Mainline - San Francisco Firefighters Local 798

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MainLine 

SAN FRANCISCO FIREFIGHTERS 

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J u l y / A u g u s t 

2010 

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www.sffdlocal798.org Main Line 1

2 Main Line www.sffdlocal798.org 

The INside Box 

BOX 6546 Bayview 2009 

Photos by: Mark Grissom 

www.crownfire.net

Main LIne 

July/aug 2010 

Executive Board 

President 

THomas O’connor 

Vice President 

Joseph Moriarty 

Secretary 

Jim Vannucchi 

Treasurer 

Shon Buford 

Directors 

Stephen Giacalone 

Danny Gracia 

Floyd Rollins II 

Michael A Walsh 

Keith Onishi 

Design Editor 

Adele White 

Deadline for October Mainline submissions: 

September 20, 2010 

Contents 

Letter From the President 

The Vannucchi Papers 

Letter From Shon Buford 

Letter From Danny Gracia 

Foundation Update 

Retirees 

Last Alarm 

Warning Signs 

4 

7 

8 

8 

12 

14 

18 

23 

Cover photography 

by Josh Rosenthal 

and Keenan Brown


‘ 

Mr. Adachi’s legislation also takes 

away collective bargaining rights, 

the very basis of the labor “movement in America. 

“ 

Hidden deep 

within the 

Adachi farce 

is a little 

sentence which 

is absolutely 

poisonous… 

Letter From 

the President 

Tom O’Connor, President 

The biggest 

ethical sin committ 

e d b y t h e 

l e g i s l a t i o n ? 

Jeff Adachi is 

exempt from 

making any 

c o n t r i b u t i o n s 

to his own pension. 

Jeff Adachi has 

never taken a 

wage concession 

like other city 

workers. Jeff 

Adachi, the 

fiscal defender 

of all social 

programs, has 

had budget 

increases of 

nearly 48% over 

the last 6 years. 

Jeff Adachi is a 

hypocrite and 

San Franciscans 

need to know 

this. 

Brothers and Sisters, 

Let me take a brief moment to congratulate 

all of us for a very, very successful 

campaign to keep our neighborhood 

firehouses open. Our efforts were 

entirely successful, not one firehouse will 

be closed or “browned-out”. All around 

the Bay Area and the state of California, 

we could see the devastating effects of 

the “Great Recession”…firehouses closed, 

companies “browned-out”, increased 

workweeks and some local fire departments 

taken over by Cal-Fire and their 72 

hour workweek. Just this week, we witnessed 

50 firefighters laid off in San Jose. 

Very desperate times indeed. 

Let me take another brief moment to 

congratulate all of us for a very successful 

MOU negotiation/”re-opener”. It never 

feels good to give back wages, it never 

feels right to make concessions, but in 

economic times as dire as these it does 

make sense. We joined 25,000 other City 

workers and made sure that all services 

to San Franciscans were preserved. Most 

importantly, our concessions ensured that 

ALL SFFD fire stations remained open… 

and our media campaign ensured that all 

San Franciscans realize that we dug into 

our own pocket to pay for public safety. 

Thank you to everyone for your efforts 

throughout the spring and summer. All of 

your time and energies were well spent. 

Now that we’ve basked in our “victories” 

for two minutes, it is time to start 

work again. And this time, it will be one 

of our most difficult battles… 

Jeff Adachi and his 

attack on City Workers 

The entire time we were focused on 

firehouses and wage concessions, Public 

Defender Jeff Adachi was waging a sneaky 

campaign against city workers. It seems 

as if Mr. Adachi decided that he could no 

longer tolerate budget cuts to his beloved 

department any more…so much so that 

he decided to go on the ballot and make 

city workers pay more for their pension 

AND more for their health care. The rationale 

being that if city workers pay more 

for their benefits, then the city budget 

would be forever balanced. You see, the 

dreadful economy is not to blame for the 

deficits that cities are facing nationwide…. 

no, it is the far too generous pensions and 

medical benefits that we receive. 

Adachi’s campaign was phony right from 

the start. Adachi hired people to gather 

signatures at $5 a pop. He then allowed 

them to say anything they wanted in order 

to get people to sign on the dotted 

line. Some of my favorite lines from Adachi’s 

crusade against city workers; “Save 

our Schools”, “Save Summer School”, 

“Help protect SF General Hospital”, and 

my favorite line “Protect Police officers 

and Firefighters.” 

What the Adachi 

measure means to 

firefighters 

and city workers 

Even though we just assisted the Board 

of Supervisors in passing Measure D, increasing 

pension contributions for all new 

employees and adding another $450 million 

dollars to the pension fund, Jeff Adachi 

thought that was not enough. Here is 

4 Main Line www.sffdlocal798.org

what the Adachi amendment will mean to 

ALL CURRENT AND FUTURE city employees: 

-Increase pension contributions 

to 9% for all miscellaneous employees 

and 10% for all public 

safety employees 

-Prohibit employer “pickup” of 

pension contributions 

-Double the cost of medical benefits 

for dependents 

-Increase the cost of dental benefits 

-Require voter approval each 

time and arbitrator rules in any 

case 

-Require voter approval of any 

wage increases or economic 

benefits 

(Adachi co-authored this legislation with 

Craig Weber, the Chairperson of the Civil 

Grand Jury Commission on Pensions. This 

Grand Jury issued two reports on the pension 

system within 12 months, and during 

the second report Mr. Weber became the 

treasurer of Mr. Adachi’s campaign.) 

This measure, if passed, would mean 

$400 to $800 a month out of every firefighter’s 

pocket. The majority of this money 

would result from an increase in the 

cost of dependent medical care. 

The Adachi measure is 

unethical 

The phony measure that Jeff Adachi 

authored was almost entirely funded by 

a British-born billionaire named Michael 

Moritz. Mr. Moritz also worked in conjunction 

with Stephan Crane, a Schwarzenegger 

ally and big contributor to the 

Republican Party. Nearly $275,000 was 

contributed by these two during the signature 

gathering process, all to advance 

an anti-worker, anti-middle class ballot 

measure. 

These contributors allowed Mr. Adachi, 

the “progressive”, to become the spokesperson 

for “pension reform”, but nearly 

80% of the cost savings from Mr. Adachi’s 

measure really comes from increased 

health care costs for working families. 

The entire premise of the measure is a 

lie…there is virtually no “reform” to the 

pension system. 

The basis of the legislation is the Civil 

Grand Jury Report, “The Pension Tsunami” 

authored by Craig Weber, the treasurer of 

Adachi’s campaign. Mr. Weber’s big “issue” 

is that public safety workers have not 

contributed enough to the pension system 

to cover the costs of Prop. H, which 

increased our pensions beginning in 2002. 

Mr. Weber believes that we have never 

“met and conferred” over the increased 

costs of the pension upgrade. Apparently 

he missed the fact that we have increased 

our contribution to the pension fund three 

times for active employees, and just raised 

the contribution amount for new employees 

with Measure D. 

Mr. Weber has also carefully ignored 

the fact that our contributions to the 

pension system since 2002 have equaled 

nearly $202 million dollars. The increased 

cost to the pension system since that 

time? $205 million dollars. And the reason 

for the $3 million dollar difference? 

Wage concessions that we have agreed 

to for 7 out of the last 9 years! None of 

these facts were acknowledged by Mr. 

Weber and the Civil Grand Jury, and none 

of these facts are acknowledged now by 

Mr. Adachi. San Franciscans are not getting 

the whole story. 

Voters were manipulated into signing 

the petition believing that $170 million 

dollars will be saved yearly…but the 

measure will not save nearly that much. 

Nearly 50% of all city workers leave before 

collecting a pension. When these workers 

stop working, they receive their pension 

contributions, with matching funds from 

the City AND interest. If the Adachi initiative 

passes, the City will have to pay out 

MORE money to employees who move on 

to the private sector. 

The Adachi measure also jeopardizes 

nearly $23 million dollars a year in federal 

subsidies for health care and will result in 

increased costs to the Healthy SF medical 

program, with more lower paid workers 

opting out of paid health care and into 

the City’s free program. The measure 

also jeopardizes retiree health care costs, 

by eventually decreasing the number of 

plans available due to increased cost. 

