The Fire Lines - December 2006

In 2003 six Fire Companies wereclosed in the City of New York andthis was a mistake. The excuse used

was a fiscal crisis. Recently, public safe-ty experts were shocked to find out thatthe city is quietly moving to sell off thesevital security assets. To do so defies com-mon sense. Presently there is no financialcrunch necessitating the auctioning offirehouses. These firehouses should notbe sold but should instead be reopened.Greater fire protection, not less is neededin these growing communities.

Greater population densities bringmore traffic and significant increases inour response times. The Partnership forNew York City released a detailed reporttitled “Growth or Gridlock?” in Decem-ber 2006. Analysts forecast that the citywill “add a million more residents and750,000 new jobs over the next 25 years.”The report further points out that “thelevel of traffic in the city and much of theMetro Region has crossed the dividingline that separates economically efficienttraffic flow from destructive, excess con-gestion. As a result, virtually every busi-ness and industry sector in all five bor-oughs and across the Metro Region is suf-fering losses because of congestion.”These studies would seem to indicate that

our response times will grow longer withthe crippling impact that comes withincreased congestion and gridlock. Iwrote a piece in the New York Daily Newson Tuesday, December 5th addressing thiscritical issue and will continue to carrythis message to our elected officials. Theyalso need reminding that 2005 was thebusiest year in the history of the FDNY,with 485,702 total responses and thisrecord could be shattered when the num-bers are tallied for 2006.

I was delighted to be appointed byGovernor-elect Eliot Spitzer in Novemberto serve on his Homeland Security Transi-tion Committee. Already a working listof the State’s most pressing securityissues was compiled which included bor-der security, infrastructure, national coor-

dination efforts, better preparedness fornatural disasters, and terrorist-relatedevents. It is crucial that fire service isrecognized as being central to terroristpreparedness and prevention. Theexpanded role of today’s Firefighterneeds to be highlighted at every level ofgovernment.

On December 5, 2006, the city’sOffice of Emergency Managementopened its new permanent emergencyoperations center in Brooklyn. This cen-ter, in tandem with the $17 millionupgrade of the Department’s commandcenter which opened in September, pro-vide state-of-the art resources to planresponses to terrorist attacks, fires, snow-

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2006

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THEUNIFORMED FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION OF GREATER NEW YORKThe Bravest

President’s MessageBy STEPHEN J. CASSIDY

(Continued on page 2)

Senator Hillary Clinton & Stephen J. Cassidy confer during a breakfast meeting the dayafter the November 7th election at Engine 54, Ladder 4.

Pho

toby

ST

EP

HE

NN

.S

YM

BO

LIK

storms, blackouts, other emergencies andspecial events. Now that all the materialresources are in place, the issue of staffingmust again be revisited. In December of2005 we renegotiated the Roster StaffingAgreement, which was set to expire, andgot a five-year extension with an increasefrom 60 to 64 five-man Engine Compa-nies. Staffing is primary to Firefighter andpublic safety and will continue to pressthe issue.

I was pleased that most of the UFA’sendorsed candidates for national and stateoffices were swept to victory. On themorning of November 8th, SenatorHillary Rodham Clinton joined me forbreakfast, along with the Firefighters atEngine 54, Ladder 4. Senator Clintonsaid, “ I came here this morning to thankthis firehouse and really all of out first

responders who take care of us everyday.”As January approaches, I intend to contin-ue to push the UFA agenda with both ournewly elected officials and the incum-bents.

In an interview on NY1 in October, Iblasted the department for concealingfrom the UFA the results of Chief Hay’ssafety investigation concerning a faultylatch mechanism on the doors of Seagravepumpers which led to the severe injury ofa Manhattan Firefighter in May. In anOctober 10th press conference, I furtherexpressed my anger that this safety reportwas kept secret from the UFA and that theDepartment failed to implement ChiefHay’s recommendation more than sixmonths after the accident! An estimated95 percent of the FDNY’s 200 pumpershad flawed latches. I am pleased to reportthat the Department, after being exposedand embarrassed, is finally correcting the

problem.In November the Broward County

Retirees Association hosted a retiree’sconference in Orlando, Florida. Theevent was well-attended and provided theUFA with an opportunity to dispel inaccu-rate information and provided retireeswith first-hand information on variety ofunion issues. The UFA is looking for-ward to participating in future confer-ences to assist our retired members.

Two rounds of negations regarding ourcontract have taken place with city offi-cials since the September/October issue ofFire Lines. I will continue to update youon our progress in both Fire Lines and onthe UFA Web site www.ufanyc.org. Iwish all of you a very happy holiday sea-son and hope that the new Year will behealthy and safe!

