• Hazardous Materials Legislation
• Pension Reform Legislation
• Ryan White Act
• Enforcement of OSHA 2-in/2-out
• Age Discrimination Employment Act
• Increased benefits for Public Safety Officers killed in the line of duty (PSOB)
• Federal investigation of all firefighter line-of duty deaths
• Fire Act Funding Increase
• Homeland Security Department
• Bioterrorism Preparedness
• Mychal Judge PSOB Act

Issues currently being pursued by the IAFF/VPFF in Washington include:

• Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act
• Federal firefighter pay reform
• Protection of the Fair Labor Standards Act
• PSOB Presumptive Disability
• Federal Presumptive Disability
• S.A.F.E.R Act

The VPFF on a State level:

In Richmond, the VPFF has been a strong proponent of legislation that would benefit fire and emergency medical service workers throughout the Commonwealth. Some of the VPFF’s more recent successes are:

• Cancer presumption legislation
• Protection of existing heart-lung presumption legislation
• Increased penalties for assaulting a firefighter or paramedic
• Increased Virginia Public Safety Officer Benefit
• Infectious Disease Exposure Coverage
• Fair Labor Standards ruling dealing with leave

The VPFF has a representative on the Virginia Fire Services Board and a representative on the State emergency Medical Services Committee.

On a local level...

VPFF members focus on issues that are unique to their own local union’s needs. In many jurisdictions, this includes lobbying local elected officials and citizens for better equipment, more staffing, and higher pay and benefits. Norfolk Local 68 was instrumental in incorporating emergency medical service in to the city’s fire department. Arlington Local 2800 compelled the state to cite Arlington County for two serious OSHA violations.

In 1978, firefighters in Danville organized as IAFF Local 2532. The city fired the union’s president, vice-president, secretary, and treasurer. The IAFF and the VPFF took the matter to court and won those firefighter’s job back. In 1992, firefighters at Norfolk International Airport organized as IAFF Local 3406. The airport fired the union’s president. Again, the IAFF and the VPFF took action and won the firefighter’s job back.

When two Chesapeake firefighters lost their lives in an auto parts store in 1997, the VPFF was there. Brother and sister firefighters from across the Commonwealth arrived in mass to share the grief of the fallen firefighter’s families and their comrades in Local 2449. The support didn’t end with the funeral, though. The VPFF has continued to push for changes that will help to prevent needless losses like this in the future.

The VPFF and it’s affiliates sponsor and support a number of charitable endeavors. Christmas in April, summer camps for burned children, holiday parties for underprivileged kids, charity golf tournaments, you name it and the VPFF and it’s members have probably done it.