Virtually every claim made by Mr. Adachi 

and his Republican “fat cat” cronies 

is a falsehood. The measure isn’t about 

health care reform, the measure attacks 

working families, the measure gains nearly 

all of its savings from increased health 

care costs, and it will not save the City 

$170 million dollars…far from it. 

The biggest ethical “sin” committed 

by the legislation? Jeff Adachi is exempt 

from making any contributions to 

his own pension. Jeff Adachi has never 

taken a wage concession like other city 

workers. Jeff Adachi, the fiscal defender 

of all social programs, has had budget 

increases of nearly 48% over the last 6 

years. Jeff Adachi is a hypocrite and San 

Franciscans need to know this. 

The Adachi measure is 

possibly illegal 

Hidden deep within the Adachi farce is 

a little sentence which is absolutely poisonous…”If 

any portion of this legislation 

is found to be illegal, all wages increases 

shall be withheld for 5 years.” Mr. Adachi 

was so confident in his measure that 

he inserted a clause that would punish 

city workers if they dared to question it in 

court. This is a possible violation of the 1 st 

Amendment; there can be no monetary 

penalties for advancing your interest in 

speech. 

Mr. Adachi’s legislation also takes away 

collective bargaining rights, the very basis 

of the labor movement in America. We 

have bargained for our health care coverage 

by deferring raises. We have bargained 

away pay raises by increasing our 

contribution to the pension system. We 

have watched as increased medical and 

dental costs have taken away the value 

of our paycheck. But all of this was done 

at the bargaining table in a give-and-take 

process, essential to the collective bargaining 

process. What Mr. Adachi wants 

to do is take away that right to bargain 

(Cont’d p6) 



(cont’d) 

by stripping us of previously negotiated 

items. 

In fact, the Adachi legislation is so onerous 

that if workers bargain for any wage 

increases, the voters have to approve 

these increases on the ballot. So now city 

employees bargain with the Mayor’s office, 

get the approval of the Supervisors, 

and then have to campaign for any wage 

increases on the ballot…not too burdensome 

a load on people who already work 

full time. 

We hope, firstly, that the voters of San 

Francisco see through this charade and realize 

it is possibly illegal and many fronts. 

Secondly, we hope to challenge this measure 

in court to protect our Meyers/Milias 

Brown Act labor rights, especially the right 

to collective bargaining. The Adachi measure 

is nothing but a Republican attack on 

working people, with Jeff Adachi as the 

“front man”. 

What we need to do… 

Tell San Franciscans the truth. 

It’s that simple. Once voters find out 

the facts, they move to our side. After 

the national conversation over extending 

health care for the last year, no San Franciscan 

wants to see health care made unaffordable 

for working families. Once voters 

hear that the measure doesn’t save as 

much as promised, they question supporting 

it. Once voters realize that Jeff Adachi 

is a hypocrite, supported by big money 

Republican cronies, they no longer want 

to support him. 

Getting this message out will take a lot 

of time and a lot of money. So far we have 

allocated the funds, we are joining up with 

all other city employees and are working 

on a battle plan. The biggest thing we 

will need though is volunteers. An army 

of volunteers, in fact. We need all of you, 

standing on street corners, handing out 

information sheets explaining the fallacies 

of the Adachi measure. Once the voters 

hear our story, hear the lies that Adachi is 

promoting, and realize that this measure 

only hurts working families…they will vote 

our way. 

The union will be coming to every firehouse 

to explain our plan, ask for commitments, 

and get everyone ready for 

this campaign. We’ve never backed down 

from a fight, and we’re not about to back 

down now… 

63rd Annual Police-Fire 

Memorial Mass 

St. Monica’s 

Sunday, September 12, 

2010 

City College of San Francisco 

California State Fire Training courses for fall 2010 

State Fire Training Dates Day of Week CCSF Course Course Instructor 

courses 

course # CRN Location 

Training Instructor 1B 8/18, 25/2010 & 9/1, Wednesdays FSC 74B 79016 SF0 Long / Sato 

Investigation 1A 

9/8 & 15/2010 

9/13, 20, 27/2010 & (4) Mondays FSC 72 77806 SF0 O’Leary 

Prevention 1B 

10/4 & 12/2010 (Tues) 

10/15, 22, 29/2010 & 

(1) Tuesday 

Fridays FSC 68B 77337 SF0 Yballa 

(bridge) 

Command 1A 

11/5 & 19/2010 

11/17 & 23/2010 & 

12/1, 12/8 & 15/2010 

(4) Wednesdays 

(1) Tuesday 

FSC 88A 73109 SF0 Jalbert 

All courses are one-day per-week. “Student Material Fees” are $85 – pays for cert & book - 

paid 1 st day of class. 

Check made out to: CCSF 

“Registration fees” are paid directly to CCSF 

– Do not combined material & registration fee amounts – pay separately only! 

Total Cost of 1 st course is: $162 

Note: Total cost of 2nd course (same semester) is: $142 


The Vanucchi Papers 

Secretary 

Jim Vannucchi 

Dear Brothers and Sisters: 

These offices have seen a rise in issues 

that fall under the authority of AB 220; 

commonly known as the Fire Fighter 

Procedural Bill of Rights. 

Although I shared the parameters of this 

legislation with the membership in 2008, 

Local 798 has seen a breach of the code in recent 

months that has earned our concern 

and has compelled us to act swiftly in the 

best interest of the membership. 

The following is grid of the law’s key 

provisions and I ask that you please familiarize 

yourself with the regulation. And remember, if 

you are ever the focus of an investigation, call 

Local 798 BEFORE you answer any question 

or craft any General Form as to your 

actions. 

THE FIRE FIGHTERS BILL 

OF RIGHTS AND WHAT IT 

MEANS TO YOU 

Because of the intense stress and scrutiny 

on their actions, law enforcement officers 

have, for more than two decades, enjoyed 

a series of procedural safeguards if they 

are subjected to investigation or interrogation 

about a job-related action. AB 220 

extends these common-sense protections 

to public agency firefighters, paramedics 

and EMTs. 

You cannot face discipline or retaliation 

for exercising any of your rights under this 

measure. Employers face civil penalties for 

maliciously violating this act. 

Privacy Rights 

• Prohibits forced disclosure of 

personal financial information 

unless required by law or a court 

order 

• Prohibits forced submission to a 

lie detector test, or discipline for 

refusing to submit to one 

• Prohibits search of your locker or 

private space without your consent 

(except under certain circumstances) 

• Protects your right to participate 

in off-duty political activity 

• Protects your right to serve on 

school or local agency board 

(other than your employer) 

constitutional rights 

• Employee is entitled to representation 

prior to being questioned 

• on any potential case involving 

charges or a criminal probe 

• Testimony can’t be compelled on 

potentially incriminating questions 

without a written offer of 

immunity from criminal prosecution 

Due Process 

Requirements 

• Employee cannot be punished if 

investigation is not finished within 

a year 

• Employee can only be reassigned 

to other normal departmental 

Investigative 

jobs 

• Fire Chief required to provide written 

Procedures 

notice of removal, including 

• Prohibits physical or psychological 

reasons and appropriate administrative 

intimidation, offensive language, 

appeal 

threats or extortion during • Firefighter must have access to 

interrogation 

any adverse comment in personnel 

• Advance notice required of the 

records before it’s submitted. 

nature of any investigation and • Adverse comments must be 

who is doing the interrogation 

signed by firefighter before going 

• Interrogations may be recorded, 

into personnel record. Employee 

and employee must be provided 

response must also go in record 

copies of all recordings and • Fire chief must provide opportunity 

transcripts 

for administrative appeal before 

• Interrogations must take place 

removing an individual from their 

on-duty, at a reasonable time (or 

job 

compensated, if it takes place offduty) 

• Appeals process must conform 

with protections contained in the 

• In possible criminal investigation, 

Administrative Procedures Act 

www.sffdlocal798.org employee must be advised of 

Main Line 7

Letter From the 

Treasurer 

Shon Buford 

Greeting Brothers and Sisters, 

As you all realize, the San Francisco Fire Department 

is comprised of many layers that allow us to 

function as we do. One layer that we rarely talk 

about is our fire commission. The fire commission 

is made-up of five civilians appointed by the 

Mayor who are commissioned to oversee the operations 

of the Fire Department. Their purpose is 

to ensure that the San Francisco Fire Department 

effectively implements its mission. 

