News
The North
Carolina State Firemen’s Association is requesting your help in
identifying members of our NC fire service who are currently or
recently (Iraq War) deployed as part of a Guard or Reserve unit. We
are planning a pretty spectacular tribute to them as part of a
patriotic theme for our opening ceremony. It will definitely be
different from any opening in recent memory. Please send the
following information for anyone that fits the description:
Full Name
Military Rank
Military Unit
(if possible)
Location of
Deployment (if possible)
Fire/Rescue
Department Rank
Fire/Rescue
Department Name
Photo if
possible (Any photo will do – Military, Fire Uniform- Civilian)
We have the
help of the Employee Support of the Guard and Reserve organization
that may actually be able to acquire a short video message from
those deployed if we can identify them.
Thank you in
advance for your help. Please forward this request to anyone who
you think may be able to help or who would have someone to
recognizer but is not on this distribution list.
Send the
information to the North Carolina State Firemen’s Association, P.O.
Box 188, Farmville, NC 27828. Our fax number is (252) 753-2626 and
our email is
paul@ncsfa.com,
Melissa@ncsfa.com or
Jeff@ncsfa.com
The North Carolina State Firemen’s Association has been exploring new
avenues for generating income to drive existing programs and improve our
internal operations. As we have stated before our insurance coverage
for line-of-duty death or injury as well as our 24 hour Accidental Death
and Dismemberment Plan is among the best in the nation. But the program
does not come cheap. We foresee premium increases due to the amount of
claims that are being paid. As a result of our studies, we have
discovered that at this time approximately 26 states have formed a
partnership with the Civic Development Group which is a telemarketing
firm located in New Jersey. We have put a great deal of time into
research on this company, and we can find nothing but glowing reports
from all of the states partnering with CDG. They are not your average
telemarketing firm. They specialize in emergency services. They
understand what we do and what we are about. This translates into
better service with fewer problems. They currently operate in North
Carolina representing several law enforcement groups. These groups are
also delighted with their relationship with CDG. Most of the states
signed a three year contract with CDG. We have taken a less aggressive
route, and we signed a one year contract with the firm. This gives us an
opportunity to see if the service is all we hope it will be and hear
that it is. If we are pleased with the service and the results, we may
sign a three year contract in the future. Some of the funds derived
from the program will be used to enhance benefits or make premium
payments on our insurance coverage. But not all of the funds will be
used to provide direct benefits. Some will be used to help offset
increased operating costs of the Association and to update some
equipment such as our computer system. These expenditures are
necessary to improve our service to you, but they too come with a price
tag. I want to make sure that everyone understands that the funds we
hope to receive may not and probably will not mean that we will forgo
any future dues increases. But hopefully it will mean that the increase
will be smaller. Inflation and the increased costs associated with
doing business takes its toll on everyone, and we are no exception. The
NCSFA is financially sound, but we must make good decisions today if we
hope to stay actuarially sound in the future. This is one of those
steps. If you have a scheduled fund raiser in your area, please call
our office and let us know. We will ask CDG not to make calls into your
service area during your fund raiser. The NCSFA is excited about this
new endeavor, and we will keep you posted on the program. You may
receive calls asking if the program is legitimate, and it is. CDG is
operating on behalf of and under contract with the North Carolina State
Firemen’s Association. You can assure those contributing that this
program is above board.
Please ask your firefighters and rescue
squad personnel to call your local legislators and ask them to support
House Bill 763 and Senate Bill 710. The Bills are asking for the same
basic retirement benefits
as law enforcement. These bills provide an excellent opportunity for
us to begin a process to bring us in line with law enforcement in the
area of retirement benefits. We are all aware of the difference in
retirement benefits related to the separation allowance and in some
instances a discrepancy in the 401(k) benefit among cities; however,
there are a number of major differences in the
basic retirement
benefits between the two services as well. These basic differences
should be addressed before we can make a serious bid to achieve any
kind of parity with law enforcement.
I have
attached a benefits comparison
that was presented to Representative Culpepper and Senator Swindell
who introduced the legislation.
House sponsors are: (primary)
Representatives Culpepper; Co-sponsors Faison, LaRoque, Martin, Moore,
Pierce, and Wainwright
Senate sponsors are: (primary) Senators
Swindell; Co-sponsors Albertson,
Atwater, Bingham, Boseman, Holloman, Hoyle, Jenkins, Malone, Rand,
Stevens, Thomas, and Tillman
There may be some opposition to the bill
from agencies outside the fire service and some internal to the fire
service. The question is how long do we continue to wait until the
perfect bill is in place before we support something that is truly
beneficial for the fire service? We have been talking about
retirement benefits for some 18 years (since law enforcement received
the separation allowance in 1987). The only legislative change in the
local government retirement system benefit (with the exception of
across the board benefit increases) we have seen in that 18 year time
span is the change from a 5 year in-line-of-duty disability to a one
year in-line-of-disability.
This legislation is good for the
employee’s of the fire service. Please ask your people to begin
calling now. The bill is scheduled to go to committee next week. I
believe this bill gives us a great start toward creating some
meaningful dialogue with our representatives and provides the vehicle
in which we begin working with them to obtain some parity for the
firefighters and rescue squad workers of the State.
NC Blanket of Protection Interview with Lt. Steven Stewart -
click here
to view it!
