IAFF Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial – Virtual Ceremony

September 19, 2020
10:00 a.m. Pacific Time (11am MT / 1pm ET)

With the significant health concerns related to COVID-19 and all the restrictions across the U.S. and Canada, the IAFF Executive Board on May 14, 2020, approved a motion to conduct the 2020 Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial ceremony without attendees, broadcasting it as a respectful virtual ceremony on September 19, 2020. We will still be engraving members’ names on our Wall of Honor this year and will note those etched on our Memorial during the virtual ceremony.

You can watch the ceremony from this page or on YouTube (www.youtube.com/IAFFTV/live) or Facebook (www.facebook.com/IAFFonline).

At this year’s memorial service, the IAFF will add 245 fallen fire fighters from the United States and Canada to the Wall of Honor.

2020 Wall of Honor

No IAFF staff or Colorado Springs Local 5 members will be available to provide assistance, so we ask everyone to avoid visits to the Memorial site during these times of significant health challenges presented by COVID-19.

All 2020 honoree families will be invited to attend the 2021 Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial where our fallen members will receive proper recognition along with those lost in 2020 at a traditional ceremony, with all families receiving their flag.

Like all of you, we are disappointed that we are unable to hold our memorable, beautiful ceremony, but the IAFF believes this is the safest and best path to ensure that we honor our fallen this year as best we can under the circumstances, guided by the information available to us today.

We will continue to provide updates on plans for the virtual ceremony. For more information, contact fffm@iaff.org.

Resilience Without Barriers Fund

About the Resiliency Without Barriers Fund

For years, the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Association has undertaken significant work building partnerships and outreach to support resilience-building initiatives for their members.

In this time of pandemic, our hospital workers are experiencing trauma and are incredibly vulnerable to experiencing psychological injuries, similar to fire fighters and all first responders. Yet, today, when we speak about our health care workers, we speak about personal protective gear and additional testing. We are not addressing their mental health.

The BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund is hoping to capitalize on this tremendous work to support all emergency workers during this pandemic and provide access to five fully funded sessions with a clinician, through specially-trained trauma clinicians at First Responder Health Services.

Hospital workers will have access to counselling through EAPs but, as our fire fighters have learned, these mainstream counsellors are often unable to relate to traumatic incidents of first responders and emergency workers.

Learn more
Your DonationYour donation to the Resilience Without Barriers Fund will support specially trained counselling for all emergency workers struggling with their mental health during the COVID-19 crisis.Your Impact:$105 provides 1 counselling session fo…

Your Donation

Your donation to the Resilience Without Barriers Fund will support specially trained counselling for all emergency workers struggling with their mental health during the COVID-19 crisis.

Your Impact:

$105 provides 1 counselling session for an emergency worker

$525 provides 5 counselling session for an emergency worker

$1050 provides 5 counselling sessions each for two emergency workers

DONATE

Mike Hurley is a Finalist for the RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards 2020

Canadian Immigrant magazine has officially begun the online voting stage for the 12th annual RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards 2020, and we are pleased to say that our very own Mike Hurley has been chosen to be one of the top 75 shortlist.

These awards are known as a People's Choice Award, so voting is an important part of the process to narrow down the shortlist to the final Top 25. We would appreciate it if you would go to https://canadianimmigrant.ca/canadas-top-25-immigrants/vote between now and August 7th, 2020, to vote for Mike Hurley.  Mike’s biography is posted there as well. The Top 25 winners will then be announced online in September 2020 and be featured in the September print edition of Canadian Immigrant magazine.

 

MIKE HURLEY’S BIOGRAPHY

Mayor of Burnaby

City: Burnaby

Country of Origin: Northern Ireland

Mike Hurley was born in Magherafelt, Northern Ireland, in 1958 and came to Canada in 1983 at the young age of 25. Music and Gaelic football dominated his youth as did soccer, which advanced him to a semi-professional league.

He first settled in Vancouver and moved to Burnaby in 1988. He joined the Burnaby Fire Department in 1988. Throughout his career, he’s held many positions — driver; technical rescue team member; hazardous material specialist; instructor; lieutenant, captain and acting assistant chief.