As a member of this board, I have had to work 

with the Fire Commission on various different issues. 

Some disciplinary, others work related, but 

no matter what the situation was, I always felt that 

they were fair, and that they had the San Francisco 

Fire Department in their best interest. 

I had the pleasure of seeing one such commissioner, 

Victor Makras, off while welcoming two 

new members to the commission. Victor Makras 

was appointed to the commission by Mayor Gavin 

Newsom in July 2005 and reappointed in 2008. 

Commissioner Makras has previously served on 

the Board of Permit Appeals, the San Francisco 

Public Utilities Commission, and the San Francisco 

Police Commission. We would like to thank 

Commissioner Makras for his service, and wish 

him well, as he transitions on to the Retirement 

Commission. 

The Executive Board would like to welcome London 

Breed and Michael Hardeman to our commission. 

Ms. Breed is the Executive Director of the 

African American Art & Culture Complex in San 

Francisco’s Western Addition community. Ms. 

Breed also served on San Francisco’s Redevelopment 

Commission for many years. Mr. Hardeman 

has served on many commissions, including the 

City’s Human Rights and Public Utilities Commissions. 

Mr. Hardeman served last on the San 

Francisco Port Commission, where he was a commissioner 

from 1994 to 2010. 

Shon Buford 


Director 

Danny Gracia 

Brothers and Sisters: 

I hope this communication finds you 

and your families well this fine summer. 

As I am writing to you write 

now, myself, Brother Rollins, Brother 

Vannucchi and Brother Buford are 

at Local 798’s office discussing how 

busy things are going to get starting 

late August/early September. 

Unfortunately, this type of constant 

defense of our benefits, wages and 

now pension has become the standard 

over the last 2 years. 

A very good friend of mine was helping 

me work on my house about 2 

weeks ago (also a 798 member) and 

I asked him what he thought about 

our newly formatted Main Line. He 

responded, “it’s a good product but 

it’s a bit depressing at times,” somewhat 

jokingly. When I asked him 

what he meant, he mentioned the 

doomsday sentiment that some of 

us here at the hall have been writing 

about over the last 2 years. After 

thinking about his statement, I 

agreed with him to a certain extent. 

The fact of the matter is that we are 

currently and have been getting hit 

from all sides and it looks like it is 

not going to be stopping any time 

soon (unless we all work together 

and defend ourselves). 

The Jeff Adachi Pension Reform Ballot 

Measure is real, the tidal wave 

We need all member’s 

participation in the “ 

very near future. 

of nationwide pension reform is 

real and if Adachi’s measure passes 

come November, then the roughly 

$500 per month shortage on your 

paycheck will be real. 

Make no mistake, we here at the hall 

would rather be writing about happy 

things, fun thinks like the 49er’s 

winning the Super Bowl, the Giants 

winning the World Series, oversight 

of the non-profits, a warm summer 

in San Francisco; but at this point in 

time the above topics are not an option… 

Hopefully someday that will 

change but for now we have the responsibility 

of letting all of you know 

how serious this recent pension reform 

measure really is. (See Brother 

Rollins’ article). 

I’ll close with a brief social wrap-up: 

Softball playoffs and championship 

still pending, Bocce tourney: we’re 

out, they hate us, Bowling tourney: 

too busy, Chili Cook-Off is on: September 

25, 2010 – See ad in this issue. 

Hope to see all of you at the 

party/fun events. However, the dark 

clouds of change are gathering. WE 

NEED all members’ participation in 

the very near future to put a stop 

to Jeff Adachi, his measure, and all 

others like him. Please call the hall 

to get involved and informed – be 

safe and have fun. D.G. 

Final Thought: Congratulations to 

all recent retirees… lucky bastards.

Hotel Workers Rally 

for a Fair Contract 

by Adam Wood 

Over 1,400 hotel workers and their supporters, 

including members of Local 798, marched around Union 

Square to the front steps of the Grand Hyatt Hotel on July 

22. The workers are protesting Hyatt’s stalling tactics during 

their current contract negotiations, and similar rallies 

took place in 15 cities the same day across the United 

States and Canada, attracting up to 10,000 people. At 

the close of the rally, the hotel workers staged a planned, 

peaceful civil disobedience, that led to 152 arrests. 

Starting just before the current economic meltdown, 

hotel workers experienced massive layoffs and intense 

pressure to cut wages and benefits. More than 115,000 

jobs have been lost in the industry since 2008 as hotel 

occupancy rates declined and companies cut back. 

But now that tourism is recovering and hotel profits are 

up, the national chains are trying to lock hotel workers into 

recessionary contracts with fewer jobs and reduced health 

care. The result is more workload for less people, and the 

first casualty of that approach has been safety. According to 

an American Journal of Medicine study of 50 hotel chains, 

Hyatt had the highest injury rate for housekeepers last year. 

Photographs by: Bill Hackwell 

Why does this fight matter to us? First of all, Local 2 of 

the hotel workers union has been one of our strongest labor 

supporters during the recent struggles with the Board 

of Supervisors. Local 2 president, Mike Casey, came to our 

defense at City Hall last spring, speaking forcefully against 

the 52-hour work week. They’ve been there for us when 

we needed them, and we should be there for them now. 

From a broader perspective, the labor movement in 

the private sector has been taking a beating for over thirty 

years. The resulting decline in wages, pensions, and 

job security across the board makes our contract stick 

out like a sore thumb, and leaves us vulnerable to attacks 

like the Adachi initiative. Any time workers in the 

private sector fight to keep what they’ve got or get back 

what they’ve lost, it helps to recreate a climate where decent 

wages and a secure retirement aren’t thought of as 

extravagant luxuries. Instead, they’re seen as the reasonable 

and fair expectations of people who work for a living. 

Local 2 will continue to organize actions throughout the 

year. Please check the Local 798 web page for updates, and 

show up if you can. 



T h e S FFD S h o ot i n g C lu b B en efi t 

Shoot and All American BBQ 

By; Terry Smerdel 

On June 19, 2010 the SFFD Shooting 

Club held a fundraiser trap & skeet shoot to benefit the 

SFFD Toy Program. The event was hosted by the Pacific Rod & 

Gun Club (PR&GC). 

For our first fundraising benefit, it was a great success. We had 

a turnout of 50 shooters and an extra 40 people for lunch and 

refreshments. It was a beautiful day at the Lake. We had people 

shooting who had never shot before to people who have been 

shooting 40 plus years. 

The Tournament started with shooting at 11am, followed by 

lunch and refreshments. Lunch consisted of BBQ ribs, chicken, 

skirt steak and hot links. A variety of salads, beans, homemade 

cornbread, and of course, a generous assortment of libations 

rounded out the menu. 

The competition was tough. Out of 50 clay pigeons the difference 

between first and second place in some categories was 

only 1 clay pigeon. At high trap, Patrick Gilligan, a member of 

PR&GC, just beat out Herb Gaewihler, also of PR & GC for 1 st 

place. For high skeet, we had a shoot-off for 1 st place between 

Herb and Pat with Herb just beating out Pat. For high overall, 

the winner was Patrick Gilligan. The worst score overall and 

winner of the coveted “Horse’s Ass Award” was Eric Anderson. 

A Remington 

11-87 12-gauge 

shotgun was donated 

by George 

Smith and won 

by Rob La Eace. Tony Smerdel also donated a Remington Nylon 

66 .22cal rifle that went home with Ramon Barreto. There were 

many other great prizes such as wine tasting, dinners, gift certificates 

and much more. 

I want to give a big Thank You to all the companies who donated 

gifts to our event and to the members who went out and hustled 

up the donations. You know who you are or if you didn’t. Also, 

thanks to all the volunteers who pulled and scored targets. 

