006

Permanent Disability Under the New Work Comp Law

by Robert J. SherwinLewis, Marenstein, Wicke

and SherwinYou’ve had a work related

injury while working as a fire-fighter for the City and afterreceiving appropriate treat-ment, your treating doctor nowdischarges you and proclaimsyour condition to be “perma-nent and stationary” or havingreached “maximum medicalimprovement.”

A few months later youreceive a letter from Cam-bridge Integrated Services thatstates you have “some perma-nent disability” from the injurywhich they estimate to be a cer-tain percent (ie: 8%). Enclosedin the letter is a check for a sumof money which Cambridgesays is an “advance against anyaward or settlement.” Are youentitled to this money? Shouldyou cash the check and if youdo, does it constitute a final set-tlement of your case? These arequestions I frequently get frominjured firefighters who are try-ing to make their way throughthe maze of workers’ compen-sation laws and hopefully thisarticle will address some ofthose concerns.

When you are injured on thejob, your benefits are limited inworkers’ compensationbecause the system is a no faultsystem in which liability isgenerally not an issue. Theinjured worker is to receivebenefits in a prompt manner inexchange for which the bene-

fits are limited. The injuredworker does not receive anycompensation for “pain andsuffering” resulting from theinjury. Rather, the injuredworker receives temporary dis-ability compensation (IOD)while off work and possiblypermanent disability compen-sation once the injured workeris discharged from care.

Permanent disability com-pensation is an amount ofmoney that is determined basedon complex formulas and a dis-ability rating schedule thattakes into account a number offactors. Prior to the workers’compensation reform bill inApril 2004, an injured workerwould receive some permanentdisability compensation ifhe/she suffered some perma-nent residual difficulties fromthe injury which impactedhis/her ability to “compete inthe open labor market.” If aninjured worker made a full andcomplete recovery from aninjury, normally no permanentdisability compensation wouldbe paid. If, however, the work-er did not make a full recovery,some final permanent compen-sation would be paid, even ifthe worker returned to work intheir usual and normal occupa-tion. For example, a firefighterwho suffered a knee injuryresulting in surgery would beentitled to permanent compen-sation under the old permanentdisability schedule if theyrequired a knee brace of sometype while they were working,even full duty.

Under the old permanent dis-ability schedule, the injuredworker would receive a perma-nent disability rating based onthe final opinion of their treat-ing physician or a qualifiedmedical evaluator selected bythe injured worker or theemployer. The rating or per-centage would be based on the

description of permanent dis-ability by the reporting doctorand could be based on a num-ber of factors including workrestrictions, subjective com-plaints, orthopedic appliances(i.e.: knee brace), or objectivefactors of disability (range ofmotion).

As a result of the workerscompensation reform act of2004, an injured worker is stillentitled to permanent disabilitycompensation from an injury,but the manner in which it isdetermined is substantially dif-ferent than prior to the changein the law. In an effort to saveinsurance carriers and employ-ers more money, the new lawincorporated the AmericanMedical Association (AMA)description of permanentimpairment as the measure ofpermanent disability. TheAMA book itself actuallystates that it should not be usedfor workers’ compensationpurposes because the AMAguidelines do not actually con-sider work disability but rather“impairment of the whole per-son”. The two do not equateand consequently, permanentdisability ratings under theAMA guides are substantiallylower than ratings under theprior permanent disabilityschedule. A recent study by theCalifornia Commission onHealth and Safety concludedthat permanent disability rat-ings under the disability sched-ule which incorporates theAMA guides are 50 to 73%lower than the old schedule.For instance, a back injurywith surgery under the oldschedule may rate anywherefrom 20 to 50% while underthe new AMA guides, it mayonly rate 1 – 9%. Further, aperson can technically neverbe permanently and totally dis-abled under the AMA guidesuntil that person dies because

until that occurs, there is a partof the whole person still func-tioning!

Whether the old permanentdisability or the new scheduleapplies depends on the date ofyour injury and if a doctor hadwritten a “permanent and sta-tionary” report prior to January1, 2005. If your injury occurredbefore January 1, 2005, thenthe old schedule will apply ifyour doctor issued some typeof report describing permanentdisability prior to January 1,2005. If the doctor did not issuea permanent and stationaryreport until after December 31,2004, then the new schedulewill most likely apply to theassessment of your permanentdisability. There are casespending before the CaliforniaCourt of Appeal challengingthis and the issue is thereforenot completely settled. Conse-quently, you should alwayscheck with counsel to see howthe law applies to you. If yourinjury occurred after December31, 2004, then the new perma-nent disability scheduleapplies.

Once the final rating of yourpermanent disability is com-puted, under either the old ornew schedule, the amount ofmoney you are entitled to isdetermined by reviewing achart that fixes the actual com-pensation. When an employerreceives a medical report thatstates you have or may havepermanent disability or impair-ment, the employer is obligatedto advance you some perma-nent disability compensation orface a penalty for failing to doso. That is why you mayreceive the infamous “estimateof permanent disability” letteralong with a check for a sum ofmoney. The letter is exactlywhat it states: an estimate ofyour permanent disability. Ifyou are not represented by an

attorney, the actual permanentdisability rating will be deter-mined by a disability ratingspecialist employed by theworkers’ compensation appealsboard. Your final medicalreport will be submitted byCambridge to the rating spe-cialist who in turn will issue afinal rating. If you are repre-sented by an attorney, thatattorney may or not rely on therating specialist and may noteven rely on the one reportingdoctor.

