I reported in the August Newsletter that the September Newsletter would be a special edition and would be mailed to all LEOFF I and LEOFF II retired firefighters who are receiving a check from the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems. We still intend to do this but due to vacation schedules and other logistical problems (i.e. mailing through the Department of Retirement Systems), has forced us to postpone the mailing of this special edition until October. We have asked state agency directors to submit articles and were advised that their schedules were too cramped to meet the deadline for the September Newsletter.

This special mailing will be time consuming and expensive. This will be the first time that any information has been sent to all fire service retirees by a retired group. The only other information that is sent to all retirees is the Department of Retirement Systems Newsletter. We attempt to keep our members informed through our regular monthly Newsletter so you may read something in the October special Newsletter that has previously appeared in a regular monthly Newsletter.

Occasionally we receive a phone call from a retired firefighter or a spouse of a deceased firefighter who has a question or a problem. We always try to help without first checking the membership roster to see if the caller is a member. We often hear from a caller or from someone who is submitting an application that they have not previously been aware that we even existed.

By sending the October Newsletter to all fire service retirees, they will know that we exist, learn about our organization and may want to become a member or at a minimum know whom to call with a question or when in need of help. You as a retired firefighter may feel that you will never need our assistance but keep in mind that upon your death or if you become incapacitated your spouse or children may need some assistance.

If nothing else your membership gives us strength and the ability to speak out in your behalf, to defend your benefits and to help those individuals who may not be as fortunate as you and in need of our help. In 1999 when the State tried to transfer some of the LEOFF I pension fund assets to the General Fund, all the various police and fire retiree organizations got together to discuss the situation. One of the first things we discovered after tallying up the total membership of all the organizations was there are a lot of retired LEOFF I members who do not belong to any group or organization.

We felt they needed information and would maybe want to make a contribution, which many did, so we developed a plan and a way to reach out to them. Unfortunately, today there are still many who are not part of or a member of an organized group and only receive information by word of mouth and hear the constant threat that "The State is after our Pension Fund and please send a contribution."

We are currently trying to help a former LEOFF II member who suffered a brain aneurysm, has had brain surgery, is taking strong medicines and is having seizures. He is not able to work and has been terminated or resigned from the fire department. He is not receiving Labor & Industries workers comp or Social Security disability. Fortunately he purchased a small disability insurance policy which is now his only source of income. The policy provides a fixed payment with no cost of living increase. He has been off work for quite some time so you can imagine what has happened to his purchasing power. He is now helping in a service center and is receiving one hot meal a day. The experts are telling us that brain aneurysms are not caused or aggravated by employment. They have explained that: An aneurysm is an abnormal widening or ballooning of a portion of a blood vessel. A cerebral aneurysm refers to a blood vessel within your brain that weakens over time and undergoes such widening. This usually occurs at the junctions of the large arteries at the base of your brain in an area called the Circle of Willis. As the blood vessel weakens, it begins to bulge out like a balloon. Often, as an aneurysm develops it forms a neck with an associated dome, or balloon like structure. The larger the balloon becomes, the greater the risk it may burst. You would then bleed into your brain.

If you have any information or personal experience with brain aneurysms please give me a call, 206-406-9823.

As previously reported, the IAFF has notified us that the members of the RFFOW are eligible to join the IAFF's Protect-Dent Indemnity Dental Plan.

Those of you who have a dental benefit approved by your pension board may be able to use the dollar amount of that benefit to off-set the dental insurance premiums. Also, if you are reimbursed by the pension board for a certain level of dental care, you should not tell the dentist that you have insurance or reimbursement; just explain that you will pay cash, ask for a senior citizen discount and forward the receipt to the board for reimbursement.

The Washington State Council of Firefighters
(WSCFF) 71st Annual State Convention was held June 22, 2010 in Marysville, WA. WSCFF President Kelly Fox called the
71st Annual Convention to order on Tuesday, June 22, 2010, at the Tulalip Resort and Casino. IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger addressed the delegation stressing the importance of political action and educating the general membership on how being involved and supporting politicians who support firefighters improves the fire service and the prospects for IAFF members. General President Schaitberger then introduced newly appointed IAFF General Secretary-Treasurer Tommy H. Miller, who gave a brief account of his past accomplishments and his hopes for the future of the IAFF. The last order of business on the first day was the announcement that, by acclamation, Kelly Fox was re-elected to serve as WSCFF President. President Fox is deserving of his reelection. He has developed an outstanding legislative program. The council now has three lobbyists in Olympia who are in constant contact with the various agencies and individual legislators. They have been successful in passing several major bills to improve the health, safety and retirement for fire service employees.