He was the vice-president of the Burnaby Fire Fighters Association from 1996-2001 and the president from 2001-2009. He was also the president of the BC Provincial Fire Fighters Association from 2008- 2016. 

As president of the Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund, he led the effort to raise $15 million to build a facility that accommodates families and burn unit outpatients for Vancouver General Hospital and BC Children’s Hospital.

His second “home” is with the Burnaby Fire Fighters Charitable Society. The society raises money for community groups and non-profit organizations, which supports more than 50 charities. More than $800,000 annually is given for bursaries and they operate a nutritional food program that benefits kids at 26 elementary schools, four high schools and four youth centres.

He was honoured to receive the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 and the Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.

Mike held the position of 6th District Vice President of the International Fire Fighters’ Association (IAFF) from 2016 to 2018, representing 10,000 IAFF fire fighters.

In October 2018, Hurley, running as an independent candidate, defeated long-time Burnaby mayor, Derek Corrigan.

He and his wife, Jennifer, have three boys who are in elementary school. He also has a daughter, who is attending Simon Fraser University.

Reduced rate for specialized online counselling services for all fire fighters (active and retired) and family members in B.C.

The BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Association (BCPFFA) recognizes that we are all enduring an unprecedented era in the history of fire fighting. The unique stressors presented by the COIVD-19 pandemic has forced fire department culture to change dramatically in recent weeks and has undoubtedly impacted our relations with loved ones in and beyond the fire service.  The BCPFFA also recognizes this may not be an easy time for you and your family. As such, we are pleased to inform you of another BC-based mental health initiative that we hope will benefit you and your families – both at the hall and in your personal life.

The BCPFFA in collaboration with Vancouver-based First Responder Health Services is pleased to announce a new online counselling initiative for all firefighters in British Columbia. 20 specially trained Occupationally Aware Clinicians are available to firefighters, spouses and children to offer reduced session fees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Each clinician has participated in 2-4 days of training through the BCPFFA Occupational Awareness Program. They are pre-screened and up to date on how to work with the unique stressors our members and families face. Session fees are currently reduced by 33% to keep ongoing counselling services financially viable during this pandemic. 

Learn more at: Online Counselling

Thank you for taking time to consider this important service and please feel free to share on social media outlets.

If you are looking for a mental health professional in our recommended network, you can book an online appointment here:

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Online Services

If you are looking for a mental health professional in our recommended network, you can book an online appointment

If you need of immediate assistance, please try the following:

  1. Crisis Intervention & Suicide Prevention Centre of BC (open 24 hours): 604-872-331

  2. Suicide Crisis Line (1-800-784-2433)

  3. Calling 911 or having someone drive you to the nearest hospital

President's Update: COVID-19

COVID-19 PUBLIC MESSAGE

21 MARCH 2020 

British Columbia’s professional fire fighters are always on the front line – responding 24/7 to emergencies in the communities we serve. We will continue to do so throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We are extremely proud of the work our dispatchers, fire crews, and emergency service partners are providing while faced with this unprecedented situation. 

The BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Association urges its members, and all British Columbians to do their part to help flatten the curve. Members across the province are staying at home while not on duty to limit their exposure to the public. 

There are several fire fighters in self quarantine due to incident exposure on the job. These individuals are following the guidance and recommendations from the Ministry of Health and the Office of the Provincial Health Officer and are staying at home to self-quarantine. There are additional fire fighters in self-isolation as a result of returning home from travel. These members are self-monitoring daily for any sign of symptoms. 

We are truly humbled by the public support, generosity and patience being shown to our members across the province as we respond to this pandemic. We realize that many people are facing challenges of their own and we extend our sincere appreciation for the efforts and sacrifices being made to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 disease.

Please follow the order of Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and practice social distancing and the recommended personal hygiene measures. For information specific to emergency response and the COVID-19 Pandemic, please view the following resources and updates: 

If you have concerns about your personal health situation, please contact your healthcare provider, local public health office or call Healthlink BC at 8-1-1 and/or you can check your symptoms online. 

We are in this together, to flatten the curve, and slow the spread of this terrible disease.


In Solidarity,  

Gord Ditchburn
President

BCPFFA Updates re: COVID-19