San Bernardino County Professional Firefighters Local 935
IAFF Local 935 is a labor organization that represents the men and women of the San Bernardino County Fire Departments in Big Bear City, Big Bear Lake, Colton, Loma Linda, and Montclair.
The International Association of Fire Fighters Local 935 is the labor organization that represents the men and women of the San Bernardino County Firefighters and the affiliate membership of the Colton, Loma Linda, Big Bear, and Montclair Fire Departments.
The Fire Fighters of Local 935 pride themselves on over 100 years of service to the communities within San Bernardino County. Each year, Local 935 Firefighters give their time and money to the local communities to foster relationships and serve those with special needs.
The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) is the driving force behind nearly every advance in the fire and emergency services in the 21st century.
We’re more than just a union; we’re a movement, a brotherhood and sisterhood that is powering advancements in fire and emergency services in the United States, Canada, and around the world.
With offices in Washington, D.C., and Ottawa, Ontario, the IAFF is the fire service’s strongest voice at the federal level. Our Political Action Committee, FIREPAC, is among the top one-half of 1% of all federally registered PACs in the United States.
Today, 85% of communities across the U.S. and Canada are protected by our over 365,000 members.
RECENT INCIDENT | AUGUST 4, 2026 | HIGHWAY 18 BELOW BIG BEAR DAM
Recently our members responded to a traffic collision involving a vehicle approximately 300 feet over the side of Highway 18 below Big Bear Dam.
Witnesses reported seeing a single occupant exit the vehicle and continue downslope. Firefighters initiated a coordinated search using ground and air resources in steep, difficult terrain. At the time of the Fire District's video update, the occupant had not yet been located.
This post documents yesterday's response and is not a current incident alert.
Responses like this require enough trained personnel, technical-rescue capability, specialized equipment, emergency medical resources and access to aviation support. Mountain communities and travel corridors depend on nearby staffing and maintained apparatus because steep terrain can quickly turn a traffic collision into a complex, extended rescue operation.
MOUNTAIN ROAD SAFETY: Slow down, wear your seat belt, avoid distractions and use extra caution on winding mountain roads. If a vehicle leaves the roadway, call 911 and do not enter steep terrain unless directed by rescuers.
SERVICE • PROFESSIONALISM • DEDICATION
iafflocal935.org
X: @SBCoFFLocal935
Instagram: @Local935
Facebook: @Local935
Threads: @Local935
YouTube: @SanBernardinoCoFFs
#Local935 #SBCoFD #RecentIncident #BigBear #Highway18 #TechnicalRescue #Firefighters #PublicSafety ... See MoreSee Less
1 CommentsComment on Facebook
LOOKING BACK | May 18, 2026 | 16000 block of Cajon Blvd., Devore
Our members joined CAL FIRE and the U.S. Forest Service in unified command against a wind-driven vegetation fire near the base of the Cajon Pass. The fire began close to a home, damaged several storage buildings and sheds, and then moved into wildland fuels. The coordinated response prevented further spread into the nearby river bottom and held the incident to 5.5 acres. No civilian or firefighter injuries were reported.
The Cajon Pass combines heavy transportation corridors, homes, open vegetation, steep terrain and wind—conditions that can create multiple hazards at once. Mutual aid strengthens the response, while adequate local staffing and apparatus help place resources quickly and preserve coverage for the next emergency.
SAFETY MESSAGE: Maintain defensible space, remove combustible debris and avoid mowing, welding, dragging chains or parking hot vehicles in dry grass during elevated fire conditions.
SERVICE • PROFESSIONALISM • DEDICATION
Website: www.iafflocal935.org
X: @SBCoFFLocal935 | Instagram/Facebook: @Local935
YouTube: San Bernardino Co FFs
#Local935 #SBCoFD #cajonpass #devore #wildlandfire #mutualaid ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
... See MoreSee Less
This content isn't available right now
When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.0 CommentsComment on Facebook
THE FIRE APPARATUS CRISIS, AND A PROACTIVE LOCAL RESPONSE
Fire engines and ladder trucks are mission critical public safety equipment. Yet communities across the country are facing a fire apparatus crisis driven by rising costs, lengthy delivery timelines, and an increasingly consolidated manufacturing market.
The IAFF reports that a fire engine that cost about $589,000 in 2020 now commonly exceeds $1 million. Ladder trucks can reach $2 million or more. Delivery timelines that once commonly ran about a year to 18 months now often take two to four years, with some orders quoted as long as four and a half years.
The IAFF has raised serious concerns about how this happened. Over roughly two decades, private equity driven roll ups and corporate consolidation reduced a market that once included many manufacturers to three major companies, REV Group, Oshkosh, the parent company of Pierce, and Rosenbauer. Together, they control more than 70 percent of United States fire apparatus production.
