Redmond EMS Abstracts.indd - IAFF

BRIEFING:
Fire Retardants and Fire Fighter Exposures
Matt Vinci
President
Professional Fire Fighters of Vermont
20 Kimball Avenue Suite 108
South Burlington, Vermont 05403
802-652-0085
mattvinci@comcast.net
Background:
Matthew Vinci was elected President of the Professional Fire Fighters of Vermont at the 2007
convention in Burlington, VT. Prior to this he served as the Executive Vice President from 1997-
2007; in this capacity he was involved in the passage of three major pieces of fire service legislation
beginning with the Fire Fighters' Survivors Benefit, the Fire Fighter Presumptive Heart Law, and
most recently the Fire Fighter Presumptive Cancer Law. He was appointed by Congressman
Peter Welch to serve as the Chair of the Congressman's Labor Advisory Committee in February
of 2007. He also serves on Governor Jim Douglas' Homeland Security Advisory Council since
2003. He has served as the State Representative for the International Association of Fire Fighters
since 1997 and has played a role in assisting candidates that support fire fighter issues in getting
elected to public office. Matt is a Captain with the South Burlington Fire Department where he
has served since 1994.
Sharyle Patton
Director
Health and Environment Program
Commonweal
451 Mesa Road
Bolinas, California 94924
415-868 0970 ext. 728
spatton@igc.org
Background:
Sharyle Patton is co-director of the Collaborative on Health and Environment, a group of individuals
and organizations interested in linkages between environment and health. She was previously the
- 54 -