Edwardsville Fire Department is hosting a St. Baldrick's fundraising event on March 13.  The St. Baldrick's Foundation funds more in childhood cancer research grants than any organization except the U.S. government, more than $12 million in 2009 alone.  You can help by donating, volunteering, or even shaving your head.

Contact Firefighter Matt Sinnorak at (618) 578-8302 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to get involved!

To date, over 106,000 volunteers have shaved their heads in solidarity with kids fighting cancer at more than 2,400 emotional events in 50 states and 24 countries.

EVENT DATE: March 13, 2010

START TIME: 10:00 am

ADDRESS: 410 North Main Street, Edwardsville, IL 62025

You can use the website to donate, or make a donation by mail or phone. Click here for the event's website.

Following the retirement of IAFF General Secretary-Treasurer Vincent J. Bollon on January 15, 2010, the IAFF Executive Board – in accordance with the IAFF Constitution and Bylaws – has elected Thomas H. Miller, to finish the term.

“Tommy Miller has demonstrated his ability to lead on the local, state and international levels of this great union,” says IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger. “I have no doubt he will continue to be an invaluable asset to our members in his new capacity as General Secretary-Treasurer.”

Miller says, “As I take on this new position of General Secretary-Treasurer, I am mindful of the awesome responsibility of the duties that come with it. I look forward to providing this higher level of service to our members.”

The newly-elected General Secretary-Treasurer joined the Indianapolis Fire Department in 1968, retiring in 2005 at the rank of captain. Showing an early commitment to the IAFF, he was elected a trustee of the Indianapolis, IN Local 416 in 1971, and elected vice president in 1974.

In 1978, Miller was elected as president of the Professional Fire Fighters Union of Indiana (PFFUI), and served until 2002. While still serving as PFFUI president, he also began serving as IAFF 8th District Vice President – representing Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky and Michigan – in 2000. With more than 700 locals, the 8th District is the second-largest District in the IAFF.

Miller was appointed in 1986 by former Governor Robert Orr to the 1977 Police Officers and Firefighters Pension and Disability Fund Advisory Board. He was reappointed by four successive governors and became chairman of the advisory board in 1990.

He also served as an advisor to numerous Indianapolis mayors and governors and other legislators on matters of public safety, pensions, labor contracts and other fire service and union issues.

Miller also served two tours of duty in Vietnam while in the U.S. Navy as a sailor aboard the U.S.S Tioga County.

January 13, 2010 – In the aftermath of the worst earthquake to hit Haiti in more than 200 years, Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Teams comprised of IAFF members from across the country are en route to the disaster zone to perform rescue operations, provide medical care and other needed emergency services.

“Our members are well-trained in providing life-saving and life-preserving assistance during multi-hazard situations,” says IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger. “Our thoughts and prayers are not only with them as they face what will certainly be total devastation, but also with the people of Haiti.”

An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 struck southern Haiti (about 10 miles west of Port-au-Prince) at 4:53 p.m. local time, on Tuesday, January 12. The initial quake was quickly followed by two strong aftershocks measuring 5.9 and 5.6 in magnitude.

It has been difficult for officials to fully assess the damage because the quake knocked out much of the area’s electricity and phone service. However, the Red Cross estimates that as many as three million people have been affected by the quake, while the death toll could be in the hundreds of thousands.

The level of destruction is compounded by the fact that Haiti has experienced years of political instability and no real construction standards have been formulated. When a school collapsed in November 2008, the Port-au-Prince mayor estimated that approximately 60 percent of the city’s buildings were poorly constructed and not safe under normal circumstances.

USAR teams – some of which dispatched less than three hours after the earthquake occurred – will be using high-tech equipment, including listening devises and dogs, to find survivors. The teams are accompanied by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) disaster experts who will assist with situation assessments.

Source: IAFF

OFFERS OF ASSISTANCE FOR RELIEF EFFORTS

Anyone wishing to donate or provide assistance in Haiti following the devastating earthquake is asked to contact the Center for International Disaster Information (CIDI) which has established a dedicated page to coordinate Haiti support. More information»

Other ways to help:

• text "HAITI" to "90999" and a donation of $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts, charged to your cell phone bill;
• go online to organizations like the Red Cross and Mercy Corps to make a contribution to the disaster relief efforts;
• visit InterAction to contribute.

The following is a letter from Harold Schaitberger, originally posted at iaff.org.

Brothers and Sisters,

The core political principle of this union is we support those who support us. If you make promises to us, we will hold you accountable.

We held President Bush accountable when he made decisions that had a negative impact on our members' jobs and lives. We will do the same with this president and any future president.

Throughout the debate on health care reform, even before the proposed excise tax on so-called high cost health plans was proposed, our union has made it clear to Congress and President Obama that our goal is reducing health care costs while preserving the benefits our members already have without piling more taxes on the backs of hardworking Americans.

In 2008, then-candidate Obama promised three things. First, he would not raise taxes on folks making less than $250,000 a year. Second, he vowed not to tax your health insurance benefits. Third, he promised that under his health reform plan that people would be able to keep their existing coverage.

Now the administration is supporting a misguided excise tax on the premiums of some health plans that is in the bill passed by the Senate. This excise tax will affect many of the health plans covering our members. The Senate bill will either impose a tax on health care premiums provided to thousands of America's fire fighters, or to avoid the tax those benefits will be slashed.

I want to make sure every leader and member in this union knows the truth, which is that under this bill every special interest seemed to get something good – the insurance companies, the doctors, the drug companies all get something.

But, in the Senate bill, many of our members who have sacrificed for years to build solid health plans to protect their families will get screwed.

The deal isn't done, yet. The health care reform bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives does not contain this unacceptable tax and the leadership in the House, to date, is standing strong with us -- with 190 members of the Democratic Caucus signing a letter opposing the excise tax.

We applaud our House allies for their courage in waging this battle. And your union is continuing to fight to keep the excise tax out of the final bill.

We have made it clear to every senator and representative on Capitol Hill and to the president that we are fully and completely opposed to this tax and we will not compromise on it.

Rest assured that we are prepared to hold every elected official accountable on this issue, including the president.

I will update you again soon on the progress of this bill.

In Solidarity,

Harold A. Schaitberger
General President