Cashing the initial permanentdisability check you receivefrom the city will not constitutea settlement of your case. I nor-mally recommend to clientsthat they cash and deposit thecheck and keep the money seg-regated until their case is con-cluded. Rarely does an injuredworker ever have to return thecompensation that wasadvanced but on occasion itdoes occur if the “estimate” bythe city was too high and dif-fers from the final rating. It isonly until a workers’ compen-sation judge approves a settle-ment that you have entered intowith the city, that the perma-nent disability rating andamount you receive becomesfinal.

There is legislation pendingin Sacramento to change thenew permanent disabilityschedule so it accuratelyreflects the diminished earn-ings workers suffer from per-manent disability. That legisla-tion will go to the Governorbefore the November electionand hopefully he will see fit tosign the bill and remedy thewrong that was done to perma-nent disability under his reformbill. I will of course keep youadvised on what occurs and anyother court decisions that affectyour rights, including perma-nent disability. In the mean-time, stay safe and healthy!

Every year on the 4th of July LAFD Air Ops sends a water dropping helicopter to the“Starlight Mesa” fire helipad to provide fire protection to the City of Burbank for their Fire-works Show. This year a brush fire broke out and all the guests were held in the open airtheater while LAFD Pilot Lance Messner made five water drops very close to the crowd andextinguished the fire in just a few minutes. The entire open-air theater erupted in hugeapplause for the LAFD and Pilot Messner.

Photos and information by Jeff Miller, CFPA

Fireworks Start Brush Fire

September/October 2006 Los Angeles Firefighter Page 11

Your Health…

Youths May Be Placing Their Hearing At Risk

by Anne CliffordConsultant

Fickewirth & AssociatesI have a question for UFLAC

members and their families. Doyou ever look at your kids andwonder whether their MP3players are affecting their hear-ing? If you have a sneakingsuspicion that listening to thesedevices with the volume uphigh on a routine basis couldincrease the risk of going deafat an early age, you are correct.

Two British organizations –Specsavers Hearcare and Deaf-ness Research UK – recentlyconducted a national surveyand found that 14% of youngpeople surveyed spent up to 28hours a week listening to theirMP3 players. In addition, morethan one third of people whoexperienced ringing in theirears after listening to loudmusic, listened to their MP3player every day. According toDeafness Research UK, ring-ing in the ears, or tinnitus, is asign of hearing damage.

On the Deafness Research

UK website (www.deafnessre-search.org.uk), VivienneMichael, chief executive of theorganization, notes that MP3players aren’t the only culprits.She points out that sophisticat-ed sound systems in cars andhomes, as well as the extreme-ly loud music that permeatesbars and clubs, pose a particu-lar hearing danger to the 16- to34-old age group, who areunaware of the damagingeffect of this loud music.

On this side of the AtlanticOcean, the National Institute onDeafness and Other Communi-cations Disorders (NIDCD),one of the National Institutes ofHealth (www.nidcd.nih.gov),also warns of the dangers ofhearing loss. The organization’swebsite explains that whenindividuals are exposed toharmful sounds – sounds thatare too loud or loud sounds overa long time – sensitive struc-tures of the inner ear can bedamaged, causing noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).

NIHL can be the result of aone-time exposure to loudsounds as well as by repeatedexposure to sounds at variousloudness levels over an extend-ed period of time. The loudnessof sound is measured in unitscalled decibels. For example,normal conversation is approx-imately 60 decibels, the hum-ming of a refrigerator is 40decibels, and heavy city trafficnoise can be 85 decibels.

Sources of loud noises includemotorcycles, firecrackers andfirearms – emitting soundsfrom 120 to 150 decibels.

And just how loud is theMP3 player? DeafnessResearch UK says that loudpersonal music players are 112decibels. It also added that ifthe music is loud enough forthe people around to hear, thenit is loud enough to cause hear-ing damage.

The symptoms of NIHLincrease gradually over a peri-od of continuous exposure.Sounds may become distortedor muffled, and it may be diffi-cult for the person to under-stand speech. The individualmay not be aware of the loss,but it can be detected with ahearing test.

Ten Ways to RecognizeHearing Loss

The NIDCD offers a shortquiz to help individuals deter-mine if they need to have theirhearing evaluated by a medicalprofessional. Answer yes or noto the following 10 questions:

1 Do you have a problemhearing over the telephone?

2 Do you have trouble fol-lowing the conversation whentwo or more people are talkingat the same time?

3 Do people complain thatyou turn the TV volume up toohigh?

4 Do you have to strain tounderstand conversation?

5 Do you have trouble hear-ing in a noisy background?

6 Do you find yourself ask-ing people to repeat them-selves?

7 Do many people you talk toseem to mumble (or not speakclearly)?

8 Do you misunderstandwhat others are saying andrespond inappropriately?

9 Do you have trouble under-standing the speech of womenand children?

10 Do people get annoyedbecause you misunderstandwhat they say?

According to the NIDCD, ifyou answered “yes” to at leastthree or more of these ques-tions, you may want to seeyour doctor for a hearing eval-uation.

