Spokane Tunnel To Towers Run

Saturday September 22nd. This annual run commemorates a very courageous act. Please visit www.tunneltotowersrun.org to learn more and to register. Should be a great time!

Thank you to all law enforcement officers!

Remembering our brother public sector union members who were shot yesterday while they were doing their job. Thanks for the work you do - every day. Yesterday, we were all reminded of the dangers you face  continually, so we can have a community that provides homes, jobs, education and recreation. If it weren't for you, Spokane wouldn't exist for long. That should be worth something to everyone - even those who disparage your work every day. 

Heal up and we look forward to seeing you back with us on the streets of Spokane!

Vacant Lot Endorsements.

When Local 29 endorses a candidate, you will usually see the signs for that candidate in home owners' yards. The opposing candidates usually have their signs in abandoned buildings and vacant lots. Sometimes, it's easy to forget that someone owns these neglected properties. In the case above, is it the real estate company who owns this abandoned property or are they merely representing an owner?

Fire Press Release

Early Morning Fire in the North Battalion

Incident #:  2012025038
Date of Incident:  6/18/2012
Issuing Officer:  AC Schaeffer
Narrative:
On Monday, June 18, 2012 at 4:23 AM, 6 Companies of Spokane Firefighters, 1 Senior Ladder, 1 Heavy Rescue, 4 Engines under the direction of Battalion Chiefs Clive Jones and Dave Haworth, responded to a Structure Fire at 5510 West Woodside Avenue in Northwest Spokane. Spokane Firefighters arrived within 5-minutes to find heavy smoke and fire showing from the roof and garage of a single family house. They also reported that they had found the occupant of the home and that the patient was burned. The first arriving Chief declared a working fire which added an additional Senior Ladder company and AMR ambulance and AMR Supervisor. He also updated the situation as a rapidly progressing fire that had consumed the far west of the home and had extended to an adjacent home to the west. Fortunately, the second arriving company was Paramedic Engine E17 from the Indian Trail neighborhood. Their company began to immediately provide emergency medical care to the patient and transported the critical patient to a local Trauma Hospital. Once additional companies arrived, the firefighters commenced an aggressive attack on the fire in both homes with Engine Companies. The first arriving Ladder Company searched both of the homes for victims while the second arriving Ladder Company immediately laddered the roof and manually cut a ventilation hole above the fire. The well coordinated effort of firefighters confined flames to the primary structure (5510) and limited the damage into the adjacent home to the west to the attack and soffit areas. The fire was declared under control in 45-minutes and companies are still on scene conducting overhaul and salvaging resident's belongings. There were no injuries reported from either residents or firefighters.
Cause:
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Fire Department's SIU.
Damage:
There is significant structural damage and many contents have been damaged by the heavy smoke. Though loss from the fire was concentrated to the original building, the adjacent structure also suffered minor damage from the quickly progressing fire. Vehicles parked in the driveway were also destroyed. The occupant is being referred to the American Red Cross for interim placement assistance once released from the hospital as the structure is not inhabitable in its present state.
# Firefighters Responding: 24
Dollar Loss: $250,000

End Of Release 
For more information on this release please call (509) 625-7002

Local business seeks to elect individual who would like you to not have money to spend at local business.

It's a free country. I have political signs in my yard that support candidates who support labor and workers.  My neighbors have signs who support the opponents of my candidates. I like my neighbors and they like me.

However, if I had a business, I don't think I would put a sign up that would tell my customers that I support a candidate that wants them to make less money, have longer working hours and unsafe working conditions. I don't think I would have a sign up on my tavern that says "I support a candidate who does not believe you should have the right to collectively bargain." Nancy McLaughlin was the only city council member who voted against a nonbonding resolution that simply said the City of Spokane endorses the rights of its employees to collectively bargain. Incidentally, this is a right recognized by every industrialized nation in the world and the UN. Nancy has an ideological agenda. She has been working to make labor unions a thing of the past. She would like laborers to be making minimum wage - if that minimum wage were drastically slashed.

So why would the owners of the Maxwell House, a place where union members meet, where working families gather, where some enjoy their pensions (Nancy is no fan of pensions either) by sharing a beer or two, why would they endorse a candidate who would like to shrink their customer base?

Nancy seems like a nice, albeit confused, older lady. I suppose she nicely asked them to put up the sign and they did. They are probably unaware of her politics and her ideological stance against many of the Maxwell House's customers. Why, if you were a business, would you put up any sign endorsing any political candidate?

