IAFF Local 4529

Memorial Service

Charleston 9 Memorial Service

A Memorial Service for the Charleston 9 will be held on June 18th, 2008 at 10 a.m. at the Gaillard Auditorium, 77 Calhoun Street in downtown Charleston. The service is expected to last about one hour and seating will be limited but an over flow area will be in the auditorium's exhibition hall with closed circuit television. On the evening of June 18th, families of the fallen firefighters and Charleston firefighter's will attend a private service at the site of the Sofa Super Store on Savannah Highway. This ceremony is closed to the public and the media.

Collective Bargaining Vote

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The day we have long anticipated has arrived. Our national collective bargaining bill (S 2123) is expected to be brought to the floor of the United States Senate for a vote Tuesday morning May 13, 2008.

To ensure we prevail in passing this important legislation, I am asking for your immediate assistance.

Please contact your Democratic senator(s) and urge them to return to Washington to vote for S 2123 on May 13. To succeed, we need every Democratic senator there and voting in favor of national collective bargaining.

In addition, if any of the GOP senators listed below represents your state, I ask that you contact them with this message:

"Support your fire fighters and police officers. Please support Senator Judd Gregg's Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act S 2123. The vote likely will be Tuesday morning, May 13."

In addition to making these calls, please send a corresponding email to your senator(s).

The Senate switchboard number is (202) 224-3121. Simply call this number and ask to be transferred to your senator's office. Click here to send your senator an e-mail in favor of S 2123.

Please copy all corresponding emails to your local and state president and to the IAFF at grassroots@iaff.org .

Our opponents, including National Right to Work and the League of Cities, are working hard to kill this bill. There are only three days before the vote. Let's really activate our membership and win!

Fraternally,

Harold A. Schaitberger
General President

Condolences

Local 4529 expresses our deepest sympathy and condolences to Captain Bobby Harmon, Retired Captain Jeff Taylor and to the entire Harmon family.

On April 12, 2008 Bobby's mother sufferred a fall at home and passed away a short while later at Lexington Medical Center. Please keep Bobby, Jeff and their family in your thoughts and prayers.

Service information will be posted as soon as it is available.

LCFS Mourns the loss of Steve Bolin

Lexington County Fire Service and EMS is deeply saddened by the loss of one of our own. Brother Steve Bolin passed away March 29, 2008 at home. Please keep the Bolin family in your thoughts and prayers as they struggle through mourning the loss of Steve.

Stephen B. Bolin, 37, retired firefighter with Lexington County Fire Service passed away on Saturday March 29, 2008 after a 2 ½ year battle with cancer.

Steve began his service to his community by becoming a volunteer firefighter with Lexington County Fire Service in 1988, serving at the Sandy Run Lexington County Fire Station. In 1993 he became a career firefighter, serving as the first career firefighter at the Sandy Run Station. During his first year he was elected as Firefighter of the Year for that station, and, later, for the county. During his service at Sandy Run, he became an officer and was elected officer of the year for 1995 and 1997. He also served in Calhoun County by joining the Jumper Station Volunteer Fire Department, where he rose to the rank of Chief. During the course of his career, he served the citizens of the southern end of Lexington County until retirement in 2006.

Survivors include two sisters and brothers-in-law: Wendy and Troy Jumper, and Buffy and Lynn Oliver, all of Swansea; a paternal grandmother: Pauline G. Bolin , of Swansea: two nieces Kathy Jumper and Taylor Frost; and a nephew, Robert Jumper.

The family will receive friends from 6-9 p.m., Sunday at Culler-McAlhany Funeral Home in North and other times at the home of Wendy and Troy Jumper, 514 Burton Gunter Road, Swansea.

Funeral Services will be held at 3 p.m., Monday, March 31, 2008, at Sardis Baptist Church with Rev. Terry Wilder, Rev. Steve Baughman and Rev. Bruce Rucker, and Rev. Dean Reynolds officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society.