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Message from the Chair - 2011 FESTIVAL OF TRIBUTE & HONOR more
details
- Recent NJ Two-Hatter Situation Not an Isolated Incident
- Duluth Firefighters Union boots 3 firefighters for volunteering
- H.R. 413 Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 2009
- GAO Two Hatter Report
- Statewide Volunteer Firefighter Retirement Plan by PERA
- NVFC Comments on Article on Collective Bargaining Legislation
-
2011 FESTIVAL OF TRIBUTE & HONOR
Print Notice hereAn exciting event is planned for September 2011 in Minneapolis to honor Firefighters, Law Enforcement, Emergency Services, all branches of the Armed Forces and Veterans. The event is sponsored by the New Hope Community Services of America, Inc., http://www.nhcsa-mn.org. It is the idea of founder Frank Tagliano. As Secretary of the MN State Volunteer Firefighters Assn., I was invited to serve as liaison to the volunteer fire service community to get the message out about the event.
The first meeting of the Executive Planning Committee took place in mid July. Representatives were on hand to give input from their field of service to learn of the plans and how each will assist to make this a very successful event. Meetings will continue bi-monthly till the event.
After introductions, we were given the planned itinerary for the 2011 Festival of Tribute & Honor. It will take place over three days, Friday, September 16th to Sunday, September 18th. Friday will start out with Opening Ceremonies in the State Capitol Rotunda followed by a pre game show at the Twins game at Target Field that evening.
Saturday will be the Parade of Tribute & Honor featuring marching bands, fire trucks, emergency vehicles and members of each of the military and emergency services. The parade is expected to have more than 125,000 people viewing the event.
That evening will be a private concert for qualifying members. Sunday concludes the event with a Memorial Service.
Planning for this event has been going on for sometime now and I am proud to represent the volunteer fire service on the Committee. From what I have learned to date, this will be a spectacular event that will truly be an honor to all members of the military and emergency services. The date coincides with 9-11 and recognition of POW’s and MIA.
We will be looking to have a large contingent of antique fire trucks and personnel in the parade and I will keep everyone informed on this. Much of the cost of this event will be donated from corporations and other donations. It is anticipated to still cost more than $200,000 for the event. To offset some of the cost the Vikings have offered a sizeable donation in exchange for New Hope Community Services of America, Inc. operating a concession stand at each Vikings home game. We need your help as volunteers to work in the concession stand.
Members working the stand will be given free admission to the game, a food and drink voucher and allowed to watch to final quarter of the game. The concession stands shut down at the end of the third quarter. There will be between 15 and 20 people working each game. You can expect to work 3-4 hours with breaks. I would hope we could get at least 5 firefighters interested in volunteering at each game.
You can check the schedule of games and determine which game you would like to volunteer for and then supply me with your name, the name of your department and contact phone number. For those interested in volunteering or wishing more details contact me at 612-598-6369 or msvfasec@msvfa.org.
Keep the date open for September 16-18, 2011 and plan to participate or attend one of the events at the Festival of Tribute & Honor.
Dave Ganfield
Secretary MSVFA
msvfasec@msvfa.org
[Top]
Recent NJ Two-Hatter Situation Not an Isolated Incident
In March, an article published on www.mycentraljersey.com and reprinted in the National Volunteer Fire Council’s (NVFC) E-update reported the story of Michael Schaffer, a career firefighter who resigned from the Cherry Hill Firefighters Local 2663 under pressure from his union because he serves as a volunteer firefighter in Berlin Township, where he lives, during off-duty hours. The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) prohibits its members from volunteering as emergency responders in jurisdictions where an IAFF local is present and/or looking to expand into.
According to the article, "Rather than risk expulsion by his ‘brothers’ for doing something that he loves and that runs in the family, Schaffer resigned [in February] from his union…" The article also indicates that the union plans to bring up other members on charges in the future.
Career firefighters who volunteer during off-duty hours (commonly known as "two-hatters") are hardly unique. A Department of Homeland Security survey of close to 17,000 fire departments (slightly more than half of the nation’s fire departments) that applied to the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program in FY 2006 identified more than 27,000 career firefighters who serve as volunteers during off-duty hours. Two-hatters were identified in every state in the union, plus Puerto Rico, except for Hawaii and the District of Columbia.
