MESSAGE FROM GENERAL PRESIDENT HAROLD SCHAITBERGER
Editor’s Note: Reprinted Summer 2018 from IAFF Quarterly
By Peter McKernan
I have had the unique honor to be a part of the last 21 IAFF
conventions. Each and every one of those was approached
with a serious eye to the future by the leaders and delegates
on the floor. But this year, I can tell you with great pride that
our centennial convention was the best and most important
that I can recall.
Harold A. Schaitberger is the ninth
president in the IAFF’s 100-year
history, and was the first to have been
elected by acclamation in 2000. He
was re-elected to another four-year
term in August 2016. [1] Under his
leadership, the IAFF’s political action
committee, FIREPAC, has grown to
more than $4.6 million and ranks
among the top one percent of PACs in
the nation. Schaitberger has focused
on ensuring that the IAFF supports
candidates and lawmakers who
are friendly to firefighters and their
issues, regardless of political party.
Prior to his first election as IAFF
general president, Harold Schait-
berger had served on the union’s
headquarters staff as a top advisor
to three IAFF Presidents since 1976,
and as president of the Virginia
Professional Firefighters union since
1973. In 1970, he was elected as
the first president of the local affiliate
of the IAFF in Fairfax County, Virginia.
He began his professional career
as a firefighter rising to the rank of
lieutenant.
I want to express my profound appreciation for the incredible
work by our entire IAFF staff team for putting on such an
incredibly successful and professional convention. General
Secretary-Treasurer Ed Kelly and I know the enormous
amount of planning, work and execution it takes to make this
week such a tremendous event. We are also grateful to the
leaders and members of Seattle Local 27, our host local, for
their dedication to this historic convention.
Delegates who attended can be proud to have been part of
what was truly one for the history books. One hundred years
after that first convention in 1918, when delegates made it
clear that this union was being formed “for the purpose of
advancing conditions of firefighters,” delegates at the 2018
convention became the founders of our union’s next 100
years, setting the path, goals and mission for our great union
for future generations of firefighters.
Recognizing the work of our courageous forefathers who
stepped forward when there were no labor protections for
workers, and looking to the future, together we discussed and
debated 55 resolutions that will ensure this union is properly
resourced to meet our affiliates’ needs and to protect the
lives and livelihoods of our more than 314,000 members.
During my remarks to the delegates, I thanked and
commended our leadership. They have the toughest job in
this union: on the frontlines, taking the direct heat from our
members, while also fighting the attacks by their jurisdiction’s
administration. They make the tough decisions that will set
the foundation for the next century of progress through unity.
We’re always searching for the path to success, supporting
those in the political, policy and legislative arenas who
support our union and public safety. We’ve used our political
resources to fight for increased wages and benefits, improved
working conditions, health and safety protections and to fight
off anti-union attacks on behalf of our members.
Delegates in Seattle recommitted to the powerful IAFF
political brand—the gold and black. They made it clear that
we need to be prepared to work with friendly and unfriendly
legislatures and administrations in both the U.S. and Canada,
and we voted to adopt a resolution to invest in FIREPAC to
support national, state, provincial and local elections and
ballot initiatives—including supporting firefighter candidates
at the state and local level.
FIREPAC was first established by convention resolution in
1984 out of the critical need to engage in the political arena
and to fund our political and legislative agenda. Passing this
2018 resolution to enhance our gold and black political
brand will now allow us to continue to build on our power
and influence and put us one step closer to the day when we
finally pass national collective bargaining rights.
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FIREWIRE • FALL 2018
Our week of business in Seattle concluded with a grand
celebration of our centennial at the 100th Anniversary Gold
and Black Gala to benefit our IAFF Foundation. I want to
recognize the generous sponsors who support our foundation
and who made this event such a memorable experience.
Literally dozens of affiliates, other unions and our corporate
friends stepped up to help us raise more than $1.4 million to
build on our foundation’s resources so it can continue to do
the critical work for our members and their families in their
times of hardship.