Let the Maxwell House know the next time you go in that it may be your last. Not because you are boycotting the place, but because  if Nancy gets in office, you probably won't have the money to go out to eat or drink - especially if you are a union member or if you are on a pension.

Thanks, John

Two Fire Press Releases

North Battalion House Fire

Incident #:  2012024346
Date of Incident:  6/13/2012
Issuing Officer:  Battalion Chief Mike Thompson
Narrative:
On Wednesday evening, 06/13/2012, at 6:53 PM the Spokane Fire Department responded to 4101 E Fredrick on a reported structure fire. The first crew on scene was Engine 2 from the Logan Neighborhood, who was returning from a Marine Rescue call on the Spokane River and stopped to investigate a smoke odor they detected. The Engine 2 crew had no Fire Officer on the Apparatus due to splitting crews for the previous rescue call. They discovered a room and contents fire on the back side of the single family residence. They ensured the resident was evacuated, turned in a full structure fire response, and extended pre-connected hose lines to prep the scene for an offensive interior fire attack, once backup arrived. Later arriving company's established a water supply, removed security bars from windows so they could be used for ventilation, and stretched more hose lines to provide back-up for initial crews. The incident was mitigated within 1 hour and there were no reported injuries to civilians or fire fighters. Six fire companies with 20 firefighters were dispatched to this incident.
Cause:
The cause of the fire was smoking related.
Damage:
The fire was confined to the bedroom of origin and with the exception of some water and smoke; damage to the structure was minimal.
# Firefighters Responding: 20
Dollar Loss: $10,000.

End Of Release 
For more information on this release please call (509) 625-7002

Colton Apartment Fire

Incident #:  2012024464
Date of Incident:  6/15/2012
Issuing Officer:  Battalion Chief Clive Jones
Narrative:
On June 14, 2012 the Spokane Fire Department responded to a reported structure fire in an apartment complex at 7022 N Colton Street. On scene personnel up graded the first alarm response to a second alarm response. The fire was up graded again to a third alarm by an arriving Battalion Chief. Twelve fire apparatus and seven command staff were on scene to battle this blaze. The fire was contained to five apartment units, with damage to two others. The attached apartment units to the North suffered minor damage. Fire crews were on scene through out the night. There were no injuries to residents, citizens, or firefighters on this fire scene.
Cause:
The fire is under investigation by the Fire Department's SIU
Damage:
Fire loss to five apartment units, minor damage to two others units.
# Firefighters Responding: 37
Dollar Loss: $250,000

End Of Release 
For more information on this release please call (509) 625-7002

Spokesman-Review likes our pension system - They just won't say so.

Again, to set the record straight: Spokane Firefighters pay the majority of their pensions, are on no city pension, save the city one-percent because the city does not have to pay into Social Security, etc.

Read the responses to an editorial in this morning's Spokesman-Review. The editorial seeks to rile everyone up by talking about pension reform in some California cities. What the newspaper (purposefully?) left out was comparing the vilified California city pensions to our pensions.

Our pension plan was probably a model for the change that the Spokesman-Review now applauds the California cities for making. You'll never hear them say that though!

Here's the link:
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/jun/09/editorial-tax-funded-pensions-need-reality/

Fire Press Release

2918 East Diamond

Incident #: 2012023195
Date of Incident: 6/5/2012
Issuing Officer: Joel Fielder/Battalion Chief

Narrative:
Last night at 11:19 PM, June 5, 2012 the Spokane Fire Department responded to 2918 E. Diamond on a reported structure fire. The first crew on-scene reported a fully involved structure fire, with reports from the neighbors that some occupants were still inside the 2-story, wood-framed apartment building containing 2 apartments on the first floor and 2 apartments on the second floor. Fire fighters aggressively attacked the fire from the interior of the structure while additional fire crews completed a vent-enter-search tactic on two rooms on the 2nd floor at the front of the building. Within a matter of minutes the fire had spread from the first floor to full fire involvement of the 2nd floor and attic requiring a change from an interior (offensive) attack to an exterior (defensive) attack. Additional fire crews were called in due to a serious exposure hazard consisting of a 2-story apartment building located 6-feet to the west of the fire building. This exposure building was staffed with fire crews to prevent that structure from igniting due to the significant amount of radiant heat coming from fire building. The fire was brought under control within 2 hours and fire crews were on scene throughout the night to complete the salvage and overhaul process. Two adults and 2 children were transported to a local hospital and treated for smoke inhalation and one civilian was treated for a burn to his hand. In addition, one firefighter injured his arm during a search of the second floor. Six Engine companies, Two Ladders, a heavy rescue truck and 2 Battalion Chiefs were on scene during the initial operations of this incident. Red Cross arrived on scene and their initial assessment was 26 individuals will be relocated for the night. The Spokane Police Department was also on scene and provided traffic control and scene security during the operational period of this incident.

