Beloved husband, father, son,brother, uncle and friend. Rickwas born March 17 1965. Hedied May 21, 2006. His Memo-rial was May 30, 2006 atWaverely Chapel, FairhaveMemorial Park, Santa Ana,California.

Rick went to Harbor Collegeand El Camino College andworked for Federal Express

before coming onto the LAFD.Rick was married to his

beloved wife Liz for 15 yearsand had two children, Allie(10) and Dominic (7).

Rick loved being a Firefight-er. He loved the essence of thejob; helping people, working asa team and the physicalaspects.

Rick loved that being a fire-

fighter allowed him so muchtime to spend with his family,which was his first passion. Hewas a great dad who tried to behome every morning to see hislittle munchkins off to school,then making sure he was therein the afternoon to spend timewith them after school.

Rick loved to vacation, tak-ing several trips a year,especially enjoying the annu-al family trip to Hawaii.

The guys on the departmentknew Rick as “Peach” andoften said that he was one ofthe funniest guys they everknew. He could really tell agood story…always full ofanimation and passion andoften imitating his best friendsin good nature.

In his late teens and earlytwenties Rick did some ama-teur boxing. He kept his boxingskills honed over the years andparticipated in the Los AngelesFire/Police/Sheriff “Fight forLife” at the Olympic Auditori-um to benefit the City of Hope.

Rick was a good man, trust-worthy, conscientious andloyal. He is greatly missed byhis family and will be foreverin all of our hearts.

In addition to his wife andchildren, Rick leaves behindhis mother and father Anita andSam Piccione, and sister’sDonna Trevino, Pam Piccione,Janet Klepper, Nancy Bubica,Laurie Prizmich.

In Memoriam

Rick S. PiccioneFirefighter III

Active DutyFire Station 19 “B” Platoon

Born: March 17, 1965Appointed to LAFD: October 13, 1992

Died: May 21, 2006

The officers and members of United Firefighters of Los Angeles City

Local 112, IAFF, AFL-CIO-CLC extends heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of

Brother Rick Piccione during this very difficult time…

VOL. 44, NO. 4 July/August 2006

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)

July/August 2006

PERIODICALPostage Paid

atLos Angeles, CA

In This Issue . . .Article Page(s)Report from the President. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Contract Negotiations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Mileage Reimbursement for IOD Treatment . . . . . . . . . . . 4What is a Grievance? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Firefighters Helping Firefighters Deal with Cancer . . . . . . 5Accomplished Author FF/PM John Hicks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5CPF – 40th Annual Convention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6LAFD’S “Fill-the-Boot” Campaign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Your Health – The Hidden Risks in Vitamins . . . . . . . . . . 9Wal-Mart Stores Add to Poverty, Not Prosperity . . . . . . . 10“The Contender” UFLAC Members in TV Series . . . . . . 12

In loving memory…Remembering Rick Piccione

Phil Angelides leads ticket…

Local and State Firefighters Enjoy Success in Primary Election

On June 6th, California held aprimary election for statewideoffices, including Governor,and for 100 of the state’s 120legislative seats. United Fire-fighters Local 112 and our stateorganization, the CaliforniaProfessional Firefighters, madeendorsements in many of theraces, and we enjoyed a greatdeal of success. In the key raceof the day, our candidate forGovernor, Phil Angelidespulled out a huge victory in theDemocratic primary, earningthe right to take on ArnoldSchwarzenegger in November.The news of Angelides win wasmet with joy and relief by CPFleadership as polling late in thecampaign had suggested that hewas the underdog. Firefightersacross California now turn theirattention and effort toward end-ing the reign of the current

Governor and sending Phil andhis family to the Governor’smansion later this year.

John Garamendi for Lt. Governor

In the race for the nominationfor Lieutenant Governor, our can-didate John Garamendi eeked outa narrow victory over challengerJackie Spier. Their race was tooclose to call until the wee hours ofthe morning of the 7th. In that bat-tle, Ms. Spier’s candidacyreceived a huge boost in the finalweeks of the contest as insurancecompanies poured 2 ½ milliondollars into independent expendi-ture campaigns in an obviousattempt to punish Garamendi fortaking them on in his role as Cal-ifornia Insurance Commissioner.In November, Mr. Garamendiwill go up against Tom McClin-tock for all the marbles.

Rocky Delgadillo willremain L.A. City Attorney

Our good friend L.A. CityAttorney Rocky Delgadillocame up short in his bid to getelected “top cop” in California.With our full support, and theendorsement of the CPF aswell, he took on one of thebest-known politicians in Cali-fornia, Jerry Brown, in the con-test for State Attorney General.Although Rocky didn’t win thisone, he waged a great cam-paign that raised his profileimmensely. We look forward tofuture opportunities to be onhis team in the battles ahead.

Other races – Most win,some lose

Most but not all of our candi-dates prevailed in their primaryraces for the legislature. MikeFeuer, Julia Brownley, Kevin

DeLeon and Mike Eng wonnotable victories locally. How-ever, one of the races in whichwe were most involved, thecontest in the 20th Senate Dis-trict between our candidate,Assembly Member CindyMontanez, and her opponentL.A. City Councilman AlexPadilla, didn’t come out as wehoped. In that very tough con-test Mr. Padilla prevailed, gar-nering 54% of the vote. Weheartily congratulate soon–to-be State Senator Padilla, andwish him well in Sacramento.

Cindy Montanez will runfor LA City Council

On the morning followingher narrow defeat, AssemblyMember Montanez announcedher candidacy for the vacantseat on our City Council thatwill arise due to the departure

of Alex Padilla. That same day,Local 112 was given the oppor-tunity by Ms. Montanez to bethe first organization to endorseher candidacy in this latestendeavor. By a vote of theExecutive Board on the morn-ing of June 8th, we did so offi-cially. Local 112 now looksforward to working withCindy’s team, Mayor Vil-laraigosa and many otherfriends and supporters to electCindy Montanez to the CityCouncil later this year.

Politics is a contact sport andno place for the weak of spirit.Local 112 has the deepestrespect for all those who threwtheir hats in the ring during thiselection cycle. Our heartfeltcongratulations go out to thevictorious candidates, and to allthose who fought the goodfight on June 6th.

Thanks to phone calls and e-mails from IAFF members totheir congressional representa-tives, the IAFF was successfulin preventing devastating cutsin funding to the FIRE Act andSAFER grant program. With-out your help, these fundswould have been greatlyreduced.

“While I am never satisfiedwith just breaking even when itcomes to fighting for fundingfor SAFER or the Fire Act, weachieved a great victory on theHouse floor by restoring fund-ing to both grant programs,”says IAFF General PresidentHarold Schaitberger.

In his FY 2007 budget pro-

posal, President George W.Bush had completely zeroedout funding for SAFER andreduced FIRE Act funding bymore than 45 percent. “Get-ting a conservative Congress torestore $360 million is anenormous accomplishment,”said Schaitberger. “In thistough political climate, theIAFF’s ability to stave offreductions is testimony to thesuccess of our bi-partisanapproach to lobbying andeffective grassroots operation.”

The IAFF will now work

with the Senate to secure fund-ing increases for bothprograms.

Page 2 Los Angeles Firefighter July/August 2006

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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,

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

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

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Union Office Phone NumbersAdministration:

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

(213) 895-4990Code-a-phone:(213) 485-2090

FAX: (213) 250-5678EAP Office: (213) 895-0910 or (800) 252-8352

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

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California Labor Federation, AFL-CIOAmerican Federation of Labor

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Los Angeles Firefighter Newspaper StaffJim Perry-Editor

jpfire1@charter.netMember of the Communications Workers of America

CWA Local 9400, Southern California Newspaper Guild, AFL-CIO-CLC

Jerry Smith - Staff Writer

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

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

July/August Station Stewards MeetingsTime: 7:30 a.m.

Prior to Monthly Membership Meetings

GeneralMembership

Meetings9:00 a.m.

July 19“B” Platoon on duty

August 16“C” Platoon on duty

UFLAC-Union Offices1571 Beverly Blvd.

Los Angeles

Refreshments and Free Parking Available

Union StewardsNeeded

Our goal is to have aUnion Steward at everywork location. Thoseinterested please callFirst Vice President PaulGilbrook at the union hall:(800) 252-8352.

