ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIRST EDITION |
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Going Direct Episode 8 is out now!
In the first episode of 2022, you get a recap on our annual convention and President Edwards gives a vaccine update and gets frank on negotiations and staffing. We also hear from your new State Rank & File Director Peter Boctor.
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Madera County firefighters praised for quick actions after being hit by suspected DUI driver |
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MADERA COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- A suspected drunk driver ran a stop sign last night in the Madera Ranchos, slamming into the side of a Cal Fire engine.
Two firefighters were inside the overturned rig.
Tuesday, they were being praised for what they did in the moments after the crash despite being injured.
A Madera County CAL FIRE engine was hit Monday night, just before 10 pm.
Investigators said a vehicle going eastbound on Avenue 13 ran a stop sign and hit the fire truck headed south on Road 36 after a training at a nearby fire station.
CAL FIRE Engineer Nick Parker tried to regain control and couldn't.
The engine veered off into a field before coming rolling over on to its driver's side.
"If he didn't do what he did, he would've hit my house," said Aaron Reaves.
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As of 0800 on March 1, 2022, the Monte Vista Unit will be known officially as the
San Diego Unit
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"When our headquarters compound was moved to its current location, San Diego City utilized “San Diego” as their dispatch center name. As our location lies on what used to be the Monte Vista Ranch, the call sign Monte Vista was and has been utilized since. As we all know, San Diego City has since moved on to the call sign “Metro” and Chief Mecham believes strongly that “San Diego” better represents the totality of the communities and areas we serve." - via San Diego Unit ECC email
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What does your CAL FIRE look like? |
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Upload your photos and videos so we can show California and beyond how CAL FIRE is California's All Risk Fire Department! |
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What words of wisdom would you tell your rookie self?
We asked FireRescue1 readers what seasoned advice they would offer their younger selves, and they delivered
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By Rachel Engle
As the millennial generation moves into leadership and management roles, the next rookie generation has arrived in Generation Z.
But, regardless of generation, a newbie is still a newbie. We asked FireRescue1 readers to think back to their firefighting years and offer the best piece of advice they would give to themselves as a rookie.
If you’re just joining the department, these comments offer a look at what the seasoned firefighters of today wish they had known going in. Or, if you’re one fire away from hanging up your turnout gear for good, leave some hard-earned advice for the rookies of today that you wish you’d known back then.
No matter what generation you are (or claim!), these nuggets of wisdom offer something for everyone.
ADVICE FROM FORMER ROOKIES
- Treat everyone with respect, always. Even if you have run the call on them every day of your shift, they should still get respect. And remember, the public is always watching. – Ross McDonald
- Know the protocols by heart. Observe and learn from your officers, know the responsibilities of the officer above you. Organize your learning and complete one learning task at a time (i.e., Engine, Tanker, Rescue). Be confident, not cocky. Ask for help. – Mike Goebel
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CAL FIRE Benevolent Foundation 10th Annual Invitational Golf Tournament |
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Retirement Reminders from SFT
- Fire Fighter 1, 2, & Tenured Path
- Fire Mechanic 1, 2, and 3
- Rope Rescue Technician
- Fire Control 3A & 3B
A quarterly summary of the ongoing news, updates, and events at SFT
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Tiller Crashes into CA Apartment Building
Three Oakland firefighters were injured when their tiller fire apparatus crashed into an apartment building
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By: Joaquin Palomino
Feb. 26—An Oakland Fire Department ladder truck crashed into an apartment building near Lake Merritt in Oakland Saturday, tearing through the ground floor entryway and injuring three firefighters.
The accident occurred at around 12:45 p.m. on the corner of Grand Avenue and Perkins Street after a ladder truck en-route to a structure fire veered to avoid colliding with another vehicle, according to Oakland Fire Department spokesperson Michael Hunt.
Three fire personnel suffered minor to moderate injuries and were transported to Highland Hospital, Hunt said. No pedestrians or residents in the damaged building were injured in the accident.
Law enforcement is looking for the other vehicle involved and is asking for witnesses to provide video evidence to help determine the cause of the crash, Hunt said.