Preventing Noise-InducedHearing Loss

In the meantime, there aresome things UFLAC membersand their families can do tohelp prevent NIHL. TheNIDCD recommends to:

Know which noises cancause damage (those above 85decibels).

Wear earplugs or other hear-ing protective devices wheninvolved in a loud activity (spe-cial earplugs are available athardware stores and sportinggood stores).

Be alert to hazardous noise inthe environment.

Make family, friends and col-

leagues aware of the hazards ofnoise.

Deafness Research UK alsoadvised people to follow the60-60 rule. Do not listen toyour MP3 player at more than60 percent of maximum vol-ume and do not listen to it formore than 60 minutes at a time.

Vivienne Michael alsowarned that because of the per-vasiveness and popularity ofpersonal music players, thisgeneration of young people maybe placing themselves at risk ofgoing deaf 30 years earlier thantheir parents’ generation. That,in itself, is a sobering thought.So take a moment to educateyour children about the dangersof hearing loss. You may behelping them avoid becomingdeaf in their adult years.

Through the Blue Cross Cal-iforniaCare HMO and PrudentBuyer PPO plans, UFLACmembers and their familieshave access to the finest doc-tors and two of the most exten-sive networks in the state. WithCaliforniaCare, you can builda relationship with your pri-mary care physician andreceive almost all benefitsincluding office visits, hospital-ization, surgery, routine physi-cal exams, well baby care andeven vision and hearing exams,for little or no out-of-pocketcost. Additionally, PrudentBuyer is the best fee-for-serv-ice type health plan availablefor UFLAC members.

Tap into the Power of Your Blue Cross Healthy Extensions

As a Blue Cross of Califor-nia (Blue Cross) member, youget more than basic healthcare benefits. You gain thepower to make healthylifestyle choices withHealthyExtensionssm.

HealthyExtensions is aninnovative program thatallows you to tap into alterna-tive health and wellness prac-titioners, fitness clubs andproducts, and other rewarding

health programs at discountedrates. It can be your spring-board towards revitalizingyourself and your loved ones.

Combine HealthyExten-sions with the preventive careand wellness programsincluded in your Blue Crossbenefits and you’re in stepwith a healthy lifestyle.

Healthy ExtensionsOffers:

• Information about servicesoffered by alternative healthand wellness practitioners tohelp relieve stress, pain andaddictions

• Information about dis-counted products and servicesoffered by nationally recog-nized sources

Health and WellnessPractitioners

When was the last time youfelt the tension drain from yourmuscles – or your mind seemedin balance with your body?

When did you last consume ameal that reduced your waist-line while satisfying yourappetite and strengthening yourheart – or overcome an addic-tion through power of yoursubconscious?

The discounted services ofmassage therapists, yoga prac-titioners, registered dietitiansand hypnotherapists are offeredto you by the health and well-ness practitioners who partici-pate in HealthyExtensions. Thepractitioners do not belong to aBlue Cross provider network,

nor are their services coveredunder your Blue Cross healthcare plan.

While helping to reduce yourstress level, these practitionerscan also reduce your costs. Onaverage, you’ll save:

• 10 to 25 percent on mas-sage therapy

• 10 to 25 percent on yoga• 20 to 25 percent on services

from a registered dietitian• 10 to 25 percent on hyp-

notherapy

Online Practitioner Listing

For quick and easy access toa list of health and wellnesspractitioners, go to www.blue-crossca.com. At the home page,click on Healthy Living and

then select HealthyExtensions.For your convenience, the prac-titioners are organized by disci-plines and counties.

Discounted Productsand Services

Whether you want nutritionalsupplements or aromatherapy,hearing aids or vision care, theindependent vendors partici-pating in HealthyExtensionsoffer you choice and flexibility.And since you’re a Blue Crossmember, they also offer youdiscounts on nationally recog-nized products and services.

For direct links and moreinformation online, go towww.bluecrossca.com, clickon Healthy Living and thenselect HealthyExtensions.

Quake Is Coming, Sooner or LaterReprinted with permission

©2006 San BernardinoCounty Sun

A study published in the sci-entific journal Nature last weekfound that a devastating, 8-magnitude earthquake could hitat any time on the southern sec-tion of the San Andreas Fault,between San Bernardino andthe. Salton Sea.

That’s not new information.Scientists have been warning of

such a shaker for many years.What’s new is more accuratemeasurement of the stress thathas built up along this sectionof the fault since it last snappedmore than 300 years ago.

The danger isn’t unexpected,making this study more of areminder than anything else.Sure, it might be 30 yearsbefore the “Big One” strikes, orit could come later today. Thesecondary danger is that we’ve

all heard so many remindersthat we don’t pay much atten-tion anymore. And that’s amistake.