Fire Lines NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 2006

w w w . u f a n y c . o r g

President’s Message(Continued from page 1)

Pho

toby

ST

EP

HE

NN

.S

YM

BO

LIK

(L to R) Stephen J. Cassidy, James Slevin, Senator Hillary Clinton and the men from Engine 54, Ladder 4.

Fire LinesNOVEMBER /DECEMBER 2006


This past yearwill certainlygo down as a

monumental one forthe UFA in the legisla-tive arena. GovernorPataki signed theStroke Bill, WTCDeath Benefit Bill and Widows COLA Billinto law. Normally a great legislativeyear would be defined as getting onemajor bill signed, this year we hit a grandslam with the WTC Death Benefit andStoke Presumption Bill being signed bythe Governor. Unfortunately our Termi-nal Leave Bill was vetoed. We lobbiedhard for it right up until the end but ulti-mately the opposition proved to be toogreat. We will continue to pursue thatbill in the future.

Along with a successful legislativeprogram we also made great strides onthe political side. Over 150 membersturned out on Election Day to supportthe politicians that have supported us.This is a great turn around from just 4years ago when we could hardly mustera dozen Firefighters to turn out for Elec-tion Day. Most of the politicians thatwe endorsed won their election. Fire-fighters continue to get more involved inthe political process as they see the div-

idends that it pays. Politicians continueto take notice of our greater involvementand a result we will continue to be suc-cessful in the future.

One politician that we did support thatwas unsuccessful was State Senator NickSpano. Despite our tremendous turnoutfor him, he was unable to hold onto hisSenate seat. The “democratic tide” and achanging district made it impossible towin. Senator Spano is a long time friendof the UFA and he will be missed. We

wish him luck in his future endeavors.Despite his loss, Senator Bruno will con-tinue to be the Majority Leader. SenatorBruno and his staff appreciated our effortsand assured us that we will not be forgot-ten.

This coming legislative session prom-ises to be interesting. We have a newGovernor along with a new House of Rep-resentatives and US Senate. We hopethat they will be as receptive to our Agen-da as the outgoing ones have been. Wealready have great relationships with themand look forward to building upon them.This coming session we will once againbe sponsoring Lobby Day in Albany.This will be the major Political ActionTeam event for 2007. There are no elec-tions that will be taking place in the com-ing year. The next issue of Fire Lineswill include the 2007 legislative agendaalong with the date for Lobby Day 2007.Have a safe holiday and a Happy NewYear!

2006 Legislative ReviewBy JAMES SLEVINUFA Vice President/

Legislative Chairman


Who is Covered & What Forms to FileFirefighters must file a ‘Notice of Par-

ticipation in the World Trade Center Res-cue, Recovery or Clean-Up OperationsForm’ by June 14, 2007 to qualify for theWTC Presumptive Disability Bill, or theywill not be eligible for any of these bene-fits should they develop one of the quali-fying conditions. Also, Firefighters whoare retired from service or from ordinarydisability are eligible to reapply at anytime (by using a ‘WTC Disability Appli-cation’) for accidental disability if he/shedevelops a WTC-related disease—butONLY if the ‘Notice of Participation’form was originally filed by June 14,2007, as noted above. The ‘Notice of Par-ticipation…Form’ and also the ‘WTCDisability Application’ are both availableon the Homepage of the UFA Web site atwww.ufanyc.org. Surviving beneficiariesof Firefighters who die from a 9/11 relat-ed disease will receive full line-of-dutydeath benefits even if the member isalready retired (100% of the deceased’slast salary plus health benefits)—butONLY if the ‘Notice of Participation’form was originally filed by June 14, 2007. If the survivor is a spouse, the benefit ispaid until the spouse dies; if it is a child,benefits continue until the child reaches18.

How to File‘Notice of Partici-pation’ Form

All membersshould return theform ASAP (and inno case later thanJune 14, 2007) withthe dates or daterange you bestrecall—even if you

are not yet able to document the actualdates you participated. Make sure yousubmit via certified return receipt. TheDept conducts its own *verificationprocess and will notify you if additionalclarification is required. FDNY PensionBureau mailed a letter of confirmationthis past Fall to anyone who was verifiedby the Dept. The Pension Bureau alsoexplained that letters were not sent tomembers that the Department was unableto verify, even though these members hadsubmitted the WTC form. In other words,if you have not yet received this verifica-tion letter from the Dept, then you are notyet verified. According to the FDNY Pen-sion Bureau, get your forms in by thedeadline—even if you are uncertain if youhave submitted all necessary documenta-tion—and your rights will be preserved.After you submit the ‘ParticipationForm’, if the Dept requires additional*verification information or documenta-

tion that you participated at the WTC, itcan be done any time after you file—butonly if you filed by June 14, 2007! Asmandated by the law, there will be nosecond chances to FILE late. But, theDept is permitted to conduct its verifica-tion process any time after it has receivedyour ‘Notice of Participation Form’.

