President Mike Coogan of the Fall River Fire Fighters is requesting that all Locals bring a department patch to this month's State Meeting, being held in Fall River. The meeting date is February 12, 2010. Their Local is Starting a collection and would like the help.

Nominations for the position of PFFM Trustee were held on Friday January 15, 2010 in Hudson at the State Meeting.

  Robert Rooney, Taunton L-1391  

Paul Medeiros, Hyannis L-2172

Ralph Dowling, Boston L-718

The Election will be held February 12, 2010 at the District 8 State Meeting in Fall River

View Photos of the Meeting in the Photo Gallery

Firefighter Recovering After Heart Attack On Job

BOSTON (WBZ) ?A local firefighter was battling a house fire on Oakwood Avenue in Lynn when he collapsed and went into cardiac arrest last week.

Marc Ducharme's Ladder 1 was the first to arrive at the fast moving blaze.

"We went and started searching for victims, take out some windows and we were crawling around," he told WBZ's Dawn Hasbrouck from his hospital bed.

"I remember going down the stairs to the driveway. I took off my mask and that's all I remember."

He collapsed and was surrounded by paramedics – one from his own firehouse.

They had to restart his heart twice to revive him.

"It's not common to get somebody back so quick they actually try to wake themselves up. He wasn't. He still wasn't fully conscious but he was trying to get up and he wasn't saying anything coherent, but just that he was moving his arms and legs," paramedic Mike Noon told WBZ.

"It was pretty stressful on them," he said.

He was taken by ambulance to the hospital where doctors said he had an 80 percent blockage in an artery.

He now has a stent and pacemaker – and doctors say he can soon return to his workout routine, but not to fire duty.

"They told me I can't do fire duty anymore. I've been on 23 years. I've been downtown. I've fought a lot of fires. To be honest with you, it's alright with me," he said.
"I'm just savoring every moment right now. That's what I'm doing."

"I'm happy to be alive and I can't thank the guys enough," he said.

"To be able to spend the rest of his life with his wife because of some actions of the guys on this job. It's a really good feeling," said paramedic Joel Abreu.

WBZ Video

REST IN PEACE BOBBY J - YOU WILL BE MISSED

It is with great pleasure and enthusiasm that I proudly report; on behalf of the PFFM Legislative Committee, The PFFM Executive Board and the PFFM Membership; That Governor Deval Patrick called me today and informed me that he was approving Section 19 of House Bill 4359 of the so called "Mini Supp Budget".  Section 19. Restores the language of Chapter 32.Section 7; in regards to accidental disability pensions ;that was inadvertently deleted in  "Pension Reform" and unintentionally reduced pensions of employees who were injured in the line of duty and subsequently retired because of that injury. 
The "Fix It " provision rectifies the inequities created by the drafting errors of the language in regards to accidental disability pensions.  Further info to follow.

It has been a long five months since we first became aware of the negative changes in the "Pension Reform Bill" that caused unnecessary financial hardships, with no malice or forethought intended, upon hard working public employees who became injured in the course of their duties and retired because of the permanency of those injuries. The list is too long to mention all of our friends who stood beside us and fought the battles since June 16, 2009, and we will be thanking them and giving them the proper acknowledgement and appreciation that they deserve in the immediate future; but I would not want to leave anyone out. I would be remiss if I did not thank the following at this time.

House Chairman Bob Spellane (Worcester), and Senate Chairman Tom McGee (Lynn) of the Joint committee of Public Service; Chairman Spellane addressed the delegates at our biennial convention on June 16, 2009 and stated to the over seven hundred delegates that he and Senator McGee had just become aware of the punitive language that came out of conference committee and voted favorably by both branches and most likely will be signed by the Governor.  Chairman Spellane stated that he together with Senator McGee would fix it and that we had his word.

Representative Spellane was true to his word and he and Senator McGee worked hundreds of hours with numerous legislators from both branches; together  with us to correct and draft the technical change that would rectify the problem.

We are extremely thankful to the Speaker of the House of Representatives Robert DeLeo and  Senate President Therese Murray,their staff and leadership team for the courtesies, understanding and patience extended to us over the past several months. Also, a salute to; Senator Ken Donnelly who was invaluable to us during this entire process.  Thank You.  and a very


                             ''HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL"