SIXTY-SEVENTH EDITION

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT


July 16, 2018

TO: CAL FIRE Local 2881 Members

FROM: Cliff Allen



Brother & Sisters,

Braden Varney, 36-years-old, a well-liked and active member of his community, Heavy Fire Equipment Operator (HFEO) with CAL FIRE, was killed Friday in the Ferguson Fire raging through Mariposa county.
 
Firefighting is a dangerous and courageous profession and the men and women who devote their lives to it sometimes make the ultimate sacrifice. Braden was a loving husband and father and a star in his community. We are grateful for his courage, selflessness and sacrifices.
 
This is a terrible tragedy and we send our deepest condolences to Braden's family and friends and to our CAL FIRE family.  There is no harder thing to do than to send condolences to a family who has lost a loved one in the line of duty. Brother Braden will be remembered as a hero who gave his life to protect his community.

Standing strong together,
signature
Cliff Allen
President


CalPERS FISCAL YEAR UPDATE

CalPERS today reported a preliminary 8.6 percent net return on investments for the 12-month period that ended June 30, 2018. CalPERS assets at the end of the fiscal year stood at more than $351 billion.

Strong returns came from the private equity program, which generated a 16.1 percent return, followed by public equity preliminary net returns of 11.5 percent. Real assets returned 8.0 percent, which included a 20.6 percent return from the infrastructure program.

Based on these preliminary fiscal year returns, the funded status of the overall CalPERS fund is an estimated 71 percent, an increase of 3 percentage points from the previous fiscal year. This estimate is based on a 7 percent discount rate.

"I am pleased we were able to exceed our expected rate of return based on our strong performance in the private and public equity portfolios," said Ted Eliopoulos, CalPERS chief investment officer.
FIREFIGHTER/PARAMEDIC DAN GEARY

The celebration of life for Firefighter/Paramedic Dan Geary was held on Friday, July 13, at North Coast Church in Vista, California.  A sea of blue flowed into the ceremony as firefighters from CAL FIRE and neighboring communities joined together to mourn the loss of their brother. 

Firefighter honors were conducted by CAL FIRE Local 2881 Honor Guard and Pipes and Drums. 

Close friends and family of Dan Geary's expressed their appreciation for the support they received by Patrick Walker and Jared Covert (District X) and CAL FIRE Local 2881. 


For those who were unable to attend the ceremony, a recording is available here. 

LEGISLATIVE VICTORY
Victory! Fire Fighter Cancer Registry Act Signed Into Law

Culminating more than two years of intense lobbying and hard work by the IAFF and its leadership, President D onald Trump has signed the Firefighter Cancer Registry Act of 2018 (H.R. 931) into law. With this final action, the federal government takes the first steps towards establishing a one-of-a-kind national cancer registry specifically for fire fighters.

With President Trump's signature, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is now directed to undertake the collection of detailed data on the occurrence of cancer in fire fighters. The data will provide scientists with specialized information needed to research the relationship between the disease and the job, which will help strengthen our understanding of the link between firefighting and cancer and potentially lead to better prevention and safety protocols.

The bill, introduced in the House by Representatives Chris Collins (R-NY) and Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), and in the Senate by Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ), passed the House unanimously in June for the second time after the Senate made slight modifications to the bill. H.R. 931 first passed the House last September.

This legislative victory was only possible with the dedication and hard work of IAFF members and a bipartisan cadre of elected federal officials. "I sincerely thank Representatives Collins and Pascrell, along with Senators Murkowski and Menendez, for working with the IAFF to pass the Firefighter Cancer Registry Act. Their superior leadership on this legislation has been invaluable. I also thank the entire House and Senate for their unanimous votes necessary to deliver this legislation to the president's desk for his signature," says General President Harold Schaitberger. "The strength of the vote in each chamber demonstrates the importance of this legislation and the need to better understand cancer within the fire service."

The bill requires the Trump administration partner with national fire service organizations, including the IAFF, to build out the registry. As this process begins, we will be working closely with the Centers for Disease Control to ensure the registry well represents our members and their interests. 

SHARE YOUR PHOTOS!
 
Do you have photos of yourself or other L2881 members working in your unit or on an 
out of county assignment?

Share it with us & we may use it on social media, the website or submit it to a contest! 



Does your photo have a backstory? Email our Communications Officer the details!  dgarcia@l2881.org

Uploading any content to this site means you have read and agree to CAL FIRE Local 2881's 
Terms & Conditions of Use.

