This week, Local 1401 President Matt Tognozzi, Vice President Joe Stewart, and Santa Rosa Director Stephen Dal Porto traveled to Washington, D.C., to participate in the 2025 IAFF Alfred K. Whitehead Legislative Conference. Nearly 800 IAFF members from across the country assembled to meet with members of Congress, lobbying for legislation that protects firefighter health, safety, and retirement benefits.

During their time on Capitol Hill, L1401 leaders met directly with elected officials to push for key legislative priorities, including:

Recognizing Occupational Cancer as a Line-of-Duty Death
L1401 urged lawmakers to pass the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act, ensuring that the families of firefighters who die from occupational cancer receive Public Safety Officers' Benefits — the same protections given to firefighters who die in traumatic incidents.

Eliminating PFAS from Firefighter Gear
Firefighters continue to face toxic exposures from their own turnout gear, which contains dangerous PFAS chemicals linked to cancer. L1401 called on Congress to fund the development of next-generation PFAS-free gear, so firefighters are protected, not poisoned, by the equipment they rely on.

Protecting and Funding the World Trade Center Health Program
More than 23 years after 9/11, many responders continue to battle cancer and respiratory diseases caused by their service at Ground Zero. L1401 emphasized the critical need to fully fund the World Trade Center Health Program so that no responder is ever denied care.

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Hearing from Our General President

L1401 leaders also heard directly from IAFF General President Edward Kelly, who spoke about the importance of fighting for permanent interests — not parties or politicians.

“Our side, the side we’re on, is us,” said Kelly. “It’s about delivering for our mission, for the members of the IAFF, and it’s about what we need to accomplish on Capitol Hill and in statehouses across the United States to make our work safer, more secure, and better enable us to provide for our families.”

Kelly also highlighted a recent historic win for firefighters: the repeal of the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). With these unfair provisions eliminated, firefighters who earned Social Security benefits will now receive their full benefits without penalty — a victory decades in the making.

Fighting for What Matters Most

The IAFF’s work in Washington is not about partisanship — it’s about protecting our members and ensuring we have the tools, benefits, and safety measures needed to do our jobs and return home safely to our families. As Kelly reminded the members:

“Politicians come and go, but the mission of the IAFF stays the same. We don’t have permanent friends. We don’t have permanent enemies. We have permanent interests.”

L1401 Stands with Our Brothers and Sisters Nationwide

Whether it’s securing presumptive cancer protections, advocating for safer gear, or fighting to ensure our families are cared for if the unthinkable happens, Local 1401 stands proudly alongside the IAFF and our brothers and sisters across the country. We will never stop fighting for the safety, health, and rights of every firefighter — from Sonoma County to Capitol Hill.

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