A big quake will hit whenyou least expect it. The onlything you can do about it is tobe prepared, and effectivepreparations have to be updatedperiodically.

If the food and water stashedin your garage has been theresince the 1971 Sylmar quake, it

might not be too palatable any-more. Most of us renew oursupplies after each good-sizeshaker, but our attention driftsduring the long periods inbetween.

So, instead of waiting untilafter the next earthquakewhich, if it’s on that southernsection of the San Andreas, justmight knock your house down,use this latest study as areminder to get your supplies

and emergency tools in order.Officials warn that residentsshould be prepared to be ontheir own without water, poweror help for at least three days.

But after watching HurricaneKatrina’s aftermath, we’d sug-gest that you expect nogovernment help for at least aweek. You should keep on handseven days’ worth of food anddrinking water for your family,and your pets.

Page 12 Los Angeles Firefighter September/October 2006

IAFF Endorses Call for Improved EMSThe IAFF has reviewed the

Institute of Medicine’s reportregarding emergency medicalservices and supports its call forstronger and improved EMSsystems in local U.S. communi-ties.

“More than 90 percent ofcareer fire departments in theUnited States provide firstresponder emergency medicalservices, and more than half pro-vide advanced EMS care,” saysIAFF General President HaroldSchaitberger. “The IAFF sup-ports and promotes ef¬fectiveemergency medical services as

essential to every community.However, on a daily basis,resources are depleted due toever-increasing call volume –particularly in metropolitan cen-ters – limiting the ability of firefighters and paramedics torespond.”

The IAFF maintains that pre-hospital EMS resources must beadequately funded at the local,state and federal level to bolsterday-to-day operations and disas-ter preparedness.

The Institute of Medicinereport also recommends thatdata collection and EMS system

performance measures becomestandardized. “Quality data andappropriate performance metricsare essential to system assess-ment and continuedimprovement of EMS systemoperations,” says PresidentSchaitberger. The IAFF, in part-nership with the InternationalAssociation of Fire Chiefs, hasidentified and defined numerousEMS system performance indi-cators for which performancemetrics were developed.

As the Institute of Medicinereport points out, the nation’sEMS system is often considered

a safety net for uncompensatedcare. This contributes to thechallenges associated withemergency department closuresand EMS transport unit diver-sion from local emergencydepartments because of over-crowding. The uninsured andunderinsured population in theUnited States is unlikely toimprove in the short term, there-fore, this safety net must adaptin order to continue to care forthe sick and injured, regardlessof the availability of hospitalbeds. The IAFF believes thatpre-hospital providers need to be

trained to deliver higher levels ofcare outside of medical facilitiesso that treat-and-release pro-grams can be implemented andpatient loads at emergencydepartments lowered. In addi-tion, EMS leaders, medicaldirectors and policy makersmust use strong scientific evi-dence-based decision makingfor medical treatment protocolsimplemented in the field.

The Institute of Medicinereport can be downloaded atwww.nationalacademies.org.For more information, visitwww.iom.edu/emergencycare.

NFPA: Training Too Often Results in Unnecessary Deaths, Injuries

In the past decade, 100 fire-fighters across the country havedied while engaged in training,a NFPA study shows.

Sudden cardiac events werecited as the leading cause ofdeaths during training, thesame culprit that is claimingon-duty firefighters.

“Training is a vital part offire department operations, butit too often results in unneces-sary death and injuries,” NFPAresearchers wrote, adding thatin the past 29 years, 239 fire-fighters have died during drills.

Following their recent studyfocusing on training deathsfrom 1996-2005, the NFPAconcluded: “Firefighter deathsduring training are particularlyneedless.

The purpose of training is toprevent deaths and injuries, andshould certainly not be thecause of casualties... Eight ofthe 100 were recruits...”

Of the 100 victims, 47 werevolunteers; 39 career; five stateland management; four federalland management; two civilianmembers of the military; onepilot; one member of the mili-tary and one was an industrialfirefighter.

The study showed that themajority of deaths (36)occurred during apparatus orequipment drills, while physi-cal fitness exercises claimed 30firefighters. Other activitiesincluded live burns, 14; under-water training, eight; classes orseminars, five; traveling to orfrom drills, six; and one personwas shot.

Neither of the two firefight-ers killed in crashes whilelearning to drive tankers waswearing a seat belt. Investiga-tors determined that one of thevehicles also had severaldefects.

Three died after being struckby vehicles, including one by abacking engine being driven byan operator with a suspendedlicense; one by vehicle operat-ed by a person under theinfluence of prescription med-ication and alcohol; andanother by a speeding vehicleinvolved in the drill. Horseplayalso was cited as a factor in thatcrash.

Two firefighters died afterfalling from open tailgates ofpickup trucks, and another washit while picking up equipmentthat had fallen off a fire truck

returning from a drill.The NFPA researchers sug-

gested: “Motor vehicle crashesduring training sessions andwhile traveling to or from...represent an area where ordi-nary precautions and attentionto driving rules and road condi-tions should have an impact.Seat

belts should be worn at alltimes in all vehicles.”

They also said departmentsshould review NFPA 1002,standards for fire apparatusoperators, and make sure driv-ers understand the dynamicsinvolved.