IAFF CENTER OF EXCELLENCE

The IAFF gives us an in depth look at the Center of Excellence and explains the opportunities available for treatment for PTSD, addiction, substance abuse and other mental health issues.  


For more information visit iaffrecoverycenter.com

IN THE NEWS
University of Ottawa

A team of researchers at the University of Ottawa, working with Health Canada, the University of Toronto and the Institut national de santé publique du Québec, examined chemical exposure experienced by Ottawa Fire Service firefighters during on-shift, emergency fire operations between January 2015 and April 2016.

The team collected urine and skin wipe samples from the firefighters at the start of their shift as well as after a fire to measure whether they were exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which can cause DNA mutations and cancer, and other harmful chemicals often found in smoke.

"Firefighters had from three to more than five times the amount of metabolites, or by-products of PAHs, in their urine after a fire compared to before the fire," says Jennifer Keir, researcher at the University of Ottawa and senior author of the study. "Mutagenic potency of the urine, which reveals the potential for genetic mutations, also increased on average more than four times after a fire." Since urine contains waste and toxins filtered by the kidneys from the bloodstream, its mutagenic potency is a good indicator of the presence of noxious components in firefighters' blood.  

SOMETHING ELSE ADDING FUEL TO CALIFORNIA'S FIRE SEASON: WARMER NIGHTS
CRAIG MILLER, 7/9/2018
 
It will most likely be weeks before the County Fire west of Sacramento is completely extinguished. By Friday it had consumed nearly 140 square miles -- an area larger than Las Vegas.

Firefighters say it was a vicious cycle of weather conditions, terrain and vegetation that made it one of the fastest-growing fires in recent memory. But there was something else at work: a relatively new challenge confronting fire crews.

Scientists have noted that nighttime temperatures -- overnight lows, in particular -- are rising at a faster rate than daytime highs.   READ MORE

FIREFIGHTER MAULED BY PIT BULL AT SCENE OF HOUSE FIRE  
ASSOCIATED PRESS, 7/16/2018

Alameda County Fire Battalion Chief John Whiting received "extremely severe facial damage" in the attack

Authorities say a Northern California firefighter was mauled in the face by a pit bull after helping extinguish a house fire.

The East Bay Times reports Alameda County Fire Battalion Chief John Whiting received "extremely severe facial damage" in the attack Saturday in San Leandro.
Division Chief Alan Evans says Whiting required extensive reconstructive surgery.

Fire officials say firefighters rescued a 15-year-old girl and 18 dogs from the two-story house. Two other dogs in the basement died.   READ MORE

KEEP YOUR HEAD ON A SWIVEL! 
Retiree Luncheons

District VI
August 16th at 11:30am
Farm's House Restaurant
6261 Joshua Palmer Way
Banning

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE


According to  NFPA research, residential fires are responsible for:
  • 93% of all civilian structure fire deaths
  • 87% of all civilian structure fire injuries
  • 68% of total direct damage in structure fires
Are you an expert on residential structure fire tactics? Try your hand at this quiz and challenge your fellow firefighters to beat your score. 

  TAKE THE QUIZ  HERE!


UPCOMING EVENTS

EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING
JULY 24 - 26

IAFF  CONVENTION
AUGUST 6 - 10

BUDGET PREP MEETING
AUGUST 21 - 22

IAFF MEMORIAL
SEPTEMBER 15

EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING
SEPTEMBER 18 - 20

CALIFORNIA FIREFIGHTERS MEMORIAL
SEPTEMBER 29

NATIONAL FIREFIGHTERS MEMORIAL
OCTOBER 7 - 8

CDF FIREFIGHTERS BENEVOLENT
 FOUNDATION
Provides funds for immediate life sus taining assistance to firefighters and their families who have suffered debilitating injury or loss of life.

For more information or to donate, visit the website.

CAL FIRE LOCAL 2881
NO ONE LEFT BEHIND
Proceeds support the Firefighters Cancer Support Network.
For more information, visit the website.

UPCOMING EVENTS

October 28, 2018
Half Moon Bay Golf Links

INDIVIDUAL SPONSORSHIP
    • $1,000 Golf Foursome Participation
    • $250 Single Player
    • $35 Adult BBQ Guest
    • $10 Child BBQ Guest
Click  here for more information!

CAL FIRE Local 2881  likes to stay connected with our membership.  We want to make sure every member has an updated mailing address.

Below is a list of both Active and Retired members that have bad addresses.  If your name is on the list or you have recently moved,  please contact Danielle at (916) 277-9885 or  dkelsch@L2881.org to update your address.






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