The IAFF contends that reduced competition, profit focused consolidation, and potential anticompetitive practices have contributed to higher prices, longer wait times, and increasing difficulty for local jurisdictions to replace aging apparatus. Those impacts reach far beyond a purchasing decision. Delayed replacements can force agencies to keep older rigs in service longer, rely on reserve apparatus, spend more on maintenance, postpone planned fleet improvements, and absorb costs that compete with other public safety needs.
The IAFF has taken this issue directly to federal lawmakers. In May 2025, the IAFF and the American Economic Liberties Project called for Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission review of the industry. In September 2025, IAFF General President Edward Kelly testified before the United States Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee during its hearing, Sounding the Alarm, America’s Fire Apparatus Crisis.
President Kelly called on Congress to investigate manufacturer consolidation and potential collusion, warning that communities cannot be denied essential emergency vehicles, parts, supplies, and services. In July 2026, bipartisan federal lawmakers introduced a resolution directing the FTC to investigate corporate roll ups and potential anticompetitive practices in fire truck manufacturing. The IAFF endorsed that effort.
San Bernardino County Fire has taken proactive steps to address the realities of this market while continuing to build operational depth. In 2025, the District ordered 10 KME K 180 pumpers following Board of Supervisors approval. The K 180 is a pre engineered, modular platform that reduces the engineering and manufacturing complexity of a fully custom apparatus, allowing delivery on an accelerated schedule.
This approach was selected because the K 180 platform remains very similar to San Bernardino County Fire’s custom KME fire engines. Maintaining that consistency supports the District’s broader effort to standardize apparatus across all divisions, streamline training, reduce operational differences between units, and limit complications created by operating multiple apparatus styles and configurations countywide.
According to KME, the units were expected to be delivered within approximately one year. The pumpers are intended for immediate frontline service and then will move into reserve roles as additional custom apparatus arrive. This approach gives the District flexibility to keep dependable apparatus available while managing the years long timelines attached to more customized builds.
The 10 K 180 pumpers are low hose bed, side mount pump panel engines with a 2,000 gallon per minute pump, 500 gallon water tank, 20 gallon foam tank, and a 500 horsepower Cummins engine. The purchase represents a practical local response to a national problem, preserving readiness while the fire service pushes for accountability and greater competition in the apparatus market.
Local planning and federal advocacy must work together. The goal is straightforward, keep safe, reliable apparatus on the road, protect firefighters, preserve public safety, and ensure local communities are not priced out of the equipment they depend on.
SERVICE • PROFESSIONALISM • DEDICATION
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
Website: www.iafflocal935.org
X, Twitter: @SBCoFFLocal935
Instagram: @Local935
Facebook: @Local935
YouTube: San Bernardino Co FFs ... See MoreSee Less
8 CommentsComment on Facebook
FEDERAL RECOGNITION FOR FIREFIGHTER CANCER
Firefighters face repeated exposure to carcinogens throughout an entire career. Those exposures can accumulate over time, contributing to elevated cancer risk, shortened careers, health concerns after retirement, and devastating losses for families.
For years, firefighters and surviving families have fought for occupational cancer to be recognized as a line of duty injury. One of the stories that helped move this issue forward came from St. Paul Firefighters Local 21 Captain Mike Paidar and his wife, Julie.
Captain Paidar died in 2020 from acute myeloid leukemia after serving as a firefighter and paramedic. Minnesota recognized his death as the state’s first line of duty cancer fatality, establishing an important precedent for firefighter families facing similar circumstances.
Following her husband’s death, Julie Paidar worked with Local 21, the Minnesota Professional Fire Fighters, the IAFF, and survivor families across the country to bring their stories directly to federal lawmakers. Their advocacy helped demonstrate that cancer caused by occupational exposures must be treated with the same seriousness as any other line of duty injury.
That work helped lead to the bipartisan Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act, introduced in Captain Paidar’s honor by Senator Amy Klobuchar. In December 2025, the IAFF backed legislation was signed into federal law.
The Honor Act recognizes qualifying occupational cancers as line of duty deaths under the federal Public Safety Officers’ Benefits program. Eligible surviving families can now receive federal death and education benefits when a firefighter dies from a covered occupational cancer.
This federal recognition is a meaningful step for the fire service. It acknowledges the long term health consequences of the job, supports families after a loss, and affirms that the risks firefighters face do not end when an incident is over or when retirement begins.
SERVICE • PROFESSIONALISM • DEDICATION
Website: iafflocal935.org
X, Twitter: @SBCoFFLocal935
Instagram: @Local935
Facebook: @Local935
YouTube: San Bernardino Co FFs ... See MoreSee Less
1 CommentsComment on Facebook
TURNOUT GEAR SAFETY: PFAS AND WHAT COMES NEXT
Our turnout gear is designed to protect us—but the fire service has learned that some of the chemicals used to make gear water- and oil-resistant may create another occupational exposure concern.