As we all know, an event like this doesn’t run itself. I want 

to thank Mike Quinn and Danny Gracia for putting this event 

together; they put a lot of time and effort into making this event a 

success. Thanks to Tony and Terry Smerdel for putting the lunch 

together, and to Tom Abbott for the refreshments (better late than 

never!) 

A special thank you to Local 798 who sponsors the SFFD Shooting 

Club, and who is always there for the Toy Program and all Fire 

Department functions. A special thank you to Sally from Toys 

who ran the check-in table, and to all of those who helped to 

make this event a success. Last but not least, thank you to 

everyone who came out and participated in the event. It would 

We also held a raffle at the event with some great prizes. We 

raffled off goose and duck hunts that were donated by Terry and 

Tony Smerdel and Mike Quinn. A guided pig hunt was donated by 

www.sffdlocal798.org not be a success without you. We raised a total of 

Mike Quinn and a pheasant hunt was donated by Jason Watrous. 

Main $4,200 Line for 

11 

the 

SFFD Toy Program.

Foundation Update 

By: Tony Stefani 

This year we have screened 952 active 

and retired firefighters for cancer of the 

genitourinary system. Out of the 952 that 

were screened we had 99 positives with 

either blood in the urine or elevated levels 

of NMP-22 or a combination of both. 

Letters were sent out immediately to those 

that tested positive stressing follow-up with 

personal physicians. For those of you that 

missed the screening and would still like to 

be tested, please contact Firefighter Keith 

Onishi at Station 1. 

Our Foundation is still in the process of 

purchasing 5 washer-extractors for the 

Department. These are our first small 

steps toward the prevention of cancer in 

our firefighters. It has been proven that 

turnout gear does retain toxic chemicals 

after firefighting exposures. It is vitally 

important that turnouts are cleaned properly 

so as not to continually expose firefighters to 

those carcinogens when donning turnout 

gear. 

Our Foundation has addressed and is 

also concerned about chemical exposures 

during the overhaul process. We are looking 

at various studies that have taken place 

throughout the country to try to suggest a 

“plan” or “idea” to the Administration that 

will better suit our firefighters during 

overhaul operations. 

Claims person to handle cancer claims so 

that claims are not carte blanche denied, 

which has been the practice of the last 

several years. 

Ms. Moore asserts she understands the 

strength of the presumption and so do 

her claims personnel. 

At the second meeting, however, a claims 

supervisor was adamant that the 

firefighter had to prove their cancer 

was work related. This belief demonstrates 

that the Workers’ Compensation Division 

either does not understand the presumption 

or is misrepresenting the worker 

requirements. Legally, the worker must 

simply show they have a primary site of 

cancer and have been exposed to Class 

IV carcinogens in their career. The 

firefighter DOES NOT have to prove that 

their cancer is work related - that conclusion is 

presumed. According to Ms. Moore and 

her claims personnel, the City Attorney 

in charge of the Workers’ Compensation 

Division has directed that firefighters 

must prove their cancer is work related. 

The Cancer Foundation along with Local 

798 has asked for a meeting with the 

City Attorney in question. We cannot 

address the problem of cancer claims 

denial unless we determine why the 

claims personnel have an erroneous 

understanding of the law. 

NIOSH Update: The National Institute for 

Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) 

and the United States Fire Administration 

(USFA) are partnering on a study to 

examine the potential for increased 

risk of cancer among firefighters due to 

exposures from smoke, soot, and other 

workplace exposures. 

The San Francisco Firefighters Cancer 

The multi-year study initiated in 2010 

Prevention Foundation has met with Chief 

will include over 18,000 current and 

Massetani and the Workers’ Compensation 

retired career firefighters. The project 

Director Priscilla Moore twice. Our goal is 

will improve upon previously published 

12 to get Main a dedicated Line Workers’ Compensation www.sffdlocal798.org 

firefighter studies by: 1) significantly 

increasing the number of fire fighters for 

whom health data will be analyzed, 2) 

analyzing not only deaths from cancer, but 

also the incidence of certain cancers that 

have higher survival rates than others, 

such as testicular and prostate cancer. The 

study is expected to be completed in 2014. 

San Francisco joins Chicago and 

Washington, D.C., and possibly 

Philadelphia as fire departments 

participating in the study. Initial site visits 

have been conducted by NIOSH staff at the 

San Francisco, Chicago, and Washington 

D.C. fire departments. NIOSH has made 

significant headway in the data collection 

activities for approximately 

14,000 Chicago, and 5,200 San Francisco 

firefighters. Data will be collected on an 

additional 2,000 - 3,000 San Francisco 

firefighters by later this summer. Data 

collection activities were initiated in June 

for the Washington D.C. department with 

completion anticipated by mid-2011. 

The Foundation would like to take this 

opportunity to thank the founders of the 

“Bumper Smith” Fund, Captain Dan 

Armenta and Firefighter Jeff Moreno, 

et al., for their generous contribution of 

$18,000 to our Foundation. This money 

comes at a perfect time to help us purchase 

the washer-extractors! We would also like 

to thank retired Chief Don Walsh for his 

generous contribution in the name of his 

good friend and Operator Dennis “Oil Can” 

Boyd who lost his life to prostate cancer. 

And to each and every one of you that 

contributes each paycheck through 

Combined Charities—many, many thanks. 

Website: We now have a website thanks 

to Board member Kate Noerr (CEO of 

Muse Global) and Board member Sherman 

Tillman. Any news, updates, retiree 

information will be posted at www.sffcpf. 

org.

California EMSA Regulatory Changes for 2010 

Stephen V. Giacalone, Director 

Everyone’s favorite agency, the California Emergency Medical Services Authority(CaEMSA) has gotten together and come-up with 

some changes to certification and recertification of EMTs and paramedics in our great state. The bulk of these changes; however, 

deal directly with EMTs in California. There have been “EMT 2010 Rollout Workshops” throughout the State in the first-half of the 

year. I attended the workshop here in San Francisco, and I am going to try to give you some of the highlights. 

Name Change 

- Change title of “EMT-1” to “EMT” for consistency with the new term from the National Scope of Practice Model. Also, codifying 

the National Registry of EMTs , EMT Basic written skills exam as the certifying exam for California. 

EMT Certification 

1. Starting July 1, 2010, all EMTs will need to obtain a criminal background check for 

EMT certification. 

2. In order to certify or recertify, all EMTs will need to complete an EMT certification 

application. 

3. EMTs will be responsible for notifying their certifying entity of their current mailing 

address and shall notify certifying entity in writting within thirty(30) calendar days 

of any and all changes of mailing address, giving both the old and the new address 

and EMT registry number. 

Disciplinary Regulations 

1. Establish a three-day timeline for the relevant employer or local EMS agency to notify 

each otherof an allegation of conduct that would lead to an investigation. 

2. Allow relevant employers the first right of refusal to conduct investigations of an 

allegation of conduct that would lead to an investigation. 

3. Allow relevant employer... to create a disciplinary action plan that is consistent with 

the new Recommended Guidelines for Disciplinary Orders and Conditions of Probation 

for EMT(MDOs). 

4. Define “relevant employer”, which is an ambulance service permitted by CHP or a 

public service agency, a fire department, law enforcement agency or other public 

safety agency that employs EMTs. 

Disciplinary Actions 

-Licensure Actions and Temporary Suspension Orders(TSO) 

1. A licensure action is any situation described in Section 1798.200, Health and Safety 

Code. 

2. Licensure actions can be disciplinary or can prevent a future violation from 

reoccurring. 

3. Actions should be based on the severity of the act(s), frequency of violations, criminal 

conduct and remediation attempts. 

4. A TSO is issued when imminent threat to health and safety exists. 

Again, these are ONLY highlights of the new rules and procdures regarding amended Health and Safety Code, Division 2.5 that 

became effective July 1, 2010. For any additional information or to view the entire handbook, go to www.emsa.ca.gov/EMT2010. 


From the Directors 

Based on the information from the Fire Department the following have retired 

from the San Francisco Fire Department. Congratulations to the retirees! 