Of the 30 deaths during fit-ness training, 23 died of suddencardiac arrest, three each toheat stroke and aneurysms andone from a disease associatedwith sickle cell trait. Thirteenof those firefighters collapsedwhile working out, and all werefound to have significant healthproblems. However, the sur-veyors discovered that not allthe personnel under 40 wouldhave been required to take teststhat may have detected theirhidden cardiac issues.

Six of those cardiac arrestdeaths occurred while candi-

dates were taking pack tests forwildiand firefighting qualifica-tions.

Two recruits died during fit-ness training. In one case,investigators listed a number oferrors, including no rest orwater for more than an hour;dark clothing, an untrainedinstructor, bullying and noacclimatization for condition-ing given the high heat andhumidity. The other caseinvolved an experienced runnercollapsed after failing to drinkwater or take advantage ofshade.

The NFPA study also foundthat 14 firefighters died duringlive fire training. Two died in aflashover during a search andrescue drill. One victim hadonly been in the department aweek.

In another incident, an 18-year-old recruit playing avictim in a burning buildingdied of smoke inhalation. Theofficer in charge was chargedwith negligent homicide. Inves-tigators found there were noemergency evacuation laddersin place, no safety lines and noone knew about a sofa fire.

It was the first time the vic-

tim had used SCBA in fire con-ditions.

The NFPA also discoveredseveral violations occurred dur-ing another exercise that left arecruit dead, and four otherssuffering heat-related prob-lems. The investigation showedno safety officer or plan; noformal EMS plan, no RITteams in place, and the fireenvironment was not moni-tored. Recruits were threatenedwith termination of they left thestructure prematurely or werehurt.

The NFPA study also showsthat the victims ranged from 17to 74 with a median age of 43.

Prior to conducting a trainingexercise, commanders areencouraged to review variousNFPA standards.

Researchers concluded:“Since training exercisesshould be conducted in con-trolled settings, they must bedesigned so as not to endangerthe participants. This requiresthat recommended safety pro-cedures be followed. That, incombination with competentinstruction, should result in thelevel of safety necessary to pro-tect lives.”

July 4th… Firefighters from Fire Station 13 in Koreatown were alerted to a pickup truck fullof fireworks on the corner of Vermont and 11th Street. They removed all the fireworks andtransported them in a fire department truck to the local police station. The fireworks werebeing sold by street vendors in the area but no one was arrested at the location.

Photo and information by Juan Guerra, CFPA

Greater alarm structure fire at 6813 North Troost Ave. inNorth Hollywood. Ten companies of Los Angeles firefightersbrought the flames under control in less than 36 minutes.

Photo and information by Mike Meadows, CFPA

Fireworks Bust Ventilation

September/October 2006 Los Angeles Firefighter Page 13

Corporate Greed…

Are You Paying the Wal-Mart Tax?

by Jesse BerneyAFL-CIO News

UPDATE: Wal-Mart offeredan anemic response to ourreport in this Reuters story,with a spokeswoman pointingout that many of its employeeswere on public assistancebefore getting jobs at Wal-Mart. But isn’t the point of get-ting a job to get off public assis-tance? The fact remains thatmany of the retail giant’semployees rely on taxpayer-funded programs to get healthcare for themselves and theirfamilies.

A new report from the AFL-CIO shows that Wal-Mart’s

refusal to pay decent wagesand provide affordable healthinsurance is costing taxpayersmillions to provide health carecoverage to Wal-Mart workers.

As employer-based healthcare declines, many workingfamilies have been forced torely on public health care pro-grams to secure coverage. Theresult has been exploding Med-icaid costs that are breakingstate budgets. In many states,Wal-Mart has more employeesrelying on public health pro-grams than any other company.

Three states have passed theHealth Care Disclosure Act,which requires states to report

which employers’ workers arerelying on taxpayer-fundedhealth care programs to covertheir families. Thanks to publicpressure from the AFL-CIO,unions and allies, 23 states totalhave issued public reports.

The reports show Wal-Mart’sworkers rely on public fundsfor health care more than thosefor any other company. In atleast 19 of the 23 states repre-sented, Wal-Mart was the No.1 employer with workers onthe public health care rolls.

In Washington State, nearly20 percent of Wal-Martemployees get their healthbenefits from the state. In Ari-

zona and Maine, 10 percentdo. In New Jersey, Wal-Martis the eighth-largest employer,but it has more workers on thepublic health rolls than any-one else.

Wal-Mart is the nation’slargest employer, with 1.39million workers. It rakes inprofits at a rate of more than$21,000 per minute. Its CEOearned $17.5 million in 2005and five members of the Wal-ton family are on the list ofthe 10 wealthiest Americans.

And the company has wrungat least $1 billion in economicdevelopment assistance fromstate and local businesses in

the past 20 years.Yet despite record profits,

Wal-Mart still refuses to pro-vide decent health care cover-age for its workers. The resultis millions and millions ofdollars drained from state cof-fers as taxpayers pay healthcare costs for many Wal-Martemployees.