PFAS and polyfluoroalkyl substances are a large class of synthetic “forever chemicals.” They do not readily break down, can accumulate in the environment and the body, and certain PFAS have been linked to cancer and other serious health effects. Studies have identified PFAS throughout the layers of structural turnout gear, including moisture barriers and outer-shell treatments.
The IAFF has made this a member health and safety priority. Convention delegates directed the union to oppose PFAS in turnout gear, pursue independent testing, work with manufacturers toward safer alternatives, and seek federal research into the health effects of PFAS in PPE. The IAFF also committed additional cancer-research funding and retained nationally recognized law firms to challenge the systems that allowed toxic chemicals in protective equipment.
Federally, IAFF advocacy helped secure direction for NIST to study the amount of PFAS in turnout gear and the associated health risks. The IAFF continues to support the PFAS Alternatives Act, which would accelerate research and development of next-generation turnout gear that is PFAS-free, better fits the full range of firefighter body types, and provides clearer indications for cleaning and maintenance.
This work is about more than one chemical. The IAFF has called for complete disclosure and independent testing for PFAS, fluorinated treatments and coatings, and hazardous flame retardants, including halogenated flame retardants such as DBDPE. The NFPA 1970 Restricted Substances List is an important step, but firefighters and departments should not rely on marketing claims alone.
When new gear is introduced, it must be independently and scientifically verified, not simply labeled “PFAS-free.” Our members deserve protective equipment that reduces hazards, rather than introducing new ones.
SERVICE • PROFESSIONALISM • DEDICATION
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
Website: www.iafflocal935.org
X (Twitter): @SBCoFFLocal935
Instagram: @Local935
Facebook: @Local935
YouTube: San Bernardino Co FFs
Sources: www.iaff.org/pfas/
www.iaff.org/pfas/pfas-faq/
www.iaff.org/news/senate-bill-would-accelerate-development-of-pfas-free-firefighting-gear/ ... See MoreSee Less
2 CommentsComment on Facebook
... See MoreSee Less
This content isn't available right now
When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.0 CommentsComment on Facebook
#VideoVault | #throwback
ORIGINAL INCIDENT: March 22, 2024 | 14100 block Main Street, Hesperia
Just after midnight, our members arrived to flames showing from the roof of a multi-business commercial strip. Interior crews encountered smoke banked to the floor while the fire burned inside concealed façade and attic spaces.
Firefighters deployed hose lines from aerial apparatus and used saws to open the roof while interior teams worked below. Sprinkler activation also helped contain the fire. Despite water damage, coordinated operations prevented flames from traveling laterally through the open attic and involving additional businesses.
The response required 33 personnel: seven engines, two truck companies, two battalion chiefs, an ambulance and two investigators, with Victorville Fire assisting through mutual aid. No injuries were reported.
Commercial occupancies require enough personnel for simultaneous interior attack, roof operations, water supply, exposure protection, EMS, command and investigation.
SAFETY MESSAGE: Businesses should maintain sprinkler systems, keep exits clear and practice employee evacuation procedures.
SERVICE • PROFESSIONALISM • DEDICATION
Website: www.iafflocal935.org
X: @SBCoFFLocal935 | Instagram/Facebook: @Local935
YouTube: San Bernardino Co FFs
#Local935 #SBCoFD #Hesperia #commercialfire ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
#VideoVault | #Throwback
ORIGINAL EVENT: June 7, 2025 | Station 306, Hesperia
Hundreds of residents joined firefighters and community partners for Station 306's open house, pancake breakfast, apparatus push-in ceremony and public-safety displays.
The temporary station near the Silverwood development houses a paramedic engine, ambulance and brush engine, improving coverage for Hesperia's growing south end until a permanent facility is built. Events like this also give families a chance to meet firefighters, see apparatus up close and learn how crews live, train and prepare for emergencies.
Station 306 shows what cooperation and investment can accomplish. It also highlights the need to keep working: aging facilities need replacement, unbuilt stations must move forward, and sustainable funding must support enough firefighters and resources for a growing High Desert.
SAFETY MESSAGE FOR FAMILIES: Teach children that firefighters in protective gear are there to help, practice two ways out of every room and choose an outdoor family meeting place.
SERVICE • PROFESSIONALISM • DEDICATION
Website: www.iafflocal935.org
X: @SBCoFFLocal935 | Instagram/Facebook: @Local935
YouTube: San Bernardino Co FFs
#Local935 #SBCoFD #Hesperia #Station306 #PublicEducation ... See MoreSee Less
1 CommentsComment on Facebook
VIDEO VAULT | February 27, 2025 | Tower 19 Academy
Not every academy lesson happens inside a burn building. This archival Tower 19 video shows recruits gathered for a hands-on demonstration—an important part of turning technical information into practical fireground judgment.
