news and information - Florida Professional Firefighters

NEWS AND
INFORMATION
Submitted by: Vice President Gary Rainey
For the Week Ending July 17, 2004
FPF ENDORSES THE
KERRY/EDWARDS TICKET
9/11, were soon forgotten when it came
time to provide training and equipment for
us under the FIRE Act, for Firefighter jobs
authorized by Congress under the SAFER
Act, and his steadfast opposition to allow
firefighters the right to enter into collective
bargaining and have a contract with their
employer. Our Republican and Democratic
friends in Congress have repeatedly
overturned his attempts to strip funding for
WMD training, turnout gear, and other basic
safety equipment for Homeland security.
On July 14, 2004, FPF President Bob
Carver, IAFF President Harold
Schaitberger, and IAFF 12th DVP
Dominick Barbera traveled to Miami
Beach, Florida to announce the FPF’s
endorsement of Senator John Kerry
and Senator John Edwards for
America’s top jobs. Although the FPF
endorsed George Bush in 2000, he
has turned his back on every
Firefighter initiative since his
inauguration. His opportunistic use of
our good name and photo ops on
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HIALEAH HEATS UP!
Hundreds of Firefighters parade in front of Hialeah City Hall
exchange for
their tax
dollars. This
waste of
resources
costs Hialeah
taxpayers
millions of
dollars in
unnecessary
Chief John Romano of Metro
training costs –
Dade walks the line
thanks to an
anti-union, dictatorial Mayor. You would
think a Cuban-American refugee would
have an appreciation for freedom, and an
aversion to oppression, but he shames the
principle of democracy and constitutional
rights in his treatment of working class
people.
Firefighters from South Florida turned out
by the hundreds in support of their brothers
and sisters in Hialeah. Mayor Raul
Martinez has turned a once proud
department into a training ground for fire
Hialeah and City of Miami Firefighters
(Jim Fitzgerald Local 587)
departments in surrounding communities.
With the highest turnover rate in the
County, the citizens of Hialeah get less
experienced Firefighters and Paramedics in
Over 300
Firefighters
were on
hand at the
dedication
of the new
Miami Dade
Courthouse
in Hialeah,
Size really doesn’t
matter. Key Biscayne
was out in force!
Ft. Lauderdale returns the favor!
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Deputy Dix believes in truth, justice,
and the American Way
Hialeah’s new Courthouse dedication is marred by the
injustice imposed on Hialeah’s bravest by
Mayor Raul Martinez
embarrassing countless public officials at
the Mayor’s display of “Hialeahism”. As
one Hialeah Council person and public
official after another came out of the
building to stand with Hialeah’s bravest, and
wear the red shirt of honor, Mayor Martinez
snuck out a side door and ran to city hall in
shame.
President Dean Parkerson outlined the
issues for the waiting press. Firefighters
from all over Florida were not deterred by
the 90 degree heat, as we marched for over
4 hours. We will win this fight, and long
after the Mayor’s dead end political career
has come to a premature end, the
Firefighters of Local 1102 will still be
standing tall.
Definitely not Dan Thornhill’s best side!
CLINCON
The FPF was in attendance at this year’s 2004
EMS Advisory Council/CLINCON meetings in
Orlando. We operated an organizing/public
relations booth as usual, and added a
Kerry/Edwards info stop as well. As usual, we
got great feed back, and some leads for
organizing new locals.
This year’s ALS winners were:
1st place: Miramar Fire Rescue
2nd place: FMTI (Broward)
3rd place: Pembroke Pines Fire Rescue
4th place: Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue
5th place: Margate
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profession. We are one of the few medical
professions that do not regulate
themselves. Although the bill was
unsuccessful this year, we will continue to
pursue this until we are successful. We will
be meeting with other EMS constituency
groups to see if we can come up with
mutually agreeable language and solutions.
FLORIDA DUMPS
NATIONAL REGISTRY
A six-month trial of utilizing the National
Registry Paramedic exam came to a halt in
June as the state realized that a Florida
specific exam is the best tool for certifying
Florida Paramedics. The Florida
Professional Firefighters filed a legal
challenge to the EMS Bureau’s illegal and
unilateral reduction of a passing score from
80 to 70, and other rule violations. National
Registry only requires a 70 to pass its “one
test fits all” Paramedic exam. Florida has
long required a passing grade of 80, and is
specific to Florida laws, rules, and systems.
Over the next six months, a brand new
exam and question test bank is being
developed by Florida’s Medical Quality
Assurance Department. Implementation of
the new exam is scheduled for January
2005. For the next six months, the current
test bank developed by SMT (the previous
test vendor) will be utilized for the
certification exam, and the 80 passing
score, required by the Florida
Administrative Code, has been reinstituted.
EMS ADVISORY COUNCIL
The Advisory Council was fairly uneventful
– the usual awards and installation of new
council members.
BOARD OF
PARAMEDICS AND EMTS
FPF’s Organizing crew L to R: Duane Barber, Local
2601; FPF Vice President Gary Rainey; Brian Lynch,
Local 1403; President Walt Dix, Local 4321; and
President Tom DiBernardo, Local 3080.
The Florida Professional Firefighters
introduced legislation last session to create
our own board of peers to regulate our
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UPCOMING EVENTS
2004 IAFF Convention
August 15-20, 2004
Boston, Mass.
FPF Executive Board and
Council Meetings
October 20-21, 2004
Altamonte Springs, FL
Layout and design by Toni Kinsey
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