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Attleboro Fire Fighters Associations
The men of the Attleboro Fire Department are represented by two Associations each having its own distinct purpose. They are the Attleboro Firefighters Benefits Association (AFBA) and I.A.F.F. Local 848. Membership to either of these associations is optional for Firefighters.
The AFBA is the oldest of the two and has been in existence since the late 19th Century when the Town of Attleborough (as it was known then) purchased the franchise of the town's firefighting association.
The AFBA, or Benefit Association, which is sometimes referred to as the "Relief Association", was organized for the purpose of providing financial assistance to Firefighters who were injured while in the commission of their duties.
This association was funded then, as it is now, entirely by subscription or dues paid solely by each of its members. When the association was first founded there was no "workers compensation" for Firefighters who suffered injuries on the job.
Today the Association operates on the same principles but is governed by the Laws of Massachusetts as a Disability/Life Insurance plan. If a member is incapacitated for an extended period of time and unable to work the Association pays that member a nominal daily sum after a two-week waiting period. That benefit ends after one-hundred days. Again no tax dollars are involved.
When a member retires from the Fire Service he/she is given an option to either continue membership until his/her death at which time a survivor is given the Benefit or the member may take a cash Benefit upon retirement which ends any further payments.
The Benefit Association provides its members with two annual dinners. The first is held for all Active and Retired members and is a members only dinner. The second is known as the Firemen's Ball and is open to the public usually held in the fall around the time of Fire Prevention Week in October. In more recent times the Union Association joins with the Benefit Association to hold the annual Ball.
The second and youngest Association is known as the Union or I.A.F.F. Local 848. This organization is an affiliate of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) and is recognized by the City of Attleboro as the official bargaining agent for the Firefighters.
The official name for this agency is the Professional Fire Fighters of Attleboro (PFFA) I.A.F.F. Local 848. This association is dedicated solely to protecting the cities paid career Fire Fighters with respect to wages and benefits as conditions of employment. Chapter 150E of the General Laws of Massachusetts governs how the Union and the City are to interact with one another.
The Professional Fire Fighters of Attleboro are also affiliated with the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts (PFFM) an agency to which many of the career Fire Fighters of Massachusetts belong. The purpose of the PFFM is to provide information of importance, from the state level, to its membership regarding new state laws and regulations relative to their occupation.
Membership is not mandatory and the Fire Fighters of Attleboro have a legal right to not belong to the PFFA, PFFM, or the IAFF. The cost of belonging to any or all of these agencies and affiliations is bore solely by each individual member. Dues for membership are deducted from the members weekly paycheck. Not one dollar of taxpayer money is spent on membership.
The Professional Fire Fighters of Attleboro are proud to serve the residents and taxpayers of the City of Attleboro and are more proud to be employed in an occupation rich in tradition and dedication.
Stop by a firehouse sometime and ask for a tour we love the attention!
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©2009 Professional Fire Fighters of Attleboro
I.A.F.F. Local 848