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Next Meeting: Monday
April 5th @ 8:30am
Tuesday April 6th @ 7pm
Police and Firefighters Endorse Benjamin for Mayor
Members of the Columbia Firefighters Association
(CFA) and the Police Benevolent Association (PBA) joined Steve Benjamin
today at a news conference where both groups announced their endorsement
of Benjamin’s campaign for Mayor of Columbia.
“Steve Benjamin has stood shoulder to shoulder with us and today we’re
proud to stand with him,” said CFA spokesman Travis Carricato. “He
understands that the repeated and reckless cuts to our police and fire
services are putting lives at risk and, when he’s mayor, we’re confident
that the city will finally take its responsibility to keep its residents
safe seriously.”
Benjamin said he was honored and humbled by today’s endorsement
repeating his call to make Public Safety the city’s top priority and
saying that anything less would be fiscally irresponsible.
Benjamin, who called for the immediate re-opening of the Shandon and
Atlas Road fire engine companies in November, remains the only candidate
for mayor to push the city to restore the $9 million cut from Public
Safety over the past two years.
“There are some in this race who only see public safety, police officers
and firefighters as a budget line-item, a meaningless figure to be
manipulated on a whim,” Benjamin explained referring to Kirkman Finlay’s
suggestion that the city should be “buying police officers” more
cheaply. “These men and women risk their lives for us every day and I,
for one, think they deserve more respect than that. ”
The CFA has been active in Columbia since the 1960’s, but today’s
endorsement was the first official act of the newly formed PBA.
“We need a mayor who understands how dangerous our jobs can be,” said
PBA spokesman Jon Van Houten. “Steve Benjamin understands because he’s
been out in the field serving warrants. He has worn a bulletproof vest,
he’s worn a badge, and he’s worn a gun. He’ll give us the support we
need.”
Columbia
Firefighters Association
IAFF, Local 793
P.O. Box 210554
Columbia, South
Carolina 29221
ColumbiaFirefighters@gmail.com
Twitter.com/CFFA
SC Firefighter's Network
A new website where firefighters can advertise their business for FREE.
You can advertise on www.SCFireNet.com for FREE at the Business Level.
Or if you are looking for a service like ( Home Inspection,
Realtor, Training Services, ect.) check out our website.
A teen with a life–threatening illness gets the computer of his dreams with
a little help from Kids Wish Network. Hayes knew he was getting a computer, but he was still surprised when it
came. He was presented with his laptop by the generous members of the
Columbia Firefighters Association Local 793, who also completely sponsored
the teen’s wish. Click
HERE for the Full story
Support Public Safety. Support the Unified Fire Contract
between Richland County and the City of Columbia.
NFPA 1710
NFPA 1710 is a standard that sets minimum criteria for the effectiveness and efficiency
of emergency operations to protect the safety of the Public and Fire Department
employees. NFPA 1710 Fact Sheet
Green Oaks Apt Fire - February 28th, 2008
HOT SHOTS
We Can Make a Difference. Let your voice be
heard.
Call your senator TODAY and let them you want them to
support the Collective Bargaining Bill.
The Senate switchboard number is (202) 224-3121. Simply call this number
and ask to be transferred to your senator's office.
For more information about collective
bargaining rights and current congressional action, click here:
Collective Bargaining Fact Sheet
Learn more about the importance of
collective bargaining rights for public safety officers:
Key Points
UPDATED
STATIONS PAGE! Check out the new patches!
Columbia
is Hot when it comes to Fires! Actually, Columbia is just hot period!
Anyway, Visit our Fire Photos section and
check out
Columbia's Bravest in Action! If you have photos and would
like to share them please send them in via e-mail with location, date
and time if possible, and units responding to
photos@local793.com
I'd like to give a special thanks for photographers Robert Busbee and Pete
Rogers for their dedication and efforts and of course great pictures!
Thanks - The Columbia Firefighter's Association local793. |