Retired Firemen 

and Widows Association 

Of the San Francisco 

Fire Department 

The Retired Firemen and Widows Association exists to keep retired firemen, 

spouses , and surviving spouses and dependents informed of the goings-on 

with the City, the Retirement Board, the Health Service System and any other 

situation that may be of importance. 

LocaL 798 

Apparel 

available 

at the Hall 

The Association meets bimonthly on the second Sunday of the month at St. Gabriel’s 

church at 41 st Ave and Ulloa St. at 2pm. The meetings usually last about 

an hour and we try to have a speaker present. Usually that person is a local 

politician, City Department representative or a person of interest. Refreshments 

are served after the meeting. There are no meetings in June, July and August. 

The Association sponsors two trips to Reno (March and October) and a Christmas 

luncheon. You have probably noticed our members at Local 798’s blood drives 

(check the board) and also at the Firefighter’s Toy Program. 


Alyssa Zagrobski at 415-314-4040 



Director 

Stephen Giacalone 

Brother’s & Sister’s, 

Hello again! There are several topics to 

discuss in this installment. This; however, 

will be an installment with an election/ 

political tone. 

First, a big thank you to the members 

who gave-up their free-time to walk 

neighborhoods and precincts for the June 

2010 election. They helped get the message 

out to the public about the importance 

of Measure “B” and to help with the 

campaigns for Democratic County Central 

Committee of Keith Baraka and Dan Dunnigan. 

Measure”B” passed resoundingly 

with nearly 81% approval! Unfortunately, 

neither Keith nor Dan were successful in 

their bids, but kudos to them for the desire 

to be part of the political process! 

Second. Thank you to the membership for 

ratifying the changes to our MOU which 

will help save the City nearly $20 million! 

The negotiations with The City were long, 

but the negotiating team from Local 798 

was tireless in their efforts to get the best 

deal possible for the membership. The 

MOU was ratified by a vote of 210-38. 

Now, while this is an impressive margin, it 

is disappointing to see such a low turnout. 

There are nearly 1400 members eligble to 

vote in this local! I truly hope the members 

are not complacent! Our “victories” 

now and in the past are hard fought, and 

believe me, that in the future it will only 

become increasingly difficult! 

Third. Jeff Adachi and Meg Whitman. 

These two “people” are out for blood! 

Adachi wants more money from you for 

your pension and to double the cost of 

your healthcare! Combined, you are looking 

at an almost 10% pay-cut! In a recent 

poll, Adachi’s charter amendment would 

PASS with almost 65% of the vote, and 

that same poll shows 50% of “union” 

households would support this measure! 

OUCH!! Meg Whitman is pulling NO 

punches in her message about wanting 

serious pension reform as well! This is going 

to be an “all hands on deck” fight to 

defeat these two people. It is going to require 

many hours of hard work by the Executive 

Board, but more importantly, hard 

work from and by you, the membership! 

The Executive Board WILL be asking for 

your assistance and my hope is that the 

membership will step forward! 

Fourth. The inaugural shooting contest 

fundraiser for the San Francisco Firefighters 

Toy Program was a huge success! Congratulations 

to Danny Gracia, Mike Quinn 

and Tony and Terry Smerdel for their incredible 

work! Congratulations also to all 

those who participated and bought tickets 

for the raffle! Thank you very much! 

Fifth. Thoughts and prayers to the family 

of Joe Delfino(Ret. AP). Also, thoughts 

and prayers to Mike Cochrane and his 

family on the passing of his father, Bill 

Cochrane(Ret., Battalion 3). 

Finally. Thank you again for everyone’s 

hard work and thank you in advance for 

your help with these upcoming political 

battles. Don’t forget to mark your calendars 

for September 25 and the Chili Cookoff! 

That’s all for now! 

Stephen V. Giacalone 

STATION 3 

PRESENTS: 

(An H.O.A. production) 

a banquet in honor of five retired 

members of singular distinction 

from 1067 post st. 

Andy “Assman” Assereto 

Larry “I’m a patient man” Zammarchi 

Dan “the exposed nerve” Dente 

Louie “lotion louie” Ramirez 

Charles “the dumbest white man” baker 

Thursday October 21, 2010 (tour 14) 

s.f. Italian athletic club 

1630 stockton st. 

cocktails 6:30 

dinner 7:30 

$80 & entrée choice (BEEF,CHIX,FISH) BY 10/13/10 

Checks To: 

Station 3 

1067 Post St. 

San Francisco, CA 94109 


last alarm 

Below is the FD history for BC William Cochrane: 

Retired Lieutenant Milivoy Mikovich (Engine 7) 

Retired Battalion Chief William Cochrane 

Retired Captain Victor Garibaldi 

Retired Inspector George “Joe” Delfino 

(Airport) and former New York Yankee 

Ed Cummings 

Dear Brothers and Sisters, 

The members of Station 42 would like to formally thank Local 

798, The SFFD Administration, organizers of services, Father 

John Greene, The Retired Members of Station 42, all of the Co’s 

that cooked for Ed’s family, all those who have, and continue to 

donate to the credit union fund that has been set up for Ed’s son, 

Nihjel, all who spoke at the services, and all who attended the 

services. 

To you all we owe the greatest thanks. As we move around town 

on drills, details, even shopping, one point is constantly brought 

up again and again, “You did a great job of honoring your brother.” 

Well, we didn’t do that, you did. That you all responded in a way 

and ways that you did when we needed your help the most is a 

testament to your greatness. That you wanted to is a testament 

to Ed’s. 

Words will never be enough. Let us just say that if ever the time 

comes that we would be called upon to help in anyway, with anything, 

ever, do not hesitate to call on us. You were there for us, we 

will be there for you. Thank you. 

Sincerely 

Station 42 


2010 Station 

S t e w a r d s 

Station 1 

Station 2 

Station 3 

Station 5 

Station 6 

Station 7 

Station 8 

Station 9 

Station 10 

Station 11 

Station 12 

Station 13 

Station 14 

Station 15 

Station 16 

Station 17 

Station 18 

Station 19 

Station 20 

Station 21 

Station 22 

Station 23 

Station 24 

Station 25 

Station 26 

Station 28 

Station 29 

Station 31 

Michael Quinn 

Carla Bisio Murphy 

Chris Salas 

Tom Fogle 

Michael Horta 

Jose Zalba 

Ramon Serrano 

Christina Gibbs 

Sherman Tillman 

Ben Canedo 

Thomas Haney 

Pat D’Arcy 

Bruno Walther 

Bill Madsen 

Patric Steele 

Huckleberry Ramsay 

Dan Tauber 

Amy Swanson 

Eileen Needham 

Steve Finnegan 

Jenny Glickman 

Ken McCarthy 

Nicholas Holl 

Kinnie Jamerson 

OPEN 

Jason Woo 

Bridget Cullinane 

Marcella Mc Cormack 

Station 32 

Station 33 

Station 34 

Station 35 

Station 36 

Station 37 

Station 38 

Station 39 

Station 40 

Station 41 

Station 42 

Station 43 

Station 44 

Station 48 

Station 49 

Dawn Rosales 

Robert Lopez 

Jana Wakefield 

Jean Pinto 

Antenor Molloy 

Dave Amituanai 

Dean Whittaker 

Michael Moynihan 

Janice Hoaglin 

Christian Murphy 

Mike Guajuardo 

Rob Mello 

Nathan Shapiro 

Nancy Barsotti 

Scott Hellesto 

Jared Cooper 

AP 1 Terry Woo 

AP 2 Romelia Scott 

AP 3 Ellen Stein 

BFI 

BFP 

BOE 

HQ 

RADIO 

Laura Kelly 

Tom Harvey 

Joe Cuff 

Brian Ballard 

Al Harvey 

Open 

Open 


Thanks Local 798. Please use enclosed check in memory of Ed Murphy. 

Al Fioresi 

Enclosed is a check to be used where needed. Look forward to reading Mainline and catch up with 

news in San Francisco. 

Sincerely, Gordon E. Steele, Retired 

Dear Local 798, Please accept this check in memory of my husband, Barney Viner. Thank you for the 

Mainline. 

