Fort Myer Professional Firefighters, IAFF Local F-253. IAFF Local F-253 serves the FireFighters employed by Fort Myer Fire & Emergency Services.
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As mandated by federal law, the Local also represents the few fire Fighters in the Department who have chosen not to join the union.
Mission: The mission of Local F-253 shall be: I. To organize all federal employees working as Fire Fighters, Fire Captains, Fire Inspectors, and the Training Officer at the Fort Myer Fire and Emergency Services: II. To establish good relations between Bargaining Unit Members and the Employer, as well as promoting the establishment of reasonable working conditions III. To advocate fellowship and respect among all our Members in order to encourage participation in issues affecting this Local and the International Association of Fire Fighters:
Operating as usual
Trump signs deal in omnibus/COVID deal funding the government through the fiscal year.
https://www.govexec.com/management/2020/12/trump-signs-omnibus-spending-and-covid-relief-deal-averting-shutdown/171039/
Follow us at @fortmyeriafflocalf253 for more information
#iafffedfire
The Officers and Firefighters of Local F-253 would like to wish a very Merry Christmas to all that are working today to keep up safe and healthy. If you are not working, enjoy your day with family and be safe.
Merry Christmas and a Safe, Happy, and Healthy New Year.
IAFF Federal Fire
This is why we Fight!!!
Today we revisit a post from June 26th 2020 when we highlighted numerous folks suffering from Occupational Cancer. On November 30th, 2020 Chris Carneal, a Captain with the Fort Carson Fire Department, lost his battle with Occupational Cancer.
We post today to remember a fellow federal fire fighter and the struggle his family went through trying to get him benefits. It is a struggle because his wife Dana had to fight with the Office of Workers Compensation Program provided by the Department of Labor.
She had to fight for coverage because Occupational Cancer is not an automatically covered illness in the federal government like it is in most of the United States. Instead federal firefighters must prove the cancer and trace it all they way back to a specific incident, otherwise you are out on your ass. Nobody should have to fight to prove something was work related, especially since there are numerous studies out there showing firefighters are at a higher risk than the rest of American for certain cancers cause by the job.
HR 1174 or the Federal Firefighters Fairness Act of 2019, if passed, would have provided coverage through OWCP under the presumption that certain cancers (renal being one of them) are covered as a job-related illness.
Federal Firefighters have been struggling to pass HR 1174 for several years and due to the potential costs, are unable to convince Congress to pass this is a much-needed coverage.
You can read more about HR 1174 at this link on our page.
https://www.facebook.com/257622698739/posts/10157738380803740/
Our fight for Presumptive Legislation will not stop with the 116th Congress or the passing of Captain Chris Carneal. We will power through and get someone, likely Rep Salud Carbajal (CA) author of HR 1174, to write another bill outlining presumptive coverage and we will lobby until our shoes fall off for what is the right thing to do. We will continue to fight so others in Chris’ situation do not have to worry. We will prevail!
Stand with us as we fight for cancer coverage. Stand with us so families can spend time together instead of having to fight organizations like OWCP for benefits.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone on our page, especially the members working today.
We hope your day is great, surrounded by family and friends (as much as you can be).
To the members working, your time away from home is appreciated. Keep up the great service to our military community and have a safe day.
It was a great day to get some #petzl escape refresher training in today! Whats better than bailing out of some windows! #itshighuphere #youwantmetodowhat #lastresort #teamworkmakesthedreamwork
At 0928 E161 was dispatched 3rd due on the box for the reported Structure Fire at 1400 block of FILLMORE ST. E161 arrived 3rd and laid 300ft of 4 inch to the scene and stretched the 200ft crosslay to side Charlie and checked the basement. Crews found a malfunctioning HVAC Unit. Power was secured to the unit. Crews picked up and returned to service.
Today Units were staged in Arlington National Cemetery at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for a private Veterans Day service that involved a Wreath laying by both the President and Vice President of the United States and their families, with a limited number of VIPs in attendance.
Minutes before the arrival of the President and Vice President arrived we received word from the Secret Service that there was a man down and CPR was in progress at the back of the Tomb. The crews of UTV 161 and UTV 161B quickly sprung into action.
When crews arrive on scene at the back of the Tomb they found a patient that was responsive and breathing. By-standers advised they had done CPR for approximately 1 minute prior to our crews arriving.
Thanks to the quick action taken by of some by-standers and our crews, the patient was breathing and had a pulse prior to being transferred to an @arlingtonvafire medic unit for transport to the hospital.
Prior to leaving the scene the Chief of the White House Medical Unit inquired about the incident and awarded Pins and Coins to personnel.
Great work by all involved.
