" If I were a factory employee, a labourer on the railroad, or a wage earner of any sort, I would undoubtedly join the union of my trade. If I were opposed to the policy of the union, I would join for no other reason than to help rectify that mistake. If I took exception to a dishonest leader, I would join the union to help remove him. In short, I believe in the union, and I believe that all men who benefit by the union, are morally bound to help to the extent of their power in the common interest advanced by the union. Unions, whilst they consist of members, do not belong to the members, but rather, they hold in trust, something for those in the future."
Topics: Bullying in NSW Fire Brigades, ASA Culture Review, New P.M, Morita ASV, Sharan Burrow ITUC Gen Sec, IR Updates, Mining Tax, Solberg Foam, Tax Statements.
Topics: New members, Mark Noble dvd, Vehicle accidents, Lawns maintenance, OH&S Alert, Maroochydore new Fire Station, Morita, New residential study, BCOM annual conference, IR updates, Henry Awesome, Tax.
Our motto is "strength in unity" and we know it works. There will always be however, some people lacking in principle, that may consider selling out their mates, in the belief that they will benefit personally in the long run. Click on (more) to see what Jack London said many years ago of people such as these.
What is available ? For example, featured here is the back view of the union singlet made from podium cool material. The front view has the logo on the left chest and the singlets sell for $16.00 each.
When reading your union member benefits update "click on here" to view it on line. Included in this newsletter is also the annual AFL and NRL footy tipping competition for all the enthusiasts.
The Red Knights MC is an international social organisation for active and retired firefighters and their families with almost 9000 members in 10 countries. They would love to start a Chapter in Australia "click on more' to learn all about it.
Most members are aware of the discussion paper regarding the ARFFS in Australia. The UFU response is presented here for your perusal. Our expectations are that we will be involved further in discussions as this issue is progressed.
Some members wonder about what might happen to them under the Workchoices legislation should the Howard Federal Government be re-elected in 2007. Read on to find out what our New Zealand brothers and sisters suffered under very similar circumstances.
This address http://www.letsfirecancer.org (the actual link is stored under the links heading at the top of the page) will take you to the Retired Professional Firefighters Cancer Fund inc. The site provides a wealth of information for members and is published here in support of this worthwhile cause.
ACT Chief Justice says appointment of acting judges to ease court backlogs will not help the marathon bushfires litigation. Also, a special sitting of Victoria's parliament to debate bushfire findings and in the UK, Merseyside motorbike firefighters must swap helmets.
A Senate committee calls for a royal commission into the home insulation program. Also, Victoria's Bushfires Royal Commission report to be released Saturday week and in the UK, the Union secures a ground breaking win for a sacked firefighter.
The NSW Opposition says a far south coast council should not have to help pay for new fire brigade officers at Batemans Bay. Also, in the UK London's Fire Brigade Commissioner targets 6,000 firefighters with a blog post sack threat .
A surprise turnover at the top and the stage is now set for a federal election that will again focus on the work place. Prime Minister Gillard has said industrial relations will be a battleground.
A digital upgrade for Victoria's fire services; UFU Secretary Peter Marshall says the move is long overdue and addresses an important concern raised at the Bushfires Royal Commission. Also, 10 more fires linked to insulation scheme.
In this edition, One fire service, more firefighters - Victorian firefighters campaign to defend rosters and crewing that maintain on-the-job safety and protect the community. Also, buy local and presumptive explained.
In Western Australia, residents in Toodyay say they are close to litigation over the bushfire that destroyed 38 homes, six months ago. Also, in the USA, cardiac arrest was the No. 1 workplace killer of firefighters last year.
As the impact of the global financial crisis and its aftermath continue to bite, closures of fire stations across the United States are becoming common place. And now the trend is spreading to the debt ridden UK.
This comprehensive review of the UFUA was undertaken by an independent consultant in 2008 to best position the National Union into the future. It examines the direction, structure and role of the National Union. Download a copy (pdf file).
The Annual Survey of Trade Union Rights documents a dramatic increase in the number of trade unionists murdered around the world during 2009. At 101 deaths, this is an increase of 30% across 12 months.
WA firefighters are going to jobs under-prepared, with accidents and danger reports falling on deaf ears. Also, NZ firefighters targeted over truck parking action to highlight exhaust fumes concerns.
