Committees

Behavioral Health

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

In 2015, Resolution 15-08 identified the need for a public relations campaign to properly inform the people of Washington about issues significant to Washington’s professional fire fighters and to enhance public opinion of fire fighters and the labor movement.

The committee is chaired by Ryan Reese, 1st District Representative, and includes Tim Hoover, 6th District Representative, Jeff Wainwright, 9th District Representative, Matt Lowery, L3520, and WSCFF staff. Working with the Executive Board, local leaders, and members, the Public Relations Committee has conducted a public opinion survey, developed and executed public relations plans, worked with local affiliates to develop communications skills and strategies, and utilized social media platforms.

For more information, contact the Public Relations Committee or the WSCFF office.

Delegates at the 2024 WSCFF Convention voted to expand the EMS Committee from three at-large delegates to six. Find complete application information here.

The most significant issue for our members and the EMS Committee involves changes to healthcare delivery perpetuated by the passage of the Affordable Care Act. There has been much discussion and legislative priority placed on EMS programs that seek to modify 911 user behaviors and tailor the level of response/resource utilization to the patient. These programs are administered under various labels within locals, both statewide and nationwide, and by other IAFF affiliates. The programs are generally referred to as Mobile Integrated Health (MIH), Community Paramedicine, or FD CARES.

The goal of the EMS Committee is to provide local leaders with a framework that sets a course for the development and administration of an MIH program in your organization. The Committee meets several times throughout the year.

For more information, please contact the EMS Committee, the WSCFF office, or committee members directly..

EMS Committee Chair: Tom Fields, Local 1604, WSCFF 5th District Representative

EMS Committee Members:

• Kellie Ferrante, Local 29
• Andy Polmateer, Local 315
• Jeremy Garrett, Local 1433
• Steve Perry, Local 2595
• Reece Williams, Local 3219
• Tom Chavez, Local 3711
• Lonny Walker, Local 5133

See the following links for sample resolutions, white paper on funding, data being collected, and some informative videos. More resources will be added as they become available.

• FD CARES
• Tacoma CARES Program
• Single Role, EMS Only Employees WSCFF Position Statement
• EMS World article related to Kent RFA FD CARES
• Snohomish County Fire District 1
• Bellingham’s Community Paramedic Program Review Presented to City Council
• Flowchart of Bellingham Resources for Paramedic Program
• Legislative Documents: 2013 FD Cares, 2015 Community Paramedic, and 2015 Alternate Transport
• Sample CARES Ordinance and Resolutions 
• Sample Interlocal Agreement for a Community Resource Paramedic Program
• Sample Community Resource Paramedic MOU
• Community Paramedic Proposal Template
• Funding Mechanisms to Provide Sustainability to Community Paramedic Program
• Defining the Role of EMS in Our Nation’s Health Care Transformation – The New EMS Value Proposition

The mission of the Legislative Committee is to help identify and recommend candidates for endorsement who are responsive to the needs of fire fighters, and to provide assistance to locals in electing candidates for local, state, and federally elected offices. The Committee also works to develop legislation related to pension and civil service processes, collective bargaining, wages, hours and working conditions, and health and safety. The WSCFF works to secure passage of legislation beneficial to fire fighters and prevent the passage of legislation deemed harmful.

For more information, contact the Legislative Committee or visit the Political Action page.

Legislative Committee Members:

• Dennis Lawson, WSCFF President
• Greg Markley, WSCFF Secretary/Treasurer
• Dean Shelton, WSCFF Vice President & 10th District Representative
• AJ Johnson, WSCFF Legislative Liaison
• Nich Gullickson, WSCFF Legislative Liaison

The Health and Safety Committee confronts top-priority issues for the Washington State Council of Fire Fighters – the safety of our members. Working in conjunction with a variety of local, statewide, and national groups, as well as experts and safety resources, the Committee monitors current fire fighter safety issues and develops strategies and programs that promote their use and effectiveness. The Health and Safety Committee meets periodically throughout the year.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the cancer agency of the World Health Organization (WHO), has re-evaluated firefighting and classified fire fighter occupational exposure as a group 1 carcinogen, stating there is sufficient evidence for cancer in humans.

The classification announced in Lyon, France, on July 1, marks a dramatic shift in IARC’s position on fire fighter occupational cancer. This designation will likely have a major impact on the fight against cancer in the fire service, from ongoing medical research to presumptive laws. The Health & Safety Committee recommends this recent report from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC0>

For more information, please contact the WSCFF office or the committee 

WSCFF Health & Safety Committee Members:

Committee Chair:
Keven Rojecki

Fire Cancer Support Network WA Chapter Representative: Bob Dirham, Local 1296

Behavioral Health Representative: John Gallup, Local 1747

Eastside Representatives:
Sean Golladay, Local 29

AJ Fandrich, Local 1052

Ryan Baldwin, Local 1919

Westside Representatives:
Neil Agren, Local 3828

Jeremy Dixon, Local 437

Kurt Hilt, Local 1828

The Wildland Fire and Mobilization Committee’s purpose is to create and/or evaluate wildland fire fighting and mobilization legislation and policy, deployment models and staffing levels, and funding proposals for local, state, and federal governments. The Committee also creates proposed WSCFF policies on wildland fire fighting and mobilizations, and helps to develop educational resources for locals related to wildland fire fighting mobilizations.

President Dennis Lawson selected the six committee members from three western Washington and three eastern Washington locals with small (0-30), mid-size (31-100), and large (100+) memberships.

For more information, contact the Committee or the WSCFF office.

Chair: Jeff Wainwright, WSCFF 2nd District Representative

Committee Members:

• Kevin Haughton, Local 29
• Pat Moore, Local 1828
• KC Whitehouse, Local 2394
• Norby Johnson, Local 3390
• Jason Wilkins, Local 3711
• Jason Gallagher, Local 4333

Interested in lending your skillset and adding your name to our roster? Wildland fire fighters with specific skills in operation, command, finance, logistics, and planning are needed regularly throughout the Wildfire season. Check out our Wildland Fire Roster page.