This is their 4th Annual Golf Classic. If you, or someone you know, is interested in playing and/or sponsoring a hole, please contact Donovan Cathey. He can e-mail you the forms and any other information. It's on May 19th at Indian Canyon. This is a great event (so I've been told by golfers) that really does a lot to help MDA Washington.
donovancathey@hotmail.com
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
An invitation from Dean Carr...
The Spokane SaberCats men's minor league football team is starting it's second season this Saturday April 1 at 2 PM at Mead High School. I have had several people ask me if I am playing for the Shock or am involved with them. I am not. I'm trying to make this team that I own a success. I could always use a few volunteers to help with stuff during the games or if you just want to come and watch, we do have a $5 ticket for police, fire, and military. I am not playing this year, as Tippy has finally put her foot down about me taking the chance on getting hurt. I just wanted to use this forum as another opportunity to get the word out about the team to everybody on the job that I haven't been able to talk to.
If you would like to volunteer, or buy tickets, or just have a question about the team please give me a call at 951-3725.
Thanks,
Dean Carr
If you would like to volunteer, or buy tickets, or just have a question about the team please give me a call at 951-3725.
Thanks,
Dean Carr
Saturday, March 25, 2006
When organizations listen to the workers (the unions) they profit...
This is a link is to an article from the Christian Science Monitor. It tells the story of one airline whose management listened to what workers had to say - and turned their red ink into black.
I link this in response to Dep Mayor Lynch's desire (sent through Marlene Feist's email) for city workers to read a recent editorial from Spokane's Journal of Business. This article alludes that unions are to blame (at least partially) for the city's financial state.
And speaking of the city's financial state, a casual observer traveling our bustling streets would conclude that business has never been better. Are we still in the hole? Strange.
Those of us who were at the Public Safety Committee, meeting months ago, remember Mr. Lynch's umbrage when city council members wanted to revisit the AMR contract. He was downright angry that the union, along with the city council, wanted to open the contract up for scrutiny. This scrutiny has opened the door for city coffers to swell with potential penalties paid by AMR to Spokane for contract violations. More importantly, this scrutiny has righted a wrong, and has served Spokane's citizens well.
I think our citizens are beginning to see Local 29 for what we are - an organization that wants to see that citizens are well-served, an organization that wants to protect citizens' lives, property and their pocketbooks. In short, our citizens are beginning to realize that this union (and many others) are in their corner. And knowing how Mr. Lynch feels about us, this has got to hurt.
I wrote an editorial for the Journal of Business last November. I will ask Mr. Lynch for equal time using our city e-mail, as he has.
In the meantime, spread the link above. Unions are saving businesses. Unions are protecting the notion of livable wages in the United States - and a middle class. Unions are protecting the family. Unions have been, and always will be, a voice that calls for accountability, scrutiny and clarity in our government. Ours is one of the few voices left. Don't let it be silenced - our country and our city are depending on us!
John Griffith
Local 29
I link this in response to Dep Mayor Lynch's desire (sent through Marlene Feist's email) for city workers to read a recent editorial from Spokane's Journal of Business. This article alludes that unions are to blame (at least partially) for the city's financial state.
And speaking of the city's financial state, a casual observer traveling our bustling streets would conclude that business has never been better. Are we still in the hole? Strange.
Those of us who were at the Public Safety Committee, meeting months ago, remember Mr. Lynch's umbrage when city council members wanted to revisit the AMR contract. He was downright angry that the union, along with the city council, wanted to open the contract up for scrutiny. This scrutiny has opened the door for city coffers to swell with potential penalties paid by AMR to Spokane for contract violations. More importantly, this scrutiny has righted a wrong, and has served Spokane's citizens well.
I think our citizens are beginning to see Local 29 for what we are - an organization that wants to see that citizens are well-served, an organization that wants to protect citizens' lives, property and their pocketbooks. In short, our citizens are beginning to realize that this union (and many others) are in their corner. And knowing how Mr. Lynch feels about us, this has got to hurt.
I wrote an editorial for the Journal of Business last November. I will ask Mr. Lynch for equal time using our city e-mail, as he has.
In the meantime, spread the link above. Unions are saving businesses. Unions are protecting the notion of livable wages in the United States - and a middle class. Unions are protecting the family. Unions have been, and always will be, a voice that calls for accountability, scrutiny and clarity in our government. Ours is one of the few voices left. Don't let it be silenced - our country and our city are depending on us!