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CAL FIRE Local 2881 Honor Guard and Pipes and Drums to March in San Diego St. Patrick's Day Parade and Festival |
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From the CAL FIRE/Fresno County Fire Unit Facebook
Today, myself and Chief Bump attended an event where Fire Captain Chris Vento was awarded the Firefighter of the Year.
Chris has demonstrated an outstanding work ethic and leads from the front in everything that he does. Captain Vento finds creative solutions to complex problems while focusing on gaining efficiency in service delivery. Chris routinely goes above and beyond his normal duty assignments while maintaining a “can do” attitude which is contagious and admired by his subordinates, peers, and supervisors. Captain Vento continuously participates at the highest levels within our organization to ensure that we are successful as a team in meeting our mission while applying our department values.
Chris leads and assists with the following programs and projects within our department: Training Instructor Cadre, Truck Academy Operations, Training Center capital improvement projects, welding/fabrication projects, Tools and Apparatus Committee, Apparatus Standards Committee, and miscellaneous construction projects.
Captain Vento’s efforts, energy, expertise, and sacrifices have contributed greatly to the overall success of our organization.
Please join me in congratulating Chris.
Dustin Hail
Unit/Fire Chief
Fresno-Kings Unit
Fresno County Fire Protection District
Congratulations Captain Vento!
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The purpose of this training is to help clinicians, treatment providers and other community partners develop cultural competency in the fire service and first responder professions as to be best equipped to provide effective behavioral health services to fire fighters, paramedics, law enforcement officers and emergency dispatchers. This event will include information about day-to-day life at the fire house and the potential impact of aspects of the job on well-being, such as exposure to trauma, shift schedules and mental health stigmas. This presentation will provide insight into the most common behavioral health issues experienced by fire service members, substance abuse trends among this unique population, and treatment techniques that have proved successful at the Center of Excellence.
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This training is intended for fire service members interested in learning more about mental health stigmas that may influence first responders asking for help for behavioral health concerns. Attendees will also learn about stress, fatigue and burnout and identify self-care techniques to minimize these issues.
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This training will help educate attendees on the physiological effects of stress and trauma on first responders and the differences between mindful decontamination and civilian self-care. Additionally, presenters will discuss applying psycho-sensory grounding tools to manage acute and chronic stress, including the Havening technique.
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If you or your family uses Amazon for shopping, shop Amazon Smile and support your Local 2881 sisters & brothers! |
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Head to Smile.Amazon.com and select the CAL FIRE Benevolent Foundation as your charity and start shopping!
*The Foundation may also be found listed under its previous name,
CDF Firefighters Benevolent Foundation
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Connecting with
CAL FIRE Wellness
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It’s the 1st of the month and our March Round-Up is here! ⚠️
We have so many webinars on the way this month, including “Successful Co-Parenting” from ESS, Retirement Planning with Magellan, and two Kaiser webinars about nutrition.
March 21st-27th is also National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week.🚫
Registration for webinars is provided on each flyer. Please reach out with any questions you may have!
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Mark Your Calendars!
Click the image below for more info
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CALPERS just announced the COLA rates effective April 1 to be paid starting with the May first payroll |
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SacBee: Cost-of-living increases for CalPERS pensions rise to highest level in 30 years, driven by inflation
CalPERS is adding the largest cost-of-living increases to retirees’ pensions in 32 years due to high inflation.
Public employees who retired between 2006 and 2014 and some others will receive a 4.7% bump this year, according to figures the California Public Employees’ Retirement System posted to its website Thursday.
That’s the largest increase since 1990, according to federal Bureau of Labor Statistics figures on which CalPERS’ calculations are based.
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Did you know the
CAL FIRE Benevolent Foundation is on Instagram?
Give them a follow today!
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World's Strongest Firefighter Contest Returns! |
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The World's Strongest Firefighter Contest, held in 2019 and 2020 on the Santa Monica Pier as part of the Arnold Strongman USA Championships, will return in a big way in 2022 when the World's Strongest Firefighter Contest is held for the first time at the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio!
