Dear Members,

As the 10^th anniversary of the most significant day in the history of our profession approaches, I wanted to take a moment and pay respect to our fallen brethren and remember their sacrifice. As Fire Fighters we are all cut from the same cloth and together feel the pride and the pain that the 9/11 anniversary brings into our hearts. I have felt this sentiment first hand here at home and among many brothers and sisters from IAFF Locals across the United States. We also show deep remorse for the citizens who lost their lives and the personnel who suffer from ailments resulting from exposures during rescue efforts well beyond that tragic day. We must never forget the invaluable lessons we have learned from this day, lessons that have changed the fire service forever.

IAFF Local 244 members will be attending events and ceremonies throughout the weekend in Albuquerque and Santa Fe to pay homage for those who gave their lives on September 11, 2001.

Fraternally,

Diego Arencón, President

IAFF Local 244

The IAFF Local 244 Executive Board proudly acknowledges Brother Steve Murzyn for working diligently on the mural on the west wall of the union hall. He has put his heart and soul in to this project and has been working on it for over a year. Murzyn chose to depict Matt Sullivan rescuing a young girl. Steve said, “I chose ‘Sully’ because he exemplifies a dedicated Firefighter/Paramedic from of our union having served BCFD and AFD. He has always been committed to the job, never losing his compassion for others. This is a tribute to us all." 

Brother Murzyn, thank you for honoring us with your talent and dedication! 

As all of you know, there are issues that we have and deal with as Fire & Rescue personnel that the general public doesn't deal with.  Civilians just don't understand the pressures and demands that we go through on a daily basis on or off duty. 

So, the idea is that we can meet together, as firefighters and have a counselor with us to keep us focused on reaching out to each other and help each other cope with the problems that seem so prevalent in public safety. There are a lot of the guys having problems and many others are ready to reach out. We know that many of the guys aren't quite ready yet, but this is a great opportunity to begin this kind of group in a safe environment. 

So, There will be a Firefighter peer support group meeting Monday, September 12th at 17:00 at the Union Hall.

Mary Baca will be there and we will continue to have professional help throughout. We would like to see this grow and become a valuable resource for us.

On September 7, 2011 the IAFF Local 244 honored Station 11, C for a structure fire response where they showed exemplary compassion for a displaced victim that lost all of her belongings in the fire. Firefighter Matt Blanchfield received special recognition for going above and beyond the call of duty providing her with house hold items such as sheets, towels, blankets and chairs. Matt said, “It was not just me but the whole crew that made this happen and we are all grateful that we could help someone in need.”  

The ceremony was held at 9am at AFD Station 11, C. Several crews and Battalion Commanders stopped by to break bread and pay their respect to the crew and Firefighter Blanchfield.

Nominations for the 2011 General Election officially open at the General Membership Meeting on September 8, 2011 and will close at the General Membership Meeting on November 10, 2011. Early Voting will be held November 28, 2011 - December 2, 2011 from 9:00am-3:00pm at the Union Hall.

IAFF Local 244 Executive Board Open Positions:

General President - General Secretary - Sergeant at Arms - City Chief Steward - County Chief Steward - City 1^st Steward - City 3^rd Steward - City 5^th Steward - County 1^st Steward - County 3^rd Steward - County 4^th Steward

Poll Sites:

Union Hall - AFD Stations 8 & 17 - BCFD Stations 3 & 10

The partnership between the IAFF Local 244 and the University of New Mexico Hospital Burn Center will help the unit obtain American Burn Association Burn Center Verification by increasing public awareness of burn safety, injury prevention, & burn injury treatment. It will also allow for other hospitals and fire departments to build awareness of necessary triage and treatment/transfer guidelines for burn patients and firefighters throughout New Mexico. We presented a donation in the amount of $15,000 to the UNMH Burn Center which will be focused on providing expanded treatment for burned children, adolescents and fire fighters in New Mexico in an effort to help prevent the rare occurrence of being diverted to another state for burn treatment/surgery. This partnership will also facilitate educational & community outreach opportunities, summer camps, & follow-up care for patients and families.

Dr. Lentz the Medical Director for the burn center accepted the donation from the IAFF Local 244 and spoke to the significance of this partnership and his long standing relationship with the IAFF. This collaborative effort will help make the verification process easier and broaden outreach efforts. Moved by our efforts, NM State Representative Al Park has also committed to introducing an appropriation of $25,000 of recurring funding during the legislative session in January for UNMH Burn Center.

Retired Lieutenant Paramedic Lynn Ruele and Commander Pasquale Gallucci spoke to their involvement in the Local’s charity efforts over the past decade acknowledging all who were involved that contributed to this donation. We are currently organizing a task force to facilitate this initiative, if you are interested in being involved please contact an Executive Board Officer.

We would like to thank Chief Breen, Chief Garcia, Deputy Chief Watson and Deputy Chief Petroff for allowing us to use the ladder trucks for our press conference and for their participation.

Please view links below.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVLMsjG62oI

Brother George Asi has been appointed as interim County Chapter Chief Steward of the IAFF Local 244 Executive Board. The vacancy of County 3rd Steward created by this appointment is officially open as of today, September 1, 2011. The Executive Board will accept letters of interest for the next 14 days in accordance with Article VI, Section 4 of the IAFF Local 244 Constitution & Bylaws.

A “Life Celebration” in memory of Brother Don Graham will be held the IAFF Local 244 Union Hall located at 4100 Edith NE on Wednesday August 31, 2011. We will begin promptly at 5:00pm. A eulogy and time for sharing memories will be conducted followed by a Proclamation and Last Alarm observance by the AFD Retirees’ Association.

 Don was a cadet in the 41^st AFD cadet class, hired on Feb. 14, 1986; Don retired as a Commander in December of 2008. All members are encouraged to attend. 

Donald G. Graham passed away on June 6, 2011.           

We are investing in Public Service Announcements (PSAs) to help educate citizens about fire safety, educate the public about our services and strengthen the bond with our community. This is the second PSA we have introduced and have several more in the works. Ms. Lora Cunningham produced and directed this spot and we are looking forward to working with her on future projects. If any members have ideas or concepts for PSAs please contact an Executive Board Officer. Click on this link to view IAFF Local 244“That’s My Job” PSA:   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W505llMGgoY