It is such a great honor to work @joint_base_myer_henderson_hall fire department. Yesterday they laid to rest Medal of Honor recipient Staff Sgt. Ron Shurer in Arlington National Cemetery.
If you don't know about him, look him up! Truly a hero!
#hero #iafflocalf253 #respect #arlingtonnationalcemetery
Test your smoke detectors. Test the regularly. Check manufactures recommendations on the back of the detector for information on when to change batteries. Its always safe to change them when you change your clocks.
When your smoke detector goes off what do you do?
A fire drill one take two minutes to practice. Those two minutes could be the difference of getting out. Today's homes don't burn like the homes 30-40 years ago did. Today's home burns much faster, on average a newer home could be fully engulfed in 8 minutes.
Make a plan on where to meet if your house where to catch fire. DO NOT call 911 from inside your house. Get out first then call 911. A nice catchy phase we like to tell kids is "Get out and stay out"
While most of us aren't able to do any type of Fire Prevention Week or maybe you are trying vitual. It is still important to spread the word about fire safety. Reach out to your PAOs or tag them in your posts so that people are still getting the message. See if your installation will help with banners or posters in high risk buildings like the CDC (Child Development Center for our non military followers) or PXs and Commissaries.
Our counterparts the Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall Police force lost a good man today. Lieutenant Frederick James passed away today Oct. 2, 2020 after a very short battle with cancer. Lt. James was a great friend to the fire department. He will be sorely missed. #onefight #cancersucks
Sometimes you just need a cool pic of T161. #iafflocalf253 #bestjobever #gettingitdone
We had some sweet young ladies from #kidswithacause stop by and give us some delicious treats! Super sweet and very thoughtful! Thank you ladies! #delicious #iafflocalf253 #verythankful #precious Miss Sawyer's "Kids With A Cause"
Brothers and Sisters,
One of our own is in need, let's show him the same love we did for our brother in California.
F-189 Member Chris Smead's home and vehicles were flooded during Hurricane Sally. A GoFundMe me page has been establish by family and friends to assist Brother Smead and his family with their immediate needs. Please stop in to the go fund me page and leave a little something.
Hi everyone, we are fundraising for our wonderful friends Chris and Alicia, as … Jessica Houston needs your support for Help Fire Family After Hurricane Sally
Thanks to the recently promoted Capt. M. Humphreys for the blue crab dinner! Congratulations on your promotion! Well deserved! #delicious #iafflocalf253 #cantwaitforthenextpromotion
No words needed.....
The Firefighters of Fort Myer IAFF Local F-253 had no idea what was in store for them 19 years ago. There were 3 people assigned to the crash station that day. Al Wallace, Dennis Young, and Mark Skipper.
They had just arrived and were in the process of morning checks. Al Wallace heard loud whistling noise. When he turned around he saw a plane coming straight for him as it clipped light posts on Columbia Pike in Arlington. As he yelled run and dove behind the crash truck, which took the brunt of the hit, as the plane stuck the Pentagon.
Injured, Al got in the Foam Unit and radioed for help. After numerous rescue the crew was finally sent to the hospital for minor injuries. They would return later and continue rescue efforts.
Al retired a number of years later and still visits the station from time to time and has been featured in many of the 9/11 specials. Dennis Young retired and in May of 2018 passed due to occupational cancer related to 9/11. Mark Skipper was working at a base down south.
The whole department along with numerous other jurisdictions put in a lot of work over the next several weeks.
Al Wallace's gear now hangs in the 9/11 museum in NYC, and the Crash Truck is at the General Patton museum in Kentucky.
Thank you to those of you that responded on that horrific day.
Please take a moment to help a fellow Federal Firefighter. While fighting another wildfire in a nearby community, Brother Serna was losing his home in the path of another wildfire.
Brother Serna had lost everything in his home.
My nephew David and his wife Gina Serna lost their home yesterday (August 19, 2020) to the … Julia Serna-Wilson needs your support for Fire fighter loses home
FF Brennan teaching FF Stouffer about truck operation and ladder placement on buildings so he can get turned over to drive. #alwayslearning #alwaystraining #iafflocalf253 @ Fort Myer IAFF Local F-253
Firefighter @fireemt371 (Cornelius) teaching firefighters Gick and Davidson about the unique work of roof operations. #gettingitdone #iafflocalf253 #teamworkmakesthedreamwork @ Fort Myer IAFF Local F-253
Please help us get the coverages we need.
*****URGENT HELP NEEDED -- TIME SENSATIVE*****
Folks now more than even Firefighters across the nation need your help, not just Federal Firefighters, ALL FIREFIGHTERS.