Newspaper Mailing ListIf you are receiving this newspaper and would like to be

removed from our mailing list, please call the union office at 1-800-252-8352, Ext. 208 or clip and mail this note to:

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1571 Beverly Blvd.Los Angeles, CA 90026

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IAFF - FIRE and SAFER Program

July/August 2006 Los Angeles Firefighter Page 3

Pat McOsker

Report from the PresidentReport from the President

Photo by Joe Ortiz, LAFD-HS

The Importance of Our Union MovementRecently I was asked to par-

ticipate in a panel discussionregarding labor issues for aleadership class. The makeupof the “panel of experts” wasunusual in that there were onlytwo of us on it; me and CountyFederation of Labor ExecutiveSecretary-Treasurer, MariaElena Durazo.

Although I’d like to thinkthat she and I were chosenbased on our expertise andcharisma, the truth is thatMaria Elena posses enough ofboth qualities to satisfy anygroup of listeners all by herself.In reality, the president of thefirefighters in L.A. and thepresident of the hotel workersin L.A. were asked to speak toand interact with the groupalongside of one anotherbecause our two local unionsrepresent the opposite ends ofthe labor spectrum. In otherwords, the woman who put theprogram together was lookingfor some contrast.

I enjoyed the evening’s dis-cussion quite a bit, andultimately it gave me as much“pause for thought” as any ofthe young leaders who I wasthere to teach. The differencesbetween L.A.’s firefighters andhotel workers – and the unionsthat represent them – certainlycame through loud and clear.But as the night progressed, sodid the striking similarities inour union’s challenges and ourmember’s needs, goals anddreams. Mostly though, thenight reminded me once againof the importance of our unionmovement, and of the need toreenergize Local 112 so that itcontinues to succeed for itsmembers on into the future.

HERE Local 11When Maria Elena Durazo

was elected President in 1989,HERE Local 11 was a localunion on the verge of collapse.Previous leaders had beenasleep at the switch and hadfallen out of touch with theirmembers. To exacerbate mat-ters, most of them spoke adifferent language than thepeople that they represented. Inthe years leading up to MariaElena’s election, hotels work-ers had suffered a series ofsetbacks at the bargaining tableand in the workplace. By thetime she took over, the union’scoffers were dry and member-ship was dwindling.Thankfully, Maria Elena Dura-zo stepped in and turned thingsaround quickly.

Her skill and enthusiasmfilled hotel workers with new

pride in their jobs and passionfor the union movement. Withthe support and involvement ofher recharged membership,Maria Elena began a series oforganizing drives and contractcampaigns. She partnered withkey elected officials, clergy andcommunity leaders and thingsreally began to happen. Thanksto her hard work, leadershipand smart strategy, over thepast decade hotel workers havebeen on a forward march,wresting important concessionsand good contracts from hotelowners. Local 11 is growingtoday, and is building newentry-level middle-class jobs inthe hotel industry payingdecent wages that workingfamilies can live on.

UFLAC Local 112The story of United Fire-

fighters is a little different. Forthe most part, our middle-classlifestyle was fought for andwon by others a long time ago.Like hotel workers, our jobshave been built by and throughthe strength of the labor move-ment. But most of the heavylifting regarding decent wages,hours and working conditionswas done by union firefightersin an earlier era. In more recenttimes, union power and effec-tiveness has slowly andsteadily improved our profes-sion. As it has, the income,lifestyles and expectations offirefighters have been elevated.The average person today prob-ably considers firefighting tobe a profession of prettyrespectably paid upper middle-class workers, and rightly so.

Comparing Local 11 and Local 112

Compared to Maria Elena’shotel workers, we firefightershave had things pretty goodover the past few decades. Wehaven’t had to dig in and reallyfight for our existence or forbasic respect like they have.Conversely, as Maria Elena’smembers have clawed their wayup the economic ladder, they’vebeen through a series of picketlines, lockouts, hunger strikesand demonstrations. There’sbeen a real difference betweenour dealings with the boss andtheirs. It’s only natural then,that there has also been a differ-ence in the way that membersof each union participate in theactivities and governance oftheir local union.

For those of you who havebeen to a Local 112 meetinglately, you know what they’relike: They’ve become pretty

staid affairs. Generally, thecrowd is small and the mood isfairly restrained. We usuallydon’t get much in the way ofcomplaints, but nobody everhoists us up on their shouldersfor a victory lap either. For themost part, the meetings areinformational sessions with ahandful of current issues thatget voted on by the body, usu-ally without a great deal ofdisagreement or fuss.

Strong Local 11 Enthusiasm

I’ve been to Maria Elena’sunion hall on meeting day. Letme describe the scene there:Hundreds of workers pack intothe room. They begin withinspirational speeches, rhyth-mic clapping, cheering andchanting of union slogans.There is an overpowering senseof solidarity between brothersand sisters as they discuss theirissues and map their strategy –strategies that always involveheavy commitments of volun-teer hours and effort by unionmembers. They recount recentvictories and setbacks with thesame sense of pride and pur-pose, and they always treat oneanother with the utmostrespect. I have literally comeaway from each contact withassembled Local 11 memberswith a sense of awe and a lumpin my throat.

Times are good for Local 112 Members

Although I’m realisticenough to understand thatunion firefighters won’t beclapping and chanting togeth-er anytime soon – and that wedon’t need to in order to beeffective – I do often wish thatwe could generate moreenthusiasm at Local 112. Sowhat’s the difference here, ormore precisely, what is theunderlying cause of this obvi-ous difference in enthusiasmlevels between these two greatlocal unions? I personallythink it’s nothing more thanhuman nature and the way thatpeople respond to the threatsthey perceive.

When groups of people areunder attack, they tend to rallytogether. Individuals within thegroup put themselves on a bat-tle footing and dedicatethemselves to the cause. Con-versely, when times are goodpeople begin to relax and toforget the struggles of the past.Eventually it becomes easy toimagine that all the threats aregone and to lose appreciationfor the protection that we have

against those threats. I thinkthat, to at least some degree, weLocal 112 members suffer fromthe “times are good” syndrome.

Firefighter unity andunion strength

Don’t get me wrong: I’drather be in good times thanbad times any day. But ideally,we union members shouldremain committed to the soli-darity and the power of theunion movement at all times,recognizing that threats do stillexist and that bad times areonly a few bad laws, or badelected officials, or bad con-tracts away. Last year’s attackon firefighter pensions and theSchwarzenegger called SpecialElection are plenty of evidenceof that. Let’s let those two suc-cessfully beaten-back attacksserve as a wake up call to adeeper commitment by each ofus to the cause of firefighterunity and union strength.

New threat to UFLAC emerging

Right now a new threat to ourprofession – to our standard ofliving – is emerging. Pleaseread UFLAC Secretary MikeMcOsker’s page 4 article titled“Contract Negotiations” for anupdate on our progress towarda successor M.O.U. for fire-fighters. In it you will learn thatthe City is offering us signifi-cantly less than the cost ofliving this year, and less thanwhat we expect the cost of liv-ing to be in the second andthird years out. UFLAC leader-ship doesn’t intend torecommend the City’s terms –their proposed reduction ofyour standard of living – to ourmembers. Instead, we plan towork long and hard toward amore favorable contract, and touse every avenue available toget there, including exercisingour right to binding arbitration,if it comes to that.

As we do in all things, wewill be professional as we dealwith this issue. Rest assuredthat we’re not inclined to gopublic with complaints aboutthe boss, the process or any-thing else. We will work hard atthe table, and behind the sceneswe will do our best to convincedecision makers to see thingsour way. In the end, our successor failure to achieve a fair payraise – one that exceeds the dis-appointing agreement betweenthe Police Protective Leagueand the City – may hinge onour ability to keep elected offi-cials committed to fairnessthrough binding arbitration forfirefighters.

UFLAC needs full support of members

As we move forward, I hopeand trust we will have the fullsupport of UFLAC members.At times like these we need tostick together. We won’t needspirited rallies with speechesand cheering, but we will needan informed and involvedmembership. Please comedown to union meetings, orsend a Station Steward if youcan’t. Please be part of the dis-cussion at UFLAC about ournegotiations rather than specu-lating about – or believing whatyou hear someone else specu-late about – our negotiations inthe Engine House. You would-n’t believe some of themisinformed rumors that wehear – not just about negotia-tions, but about almosteverything we do. At unionmeetings you get it straightfrom the horse’s mouth, andeven better, you get to speak upand help us to get it right foryou and your family. After all,that is why we’re here.

Fraternally,

UFLAC Local 112 salutes HERE Local 11 officers and mem-bers for their incredible courage and accomplishmentsunder the leadership of Maria Elena Durazo.

