Firefighters Without Borders
Firefighters Without Borders Creates Smoking Hot Calendar to Raise Critical Funds
Imagine what it is like in communities that lack proper funding and the necessary infrastructure to adequately train and prepare their fire departments. In such places across the globe, the charity Firefighters Without Borders steps in to provide professional training, education, resources and support. Since its inception, Firefighters Without Borders has trained teams of volunteers from Peru to Canada while also coordinating the donation of over $250,000 in firefighting and medical services equipment. A portion of the funding comes from sales of their popular Firefighter Calendar, which is smoking hot, but for all of the right reasons. In this issue of the San Francisco Bay Times we
share some of the best images from the 2017 calendar, as well as favorite ones from earlier editions. The featured indiv iduals are actual volunteer firefighters from the Canadian cities of Mississauga, Toronto, Durham and Markham.
fire fighter team equipping tomorrow’s heroes and saving more lives.”
“We are thrilled to kick off our next fundraising campaign with the launch of the 2017 Firefighter Calendar,” said Russell Chalmers, who is President of Firefighters Without Borders. “Firefighters around the world continue to be challenged to stay on top of the latest fire service techniques. Firefighters Without Borders ‘train the trainer’ approach brings knowledge that can be shared with a broader
PHOTO COURTESY OF @MYSCHABEAR FOR FIREFIGHTERS WITHOUT BORDERS
This year’s devastating fire season in California provides a stark reminder on how important firefighters are to our communities. Wildfires are growing more dangerous and costly, creating greater pressure on firefighters to work longer hours and to put their lives in danger for the sake of our welfare. 2016’s Erskine, Sand, Soberanes, Chimney, Clayton and Blue Cut fires are some of the largest and most damaging that have ever affected our state, requiring the most skilled firefighters to battle these conflagrations.
The 2017 Firef ighter Without Borders Calendar is 14 months with 13 different firefighters who represent the hardworking men and women in the fire service today, as well as Molly, the Ajax Fire Service mascot. The calendar is 16 glossy pages with a finished size of 8.25” wide and 10.5” high.
“Our organization is founded by passionate volunteers dedicated to helping their fellow fire ser vice professionals save more lives,” said Darius Kharazmi, Director of Volunteers for Firefighters Without Borders. “The calendar helps to raise awareness for firefighters around the world who don’t have access to the lev-
el of training that we do. Since the Firefighters Without Borders team cover 100% of their travel expenses, it allows the funds raised to be allocated to the timely shipping of equipment, (to) public education and more.” FWB offers fire service organizations around the globe help via the following training programs: First Aid and CPR, Hazardous Materials Response, Vehicle Extrication, Incident Management, Fire Suppression and Vehicle and Small Engine Maintenance. The volunteer team also conducts public education seminars in fire prevention for both children and adults, believing that prevention is the key to saving more lives. In addition, the team has received donations of fire service equipment from fire stations. These items will be distributed where such materials are needed the most. The calendar will soon be available for purchase online at http://firefighterswithoutborders.ca/ Check for updates on the calendar and other Firefighters Without Borders news via social media at https://www.facebook. com/firefighterswithoutborders and https:// twitter.com/fwbdotca
Nation Looks to San Francisco Fire Department for Diversity Guidance Earlier this year the U.S. Department of Labor selected the San Francisco Fire Department to be one of five sites profiled in the USDOL’s study identifying promising practices to increase diversity among first responders. SFFD has been sharing its strategies and experiences for recruiting, training, and retaining a diverse workforce. “This recognition is a testament to the Fire Department’s work to recruit and retain one of the most diverse fire departments in our country,” Mayor Ed Lee said. San Francisco Human Resources Director Micki Callahan added, “We’ve modernized the way we test entry-level firefighters and now conduct those exams continuously. This means candidates can take the test on their schedule, open-
ing the door to people with families, or other commitments that might prevent them from coming to a test given on our schedule. This change has positively impacted the diversity and the quality of our candidate pool.” The justifiable high fiving does not mean the matter of diversity is a done deal, however. In recent years, SFFD has made an effort to increase the number of LGBT members in its ranks. Sometimes this has been at our community’s own urging. For example, two years ago, the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club met with SFFD leadership to draw attention to improving the Department’s numbers as they pertain to our community. Keith Baraka, who is an out gay black veteran
of the SFFD, shared via Alice: “It is our belief that the SFFD and the residents of San Francisco deserve a Fire Department made of members that reflect the make-up of the city. This means we need a Department that is made up of members that are at the very least commensurate with our diverse population. This is woefully not the case … .” Issues pertaining to women and to racial disparities are also of concern. Regarding the former, just a few weeks ago, Chief Joanne HayesWhite announced that she is considering a plan that would require all firefighters to undergo training to prevent sexual harassment. This was in response to allegations brought forth by a female firefighter who alleged that male co-workers verbally
abused her, and even urinated on her bed as part of that bullying.
cates improvements have been made, but that more work is still needed.
The San Francisco Black Firefighters Association points to just some of the racial disparity problems. “Our concern and issues include: hiring, promotions, discrimination, racism, affirmative action, training, and education,” the organization states on its website (http://www.sf bfa.org/ about.html). “Since our inception, the SFBFA has been able to bring about a tremendous change within the San Francisco Fire Department. One aspect of our struggle was to challenge the city and county of San Francisco, specifically the San Francisco Fire department to create a non-hostile and non-threatening work environment.” SFBFA indi-
If you are qualif ied and interested in becoming an entry-level firefighter, you can be a part of the solution. SFFD has an open enrollment now for an Entry-Level Firefighter. Even if the position would not be a good match for you, please consider sharing the information with someone else who could help to further improve SFFD’s diversity. Given the USDOL’s study, such efforts would go beyond San Francisco to influence positive changes at fire departments nationwide. Please see the “Job Opportunities” section at: http://sf-fire. org/employment-opportunities
Firefighter Calendars Go Global! Firefighters on at least four continents and in multiple nations are taking it off for causes they support. In France, the NGO charity Pompiers Sans Frontieres, which provides humanitarian aid, receives funds from the sale of a calendar featuring steamy images by fashion photographer Fred Goudon. In Australia, a firefighters calendar raises funds for the Children’s Hospital Foundation and the Westmead Children’s Hospital Burns Unit. In South Africa a calendar produced in Cape Town features both male and female firefighters and supports the Red Cross Children’s Hospital. In New York City a firefighters calendar produced for more than two decades supports the Staten Island University Hospital Burn Center.
S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES O C TO BER 13, 2016
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