Attention IAFF Members:

Effective immediately the required “drivers tip” for using the Drivers On Demand (DDOD) Service is now $20.00. Please remember that the union pays for your membership and offsets the tip. The service is intended for IAFF members and spouses only, friends/guests are not covered in our agreement with DDOD and must pay full price. 

Final action will be taken on the AFD Deputy Chief/Assistant Chief Reorganization initiative at the General Membership Meeting on Thursday, May 14, 2015 at 10:00am at the Union Hall. We will review and discuss Fire Chief Downey’s response to our conditional support letter and provide the administration with our final recommendations. Please review the letters below. 

*Click PDF link below to view IAFF Local 244's repsonse to Chief Downey's letter dated April 28, 2015. Also, the Chief's response dated May 20, 2015. Membership approved the amendments/revisions by majorlty vote at the General Meeting on May 14, 2015. 

The funeral services for our Brother Gil Pohl will be held on Friday May 15, 2015 and will begin at 11:00am at Calvary Chapel (4001 Osuna NE) followed by internment at Mt. Calvary (1900 Edith NE).

The IAFF is throwing its full support behind legislation to repeal the excise tax on high-cost health plans, more commonly referred to as the “Cadillac Tax.”

Representative Joe Courtney (D-CT) has introduced a bill to repeal this provision that was added to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) at the last minute, with little debate or careful consideration. The IAFF opposed the tax at the time, and remains opposed.

“The International has opposed this ill-conceived tax from the beginning," said General President Harold Schaitberger at a news conference at the U.S. Capitol along with Courtney and other supporters of the bill. "It was added to the Affordable Care Act at the 11th hour, supposedly as a way to lower health care costs by targeting generous health plans of wealthy Americans. 

“In reality, the vast majority of plans affected will be those that protect working class taxpayers, including fire fighters,” said Schaitberger.

Courtney’s bill, the Middle Class Health Benefits Tax Repeal Act, already has the support of dozens of lawmakers. The bill would eliminate the so-called “Cadillac Tax” that would be imposed on higher-cost health plans beginning in 2018. Without action, a 40 percent tax would be imposed on health insurance benefits above $10,200 for individual coverage and $27,500 for family coverage.

Though the tax is scheduled for 2018, the IAFF has been working and will continue to work to get the tax repealed.

May 1, 2015 - The IAFF Local 244 Executive Board is accepting letters of interest for the position of Sergeant At Arms for the next 14 calendar days. The Executive Board will appoint a member to serve on the board in accordance with the IAFF Local 244 Constitution & Bylaws, Article VI, Section 5. 

Message from AFDRA President Sam Trujillo:

Our Brother AFD Retiree James " Baby Doll" Dahl is still at a Lubbock Texas Hospital and plans are to move him to a rehab nursing facility here in Albuquerque as soon as possible ... James is bed ridden and will require extensive rehab care to include additional surgeries ....

Yesterday ( 4/29/15 ) a group of retired and active AFD Fire Fighters did a  day road trip and visited James in Lubbock .... This was a spirit lifting experience for James and the AFD Fire Fighters ....Please see attached photo of the visit .... Retired Fire Fighters included Kerry Horton, Donny Sanchez, Derek C De Baca and Kenneth " Goody " Goodyear .... Active Fire Fighter Rick Suazo  also participated in this venture .... A big "Thanks " to these brothers that made time to visit one of our own !

A Special Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 16, 2015 in accordance with Article 5, Section 6 of the Constitution & ByLaws. The purpose of this meeting is to develop the official IAFF Local 244 position on the AFD Deputy Chief/Assistant Chief reorganization proposal. The meeting will start promptly at 7:00pm. 

A 29-year veteran firefighter died "a hero" Thursday from injuries he suffered while searching for people to rescue from a burning Cincinnati apartment building, authorities said.Daryl Gordon, 54, was removed from the building by stretcher after falling down an elevator shaft and died at a hospital, officials said.

"It is with a heavy heart that we announce the death of one of our city's protectors," Mayor John Cranley said at a news conference. "He put himself in harm's way to help residents in the building."Flags were lowered to half-staff across the city, and fire-rescue workers put black strips over their badges.

"We lost a hero today, and we are all mourning," fire Chief Richard Braun said, adding that "we lost a family member." Braun had gone to the scene early Thursday and asked for the community's prayers for a firefighter who was hurt and "in dire straits." The Fire Department report stated that the blaze was first reported at 5:31 a.m. in the five-story building. Two firefighters were treated for burns at a hospital and released, and four civilians were taken there as well. There were no details on their injuries; authorities had said earlier that several residents were treated for smoke inhalation.

"Women and children were carried out of the building to safety," Cranley said. "When that was over, God delivered all of the civilians to us but kept one of our firefighters back. We know God is holding him tightly." State and local authorities were investigating the fire's cause. Braun said department policies and procedures will be reviewed to try to learn from the death.

The owner of the apartments said some 68 families lived there and its management was working with the American Red Cross and Salvation Army for emergency housing and supplies. Owner Community Builders Inc. said there were no known safety citations in the past year at the property. Cincinnati authorities said it was the first firefighter death in the line of duty since 2003 for the department that calls itself the first professional, fully paid fire department in the United States, dating to 1853.

The firefighters' local union president described Gordon as "a giant teddy bear" with a big smile and laugh who was dedicated and heroic. "As good as it gets," Matt Alter said. "He was a firefighter through and through."

City officials said Gordon, a fire apparatus operator who joined Cincinnati Fire on June 30, 1985, also was a 10-year employee of UC Health Air Care and Mobil Care. He was married with two daughters. A city spokesman said Gordon became eligible for retirement in 2010.

The 4^th Annual ‘Swing for Survivors’ Golf tournament combined with the Harley Davidson Raffle was a great success! We raised over $19,000.00 for the IAFF Local 244 Firefighter Survivors Fund. The Executive Board would like to thank Martin Salazar for organizing the golf tournament each year. Also, we would like to acknowledge Chief Stewards Justin Cheney and George Asi for organizing the Harley Davidson Raffle. The winner of the 2015 Harley Davidson Street Glide was Matt Padilla.

We also worked with Guinness to raise funds by engraving pint glasses and receiving a portion of sales. We raised over $2000.00 for the Firefighter Survivors Fund over three nights, February 26 at Imbibe, 27 & 28 at O’Neill’s Pub.

A special thank you to our sponsors: Guinness, Admiral Beverage Co., Imbibe, O’Neill’s Pub, Motorola, 1-800 Board-Up, NM Firefighter Charities, NM Craft Brewing Co. and to all the IAFF members that participated!