Page 4 Los Angeles Firefighter July/August 2006

What is a Grievance?

by Paul GilbrookFirst Vice President

Over the past several monthsI have received an ever increas-ing number of calls regardinggrievances. I’d like to clarifyour contractual agreement wehave in place.

First of all a grievance is acomplaint or dissatisfactionarising from the interpretationor application of our contract.

Ask yourself:Has a contract or past prac-

tice been violated?Has the department acted

unfairly?What settlement does the

member want?Is it a grievance? If it is, or if

you are not sure, contact yourstation steward. If your steward

is not available, contact aUFLAC board member.

Attempts should be made toresolve work place grievancesat the lowest level. If a problemcannot be resolved at the low-est level, make sure you contacta union representative for fur-ther processing. Be aware oftime constraints in our griev-ance procedure.

If you have a grievance orproblem, make notes on whathappened. The important fac-tors to have for complaints andgrievances are: who, what,where, when, and why.

Why we need a GrievanceProcedure

Our UFLAC grievance pro-cedure is set up so that:

The UFLAC member canseek redress through organizedchannels.

Grievances can be handledthrough an orderly process.

The member can appealagainst bad decisions.

The member has the collec-tive support of UFLAC whenseeking justice.

The grievance procedure inthe collective bargaining con-

tract is the vehicle throughwhich the Union leadershipand its members may policeour contract - to ensure that theagreement and the stipulationsset are enforced and adheredto. Our contract, if notenforced, is not worth thepaper it is written on.

Enforcing our UFLAC Con-tract is everybody’s responsi-bility, including members,stewards, as well as your elect-ed union officers.

The union member who doesnot report an injustice or viola-tion of the contract not onlyhurts himself, but every mem-ber of UFLAC.

The purpose is to bring digni-ty to firefighters through ourUnion. In the end, that is whatmost grievance handling is allabout.

It is also very important tounderstand that grievance han-dling is actually a vital part ofthe collective bargainingprocess. Many grievancesinvolve only one member andthe denial of a contract protec-tion to that member. For exam-ple: a missing S.O.D. day, 1104reprimands, false complaints,

etc... Thus, the handling of thiskind of grievance is primarilyconcerned with getting all thefacts in order to enforce a con-tract provision that is easilyinterpreted.

Failure to vigorously pursueindividual grievances becausethe gathering of facts may bedifficult can have the sameeffect over a period of time asremoving hard won protectionsfrom our contract. A contractprotection that is not enforcedis no better than one that doesnot exist. Here, the Unionsunderstanding of what wasnegotiated and its enforcementpolicies are crucial.

Grievance handling thatinvolves primarily the interpre-tation of provisions of the con-tract, even when the facts areclear, is a form of collectivebargaining. This is another rea-son why grievance handling isso important. It is a continua-tion of the collective bargain-ing process during the life ofthe contract. A grievance on theinterpretation of the contractthat is won by the Union hasthe effect (as a precedent) ofextruding the meaning of the

contract in accordance with theUnion’s understanding of thecontract and its contractenforcement policies.

When the Union loses thiskind of grievance, it mightwant to change the language ofthe contract when it is renegoti-ated. Thus, grievance handlingis not only an important part ofnegotiations, records of the dis-position of grievances are vitalto the negotiation process.

When a UFLAC member’sgrievance is taken up by theUnion, it becomes a Uniongrievance as well as the indi-vidual grievance. In this sense,the Union becomes the“buffer” between the memberand the department so that theaggrieved is protected frommanagement retribution.

It is because the Unionassumes some responsibilityfor screening members’ griev-ances and for evaluating thesometimes conflicting interestsof Union members that man-agement finds it easier to livewith a negotiated procedure.

Aggressively pursuing griev-ances is an important part ofyour contract.

The latest information on…

Contract Negotiations

By Mike McOskerSecretary

Since mid March of this year,UFLAC’s Negotiating Teamhas been meeting with City andDepartment representatives ona successor to our current con-tract which will expire on June30. To date, we have met seventimes and, at our urging, thesides have focused almostexclusively on economic pro-posals. Your team’s efforts havebeen vigorously backed up byPresident Pat McOsker’s lob-bying at City Hall and hisappearances before the Execu-tive Employee Relations Com-mittee (EERC).

Facing a long and difficult process

Unfortunately, at this pointwe anticipate a relatively longand difficult process to reachour goal of producing and rec-ommending a suitable contractto the members.

There are several factorswhich combine to produce ourpresent, and temporary, difficul-ties – all of them fairly simple.First, after having reached a veryfair and sound agreement withIBEW, Local 18 DWP employ-ees late last year, many in theCity’s elected leadership sud-denly got nervous about mediacriticism and started making

public statements to the effectthat they were going to “hold theline” with everyone else. Signif-icantly, the IBEW contract isessentially only a cost of livingfive year deal – sound and fair,but certainly nothing to hyper-ventilate over. Nonetheless,some of the elected leadershiphave attempted to draw a line inthe sand against any good con-tracts in the near future.

Next, the Council, andalmost without debate, passed aMayor’s budget which substan-tially expands City servicesand anticipates a much largerPolice Department. Both ofthese are good things. Howev-er, they propose to pay for it inpart by squeezing concessionsout of all non-IBEW Cityemployees at the bargainingtable. This is nothing other thanan attempt to get the employeesto fund the improvements. Dur-ing a period of relative fiscalhealth in the City, it is bothcynical and arrogant - not tomention unnecessary andfrankly unfair – for the City tobe taking this approach.

An unfortunate development

Lastly – and this was a realsetback for us – the Police Pro-tective League abruptly agreedto the City’s lowball salaryoffer in late April. Their agree-ment calls for salary adjust-ments (they can hardly becalled COLA’s) of 3%, 3.5%,and 3.75% over a three yearterm. Inasmuch as inflation forthe 12 months preceding Feb-ruary of this year was a 5.1%and all Tier 5 members will bepaying an extra 1% into thepension fund beginning in July,the PPL agreement can only be

described as a bad one. Espe-cially in the first year.

Nonetheless, the City consid-ers it to be the deal that sets thepattern for everyone else. Somuch so that, once the EERCbecame convinced that UFLACis serious about at least keepingup with the cost of living, Citynegotiators have been prevent-ed from making anything closeto an appropriate salary offer.The short term result is thatUFLAC has a proposal on thetable that honestly anticipatesinflation running somewherearound 5% per year over thenext few years while the City isstubbornly proposing that wetake less than the cops. Yesyou read that right less thanthe cops, who by the way, haveagreed to take less than thecost of living.

UFLAC will not fold under pressure

Finally the good news.UFLAC is not going along withthe program. We’re not follow-ing the script. Your Unionintends to use every tool at itsdisposal to deliver a fair anddecent contract to its mem-bers’. Rather than be herded,we will stay at the table for aslong as it takes. If progressbecomes impossible we willexercise our rights under thelaw to our members’ fullestadvantage. If all the proceduresavailable to us under theEmployee Relations Ordinancefail to facilitate a fair outcome,then we will be willing to go tobinding arbitration under a newstate law. Apparently, this maybecome necessary.

We say “may become neces-sary” because we haven’t lostsight of one very important

fact. That is that Firefightersare seeking something that no-one can honestly argueagainst…a fair contract thatonly keeps up with the antici-pated rise in the cost of living

over its term. In spite of theCity’s present posturing and inspite of what they were able tostrong-arm the PPL into, Ibelieve the City will eventuallycome to its senses.

Attn. Active and Retired Members…

MileageReimbursement for

IOD Treatment

by Ted NoniniTreasurer

UFLAC would like to sug-gest that all members keeptrack of their mileage or trans-portation costs whenever seek-ing medical attention, examina-tion or treatment for any work-er’s compensation injury.

We suggest that you keep alog of the date and the roundtrip distance between yourhome and doctor’s office, hos-pital or physical therapist facil-ity, and annually submit a letterto Cambridge Integrated Ser-vices Group requesting reim-bursement. We also recom-mend that you keep a copy of

this mileage request in yourown personal files.

At this time the City of LosAngeles is paying 34 cents permile.

