WPBFD History

their position is to want more and complain.” Baber be- came more hostile as the campaigning increased. On February 18 the city employees' political action committee endorsed Rick Reikenis and Samuel Thomas for the two commission seats up for grabs. Both candi- dates called the choice a fair and important endorsement. The Palm Beach Post followed suit by endorsing the same candidates in a March 5 editorial. The task of unseating two incumbents, Baber and Eva Mack, was formidable. The PAC canvassed the city, passing out campaign mate- rial door to door. Mailings and telephone solicitations were also organized. The March 12 election proved the power of the new PAC as both Reikenis and Thomas were elected to the city commission. The 1984-85 contract between the city and union allowed formation of the West Palm Beach Firefighters Benefit Fund. The firefighters' self insurance plan was brought about by a long standing dissatisfaction with the health insurance provided by the city. Now the firefight- ers themselves would be in control of their own insur- ance. Trustees for the fund were Harry Dahl, Dennis Ha- shagen, Ronald Johnson, George Schurter, and Dennis Withington. The plan was administered by Administrative Services, Inc. Steve Bloom was hired as legal counsel and Chuck Steiner as plan consultant. For the first time dental benefits were provided to the firefighters. The new plan became effective March 1, 1985. According to the contract, the city was to contrib- ute the same amount to the firefighters' insurance as they paid to the police and general employees. There were several occasions when the contribution for other city workers increased, but the city failed to raise payments to the firefighters' insurance as specified in the contract. The trustees had to threaten legal action before the proper amount was paid by the city months in arrears. Local 727 sponsored the annual retirement dinner held on April 26, 1985. One of the retirees honored was Local 727 President, Harry Dahl. He had been forced into early retirement for medical reasons, but would re- main union president. The dinner was held at the Frater- nal Order of Police #19 Hall on Okeechobee Road and ten past retirees joined in the festivities. As the activities of the union increased, some pro- jects suffered. The Firefighter News now required too much time from union officers and had not been printed for a year. Publication was turned over to the Women's Auxiliary in May of 1985. Kathy Baxter, President of the Auxiliary, assumed the position of editor. Other officers were: Mary Dahl and Pat Withington, Vice Presidents; Denise Young, Secretary; Diane Brown, Treasurer; Linda Grasso, Historian; and Debbie Hashagen, Sunshine Lady. This joint venture started out on friendly terms, but storm clouds would soon form on the horizon. The Firefighter News brought in money by selling

jury in the spectacular blaze when Firefighter Gary Tassin was hit in the head by a falling light fixture as he pulled the kitchen ceiling down. He was stunned, but recovered to help in fire ground operations. Damage was estimated at $1,000,000, the largest single fire loss since the Citi- zen's Building fire in 1977. The fire department had been without a grooming rule for eleven years. Chief Kennedy had rescinded the standards in July of 1973 after losing a court battle with Firefighter Gary Moore. By the late 1970s many fire- fighters had grown beards, long hair, and pork chop side- burns. Chief Lamar Bell issued a new rule on July 21, 1984, that banned beards and large sideburns. This time the department had more than just personal appearance as a reason to implement the restrictions. Tests had proven that facial hair allowed leakage through the seal on self contained breathing masks, exposing firefighters to poi- sonous gases. A safety factor such as this would surely stand up in any legal review. Off came the beards, and this time, no one challenged the rule in court. Firefighters performed a dramatic rescue at a house fire on Christmas Eve of 1984. An 83-year-old bedridden woman was trapped by thick smoke in her small home at 618-5th Street. Her 47-year-old nephew saw the fire and rushed into the house before fire units arrived. Minutes later both were pulled from the debris by firefighters. A desperate attempt was made to revive the two fire victims as they were transported to the hospital by paramedics, but both died of smoke inhalation. The fire was caused by an overloaded extension cord with seven appliances including a portable heater plugged into a single outlet. 1985 In February of 1985 Deputy Chief Donald Hubbard retired and the position was reclassified as administrative assistant chief by City Manager Richard G. Simmons. After extensive testing and interviews, Russell M. Reese was named to fill the position. Reese had been Chief Fire Prevention Officer since December of 1972. Firefighters had been politically active for many years by Local 727’s endorsement of candidates for city commission seats. There had been a few successes, but more power was needed to be effective. In early 1985 the difference of opinion between city employees and the city over wages was again heating-up. It was time for change. The police, general employees, and the firefighters formed a political action committee (PAC) to interview the five candidates running for city commissioner. The interviews were conducted at the Royce Hotel on Tues- day, February 12, 1985. Mayor Dwight Baber, up for re- election, expressed his views, saying, “[the city employ- ees] seem to be off in the same rut they're always in. In- stead of thanking us for giving them a five percent raise,

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