STATE OF THE STATE COUNCIL

 Brothers and Sisters,

    I hope this finds you and your families well. As you may know this has been a very challenging fiscal year for the Missouri State Council of Fire Fighters. However, I am glad to report that we hit the ground running. Although we were not able to get all of the legislation we worked hard on, we have been somewhat successful in abating legislation that would be detrimental to our members. We were able to stifle attempts that bogged us down in the past, allowing us to better chart our future in these trying and politically challenging times.  

    We have reorganized the Executive Board of The State Council and The Council itself. We have implemented several of the programs spelled out at our last Convention. While we have suffered from a cut back in the telemarketing fundraising that had basically funded our operation in the past, I believe we have turned the corner on fiscal responsibility and look forward to being able to go forward under our own steam. We have put into place a more inclusive State Council while building on our past accomplishments. We have made it a priority to visit and communicate with every affiliated Local in the State Council all across Missouri . We have asked for your input and listened to your concerns. Your thoughts and needs have given us the direction and drive to make the working conditions better and your voices heard from the smallest Local to the largest Local.

   We have made our presence felt in the halls of the Capitol, on both sides of the aisle and have garnered alliances with other Labor, Social, and Political groups. We have made it a point to befriend and partner with both the new Republican leadership, and the Democrats who have supported us in the past.

I will highlight some of the things your State Council has been working on this past year:

  • Membership in the State Council has grown by over 2000 members  
  • State Council member Arby Todd was elected to the L.A.G.E.R.S  retirement board  
  • We have become active in the FFAM (long considered a “volunteer group”) in order to reach out to all Fire Fighters across the state so that we can use synergies that may benefit us all as public safety officers
  • We have been appointed to the Board of the FFAM
  • The State Council took the lead in challenging Senate Bill 1, which gutted the Workman's Comp laws to the point where it is no longer safe to be on the Fire Ground, or EMS Scene  
  • Led the fight to control the EMS licensure fees proposed by the Department of EMS  
  • Numerous Political Action Initiatives  

Some of the things you can do to help us help you:

  • Invite and visit with your District Vice President when they're making the rounds to the union meetings in their districts  
  • Forward our communications on to your entire membership  
  • Make sure we have the most current information of your representative board including email, cell phone and addresses  
  • Make your wishes and concerns known. I am available to you 24 hours a day, 7  days a week by cell phone and/or email, as is your DVP
  • Visit our website often: mscff.com, for the latest information
  • I want to know what is going on in your Local, communicate with me whenever you feel you have an interest too. Remember we are here because and for you

On a more somber note, this past year brought home the reality of what we do.

Timmy Shane Hardy , a member of Neosho 's Professional Fire Fighters of Southwest Missouri Local 2001, Gave his all in the line of duty November 30, 2005 while working a fire in a agricultural food processing complex.

Alan D. Leake , a member of Fulton Local 2945, Gave his all in the line of duty while working an MVA extrication in hilly terrain on April 7, 2006.

God bless them and we pray for their families, They Will Never Be Forgotten.

Fraternally Yours,

Sherwood L. Smith

 President