Last night, at least 12 were killed, including a police officer, when a gunman opened fire at a California dance hall. Focus on the effect. As we (properly) obsess over the length of the war in Afghanistan, it is past time to admit that we are also in a low level simmering war right here […]

So Much for Leading From the Front A favorite piece of American history is the vision of 56-year-old, Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., hobbling Utah Beach with a cane as troops landed on D-Day. He was the oldest man in the invasion and the only general to land by sea on that day. Roosevelt was […]

Jim Lee Set to Retire Canadian Jim Lee, IAFF Chief of Staff, is set to retire in the coming months, having served in that role for the past several years. He was previously the principal assistant to the General Secretary-Treasurer and ran for that position before bowing out at the prospect of Tidal Wave Edzo. […]

Images of the deadly Schoharie, New York, crash in which twenty people were killed, show a passenger compartment intact and the vehicle upright. Seventeen of those killed were riding in that part of the vehicle. If they were not wearing seat restraints, the cause of death would likely be attributed to deceleration injuries. News reports […]

The New York Roadway Disaster Twenty people were killed this past weekend when a “stretch limo” type vehicle crossed a T-intersection, striking cars and trees. My work has me riding in all manner of commercial vehicles and I have learned they are not equal where safety is concerned. It’s crucial to be informed, to pay […]

Freedom Gets a Do The dome of the U.S. Capitol, made of iron and bolted together, was assembled during the American Civil War, a sign from Lincoln, they say, that the Union would prevail. It did. Atop the dome is the Freedom Statue, there since 1863, all 15,000 bronze pounds of her. She faces east, […]

Diane Cotter Leads From Without Most IAFF members are under the impression that their union is a fierce and vigorous protector of their safety and health. Have a seat, we have some bad news. Harold Schaitberger’s IAFF long ago gave up its once premier role in protecting us. The date when that happened is certain. […]

Like many parts of the nation, we have had our share of rain (and more) the past few weeks. There was a nine-day stretch where the sun seemed on vacation from the skies. We can echo that from the standpoint of rain it’s been one of the wettest ever. Because the Potomac River bisects the […]

We Know Him (Much) Better Than You Do Four current and (very) longtime IAFF members who also come from IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger’s home local, number 2068, managed to be in the same place at the same time for lunch this week. Among the four, they represent 163 years of IAFF and union membership. […]

The Terms of War “Never Forget” is a maxim which before 2001 was often associated with victims of the Nazi Holocaust; millions murdered initially recklessly, then with surgical-like precision. In the wake of September 11th, it gained renewed relevance, especially in our community, regarding public safety workers, especially firefighters killed at “Ground Zero.” “Ground Zero” […]