MainLine - San Francisco Firefighters Local 798

Letter From the directorStephen GiacaloneBrothers and Sisters,It was brought to my attention that attimes it can be a little tedious or redundantto read repetitive articles about pensionreform, etc. So, with that in mind, Iam going to try to talk about some otheritems of interest.Steve and Irene AgerAfter 30 years of dedicated service to theCity, Steve and Irene Ager are retiring.Our very own“A-Team” is finally calling it quits! Theyears of service with both DPH and theSFFD are impressive, but what is reallyspecial is that not only are they partnersbut they are husband and wife. I say thisknowing full well that there are otherhusband and wife teams within the SFFD,but working side by side, every single day,and then going home together… well, thatis truly a partnership. For a career withsuch high turnover rates and stress, theiraccomplishment is worth recognizing. Ihave been fortunate to know and workwith Steve and Irene. They are truly genuineand nice people. I certainly wish themcongratulations on their retirement. I alsohope they enjoy to the fullest their nextadventure as “partners”!Pension ReformYou didn’t really think I was going to sayabsolutely nothing? Change to the systemwas inevitable. You are all well aware ofthe political and social climate that existsregarding pensions. A proposal from laborand the mayor’s office is moving forwardand it appears to have the supportof the Board of Supervisors. The actualdocument is upwards of 240 pages butthe highlights can be found in both LotusNotes (yes, there is actually a reason tolook at Lotus Notes!) and in this issue ofthe MainLine.Fire and EMSWe had four greater-alarm fires since ourlast issue of the MainLine. To the companiesand crews that responded – a job welldone. All civilians were rescued and thosethat were injured were all treated andtransported appropriately. Unfortunatelywe also had several of our own membersinjured at these greater alarm fires. However,all of our members are now backingat work. It is also unfortunate that theMedia felt more compelled to discuss howthe residents at 1040 Folsom felt the SFFDwas not “aggressive enough”. Also, theMedia gave entirely too much credenceto the opinions of a “chief” from CalFireon HIS thoughts about OUR fire tactics.C’mon! Really!? All of this, as opposed tothe great work we did, the physical sacrificesour members made and the peopleand property we saved.As for EMS, legislation to return our exclusiveoperating rights (EOA) remains in Sacramento.It is moving along, albeit slowly.More to follow!Social CalendarMany events on the horizon! First out ofthe gate we have the 2 nd Annual SFFD BenefitShoot and All American BBQ put on bythe SFFD Shooting Club and benefitingthe Toy Program. This will be held at PacificRod & Gun Club on Saturday June 25,2011. Secondly, we will have the FarewellBBQ to Old Station 30 on Sunday, July 30,2011. Finally we will have the 5 th AnnualJohnny V Chili Cook-Off (again, benefitingthe Toys) on Saturday, September 17 th . Alwayslots of fun. As always, this scheduleof events and many more can be found onour website.It is often said in the firehouse “…youknow what the union should do…” Well,these are events that the membership“should do”.ConclusionThoughts and prayers to the families andfriends of our members who have passed.Take care and be safe,Stephen GiacaloneBarry Lo, Sean Bonetti, Steve Giacaloneand Mike Walsh were in San Carlos thismonth to support San Mateo CountyFire Fighters Local 2400. The San CarlosCity Council was looking at privatizingthe San Wackenhut Union privategovernment firm and the RedwoodCity Fire Department. Several hundredpeople wer in attendance to show supportfor localized control. In the endthe Council voted in favor of the RedwoodCity plan. This was a victory fororganized labor across the country.10 Main Line www.sffdlocal798.org