


“We were in the slow lane, they were in the fast lane, the passenger window was down and her foot was hanging out the window by the mirror,” said Paul Gobillot, who was with fellow firefighter Greg Ryskie.
Read story in the Province Newspaper


The Greater Vancouver Fire Fighters featured in this years calendar appear at various fundraisers all with the purpose to promote the calendar in support of the Burn Fund and various other charities including the CKNW Orphan's Fund.

Our Vancouver Fire Fighters' "Pot on the Stove" Celebrity cookbook features favourite recipes of celebrities, including Sarah McLaughlin, Michael Buble, Jamie Oliver, Trevor Linden, Steve Nash, and many others. Proceeds benefit BC Children's Hospital.

On June 5th, CKNW radio conducted a debate between the NPA Candidates for Vancouver Mayor, Peter Ladner and Sam Sullivan. President Rod MacDonald from the Vancouver Fire Fighters' Union called in with a question to both candidates.
Please click on the following link to hear the debate and the answer to President MacDonald's question.
Forward the media player to 10:44.
Katie DeRosa
Times Colonist
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
The province will recognize primary site testicular cancer as an occupational disease for firefighters and will soon add primary site lung cancer in non-smokers to the list, Labour and Services Minister Olga Ilich announced yesterday at the B.C. Professional Firefighters Association biennial convention.
"The burden of proof is no longer on the firefighter," said Ilich to the crowd of association members at the Hotel Grand Pacific in Victoria. "They and their family don't have to fight to have their illnesses recognized as an occupational disease."
Lung cancer will be added to the seven cancers already on the list following a legislative amendment to the Worker's Compensation Act, said Ilich. Once that happens, firefighters will be able to receive compensation for lung cancer retroactive to May 27.
Al Leier, the association's president, called it a success for firefighters struggling to pay medical bills for diseases not covered under the act.
"This is a tremendous addition for our members," said Leier.
The province first recognized certain types of cancer as work-related diseases in 2005 and the association has since been lobbying the government to add testicular and lung cancer. Leier said the association will continue to lobby the government to add more types of cancer to the list.
"Firefighters are one of the most studied groups in the world in terms of what toxins go into our bodies and I think the list will continue to grow."
The cancers already recognized are primary site brain cancer, primary site bladder cancer, primary site kidney cancer, primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, primary site ureter cancer, primary leukemia and primary site colorectal cancer.;
Rod MacDonald, the association's executive vice president and president of the Vancouver Fire Fighters union, lost a fellow firefighter, Robert Hall, last year to colorectal cancer. Visiting his friend in hospital, MacDonald said because Hall was covered, he was able to get the best care available and die knowing that his family will be well taken care of. MacDonald, a 29-year veteran firefighter, said he is thrilled that comfort can now be extended to those suffering from testicular cancer and lung cancer.
"It doesn't ease the pain but it does ease the burden."
Testicular cancer a hazard for firefighters - Read Vancouver Sun Article

Local 18 Member George J. Richardson of Vancouver, British Columbia, was a founding delegate of the IAFF in 1918 and would serve as General Secretary-Treasurer for 36 years.
Watch his story.
View the IAFF History Website

Five of our Vancouver Fire Fighters have just returned from El Salvador after a very successful (voluntary) trip in which they trained 32 members of the National Service of El Salvador over a period of 10 days. The training focused on three main areas; Auto-Extrication, High-Angle Rescue and Apparatus Familiarization.
We were asked many times to thank all the fire fighters of Vancouver for their support, so in their own words "Muchas Gracias Hermanos" (Thank you very much Brothers).
We also thank the National Service of El Salvador for their overwhelming hospitality!
Are you interested in having Fire Fighters volunteer at your fundraiser?
The members of the Vancouver Fire Fighters' Union, Local 18 donate several thousand hours of volunteer time each year. We are always more than happy to be involved with community-based and/or charity related events. Our goal is to help you make your event as successful as possible.
We strongly believe in education and the role it plays in the health of our community. To this end, we are providing six $500.00 bursaries to eligible graduating high school students to assist them in achieving their educational goals.
FURTHER INFORMATION
DOWNLOAD APPLICATION FORM
DEADLINE: APRIL 30, 2008

Our Vancouver Fire Fighters' Charitable Society is pleased to be in our 3rd year of committing a total $45,000 to the KidSafe Project Society.
What is kidsafe? Read more . . .