The FDNY Pension Bureau alsoinformed the UFA that it expects to pro-vide to the UFA this winter a list** foreach company Delegate, which notes whofiled the application and who was veri-fied. When this occurs, it will beannounced via 65-2. FDNY PensionDirectors also addressed all CompanyDelegates present at the May 2006 UFADelegate Education Seminar. All Dele-gates present were walked through prepa-ration of the form, many of which weresubmitted at the conclusion of the session.See your Company Delegate for prepara-tion assistance. NOTE: as excerptedfrom the form, “This form must be sub-mitted to the Fire Department, PensionFund Subchapter II, by June 14, 2007.The form is for notification purposes onlyand does NOT constitute an applicationfor retirement or reclassification pursuantto Chapter 93 of the Laws of 2005. Inorder to apply for retirement benefits, aseparate application must be completed.If you have any questions, please call(718) 999-7041, or (718) 999-0148. Allcorrespondence should be mailed to theBureau of Uniformed Payroll and Pensionat the above address.” * PD - FD Rollover WTC Verification

FDNY Pension Bureau has informedthe UFA that PD rollover members mustsend the FD ‘Participation Form’ as perabove instructions, and attach PD docu-mentation to the form. PD documentationcould include, but is not limited to, a copyof their PD memo book cover and entriesfrom the memo book indicating they wereworking at any of the qualifying sites; anyrosters or command log entries indicatingthey were working at any of the qualify-ing sites. Any other PD documentationthat would substantiate their dates workedshould be attached. Once FDNY receivesthe notarized FD ‘WTC ParticipationForm’ with attached PD documentation,FD will forward it all to the PD, whichwill then confirm the information with thePD’s records. Once confirmed, PD willsend FDNY written sign-off of their veri-fication, and then FDNY will enter the

WTC Bill: Making Sure You and Your Families Are CoveredBy JOSEPH A. MICCIO

Recording Secretary

The Wounded Warriors, recently returning heroes from Iraq and Afghanistanwere in New York City for the Marine Corps Ball. Hosted by the officers andFirefighters of Engine 33 and Ladder 9, the men were escorted to WestPoint forthe Air force-Army football game, were given a tour of Ground Zero, and attend-ed the Giants football game. During their visit, a breakfast ceremony was host-ed where they were presented with a check for $50,000, the proceeds from thesale of “New York City Firefighters Support Our Troops” T-shirts. This endeav-or was spearheaded by the brothers of Engine 231 and Ladder 120 and support-ed by firehouses throughout the city.

(Continued on page 5)Photo by STEPHEN N. SYMBOLIK

Under normal circumstancesresponse times continue to be anissue. During the holiday season,

however, Engine and Truck Companiesare noticeably hindered by the enormousinflux of vehicular traffic and pedestrians.Legions of pedestrians and tourists cross-ing streets slow down turning vehicles.Frequently the flow of traffic is paralyzed.If we have to contend with snow or ice, asthey say in Brooklyn, “fugeddaboutit.”The tremendous amount of new construc-tion going on throughout the city alsoaffects response times. Some streets aredown to one lane, other streets are tem-porarily closed. Trucks loaded with con-

struction materialsor concrete furtherhinder traffic asthey wait in queueto deliver goods.Crane placementand sidewalk rerout-ing also impact traf-fic flow. For exam-ple, a new buildingis going up rightoutside the UFAheadquarters on the

north east corner of Third Avenue and23rd Street. Because of crane placement,the southbound lane on Third Avenue isreduced to one lane. In the morning andevening rush, this becomes a bottleneck asdrivers try to turn east or west on 23rdStreet. Firefighters and emergency vehi-cles negotiate precarious bottlenecksevery day, and it’s getting worse!

Despite additional traffic and the build-ing boom, (with the exception of touristhot spots such as Fifth Avenue) it doesn’tseem that traffic enforcement is propor-

tionate to the needs created by the influxof additional vehicles, tourists, or pedes-trians. My casual observation is therearen’t as many tickets issued for “Block-ing the box” as in the past. Travelingthroughout Manhattan, I frequently seeCompanies on a run literally stuck in traf-fic, blasting their sirens, and beingignored by gridlocked traffic. Dispatchersare well aware of calls being delayedbecause of traffic. Not surprisingly, mostof this gridlock occurs in midtown. Iron-ically, as this problem continues to growyear after year, the Fire Department hasdone nothing to beef up fire protection inthis area.

The Department knows this is an his-torical problem. Instead of being reactiveand waiting for tragedy to strike, theDepartment should be proactive andaddress this issue beforehand. Responsetimes have a direct bearing on saving livesand property and I, along with Stephen J.Cassidy, will continue to raise this issuewith the Department.