Many states are working topass the Fair Share HealthCare Act—already passed inMaryland—which wouldmake sure large, profitablecompanies such as Wal-Martpay their fair share of cover-ing their own employees’health care.

Los Angeles firefighters, above, prepare to battle a fire in a two-story homearound 1:00 a.m. at 10829 Independence Ave in Chatsworth. Firefighters dis-covered the home had been turned into a greenhouse for what police saywere hundreds of marijuana plants. More than 80 firefighters took about 35minutes to put out the fire. Photos and information by Gene Blevins,CFPA

LAFD firefighters worked in over 100 degree heat at this well-involved structure in the 11800 block of Saticoy St in NorthHollywood. The fire started in the rear of the structure andinvolved an RV and a garage before communicating to therear of the large structure. The fire was knocked down inabout a half an hour and the cause is under investigation.

Photos and Information by Mike Meadows, CFPA

Garage/RV Fire Spreads to Dwelling

‘Grass’ Fire in Valley Home

Page 14 Los Angeles Firefighter September/October 2006

IAFF Efforts Increase SAFER FundingThe U.S. Senate has unani-

mously approved a spendingbill that increases funding forthe SAFER and FIRE Act grantprograms. The bill alsoincludes hundreds of millionsof dollars for other first respon-der programs and proposesmajor reforms to the FederalEmergency ManagementAgency (FEMA).

As approved by the SenateAppropriations Committee inJune, the bill only marginallyincreased funding over lastyear’s level for SAFER grants,to $115 million, and slightlydecreased funding for FIREAct grants, to $540 million.

Senators Christopher Dodd(D-CT) and Mike DeWine (R-OH) offered a bipartisanamendment to increase fundsfor both grant programs by$12.5 million each, increasingSAFER funding to $127.5 mil-lion and FIRE Act money to$552.5 million. An intensivelobbying campaign by theIAFF and its members helpedensure that the Dodd/DeWineamendment passed by unani-mous consent.

“I congratulate the Senate inits unanimous decision toincrease funding for SAFERand the FIRE Act,” says IAFF

General President HaroldSchaitberger. “With thisyear’s tight budget, thisincrease is a great victory –one that would not have beenpossible without the diligentlobbying efforts of IAFFmembers. Thanks are also dueto Senators Judd Gregg (R-NH), Robert Byrd (D-WV),Christopher Dodd and MikeDeWine, who have workedtirelessly in support ofSAFER and the FIRE Actthroughout this bill’s consid-eration.”

The Senate also approved anIAFF-supported amendmentoffered by Senator SusanCollins (R-ME) to reformFEMA within the Departmentof Homeland Security. Theproposal requires FEMA to usean all-hazards approach toemergency management, thatFEMA be headed by a strongleader experienced in crisismanagement, and that disasterpreparedness and responsefunctions be reunified underFEMA.

The amendment alsoincludes language to addresstwo major IAFF initiatives toimprove the manner in whichfire fighters are used during a

disaster, and to require theestablishment of medical mon-itoring programs for firstresponders following disasters.

The bill will now be consid-ered by a House-SenateConference Committee, wheredifferences between the bills aspassed by each chamber mustbe resolved. The House-passedbill contains less funding forSAFER, and does not includelanguage to reform FEMA.

The IAFF will continueworking to ensure that SAFERis funded at the highest possi-ble level, and will work toretain the FEMA reformspassed by the Senate in thefinal bill.

IAFF Endorses Call forImproved EMS

The IAFF has reviewed theInstitute of Medicine’s reportregarding emergency medicalservices and supports its callfor stronger and improvedEMS systems in local U.S.communities.

“More than 90 percent ofcareer fire departments in theUnited States provide firstresponder emergency medicalservices, and more than halfprovide advanced EMS care,”says IAFF General President

Harold Schaitberger. “TheIAFF supports and promotesef¬fective emergency medicalservices as essential to everycommunity. However, on adaily basis, resources aredepleted due to ever-increasingcall volume – particularly inmetropolitan centers – limitingthe ability of fire fighters andparamedics to respond.”

The IAFF maintains that pre-hospital EMS resources mustbe adequately funded at thelocal, state and federal level tobolster day-to-day operationsand disaster preparedness.

The Institute of Medicinereport also recommends thatdata collection and EMS sys-tem performance measuresbecome standardized. “Qualitydata and appropriate perform-ance metrics are essential tosystem assessment and contin-ued improvement of EMSsystem operations,” says Presi-dent Schaitberger. The IAFF, inpartnership with the Interna-tional Association of FireChiefs, has identified anddefined numerous EMS systemperformance indicators forwhich performance metricswere developed.

As the Institute of Medicinereport points out, the nation’s

EMS system is often consid-ered a safety net foruncompensated care. Thiscontributes to the challengesassociated with emergencydepartment closures and EMStransport unit diversion fromlocal emergency departmentsbecause of overcrowding. Theuninsured and underinsuredpopulation in the United Statesis unlikely to improve in theshort term, therefore, this safe-ty net must adapt in order tocontinue to care for the sickand injured, regardless of theavailability of hospital beds.The IAFF believes that pre-hospital providers need to betrained to deliver higher levelsof care outside of medicalfacilities so that treat-and-release programs can beimplemented and patient loadsat emergency departmentslowered. In addition, EMSleaders, medical directors andpolicy makers must use strongscientific evidence-based deci-sion making for medicaltreatment protocols imple-mented in the field.