Firefighters are at risk of asbestos exposure because of its frequent use in older structures and its ability to linger in the air even after a fire has been extinguished.
A leak to a newspaper previews a scathing analysis of bushfire policy to be delivered to Victoria's Bushfires Royal Commission in its last week of hearings. And in WA, the Defence Department admits training flares caused Karratha fire.
Lawyers for the Black Saturday inquiry urge the Royal Commissioners to recommend Victorian fire agencies overhaul their approach to firefighter safety. And the 'stay or go' policy goes under the RC microscope.
The Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission orders firefighters to move into Perth's new Wellington Street fire station despite unresolved OHS and public safety issues.
The United Firefighters Union wants all Victoria's fire services merged into one with an across-the-board move to career firefighters. RMIT expert says this approach would also reduce duplication and difficulties associated with different equipment, uniforms and communications.
Firefighters are at risk of asbestos exposure because of its frequent use in older structures and its ability to linger in the air even after a fire has been extinguished.
The UFU Queensland Branch pursues WorkCover over its rejection of an injured firefighter's claim. Also, the Canberra bushfires' case likely to continue next year, and Vic CFA chief's departure is a chance to move forward says the Union.
The UFUA National Committee of Management (NCOM) plots a new strategy for the national Union and will, as a priority, pursue presumptive protection for firefighters contracting work-related cancers.
In this edition, Climate change firefighter challenge, Truss Risk, Tour of Duty and Carbon Sink. The regulars are all there too, including Sir Murray Rivers, Charles Livingstone, Chef Mannix and Mick O'Regan,
1,500 Firefighters rally in Melbourne calling for a merger of Victoria's firefighting services. "This is not a union issue, this is a community safety issue,'' says UFUA National Secretary Peter Marshall. Members also delivered the Union's submission to the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission.
In Victoria, The CFA is stretched to the limit and now the MFB now wants to scrap the mandatory minimum number of firefighters on duty. Fire fighters say backing away from the international response standard of 7.7 minutes will cost lives and increase property damage.
In this edition, NCOM targets government recognition of firefighter work-related cancers as a top priority. Also, the Queensland Branch sets up a Personal Exposure Reporting database.
The UFU in Victoria has a win over attempts to privatise training after the MFB backs off from an EO bypass action and an outsourced training proposal. Also, Bushfires Royal Commissioners question a positive assessment of the CFA's new community education campaign.
120 house fires have now been now linked to the Federal Government's home insulation scheme says the Environment Department. A Senate committee is investigating the scheme, which was closed down following four installer deaths.
UFU Members hit the streets of an inner suburban electorate to spread the message about an MFB management plan for service cuts. Firefighters from stations in the marginal seat of Richmond put on a sausage sizzle and collected signatures for a petition to state parliament.
The UFU criticises the state government over lack of resources in the north-west. The election campaign get ugly in robo-call fiasco. Labor leader in last minute compliment to the Greens.
Firefighter cancer - fact or fiction? The U.S.Firefighter Cancer Support Network comments. Plus, weighty issue, a deal reached in the long-running South Yorkshire (UK) fire dispute, the importance of HAZMAT training, and other firefighter story links from across the globe.
In this week's firefighter news stories: Indian firefighters live in colonial era stables, VicRoads under scrutiny at Bushfires RC, DIY oil-to-biodiesel systems a new challenge in the US, plus others from across Australia and around the world.
In this edition, the UFUA National Committee of Management to meet in Perth. With a number of state elections due, and the likelihood of a federal election, 2010 is a critical year for firefighters.
In this week's firefighter news story links; dodgy solar panels pose danger to firefighters, UFU quizzes Tassie election candidates, solar powered fire station first, firefighters promote new CO law, plus other stories from across Australia and around the world.
In this edition, will governments and authorities learn the lessons of Black Saturday, and how sustainable can you Super fund be? Also national, branch and international Union news.
Firefighter news story links. This week; Bushfires Royal Commission Vic Premier's Frankenstein, bullying claims, roof insulation causes 20 fires, sickies beat up, UK firefighters in angry mood, US cold snap snowmobile rescue and others.
Firefighter news story links. This week, more paid firefighters needed, Black Saturday and Black Tuesday remembered, Brazilian firefighters take to the streets, amphibious firefighting aircraft, plus others.