John Griffith
Local 29
Friday, March 24, 2006
Line of Duty Death - Ocean Shores
Ocean Shores Captain Robert McLaughlin died during a surf rescue drill. Memorial service is on March 29th at 2:00 pm. More details at the link above.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
LOOKING BACK - A post from December 30 2004 - From Bill Jackman: SPOKANE FIRE CHIEF FACES TOUGH DECISION
Just when you think things around here can't get any worse, we havereached a new level of bungling in our EMS system. For the past couple years, every 911 patient transport has been billed at the higher ALS rate. Yep, even a simple BLS transport for constipation has been billed at the higher ALS rate.
Even if all the ALS work is done by the Spokane Fire Department, the patient is still billed for ALS by the ambulance company. Furthermore, 60% of the patient transports were suppose to be billed at the lower BLS rate. Since they are now billed at the higher ALS rate it means an extra $700,000.00 dollars per year for AMR! And consequently, the people that we are supposed to protect - are forced to pay for something that they are not receiving.
It's like ordering basic cable service (BLS) and receiving basic cable service - but people are being forced to pay for deluxe cable service (ALS). The really reprehensible aspect of this, we provide most of the ALS care at no expense to the patient.
EMS is 80% of what we do and nobody I've talked to in Spokane knows anything about this billing practice . You would think with the EMS levy just barely passing, we would take EMS issues around here more seriously. AMR billing in Seattle was contacted and they confirmed this billing practice - it's called ALS Emergency Mandated.
There may be a ray of hope out of this mess. People have been charged for ALS when the SFD Paramedic accompanies the patient to the care facility. This is a prohibited charge under the contract. Just guess how many times a year our Medics ride-in where the fine can be as high as $5,000.00 dollars for each violation. The penalties could be in the millions, but our Chief has to make the effort to fine the ambulance company.
The down side of this is how public perception about SFD EMS might change. In the future people may think EMS stands for Emergency Medical Scandal. Fundamental reform and investigation about this matter is warranted.
Happy New Year!
Bill Jackman
Even if all the ALS work is done by the Spokane Fire Department, the patient is still billed for ALS by the ambulance company. Furthermore, 60% of the patient transports were suppose to be billed at the lower BLS rate. Since they are now billed at the higher ALS rate it means an extra $700,000.00 dollars per year for AMR! And consequently, the people that we are supposed to protect - are forced to pay for something that they are not receiving.
It's like ordering basic cable service (BLS) and receiving basic cable service - but people are being forced to pay for deluxe cable service (ALS). The really reprehensible aspect of this, we provide most of the ALS care at no expense to the patient.
EMS is 80% of what we do and nobody I've talked to in Spokane knows anything about this billing practice . You would think with the EMS levy just barely passing, we would take EMS issues around here more seriously. AMR billing in Seattle was contacted and they confirmed this billing practice - it's called ALS Emergency Mandated.
There may be a ray of hope out of this mess. People have been charged for ALS when the SFD Paramedic accompanies the patient to the care facility. This is a prohibited charge under the contract. Just guess how many times a year our Medics ride-in where the fine can be as high as $5,000.00 dollars for each violation. The penalties could be in the millions, but our Chief has to make the effort to fine the ambulance company.
The down side of this is how public perception about SFD EMS might change. In the future people may think EMS stands for Emergency Medical Scandal. Fundamental reform and investigation about this matter is warranted.
Happy New Year!
Bill Jackman
Monday, March 20, 2006
Strengthening our levies...
Thankfully, we passed our lid lift levy last year. Our citizens spoke up for us overwhelmingly and we were able to maintain the same understaffed level of service. The alternative would have been disasterous for the fire department and the citizens of Spokane.
I guess where I'm going with this is, I am very interested in making sure the public knows we are good servants with their money. A lot of the editorials about the situation at Stn 17 really made me aware that the citizens view the fire stations as their property and rightfully so. I believe we will soon be looking to renew the levy which helped build new firehouses, perform upgrades on exisiting firehouses and purchase new apparatus.
We heard from citizens who wondered why we were building new stations, as we were laying off firefighters. We awkwardly explained the "two different pots of money" phenomenon.