Cause:
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Spokane Fire Departments Special Investigation Unit.

Damage:
The second floor and attic sustained significant fire damage with smoke and water damage to the rest of the structure. There was minimal heat damage to the exposure building to the west.

# Firefighters Responding: 31

Dollar Loss: $70,000

End Of Release
For more information on this release please call (509) 625-7002

Fire Press Release

1113 W. York

Incident #: 2012021672
Date of Incident: 5/26/2012
Issuing Officer: Joel Fielder/Battalion Chief

Narrative:
Yesterday, May 26th, 2012, the Spokane Fire Department responded at approximately 6:30 PM to 1113 West York on a reported structure fire. The first crew on scene was Engine 3 from the local neighborhood fire station at Indiana and Ash. The Lieutenant reported a basement fire in a 1-story, wood framed residence. An aggressive interior attack by the first arriving crews confined the fire to the basement while additional fire crews completed search and rescue, ventilation and salvage and overhaul. The fire was brought under control within 30 minutes and there were no reported injuries to the occupants or firefighters. Six fire companies with 18 firefighters responded to this fire and were on scene for approximately 1.5 hours.

Cause:
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Spokane Fire Department Special Investigation Unit.

Damage:
Fire damage was confined to the basement with smoke damage through out the rest of the structure.

# Firefighters Responding: 20

Dollar Loss: $10000

End Of Release
For more information on this release please call (509) 625-7002

SFD buys used 1992 fire engine

Story here. The KREM site's HTML  does not let me make the video smaller, so that's why the right side is cut off. Apologies.

Fire press release

Vacant structure sustains heavy fire damage.

Incident #: 2012020707
Date of Incident: 5/20/2012
Issuing Officer: Battalion Chief Steve Sabo

Narrative:
At 3:40 AM, Sunday morning, May 20th, the Spokane Fire Department responded to a reported structure fire at 2623 E. Sprague Ave. The first engine company on-scene reported a one-story brick and wood frame house with heavy smoke and flames on the exterior west side and extending into the attic. The incident was upgraded to a working fire, which added a second aerial ladder to the five engines, one ladder truck, one heavy rescue, and two chief officers already enroute or on-scene. Crews quickly forced entry into the structure and advanced multiple hose lines through the smoky conditions to locate and extinguish the rapidly advancing fire. In addition to fire attack and roof ventilation, crews performed a search of the building for any victims. The house, which had multiple additions, was determined to be vacant, and no victims were found. There were no injuries to firefighters at this fire. The Spokane Police Department closed Sprague Avenue and provided traffic control during the 5-hour duration of this incident.

Cause:
Investigators with the Spokane Fire Department's Special Investigation Unit completed their on-scene fire cause investigation and preliminarily determined the area of origin to be on the exterior. At this time the cause of the fire remains under investigation. Electricity and gas had been disconnected to the vacant structure.

Damage:
Damage was confined to heavy fire damage to the exterior siding and to the roof. There was also smoke, water and overhaul damage to the interior walls and ceilings.

# Firefighters Responding: 30

Dollar Loss: $40,000

End Of Release
For more information on this release please call (509) 625-7002

Local 29 Firefighters will be serving and protecting the Lilac Parade tonight!

This from the Spokanarama blog. It shows the Aberdeen Bobcats practicing on the South Hill yesterday. Spokane's firefighters will be along the parade route in case things go awry with any marching, twirling or flaming batons.  Not sure which  engine or ladder is in the parade.

Final Bloomsday Tally

37 Bloomies were treated by Local 29 Spokane Fire Department Personnel during Bloomsday. Two of these folks died on the course but were brought back by Local 29 SFD paramedics. Great job!