Links to firefighter industrial and OHS news stories from across Australia and around the world. This week: Perth fire station, Greenpeace FBEU bushfire risk warning, old DC10 is Victoria's new water bomber, Spanish firefighter protest attacked and US firefighter deaths drop.
In this edition, Vale Steve Rodman. Aviation firefighter and UFU member Steve Rodman was stationed at the Hobart airport for more than twenty years. He will be sadly missed.
In this edition, New Award concerns! Unionists celebrated the end of WorkChoices, but Labor’s replacement needs improvement to really balance the ledger.
In December, a FairWork Australia full bench will hear the UFU Victoria Branch claim for a single agreement covering all MFB operational staff. The ACTU is supportive but employer reps aren't happy.
Renovations at the Broome Airport fire station have left firefighters exposed to asbestos dust. Asbestos-related disease is insidious; it can appear after a lag period of 20 years or more.
Trans-Tasman cooperation between the NZPFU and the UFUA beats a New Zealand Fire Service management plan to import scab trainers to get around NZ firefighter strike action.
Catch up on media reports of the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission's sessions as it moves through regional Victoria taking evidence and hearing testimony.
As debate about health care reform rages across the United States, firefighters - as first responders - are finding they are becoming the primary medical providers to the poor.
The United States Fire Administration has released its report into firefighter fatalities during 2008. 118 firefighters died while on duty and once again, stress and over exertion, and vehicle crashes, were the leading causes.
In WA, the state's Fire and Emergency Services Authority has been told that firefighters face being trapped in their vehicles if heat from a fire causes damage to truck brake lines.
Alert! As the New Zealand firefighters industrial campaign starts to bite, Fire Service management plans to look to Australia and other countries to find firefighter trainers for bans-breaking work.
Caffeine can be dangerous! This is the alert being issued to US west coast firefighters about the consumption of energy drinks when engaged in strenuous activity.
More than 1,500 MFB and CFA firefighters march through Melbourne's streets demanding action from the State Government and fire authorities to fix Victoria's under-resourced fire services.
In this edition, moves by federal and state governments for uniform OHS laws threaten workplace safety standards with a lowest common denominator solution.
In this edition, 'live better ... join a Union!'. A new ACTU campaign highlights the contribution of trade unions and their members to our work and family lives.
The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) is partnering a new campaign to raise firefighter awareness about the dangers of carbon monoxide. Half the on-duty firefighter deaths in the US are attributed to heart attack or stroke.
In regional Victoria, a recent fatal house fire highlights the need to quickly implement a UFU firefighter recruitment and resourcing plan that has been agreed to by the CFA. But the state government continues to sit on its hands.
After 35 days of hearings, 87 witnesses and 26 community meetings the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission has found the CFA's Chief Officer failed to protect Victorians on Black Saturday. The State government also comes under fire.
Nearly 50 percent of structural fires across Minnesota (USA) last year were caused by cooking-gone-wrong. Fire Chief Joel McColl advises against throwing sugar or flour on a grease fire to avoid creating the explosive force of two sticks of dynamite.
European researchers are developing embedded 'second skin' sensors that will use wireless technology and GPS to improve fireground and emergency scene monitoring of firefighters.
In this edition,firefighters are making headway in talks to establish safe international protection standards. Also, a proposal to 'harmonise' Australian OH&S laws.
In the US, specific dangers in firefighter safety, health and survival have been designated the "big three" threats to North American firefighters. Heart disease is the number one killer.
Analysis of CFA management's role in the tragic Black Saturday bushfires has been lost in a public relations smokescreen reports the ABC. The government's lawyers and "a flurry of ... subtle tweaks to the stay or go policy" are all part of it.
In this edition, the protection of, and support for, firefighters who contract cancer. Firefighters shouldn't have to fight long legal battles while they battle cancer.
In India, firefighters are using yoga to combat stress, remain alert and keep agile. At a fire station in Mumbai, firefighters begin each day's shift with a yoga class. Each session starts at 0600 and goes for an hour.
State-of-the-art and fully staffed, but an incident control centre just five kilometres from a severe bushfire outbreak was not activated on Black Saturday in Victoria.
In this edition, Team Balfour - the ACT firefighter’s death in the Victorian bushfires triggers a huge response and a very long run. Also, the International Fire Fighter Unions Alliance and OH&S queries about ‘green’ hydrocarbon refrigerants.