Schaffer’s ordeal is only one instance of two-hatters being pressured to quit volunteering or leave the union. In 2006, Vincent Pereira, a career firefighter with the Port Reading Fire District No. 2 and a volunteer firefighter in the Colonia Volunteer Fire Company, was expelled from the Woodbridge Fire Fighters Association, Local 290, for his volunteer activities. Pereira, who like Schaffer lives and works in New Jersey, quit volunteering when he joined Local 290, only to re-join after discovering that a number of fellow union members were volunteering during off-duty hours, despite the IAFF’s prohibition.
Unlike Schaffer, Pereira did not resign from the union and was eventually brought up on formal charges and subjected to a Trial Board hearing on January 5, 2006. Pereira provided the NVFC with a transcript from the hearing, which has been posted on the NVFC’s Volunteer Advocacy Committee web site at www.nvfc.org/volunteeradvocacy. Pereira was ultimately expelled from membership in the Local and the IAFF.
Pereira and Schaffer both stood up to IAFF pressure, eventually choosing to continue serving their communities as volunteer firefighters rather than maintaining their union membership. Many two-hatters simply take the path of least resistance and drop out of the volunteer fire service rather than take on their union and face the accompanying personal and professional fallout in the workplace.
In April 2009, at the NVFC’s annual spring meeting, the Board of Directors voted to adopt a Statement on the Right to Volunteer, which advocates, among other things, "…the rights of volunteer, career, or paid-on-call firefighters to serve multiple organizations or communities." The Board also directed the NVFC Volunteer Advocacy Committee to establish an awareness campaign to inform the public about the two-hatter issue.
If you are a two-hatter and are under pressure from your union to give up serving your community as a volunteer emergency responder, please visit the NVFC Volunteer Advocacy Committee’s web site at www.nvfc.org/volunteeradvocacy. The page includes a form you can submit to alert the Volunteer Advocacy Committee to your situation.
[Top]
Duluth Firefighters Union boots 3 firefighters for volunteering
http://www.duluthneFOX 21 News: Union boots firefighters
After Bob Noldin built a home in Hermantown last year, the 23-year veteran
of the Duluth Fire Department decided he should serve on his new community's
volunteer fire department.
"I thought it would be nice to help them, and they're short [of]
firefighters up here," he said.
Noldin volunteered for Hermantown along with fellow Duluth firefighters
Sandy Merritt and Brian Black. But when the Duluth Fire Union found out, the
three were asked to resign their union memberships early this year. Noldin
said he took that route rather than stop volunteering for Hermantown.
Under state law, the three are still technically union members and have to
pay dues, but they don't have a voting stake in union activities.
Merritt and Black could not be reached Friday for comment.
Full Story
Looks
like Duluth will not be eligible for the valuable SAFER awards.
Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grants of the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
http://www.firegrantsupport.com/docs/2009SAFERguidance.pdf
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) should also be reviewed on the grant
program's website (www.firegrantsupport.com).
Appendix 2
Grantee Responsibilities
http://www.firegrantsupport.com/docs/2009SAFERguidance.pdf
Page 32
(9) Not withstanding any provision of other laws, firefighters hired under
these grants shall not be discriminated against for, or be prohibited from,
engaging in volunteer activities in another jurisdiction during off-duty
hours.
[Top]
Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grants of the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
http://www.firegran
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) should also be reviewed on the grant
program's website (www.firegrantsupport.com).
Appendix 2
Grantee Responsibilities
http://www.firegran
Page 32
(9) Not withstanding any provision of other laws, firefighters hired under
these grants shall not be discriminated against for, or be prohibited from,
engaging in volunteer activities in another jurisdiction during off-duty
hours.
[Top]
H.R. 413 Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 2009
To provide collective bargaining rights for public safety officers employed by States or their political subdivisions.1/9/2009--Introduced.
Public
Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 2009 - Provides collective
bargaining rights for public safety officers employed by states or
local governments.