Fire Press Release

Astor Terrace Apartments

Incident #:  2012019605
Date of Incident:  5/13/2012
Issuing Officer:  Joel Fielder/Battalion Chief
Narrative:
Today, May 13, 2012, the Spokane Fire Department responded at approximately 3:16 PM to 406 East Montgomery on a reported structure fire. The first crew to arrive on scene, Engine 2 from the local neighborhood fire station, reported smoke showing from the roof of a 2-story- wood framed apartment building with a fire reported in a 2nd floor apartment. Engine 2 along with assistance from several neighborhood civilians, used ground ladders to rescue 2 trapped occupants from a window on the second floor. Firefighters from Engine 2 with the assistance from additional firefighters from Engine 3 then made entry into the structure and aggressively attacked the fire located in an apartment on the south east corner of the 2nd floor. Additional fire crews completed search and rescue, evacuation, ventilation and salvage and overhaul. The fire was brought under control within 30 minutes and there were no reported injuries to the occupants or firefighters. Nine fire companies with 31 firefighters responded to this fire and were on scene for approximately 3 hours.
Cause:
The cause of the fire is under investigation by Spokane Fire Department Special Investigation Unit.
Damage:
Fire and smoke damage was confined to the 2nd floor apartment.
# Firefighters Responding: 34
Dollar Loss: $20000

End Of Release 
For more information on this release please call (509) 625-7002

Congrats to graduating recruits!

We'll  see you in the stations. Good luck with the rest of your year's probation - fires, medical emergencies, car wrecks, etc. Plus, lots of physical and skills testing and having to learn every reg and where every street in Spokane is. Congrats Class 2012-1!
 

Congrats to our own Tammy Tibbles - Inducted into the WIAA Hall of Fame!

Great story on a sports legend who is also a Local 29 member!

Local 29 endorses Jay Inslee for Governor!

Jay Inslee stopped by the union hall on Tuesday and we endorsed him. He asked a lot of questions about us and we asked him a lot of questions. He was very knowledgeable regarding what we do, not just as in what we do as a union, but also what we do in our jobs. He says he will stand up for our basic human right of collective bargaining, which is something you probably won't hear from his opponent. Please check out his website.  Beside being a US congressman, he has been a laborer in many industries, so he knows what it means to "work for a living." Please ask your friends and neighbors to support him as well.

Local 29 to endorse Inslee today at union hall

  MEDIA ADVISORY: Spokane Fire Fighters Announce Endorsement of Jay Inslee for Governor

Spokane Fire Fighters Union, Local 29, will be welcoming Democratic candidate for governor, Jay Inslee, to Spokane on Tuesday, May 8 and announcing their endorsement for his campaign.  Leaders of the Spokane Fire Fighters Union will gather for the announcement in front of their 1936 vintage fire truck with remarks from Local 29 President Mark Vietzke and Inslee.

When:             Tuesday, May 8 at 2:15 PM
Where:            Spokane Fire Fighters Union Hall, 911 E. Baldwin, Spokane

For more information, contact Mark Vietzke at 509.484.5598 or Inslee campaign press secretary, Jaime Smith, at 253.334.5670.

Imaginary pension under attack!

As many of you know, those responsible for  the global economic crisis seek to blame the only folks who are organized in opposition to them - us - unions.  Not only do they seek to limit our ability to help average working Americans, they would like us to be forced into dumping money into their war chests via 401Ks, by eliminating our pensions.  


As if this isn't bad enough, recently, the local weekly The Inlander had an editorial which sought to reform our "city pensions." The author, Robert Herold, suggested that our "lavish city pensions" were a cause for the city's financial problems. Well, as you know, we don't receive any city pensions. 


I emailed the author asking for a retraction. Nothing. I went to visit him during his office hours at Gonzaga University where he is an adjunct professor. He was a no show. Finally, he emailed me to tell me that if I didn't like what he had to say, I should just write a letter to the editor. Which I already had completed. Don Waller had also prepared a letter as an official response from the union. They were not published this week, probably because they had two published that said what we were going to say anyway.  


Don and I thought you may want to see what these letters looked like. So here you go. Thanks, John


Local 29's response:

In an article written by Robert Herold, and published by the Inlander on April 18^th 2012, there was misrepresentation about the Law Enforcement Officers and Fire Fighters II (LEOFF II) Pension.  Here are the facts. 

LEOFF is not a City pension as was stated.  While most all of the employees in the City are covered by a city pension; Police Officers and Fire Fighters are not.

The Police and Fire Departments make up the largest portion of the General Fund budget, however, pensions are an extremely small portion of each Department’s budget.  