The contest will be held in the Iron Games Arena inside the Arnold Expo at the same place where the world's best will compete in the Arnold Strongman Classic and Arnold Amateur Strongman World Championships. The contest will be produced in partnership with Strongman Corporation.
The World's Strongest Firefighter will be held on Sunday, March 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Male and female firefighters are encouraged to apply! Events and more details will be announced soon.
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From Your State Retiree Director,
Brian Burger
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Transitioning to Medicare health insurance as a CalPERS Retiree |
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One of the more common questions I received as a District retiree Director was “How does someone transition to Medicare if you have CalPERS health insurance.” When PERS maintained a paper database many retirees remained in a PERS Basic health plan and never switched to a PERS Medicare plan. If a retiree was satisfied with their plan and almost every plan was free, many never even switched. That changed when PERS updated its computer system. PERS also saves a great deal of money when someone switches to Medicare as Medicare plans are approximately half the cost of a Basic Plan. If you are retired, over age 65, and eligible for premium-free Medicare Part A and premium-based Medicare Part B, CalPERS requires you to enroll in both Part A and Part B, and then transfer into a CalPERS Medicare plan to continue CalPERS health coverage.
You will receive a notification from CalPERS four months prior to the month you turn 65. This notification informs you of CalPERS requirements to continue your health coverage, Medicare Enrollment and Eligibility Information, Medicare Plan Options, and an Ineligibility of Medicare Certification form. If you are eligible for premium-free Medicare Part A, you must enroll in Medicare Part A and Part B and transfer to a CalPERS Medicare health plan. The Social Security Administration (SSA) allows you to enroll in Medicare Part A and Part B three months prior to your 65th birth month. By enrolling in Medicare Part A and Part B prior to your 65th birth month, CalPERS will work with CMS to obtain your Medicare information and automatically transfer you to a CalPERS Medicare health plan. If you are ineligible for premium-free Medicare Part A or if you are deferring enrollment in Medicare Part B, you must complete the Ineligibility of Medicare Certification form. To continue your health coverage, the form must be submitted to CalPERS with copies of supporting documentation prior to your 65th birth month to prevent cancellation of your CalPERS health coverage. If CalPERS is unable to obtain your Medicare information from CMS and cannot automatically enroll you in a CalPERS Medicare health plan or if you have not returned an Ineligibility of Medicare Certification form, you will receive a notification of cancellation enclosed with a Certification of Medicare Status form. CalPERS requires that you complete this Never sign up for a prescription Medicare plan, referred to as Part D Medicare, often called Part D Medicare. All PERS Medicare health plans include Part D overage which equals or exceeds any other Part D coverage available. If you do sign up for one of these plans you will lose the CalPERS health plan coverage.
Now, three to four months before you turn 65, PERS computers know when you are close to turning 65. You will receive a letter informing you of the need to make the switch to a Medicare plan or lose your health coverage. This form is called Certification of Medicare Status. You should contact Social Security and ask if you qualify for Medicare. As of April 1, 1986, Medicare coverage became mandatory for state and local government employees hired (or rehired) after March 31, 1986. So, almost every CAL FIRE employee will quality for Medicare. There are a few retirees under 65 that started working before 1985 that never paid into Medicare. They will either continue to pay for a basic policy during their retirement unless they qualify for Medicare based on a spouse’s employment or if they earned enough credits on their own to quality.
Do after you receive the PERS letter requesting Certification of Medicare Status, you must contact Social Security to receive a letter advising you of your Medicare eligibility. Regardless of status, you must return this letter to PERS. If eligible you must enroll in a PERS Medicare plan available in your area. If not, you will be allowed to stay in a Basic Plan. If you are married, the oldest spouse will enroll in a combination plan. You may have seen these in the rate charts and wondered what they were for. These plans are a bit cheaper than Basic plans because one spouse is in a Basic Plan and the other spouse is in a cheaper Medicare plan. Once the older spouse turns 65 they enroll in a member plan in the month they turn 65. You make both of these changes outside of open enrollment.
Under Medicare, you will have to pay the monthly Medicare Part B premium which costs $170.10 per person in 2022. Since you still receive the same 100-90 formula if hired were hired before 2017, there is currently enough left over to pay the Part B premium which you will see as reimbursement on your retirement warrant.