Nassau County: 90 Merrick Avenue, East Meadow, NY 11554 • phone: 516.296.7000 • fax: 516.296.7111Suffolk County: 1393 Veterans Memorial Hwy., Suite 301S, Hauppauge, NY 11788 • phone: 631.979.3000 • fax: 631.979.7070

www.certilmanbalin.com

CERTILMAN BALIN ADLER & HYMAN, LLP

PROVEN ADVISORS.POWERFUL ADVOCATES.

YOUR UNION LAWYER.YOUR PERSONAL LAWYER.

Michael C. Axelrod, as the trusted unioncounsel for 50,000 police, fire, and public safety employees, represents theUniformed New York City FirefightersAssociation, the New York State TroopersBenevolent Association, and many otherorganizations in the metropolitan area.He has a solid track record of counselingand representing union members in theirpersonal litigation and life plans. Turn toMichael, and the law firm of CertilmanBalin, regarding your private legal matters.

• EmploymentDiscrimination

• Personal Litigation• Bankruptcy• Sexual Harassment

• Criminal Defenseon Long Island

• DWI• Estate Planning• Elder Law

Since 1965, Certilman Balin has beenhelping clients with responsive andaffordable legal counsel, free of excessivelegal actions and unwarranted costs. With offices in Nassau and SuffolkCounties, we are available 24 hours to advise, counsel and represent you. Call Michael directly at (516) 296-7172to resolve your personal legal matterswith confidence.

By DANIEL MURPHYManhattan Trustee

Response Times and Gridlock

member in the FDNY WTC database asverified.

According to the FDNY PensionBureau, members who were Police Officerswhile working at one of the eligible WTCsites must submit their forms to the FD bythe June 14, 2007 deadline. Even if you areuncertain if you have gathered all necessarydocumentation from the PD—your rightswill be preserved if you submit the form tothe FD by the deadline. After you submitthe ‘Participation Form’, if the FD requiresadditional verification information or docu-mentation that you participated at the WTC,it can be done any time after you file—butonly if you originally filed by June 14,2007! As mandated by the law, there willbe no second chances to FILE late. But,the Dept is permitted to conduct its verifi-cation process any time after it has receivedyour timely filed ‘Notice of ParticipationForm’.

** It is also important to note thataccording to the FDNY Pension Bureau,members who were Police Officers whileworking at one of the eligible WTC siteswill not be listed on the initial lists that willbe given to each Company Delegate thiswinter, as noted above. The Pension Bureauhas not yet informed the UFA as to how itwill be providing this info for this categoryof members. However, the UFA will advisethe members via 65-2 as soon as the Depthas this info available.

WTC Bill(Continued from page 4)

Fire Lines NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 2006 Page 7Fire LinesNOVEMBER /DECEMBER 2006

w w w . u f a n y c . o r gw w w . u f a n y c . o r g

Could there be a bettervenue to host theannual UFA Widows’& Children’s Christ-

mas Party than the main Toys RUs toy store in Times Square?Judging from the squeals oflaughter, excitement, joy, anddelight from the more than 600kids who attended this year’sevent on Sunday, November19th, it’s unlikely that a better

place could be found to have aparty. Once again Toys R Usgenerously hosted the annualevent, as they have done sinceDecember 2001 in the aftermathof 9/11. The store became thedomain of widows and childrenof fallen Firefighters from 8:00am to noon. Toys R us bandplayed festive holiday musicwelcoming families as theyentered the store. Breakfast

2006 UFA WIDOWS’ & CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS PARTY

buffets were stationed on eachlevel of the store but kids werenoticeably were more interest-ed in checking out the latestvideo games and toys. Thisyear Chairman & CEO JerryStorch, along with legions ofToys R Us staff, welcomedYankee’s superstar MarianoRivera, Robin Strasser fromOne Life to Live, and WorldWrestling Entertainment’s Jeff

Hardy. UFA President StephenJ. Cassidy, together with theUFA Executive Board and staffhelped to ensure an enjoyabletime was had by all. Gift cer-tificates were provided by theUFA to every child, and Toys RUs donated gift cards. Asalways, Santa’s arrival inTimes Square on Tower Ladder35 was the highlight of theparty!

Pho

tos

by T

odd

Mai

sel



The year was1982. I gradu-ated probie

school along withanother probie, RichieStraub, and we wereassigned to Engine 94in the Hunts Pointsection of theBronx—vacant buildings, drug dens, pros-titutes. A life-long Bronx resident raisedby my mother in an apartment, theyoungest of seven children, my fatherpassed away when I was nine months old.Nervously walking through the firehousedoor for the first time, I didn’t know whatto expect, since I was the first Firefighter inmy family’s history.