A while back the HEROS Act was voted on in the House of Representatives. This bill would contain a bunch of benefits for First Responders to include things like Hazard Pay, COVID coverages, Time off to care for family and much much more. Last week the Senate put out its own bill called the HEALS Act. It has absolutely ZERO coverages for Federal First Responders, This means Police Nurses Firefighters, EMTs etc. Municipal don't get much either, they do get a pretty sizable SAFER and AFG Grant.
We need your help and support to get the Senate to MIRROR the language for First Responders in the HEROS Act. We need it the same in HEALS too.
To Date the following statistics are gor federal fire fighters who have responded during COVID-19
Some useful facts:
1) 68+ federal IAFF members have been quarantined, 10,483 IAFF members in total with 12 deaths
2) 10+ have been placed in isolation due to positive test results, 5078 IAFF members in total
3) 1 member has been hospitalized with COVID, 112 IAFF Members in total.
4) Every department (I have spoken with) has experienced employee absences due to COVID-19
5) Federal fire departments are operating with reduced staffing due to COVID-19
6) Per OWCP case workers, OWCP DOESN’T RECOGNIZE FIRE FIGHTERS AS FRONTLINE FIRST RESPONDERS
7) Members are experiencing avoidable bureaucratic delays in receiving OWCP coverage due to a requirement to prove it was contracted through work.
8) Members are using their personal sick leave to cover occupational exposures – OWCP needs to cover these absences.
CALL THE MEMBER’S WASHINGTON OFFICE - You may phone the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121. A switchboard operator will connect you directly with the Senate OR House office you request.
IAFF Federal Fire
Now that the National Defense Authorization Act is more or less official, The 16th District would like to echo IAFF Local F-25 's Thank you.
Thank you Greg! we all truly appreciate your hard work.
Greg Russell is the IAFF Government Affairs Federal Liaison. He has been instrumental in helping us gain a lot of legislative ground. He is one of the biggest reason we have some many bills on the verge of passage and several others pending the HEALS/HEROS Act.
Please take a moment today to drop a little thank you to Greg for all of his hard work.
E161 stretched line for a tree on fire. No fire or emergency is too small. Unknown cause of origin. #picturesmakeitsmaller #sprayingwater #iafflocalf253 @ Arlington, Virginia
At 1039 E161 was dispatched to the 300 Blk of S Courthouse Rd for the reported Structure Fire. Upon arrival E161 marked on scene with smoke showing from side A, division 2. It was determined to be a pile of clothes on fire in a bedroom. TW104 provided ventilation. #gogettemboys #iafflocalf253 #ourcommunity
IAFF Federal Fire
Brothers and Sisters,
It is with great sadness that the IAFF 16th District notify you of the passing of our good friend and District Field Service Representative Lawrence "Mike" Cordell. Mike passed away on Saturday, July 18th, 2020 of natural causes. Many of us relied upon Mike's sound guidance and friendship over the years and will now feel a void with the loss of our Brother.
Mike became a member of the IAFF in 1982 and has served the IAFF and the District as DFSR since 2003. Prior to that, he was appointed as an IAFF Service Representative in 1999. Mike was an Officer for Local F-211 (Tinker AFB Oklahoma) from 1991 to 1995. Mike also served for a number of years as a Vice President for the Professional Fire Fighters of Oklahoma (PFFO). In addition to his DFSR duties, Mike was also the current President of J-001, the Federal Fire Fighters Joint Council.
Mike will be missed by many. His friendship, guidance, and loyalty to the IAFF and the District is something we all knew well.
Rest in Peace Brother.
As arrangements become available they will be distributed. Please keep Mike's family and friends in your thoughts.
Today, at 0955hrs, the department placed in service our new 2020 Pierce Engine. The new Engine 161 replaces our 2014 Pierce Engine, which will now become the reserve engine for Station 61, and today is currently running as E161B. Local F-253 looks forward to serving our response areas with this new piece of apparatus and sends a HUGE thanks out to the members and officers who have put in countless hours getting the new rig ready for service!
Happy 245th Birthday #usarmy from Fort Myer! We got a visit from the #armygoldenknights to help celebrate! Glad we could help support in the celebration! #awesomeplacetowork #skydive #america @ Fort Myer IAFF Local F-253
A lot of training conducted today! Hose advancements, throwing ladders, and forcing doors! It was a great day to train some of our new firefighters. We even had the rare opportunity to train with our crew from Station 46 in D.C. #traineveryday #hoseadvancement #trainingmakesyoubetter @ Fort Myer IAFF Local F-253 Fort McNair Engine Company 46
Minimal words are needed. Remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. #Memorialday #Honor #armedforces
Proud to announce and welcome FF Gick to the Fort Myer Fire Department as he completed his 2 week probationary familiarization period. He will be a great asset to our team! #welcome #teamworkmakesthedreamwork
Crews from T161, Foam 162, and E46 stood by at Fort McNair for a flight mission with the MV-22 Osprey. Always a fun thing to watch up against the National Defense University.