Helen Viner 

Thanks for all the good work you do! 

Gayle Alexander 

Living in Memphis Tennessee is like going back twenty years in time. I still miss SF and the SFFD very 

much. Best to all. 

Adrian Terranova 

In memory of Mary Green. Thank you for giving us your son Father John. 

Skip and Judy McKinney 

Local 798, The enclosed is in memory of Richard “Dick” Klngman and Warren Kentzell and to continue 

the “Good Fight” that Local 798 can be proud of doing. 

I spent too few years at Station 4 on the Engine with the gentleman who Dick Klingman was. Later 

at Station12, I regained the opportunity and had the pleasure once again of working with Dick. Good 

times! 

Then working off and on over the years with that other gentleman, Warren Kentzell made for pleasurable 

times also. Warren’s personality and quick wit certainly lent themselves to some fine moments in 

the firehouse. 

Fraternally, Bruce Wagner 

Use check as needed. Go Giants! 

Bob Rand 

Use this check as needed in memory of Mike Braida, Doug Robbins, Micky Winslow and Six Pack Jack. 

P. Shanahan- BFP retired 

Dear Local 798, Please accept this check in memory of my husband, Barney Vince. Thank you for the 

Mainline. 

Helen Vince 

Please accept this contribution in loving memory of Warren Kentzell. We greatly appreciate the SFFD, 

Local 798 and the wonderful career and support provided to him. As his wife Joyce’s grandmother 

(wife of old timer, Les Lewis SFFD) always said, “Thank God for the San Francisco Fire Department” 

Amen to that! A heartfelt thank-you also to Father Greene for a beautiful service. 

Joyce Kentzell and family 

Myself and my family would like to thank all members, active and retired, who sent gifts and showed 

such strong support after the passing of my father, Bill Cochrane. It is truly an honor to be a member of 

such a strong Union and Fire Department. 

Mike Cochrane (Lt., E41) 


Local 798 

Giving back to 

the community 


Letter From the director 

Warning Signs 


Treasurer 

Shon Buford 

“...If this measure 

passes and is 

upheld in court, 

i t w i l l b r i n g 

unprecedented 

changes that will 

take us back fifty 

plus years.” 

Brothers and Sisters 

Earlier this year, I wrote about a 

series of political storms that were 

sweeping through the Bay Area. We 

were experiencing yet another round of 

midyear cuts, and the members of the 

Executive Board were working hard to 

protect the interest of this local, while 

being fiscally helpful to the City during 

these difficult economic times. There were 

many dark and gloomy days, but with the 

collaborative efforts of both labor and 

government we made it through it. 

Well brothers and sisters, the storms of 

scapegoating and blame have turned into 

hurricane warnings. The State of California 

has been hit by a category 3 hurricane, 

Arnold, which could be followed by 

a category 4 hurricane, Whitman, if 

supporters of labor don’t get out and vote 

in this November election. 

To use an old adage, “When it rains, 

it pours”, please take heed to this. San 

Francisco is in the path of a category 5 

hurricane, Adachi-Webber, which could be 

the worst of them all. Pension reform has 

been the talk of this country for the past 

five years, but it’s taken a new form over 

the past two years. Recently on a YouTube 

weekly address (06/18/2010), David 

Crane, special advisor to Governor Arnold 

Schwarzenegger for jobs and economic 

growth, spoke about the Governor’s plans 

for pension reform. As part of this plan, 

Governor Schwarzenegger wants to roll 

back pension benefits to 1999 levels for 

new hires, and permanently increase 

employee pension contributions for 

current employees, while putting an end 

to a perceived spiking practice. Aside 

from the comments made by Mr. Crane, 

Governor Schwarzenegger has also stated 

that he will not sign a budget that does 

not have pension reform. All forms of 

media have been covering this topic, and 

both labor and government have been 

working together to address it. 

All Eyes on San Francisco 

San Francisco has been a long time 

barometer for the rest of the country 

on social issues. The spotlight switched 

to San Francisco again as we reached 

the height of the recession. Reporters 

from the New York Times, LA Times, and 

various other newspapers flocked to San 

Francisco to cover stories surrounding the 

Mayor’s proposed 37.5 hour work week. 

If implemented, this proposal would 

have resulted in massive job loss and a 

reduction in work weeks for many more. 

The labor community formed the Public 

Employees Committee(PEC), and were 

able to work out a comprehensive plan 

that saved the majority of jobs and work 

week, while saving the City and Country 

of San Francisco over $250 million dollars 

over the next two years. The world was 

able to see how government and labor 

can effectively work together and serve 

its citizens. 

Coverage of pension reform will be the 

same. Hurricane Adachi-Webber is on its 

way. This measure is ill willed and flawed. 

It has taken the form of pension reform, 

but it is much much more. As written, 

Hurricane Adachi-Webber would: 

- Nearly double the health care cost for 

most public employees, resulting in 

even higher cost for some; 

- Raise the contribution rates for current 

employees in to the retirement 

system(to reduce liability cost); 

- Would require an arbitrator to take 

retirement and health benefits into 

account while resolving disputes in 

collective bargaining; 

- And if any court invalidates any part 

of this proposition, any increase in 

employee compensation would be 

prohibited for five years; 

If this measure passes and is upheld in 

court, it will bring unprecedented changes 

that will take us back fifty plus years. 

If billionaires like Michael Mortiz, the 

major funder of this proposition, and 

other venture capitalist like him succeed 

in this ill willed effort, other cities and 

states across our country will try to do the 

same. This measure in just another attack 

by the greedy Wall Street companies who 

are largely responsible for the cash on 

Wall Street. 

Pension reform is coming, but this isn’t 

the way. The Adachi-Webber campaign is 

wrong. Let’s remember our oaths, stand 

up and fight this measure. Once defeated, 

let us work together towards sensible 

reform.

Retired Members Corner 

This section is dedicated to all the retired members 

of Local 798 who worked many long hours to 

maintain and improve the working conditions and 

benefits enjoyed by all San Francisco Fire Fighters. 

Retirees’ efforts established a solid framework of 

working conditions and benefits for active members 

to build upon. Let us never forget. 


Firefighter Appreciation Night with the SF Giants July 16, 2010 © S.F. Giants 

SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT 

26th ANNUAL! 

Airport Division 

~ HONORING ALL NEW & PAST RETIREES ~ 

MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2010 

Watch #18 

Pacific Rod & Gun Club, San Francisco 

PLEASE NOTE LOCATION 

11am -- 3:30pm 

Lunch @ 1:30pm 

PRICE -- $30 per person 

ADVANCE PAYMENT IS APPRECIATED 

Please make checks payable to -- DENNIS KRUGER 

** RESERVATIONS REQUIRED ** 

Before 10/20/10 

Jayn Feyling @ 650/821-4600 



Stand up for working families 


the Local 798 automobile association presents 

Kevin Garry Sr.’s 

1934 Ford Tudor Sedan 

It was built in 1992 from an original Ford factory car. 

All steel, (no Tupperware) with a Chevey 350 

LT.1 (350 HP), Chevy TH400 Trans, Heidts 

front end, Ford 9 inch rear with positraction, 

fron disc brakes and air conditioning. 

All running on American Racing Torque 

Thrust mags and Toyo radicals. It has 

won multiple awards including three “Best 

of Shows”. 

Derek O’Leary’s 

1968 Mustang 

This 1968 mustang hardtop was originally 

owned by the Wilson family 

on 22nd and Ulloa. This 289 c.i. 

small block and c-4 auto trans 

was faithfully serviced by Gene’s 

Arco on 23rd and Vicente. It has 

recently been restored to original 

condition including comfort 

weave upholstery, new vinyl top, 

brittany blue paint and vintage 

american racing mags wrapped in 

BF Goodrich T.A.’s. 

Kevin Garry Sr. 

