San Antonio Professional Firefighters Association

International Association of Firefighters, Local 624

Fentanyl, the Risk is Real!

Your San Antonio Firefighters teamed up with Representatives John Lujan and Philip Cortez along with the Kaprosy family to produce our first Public Service Announcement about Fentanyl poisoning. Please take a minute to view our PSA below:

As your San Antonio Firefighters we have committed our lives to serving our community. As an extension of our service we have collaborated with various community leaders and stakeholders to launch a campaign intended to educate and inform our San Antonio community about the dangers of Fentanyl poisoning.

Drug dealers are accessing our kids using social media platforms and it is critical you know, and speak to your children before it’s too late.

We did not attempt to reinvent the wheel and the information we provide comes directly from expert sources via the links provided below.

We will continue our community outreach efforts with episode two of our Public Service Announcements which will feature Dr. Donna Campbell who also serves as our State Senator in District 25. Dr. Campbell will be speaking on Fentanyl using her unique and expert knowledge as an emergency room physician.

Please use the links below to educate yourself and share the information with your family and friends.

Fentanyl is killing Americans in staggering numbers and our best defense is education and information.

A Brief History

The San Antonio Firefighters first organized in 1918 under the International Firefighters Association. This local was short lived as city officials passed an ordinance that made it illegal for firefighters to belong to a union. Ninety-two firefighters were fired in May of 1920. It was not until 1947, when a Civil Service law was introduced in the state legislature, that firefighters and police officers were provided the rights and benefits they deserved. The SA Firemen’s Welfare Association led by Chief L.E. Mason, obtained 10% of qualified voters’ signatures to call for an election to adopt the Civil Service law. In 1958, the Firefighters of San Antonio joined the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) as Local 624.

The City responded by not granting pay increases for the next five years.

Making Progress

Local 624’s greatest achievement was the passage of the Collective Bargaining Bill in 1973. San Antonio Firefighters worked tirelessly to bring this local option bill to a vote in San Antonio.

This watershed moment came after hard grassroots efforts in lobbying, block walking, rallies and signature collections from citizens who sought to look after their first responders. In 1975, San Antonio Firefighters signed their first contract with the City of San Antonio.