In my opinion (and it may be an uneducated opinion), the two most important levies we face are the lidlift (up for renewal in another year and a half) and the EMS levy (up for renewal in another 4 and a half years - I think). These are the levies that keep firefighters working for the city. The EMS levy must pass by over 60%, and it was real close last time.
Before we start on the remodel of the administration building and Station One, a remodel that will relocate equipment and personnel out of the area they protect, I would like to know how much money is left in this levy.
If there is a substantial amount, is there any mechanism to allow voters (or the city council) to put this money aside for paying to keep firefighters on the job? Maybe it could be a fund we draw from for the next 10 years. Maybe we could even give the money back to the taxpayers to show that we've been, and will continue to be, good stewards. What kind of message would we send the taxpayers if we said, "We've accomplished many of the big projects we wanted to do, with the money you've given us. But, we know that we're going to have to ask you for money later - just to make sure we have firefighters who will respond to your home in an emergency, and times are tight. So, we're going to give you back the remainder of your levy money, or we'd like to set it aside for personnel costs - your choice."
I don't know if this is something we could legally do, or if it's even a good idea. I would sure like to hear what you think. If you have some ideas, or want to comment, just click on the comment button and you can leave a post.
Thanks, John
I guess where I'm going with this is, I am very interested in making sure the public knows we are good servants with their money. A lot of the editorials about the situation at Stn 17 really made me aware that the citizens view the fire stations as their property and rightfully so. I believe we will soon be looking to renew the levy which helped build new firehouses, perform upgrades on exisiting firehouses and purchase new apparatus.
We heard from citizens who wondered why we were building new stations, as we were laying off firefighters. We awkwardly explained the "two different pots of money" phenomenon.
In my opinion (and it may be an uneducated opinion), the two most important levies we face are the lidlift (up for renewal in another year and a half) and the EMS levy (up for renewal in another 4 and a half years - I think). These are the levies that keep firefighters working for the city. The EMS levy must pass by over 60%, and it was real close last time.
Before we start on the remodel of the administration building and Station One, a remodel that will relocate equipment and personnel out of the area they protect, I would like to know how much money is left in this levy.
If there is a substantial amount, is there any mechanism to allow voters (or the city council) to put this money aside for paying to keep firefighters on the job? Maybe it could be a fund we draw from for the next 10 years. Maybe we could even give the money back to the taxpayers to show that we've been, and will continue to be, good stewards. What kind of message would we send the taxpayers if we said, "We've accomplished many of the big projects we wanted to do, with the money you've given us. But, we know that we're going to have to ask you for money later - just to make sure we have firefighters who will respond to your home in an emergency, and times are tight. So, we're going to give you back the remainder of your levy money, or we'd like to set it aside for personnel costs - your choice."
I don't know if this is something we could legally do, or if it's even a good idea. I would sure like to hear what you think. If you have some ideas, or want to comment, just click on the comment button and you can leave a post.
Thanks, John
Thursday, March 16, 2006
If you would like to support the union's "service and protection through vigilance" for our citizens, here's an invite Bill Jackman received-
Bill,
This coming Friday, 3/17, at 2:30 PM, we will be arguing Jerry Lueck's motion to dismiss our Consumer Protection Act claims against him. The hearing will be before Judge Leveque, whose chambers are in Room 403 of the Spokane County Courthouse. If you and some of your Firefighter friends could join us, we'd appreciate your support.
Thanks . . .
Roger
D. Roger Reed
Reed & Giesa P.S.
drreed@reedgiesa.com
Phone: (509) 838-8341
This coming Friday, 3/17, at 2:30 PM, we will be arguing Jerry Lueck's motion to dismiss our Consumer Protection Act claims against him. The hearing will be before Judge Leveque, whose chambers are in Room 403 of the Spokane County Courthouse. If you and some of your Firefighter friends could join us, we'd appreciate your support.
Thanks . . .
Roger
D. Roger Reed
Reed & Giesa P.S.
drreed@reedgiesa.com
Phone: (509) 838-8341
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
KXLY report - latest on the AMR story...
A big story in the Spokesman-Review this morning. Here's the latest from KXLY. You can click on their picture to view the story.
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Friday, February 24, 2006
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
From Art of Bleeding - The First Aid Movie
This might be good to show before "CPR for Friends and Family," to get the crowd warmed up.