In NSW, the FBEU has beaten a state government attempt to impose a wage freeze on firefighters. And, despite a horror budget, the state government will spend about 16 times more on police than on firefighters across the coming year.
Queanbeyan firefighters are being trained to deal with snakes. It starts with a harmless python but ends up with a venomous brown. Knowing which end is the tail and having a bag handy is all part of it.
In Melbourne, sick and injured MFB firefighters on WorkCover found their payments below par because of an archaic interpretation of 'wages' MFB management was happy to play along with. The Union stepped and sorted it out.
Victorian authorities were unable to give bushfire threatened residents adequate warnings, nor could they track the path of fires that killed 173 people on Black Saturday.
Perth's $11 million new fire station is yet to be commissioned but already chunks are falling from the façade. "We didn't want to move and now people can see why."
A study by a Monash University research team has no found evidence of higher cancer rates for Queensland firefighters. "We treat this finding somewhat with a bit of caution ..."
The UFU is forced to drag the MFB kicking and screaming into the Industrial Relations Commission to improve access safety at the new Croydon Fire Station for firefighters - and the public.
Thinner, lighter and more flexible. In the USA, a firefighter has come up with a new air pack design. Randy Griffin is working with the US Department of Homeland Security to develop the apparatus.
In this edition, the increasing use of highly flammable hydrocarbon refrigerants worries firefighters. Download a copy (134KB pdf file) to find out more. If you subscribe, we'll drop each edition into your email in-tray.
In this edition, a call for a more rigorous selection process for volunteer firefighters. Download a copy (134KB pdf file) to find out more. If you subscribe, we'll drop each edition into your email in-tray.
In the USA, the propaganda campaign against firefighter presumptive legislation reaches new heights with claims from the National League of Cities disputing the link between firefighting and elevated cancer rates.
WA's State Alert system cost less than half a million dollars and is now being offered to other states for free. However, Victoria wants a national system, likely to cost $40 to $60 million and take five years to roll out.
A better selection process is needed for CFA volunteers says the United Firefighters Union. Victorian Branch Secretary Peter Marshall says psychological screening could be considered.
In this edition, it's dangerous, it's a real hazard for firefighters and it's out there! Also, a plea to backdate increased support for Commonwealth employee dependents.
12,000 athletes, 66 sports, 40 venues; that's the tally for the 2009 World Police and Fire Games to be held in British Columbia, Canada at the end of July this year.
Victorian firefighters gear up to battle the Brumby government's proposed pay rise cuts. Under the state government plan, a leading firefighter stands to lose more than $1,600 across three years.
In this edition, the West Australian Branch of the Union wins major gains for Members after a resounding vote in favour of a new, three year agreement.
Firefighters face a 300% greater risk of cardiac arrest than others in the community and a new study of older firefighters finds that one third suffer from heart disease.
Firefighters in Western Australia are unhappy at having been excluded from legislation decreeing mandatory jail sentences for people who violently attack public officers.
Justice Teague's investigation into the 2009 Victorian bushfire tragedy has begun and the UFU is preparing a submission to the Royal Commission. The Union wants Members to help.
Melbourne firefighters strip in protest at a clothing company's plan to ship jobs offshore. Firefighter gear has been produced by two subsidiaries of the company, Pacific Brands.
ABC Radio National's Alan Saunders talks to a philosopher who has been tangling with ethical issues that face every firefighter in their professional life.
Professional firefighters around the country have established a Trust Fund for the widow and three children of their deceased colleague David Balfour. David was tragically killed in the line of duty while protecting the community from the Victorian fires.
Following yesterday’s tragic loss of an ACT Fire Brigade firefighter in Victoria, the UFUA has respectfully requested each platoon observe a minute’s silence to mourn his passing.
The United Firefighters Union's Victoria Branch has created a new website to enable the public to pass on their thanks to the state's firefighters who worked so hard to protect those threatened by the weekend's bushfires.
Check out the current edition of the Union's national magazine. You'll find national, branch and international news, a report from NCOM and all the regular features.
Download a copy now, for a good read.
A new online newsletter, part of the campaign to bring the management of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) to account and provide the community with a way to help fix chronic Melbourne Fire Service problems.
In the USA, statistics show a slight fall in the total number of firefighters killed while on duty last year. However, wildfire firefighting was considerably more dangerous for US firefighters, with a big increase fatalities.