Richie and I were told to go to thekitchen where the guys were waiting forus, asking us everything you could imag-ine. They had a lot of fun at our expense.During the next few months, we caught alot of work. Engine 94, Ladder 48 was asenior house. The thing that amazed methe most was these guys were real profes-sionals. When it hit the fan, everyonestayed calm and did their job. Guys likeBill Dillon, Dennis Golden, Dennis Pierce,Gene Hessler, J.P. Sullivan, Ed Scott, EdLoehmann, Rod Downie, Big John Brau-nagel, Jim Henderson, Capt. Tom Collins,Capt. John Cunniff, and Eddie Tiejen. Wewould go back to the firehouse and critiquethe job-everyone was in a good mood. Allthese guys worked two jobs, raised fami-lies, and made me proud to be a Fireman.

Eddie Tietjen, was THE guy who stoodout in 48 Truck. He was raised on 138thStreet in the Bronx, and was a Vietnamveteran. He came on the job in 1968 andwas one of the best irons man in the job.Eddie was a Firefighter, a butcher,plumber, and a best friend when you were

in need. He and his wife Mary raised twogreat kids, Dennis and Nicole, inMahopac. Eddie passed away from lungcancer in November 2003 just when hewas about to retire.

One year Ladder 48 was having annualinspection. The Chief of Battalion 3 wasinspecting Eddie’s gear. The Chief kept

saying, “Eddie!” looking down at the beatup boots Eddie was wearing. Eddie keptsaying, “but Chief, they’re your boots.”The Chief said, “Eddie, I need new boots.”Eddie, all the member of Engine 94, Lad-der 48, and the whole Battalion 3 are allbetter men for knowing you. We miss youand we love you.

FF Eddie Tietjen – Deeply Missed!By EDDIE BROWN

Bronx Trustee

FF Eddie Tietjen in front of 48 Truck.

THE MCU HOLIDAY LOAN SALE THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2006

New York’s Credit Union Serving Members Since 1916

10.45%*

Call us today at 1-800-LOAN-MCU or visit www.nymcu.org to apply!* With approved credit. Rate may be higher based on applicant's creditworthiness. Requires direct deposit or automatic payroll deduction as method of repayment. The Annual Percentage Rate will increase

during the term of this transaction if you discontinue payment through payroll deduction or direct deposit. 48 monthly payments of $25.59 on each $1,000 borrowed at 10.45% Annual Percentage Rate.Higher loan amounts available up to $50,000 at just 10.95% APR for up to 60 months. 60 Monthly payments of $21.48 on each $1,000 borrowed at 10.95% Annual Percentage Rate. Rates and terms subject to change without notice. Membership required.

The holidays are upon us and you're probably starting to worry about all thegifts you need to buy, but you don't have to worry about price tags! Get extracash with MCU's Holiday Loan Sale. Borrow up to $25,000 at just 10.45% APRfor up to 48 months. Apply today.

APR

MUN182_HolLoan_7.5x2_SPOT_RED_FIRLNS.qxd 11/1/06 2:56 PM Page 1Photo by STEPHEN N. SYMBOLIK

The officers of Fire Riderspresent Stephen J. Cas-sidy with a $5,000 checkto the Elssaser Fund onNovember 2, 2006 . (L toR) Tony Baldino, FireRiders Secretary; VicD’Aqino, Fire RidersPresident; Robert Straub,UFA Treasurer; Stephen J.Cassidy, UFA President;Tommy “Chang” Ciangi-ola, Vice President; andChuck Kotov, Secretary.

What Will YouExtra Cash Holiday Season?

do with

this

THE MCU HOLIDAY LOAN SALE THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2006

For the third straight year the FDNYvs. NYPD Battle of the Badges camedown to the final bout. The NYPD

Fighting Finest edged out a 4-3 win overThe FDNY Bravest Boxing Team before acrowd of over 1300 at Aviator Sports andRecreation in Brooklyn NY. The bout bybout results are as follows.

FF Matt Burke of Eng. Co 62 lost a closedecision to PO Alex Ayala in the Superheavyweight division. It was a seesaw bat-tle throughout the evenly matched bout.P.O. Ayala swayed the judges by throwingand landing the more effective blows inround three.

FF Filipe Irizany of Eng. Co 66 fought acourageous fight against one of last year’sNYC Golden Glove finalist, PO RussellJung. FF Irizany, in his first bout represent-ing the Bravest Boxing Team, gave POJung all he could handle in this open classcontest before losing a split decision. Itshould be noted that due to injuries to mem-bers of both teams FF Irizany stepped upand took this bout on short notice. He looksforward to the rematch scheduled for Junein San Diego.