Art of Bleeding...
Maybe Training could get these guys and gals to help out with OTEP stuff. Enjoy.
UPDATE: Some concern about viewing this at work. There are images on a "naughtiness" level of a Victoria's Secret catalog, or the JEMS website. And given the ambiguity of what is and what is not pornography as it relates to city computers, use your best judgement. Some people are really into feet and shoes, and have been warned about looking at the Red Wing and Hush Puppies web catalogs.
Monday, January 30, 2006
Follow the legislative conference online
Right now, our union reps are lobbying for us over in Olympia. If you would like to see what they are lobbying for and check in to see how it's going, the WSCFF website says it will provide updates. If you haven't registered on the website, it will ask you to do so before you can access all material.
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Meeting With Gavin Cooley...
Greg and I met with Gavin Cooley and Tim Dunivant today. Mr. Cooley had requested this meeting. He read entries in this blog and wanted to set the record straight. At the meeting, I told him that one of our members had recently seen him on TV and that he had heard Mr. Cooley say that firefighters had not given any concessions, in regard to the lidlift. I said this was an important issue for us, as we had, in fact, voted for every member to donate 24 hours of labor to the city. And many voted for this so citizens would see that we aren't greedy b*st*rds. We were willing to give something back - free labor - 24 hours worth.
Mr. Cooley responded by saying that the last time he talked on TV was December 12th - the budget meeting. He said that he didn't say anything of the sort. In fact, he believes that Local 29 is the only labor union to have actually made a very real, very substantial giveback/concession.
I then asked him about some of the rumors we heard earlier. We heard that he was speaking out against the lidlift levy before the election in November. He pointed out that he had not only drafted the proposition's language, he persuaded many of the lidlift's opponents to not actively oppose this measure.
Overall, the meeting was positive. Mr. Cooley would like to work with Local 29 for a change in state law so municipalities (us) will have the same ability as counties to institute an M&O levy for more than one year. This was something that the WSCFF tried to do last year, but had no luck.
Mr. Cooley responded by saying that the last time he talked on TV was December 12th - the budget meeting. He said that he didn't say anything of the sort. In fact, he believes that Local 29 is the only labor union to have actually made a very real, very substantial giveback/concession.
I then asked him about some of the rumors we heard earlier. We heard that he was speaking out against the lidlift levy before the election in November. He pointed out that he had not only drafted the proposition's language, he persuaded many of the lidlift's opponents to not actively oppose this measure.
Overall, the meeting was positive. Mr. Cooley would like to work with Local 29 for a change in state law so municipalities (us) will have the same ability as counties to institute an M&O levy for more than one year. This was something that the WSCFF tried to do last year, but had no luck.
Sunday, January 08, 2006
Charred Mouse Burns House...
Man tries to dispose of mouse by throwing it onto a burn pile in his yard. Flaming mouse exits fire and returns to man's house. Mouse burns down house.
Saturday, January 07, 2006
Friday, January 06, 2006
Sumner and East Pierce are hiring...
Sumner and East Pierce are going to hire aprox 13 new employees. Around 10 are going to be firefighter medics. If anyone is interested, call Chief Dan Packerd @ 253-863-1800.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Did anybody else see this?
Heard from some folks that they saw Gavin Cooley, the city's CFO, on TV the other night. They said they heard him say that the city's firefighters didn't give anything back to the city like we said we would. I can't believe that he doesn't know that we are each donating 24 hours of work to the city! And we changed our dental plans to cheaper ones, too. I had heard stories that he was out campaigning against the lidlift levy using the same line that we wouldn't give anything up. If you saw him say these things, e-mail me. Local 29 would like to document this. Most citizens don't know that we gave anything back, and if he is deliberately spreading misinformation, we need to know.
John
John
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
ESCORT SERVICE WORKERS NEEDED - not that kind of escort...
Brothers and Sisters,
I am looking for two or maybe three people to work for me doing funeral escorts. The pay is good but the hours are very part time. If you have any questions, give me a call and we can talk about it.
Bill Gonzalez
13D
I am looking for two or maybe three people to work for me doing funeral escorts. The pay is good but the hours are very part time. If you have any questions, give me a call and we can talk about it.
Bill Gonzalez
13D
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