Submit the letter to the ana-lyst handling your case at thisaddress:

Cambridge IntegratedServices GroupP.O. Box 29104

Glendale, CA 91209-9104For further information you

can contact Cambridge at thesenumbers:

Company Phone: (626) 296-4200 FAX: (626) 296-4650

Example:

Mileage for Doctor, Hospitaland Physical Therapy Treat-ments Associated with (Lum-bar Pain) (Heart) (Hernia), etc.• Members Name• Worker’s Compensation

Claim No.• Date of Injury• All round trip milage from

your home at (list address)

July/August 2006 Los Angeles Firefighter Page 5

Accomplished Author…

Firefighter/Paramedic John Hicks

by Jim PerryEditor

During one’s lifetime, mostpeople will only dream of liv-ing a full life. It could come inthe shape of traveling theworld, or getting that dreamjob, or even possibly writing abook that people from all overthe world could enjoy. Well, forFirefighter/Paramedic JohnHicks of the Los Angeles CityFire Department, two out ofthree aren’t bad.

Proud LAFD MemberFor the past twenty-one years,

John has been living one of hisdreams and that was becoming afirefighter in 1985. Since thenhe has been assigned to numer-ous stations and assignmentsthroughout the city…beinginvolved in such incidents as theNorthridge Earthquake, LosAngeles Riots, the Jewish Com-munity shooting, and the North-

ridge fire/shooting. He startedhis career at Fire Station 54 inthe Crenshaw District, and isnow presently assigned as aFirefighter/Paramedic at FireStation 18 in Granada Hills.

Accomplished Author That, however, is only part of

the story for this father ofthree, who himself came froma family of eleven children.Not only is John a firefight-er/paramedic, he is also anaccomplished author, havingwritten four books that are cur-rently enjoyed by children andadults alike. And to top thatoff, he is currently finishing uphis fifth and sixth. His firstthree books, “My Buddy-pack”, “Divided World”, and“The Ghost of Fire Company18” are intended for childrenages 8-14, all carrying a mes-sage of hope, while leaving outthe misappropriate stuff that

are in some of today’s books.Even though they are intendedfor children, they are still intel-ligently written with originalplots to entertain the adult whojust wants to escape reality foran afternoon.

His fourth book, however,was intended especially foradults, targeting first respon-ders and their family. The“First Responders Handbookof Humor-A Comical Anec-dote for Stress” was releasedearlier this year, and the wordis spreading fast. This part self-help book, combined with acollection of humorous storiescontain a well rounded amountof information to help peopledeal with the stress in theireveryday lives by using humor,creatively and playfulness.

Hicks and his co-author DanJordan, a twenty-year veteranof the Los Angeles CountySheriff’s Department also rein-force their message of usinghumor to deal with stress byincluding over 150 humorousanecdotes from first respondersfrom throughout the world,which encompasses a majorityof the book. Not only are therestories from firefighters, para-medics, police officers, andmilitary personnel, Hicks andJordan also included a barrageof fun facts from the states thestories came from, throwing insome safety tips to boot.

Encourages children to read

Now one would think being afirefighter, author, and fatherwould be enough. For John,however, it is only the begin-ning. He is also busy travelingthe city speaking to children atschools about the importanceof reading, and for the past twoyears, John has been making

the weekly trek to the FrankHodgkin Memorial TrainingCenter in Los Angeles wherehe has been studying hard forcaptain, and is presently on thecurrent promotional list.

Want to know more about John?

Now, as far as the third partof the dreams most of us have,

John says the traveling aroundthe world will have to waituntil retirement. In the meantime, he’ll have to let his ownimagination take him to newand exciting places, and heinvites all of you to joinhim.For more information onJohn and his books, please visithis website at: www.QuietManPublishing.Com

The Big “C”...

Firefighters Helping Firefighters Deal with Cancer

by David PimentleDirector

Cancer, a touchy subject thatis seldom discussed in the FireStation, has probably affectedeach and every one of us. Onein every three Americans willcontract some type of cancerduring their life time. Whichmeans if you don’t have it,chances are that you or some-one you care about will. Cancerhas no age limit. It doesn’t dis-criminate against sex, ethnicity,religious beliefs, or politicalaffiliation. It is the “true” equalopportunity life alternator. I say

life alternator instead of killerfor a reason. The good news onthis front is that with earlydetection and aggressive treat-ment, most cancers are nolonger the death sentences theyused to be. But you mustbecome proactive. Putting offcancer screenings becausethere uncomfortable or embar-rassing is no longer acceptable,especially in this profession.

At the 40th Annual CPF con-vention in Anaheim this year, aresolution was passed that willask that the IAFF to track thealarming trend of cancer in theFire Service. The authors hopethat the IAFF will host anational data base that willdocument the types of cancersthat Firefighters are getting. Itwill also show how many Fire-fighters are affected by thisdisease. By collecting thisinformation, we can providepoliticians the informationthey need to help us. Truereform in workers compensa-

tion enhancements, presump-tive coverage’s, and increasedmedical subsidies can then beaccomplished. It’s a great ideaand will have the support ofthis local.

While this resolution wasbeing presented on the floorwe got the opportunity to lis-ten to Brother Michael Dubronof Los Angeles County FireDepartment local 1014.Michael is a Firefighter/Para-medic and a cancer survivor.He has learned first hand thedifficulties encountered byfirefighters when confrontedwith this difficult realization.Cancer happens and it canhappen to you! One of themost important aspects ofrecovery is support. Who bet-ter to get support from thenfellow firefighters who havealready been through it? Thisgave Michael an idea. Why notestablish a support network inwhich firefighters, who havealready been through the

process, help others that havejust been diagnosed. An excel-lent idea was born.

Michael has established theFirefighter Cancer SupportNetwork. It is a network of FireDepartment members who arecancer survivors. These mem-bers share their personal expe-riences, provide comfort,strength, and hope to thosediagnosed with cancer. Thenetwork is intended for FireDepartment members and theirimmediate family. In additionto one on one support, eachmember who asks for assis-tance receives very comprehen-sive information on their spe-cific type of cancer. This typeof support and information isinvaluable to any member whohas just been diagnosed withcancer.

Michael recently visitedlocal 112 and asked for oursupport of this very worthwhileproject. He made a DVD pres-entation and gave us additional

information about the network.The Executive Board unani-mously voted to support thenetwork and made a donation.Michael has asked that weshare the information aboutthis program with our mem-bers. He is also looking for afew volunteers to join the net-work. If you are a cancer sur-vivor or caregiver for a familymember with cancer, you arestrongly urged to join thisimportant program. Your helpand support can prove invalu-able to a member who hasrecently been diagnosed. Thisprogram truly embodies theideal of firefighters helpingfirefighters.

If you would like to volun-teer your services or make adonation, you can visit the net-work webpage at www.Fire-fighterCancerSupport.org. Ifyou are a member who has justbeen diagnosed and needsassistance, you may call tollfree (866) 994-FCSN.

Three hundred fifty feet above the ground a constructionworker injured his leg on top of a crane in Century City, LosAngeles.The man caught his ankle in a cable, severely break-ing it. Los Angeles firefighters, two LAFD helicopters, USARand a Heavy Rescue were dispatched to the scene. The man,who was near a side basket on the cranes main arm, wasquickly treated by LAFD personnel who had climbed to hislocation. A special harness was attached to the injured manwho was then hoisted to LAFD helicopter 4. With paramedicson board, the man was airlifted to a local area hospital. Thecause of the accident is under investigation.

Photos and information by Martin Nate Rawner

Page 6 Los Angeles Firefighter July/August 2006

As a firefighter or para-medic, you are part of achallenging profession andan honored tradition of serv-ice. California ProfessionalFirefighters has spent morethan 60 years working topromote the interests ofcareer firefighters.

Designed initially as a lob-bying organization in theCalifornia Legislature, CPFhas built upon that founda-tion to become a full-serviceorganization dedicated towinning firefighters therights, protections and bene-fits they deserve. CPFrepresents 30,000 careerfirefighters in 150 affiliatedlocal unions. We are theState Council of the Interna-tional Association of FireFighters, and are affiliatedwith the California LaborFederation and the StateLabor Council.

Legislative AdvocacyCPF’s mission is to improve

the lives and working condi-tions of career firefighters –the men and women who havemade public protection theirlife’s work. Its legislativeadvocacy has produced astring of successes in theareas of firefighter health andsafety, retirement benefits andemployee rights. CPF has alsoworked hard on legislationdirectly aimed at protectingpublic safety, co-sponsoringbills to bring critical newequipment to local firedepartments and working todefeat measures that couldput critical public services inthe hands of private contrac-tors.

Political ActionCalifornia Professional Fire-

fighters is an active participantin state politics, endorsing bothstatewide and legislative candi-

dates and causes that promotethe well-being of public safetyprofessionals. CPF also pro-vides crucial support andconsulting to affiliated locals asthey seek to elect local officialswho are sensitive to the needsof public safety and those whoprovide it.

