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- No Second Chance for 9/11 FDNY Firefighters — 6 comments
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Jan 02
Mayor Bloomberg: 9/11 FDNY Firefighters Deserve Rehabilitation, not Termination
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg City Hall New York, NY 10007 Dear Mayor Bloomberg, I am writing concerning the terminations of the 9/11 FDNY firefighters and the current Zero Tolerance Policy for substance abuse. I have been a volunteer working with these firefighters since 2002. I am deeply troubled by this policy and the terminations, knowing …
May 15
No Second Chance for 9/11 FDNY Firefighters
9/11 FDNY firefighters suffering respiratory problems, post traumatic stress, anxiety, sleeplessness, and depression are being terminated on the charge of substance abuse, leaving them without pensions or health care. An investigation into the treatment they were offered revealed a woefully inadequate response to the trauma they suffered. Left to cope for themselves, these firefighters were …
Jan 08
National Mentoring Month: Firefighters are the best Mentors!
There are so many stories of young kids hanging around firehouses and being taken in and mentored by firefighters. Many ended up becoming firefighters themselves, including the extraordinary Captain Patrick Brown of the FDNY. This being National Mentoring Month, we would like to bring attention to the Over My Shoulder Foundation, co-founded by Dawn Carroll and Grammy …
Oct 15
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation Awards Grant to Firefighters Fund
The Jessica Locke Firefighters Fund has been selected to receive a Harvard Pilgrim Community Spirit 9/11 Mini-Grant to provide Alexander Technique lessons to firefighters. Harvard Pilgrim Health Care created the Community Spirit 9/11 Mini-Grants Program to commemorate the first anniversary of September 11, 2001 through a special contribution to its Foundation. The Foundation administers this special fund and distributes …
Oct 06
Fire Bracelets now available online!
The Firefighters Fund is very excited to announce our “Fire Bracelet” (designed and created especially for us by a firefighter’s wife) is now available for sale on this website. For every bracelet sold, a generous donation is made to the Fund. It makes a lovely gift for any woman or child. Check it out under …
Aug 31
A Book about Captain Patrick “Paddy” Brown
I never had the opportunity to meet Captain Patrick “Paddy” Brown of Ladder 3, because he died on September 11, 2001. But I had certainly heard of him. He was one of the most honored and decorated firefighters in the history of the FDNY. The mention of his name always pained my heart, as though his death …
Mar 10
Equipment Fundraiser for Newton Firefighters
Would you like to work on a real movie set? Do you need new fitness equipment? How about a date with a bachelor firefighter? These are just some of the valuable and fun auction items up for bid at the Equipment Fundraiser for the Newton Firefighters. The event, sponsored by the Jessica Locke Firefighters Fund, …
Oct 01
Why Chief LaCroix of Newton FD Should be Retired
Some time ago on NewTV, a story ran regarding the aged and dangerous Newton Fire Department apparatus. Numerous safety concerns were raised about the failing brakes on 24-year-old Ladder 3, as well as the city’s continued failure to meet national safety standards. Fire Chief LaCroix refuted this story, submitting the following statement: “Under no circumstances would …
Sep 05
The Firefighters Fund Brings Towns, Restaurants and Residents Together to Honor Firefighters on 9/11
The Firefighters Fund, local restaurants, and resident volunteers join forces to honor first responders on the eighth anniversary of 9/11. “It is important to, in some small way, pay tribute to the firefighters who risk their lives every day to ensure the safety of every community and every American,” said Jessica Locke, director of The …
Jun 19
Firefighter Friday: Jessica Locke on Runaway Engine 13 (part one)
(Boston Globe) POLICE REPORT FLAWED IN ENGINE 13 ACCIDENT Two years after Lt. Rich Geary was severely injured by runaway Engine 13, questions still surround the discrepancies in the 3 investigative reports submitted after the incident. Recently, however, errors in the Newton Police report have come to light, substantiating that mechanical error was to blame …
Jun 19
Firefighter Friday: Jessica Locke on Runaway Engine 13 (part two)
(Boston Globe) ENGINE 13 REPORT DEFIES COMMON SENSE Recently released video of the investigation into Engine 13 casts serious doubt on the report issued by Jack Laine of AJL Associates, which claimed human error on the part of the driver. The accident – which took place on May 15, 2007 – severely injured Lt. Rich …