The Institute of Medicinereport can be downloaded atwww.nationalacademies.org.For more information, visitwww.iom.edu/emergencycare.

A fire damaged four units of a strip mall in the 5400 block of Whitsett Avenue in North Holly-wood but nobody was injured. It took firefighters about 25 minutes to put out the flames andmost of the damage was confined to one of the units.The mall houses a cell phone business,self-service laundry, cleaners and market. Investigators have not determined a cause.

Photo by Gene Blevins, CFPA

Photo by Mike Meadows, CFPA

Photo by Mike Meadows, CFPA

Photo by Gene Blevins, CFPA

Strip Mall Blaze

September/October 2006 Los Angeles Firefighter Page 15

LAFD-LAPD Coordinate“Support Israel Rally”

by Brian BalltonLAFD Public Service Officer

On Sunday, July 23, 2006,ten Companies of Los AngelesFirefighters, eleven LAFD Res-cue Ambulances, oneHazardous Materials Team andother LAFD support respondedto a Unified Command StandBy at the “Support IsraelRally” at 6067 W. WilshireBlvd in Park LaBrea/Fairfax.The Los Angeles Fire Depart-ment, in conjunction with theLos Angeles Police Depart-ment spent a significantamount of time preplanning thevarious aspects of the event. AUnified Command with LAPDand LAFD command staff wereimplemented and strategically

positioned at the Los AngelesMuseum of Art to assist in theoverall management of theincident. Under the Commandpost, Divisions, Branches, andGroups were established tohandle various aspects of theincident.

In an effort to provide rapidParamedic intervention duringthe event, several MedicalTask Force Teams wereformed and strategically locat-ed throughout the venue.Additionally, the LAFDdeployed two Bicycle Para-medic Teams and one “Gator”Team. The “Gator” Team con-sisted of two Paramedicsoperating a six-wheeled AllTerrain Vehicle. The “Gator”

was outfitted with AdvancedLife Support tools, a stretcher,and other necessary equip-ment. The size andconfiguration of the BicycleParamedic Teams, and the“Gator” teams provided para-medics the opportunity tonavigate crowds, circumventtraffic, and deliver criticalpatient care faster.

As the event progressedthroughout the late afternoon,the Los Angeles Fire Depart-ment assisted numerousindividuals with medical needsranging from heat relatedemergencies, to minor physicalinjuries. The exact number ofpeople treated and/or transport-ed is still being tabulated.

KCBS/KCAL television reporter Dave Lopez, left, and LosAngeles Firefighter editor Jim Perry were among the awardwinners at the 48th Annual Southern California JournalismAwards Dinner recently held at the Millennium Biltmore Hotelin downtown Los Angeles. Photo by Bonnie Burrow

Press Photographers of Greater Los Angeles

Los Angeles Firefighter among winners...

48th Annual Southern CaliforniaJournalism Awards

David Lopez, a 28-year vet-eran newsman, was honoredwith the 2006 Joseph M. QuinnAward for Journalistic Excel-lence and Distinction. Lopezhas received numerous awardsthroughout his career. Theyhave included eight EmmyAwards, seven Golden MikeAwards and three AssociatedPress Awards. The OrangeCounty Register calls Lopez“The ‘Star’ TV reporter inOrange County”.

Jim Perry, a retired LAFDCaptain II took a first place in

the category, “In House or Cor-porate Publication” (Singlebest issue published by a com-pany, agency or organization,for internal or external distribu-tion.) The judge’s comments,“Contents of interest to audi-ence. Lots of compelling ‘actionphotos’ not typical of this typeof publication. Clean readabledesign, no nonsense writing bypractitioners that is well-edit-ed.”

Perry has been editing thelocal union publication for over36 years. The Los Angeles

Firefighter is the official publi-cation of the United Firefight-ers of Los Angeles City, Local112, IAFF, AFL-CIO-CLC,and has received over 140awards for excellence in jour-nalism and photography in thattime span.

Larry King, host of CNN’s“Larry King Live received thePress Club’s prestigious Presi-dent’s Award for 2006 andYahoo News foreign corre-spondent Kevin Sites receivedthe Daniel Pearl Award forcourage.

Seven teenagers were traveling in the 13600 block of Mulhol-land Drive at 2:30 a.m. when they lost control and went overthe roadside and down the canyon 200 feet. Two of the teenswere able to climb up the hill and call for help. Los Angelesfirefighters responded from the air and ground to rescue thefive trapped victims. Two of the victims in serious conditionwere hoisted by a LAFD helicopter and transported to a near-by hospital.The others were pulled up the hill in litter basketsand ropes by firefighters and transported by LAFD ambu-lances to the hospital.