In Melbourne, the MFB has been spending public money on fire station refurbishments that have left people living in Footscray and surrounding areas worse off.
" If I were a factory employee, a labourer on the railroad, or a wage earner of any sort, I would undoubtedly join the union of my trade. If I were opposed to the policy of the union, I would join for no other reason than to help rectify that mistake. If I took exception to a dishonest leader, I would join the union to help remove him. In short, I believe in the union, and I believe that all men who benefit by the union, are morally bound to help to the extent of their power in the common interest advanced by the union. Unions, whilst they consist of members, do not belong to the members, but rather, they hold in trust, something for those in the future."
Topics: Bullying in NSW Fire Brigades, ASA Culture Review, New P.M, Morita ASV, Sharan Burrow ITUC Gen Sec, IR Updates, Mining Tax, Solberg Foam, Tax Statements.
Unions welcome appointment of Simon Crean as new Workplace Relations Minister
Memorandum to All Members
Topics: New members, Mark Noble dvd, Vehicle accidents, Lawns maintenance, OH&S Alert, Maroochydore new Fire Station, Morita, New residential study, BCOM annual conference, IR updates, Henry Awesome, Tax.
What is available ? For example, featured here is the back view of the union singlet made from podium cool material. The front view has the logo on the left chest and the singlets sell for $16.00 each.
When reading your union member benefits update "click on here" to view it on line.
Fire Station Lawns
How to process an issue of concern through your Union channels.
The 2009-2013 CA is in force and members do not clean Fire Stations.
Special deals for UFU members on VW vehicles
Re-discover the beauty of the Gippsland Lakes
Cheap "Cruise" Voyages for Members
Special Deals for Members
Services include: Banking, Automotive, Shopping, Insurance, Merchandise, Technology, Financial Planning, Superannuation, Movies, Home Loans, Computers, Credit Cards.
The Red Knights MC is an international social organisation for active and retired firefighters and their families with almost 9000 members in 10 countries. They would love to start a Chapter in Australia "click on more' to learn all about it.
Some members wonder about what might happen to them under the Workchoices legislation should the Howard Federal Government be re-elected in 2007. Read on to find out what our New Zealand brothers and sisters suffered under very similar circumstances.
ACT Chief Justice says appointment of acting judges to ease court backlogs will not help the marathon bushfires litigation. Also, a special sitting of Victoria's parliament to debate bushfire findings and in the UK, Merseyside motorbike firefighters must swap helmets.
A Senate committee calls for a royal commission into the home insulation program. Also, Victoria's Bushfires Royal Commission report to be released Saturday week and in the UK, the Union secures a ground breaking win for a sacked firefighter.
The NSW Opposition says a far south coast council should not have to help pay for new fire brigade officers at Batemans Bay. Also, in the UK London's Fire Brigade Commissioner targets 6,000 firefighters with a blog post sack threat .
A surprise turnover at the top and the stage is now set for a federal election that will again focus on the work place. Prime Minister Gillard has said industrial relations will be a battleground.
A digital upgrade for Victoria's fire services; UFU Secretary Peter Marshall says the move is long overdue and addresses an important concern raised at the Bushfires Royal Commission. Also, 10 more fires linked to insulation scheme.
In this edition, One fire service, more firefighters - Victorian firefighters campaign to defend rosters and crewing that maintain on-the-job safety and protect the community. Also, buy local and presumptive explained.
In Western Australia, residents in Toodyay say they are close to litigation over the bushfire that destroyed 38 homes, six months ago. Also, in the USA, cardiac arrest was the No. 1 workplace killer of firefighters last year.
Get back to work! Flaws in WorkCover revealed as a severely injured Victorian firefighter is told to return to work.
As the impact of the global financial crisis and its aftermath continue to bite, closures of fire stations across the United States are becoming common place. And now the trend is spreading to the debt ridden UK.
This comprehensive review of the UFUA was undertaken by an independent consultant in 2008 to best position the National Union into the future. It examines the direction, structure and role of the National Union. 
The Annual Survey of Trade Union Rights documents a dramatic increase in the number of trade unionists murdered around the world during 2009. At 101 deaths, this is an increase of 30% across 12 months.
WA firefighters are going to jobs under-prepared, with accidents and danger reports falling on deaf ears. Also, NZ firefighters targeted over truck parking action to highlight exhaust fumes concerns.