Engine 2, Retired 

1934 Ford Tudor Sedan 

Chev. LT-1 350/350HP Engine 

Chev. TH 400 transmission 

with shift kit 


Super Bug - MRSA 

By: Dan Beckwith 

Maybe it’s time to pay attention to 

the little things. I mean really little, 

like microscopic. For me, there was 

a time not long ago that I didn’t know 

much about little things like Methicillinresistant 

Staphylococcus aureus 

(MRSA). Unfortunately, the recent 

untimely death of a friend and coworker 

who suffered from complications of this 

disease amongst other things has forced 

me to learn more about it than I wanted 

to know. Those little things kill. I never 

really worried because I figured there was 

a scientist somewhere, inventing antibiotics just 

for something like this little bug. Funny 

thing is, there was and he created the drug 

Methicillin in the early 1960s . Two years 

later, Staphlococcus became resistant to 

Methicillin, hence the name Methicillin 

resistant Staphlococcus aureus. Over the 

years, MRSA became resistant to drugs 

faster than they could be manufactured. 

The antibiotic Vancomycin has always 

been considered the last line of defense. 

Unfortunately, it is still the last line of 

defense and MRSA has become resistant 

to that as well. Now we’ve got a problem. 

Historically, MRSA was a disease of hospitals, 

and only people suffering from a 

weakened immune system had to worry 

about it. Now, strains of this bug like 

community-acquired MRSA are affecting 

people who have not had any contact with 

hospitals and we are beginning to see the 

devastating effects of this little bug. 

According to recent research from the 

United States, “Methicillin-resistant 

Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections 

result in 19,000 deaths a year in the United 

States. Epidemiologic studies have shown 

that community-acquired infections are 

increasing dramatically, and strains typical 

of community infections are increasingly 

detected in hospital populations.” 

Firefighters are exposed to both community 

and hospital MRSA patients, which 

combined with their communal lifestyles 

in fire stations, results in higher risk of exposure. 

It’s definitely our problem now. In our 

department there have been numerous 

MRSA infections documented. Many of 


you know someone who has had one 

of these infections and if not, you most 

likely will soon. 

In 2007, the Tucson Fire Department and 

the University of Arizona College Of Public 

Health engaged in a study to investigate 

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus 

aureus (MRSA) in the firefighter and 

EMS provider environment. The results 

were shocking in that they found it in a 

nuber of places —where you sit, sleep, 

live a n d e at. T h i s st u d y d e term 

i n e d the occurrence and frequency 

of MRSA and other bacterial indicators 

on environmental surfaces in 

fire stations, training sites, and offices of 

Emergency Medical Responders. 

Handled sponges were used for collection 

of targeted bacteria from commonly 

contacted environmental surfaces at 

Emergency Medical Response facilities. 

Biochemical tests confirmed isolates as 

S aureus, and MRSA was confirmed by 

growth on selective and differential media. 

An initial set of 500 samples were collected 

at 9 fire-related facilities to identify 

areas of increased exposure. Subsequent 

studies targeted sites (n=160) for repeat 

sampling that were MRSA positive. S aureus 

was isolated from 10.6% (17/160) of 

the sampled sites. 

The couch and the classroom desks were 

the most contaminated at 20% (4/20 and 

2/10, respectively). Of the S aureus isolated, 

64.7% (11/17) were confirmed as 

MRSA. Firefighters have a high potential 

for exposure to MRSA, not only through 

patient and hospital contacts but also in 

the fire station environment. MRSA “was 

isolated with the highest frequency on 

the couches and the class desks,” wrote 

J.D. Sexton and colleagues, University of 

Arizona. 

The researchers concluded: “Although 

the true health significance of these exposures 

is unknown, improved infection 

control practices, such as routine hand 

washing and surface disinfection, are 

warranted to reduce MRSA exposures.” 

Basic infection control procedures 

Remember the fact that hazardous 

exposures don’t just occur outside the 

firehouse. 

Firefighters spend long periods of time 

together, in close contact (for a workplace), 

in facilities that are occupied 24 

hours/day, 365 days/year. Under these 

circumstances, cleanliness and personal 

hygiene are not optional. Hand washing 

is still the number one way to decrease 

risk. Use soap and warm water for a minimum 

of 15 seconds or an alcohol based hand 

cleaner when water is not available. 

Change your clothes if exposed to an 

infectious environment and wash them 

at the station or have them professionally 

laundered – DO NOT take them home. 

At your firehouse, we need to designate 

clean and dirty areas. Typically where 

the apparatus bay meets the living area 

is a great place to start. Alcohol based 

hand cleaner dispensers placed at each 

entry point in the firehouse, should be 

used before entry. How about morning 

cleanups? 

Don’t just clean the bathrooms because 

we need something to do; remember 

that it can actually help keep someone 

from getting sick or potentially contracting 

an illness. The same thing goes for 

kitchens, floors, furniture, etc., and make 

sure the cleaners you use in the house 

meet the EPA H list for MRSA. Our 

Formulation 64-RP (the red stuff you 

dump into toilets instead of cleaning 

them) is effective against MRSA with a 

10 minute contact time. This means that 

it is left on the surface you are disinfecting 

for a minimum of 10 minutes before 

it is wiped dry. Given the constant use 

and abuse to which firehouses are 

subjected, it’s also a good idea to 

select and maintain furnishings that can 

be easily cleaned (not necessarily an old 

fuzzy sofa someone brought in from their 

home). In the Tucson study, a cloth couch 

was cultured and produced 664,000 

MRSA. After switching to furniture 

covering that was cleanable with 

disinfectants they cultured zero (like 

none). 

The chain of infection is pretty sneaky. It 

only takes 10 of these little microscopic 

MRSA bugs to make you sick. So you lean 

against the patient’s bed, the bugs cling 

to your pants, your jump bag on the floor 

gathers more of them. You touch the 

patient with gloved hands, picking up 

more of the little guys and your gloves 

touch your jump bag. Now put the jump 

bag over your shoulder and walk back to 

the rig. Get on the rig, go back to the 

firehouse and have a seat on the couch. 

Sounds like thirty times a day for some of 

the busier companies. Hopefully you get 

the point. 

Am I needlessly ringing the alarm? 

Based on recent events in my firehouse, 

I think not. Time will tell. Though 

many believe that MRSA is the next big 

epidemic, we’re not helpless against it. 

Be creative with solutions, and break the 

chain of infection. There is no substitute 

for doing the simple things we all learned 

early in our careers: If you are sick, use 

your sick time, go see your doctor and 

don’t come back to work until you are 

well again. Remember that you’re not 

just protecting yourself, but your fellow 

firefighters and the family you go home 

to. Be safe, be well. 


San Francisco Firefighters RRC presents: 

The 30th Annual 

Turkey Trot 

Dedicated to the Memory of Tom Collins 

Benefiting the SF Firefighter’s Toy Program 

TURKEY 

TROT 

The San Francisco Fire Fighter’s Road Runners Club is holding their annual 4.5 mile fun 

run around Lake Merced on Saturday, November 20, 2010. Proceeds will be donated to the 

San Francisco Firefighters Local #798’s Toy Program. We encourage everyone to participate 

in this event. Come out with buddies, family, and stationmates. There will be awards for 

the top station, in both single and multi-company divisions. Scoring for the station awards 

will be the same as last year and in the Interstation Competition. (See below). 

In addition to the station competition. Volunteers will add three points to their station 

total, but must commit prior to 11/14/0. For further information about the race, or training 

programs or tips contact Jim Gallagher, 415-753-0880 or email wine1035@sbcglobal.net. . 

You are also invited to train with our “running group” at Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park on 

Tuesday and Thursday mornings. We meet at 9 am. 

Point Schedule For 

Station Awards 

*Volunteers receive 3 points for 

their station team. Team points 

are limited to: 2 volunteers per Single-company 

station, 3 volunteers 

per Multi-company station. 

Time Points 

Under 28:00 6 

28:00.1 - 32:00 5 

Also, finish and place points 

32:00.1 - 36:00 4 

are given at each of our races that 

36:00.1 - 40:00 3 

accumulate through the year to 

40:00.1 - 44:00 2 

determine “Runner of the Year 

44:00.1 - 48:00 1 

Awards” for age-gender divisions. 