Direct ServiceIn addition to its legislative

advocacy, CPF provides a fullslate of services geared aroundthe enhancement of the profes-sion of firefighting. Thisincludes an extensive healthand safety program, active par-ticipation in the developmentof EMS regulations and servic-es benefiting the retiredfirefighter. CPF has taken theleadership role in developmentof the California FirefightersMemorial, which is located onthe grounds of California’s his-toric State Capitol.

Three Days of Solidarity in Anaheim

The largest state conventionin CPF’s history lived up to itstheme: Solidarity.

More than 400 delegatesand alternates wrapped up the40th Biennial CPF Conven-tion in Anaheim with renewedcalls for unity, commitmentand a hard-nosed determina-tion to beat Arnold inNovember.

“We need to make sure thatby this time next year, ArnoldSchwarzenegger is back inHollywood, sitting with JessieVentura recalling what it waslike to be a governor,” saidCPF President Lou Paulson.

Paulson, along with eightother CPF Executive Boardmembers were reelected byacclamation at the weekendconvention. Delegates alsounanimously elected BrianRice – President of Sacra-mento Area Firefighters Local522 – as the new 3 rd DistrictVice President, replacingretiring 3 rd District VPRichard Mayberry.

“We all work hard and worktogether to improve the livesof our members,” said Rice.“I’m honored to be chosen bymy peers to serve this greatunion and our mission to pro-tect what we’ve earned.”

In addition to election ofofficers, delegates disposed ofmore than three-dozen resolu-tions introduced at theConvention – confirmingsome, and rejecting others.Nearly all votes were unani-mous. Convention delegatesalso paused to honor a numberof its own leaders, includingRetiring 3 rd District VP May-berry and retiring InsuranceDirector Greg Hostetler.

“It’s somewhat bittersweet,”said Mayberry. “I’ve been inthe labor movement for over35 years, and I love the work.But it was time to move on,and Brian Rice will representthe Central Valley and Mon-terey well as the new 3 rdDistrict VP.”

The formal business of theConvention doesn’t begin totell the story. The biennialgathering was the first sincethe stunning 2005 SpecialElection victories, and dele-gates celebrated thosevictories with tributes to theirleaders and those of the entirelabor movement. But even asthey basked in last year’s suc-cess, several noted thatfirefighters must remainstrong and together if theyare to finish the job this

November.“We know we’re only in the

third quarter of a long fight,”said one delegate.

As it celebrated the solidari-ty of our members, theconvention also paused tohonor those who had givenback to their communities andtheir country. A video tributeto the heroic efforts of fire-fighters in the aftermath ofHurricane Katrina introduced

IAFF General PresidentHarold Schaitberger. Schait-berger spoke movingly ofthose who put their lives onthe line, and the IAFF mem-bers who continued to do theirjobs even as their own liveswere being uprooted.

Convention delegates alsopaused to pay tribute to thework done by CPF and IAFFmembers for charitable caus-es, such as cancer research

and, of course, MDA. SeveralCPF locals were recognizedby MDA officials for theirfund raising efforts leading upto the 2005 Labor DayTelethon. And even the mostbattle-tested first responderwas moved when six-year-oldAbbey Umali – MDA’s 2006California Goodwill Ambas-sador – sang the LouisArmstrong classic “What aWonderful World.”

From Left to Right: CPF 1st District Vice President Dan Crow, CPF 2nd District Vice PresidentLew Stone, CPF 3rd District Vice President Brian Rice, CPF 4th District Vice President RandySekany, CPF President Lou Paulson, CPF Secretary-Treasurer Dallas Jones, CPF 5th DistrictVice President Mike Massone, CPF 6th District Vice President Bob Wolf, CPF 7th District VicePresident Dave Gillotte and CPF 8th District Vice President Pat McOsker.

From Left to Right: UFLAC Treasurer Ted Nonini, UFLAC 2ndVice President Steve Norris, UFLAC 1st Vice President PaulGilbrook and UFLAC Director Rey Delgado. Not seated attable is UFLAC President Pat McOsker.

Photo by Kristina Wilson, CPF

Mission of the Callback Association

They call it “retirement”, butnobody ever really retires fromthe fire service.

The ties that bind firefighterstogether on the job also keepsthem connected once theyleave the profession. Long afterthey leave the service, retiredfirefighters are still stopping by

the station to visit with formercolleagues and catch up on thelatest news.

The California ProfessionalFirefighters’ (CPF) CallbackAssociation was founded inearly 1993 to establish and main-tain a communication link withretired firefighters. The CPF is

dedicated to keeping retireesinformed about the profession towhich they devoted their lives.

ASSOCIATION GOALSTo protect the funds and

investments of your retirementsystem

To maintain and improve the

purchasing power of your pen-sion

To create an information net-work to keep retirees informed

The CPF Callback Associa-tion is working not only to keepyou informed as retirees, but tokeep your interests front andcenter in the halls of Sacramen-to. And as retirees, yourfeedback is always welcome —just drop us a line at: call-back@cpf.org.

After all ... you’re not reallyretired, are you?

Mission of the CPFPhoto by Kristina Wilson, CPF

July/August 2006 Los Angeles Firefighter Page 7

Page 8 Los Angeles Firefighter July/August 2006

UFLAC – LAFD MDA “Fill the Boot” Campaign$72,143.00 raised for “Jerry’s Kids”

by Steve NorrisSecond Vice President

The Executive Board and Ipersonally take great pleasure

in thanking all members of thedepartment and volunteers whoparticipated in the 1st AnnualMDA “Fill the Boot” cam-paign, which was held on theweekend of May 19- 21, 2006.

Due to the efforts of all thosewho embraced this campaignfor “Jerry’s Kids” the totalmoney raised for the three-dayevent was $72,143.00. Weappreciate all the hard work andinconvenience that you had toadapt to during this fundraiser.

But, as you can see, the grandtotal of $72,143.00 will go along way in helping improvethe lives of those afflicted withmuscular dystrophy.

We need your input forthe future

This being our first MDAcampaign, we believe we werevery successful. We plan oncontinuing our involvementwith MDA and are asking ourvolunteer members for input

from their experiences or anysuggestions to enhance thiscampaign in the future. Pleaselet us know by calling UFLACat (213) 485-2091.

Members are reminded thatthe money collected will beadded to all the funds raised byother IAFF members all acrossthe country this year. The totalamount of these funds will bepresented to Jerry Lewis by theIAFF General President HaroldSchaitberger during the MDA

Telethon being held this year inLas Vegas, over the Labor Dayweekend, September 2-4,2006

Again, we want to thank FireChief William Bamattre, hisstaff, the Chief Officers’ Asso-ciation, and especially all ofour members and volunteerswho helped in getting this greatevent off the ground.

“Jerry’s Kids” are forevergrateful.

Thanks for listening and besafe out there.

Runner’s Knee Definition

Runner’s knee is used as acatch-all term for pain and dis-comfort located in the front oroutside of the knee. Commonconditions linked to runnersknee are:

• Patello-femoral Syndrome • Illiotibial Band Syndrome • Chondromalacia • Patellar Tendonitis

Common Causes All of the conditions above

can be linked to muscular dys-function distorting the truemechanical position of the knee

joint. The potential muscularimbalances, may lead to themisalignment of the patella(kneecap) with the end of thefemur (thigh bone). A misalign-ment of the knee cap may placeexcessive stress on many of theconnective tissues responsiblefor knee function. A misalign-ment may also create unneces-sary friction between the bonesof the knee. These stresses maysurface with strength orendurance activities and devel-op over a period of time.

Prevention of Runner’s Knee

Retraining the musclesinvolved with the tracking ofthe knee cap will allow for irri-tated connective tissues anddamaged bone to heal. Musclesare solely responsible for theposition and overall function ofa joint. There is a sequence ofexercises that will begin toestablish an equal relationshipbetween the muscles of yourknee that will reinforce theideal joint position. Performingthese exercises before activitywill help to ensure properalignment during exercise.

Using these exercises afteractivity will address anyuneven muscular fatigue.

Always consult a physicianbefore attempting any exer-cise program

Active Frog - 40x- Lie onback with soles of feet togetherwith knees out wide. Bringknees together and apart.

Leg Lifts - 20x each leg- Lieon back with left leg straightand the right knee bent so yourright foot is on floor. Keepingleft leg straight and thigh tight,lift leg up as far as is comfort-able then lower back down tofloor.

