From iaff.org

After decades of debate and months of back and forth in Congress, on March 23, President Obama signed historic health insurance reform legislation into law.

The big question now is, what does health care reform mean for fire fighters?

The IAFF has developed a health care reform fact sheet with important information about what the new health care reform law means for you and your family.

Click here to read the fact sheet.

From iaff.org

Washington, DC – The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), under contracts with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, has selected global safety equipment manufacturer MSA (NYSE: MSA) to build a prototype of a new self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).

The IAFF’s next-generation SCBA prototype will rely on pressure-vessel technology, which promises to
make fire fighting breathing apparatuses smaller, lighter and more efficient than SCBA currently in use.
MSA, based in Pittsburgh, Pa., was selected to build the prototype after an extensive solicitation process.

“This is one of the most significant health and safety projects the IAFF has ever undertaken because this new SCBA technology will do more to protect the lives of fire fighters,” IAFF General President Harold A. Schaitberger said.

The IAFF received more than $2.7 million from the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate (DHS) to fund research and development of a next-generation SCBA. A fully functional prototype SCBA that incorporates the new pressure-vessel technology is to be field tested in fire and law enforcement departments later this year.

Development of a prototype SCBA by MSA is expected to demonstrate the superiority of new pressure vessel technology that would replace the single air cylinder design of conventional fire fighting breathing apparatuses. As part of its development efforts, the IAFF and DHS Science and Technology Directorate worked with Vulcore Industrial LLC to create the new pressure-vessel technology to make SCBA lighter with a greatly reduced profile when compared to current SCBA cylinders.

The new technology, referred to as a “flat pack,” uses a special high-temperature lining in place of conventional aluminum liners used in current SCBA cylinders. These linings are then braided with Kevlar and wound with pre-impregnated carbon fiber. The entire array is inside a soft, flexible cover, allowing the design to flex horizontally and vertically at the connection points.

“This is certainly an exciting endeavor for all of us at MSA,” said William Lambert, MSA president and CEO. “The IAFF has long  been an advocate and leader in the effort to advance fire fighter health and safety, and now MSA has the unique opportunity to help support this mission in a very direct way.  Needless to say, the opportunity to be involved in the development of revolutionary new SCBA technology – at a ground level with the IAFF – is a partnership of which we are most proud to be associated.”

This first phase of this research and development effort involved extensive testing to support a request for a
special permit from the U. S. Department of Transportation to gain clearance to use the technology in
SCBA. Approval from the Transportation Department is expected within the next two months, enabling
field testing of an SCBA prototype. The timeline for fire service availability is currently under development
due to the need for cooperation from the many industry entities instrumental to the commercialization of
this revolutionary technology.

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.

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