Florida IAFF Newswire Current news directly from Florida IAFF locals.

ST. PADDY DAY SHIRTS 2023 01/24/23 - IAFF 1826 2023 St. Paddy Day Shirts are now available to order online.

HB239andSB224 01/19/23 - Suncoast Firefighters

Notice of Nominations 01/18/23 - IAFF 1826 Please click on the link to see information regarding positions up for re-election.

Mission BBQ Blue Hometown Heros Cups 01/13/23 - IAFF 1826 $2 from each Blue Hometown Heroes Cup purchased will go to... The Local 1826 International Association of Firefighters Leroy Nottingham Benevolent Fund, Guns and Hoses of Southwest Florida, and the Lee County Sheriff's Office Fallen Deputy Memorial Foundation.  These cups are running until March 1st, so stop by and grab yours today.

SMFD's UAS Team Awarded the "Best Drone Response to a Fire Operations" at IEDO Conference 12/29/22 - Suncoast Firefighters Congratulations to Southern Manatee Fire’s UAS team for bringing home the “Best Drone Response to a Fire Operations” award during the International Emergency Drone Organization (IEDO) conference, held in Paris, France on December 12th .

ARFFTrainerRibbonCutting 11/30/22 - Suncoast Firefighters

CrashResponderSafety 11/15/22 - Suncoast Firefighters

Local Firefighters honored at Commission Meeting 11/09/22 - Suncoast Firefighters Venice Firefighters, along with Sarasota County and Nokomis fire departments were recognized during the City of Venice Commission meeting for extinguishing an early morning fire in Country Club Estates on Sept. 29 after Hurricane Ian hit the area. Firefighters battled high winds and other hazards to put out the blaze; which destroyed 6 mobile homes in the park.

Chill Factor 10/17/22 - Suncoast Firefighters Firefighters are cool under pressure. But responding to trauma can take its toll. Check out this episode of Dogs of Destiny, spotlighting Drew, North River Fires therapy dog.

2022 Congressional Fire and Rescue/EMS Award Winners 09/19/22 - Suncoast Firefighters Congratulations to all of this year's recipients.

1st Annual First Responder's Dive Challenge 09/15/22 - Suncoast Firefighters Charlotte County recently competed in the 1st Annual First Responder's Dive Challenge, placing second overall. Zach Ballard claimed third place in the single person division.

Open Enrollment 2023 08/31/22 - Palm Beach County Fire Fighters Employee Benefits Fund For coverage beginning January 1, 2023    MEDICAL & DENTAL INSURANCES      WHEN:  OCTOBER 25, 2022 - NOVEMBER 08, 2022

Trustee 1 Candidates Notice of Election 08/31/22 - Palm Beach County Fire Fighters Employee Benefits Fund Voting for the position of Trustee #1 will commence on the morning of June 27th and end at 5pm on July 1st. Voting will be done on a secured website to which the Fund staff and Trustees do not have access; they will only be provided the final results once voting has been closed. The site which will be accessed through a link on our website has a proven track record in handling on-line voting for many Unions across the country.

Special Election Trustee 1 08/31/22 - Palm Beach County Fire Fighters Employee Benefits Fund An opening on the Board of Trustees for the Palm Beach County Firefighters Employee Benefits Fund has become available.  Trustee position #1 has recently become vacant, therefore a special election will be held to fill the remainder of the term which will end on May 31, 2026.

PFA's and Firefighter Cancer Risks 08/24/22 - Suncoast Firefighters the IAFF is speaking out about the connection between PFA's and cancer risks.

IAFF Teams up With American Cancer Society 08/15/22 - Suncoast Firefighters The IAFF is taking monumental steps to understand cancer and firefighters. Subscribe to the IAFF on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.

Boots on the Ground 08/04/22 - Suncoast Firefighters Our boots on the ground political operation is in full swing for all our friends running for office. Every race and endorsement is important to Local 2546.

ManateeCountyChiefsGallantryStarforBravery 07/28/22 - Suncoast Firefighters SMFR DVP Derek Foss was awarded the Manatee County Chiefs Gallantry Star for Bravery. The highest award possible in Manatee County. DVP Foss made the selfless act of donating an organ to another so that she could continue to live life. The Organ Recipient Bri Baker was present to give this award.

MDA Boot Drive Shirt Contest Winner 07/27/22 - Suncoast Firefighters Congratulations to the winner of our MDA Shirt Design Contest,  Brother Alan Glass! Brother Glass is a member of the Cedar Hammock Fire Rescue unit. His design will be on the shirt used for our yearly Boot Drive.

Trustee 1 Election Results 07/01/22 - Palm Beach County Fire Fighters Employee Benefits Fund   Congratulations to the newest member of the Board of Trustees, Bradley LaBar (Trustee 1). We would like to take this opportunity to thank Jason Wasielewski for many years of service to the Fund and its members.

Trustee 3 & 4 Election Results 07/01/22 - Palm Beach County Fire Fighters Employee Benefits Fund Congratulations to Brian Prather (Trustee 3) and Roberta Manger (Trustee 4) for their election as new Trustees of the Palm Beach County Firefighters Employee Benefits Fund. Their term in office starts June 1.  We thank both Brent Henderson and John Flaherty for their decades of service to the Fund. Both chose not to run for re-election.

Fight For Air Climb 06/22/22 - Suncoast Firefighters Members from West Manatee Fire took to the steps of Raymond James Stadium to raise funds for the American Lung Association. Aaron Reese, Clayton Lease, Frank Agresta, Robert Haygood and Max Pollock along with other area firefighters; dressed in full gear maneuvered 1,377 steps each to promote awareness for the millions of Americans affected by lung disease.

Benefits Fund "NEW" Trustee 8 06/16/22 - Palm Beach County Fire Fighters Employee Benefits Fund Congratulations to Traci Moore for winning the Trustee 8 Position

DON’T BOTHER ME! 05/31/22 - Palm Beach County Fire Fighters Employee Benefits Fund The number one reason that we hear from Plan Participants when they finally reach out to us when they are having problems or trying to get answers about claims is they “didn’t want to bother us”, and we want you to know that it bothers us when you don’t bother us. Your 1st call should not be to UMR or Sav-Rx, it should be to Fund staff.

HometownHeroesHousing 05/24/22 - Suncoast Firefighters Gov.