Active Shoulder Bridge –20x - Lie on back with kneesbent, feet flat on floor and bothknees and feet hip width.Squeeze glutes raising hips andlower back off the floor and backdown; repeat up and down.)

Femur Rotations – 3x20each leg- Lie on back with rightknee bent so foot is flat on floorand left leg straight. Keeping leftthigh tight and toe pulled back,lift left leg up so it is even withthe right knee and rotate left legin and out from the hip joint.

Shoulder Bridge – 1:00min- Lie on back with kneesbent and feet on the floor,squeeze glutes and lift hips andback off floor and hold.

Air Bench – 1:00 min Standwith back against a wall, kneesand ankles at hip width. Keepingback against the wall loweryourself into a sitting positionagainst the wall so that knees are

at 90 degrees. Make sure kneesdon’t go back your ankles. Presslower back into wall.

For questions or more infor-mation on our training visit:

WWW.ADAPTTRAINING.COM

Orlando Gomez P.T/F.F. PF&R Andrea Iverson Personal Trainer

July/August 2006 Los Angeles Firefighter Page 9

Your Health…

The Hidden Risks in Vitamins

By Anne Clifford, Consultant

Fickewirth & AssociatesDo you and/or your family

members take a multivitaminevery day? There is a goodchance the answer is yes.According to the NationalInstitutes of Health, more thanhalf of American adults takedietary supplements, themajority of which are multivit-amins/minerals. That is a lot ofvitamins.

American adults take multi-vitamins/minerals in the beliefthat they will feel better, havegreater energy, improve health,and prevent and treat disease.Currently, users spend morethan $23 billion a year on sup-plements.

The problem, unfortunately,is that experts do not know forsure that the public actuallybenefits from them. In fact,government experts are con-cerned that some people maybe getting too much of certainnutrients. In fact, Congresslimited the U.S. Food and DrugAdministration’s oversight ofvitamins and other dietary sup-plements in 1994. Unlike mostmedications, the vast majorityof vitamin and mineral supple-

ments sold today never had tobe proven safe, much lessshown to provide any healthbenefit.

However, the governmentcurrently wants to learn moreabout the benefits and prob-lems related to vitamin use, andin late May convened an inde-pendent panel to assess theavailable evidence on the safe-ty and effectiveness of multivi-tamins/minerals. After twodays of expert presentations,public discussion, and paneldeliberations, the panel maderecommendations regardingcertain specific supplementsbut ultimately concluded thatmore rigorous scientificresearch should be done beforestrong recommendations canbe made regarding multivita-min/mineral use – especially toprevent chronic disease.

In the interim, the panelreleased a state-of-the-sciencestatement that did have somerelevant recommendations forUFLAC members and theirfamilies.

Recommendations:The panel recommended the

combined use of calcium andvitamin D supplementation forpostmenopausal women to pro-tect bone health.

The panel advocated thatanti-oxidants and zinc be con-sidered for use by non-smokingadults with intermediate-stageage-related macular degenera-tion, an eye condition that cancause blindness.

The panel supported the pre-vious recommendation by the

Centers for Disease Controlthat women of childbearing agetake daily folate to prevent neu-ral tube defects (birth defectsof the brain and spinal cord) ininfants.

No Supporting Evidence:The panel found no evidence

to recommend beta carotenesupplements, a form of vitaminA, for the general population,and strong evidence to cautionsmokers against taking them.Specifically, beta-carotine waslinked to an increase in lungcancer among smokers whotook the vitamin regularly.

Possible Risks:Most individuals may

assume that the components ofmultivitamins/minerals aresafe, because many of theingredients are found in every-day foods and the products areavailable over-the-counter.However, the panel identifiedseveral possible risks associat-ed with multivitamins/mineralsconsumption.

One risk is the overconsump-tion of nutrients, which maysound healthy but can result inthe possibility of adverseeffects such as organ damageand bleeding problems. Indeed,though health-conscious indi-viduals are likely to focus onensuring that they meet the rec-ommendations for essentialnutrients, the combined effectsof eating fortified foods, takingmultivitamins/minerals, andconsuming single vitamins orminerals in large doses maylead them to unwittingly exceed

the “Upper Levels” of nutrients,which can be harmful.

Some vitamins also caninteract dangerously with med-ications. Thus doctors shouldask their patients what theytake.

According to the govern-ment, use of vitamins is higheramong women, the elderly,those who have more educa-tion, higher income, healthierlifestyles and diets, lower bodymass index (BMI) and resi-dents of the far western states.In contrast, the people mostlikely to have nutrient deficien-cies are the least likely to usemultivitamins.

Fortunately for the Americanpublic, there is a lot of infor-mation available to helpanswer your questions aboutdietary supplements and vita-mins. However, it is importantto ensure that you obtain infor-mation from reliable sourcessuch as:

Fact sheets on dietary supple-ments from the National Insti-tutes of Health: http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/Health_Information/ Informa-tion_About_Individual_Dietary_Supplements.aspx

Nutrient Recommendations:Dietary Reference Intakes(DRI) and RecommendedDietary Allowances (RDA):http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/Health_Informa-tion/Dietary_Reference_Intakes.aspx

IBIDS database of dietarysupplement literature: http://dietary-supplements. info.nih.gov/Health_Information/IBID

S.aspxDietary supplement warnings

and safety information fromthe U.S. Food and DrugAdministration: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/ds-warn.html

Consumer information fromthe Federal Trade Commission:h t t p : / / w w w. f t c . g ov / b c p /menu-health.htm

In the meantime, take allvitamins with the same cautionthat you would take medica-tions. Do not self-diagnose anyhealth condition, and workwith your health care providerto determine how best toachieve optimal health. AndALWAYS check with yourhealth care provider before tak-ing a supplement, especiallywhen combining or substitut-ing them with other foods ormedicine.

Through the Blue CrossCaliforniaCare HMO andPrudent Buyer PPO plans,UFLAC members and theirfamilies have access to thefinest doctors and two of themost extensive networks inthe state. With Californi-aCare, you can build a rela-tionship with your primarycare physician and receivealmost all benefits includingoffice visits, hospitalization,surgery, routine physicalexams, well baby care andeven vision and hearingexams, for little or no out-of-pocket cost. Additionally,Prudent Buyer is the bestfee-for-service type healthplan available for UFLACmembers.

Kudos to the IAFFMr. Danny Todd14th District Vice PresidentInternational Association ofFire Fighters3740 Northeliffe DriveMemphis, Tennessee 38128

Dear Mr. Todd:By way of introduction, my

name is Larry Hess. I am theFire Chief for St. TammanyFire Protection District No. 1located in Slidell, Louisiana.The members of our depart-ment are represented by Local2455, Fire Inspector Chad Duf-faut, President.

Our community was one ofthe many that was so devastat-ed by Hurricane Katrina onAugust 29, 2005. Many of ourfire department members wereleft homeless, as their homeswere damaged by the impact ofthis, the most destructive natu-ral disaster in the history of ourcountry.

As you might well imagine,there were countless individu-als and organizations thatstepped up to go well beyondthe call of duty in response tothis storm. It is my opinion,that one such organization wasthe International Association ofFire Fighters. I cannot expressmy most heartfelt gratitude forhow the IAFF came to theassistance of this group of

heroes that I respect so much.In the days immediately fol-

lowing the passing of HurricaneKatrina one of the first contactswith us was the IAFF. Represen-tatives from the union were thereto assess the needs of our mem-bers and assure their welfare, aswell as that of their families, wasbeing addressed. Within a cou-ple of days of that initial visit,our Employee Welfare Officer,Fire Inspector Phillip Rodriquezwas coordinating an effort thatdistributed $500 to memberswithout regard as to their proba-tionary status. This not onlyassisted the firefighter financial-ly, it also measurably improvedmorale of our tired and belea-guered firemen.

As our department regainedsome sense of “normal” opera-tions, the IAFF deployedCritical Incident Stress Teamsto assist in coping with thelong-term impacts of financialdistress. It is my belief that thiseffort, above all of the others,could prove to be the most ben-eficial. This counseling was notrestricted to IAFF members; itincluded all of our firemen andtheir families.

The IAFF additionallydemonstrated its commitmentto safety by bringing in med-ical personnel to establishphysical baselines to assure

the future health of the respon-ders who worked in conditionsthat were wrought with healthhazards. Again, this servicewas completed for all person-nel irrespective of unionaffiliation.