Directs the Federal Labor Relations Authority to determine whether state law provides specified rights and responsibilities for public safety officers, including:
(1) granting public safety employees the right to form and join a labor organization which excludes management and supervisory employees, and which is, or seeks to be, recognized as the exclusive bargaining agent for such employees; and
(2) requiring public safety employers to recognize and agree to bargain with the employees' labor organization. Requires the Authority to issue regulations establishing rights and responsibilities for public safety employers and employees in states that do not substantially provide for such public safety employee rights and responsibilities.
Directs the Authority, in such cases, to:
(1) determine the appropriateness of units for labor organization representation;
(2) supervise or conduct elections to determine whether a labor organization has been selected as an exclusive representative by a voting majority of the employees in an appropriate unit;
(3) resolve issues relating to the duty to bargain in good faith;
(4) conduct hearings and resolve complaints of unfair labor practices; and
(5) resolve exceptions to arbitrator's awards. Grants a public safety employer, employee, or labor organization the right to seek enforcement of Authority regulations and orders, as well as prohibitions against lockouts or strikes, through appropriate state courts. Prohibits public safety employers, employees, and labor organizations from engaging in lockouts or strikes.
Directs the Federal Labor Relations Authority to determine whether state law provides specified rights and responsibilities for public safety officers, including:
(1) granting public safety employees the right to form and join a labor organization which excludes management and supervisory employees, and which is, or seeks to be, recognized as the exclusive bargaining agent for such employees; and
(2) requiring public safety employers to recognize and agree to bargain with the employees' labor organization. Requires the Authority to issue regulations establishing rights and responsibilities for public safety employers and employees in states that do not substantially provide for such public safety employee rights and responsibilities.
Directs the Authority, in such cases, to:
(1) determine the appropriateness of units for labor organization representation;
(2) supervise or conduct elections to determine whether a labor organization has been selected as an exclusive representative by a voting majority of the employees in an appropriate unit;
(3) resolve issues relating to the duty to bargain in good faith;
(4) conduct hearings and resolve complaints of unfair labor practices; and
(5) resolve exceptions to arbitrator's awards. Grants a public safety employer, employee, or labor organization the right to seek enforcement of Authority regulations and orders, as well as prohibitions against lockouts or strikes, through appropriate state courts. Prohibits public safety employers, employees, and labor organizations from engaging in lockouts or strikes.
Provides
that existing collective bargaining units and agreements shall not be
invalidated by this Act.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-413
S. 1611: Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 2009
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s111-1611[Top]
GAO Two Hatter Report
Summary Statistics on Two-Hatter Firefighters - Download the full report hereIn November 2004, the House Science Committee requested that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) conduct a study to determine, among other things, estimates of the number of career (paid) firefighters who volunteer their services during off-duty hours. These firefighters are known as two-hatter firefighters. In October, 2005, GAO reported that it could not provide nationwide data on the number of two-hatters because such data were not readily available.
1 In light of this situation, GAO requested that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) collect such information as part of its fiscal year 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program application process. Thus, DHS included the following question for volunteer, combination, or paid-on-call fire departments to address.
2 How many of your volunteer firefighters are paid members from another career department?
DHS received 18,172 applications. Of these applications, 16,919 were submitted by fire departments.
3 The following is a summary of the data collected based on unvalidated responses to this question.
Number of Two-Hatter Firefighters by Department Type
- Number of two-hatters reported by volunteer fire departments 13,244
- Number of two-hatters reported by combination fire departments 12,568
- Number of two-hatters reported by paid on-call/stipend fire departments 1,922
for the fiscal year 2006 Assistance to Firefighter Grant 27,734
Source: data from DHS’s fiscal year 2006 Assistance to Firefighters grant applications.
1 Restrictions That Prohibit Career Firefighters from Volunteering during Their Off-Duty Hours, Washington, D.C.:
Oct. 2005).
2 A volunteer fire department is composed of firefighters that are not paid for their services, whereas a combination
fire department has both volunteers (unpaid firefighters) and career firefighters. A paid on-call/stipend fire
department has volunteer firefighters that may have other occupations when they are not engaged in occasional
firefighting. Although these firefighters have volunteered to become members and to respond to the call for help,
they are compensated as employees during the time they are responding to an emergency scene or attending training. Alternatively, paid on-call stipend firefighters may receive a monthly stipend.