Firefighters are at risk of asbestos exposure because of its frequent use in older structures and its ability to linger in the air even after a fire has been extinguished.
A leak to a newspaper previews a scathing analysis of bushfire policy to be delivered to Victoria's Bushfires Royal Commission in its last week of hearings. And in WA, the Defence Department admits training flares caused Karratha fire.
Lawyers for the Black Saturday inquiry urge the Royal Commissioners to recommend Victorian fire agencies overhaul their approach to firefighter safety. And the 'stay or go' policy goes under the RC microscope.
The Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission orders firefighters to move into Perth's new Wellington Street fire station despite unresolved OHS and public safety issues.
The United Firefighters Union wants all Victoria's fire services merged into one with an across-the-board move to career firefighters. RMIT expert says this approach would also reduce duplication and difficulties associated with different equipment, uniforms and communications.
The UFU Queensland Branch pursues WorkCover over its rejection of an injured firefighter's claim. Also, the Canberra bushfires' case likely to continue next year, and Vic CFA chief's departure is a chance to move forward says the Union.
The UFUA National Committee of Management (NCOM) plots a new strategy for the national Union and will, as a priority, pursue presumptive protection for firefighters contracting work-related cancers.
In this edition, Climate change firefighter challenge, Truss Risk, Tour of Duty and Carbon Sink. The regulars are all there too, including Sir Murray Rivers, Charles Livingstone, Chef Mannix and Mick O'Regan,
1,500 Firefighters rally in Melbourne calling for a merger of Victoria's firefighting services. "This is not a union issue, this is a community safety issue,'' says UFUA National Secretary Peter Marshall. Members also delivered the Union's submission to the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission.
In Victoria, The CFA is stretched to the limit and now the MFB now wants to scrap the mandatory minimum number of firefighters on duty. Fire fighters say backing away from the international response standard of 7.7 minutes will cost lives and increase property damage.
In this edition, NCOM targets government recognition of firefighter work-related cancers as a top priority. Also, the Queensland Branch sets up a Personal Exposure Reporting database.
The UFU in Victoria has a win over attempts to privatise training after the MFB backs off from an EO bypass action and an outsourced training proposal. Also, Bushfires Royal Commissioners question a positive assessment of the CFA's new community education campaign.
UFU Members hit the streets of an inner suburban electorate to spread the message about an MFB management plan for service cuts. Firefighters from stations in the marginal seat of Richmond put on a sausage sizzle and collected signatures for a petition to state parliament.
The UFU criticises the state government over lack of resources in the north-west. The election campaign get ugly in robo-call fiasco. Labor leader in last minute compliment to the Greens.
Firefighter cancer - fact or fiction? The U.S.Firefighter Cancer Support Network comments. Plus, weighty issue, a deal reached in the long-running South Yorkshire (UK) fire dispute, the importance of HAZMAT training, and other firefighter story links from across the globe.
In this week's firefighter news stories: Indian firefighters live in colonial era stables, VicRoads under scrutiny at Bushfires RC, DIY oil-to-biodiesel systems a new challenge in the US, plus others from across Australia and around the world.
In this edition, the UFUA National Committee of Management to meet in Perth. With a number of state elections due, and the likelihood of a federal election, 2010 is a critical year for firefighters.
In this week's firefighter news story links; dodgy solar panels pose danger to firefighters, UFU quizzes Tassie election candidates, solar powered fire station first, firefighters promote new CO law, plus other stories from across Australia and around the world.
In this edition, will governments and authorities learn the lessons of Black Saturday, and how sustainable can you Super fund be? Also national, branch and international Union news.
Firefighter news story links. This week; Bushfires Royal Commission Vic Premier's Frankenstein, bullying claims, roof insulation causes 20 fires, sickies beat up, UK firefighters in angry mood, US cold snap snowmobile rescue and others.
Firefighter news story links. This week, more paid firefighters needed, Black Saturday and Black Tuesday remembered, Brazilian firefighters take to the streets, amphibious firefighting aircraft, plus others.
Links to firefighter industrial and OHS news stories from across Australia and around the world. This week: Perth fire station, Greenpeace FBEU bushfire risk warning, old DC10 is Victoria's new water bomber, Spanish firefighter protest attacked and US firefighter deaths drop.
In this edition, Vale Steve Rodman. Aviation firefighter and UFU member Steve Rodman was stationed at the Hobart airport for more than twenty years. He will be sadly missed.
