Greetings,
As we enter the Thanksgiving Day Holiday, let us remember that there
will always be much to be thankful for. Our troops and first responders
continue to do much to make us proud, protect our freedoms and protect the homes
and lifestyles we have grown accustomed to. While we give thanks, we should
continue to hold our Hurricane Sandy victims and their families in our thoughts
and prayers as they traverse the long tough road ahead of them.
In the past few weeks since those dreadful first days, the IAFF and
its staff, have stood tall and made us all proud of their caring nature in
rushing to the defense of our aggrieved brethren. From the General President,
General Secretary/Treasurer, and all our District Vice Presidents have stepped
up to the plate to offer their support in moral, physical and financial ways to
try to make a difference and ease the suffering. More than that, it let our
firefighters, and fire officers to understand they were not alone in their
struggles to comprehend what they have gone through. Our staff in Washington
has provided professional assistance and optimal customer service to all our
members whose lives have been forever changed by this lasting event. For that,
I cannot thank you enough.
The past week, I have been down to Atlantic City to see firsthand
the problems they have encountered. I have been out to Long Beach also in an
effort to facilitate getting our IAFF Disaster Relief Assistance to our members
as quickly as possible. Once more, my thanks and appreciation go out to DVP
Danny Todd, our own Patrick Morrison, Walter Dix, David Lang, Peter Reagan and
Mark Treglio for making it easier for our members to get the assistance they
need. Retired DVP Emeritus Kevin Gallagher has worked to distinguish himself
with his firsthand knowledge of the problems at hand, and his many personal
resources to help address some of them. He continues to lead by example!
Currently, the amount of requests coming in is slowing down
considerably. The message is getting out. Additionally, other avenues of
resources are being found, but it is important to remember that the IAFF has
always led the way here, and in other disasters. Some up to date numbers are as
follows:
• In New Jersey, we have approximately 51 recipients of the IAFF Disaster
Relief Assistance grants. Additionally, there is at least one in Connecticut
who has benefitted from our assistance.
• Approximately 678 New York State firefighters and fire officers (this
includes Long Beach, and other Long Island areas on the water) have already
received their $500 assistance. Total current numbers are approximately 730
recipients for the whole 1st District.
Now comes the hard part. What to do next. I know and appreciate the many calls
for assistance that have been coming in. Our members have stepped up in too
many ways to count, whether it be truckloads of supplies and food, or our
Firefighters Coats for Kids Program, and our Brothers and Sisters offer of
assistance to rehab these shells our members once considered homes. Please
inform our members that before they begin coming here to help, there are some
issues that need to be addressed. These issues include the following:
• Where are you staying? Housing is at a premium as many of our families
and others are taking all the available stock.
• Remember the time of year. We are approaching winter and the weather
is not going to get better. There will be a need to dress appropriately as many
of these houses are without heat and electricity still.
• What about food? Right now, donations are feeding many of our affected
members and their families. Many of these areas don’t have restaurants or
stores readily available.
• Where are you going to work? Staten Island, the Rockaways, Long Beach
and other areas are not right next to each other.
• What is the reason you are coming here, and what are the chances of
succeeding in those reasons?
• Realize that this is not like other disasters. This is over a very
large area and getting around is not the easiest. What might have worked in the
past, might be totally different now because of these factors. This will be a
long drawn out process.
The realization is that this is going to be a long and tedious endeavor.
Insurance companies will most likely have the word on when things can move
forward, as will federal agencies such as FEMA. By now, you might also be aware
of our aristocratic Mayor whose Department of Health inspectors have already
ticketed our firefighters serving food voluntarily for not following Department
of Health guidelines. If you want to stay on the right side of this Mayor, you
might try to ride a bicycle in to town, as he seems distracted by such an
annoyance as a Hurricane interfering with his weekend getaways.
The best way to help continues to be contributing to our IAFF
Disaster Relief Assistance fund, as we would like to continue to have the
resources available to help all our members in their time of need. Please
continue to have anyone interested in coming here contact Meagan at “Friends of
Firefighters” at 718-643-0980, and be prepared with some answers to the
questions above. You can also find out more information about helping at
www.friendsoffirefighters.com<http://www.friendsoffirefighters.com> .
My wife, Sandy, and I wish all of you nothing but the best this
Thanksgiving Holiday, and always! Despite all that has happened, there will
always remain things to be thankful for! God bless you, your family, and God
bless our troops!
Bill Romaka
IAFF 1st District Vice President
Cell 917-834-1414