30 Main 48:00.1 Line - 60:00 .5 

www.sffdlocal798.org 

Saturday 

November 

20 

Race starts at 9am 

Lake Merced 

North Parking Lot 

Distance 4.5mi 

Early Registration 

before 11/15 $10 

At door $15 

Awards 

Division Winner 

Males/Females 

Meghan Doherty, CFP ® 

Financial Professional 

CA Insurance License #0C91224 

meghan.doherty@axa-advisors.com 

AXA Advisors, LLC 

275 Battery Street 

Suite 700 


Tel. (415) 378-3097 • (415) 276-2190 

Fax (415) 391-8358 

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FINANCIAL STRATEGIES 

• Asset Allocation 

• Retirement Planning 

• Education Funding 

• Survivorship Planning 

• Estate Planning Strategies* 

• Financial Planning 

RISK MANAGEMENT 

• Life Insurance 

• Annuities 

• Long-Term Care Insurance 

• Business Planning 

• Disability Income Insurance 

• Securities & Fixed-Income 

Investing 

www.axa-equitable.com 

*Funded through the use of life insurance and other financial products. 

Securities and investment advisory services offered through AXA Advisors, LLC (NY, NY 212-314-4600), member FINRA, SIPC. Annuity 

and insurance products offered through AXA Network Insurance Agency of California, LLC and its affiliates. Meghan Doherty is licensed 

to conduct business in the state of California. GE-51723(a) (9/09) 

Turkey Trot 

Registration 

In consideration of your accepting my entry, I, intend to be legally bound 

and hereby for myself, my heirs, executors and administrators, waive and 

release forever any and all rights and claims or damages I may accrue 

against the San Francisco Fire Fighters and any and all sponsors of the race, 

their successors, representatives and assigns for any and all injuries suffered 

by me while traveling to and from and while participating in the “30th 

Annual Turkey Trot” run at Lake Merced on November 20, 2010. I further 

attest and certify that I am physically fit and have sufficiently trained for 

competition in this event and my physical condition has been verified by a 

licensed medical doctor except when in violation of religious principle. 

Name ______________________________________________________ 

Station ___________ 

Address _____________________________________________ Phone 

____________________ 

City ______________________________________ State ________ Zip 

___________________ 

Birth date _________________________ Age ________ Sex ________ 

Station ______________ 

Signature ___________________________________________________ 

Date ________________ 

Email ________________________________________________________ 

Checks payable to: “SFFFRRC” and mailed to Jim Gallagher, 1671-16th Ave., 

SF., CA 94122. Phone: (415) 753-0880 Fax: 415-681-8196. For immediate 

results, write your email address below so it can be read. 

Attention Car Enthusiasts 

All Local 798 members active and retired, we are 

starting a car club for gatherings and events and to 

meet people interested in Muscle Cars, Hot Rods and 

Classics. If you are interested please contact 

Danny Gracia at (415) 608-7901 or Geoff Quesada 

at (415) 860-6197 

Member’s Rides Questionnaire 

Would you like your ride to be featured in the 

next Main Line? Send the following information 

to the Union Hall: 

Name: 

Firehouse: 

Make: 

Model: 

Year: 

Engine type: 

Transmission Type: 

Brief History of Vehicle: Production Numbers, 

special traits, Mileage, Rims and tires, etc... 

Digital images (200+ res):

San Francisco 

Firefighters of Sonoma 

County welcome 

you and yours to 

our 5 t h t r i p t o 

t h e beautiful 

Coachella Valley. 

PALM SPRINGS 

N O V 1 4 - 1 8t h 2010 

Embassy Suites in 

Palm Desert 

$550 per person 

Double occupancy with two queen 

beds or one king 

Price Includes 

5 nights lodging in a two room suite. 

Daily cooked to order breakfast. 

Daily two hour complimentary 

cocktail party. 

Welcome dinner at the hotel on 

Sunday night. 

Final night awards banquet at LG’s 

Prime Steakhouse. 

100% Prime cuts. 

Pool, spa, fitness center, six tennis 

courts. 

MAH JONGG Instructions and play 

time. Bring your bones. 

Golf 

$330 PER PLAYER 

Men’s tournament: a 3 day low net 

with 3 to 5 flights, depending on the 

number of players. 

Women’s tournaments: WWG (women 

with ghin) and WWOG (women 

without ghin). Price includes prize 

money and shotgun fee. 

Optional daily skins tournament. 

$60. Pay Ed Tatarian there. 

November 15 

TAHQUITZ CREEK Resort course. 

8:00 Shotgun 

Breakfast and lunch included. 

November 16 

TERRA LAGO South Course. 8:00 

Shotgun 

November 18 

CLASSIC COURSE 8:30 Shotgun 

Information 

Bob Quattrin (707)823-8243 

Joe Collins (707)542-7797 

Woody Paynter (707)579-0325, 

John Logue (707)577-8850 

Gary Montague (707)576-1891 

John Ferrando (707)823-1228. 

Steve Christensen (707) 838-7966 

Mail Checks to: 

Chairman SFRFSC 

7980 Mitchell Ct. 

Sebastopol, CA 95472. 

DEPOSIT: Group room rates need 

to be reserved by APRIL 1 st . $300 

per person. After this date, room 

availability determined on receipt of 

deposit. 

BALANCE DUE by September 30 th . 

$250 per/person. ADD $330 for 

golf. 

WEDNESDAY ADVENTURE 

THE LIVING DESERT 

Beginning at 9:00 AM see magnificent cats, howling wolves and many other animals and 

birds that live in the deserts of the world along with a state of the art animal hospital. See 

breath taking botanical gardens, the famous Palo Verde Garden Center and the 

largest G-model train displays in California. “GET CLOSER” is their motto and they mean 

it. Please, don’t pet the rattlesnakes. Shuttles are available all day. If you are interested, 

we must know by Sunday night’s dinner.


BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND…….. 

STATION 6 OLD-TIMER’S 

LUNCHEON! 

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2010 ---- WATCH 5 

SIGMUND STERN GROVE (CLUBHOUSE) ---- 19 TH AVE/SLOAT BLVD. 

CHECK-IN/REFRESHMENTS AT 10:30 AM ---- $30.00 TARRIFF 

LUNCH AT 12:30 PM 

PLEASE SIGN-UP BY OCT. 8 TH , 2010 

415-431-6657 

sanchezfire@yahoo.com 

-PASS THE WORD- 

All Active and Retired Firefighters and Families 

Join The Oakland A’s For 

Firefighter Appreciation Night 

S a t u r d a y , S e p t e m b e r 1 1 , 2 0 1 0 

O a k l a n d A ’ s v s . B o s t o n R e d S o x 

First Pitch set for 6:05 pm at 

Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum 

Special On-Field Ceremony Honoring 

Local Firefighters at 5:45 pm 

$4 of select tickets sold will 

benefit: 

San Francisco Firefighters Toy Program 

To purchase tickets visit oaklandathletics.com/firefighters 

and enter the password HERO 

Field Level- $28, $4 donated to charity 

Plaza a Level- $26, $4 donated to charity 

2009 American League Rookie of the Year, Pitcher Andrew Bailey 

For more information please visit oaklandathletics.com/firefighters 

or contact Jessica Scott at (510) 563-2336 or Jscott@oaklandathletics.com 

34 Main Line www.sffdlocal798.org 

For more information please visit oaklandathletics.com/firefighters 

or contact Dan Stein at (510) 563-2283 or dstein@oaklandathletics.com

2010 Championship Softball Tournament and BBQ June 19, 2010 


Main Line is the official 

publication of the San 

Francisco Firefighters 

Local 798. Affiliated 

with IAFF-CIO/CLC. It 

reflects the views 

and opinions of the 

Executive Board and the 

membership. We do not 

endorse or support any 

other publication, nor do 

we endorse or support 

telemarketing as it pertains 

to the San Francisco 

Firefighters Local 798. 

Tom O’Connor 

President, Local 798 

San Francisco Fire Fighters 

Local 798 

MAINLINE 

1139 Mission Street 


Nonprofit Org. 

US POSTAGE 

PAID 

San Francisco, CA 

Permit No. 6926 

The Inside Box 

111 Taylor 

July 15, 2010

Mainline - San Francisco Firefighters Local 798

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