In his first bout ever, FF Mike Sandhageof Eng. Co 21 earned a 1st round TKO overP.O. Tom Miserandino. FF Sandhage cameout slugging and did not stop till the refereeended the one sided bout at 2:13 of the 1st

round.FF John “Zorba the Freak” Soukas, of

Lad. Co. 8 fought 3 tough rounds againstP.O. Will Johnson, they battled back andforth but FF Soukas won each round andwas rewarded with the majority decision.He remains undefeated with a record of4-0.

FF Mike Lazzari of Lad. Co 35, whorecently returned home from serving a tourin Iraq, served PO Greg Hamilton a steadydiet of hard body shots that eventually woredown his opponent and won Mike the fight.Mike had just completed the NYCMarathon wearing 25lbs of firefightinggear to raise money for the Wounded War-rior Project.

In the fight of the night, team Captain,Mike “the bowery bum” Reno from Eng.Co 33 fought last year’s 165lb GoldenGlove finalist P.O. Jamaal Spence. Renowas dominating the hard-hitting and biggerSpence and won each of the first three

rounds before getting caught with a sharpright hand, left hook combination in the 4th

and final round. The referee stopped this152lb open class thriller at 2: 34 of the 4th

round. In the final bout of the night, with the

score tied at 3 wins a piece, FF Jack “HUR-RICANE” Kirrane of Eng. Co. 59 took onP.O. Greg Waithe. Kirrane fought anaggressive fight and repeatedly tried to landhis big right hand but he could not catch thewily southpaw Waithe. The decision and

the team win went to the NYPD. In other bouts, FF John Dadon of Eng.

Co. 309 lost a split decision to Angel Ruizof Vets Gym and in an all out slugfest POAlex Chapparo stopped a very game BrianHart of Electchester Boxing.

As always, the Bravest Boxing Teamwelcomes new members and is currentlyin search of additional coaches andtrainers. If you are interested please callteam President Bobby McGuire at (917)282-8727

Page 9Fire LinesNOVEMBER /DECEMBER 2006


Mortgage Services Banking ServicesPurchase, Refinance, Home Equity Personal Loans First Time Home Buyer Program Business Line of Credit

24 Hour Pre-Approvals Business Loans Land and Construction Loans Asset Based Loans Zero Down – 100% - 103% Financing Lease Financing

Commercial Loans

Firefighters Mortgage Hotline 551166--559933--77882266

Email: [email protected]

“I commit to you, as a member of the New York City Fire Department, to try and get you the best program and rate available at the least expense, that serves the needs of you and those you love.”

NO APPLICATION FEE APPRAISAL AND CREDIT FEE WAIVED AT CLOSING

98 Cuttermill Rd. Great Neck, NY 11021 FAX: (516) 593-2524

Email: [email protected]

JOHN McGUIRE

STERLING NATIONAL MORTGAGE CO., INC. IS A PROUD MEMBER OF THE STERLING BANCORP FAMILY OF COMPANIES

NYSE: STL EST. 1929 MEMBER FDIC

RESULTS FOR BATTLE OF THE BADGES 2006

FF Mike "The Bowery Bum" Reno from Eng. Co. 33 hitting PO Jamaal Spence with aright uppercut in their 152lb open class thriller.



To: All Participants

From: Board of Trustees

Re: Annual Membership Report

In compliance with Directive 12, Employee Benefit Finds – Uni-form Reporting and Auditing Requirements, issued by the Officeof the Comptroller of the City of New York, set forth below is areport of the financial condition and operations of the Fund forthe fiscal year ended June 30, 2005.

The Security Benefit Fund of the Uniformed Firefighters Associ-ation provides death, dental, prescription drug, optical, supple-mental hospitalization, supplemental medical-surgical, surgicalanesthesia, obstetrical anesthesia, hearing aid appliance, and in-hospital private duty nursing and widows benefits, to all eligibleparticipants, which include firefighters, marshals, and uniformedwipers pursuant to an Agreement and Declaration of Trust enteredinto between the Uniformed Firefighters Association of GreaterNew York, Local 94, I.A.F.F., AFL-CIO (the UFA) and theTrustees of the Fund. Such benefits are funded through employ-er contributions, which are established by collective bargainingagreements entered into between the UFA and the City of NewYork.

The value of Fund assets, after subtracting liabilities of the Fund,was $31,386,558 as of June 30, 2005, compared to $27,917,669as of July 1, 2004. During the fiscal year the Fund experiencedan increase in its net assets available for benefits of $3,468,889.Additions to the fund totaled $15,700,228. These additionsincluded investment income of $1,521,719, contributions of$13,933,381 and other income of $245,128.

Deductions from the Fund totaled $12,231,339. These deduc-tions included benefits paid to or for participants of $11,708,170and administrative expenses of $523,169.