If this has you confused, a full explanation and instructions are available from the PERS publication MEDICARE ENROLLMENT GUIDE 2021.pdf. this explains everything about Medicare and what you need to do to switch from Basic to Medicare health plans. You can download this as a PDF or better yet order it as a publication online or by phone (1 888225-7377 which is 1888-CAL PERS). PERS will mail you a copy for free.
Submitted by State Retiree Director Brian Burger. Email him here.
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Have you checked out the historical footage dating back to the 1940s?
The digitization of the California Revealed project is online and available to view.
More films will be added soon!
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IF YOU ARE AN CAL FIRE LOCAL 2881
ACTIVE MEMBER
YOU ARE ELIGIBLE FOR BENEFITS
PROVIDED FROM OUR AFFILIATION WITH PORAC
IN ORDER TO VIEW AND ENROLL IN THESE BENEFITS
(INCLUDING HEALTHCARE AND AFLAC PROGRAMS)
WE NEED YOUR DATE OF BIRTH.
PLEASE GO TO THE FOLLOWING LINK TO UPLOAD YOUR INFORMATION:
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Have you recently moved? Make sure your physical/mailing address is updated with us so you always receive the Fire Front magazine and other important docs.
Update your address here:
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CAL FIRE ESS 24hr Helpline: (916) 445-4337
EAP 24hr Helpline: (866) 327-4762
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Wildfire Conservancy Study Needs Participants |
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Did you just retire?
Make sure to sign up to be a CAL FIRE Local 2881 Retired Member and stay in the know!
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With Personal Exposure Reporting from California Professional Firefighters, firefighters can document exposures to toxins that can produce job-related illness.
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Check out the Exposure Reporting section on the L2881 Member Benefits page. It has tons of links and information on the importance of reporting, how to report, and historical air quality data for to use in your reporting.
Check it out now and document your exposures!
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Is your physical/mailing address updated with us?
Did you get the Winter 2021 Fire Front magazine mailed to your home recently? If not, then we don't have your current address.
It's important for us to have it in case you are impacted or may be impacted by a wildfire or other emergency. Use the link below, call or email us to update it today!
(916) 609-8711 / dkelsch@L2881.org
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Corned Beef and Cabbage Rolls for
St. Patrick's Day
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Ingredients
6 Savoy cabbage leaves
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped parsley and/or dill
1/2 pound corned beef, cut into strips
2 slices rye bread, cut into strips
Whole-grain mustard, for serving
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Directions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the cabbage leaves & cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Rinse under cold water, then drain & pat dry; slice in half.
- Stir together the mayo & herbs in a small bowl; spread on the cabbage leaves.
- Toss the corned beef with the mustard in a small bowl.
- Top the cabbage leaves with a few strips each of the bread & corned beef. Roll up & slice in half.
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Has your marital status changed? Update your L2881 beneficiary information with us today and keep your loved ones secure. Fill out this form and send it to Danielle @ dkelsch@L2881.org
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Share your photos & videos with us.
What does your CAL FIRE look like? Help show the #AllRisk CAL FIRE. Send us a DM on social media or reach out to DeeDee, your Communications Officer at (916) 202-0553
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UPCOMING EVENTS
REP #2/ADV. LEADERSHIP
MARCH 21-25, 2022
ADVANCED LEADERSHIP
APRIL 18-22, 2022
CAL FIRE BENEVOLENT FOUNDATION 10th ANNUAL INVITATIONAL
APRIL 28-29, 2022
ADVANCED LEADERSHIP
APRIL 18-22, 2022
MEMBER SUPPORT 101
MAY 16-19, 2022
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CAL FIRE BENEVOLENT
FOUNDATION
Provides funds for immediate life sustaining assistance to firefighters and their families who have suffered debilitating injury or loss of life.
Follow on Instagram!
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CAL FIRE MUSEUM
Look in the winter edition of the Fire Front magazine for an update from the museum.
Don't forget to sign up for their newsletter too!
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For more updates, events, and news visit our website:
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