When the plight of our fire-men became known to the restof the world, fire departmentsacross the United States, careerand volunteer alike, initiatedfund raisers and drives fordonated goods which were ofgreat value to our members.

When the bravest in our com-munity focused on servingothers, the IAFF focused onserving the bravest. I applaudand thank the InternationalAssociation of Fire Fighters fortheir commitment and caring. Ihave stated that this momentmay have been the finest andproudest in the history of ourfine fire department. I suggestto you, Mr. Todd, that this maybe one of the proudest momentsin the history of the IAFF.

I will conclude my letter ofthanks and gratitude with astatement of disclosure.

I have been in the Fire Ser-vice since 1966 and I havenever been a member of theIAFF. Most of that 40 years ofservice was in the privateindustry side of the fire serv-ice, so we did not have the

opportunity for IAFF mem-bership “back in the day”, so Ihave no reason to promote ortaut the outstanding actionstaken by the IAFF to assistour membership. I can onlybear witness to the genuinecommitment and selfless ded-ication that took place. And, Ican only say thank you, any-thing else, I fear, woulddiminish the meaning.

Sincerely yours,Larry HessFire ChiefSt. Tammany Fire ProtectionDistrict No. 1

Cc: Mr. Harold Schaitberger,General President, IAFF

Mr. Chad Major, President,LAPFF

Mr. Chad Duffaut, PresidentLocal 2455, IAFF

Remembering Rick Piccione

Brother Rick Piccione and his beloved children Dominic,7, and Allie, 10. See memorial tribute on page 1.

Page 10 Los Angeles Firefighter July/August 2006

Study…

Wal-Mart Stores Add to Poverty,Not Prosperity

by James ParksAFL-CIO

Although Wal-Mart claimsits stores benefit communitiesand grow local economies, anew study shows that Wal-Martretail stores contribute to high-er local poverty rates.

The study, published in theJune 2006 issue of Social Sci-ence Quarterly (subscriptionrequired), the journal of theSouthwestern Social ScienceAssociation, finds “unequivo-cally” that counties with themost Wal-Mart stores andcounties that added storesbetween 1987 and 1998 hadhigher poverty rates during the1990s economic boom.

Wal-Mart stores increasethe poverty rate in severalways, the report says. First,Wal-Mart’s business practicesdrive independent retailers

out of business. The workerswho once worked for these“mom-and-pop” stores oftenend up working part-time atWal-Mart for lower wages. Inaddition, other local retailersreduce their wages to remaincompetitive with Wal-Mart,the study shows. As a result,even though Wal-Mart maymove into a depressed neigh-borhood, the poverty raterises after the new stores arebuilt because the chain forcesdown wages for everyone.This contradicts Wal-Mart’sclaims that its stores benefitlow-income communities bylowering prices for con-sumers.

The businesses that had sup-plied local stores, such aswholesalers, transporters,accountants and lawyers, alsolose income when local stores

close because Wal-Mart han-dles nearly all of those servic-es through its headquarters inBentonville, Ark., the studysays. With fewer businessopportunities, better-educatedservice providers often moveto other areas, reducing thenumber of “nonpoor” house-holds in an area and leavingmore workers jobless, accord-ing to the study.

“The public costs that thechain imposes by raising thepoverty rate suggest that publicinfrastructure subsidies maynot be warranted or, as a mini-mum, that these two types ofcosts need to be added togeth-er to assess the overall cost ofthe chain to a community,” saythe study’s authors, Stephan J.Goetz, professor of agricultur-al economics and rural sociol-ogy at Pennsylvania State Uni-

versity, and Hema Swami-nathan, an economist with theInternational Center forResearch on Women.

Counties in which the num-ber of Wal-Mart storesincreased during the 1990s hadhigher average usage of foodstamps or smaller reductions inuse of food stamps, accordingto the study.

Other studies have noted alarge number of Wal-Martworkers are paid poverty-levelwages and the retail giant’s

lack of affordable health carecoverage forces many of itsworkers to apply for publichealth care assistance, whichadds considerably to the taxburdens of communities inwhich stores are located.

By reducing the number oflocal entrepreneurs, the pres-ence of Wal-Mart also decreas-es local leadership capacity,according to the report, whichcalled this the single, most far-reaching effect of the chain’simpact on communities.

Women Worker’s History…

Welcome Rosie the Riveter©2006 UE NEWS,

Gilmore/Huck, Huck/Konopacki Labor Cartoons

“America at war needswomen at work,” declared theU.S. Officer of War Informa-tion: U.S. entry into World WarII following the Japanese attackon Pearl Harbor opened factorygates wide to women workers.

Industries vital to the wareffort required more workersprecisely as men entered thearmed forces. “The Margin Nowis Woman power,” proclaimed aheadline in Fortune magazine.

“Between 1940 and 1945,”writes historian Philip Foner,“the number of women in thelabor force expanded from lessthan 14 million to slightly morethan 20 million.” By the end ofthe war, women represented 38percent of the workforce, com-pared with 25 percent beforePearl Harbor.

Not only were there morewomen working in industry, thekind of factory jobs taken bywomen after December 1941also changed. Before the warthe overwhelming majority ofwomen workers were employed

in non-durable goods industrieslike textiles and apparel. Withthe U.S. locked into a worldwar, women entered the electri-cal equipment, communicationsequipment, iron and steel, auto-mobile and weapons industriesin large numbers.

“Women became weldersand shipbuilders; they built air-planes and producedammunition; they made com-plicated electrical equipmentand riveted the sides of tanks,”says Foner. “From 1941 to1945, ‘Rosie the Riveter’ was acommon sight.”

Six companies of Los Angeles firefighters and two rescue ambulances respond-ed to a structure fire at 23634 Del Cerro Circle in the West Hills area of the SanFernando Valley. First in Engine Company 106 found a one-story single familydwelling with an attached garage fully involved with attic involvement of the mainhouse. It took firefighters 21 minutes to gain a knockdown and the loss was esti-mated at $400,000.00 to structure and contents. The cause of the fire is underinvestigation and there were no injuries.

Photos by Gavin Kaufman, LAFD. Information by Rick McClure, LAFD

A homeless man holds onto a LosAngeles firefighter as he is lifted tosafety after rising water left him strand-ed on an island in the Los AngelesRiver just east of the Victory bridgeoverpass. He was unhurt.

Photos and information byGene Blevins, CFPA

Swift-Water Rescue

July/August 2006 Los Angeles Firefighter Page 11

IAFF – OperationHelmet

As part of an effort to keepIAFF members serving over-seas in the Reserve Forces andNational Guard safe, the IAFFis supporting Operation Hel-met, a program to provide sol-diers with potentially life-sav-ing upgrades to ballistic hel-mets – free of charge. Theseupgrades are currently onlyissued to the military’s mostelite forces and do not filterdown to Reserve and NationalGuard forces. Therefore, theseand the many other soldierswho make up half of thenation’s military personneldeployed in Iraq andAfghanistan are serving with-out the proper equipment toensure their safety.

“It is a disgrace that ourgovernment continues to sendtroops into combat withoutthe proper equipment to do

their jobs and come homesafely,” says IAFF GeneralPresident Harold Schaitberg-er, who has made a $5,000donation to Operation Helmetto help pay for these desper-ately-needed helmet upgradesfor the 407th Air Expedi-tionary Group based at AliBase, Iraq, the unit in whichformer Attleboro, MA Local858 President Paul Jacques,members of the ProfessionalFire Fighters of Massachu-setts and other IAFF membersare now serving.

John Garran, a senior corps-man for 165 members of aMarine Corps weapons compa-ny and a member of Barnsta-ble, MA Local 3276, is serv-ing is Fallujah with other IAFFbrothers and sisters from Mass-achusetts, Rhode Island, NewYork, New Hampshire and

Connecticut. He reports thatthe helmet project has donated90 helmet liners this year, withmore on the way. “We’vealready experienced one situa-tion where the helmet upgradeshave made a differencebetween a mild concussion andone that would have taken themarine out of the fight,” saysGarran.

The helmet upgrades replacethe 1930s-era helmet supportsystem, are more stable anddecrease G-force transmissionto the head and brain onimpact.

The IAFF encourages itsaffiliates and members to helptheir brothers and sisters serv-ing overseas by making a dona-tion to Operation Helmet.Upgrades are $98.69 each, andcontributions can be made for aspecific soldier

MissionOPERATION HELMET

provides helmet upgrade kitsfree of charge to troops inIraq and Afghanistan, as wellas to those ordered to deployin the near future.

