Brothers and Sisters,

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                Allow me to express my deepest gratitude for electing me as your Secretary. It is with great honor that I look forward to serving you in this capacity. I hope to fulfill this position with the integrity and diligence it requires. As expected, there is a lot of work to do and I am getting up to speed with all the nuances of the position.

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Currently we are working on updating every member file. We are making sure to have everyone’s current information such as address, personal email, and all other contact information. We are also reviewing everyone’s file for beneficiary information. We will be having a Local wide update in the near future. Remember, the beneficiary forms are available at the Union office to update your beneficiary as needed with the Local. Please pay attention to your DVP’s updates in the next few months.

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In technological news, our IAFF has launched the IAFF SMART APP. This application will allow for all of us to have improved communications. There’s a lot to learn on all the tools this application has. As soon as our files are updated, I will be working on learning all the ins and outs to guide everybody on using the application. 

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In political news, I would like to express a big thank you to all of our Brothers and Sisters who have participated so far in this year’s political races. From sign waiving to knocking on doors for candidates, your participation makes a big impact. As much as all of us know that politics are not everyone’s favorite subject, it is the lifeblood of our livelihood. To give you some back ground, we have an interview process and screen every candidate who is willing to meet with us. The reason Candidates seek our endorsement is twofold. First is our approval rating, we as firefighters always have over 90 % approval ratings in almost every community.

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​Second, but most impactful, is our boots on the ground effort. When we all participate no one can match us. Sign waiving, knocking on doors, working a poll location handing out a candidate’s flyer, or hanging door signs are just a few examples of what we can do to help a candidate’s campaign. These are all small efforts that take an hour or two of your day. I understand everyone has a life, but so do your union leaders and they can’t do it all by themselves. No one’s asking that you as a member must participate in every single thing going on. We want you to participate in what you can. If all of us divide the work amongst our almost 1300 members in this Local, WE CAN get it all done.

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