For additional information write to:Board of Trustees

Security Benefit Fund of theUniformed Firefighters Association

204 East 23rd StreetNew York, NY 10010Or call (212) 683-4723

To: All Participants

From: Board of Trustees

Re: Annual Membership Report

In compliance with Directive 12, Employee Benefit Finds –

Uniform Reporting and Auditing Requirements, issued by the

Office of the Comptroller of the City of New York, set forth

below is a report of the financial condition and operations of the

Fund for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2005.

The Retired Firefighters Security Benefit Fund of the Uniformed

Firefighters Association provides prescription drug, dental, opti-

cal, and certain other benefits to all eligible participants, which

include retired firefighters, marshals, and uniformed wipers pur-

suant to an Agreement and Declaration of Trust entered into

between the Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New

York, Local 94, I.A.F.F., AFL-CIO (the UFA) and the Trustees of

the Fund. Such benefits are funded through employer contribu-

tions, which are established by collective bargaining agreements

entered into between the UFA and the City of New York.

The value of Fund assets, after subtracting liabilities of the Fund,

was $6,787,670 as of June 30, 2005, compared to $4,882,097 as

of July 1, 2004. During the fiscal year the Fund experienced an

increase in its net assets available for benefits of $1,905,573.

Additions to the fund totaled $16,149,027. These additions

included investment income of $163,800, contributions of

$15,488,642, and other income of $496,585.

Deductions from the Fund totaled $14,243,454. These deductions

included benefits paid to or for participants of $13,847,575 and

administrative expenses of $395,879.

For additional information write to:

Board of Trustees

Retired Firefighters Security Benefit Fund of the

Uniformed Firefighters Association

204 East 23rd Street

New York, NY 10010

Or call (212) 683-4723



The World Trade Center MedicalMonitoring Program is the termapplied to both the FDNY Program

and the Mt. Sinai Program which coversfive clinical centers in New York Cityand the surrounding areas. This programis currently being expanded to coverindividuals outside the Metropolitan areawho meet certain criteria.

This program was set up with inputfrom the Unions and was designed totake full advantage of the fact that theBureau of Health Services had baselinerecords of all its firefighters from 1997forward. The Program at Mount Sinaiand other clinics was designed to mimicwhat we were already doing. Whenproblems arose early on, they wereaddressed. The Pulmonary Function Testwas enhanced to bring it up to the tech-nology of the day and additional bloodtesting was added. Lately we have hadthe computer Mental Health componentshortened to better reflect the realities ofthe present.

To clear up some confusion when anactive member goes for their annualmedical with their company, the mem-bers who were active on 9/11 informa-tion goes into the WTC Medical Moni-toring Program and become part of yourpersonal medical history. The newermembers’ data becomes part of theirmedical history. It is always prudent totake your results to your own personalphysician and have them follow-up orconfirm these results.

A recent outreach poster that was sentout needs a little clarification. Thisposter was sent to all the firehouses andsome of the retiree organizations. Thephone number on the poster is forretirees to make appointments. Activemembers are generally seen at theirannual Company Medicals. It is helpfulto keep track of when you have gone,and when you are next scheduled for acompany medical. For those who mighthave been on light duty, vacation, or pro-longed medical leave and may havemissed your medical, you can call theBureau of Health Services at 718-999-0221 to schedule an appointment.Should an active Firefighter come downwith a disease or illness that you feelmight be WTC related and you are notscheduled to go for another medical in

the near future, werespectfully askthat you call theBureau of HealthServices at 718-999-1948 to sched-ule a medicalexam.

Recently, theNew York CityDepartment ofHealth and Mental

Hygiene have released the “ClinicalGuidelines for Adults Exposed to theWTC Disaster”. Both Dr. Kelly and Dr.Prezant helped created this importantdocument with many other noted doctorsand advisors. It would be of your bestinterest to make certain your personalphysician is familiar with its content.This important document can be down-loaded at the following web address:http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/down-loads/pdf/chi/chi25-7.pdf

In my position I am constantly gettingcalls about how best to treat our firefight-ers. While I will always listen to what isbeing said, my participation in manyWTC Medical Monitoring Meetings andattending seminars with Medical Experts,has led me to some necessary realizationson how best to proceed. As your Healthand Safety Officer who is working close-ly with both Dr. Kelly and Dr. Prezant, Ivery much want to stress that there is andnever will be one test that can or willdetect all possible illnesses or diseases. Itis my wish that our Firefighters take anactive role in monitoring their own healthon a periodical basis. This can best beaccomplished by going for your annualexams by the Fire Department and havingannual exams with your own personalphysician. As individuals we know bestwhen something is wrong or differentwith our bodies. It is of urgent impor-tance that we do not dismiss these differ-ences and make the extra effort to seekprofessional guidance.