The portion of the budget Police and Fire make up has been reduced over the last few decades as the workforce and emergency services have been reduced.  Money has been shifted to other parts of the City budget and our citizens have seen greatly reduced Police and Fire service delivery levels.  

The minimum retirement age is 53, not 50 as stated.  If a pension is collected before the minimum age of 53, a 3% per year penalty is imposed by the state.

  Under the LEOFF II pension, an employee pays 8.64% of their gross pay into the retirement system, the employer 5.24%. 

Most noteworthy is that the city does NOT contribute to Social Security for firefighters. All employers (government and private) contribute 6.2% to Social Security as required by Federal law.  The employer contributes 1% less for Fire Fighters and Police Officers than all other employers do for their employees.  Therefore, the LEOFF II Pension is saving our very own City several hundred thousand dollars every year.  While the vast majority of Fire Fighters do not qualify for Social Security, those who do, see a SS benefit reduction in direct correlation to their LEOFF II pension benefit.  Some Fire Fighters do not even qualify for Medicare, seemingly a right in this country.

Once a LEOFF II Fire Fighter separates from service, the employer no longer has any liability to that Fire Fighter for any reason, including their pension.  Washington State manages the funds in the LEOFF system where currently it is fully funded and healthy.  The funds that go in, 50% of which are the employees’, are maintaining all benefits and all actuarial reports show that it will sustain itself. The State has threatened to “borrow” money from the LEOFF pension recently like has happened in a few other states, elsewhere this has ended in catastrophe causing many other ramifications to follow.

My response:

As someone who usually enjoys Professor Robert Herold's editorials, I was very curious to read what he had to say about the City of Spokane reforming its pension system for firefighters and police officers. Why the curiosity? Because, interestingly, there is no City of Spokane pension system for firefighters and police officers.

It's a shame Bob wasted all that ink and paper to stridently plea for reform of something that doesn't even exist. At least he didn't waste much of his time preparing this editorial. Obviously, Professor Herold's academic forte is not research. 

I am a firefighter and a member of IAFF Local 29, the city firefighters' union. The majority of my state-administered pension plan's contributions are made by me. The city does contribute some and so does the state. However, Spokane's firefighters and police officers do not contribute to Social Security, nor will they receive it. Correspondingly, the City of Spokane makes no contribution to our Social Security. The taxpayers of Spokane pay one-percent less to a firefighter's or police officer's pension than they would if they were having to, instead, pay into his or her Social Security. That's right. The City of Spokane saves money because firefighters and police officers are on this pension plan and not on Social Security. 

Not satisfied with just attacking something that doesn't even exist, Bob also launches into general falsehoods about police and fire retirements. 

Bob, a  firefighter or police officer has to work until at least age 53 or be penalized up to 9%. Contrary to what you wrote, there is no retirement allowed before age 50. Most will not even retire at age 53 because much of their retirement would go to pay for private medical insurance until Medicare kicks in at age 65. 

Professor Herold worked for 31 years at EWU. He says he didn't have a pension plan - only a 401K. He neglected to disclose that he did have the option of joining a state pension plan, very similar to mine - except he also receives Social Security, but he declined. I suspect he may now be regretting this decision, and this may be the impetus for his editorial. If Professor Herold did as much research into choosing his stock portfolio for his 401K as he did for his article on mythical "police and fire city pensions," his investments surely have not done very well. 

Should there be a conversation about public employee pensions? Absolutely. But, why don't we start with discussing pensions that actually exist - what they cost, who pays for them, etc.? Bob, Like I said, I have enjoyed your editorials in the past. Now I have to wonder if they were all just works of fiction, as well. Do your homework next time. 

John Griffith

Spokane, WA

Press Release - Spokane Fire Fighters to Endorse Jay Inslee for Governor

MEDIA ADVISORY: Spokane Fire Fighters Announce Endorsement of Jay Inslee for Governor

Spokane Fire Fighters Union, Local 29, will be welcoming Democratic candidate for governor, Jay Inslee, to Spokane on Tuesday, May 8 and announcing their endorsement for his campaign.  Leaders of the Spokane Fire Fighters Union will gather for the announcement in front of their 1936 vintage fire truck with remarks from Local 29 President Mark Vietzke and Inslee.

When:             Tuesday, May 8 at 2:15 PM
Where:            Spokane Fire Fighters Union Hall, 911 E. Baldwin, Spokane

For more information, contact Mark Vietzke at 509.484.5598 or Inslee campaign press secretary, Jaime Smith, at 253.334.5670.