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Welcome to Columbia South Carolina's Association of Professional Firefighters
 
SPONSERED BY
CPA Beverly C. Winstead
800 Columbiana Dr., Suite 204
Irmo, SC 29063
Phone: 803-407-1234
For all your accounting Needs

THANK YOU FOR VISITING!

 

   SCFireNet.com A new website where Firefighters can advertise their business or look for  services


Important Links:

IAFF.ORG

SC Fireman Assoc.

FIREHOUSE.COM

SConFIRE.COM

FFclosecalls.com

IAFFlocals.net

Mesothelioma Web

To Date 19 Firefighters Fatalities have been reported to USFA in 2012 - 87 in 2011

Click HERE for Map to Union House
120 Arrowwod Dr.
Columbia, SC

BREAKING NEWS:

AT & T Union Offer Savings and Solidarity

Worcester Firefighter Killed in Apartment Building Collapse; Second Injured

Washington Fire Fighters work to Assist Severly Injured Brother

IAFF Remembers Fatal Worcester Cold Storage Fire

Events Calendar


 

CHECK out theCOLUMBIA FIRE HOCKEY TEAM website

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Charleston 9 Memorial

We Will Never Forget

  Next Meeting:
  Monday May 7th @ 8:30am  
 Tuesday May 8th @ 7pm  

We are moving...... Visit us at our new website http://www.iaff793.org

Police Officer Retirement System (PORS) FACTS!

Click Here to sign our Petition

  • As of June 30, 2011, The Police Officer Retirement System (PORS) was 74.5% funded, which is the Highest funded plan out of ALL South Carolina’s retirement systems. ** The desired Level of funding for government pension plans is 80%, as stated by the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB)
  • The South Carolina Retirement System manages 5 different retirement systems with 5 different benefit structures. Each of the 5 retirement systems were created to incentivize and reward 5 distinct and different types of professions. Yes, all employees are government employees, but everyone does not perform the same tasks and should therefore be rewarded according to the level of sacrifice and service given.
  • PORS members have an annuity factor of %2.14. In other words, when an officer becomes eligible to retire after 25 years of service, he or she is ONLY eligible to draw 53.3% of their salary. In many states, public safety employees draw upwards of 70-80% of their salary and may or may not contribute personally to retirement fund. For example, in Florida Police Officers retires 75% of their salary and never contributed to retirement system personally.
  • In 2011, the average PORS retiree with 25 years of service makes only $38,012.
  • In 2011, the average PORS retiree drew a retirement benefit of only $18,652
  • PORS members have paid 6.5% in employee contribution since July 1, 1988. Members of the SC Retirement System only started paying 6.5% in employee contribution in 2006.
  • Legislators have proposed a 5% increase for some state law enforcement agencies to offset the cost of increased employee contributions to the retirement and increase premiums for health insurance. Unfortunately, approximately 66% of PORS members will not benefit from that salary increase as they work for municipal and county governments and will be forced to take on these additional costs with what is already a minimal salary.


    • PORS members are willing to take the necessary steps to restore the system’s financial well being. However, we ask the legislature to allow these changes to be implement gradually or only on NEW HIRES in order to lessen the burden on current public safety officers. After all, any increases, no matter how small, is a major increase to PORS members.

    Standard State Retirement System

    Many Fire Departments are also under the State Retirement System. 37 fire departments in South Carolina are under the standard plan. The below listed concerns with H. 4898 hold true for protecting those firefighters
  • The average Fire Chief starting salary in this state is $54,849.
  • The average Firefighter starting salary in this state is $26,258.


    • As an Alternative

    Alternatives that we are requesting when addressing our concerns with H.4898 are:
    1. Phasing the 1% employee contribution over a four(4) year period instead of a single 1% increase during a difficult economic period.
    2. Maintaining the 3 year annual final compensation program for current employees and debating about the change to the 5 year average for new employees.
    3. Maintaining current allowances of annual leave and sick leave balances, for current employees, to be utilized, where allowable, in the annual final compesation.

    Columbia Firefighters Association is pleased to announce.....

    our support for City of Columbia Council candidate Cameron Runyan.  He has commited to supporting public safety and I am sure he is the best man for the job.  We look forward to working along side you.

    MOVE OVER for Our SAFETY and Yours

    On November 13, 2010 a Columbia emergency responder was killed and another critically injured. This incident fueled our concern to educate drivers about the
    "Move Over" law in reference to South Carolina roadways.

    Move Over means that if you, a driver, are approaching an emergency incident (fire truck, ambulance, cops, DOT, or even a stranded car on the side of the road), should slow down and move over to another lane. This gives the people working on the roadway a safe working area. Also, this will let other drivers know of the problem further up the roadway. Moving over also keeps you safe whether you are in the incident or approaching the incident.

    Those of us who work and or have friends and loved ones that work on the roadways would greatly appreciate it. We would like to go home to see our families when everything is said and done, as you would when you get off of work.


    CFFA pushes to get public safety death benefit reinstated

    December, 2011 –  Mayor Benjamin reinstated only PART of our death benefit.  If a Firefighter gets killed he will recieve 1 years salary and not the fullpublic safety death benefit.  This is benefit that was unknowingly removed by city leadership a couple years ago and was still listed as a benefit to employees.  The only reason that this was found out this was no longer a benefit is  when we lost our Fellow brother Chance Hyatt Zobel in November 2010 in the Line Of Duty when he was struck by a vehicle on the side of the Interstate doing his duty.

    This Benefit is only .02% of the total budget to cover ALL of our public safety employees.  That is POINT 02% of the budget to ensure that ALL our public safety people (Police and Fire) and their families are taken care of if they have to make the Ultimate sacrifice.

      The State mandates this coverage for State PORS enrollees.  Chance Hyatt Zobel’s family had to pay for all the burial and funeral arrangements themselves out of pocket, even though he was killed in the line of duty. $60.00 was the annual cost for this benefit coverage that covers surviving spouses, and children (beneficiaries.) 

    It costs money to protect our nation and our cities. Responders both local and military; sacrifice being away from family so that each of us can rest easily. They have your back when you need them. . . have theirs by supporting them when they need it most.

    SCFireNet.com

     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.

    Check out Columbia Firefighter's Association GIS statement and Study

     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

    Lexington Station Apt Fire - Sept 15th, 2010

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    HOT SHOTS

    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.