There are many things that the mem-bers can do to best take care of their bod-ies. Stop smoking, eating right, and reg-ular exercise are the most commonexamples. Some organizations are offer-ing our members different avenues thatthey can take to help themselves. A fewof these are at no cost, while mostinvolve out-of-pocket expenses that arenot covered by insurance. Some mem-bers have experienced benefits from

things such as heavy metal removal pro-grams, herbal medicines and juices, acu-pressure treatments, and yoga amongothers. Additionally, air purifiers andnasal care systems can usually benefitour members who are experiencing pul-monary problems. All these things,while having some benefits, require com-mitment, dedication, and sometimesexpense to achieve their goals. However,none of this should ever take the place ofregular annual exams with the FireDepartment and your own physician.

Body scanning is another subjectthat gets a lot of attention. There areboth upsides and downsides to thismethod. Some of the benefits are theability to spot heart disease and somecancers in the early stages. Some of thedownsides are that it is usually not cov-ered by insurance, there are sometimesfalse positives and it might not pick upeverything. Additionally, there are radia-tion concerns and many times the detec-tion may not increase survival. That iswhy it is generally only used after somesymptoms are uncovered. When thesesymptoms are uncovered in the MedicalMonitoring Program, the firefighter willbe sent for a CAT scan at the Depart-ment’s expense. It is always recom-mended to have your life insurance inplace before you begin testing.

Counseling needs are always going tobe available to our membership. TheCSU has satellite offices which make itconvenient to access. I also believe thatour members should have the option toseek outside counseling, and firefightersalways have the ability to go throughtheir health care provider. Organizationssuch as Friends of Firefighters (718-643-0980) and Safe Horizons (212-747-8581)have always demonstrated to have ourbest interests at heart and are able to pro-vide counseling services at little or nocost to our members.

With NIOSH funding we will be ableto fund more treatments and counselingneeds of the active and retired member-ship. This is a complicated evolvingprocess that is moving quickly to imple-mentation. With added incentives it ishopeful to get the data from the activeand retired firefighters so as to best spottrends and implement the best protectionsfor our membership. We appreciate yourinvolvement in helping us protect you thebest we can. Any questions or concernsplease do not hesitate to contact me.

The WTC Medical Monitoring Program – 5 years laterBy WILLIAM ROMAKAHealth & Safety Officer

OF GREATER NEW YORK204 EAST 23rd STREET, NEW YORK, N.Y. 10010-9998

Tel (212) 683-4832 • Fax (212) 683-0710www.ufanyc.org

DONALD RULANDTrustee-Staten Island ENG. 157

JOHN KELLYTrustee-Brooklyn ENG. 201Chairman, Board of Trustees

STEPHEN HUMENESKYTrustee-Queens ENG. 301

DANIEL MURPHYTrustee-Manhattan ENG. 74

EDWARD BROWNTrustee-Bronx LAD. 48

STEPHEN J. CASSIDYEditor-In-Chief

STEPHEN N. SYMBOLIKManaging Editor

STEPHEN J. CASSIDYPresident ENG. 236

Uniformed Firefighters Association

JAMES SLEVINVice President LAD. 7

JOSEPH MICCIORecording Secretary ENG. 295

ROBERT STRAUBTreasurer ENG. 45

WILLIAM ROMAKAHealth & Safety Officer ENG. 238Sergeant-at-Arms

LESTER LAYNEFire Marshal Representative BFI

ONLY ONE LAW FIRMAs General Counsel to the UFA for over 20 years, we have aproven record of obtaining substantial recoveries for firefightersand their families in all types of personal injury cases.

• Our firm recovered more than $830 Million for ourclients in the last five years alone.

• Over 250 of our clients have been awarded over $1 Million each.

• Line of Duty Injuries • Medical Malpractice • Automobile Accidents • Birth Related Injuries • Pharmaceuticals/Vioxx • Defective Products• Labor Law • Lead Poisoning • Slips and Falls

Contact: Michael Block 212-732-9000

The above figures are based on actual cases the firm has handled. These figures do not guarantee a particular recovery. Each case must stand on its own merit.

SULLIVAN PAPAIN BLOCKMCGRATH & CANNAVO P.C.

55 MINEOLA BOULEVARD 120 BROADWAY 126 STATE STREETMINEOLA, NY 11501 NEW YORK, NY 10271 HACKENSACK, NJ 07601

516-742-0707 212-732-9000 201-342-0037WWW.TRIALLAW1.COM

UFA FIRE AD REVISED.qxd 1/3/06 3:30 PM Page 1


FIRST CLASSU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT # 14

HUNTINGTON, NY

The Fire Lines - December 2006

Documents

Transcript of The Fire Lines - December 2006