Photos and information by Gene Blevins, CFPA

Firefighters Respond from Air and Ground

August 3, 2006 – Membersof the Uniformed Fire OfficersAssociation (UFOA) Local 854and the Uniformed FirefightersAssociation (UFA) Local 94who worked at Ground Zeroduring and in the aftermath ofSeptember 11, 2001, have lostthe equivalent of 12 years oflung capacity, according tostudy published in the Ameri-can Journal of Respiratory andCritical Care Medicine.

Lung specialists at Monte-fiore Medical Center in theBronx analyzed lung functiontests of 12,079 New York Cityfire fighters and other rescueworkers. Using an FEV-1(Forced Expiratory Volume) tomeasure lung function, doctorsfound that in the worst expo-sures, first responders lost 372milliliters of lung function.

The average individual loses30 milliliters annually andsmokers lose 70 milliliters.Specialists indicate that manyfire fighters could suffer fromchronic obstructive pulmonarydisease caused by a narrowingof the lung’s airways thatmakes breathing more difficult.

“As frontline defenders, ourmembers in New York City, aswell as those who responded,suffered dangerous exposureswith significant health conse-quences of epic proportions,”says IAFF General PresidentHarold Schaitberger. “Immedi-ate action must be taken toensure that our first responderscontinue with medical atten-tion, as well as the job benefitprotections they need anddeserve.”

“With so many of our mem-bers exposed to hundreds ofchemicals and toxins, thisstudy confirms what we havesaid all along — the danger forcontracting debilitating lungailments is extremely high,”says Pete Gorman, president ofLocal 854. “This study illus-

trates the importance of long-term medical monitoring andhealth care. Our members needlung protections.”

More than 500 Local 854 and94 members have been issuedmandatory retirements becauseof 9/11 lung ailments. In addi-tion, at least 200 others havebeen deemed by FDNY doctorsto be too permanently disabledto continue working as firefighters. Yet the city will not letthem retire but have relegatedthem to light duty.

As for the future health ofNew York fire fighters, theMontefiore Medical Centerdoctors don’t know. In theirresearch, they were unable todetermine whether lung func-tion would continue to deterio-rate or whether some fire fight-er lung damage might heal.

“Most 9/11 veteran fire fight-ers wonder if their health willhold up and the harm it maycause their family,” says SteveCassidy, president of Local 94.“This concern is only furthercomplicated by a lack of clarityabout the city’s position relat-ing to the protection of firefighters who put their lives andtheir health on the line duringand in the wake of the 9/11attacks.

“We need to support the WorldTrade Center Presumptive DeathBenefit bill, which providesaccidental death benefits to 9/11

rescuers should they succumb todisease resulting from theirwork at the World Trade Centersite,” says Cassidy.

“The unsure future of ourfire fighters is why long-term

medical monitoring and healthcare is so important for ourmembers,” says Gorman.“There is federal legislationthat calls for it, but every year,our New York congressionaldelegation must fight to getmoney appropriated.”

“If we won’t take care ofthese first responders, what

message does that send tofuture fire fighters in the nextmajor catastrophe?” asksCassidy. “Fire fighters andfirst responders need to knowthat they and their familieswill be protected should theybecome injured or killedwhile saving and protectingNew Yorkers.”

Page 16 Los Angeles Firefighter September/October 2006

City, Local 112. “It’s inexcus-able that our fallen sister’sfamily should be made to sufferso. We are grateful that Assem-blywoman Montañez hasstepped forward with a solu-tion, and now call upon Gover-nor Schwarzenegger to holdtrue to the spirit of this impor-tant measure.”

AB 2292 is co-sponsored by

California Professional Fire-fighters and United Firefightersof Los Angeles City, Local112. It has broad support notonly in labor, but among thestate’s insurers, who are con-cerned that the conflict couldactually result in multiple pay-ments for the same on-the-jobdeath. In at least one othercase, a workers’ compensationjudge awarded payments bothto the survivors and to the state.

Death Benefits AB 2292Continued from page 1

Show Me…Show me a New York fireman,I’ll show you courage.

Show me a New York fireman,I’ll show you compassion.

Show me a New York fireman,I’ll show youWhat is best about America.

If you’d like to beAn American heroShow me a New York firemanAnd I’ll show you the modelTo follow.

Aaron Espy“The Firehouse Poet”

IAFF Local 3876 Retired

This issue of the LosAngeles Firefighter is dedi-cated to the memory of allthose who perished on Sep-tember 11, 2001; the fire-

fighters and other rescue per-sonnel, the workers in theWorld Trade Center and thePentagon, the passengers andthe pilots on the United Air-

lines and American Airlinesflights, and all the innocentbystanders. Our continuedprayers go out to the friendsand families of the deceased.

In Rememberance…

September 11, 2001

Study Finds 9/11 RespondersSuffer From Rapid Lung Aging

Pete Gorman President IAFF Local 854

Steve Cassidy President IAFF Local 94

Here is an interesting photo of what is often called “The Fire Devil”, “The Fire Monster”,“The Fire Dragon” and other such names of raging fires. Long-time firefighters friend andphotographer Boris Yaro took this photo during a fire in the Angeles National Forest frontcountry a couple of years ago. The huge fireball was touched-up by Yaro by darkening thearea around the eyes and mouth. Photo by Boris Yaro