about Local 4907

Who We Are: A History of the

Fishers Professional Firefighters and Drivers Local 4907

We are here 24/7/365 for our community. Firefighter is our traditional name however in the 21st century, emergency responder is a more appropriate term, when the community requires emergency assistance the fire department is the first and last resort. Our firefighters are trained in many avenues of rescue work, and our firefighters come from many different skills, backgrounds and occupational experience creating a broad base to draw upon.

“It was February 1918 when representatives of local firefighter organizations from around the U.S and Canada met in Washington DC to form a free and democratic trade union, by firefighters for firefighters. Their objectives: to foster a higher degree of skill and efficiency; to cultivate friendship and fellowship; to maintain proper remuneration for duty performed; and to elevate the moral, intellectual, social and economic conditions of its members. They desired to secure the health and safe being of all who risked their spirit in their profession and to ensure that those who might be widowed and orphaned would want for naught.” ~IAFF

At the dawn of the 20th century, career firefighters worked 84 hour work weeks, others worked a one shift system, always on duty. Personal protective equipment was limited. Firefighting was considered unskilled labor therefore wages were meager. Pension systems were non-existent. Care for occupationally injured or ill members was limited. In the 21st century, career firefighters continue the battle for fair compensation in relation to the level of personal risk and sacrifice. Career firefighters are also dealing with decisions made by local governments without the input from first responders, and defunding efforts made just to save money even when communities are growing. Both of which create dangerous situations. At the same time firefighters are dealing with overwhelming rates of occupational cancer and behavioral health issues.

It has come to our attention that there are a number of people in the community who are very vocal and outspoken against our firefighters. Their rhetoric mainly focuses around three points: the firefighters union; firefighters compensation and the number of firefighters we have.

We believe these are all great bullet points in the right context. However the leaders of the local group called the taxpayer coalition, and their allies, have been using sensationalizing and deceptive tactics to dissuade the public from supporting the fire department. Their vocalization, printed material, graphics and charts have all been malicious, divisive and destructive, not only to the firefighters but to the service we provide to the community. They do this only to meet their agenda of reaching the bottom line at all costs. Collateral damage is not considered. Human beings -firefighters and civilians alike - are just treated as “data” and “the numbers” to them. So far, they have been unwilling to look past that.

Over the last number of weeks we have been relentlessly attacked just for being in a “firefighters union”. These attackers haven’t the first idea of what it means to be a firefighter, why we do it, how we do it, our history or the timeline of events that got us to where we are today. They would rather judge us for being in a union and make wildly inaccurate statements about how things work.

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