Special thanks to our underwriting sponsors—my home local,
Fairfax County Professional Firefighters and Paramedics Local
2068, the IAFF Financial Corporation, MSA/Globe, Nationwide
and TenCate Protective Fabrics. Also, thanks to our signature
sponsors—CAL FIRE Local 2881, Edmonton Firefighters’
Union Local 209, Financial Innovations Marketing, W.L. Gore
& Associates, Inc. and Woodley & McGillivary. And thank you
also to the many, many other corporate, industry, other union
and affiliate sponsors.
In any disaster—from hurricanes, such as Florence, which
made landfall while writing this column, to the massive
wildfires that continue to burn across the western portion
of our continent, to tornadoes, mass casualty events and
civil disturbances— the IAFF Foundation provides direct
assistance to members, including financial relief, food,
water, clothing and shelter, vaccinations, behavioral health
counseling and more.
It is through the foundation that we fund scholarships for the
children of IAFF members who make the ultimate sacrifice
and keep our Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial in Colorado Springs
maintained so we can continue to honor those we’ve lost.
DAN TELLEZ
Dan is a veteran captain assigned to Station 53 in
Baker, where he has been protecting the corridor
for a number of years now. He got his fire service
start in 1988 with the paid-call ranks for Barstow
Fire before hiring on to Adelanto Fire Department
as a captain. He transitioned to County Fire with
that city’s contract and has been here for the past
19 years. He has held his EMT cert for over three
decades. Dan helps with ARFF training, serves
as a coordinator for Helendale’s CERT team and is developing the
community emergency response plan for Baker. Dan and Suzanne
have been married for 32 years; they have two grown daughters,
Amanda and Catalina.
GEORGE TOM
Engineer Tom is currently stationed in Phelan; he
has been with County Fire for the past four years.
Prior to that he worked at Imperial Beach Fire. He’s
been a paramedic for nine years, and has served
as a paramedic intern preceptor. He is a Hazmat
specialist and instructor, and served on the cadre
for Towers 6-8. He and wife Elise were married just
this October; they reside in Temecula.
When an IAFF member or family member suffers a burn
injury, the foundation provides financial assistance and peer
support, and we work to ensure they receive the best care
possible with their families by their side.
The foundation also holds the International Burn Camp each
year in Washington, D.C., a week-long camp that is a life-
changing opportunity for teenage burn survivors and the
firefighter camp counselors who work to make a difference in
the lives of these young people.
Recognizing the important work of our foundation, delegates
also adopted a resolution to build a program to provide
assistance to those IAFF members seeking treatment at the
IAFF Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Treatment and
Recovery.
All that we accomplished at the 54th convention will truly set
the course for the next 100 years. The challenge now for all of
us is to be pioneers and to stand together until this union’s
second centennial.
KELLY CARTER
Captain Carter is currently assigned at Station
23 in Grand Terrace. She has been with County
Fire for 20 years, starting in the PCF ranks and
promoting up. A paramedic for 17 years, she is a
member of the Health and Wellness and Award
Committees; she also serves on the CARE
team. She was instrumental in our department
providing round the clock available employee
counseling services via the Counseling Team
International.
LEE MARTIN
Lee is an engineer at Station 322 in Adelanto.
His first exposure to the fire service was as
a Cal Fire explorer in 1992; from there he
became a paid-call firefighter at Station 10
in Phelan. In 2005 he was hired to a full-time
engineer position at 29 Palms Fire, where he
stayed until the 2016 transition to County Fire.
He has been an EMT for 22 years, and has
recently taken on leadership for our hands-only
CPR public education classes—in fact, see his article on that very
subject in this edition of FIREWIRE. Lee lives in Helendale with
his daughter.
GREG BRIENER
Greg is a captain at Station 322 in Adelanto.
Prior to coming over to County Fire at the 2016
transition, Greg worked for San Bernardino Fire
from 2005-2016; all told, he has 18 years full
time firefighting experience and has held his EMT
cert since 1997. Greg is a member of the company
officer training cadre, and holds specialty certs in
Hazmat, ARFF and Truck Ops. He’s also helping with
the upgrades going on at his fire station. Greg lives
in Hesperia with his three children, including 16 year-old Zoee, 12
year-old Emma and William, age 4.
Stay safe.
Harold Schaitberger
General President
International Association of Firefighters
FALL 2018 • FIREWIRE
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