**UPDATE** Owner has been found!
**URGENT** If any one in the area is missing a dog, one has been found near Station 61 on Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall. Please share to get the word out! Thanks for your help! #lostdog #dog #jointbasemyerhendersonhall #help #publicserviceannouncement
One of the greatest things (among many) of working with #iafflocalf253 Fort Myer FD is the #honor of responding in #arlingtonnationalcemetery at #thetomboftheunknownsoldier. Both E161 and T161 responded this morning at the Tomb for an automatic fire alarm. #honor #bestjobever #nevergetsold @ Arlington National Cemetery
A huge THANK YOU to the #blueangels and #thunderbirds for their tribute and flyover for frontline first responders! #awesome #jetsarecool #fast #airforce #navy
108 Sheridan Ave
Fort Myer, VA
22211
Executive Board President - Mike Jackson [email protected] Vice President - Joe Thompson [email protected] Treasurer - Sam Grossman [email protected] Secretary - Jeff lee Shop Steward - Shawn Minor [email protected] Shop Steward - Shaun Winfrey [email protected] Shop Steward - Lyle Deshaw [email protected]
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Minimal words are needed. Remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. #Memorialday #Honor #armedforces
Folks the results are in. Congratulations to all our winners. I have a video but can't seem to get it to load. The Officers and Firefighters of Local F-253 thank you for your participation. Again we apologize to having to drop to 6 guns as sales did not go as planned. The winners are pictured below and go as follows. Grand Prize - Springfield M1A - Wayne Burnett 2nd Prize - S&W M&P 15 - Mike Sheeran 3rd Prize - Springfield 1911 .45 Mil Spec SS - Tommy Ashe 4th Prize - Springfield XD Mod 2 9mm - Bill Bowser 5th Prize - Springfield 1911 .45 Mil Spec SS - Kevin Blair 6th Prize - S&W M&P 2.0 9mm - Mike Little Congratulations again and thank you for your support. **FIREARMS WILL BE AVAILABLE MONDAY FEBRUARY 4TH AFTER 12:00 NOON**
On Saturday Firefighters and Inspectors from Fort Myer Station 61 hosted kids from the base for our annual Fire Prevention Week Open House. Kids were able to practice many skills, the favorite was squirting water with the big hose. Thanks to all that came out and to those that participated in making this a great day for the kids on base.
Thanks to President Mike Jackson and President Emeritus Jim Dansereau for representing the Fort Myer Professional Firefighters at the Grand Opening of the IAFF Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Recovery and Treatment yesterday. This facility is the first of its kind and open to all IAFF Members. The facility will specialize in PTSD and Substance Abuse Treatment. The IAFF says out with the old "sucks it up buttercup" and in with "it's OK to ask for help".
This Memorial Day, the IAFF Local F-253 paired up with the IAFF communication Dept to recognize our military personnel who have made the ultimate sacrifice serving our country with honor and courage. We are asking members and supporters to take time to remember those in the Armed Forces who have died serving their country by sharing our public service announcement (PSA) honoring the memory of the brave men and women who helped to defend and protect our way of life.
HHC, 4th Battalion, 3rd U.S. Infantry Regimen
410 Sheridan AveArlington County Commission on Aging
2100 Washington Blvd Fl 4, ArlingtonAlexandria/Arlington Regional Workforce Counc
Arlington Employment Center 2100 Washington Blvd.,, ArlingtonYouth Employment and Empowering Program
2100 Washington Blvd, ArlingtonEdu-Futuro (Educación Para Nuestro Futuro)
2110 Washington Blvd, ArlingtonJB Myer-Henderson Hall Soldier for Life - Tra
232 McNair Rd, Building 404Andrew Rader US Army Health Clinic (ARUSAHC)
401 Carpenter Rd, Bldg 5254th Battalion, 3d US Infantry Regiment "The O
410 Sheridan Ave
JB Myer-Henderson Hall Soldier for Life - Tra
232 McNair Rd, Building 404
Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Infantry
Bldg 251 Sheridan Rd
JBM-HH Consolidated Tax Center
101 Bloxon St, Bldg 205
HHC, 4th Battalion, 3rd U.S. Infantry Regimen
410 Sheridan Ave
Andrew Rader US Army Health Clinic (ARUSAHC)
401 Carpenter Rd, Bldg 525
4th Battalion, 3d US Infantry Regiment "The O
410 Sheridan Ave
Fort Myer Veterinary Treatment Facility
101 Jackson Ave, Bldg 239
Joint Base Myer - Henderson Hall
204 Lee Avenue, Building 59