PRESS RELEASE
From May 16–21, as part of EMS Week, the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) will recognize the important role emergency medical service (EMS) providers play in keeping their communities safe, particularly during these challenging times.
Trained to respond to any emergency, emergency responders have faced the added challenges of working on the front lines in the middle of an historic pandemic, civil unrest, on-the-job attacks and widespread opioid abuse.
This additional stress can take a heavy toll on EMS workers both physically and mentally, and the IAFF is committed honoring their work and keeping them safe.
“Our EMS members are the first line of defense during this pandemic, putting their lives on the line to provide expert care,” says IAFF General President Edward Kelly. “We owe them not just our gratitude but our commitment to do all that we can to keep them safe and healthy on the job.”
A law passed in 2019 by the Florida Legislature has prompted Longboat Key leaders to begin the process of including certain employer-funded cancer benefits for town firefighters. Commissioners granted initial approval, with a second vote still to come.
Firefighters’ cancers that are covered under state law
The term “cancer” includes bladder cancer, brain cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, colon cancer, esophageal cancer, invasive skin cancer, kidney cancer, large intestinal cancer, lung cancer, malignant melanoma, mesothelioma, multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, oral cavity and pharynx cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, rectal cancer, stomach cancer, testicular cancer and thyroid cancer.
“This ordinance references a state statute that was enacted a couple of years ago that says that if a firefighter becomes totally and permanently disabled as a result of one of 21 different types of cancer, which are specified in the state law, then the firefight
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President Joe Biden this week will have his first Oval Office meeting with the top four congressional leaders to talk infrastructure and spending. | Patrick Semansky/AP Photo
DRIVING THE DAY
Happy Monday, Playbookers. The two big events in D.C. this week, at least that we can forecast with any confidence, happen Wednesday. The House Republican Conference will vote to remove
Rent-a-bear stars in California race for governor, catching treats and appearing in commercials. Jeanne Moos reports.
Posted: May 6, 2021 11:03 AM
Posted By: CNN
The Republican candidates challenging California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom have struggled to capture voters attention as the state gears up for an all-but-certain recall election this year. So businessman John Cox switched up the script Tuesday by introducing himself as the beast to Newsom s beauty alongside a live Kodiak bear at a Sacramento campaign event.
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In Warwick, firefighters can earn overtime without working a full week
Jim Hummel
WARWICK Mayor Frank J. Picozzi has directed his administration to review a longtime practice that allows city firefighters to earn hundreds of thousands of dollars every year in overtime for hours they don’t actually work using sick and vacation time to trigger being paid time and a half.
Picozzi’s order came in response to a three-month investigation of city records obtained by The Hummel Report and a detailed computer analysis of the information by Ken Block, founder of the nonprofit WatchdogRI. It included an examination of every firefighter shift over the last 15 months.