Career preparation combines classroom learning, equipment familiarization, physical conditioning, repeated skills practice and teamwork. Recruits must learn not only how a task is performed, but why it is performed, how it supports the crew and how conditions can change the decision. That foundation continues through probation and throughout a firefighter's career.
For anyone considering the fire service: prepare early, build strong fitness habits, develop the ability to work on a team and monitor official County recruitment channels for future opportunities.
SERVICE • PROFESSIONALISM • DEDICATION
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
Website: www.iafflocal935.org
X (Twitter): @SBCoFFLocal935
Instagram: @Local935
Facebook: @Local935
YouTube: San Bernardino Co FFs
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
#Throwback #FireAcademy #FirefighterTraining #Recruitment #CareerFirefighters #Local935 ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
RESOURCE DEPLOYMENT UPDATE | REMS
COLEMAN CREEK FIRE | OREGON
August 8, 2026
Our 4-person Rapid Extraction Module Support (REMS) team remains deployed on the Coleman Creek Fire near Juntura, Oregon.
The Coleman Creek Fire is currently approximately 308,700 acres and 84% contained. With overall fire activity significantly reduced, our members remain assigned specifically to the REMS mission, maintaining readiness to respond to firefighter injuries or medical emergencies anywhere on the incident.
During this period, the team has continued REMS-specific training and technical rescue drills while also assisting with line medic activities and medical reconnaissance throughout the incident. This includes moving through operational areas, identifying access and extraction options, and providing medical support to firefighters working in remote portions of the fire.
WHAT IS REMS?
Rapid Extraction Module Support is a specialized, pre-positioned rescue and medical resource designed to rapidly access, stabilize, package and extract an injured or ill firefighter from terrain where traditional emergency vehicles may not be able to reach.
Our 4-person team combines wildland, ALS and technical-rescue capabilities. The team includes a Captain who is Engine Boss qualified, paramedic capability, a certified ARV operator and rope-rescue-qualified personnel.
The team also deploys with ARV305, an All-Terrain Rescue Vehicle that provides increased mobility for personnel, medical equipment and technical rescue gear in steep, rugged and remote terrain.
Wildland incidents present a unique rescue challenge. Firefighters may be operating miles from established roads in terrain where a conventional ambulance or fire engine simply cannot travel. If a firefighter becomes injured or critically ill, reaching the patient is only the first step.
REMS personnel must be capable of:
• Rapidly locating and accessing the firefighter
• Providing immediate medical care, including ALS
• Packaging the patient for movement
• Establishing rope systems when necessary
• Performing steep-angle or over-the-side rescues
• Moving patients using Stokes/litter systems
• Utilizing an ARV to transport patients through difficult terrain
• Coordinating transfer to an ambulance, helicopter or other transport resource
The goal is to bring rescue and advanced medical capabilities directly to the firefighter, rather than relying solely on traditional EMS resources to reach terrain they may not be able to access.
By pre-positioning this capability on a major wildland incident, REMS reduces the time between a firefighter emergency, medical intervention and safe extraction from the fireline.
Even during periods of reduced fire activity, maintaining that capability requires constant readiness, knowledge of the incident terrain and access routes, and continued proficiency with the technical rescue systems that may be needed when an emergency occurs.
Our Local 935 members remain deployed and ready to support firefighters throughout the Coleman Creek Incident.
SERVICE • PROFESSIONALISM • DEDICATION
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
Website: www.iafflocal935.org
X (Twitter): @SBCoFFLocal935
Instagram: @Local935
Facebook: @Local935
YouTube: San Bernardino Co FFs
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ... See MoreSee Less
1 CommentsComment on Facebook
LOOKING BACK | May 23, 2026 | 25500 block of 18th St., San Bernardino
Our members located a room-and-contents fire inside a residence and extinguished it before flames could extend through the remainder of the home.
A fast interior attack protects lives and property, but it is a coordinated operation. Firefighters must advance hose lines, search for occupants, ventilate heat and smoke, establish water supply, secure utilities and check for hidden extension—often at the same time. Adequate staffing makes those simultaneous assignments possible.
SAFETY MESSAGE: Maintain working smoke alarms, sleep with bedroom doors closed and practice two ways out. If fire occurs, close doors as you leave, stay outside and call 911.
SERVICE • PROFESSIONALISM • DEDICATION
Website: www.iafflocal935.org
X: @SBCoFFLocal935 | Instagram/Facebook: @Local935
YouTube: San Bernardino Co FFs
#Local935 #SBCoFD #structurefire #firesafety ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook