Vancouver Fire Fighter to
     Carry the Olympic Torch!!

On February 11th at 2:45 pm, Vancouver Fire Fighter Brian Bodganovich will proudly carry the Olympic torch from 12th and Columbia to Vancouver City Hall, where he will pass the flame to a member of the Vancouver Police Department!

Come cheer on Brian as he fulfills his dream of carrying the torch!! 

The photo below shows Brian Bogdanovich with Steve Nash.  This photo was taken for our "Pot on the Stove" Celebrity Charity Cookbook, which Brian put together for BC Children's Hospital.

IAFF Members on USAR Teams Deployed to Haiti

Updated January 22, 2010 – The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) is seeking French/Creole-speaking first responders to assist in disaster relief efforts in Haiti, if needed. Click here for more information.

In the aftermath of the worst earthquake to hit Haiti in more than 200 years, Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Teams comprised of IAFF members from across North Anerica are being deployed to the disaster zone to perform rescue operations, provide medical care and other needed emergency services. Read more...

USAR Teams Continue Life-Saving Efforts

January 22, 2010 -- I know many of you have seen footage of the latest life-saving efforts of our Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams deployed in Haiti.

It has been incredibly gratifying to witness their awe-inspiring work as they race against the clock in the face of enormous danger and adversity to save so many people who remain trapped in the rubble of the January 12 earthquake. I am proud to say that as of early today, our members have been credited with rescuing at least 43 people.

Some USAR teams have now been in Haiti for more than a week, and others were on standby awaiting deployment. Search and rescue activities continue under the direction of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Nations. Teams from the United States and Canada that were deployed and those that stood ready for deployment before being released by either USAID or the Canadian government include:

• Virginia (Fairfax County TF1 and Virginia Beach TF2)
• California (Los Angeles County TF2)
• Florida (Miami-Dade County TF1 and Miami TF2)
• New York City (TF1)
• Ohio (TF1)
• Texas (TF1)
• California (Orange County TF5 and Sacramento TF7)
• Toronto

As our USAR teams continue their life-saving work, their efforts reaffirm just how vital each member of this union is to their own community – and to the rest of the world.

The specialized skills that our USAR and Canadian Heavy Urban Search and Rescue (HUSAR) teams of highly-trained professional fire fighters possess are urgently needed in rescue and recovery efforts domestically and internationally. The IAFF will continue to strongly support the immediate deployment of these teams in an emergency. And we will do everything we can to urge Congress and Parliament to provide the funding necessary to ensure that our USAR and HUSAR teams have all the resources and training they need to respond to emergencies and save lives – wherever they're needed.

Fraternally,

Harold Schaitberger
General President