To All IAFF Affiliate Leaders,

We need your help to provide needed emergency funds to our IAFF Disaster Relief Fund.

Over the last several weeks, you've seen our members in action in response to Hurricane Harvey, working around the clock to rescue literally tens of thousands of civilians, while risking their own lives and knowing their own homes were likely damaged or destroyed. And you've also seen this union helping our brothers and sisters in their time of need, providing food and water, direct financial assistance, vaccinations, behavioral health support and whatever else is required to make sure they get through the incident.

And now, with Hurricane Irma moving through Florida, where tens of thousands of our members are in the storm's path, we are again mobilizing a team to be on the ground to support our members with whatever they need. While Hurricane Irma had lost some of its strength as it made landfall, it has brought widespread destruction throughout the state, and our members' needs will be great.

The assistance we provide our members whenever they are displaced from their homes, whether it’s from a hurricane, floods, wildfires, tornadoes - any kind of disaster - is possible through our Disaster Relief Fund. That Fund is resourced based on decisions made during conventions, by our delegates, who have properly provided for it to be resourced for normal levels of these kinds of disasters.

But we aren’t funded at a level to take on these multiple, unprecedented events like Harvey and Irma. We have to rely on contributions to make up the difference - and that’s where this IAFF needs your affiliate’s help right now.

I am personally asking you and your local to step up to help our members affected by these devastating hurricanes by donating to the IAFF Disaster Relief Fund as soon as possible.

You can send a check to:

IAFF Disaster Relief Fund
1750 New York Ave, NW
Suite 300
Washington, DC 20006

Thank you for your continued generosity and support.

In Solidarity

Harold Schaitberger
General President

The IAFF is dispatching a team from our headquarters to Houston to establish a disaster relief operations center at the Houston Local 341 union hall to assist affiliates and members affected by Hurricane Harvey.

The IAFF team is in touch with leadership throughout the region, and staff on the ground will be able to deliver immediate financial assistance, conduct loss assessments and provide initial health screenings for members working in toxic standing water.

Please not self-dispatch to the disaster zone - the best way to help your brothers and sisters is with a donation to the IAFF Disaster Relief Fund, which provides assistance to IAFF members affected by major disasters.

Donate today with a tax deductible contribution online.

U.S. members can also make a $10 donation by texting DISASTER to 50555*.

*SMS subscription service. Up to 4msg/mo. Msg&Data Rates May Apply. Text STOP to 50555 to STOP. Full Terms: mGive.com/E. Privacy Policy

Members:

I have received several inquiries about the public records exemptions to Florida's "Government in the Sunshine" laws (Chapters 119 & 286 F.S.) afforded to firefighters and EMS personnel.  Most have indicated that their concerns are a result of recent news that the President's Task Force of Voter Fraud has requested comprehensive voter information from all Secretaries of State, which the Task Force intends to make available to the public.

As you may know, 119.071(4) F.S. states the following regarding the release of information related to firefighters and EMS personnel:

The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and photographs of firefighters certified in compliance with s. 633.408; the home addresses, telephone numbers, photographs, dates of birth, and places of employment of the spouses and children of such firefighters; and the names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the children of such firefighters are exempt from s. 119.07(1).

The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and photographs of current or former emergency medical technicians or paramedics certified under chapter 401; the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of the spouses and children of such emergency medical technicians or paramedics; and the names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the children of such emergency medical technicians or paramedics are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution if the emergency medical technicians or paramedics have made reasonable efforts to protect such information from being accessible through other means available to the public. This sub-subparagraph is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2021, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.

Unfortunately, these protections are not automatic and you must specifically request that your protected information be exempted.  As it pertains to your voter information, you must submit a form to the Office of the Secretary of State.  A link to the form, along with submission instructions, can be found here.  Additionally, you may wish to send a copy of the request, along with a cover letter requesting the same exemption, to your local Supervisor of Elections.

Finally, property owners may wish to contact the Property Appraiser and Tax Collector in any Florida jurisdiction(s) where they own property for information on how to submit a request to their respective offices.

Remember, it is an unfortunate fact that, despite the good work we do, there are risks that come along with our jobs and those who would seek to harm us for doing so.  Please take a moment to make these requests for the safety and privacy of you and your families.

Fraternally Yours,

Scott

E. Scott Heinis, Secretary
Suncoast Professional Firefighters and Paramedics
Local 2546 of the International Association of Firefighters
740 Commerce Drive, Suite 1
Venice, FL  34292
 
E-Mail: escotth@iaff2546.com
Main Office: (941) 485-5193
Direct Line: (941) 441-3366
Fax: (941) 488-6134

You may have heard about the sale of Kaplan University to the Indiana-based Purdue University. We want to assure our members and family members who are enrolled through our partnership with Kaplan University that the benefits, academic programs and support services will not change.