In this edition, WorkSafe rules the overhaul of Victoria’s emergency command and control structure is not an OHS issue for firefighters.
In this edition, WorkSafe rules the overhaul of Victoria’s emergency command and control structure is not an OHS issue for firefighters.
In this edition, New Award concerns! Unionists celebrated the end of WorkChoices, but Labor’s replacement needs improvement to really balance the ledger.
The UFUA's roundup of links to key firefighter news stories, reports and online comment from around the world. 
In December, a FairWork Australia full bench will hear the UFU Victoria Branch claim for a single agreement covering all MFB operational staff. The ACTU is supportive but employer reps aren't happy.
In this edition, the Rudd government and the states are developing nationwide OHS laws that have the Union movement worried.
The Union's Queensland Branch has established an online Personal Exposure Reporting (PER) system to record harmful exposures at incidents.
Renovations at the Broome Airport fire station have left firefighters exposed to asbestos dust. Asbestos-related disease is insidious; it can appear after a lag period of 20 years or more.
Trans-Tasman cooperation between the NZPFU and the UFUA beats a New Zealand Fire Service management plan to import scab trainers to get around NZ firefighter strike action.
Catch up on media reports of the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission's sessions as it moves through regional Victoria taking evidence and hearing testimony.
As debate about health care reform rages across the United States, firefighters - as first responders - are finding they are becoming the primary medical providers to the poor.
The United States Fire Administration has released its report into firefighter fatalities during 2008. 118 firefighters died while on duty and once again, stress and over exertion, and vehicle crashes, were the leading causes.
In WA, the state's Fire and Emergency Services Authority has been told that firefighters face being trapped in their vehicles if heat from a fire causes damage to truck brake lines.
Caffeine can be dangerous! This is the alert being issued to US west coast firefighters about the consumption of energy drinks when engaged in strenuous activity.
More than 1,500 MFB and CFA firefighters march through Melbourne's streets demanding action from the State Government and fire authorities to fix Victoria's under-resourced fire services.
In this edition, moves by federal and state governments for uniform OHS laws threaten workplace safety standards with a lowest common denominator solution.
In this edition, 'live better ... join a Union!'. A new ACTU campaign highlights the contribution of trade unions and their members to our work and family lives.
In regional Victoria, a recent fatal house fire highlights the need to quickly implement a UFU firefighter recruitment and resourcing plan that has been agreed to by the CFA. But the state government continues to sit on its hands.
Nearly 50 percent of structural fires across Minnesota (USA) last year were caused by cooking-gone-wrong. Fire Chief Joel McColl advises against throwing sugar or flour on a grease fire to avoid creating the explosive force of two sticks of dynamite.
European researchers are developing embedded 'second skin' sensors that will use wireless technology and GPS to improve fireground and emergency scene monitoring of firefighters.
In this edition,firefighters are making headway in talks to establish safe international protection standards. Also, a proposal to 'harmonise' Australian OH&S laws.
In this edition, bureaucratic infighting and stubborn politicians in Victoria threaten a UFUA initiative to protect communities from fire.
Analysis of CFA management's role in the tragic Black Saturday bushfires has been lost in a public relations smokescreen reports the ABC. The government's lawyers and "a flurry of ... subtle tweaks to the stay or go policy" are all part of it.
In this edition, the protection of, and support for, firefighters who contract cancer. Firefighters shouldn't have to fight long legal battles while they battle cancer.
In India, firefighters are using yoga to combat stress, remain alert and keep agile. At a fire station in Mumbai, firefighters begin each day's shift with a yoga class. Each session starts at 0600 and goes for an hour.
State-of-the-art and fully staffed, but an incident control centre just five kilometres from a severe bushfire outbreak was not activated on Black Saturday in Victoria.
In this edition, Team Balfour - the ACT firefighter’s death in the Victorian bushfires triggers a huge response and a very long run. Also, the International Fire Fighter Unions Alliance and OH&S queries about ‘green’ hydrocarbon refrigerants.
In NSW, the FBEU has beaten a state government attempt to impose a wage freeze on firefighters. And, despite a horror budget, the state government will spend about 16 times more on police than on firefighters across the coming year.
Queanbeyan firefighters are being trained to deal with snakes. It starts with a harmless python but ends up with a venomous brown. Knowing which end is the tail and having a bag handy is all part of it.
