TV Tonight, CN Cancer Death, Layoff Lunacy. (The Secret List) TV Tonight, CN Cancer Death, Layoff Lunacy. (The Secret List)

Hey,

On PBS tonight, the TV show "American Experience" will feature the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City that killed 146 workers and led to industry reforms.

MORE ABOUT TONIGHTS SHOW HERE: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/triangle/

MORE ABOUT THE FIRE HERE: http://tinyurl.com/68245p2

CORNELL UNIVERSITY RESEARCH ON THE FIRE: http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/trianglefire/

CANADIAN FIREFIGHTER CANCER RELATED LINE OF DUTY DEATH:

It is with deep regret that we advise you of the Line of Duty Death of 35 year veteran Battalion Chief James (Jim) Thomas Banting of IAFF Local 2494, Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. Chief Banting 55, passed away on February 23, 2011 from complications associated with job related colon cancer.

MORE DETAILS HERE: www.fortmcmurrayfirefighters.com

AND HERE: http://www.afca.ab.ca/classifieds/10-memorials/606-lodd-battalion-chief-james-banting

As always, our sincere condolences.

MICHIGAN, CALIFORNIA AND NEW JERSEY.

THE LAYOFF LUNACY CONTINUES …IN MICHIGAN: "Why Do We Even Exist?"

After getting ready to layoff his entire FD, the Allen Park City Administrator resigned yesterday. Eric "Outta Town" Waidelich turned in his resignation to the City Council at a special meeting Sunday. Councilwoman Beverly Kelley said she voted not to accept the resignation. "He’s in the middle of negotiations with the Firefighters…. Who’s going to step in?" she said. Last week, the council approved laying off the 25-person fire department and the fire chief. The city is trying to eliminate a $600,000 deficit for the current fiscal year.

Fire Chief Doug LaFond said he would be laid off as well….(continued below…)

RELATED QUESTION/COMMENTARY:

If a City Cannot Afford A Fire Department, And Related Basic Services, Is It Really A City?

"…..if Allen Park can’t support fire service then it really has no reason to exist as an autonomous entity. After all, what’s the point of a city if it’s unable or unwilling to fund the basic public services? There isn’t one. This is the stuff of failed Third World states. It’s time Michigan got serious about consolidating cities and townships as well as the state’s 550 school districts. Civic pride and cheering for the old Alma Mater are nice, if we want to pay for them. But we don’t…."

MORE of This Interesting Commentary HERE: http://tinyurl.com/6xm8uzx

It seems the word "Michigan" could easily be replaced in the above article by many other areas as well. Consolidations. Mergers. Collaborations.

And those are almost always better off when lead, studied and proposed by Fire Officials, than City Hall.

Just say’n.

LAYOFFS AND CUTS LEAD TO FIREFIGHTER INJURIES AT WORKING FIRES THIS PAST WEEKEND

And it shouldn’t surprise anyone.

But laying off Firefighters, slicing budgets and cutting fire/EMS companies IS NOT like laying off or cutting sanitation workers or other non-emergency service personnel such as parks and recreation folks. We knew you knew that-we just felt like saying it again (it’s therapy) – on the off chance that some city hall dweller might actually start to get it. Or at least they should clearly inform their taxpayers that less Firefighters than predictably required for a fire = more stuff burning up. And then there is the issue of the citizen needing that rescue or those Firefighters being put in a position to still do the job, under sometimes ridiculous conditions.

FF’S INJURED IN CALIFORNA: http://tinyurl.com/5w43j5g

FF’S INJURED IN NEW JERSEY: http://tinyurl.com/4bamnqk

Take Care-BE CAREFUL.

BillyG

The Secret List 2-28-11 / 1445 Hours

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