The only thing that changes is future graduates will earn their diplomas from the new university. Students who graduate between now and the end of the year will continue to receive their diploma from Kaplan University.  

The new university, which is yet to be named, will likely be established in approximately six to seven months, pending the necessary regulatory and accreditor approvals. Kaplan University students will be transferred to the new university but will keep the same instructors, courses and learning programs.

We are committed to providing opportunities for members to pursue higher education programs at a price they can afford and will provide additional updates as the purchase process progresses.

Members:

Our redesign of your Straight Streams newsletter has been completed and the latest edition is now available!

You can read it online in your web browser or download a PDF copy by following this link: Straight Streams – Summer 2017.

We are offering a beta version as an .epub file your your e-reader devices, which can be downloaded here.  Please be patient with this pre-release product while we experiment with different presentation formats.

Please Note: As a part of our transition to online/electronic delivery of Straight Streams, all members have been set to receive it that way by default.  If you wish to receive a printed hard copy of Straight Streams, please contact me via e-mail or phone (listed below) so that I can change your preference and verify your contact information.

The International conducted special election nominations to fill Osborne’s seat. As the only person nominated for the position, a single ballot was cast for Dix and he was acclaimed as 12th District Vice President.

“I am confident that Brother Dix will follow the great legacies of all our past 12th District Vice Presidents and will serve our members in an outstanding manner,” says Schaitberger. “I know we all look forward to working with him on behalf of our great union.”

He adds, “On behalf of General Secretary-Treasurer Edward Kelly and myself, I congratulate Larry Osborne for an incredible career working on behalf of our great membership and for a long deserved retirement.”

Dix says, “I am extremely honored and humbled to follow such strong union leaders like Larry Osborne, Dominick Barbera and Charlie Hall. For more than 45 years, the 12th District has had the absolute privilege of being represented by good men who are union to the core. I believe that my time spent working alongside these great union leaders will serve me well in representing the 12th District.”

As a native of South Florida, Dix has spent his career of 37 years with Broward County Fire Rescue, serving as president of Local 4321 for the past 26 years. During his tenure as president, Dix helped orchestrate the merger of nine locals to form Local 4321 and spearheaded several municipal mergers with Broward County Fire Rescue.

In 2010, he was awarded the prestigious IAFF Leadership Award. In 2009, he was named the state of Florida Professional Firefighter of the Year.

Dix has also joined disaster relief efforts for major hurricanes, establishing IAFF disaster relief operations centers for Hurricanes Katrina, Wilma and Rita and Super Storm Sandy.

With more than 30,000 members, the 12th District is the third-largest district in the IAFF.

Local 2546 Update - Shift Calendars

Members, Family and Friends:

This year the Local will be providing shift calendars via three methods based on feedback from our members - the Local 2546 App for Android and iOS, a mobile web version and a physical pocket calendar.

The Local 2546 YouTube channel is now live!

Visit our page via the link below to stay up-to-date via the latest Union-related media.

IAFF Local 2546 YouTube Channel

Lt. Sam P. Dreher II is not alone. Charlotte County firefighters are taking turns standing guard over Dreher’s body. Charlotte County Fire/EMS spokeswoman Dee Hawkins said they will continue to stand beside Dreher until his burial Saturday.

Dreher, 39, was shot outside a Sarasota apartment Saturday by his estranged wife’s boyfriend, Michael Minor, 27, authorities have said. Dreher died from his injuries Sunday.

The 18-year veteran of Charlotte County Fire/EMS will be remembered at a visitation today from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Larry Taylor Funeral Home, 1515 Tamiami Trail, Punta Gorda.

A service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Charlotte Harbor Event & Conference Center in Punta Gorda. Burial will follow at Charlotte Memorial Gardens, where Dreher’s father is buried, said Taylor.

The Charlotte County Fire/EMS Honor Guard will be present at the service Saturday, along with honor guards from other agencies, Hawkins said.

The sudden, shocking death of Dreher — known as Sammy — has greatly affected his fellow firefighters and paramedics.

“We’re just taking care of each other, checking on each other,” Hawkins said.

Dreher’s Battalion Chief, Jon Miller, has “shown a tremendous amount of support,” Hawkins said, as have Battalion Chiefs Mark Crigler and James Stillwagon.

“Everybody’s suffering the loss,” Hawkins said. “Everyone’s feeling the pain.”

Critical incident stress management teams are working with crews at each of the fire stations across Charlotte County, Hawkins said.

“We’ll get through this as a group together,” Hawkins said. “Sammy was such a wonderful person.”

Dreher, a North Port resident and a graduate of Charlotte High School, worked as a firefighter and paramedic, in addition to serving on the Marine Operations Team. He also worked for the Punta Gorda Fire Department prior to Charlotte County Fire/EMS.

Memorial donations in Dreher’s honor can be made at any Sun Trust Bank to Firefighters for Kids of Charlotte County.

Email: cfeinberg@sun-herald.com