In Melbourne, sick and injured MFB firefighters on WorkCover found their payments below par because of an archaic interpretation of 'wages' MFB management was happy to play along with. The Union stepped and sorted it out.
Victorian authorities were unable to give bushfire threatened residents adequate warnings, nor could they track the path of fires that killed 173 people on Black Saturday.
Perth's $11 million new fire station is yet to be commissioned but already chunks are falling from the façade. "We didn't want to move and now people can see why."
A study by a Monash University research team has no found evidence of higher cancer rates for Queensland firefighters. "We treat this finding somewhat with a bit of caution ..."
The UFU is forced to drag the MFB kicking and screaming into the Industrial Relations Commission to improve access safety at the new Croydon Fire Station for firefighters - and the public.
Thinner, lighter and more flexible. In the USA, a firefighter has come up with a new air pack design. Randy Griffin is working with the US Department of Homeland Security to develop the apparatus.
In this edition, the increasing use of highly flammable hydrocarbon refrigerants worries firefighters. Download a copy (134KB pdf file) to find out more. If you 
In this edition, a call for a more rigorous selection process for volunteer firefighters. 
WA's State Alert system cost less than half a million dollars and is now being offered to other states for free. However, Victoria wants a national system, likely to cost $40 to $60 million and take five years to roll out.
A better selection process is needed for CFA volunteers says the United Firefighters Union. Victorian Branch Secretary Peter Marshall says psychological screening could be considered.
In this edition, it's dangerous, it's a real hazard for firefighters and it's out there! Also, a plea to backdate increased support for Commonwealth employee dependents.
12,000 athletes, 66 sports, 40 venues; that's the tally for the 2009 World Police and Fire Games to be held in British Columbia, Canada at the end of July this year.
Victorian firefighters gear up to battle the Brumby government's proposed pay rise cuts. Under the state government plan, a leading firefighter stands to lose more than $1,600 across three years.
In this edition, the West Australian Branch of the Union wins major gains for Members after a resounding vote in favour of a new, three year agreement.
In this edition, the Union's Queensland Branch leadership delivers a big win for firefighters and a successful conclusion to the fair wage campaign.
Firefighters face a 300% greater risk of cardiac arrest than others in the community and a new study of older firefighters finds that one third suffer from heart disease.
Firefighters in Western Australia are unhappy at having been excluded from legislation decreeing mandatory jail sentences for people who violently attack public officers.
Justice Teague's investigation into the 2009 Victorian bushfire tragedy has begun and the UFU is preparing a submission to the Royal Commission. The Union wants Members to help.
Melbourne firefighters strip in protest at a clothing company's plan to ship jobs offshore. Firefighter gear has been produced by two subsidiaries of the company, Pacific Brands.
ABC Radio National's Alan Saunders talks to a philosopher who has been tangling with ethical issues that face every firefighter in their professional life.
The Rudd Government's new workplace laws threaten the entitlements of professional firefighters. The UFUA wants the Senate to amend the legislation.
On February 17, 2009 the United Firefighters Union of Australia, ACT Fire Brigade and the community lost a valued colleague in tragic circumstances.
Professional firefighters around the country have established a Trust Fund for the widow and three children of their deceased colleague David Balfour. David was tragically killed in the line of duty while protecting the community from the Victorian fires.
Following yesterday’s tragic loss of an ACT Fire Brigade firefighter in Victoria, the UFUA has respectfully requested each platoon observe a minute’s silence to mourn his passing.
The United Firefighters Union's Victoria Branch has created a new website to enable the public to pass on their thanks to the state's firefighters who worked so hard to protect those threatened by the weekend's bushfires.
Check out the current edition of the Union's national magazine. You'll find national, branch and international news, a report from NCOM and all the regular features.
A new online newsletter, part of the campaign to bring the management of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) to account and provide the community with a way to help fix chronic Melbourne Fire Service problems.
In the USA, statistics show a slight fall in the total number of firefighters killed while on duty last year. However, wildfire firefighting was considerably more dangerous for US firefighters, with a big increase fatalities.
Here's a reminder from the not too distant past about why Melbourne's MFB management practices need a thorough investigation at the highest level.
In Melbourne, the MFB has been spending public money on fire station refurbishments that have left people living in Footscray and surrounding areas worse off.
Links to stories published on the United Firefighters of Australia national website.