3 Emergency Medical Service organizations may also apply for the Assistance to Firefighter grants. According to the
fiscal year 2006 program guidance for this grant program, eligible EMS organizations are public or private nonprofit
organizations that provide direct emergency medical services, including medical transport, to a specific geographic
area on a first-due basis but are not affiliated with a hospital and do not service geographic areas where emergency
medical services are adequately provided by a fire department.
[Top]
Statewide Volunteer Firefighter Retirement Plan by PERA
- Plan explanation - here
Statewide
Volunteer
Firefighter Retirement Plan by the LMNC
In 2009, the Minnesota
Legislature created a Statewide Volunteer Firefighter
Retirement Plan (SVFRP) for volunteer firefighters who provide service
to a
municipal fire department or an independent nonprofit firefighting
corporation.
Participation in the plan is voluntary. The decision to participate in
the plan
is made jointly by the entity operating the fire department and the
volunteer
firefighter relief association. Individual firefighters cannot join the
plan on
their own.
The SVFRP will be operational
Jan. 1, 2010. It will be administered by the
Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) and is optional for
municipalities that either do not have a volunteer firefighter
retirement plan
or are seeking an alternative to their existing plan.
Employers who wish to participate
in the SVFRP may begin contacting PERA to
request a cost analysis for the benefit level(s) requested. The
governing body
of the municipality must then approve coverage, and PERA will begin
administering the plan the following January.
Statewide
Volunteer
Firefighter Retirement Plan Tool Kit available
The League’s Statewide Volunteer
Firefighter Retirement Plan Tool Kit was
created to assist cities that want to join or consider joining the
statewide
plan. The tool kit contains a model resolution, answers to frequently
asked
questions (FAQs), a checklist to use as guidance, a copy of the
legislation,
and more.
The Model Resolution is included
in the tool kit and is also in Microsoft Word
format here so you can customize it for your city:
[Top]
NVFC Comments on Article on Collective Bargaining Legislation
US Senate File 2123Recently, an article by James Sherk of the Heritage Foundation about the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act (H.R. 980) has been published in a number of newspapers across the country. The stated goal of H.R. 980 is, "To provide collective bargaining rights for public safety officers employed by States or their political subdivisions."
The article cites a provision in H.R. 980 that was designed to protect the right of a career firefighter to volunteer during off-duty hours. Specifically, the provision bars collective bargaining agreements subject to the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) from prohibiting employees from volunteering during off-duty hours. The article accurately states that this provision would not protect the vast majority of career firefighters. This is because NLRA applies to nongovernmental employees, while most career firefighters are employed by municipal or county units of government.
The NVFC has worked diligently with Senate staff to develop language that would provide protection to career firefighters who volunteer during off-duty hours. On October 1, the Senate version of the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act (S. 2123) was introduced and included language in Section 8(a)(5) that states that collective bargaining agreements struck in states affected by the bill cannot include provisions prohibiting employees from volunteering during off-duty hours.
The NVFC does not have a position on S. 2123 but is supportive of the language in Section 8(a)(5) protecting volunteer firefighters. The NVFC never established a position on H.R. 980 but would oppose enactment of legislation expanding collective bargaining rights to career firefighters without also protecting the right of those same firefighters to volunteer during off-duty hours should they choose to do so.
[Top]
On March 6th, 2009 the Minnesota State Volunteer Firefighters Association (MSVFA) was awarded a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant to develop and conduct a recruitment and retention study of the volunteer fire service throughout the State of Minnesota.
details here
[Top]
MN State Auditors Pension Working Group - Updates
MN State Board of Firefighter Training and Education - Updates
MN Fire Service Advisory Committee (Fire Safety Account) - Updates
National Fire Corp News - Update
National Volunteer Fire Council Fire News - Update
National Volunteer Fire Council EMS News - Update
NVFC Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program - Update
The Minnesota Volunteer
Firefighter
News - News Letter
NVFC Comments on Article on Collective Bargaining Legislation
Changes Made to PSOB Determination Process
Congress may turn up heat on volunteer firemen
[Top]
National Volunteer Fire Council News
This link will show you a listing of current news releases. You are encouraged to
download and reproduce these news items. For more information on any
news release, please call the National Office at
(202) 887-5700 or E-mail us.
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