These helmet upgrades dothree primary things:

Comfort - If it is more com-fortable, it will stay on troop’shead longer and more often.

Stability - Keeps the helmetfirmly on the head and out ofthe eyes.

Protection - Decreases G-force transmission to the headand brain.

Help Protect Our Heroes!

This is a charitable organi-zation headquartered inHouston, Texas with volun-teer operations around thecountry.

100% of all contributionsare used to send upgrade kitsto our troops! There is zerooverhead - it is a labor oflove.

Operation Helmet, Inc. is a501-c-3 Charity. Our EIN is20-1756585. Donations aretax-deductible

All Photos and Information by Martin Nate Rawner

A Los Angeles Firefighter gets ready to attack a well involvedstolen Suburban in the alley near 59th and Main in South L.A.LAPD was notified of the suspicious fire.

LAFD Heavy Rescue 56 assisted Glendale Fire and two heavy wreckers from Sunset Towafter a crane tipped over, its arm crashing through a home.The crane was lifting a Jacuzziinto the backyard when the mishap occurred.

Miraculously a man suffered minor injuries after the car he was trying to repossessrolled on top of him. He and his buddy were quietly bringing the car down a steepdriveway when the car suddenly rolled backwards on top of him, tangling his cloth-ing in the underside of the S.U.V., trapping him. Neighbors who heard the commotioncalled the police, reporting “a car thief suspect trapped under a car.” Los Angeles fire-fighters dispatched to the scene cut the mans clothing to quickly free and pull himout safely. The man refused transport and only suffered a bruised ego.

A Los Angeles Firefighter from Task Force 33eyes an exposure as flames destroy a shed infront of a house at 6011 South Main Street inSouth Los Angeles. The fire was quickly knockeddown and there were no reported injuries.

Page 12 Los Angeles Firefighter July/August 2006

“The Contender”

UFLAC members seen in Boxing TV Seriesby Jim Perry

EditorFor boxing fans that enjoyed

last year’s hit television series,“The Contender”, get ready forthe second season. And onceagain we will see two of our

own union members inside thering throughout the series.

Fire Captain Jack Reiss,assigned to Fire Station 83 andFirefighter Carlos Vargas,assigned to the OperationsControl Division (OCD) have

become familiar faces on tele-vised professional boxingevents throughout the nationand overseas.

Reiss, a former amateur boxerand martial arts fighter hasestablished himself as a well

respected professional referee,and Vargas, as one of the bestcorner “cut men” in boxing.

The Contender will premierewith a special 2-hour episodeon Tuesday, July 18, at 7pmPT/10pm ET (re-airs 10pm

PT). The show will air everyTuesday thereafter at thosesame times.

The 2-hour live finale willbe held on September 26 andheld at Staples Center in LosAngeles.

Carlos Vargas and Jack Reiss, longstanding and proudmembers of United Firefighters of Los Angeles CityLocal 112.

Corner/cut man Carlos Vargas stops the swellingand flow of blood from the eye of Sergio Mora inhis Contender championship fight with Peter Man-fredo. Mora, known as the “Latin Snake” from EastLos Angeles, won the title and $1 million prize asthe first season’s “Contender” champion.

Referee Jack Reiss is shown stopping a WBC LightweightChampionship Fight between Jose Armando Santa Cruz andChickashi Inada on a recent HBO televised fight. Santa Cruzwon the title by a technical knockout.

Fighting Heat Stress

From IAFF “Fit to Survive Website”Heat stress is an increase in

human body temperature andmetabolism caused by physicalexertion and/or a heated envi-ronment which can lead toexhaustion, mental confusion,disorientation, dehydration,loss of consciousness, heartattack, stroke and other fatalillnesses.

Heat stress results from inter-nal, metabolic heat buildup(from working in bunker gear,for example) and externalstress related to environmentalfactors, such as personal pro-tective equipment. As the coretemperature rises, so does therisk of heat stress. Performingstrenuous tasks in the heatedenvironment of a fire scene orin warm or humid weather canalso increase the risks of heatstress.

Simple preventative meas-ures can be taken to avoid heatinjuries, including drinking flu-ids frequently throughout theday to stay well-hydrated andwearing a single layer ofporous cotton under protectivegear to keep the least amount ofheat from becoming trappednear the body.

Becoming AcclimatedThe rate at which people

sweat is determined not onlyby genetics, but by hydration,state of acclimation and aero-

bic fitness. You can’t sweat ifyour body doesn’t have enoughwater. In order to maintain nor-mal body function, fire fightersmust replace fluid as soon aspossible.

Acclimation is a physiologi-cal adaptation that the humanbody makes with repeatedexposures to heat stress duringexercise. It increases our rate ofsweat production and shortensthe time it takes for the sweat-ing response to start and con-serves sodium. Regular andsustained aerobic exercise canhelp with acclimation. Firefighters who maintain an ade-quate level of fitness will havereduced cardiovascular strainand lower core temperature forthe same level of heat stress. Fitfire fighters also tend to havereduced levels of body fat –and aren’t carrying extra non-functional weight. Therefore,less energy is required by a fitperson to do the same job as aless-fit person.

It is important for fire fight-ers to acclimate themselves toheat and know how to preparefor the summer weather. Ifsweat cannot evaporate, itdoesn’t matter how fit, howacclimated or how hydratedyou are — thermo-regulationwill be compromised. In addi-tion, it is essential that firefighters are aware of the signsand symptoms of heat stress inorder to detect it early and takethe appropriate measures.

Heat Stress SymptomsAt first sign of symptoms,

fire fighters should notify theofficer in charge and immedi-ately: institute work/restcycles; keep cool and avoidradiant heat; drink smallamounts of the appropriate flu-ids; avoid coffee, tea and alco-holic beverages; and use water

spray bottles, fans and damptowels.

Some predisposing factors toheat stress include sustainedexertion in the heat by unaccli-matized workers; lack of phys-ical fitness and/or obesity;recent alcohol intake; dehydra-tion; individual susceptibility;chronic cardiovascular disease;and failure to replace water lostin sweat.

To prevent heat stress, followthese guidelines:

• Provide medical screeningof fire fighters.

• Acclimatize for five toseven days by graded work andheat exposure, monitoringworkers during sustained workin severe heat.

• Drinking ample water fre-quently throughout the workday.

• Ensure adequate salt intakewith meals and supplement saltintake at meals for unacclima-tized fire fighters.

• Provide cool sleeping quar-ters to allow skin to drybetween heat exposures.

Fire fighters also need reha-bilitation to ensure they cansafety return to active duty fol-lowing a work rotation. Mea-sure the heart rate on eachemergency responder (this canbe measured by the workerhimself) at the end of the workperiod. An effective rehabilita-tion program must include:

• Rest: a “time-out” to helpfire fighters stabilize vitalsigns.

• Rehydration: replacing lostfluids/plasma volume.

• Restoration of core temper-ature through “active cooling”(warming).

• Medical monitoring andtreatment.

• Relief from extreme climat-ic conditions (heat, cold, wind,rain).

• Refueling of calories andelectrolytes.

Glossary of Terms

Heat IndexHeat Index combines air

temperature and relativehumidity to determine anapparent temperature – or howhot it actually feels. High heat-index days can be health andlife threatening, even to thenon-exerciser.

HumidityHumidity is the amount of

moisture in the air. Humidity isof particular concern to thosewhose primary cooling mecha-nism is perspiration evaporat-ing. It’s the evaporation of thatperspiration that causes somecooling effect, not the processof perspiring itself. In otherwords, in water-vapor-saturat-ed air (high humidity), there isno evaporation of perspiration,and therefore, our principlecooling mechanism is not func-tioning for us.

Dew pointDew point is the temperature

at which a vapor begins to con-dense. Dew points are some-times reported or used ratherthan relative humidity. Bewareof dew points above 70.

The heat index is an accuratemeasure of how hot it reallyfeels when the effects ofhumidity are added to hightemperature. When the heatindex is between 90° F and104° F, sunstroke, heat crampsor heat exhaustion are possiblewith prolonged exposure andphysical activity. When theindex is between 105° F and129° F, sunstroke, heat crampsor heat exhaustion are likelyand heatstroke is possible. Heatindices of 130° or higher willresult in heatstroke or sun-stroke quickly.

Heat IndexThe heat index (HI) is an

accurate measure of how hot itreally feels when the effects ofhumidity are added to hightemperature.