At MDA camp, children with muscle disease discover a world designed specifically for them- meeting many other kids sharing the same needs and experiences. MDA camp offers a fun and safe outdoor experience, along with opportunities to engage in a variety of adaptive activities including horseback riding, swimming, sports, arts and crafts, camp dances and much more. In addition to all of the fun and friendship it offers, MDA camp enables campers to stretch their comfort zones and gain independence as they spend a week away from home, permit someone other than their parents to provide personal care, and make new friends. MDA campers dream about summer camp all year and often say it’s better than Christmas; some even say it’s changed their lives. Almost all campers agree that it’s "the best week of the year."

You’re invited to apply to join the MDA team as a 2014 Summer Camp Volunteer. At MDA camp, volunteer counselors work one-on-one with campers, providing the around-the-clock care, close supervision and attention for children with muscle disease. Counselors push wheelchairs, meet the daily needs of each child, and become a youngster’s friend for a week. It’s a tall order to be an MDA camp counselor and MDA looks for people who can fulfill many specific responsibilities. This is an extremely important job and also a great way to get hands on experience and build your resume for your future career aspirations. MDA is especially in need of male camp volunteers; however, female camp volunteers are also encouraged to apply.

The Colorado MDA Camp is held at Rocky Mountain Village Easter Seals in Empire and serves campers from Colorado and Wyoming. MDA provides pre-camp training to all camp volunteers, as you will learn how to do proper lifts and transfers, assist with campers acts of daily living and work hands on with camp medical staff. Our camp sessions are held two different weeks and we are looking for different volunteers for each week:

Session I: June 15^th - 20^th (Campers ages 6 - Pre-Teen)

Session II: June 22^nd - 27^th (Campers ages Pre-Teen - 17)

 Attached is the fillable application for this years camp.  We have until the end of April to get the applications filled out.

If you are interested - please contact Rudy at 719-761-5969. 

2014 SC Volunteer Application (Fillable).docx

In the month of December we will be holding the elections for the following 2 Eboard positions: 2nd Trustee and Srgnt at Arms.  Online voting will be open ONLINE from Dec 4th at 10am until Dec 11th at 10am.  Online voting is a secure voting system which allows each member in good standing that is a member of the Local to vote one time for each position.  You will need to log in to the website - visit the link on the webpage and then cast your vote. If you cannot remember your login or password, please contact the office at 719-596-4618 or Rudy at 719-761-5969.  the members running for these positions are as follows:

2nd Trustee - Preston Frey, Jesse Weddle, Chris Thomas

Srgnt at Arms - Bob Haines, Jason Wallace, Devin Smith

 Throughout October, IAFF members wore pink T-shirts as part of their support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. More than 100 IAFF affiliates submitted these shirts in the IAFF 2013 Best Pink T-shirt Contest.  Beginning today, November 1, IAFF members, family and friends can vote for the best T-shirt design. Prizes include free registrations to the IAFF Vincent J. Bollon Affiliate Leadership Training Summit in January 2014 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.  Voting closes at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, November 15.  Please click the link below to view the logos that have been submitted - The Local 5 logo is located in the second row.  Please share with your friends and family!

http://www.iaff.org/Events/Pink2013/contest.asp

The 2014 Colorado Springs Professional Firefighter Calendar is now available for sale! You can purchase one of our calendars at our office located at 3265 West Carefree Circle, M-F 9am-2pm! Call us at 719-596-4618.
 

Our Calendars are now for sale at the following locations!
~Local 5 Office - 3265 West Carefree Cir

~Shelter Insurance - 3520 Galley rd

~The Family Studios - 2128 Copley Rd

~Colorado Coffee Merchants - 302 East Fillmore

In addition to fighting fires and running medical calls, the Colorado Springs Fire Fighters join other departments from across North America by sporting the color pink throughout October in efforts to fight breast and other cancers.

The Colorado Springs Professional Firefighters and have been fundraising for Breast Cancer Awareness through t-shirt sales since May and by joining the “Do you Tu-Tu” campaign created by the Susan G Komen Foundation for 2013.  Now that Breast Cancer Awareness month is here, you will see your Colorado Springs Fire Department sworn and civilian staff wearing pink “Firefighters Support the Fight” t-shirts as part of the duty uniform.

Fire fighters exposed to carcinogens and other chemicals while on the job are disproportionately diagnosed with breast cancer – just one of many cancers linked to the work fire fighters do. With one in eight women diagnosed each year, an estimated 232,340 new cases of breast cancer and 39,620 deaths will be reported in 2013. Among all women affected, 85 percent have no family history. Breast cancer in men is rare, but it does happen and those statistics increase with firefighters. About one percent of breast cancers in the U.S. occur in men.  The lifetime risk of getting breast cancer is about 1 in 1,000 in U.S. men. In 2013, it is estimated there will be 2,240 new cases of male breast cancer and 410 male breast cancer deaths.  

“Fire fighters are motivated to get involved for many reasons, and often it’s because they have been personally affected by the disease,” says Eric Ruettinger a fire fighter with the Colorado Springs Fire Department and a Vice President with IAFF Local 5 “We are supporting breast cancer awareness and prevention activities so that no breast cancer patient goes without life-saving treatments or having hope for a cure.”

Your Colorado Springs fire fighters encourage everyone in our community to participate in cancer awareness and prevention activities.
 

Your Colorado Springs Firefighters are always out and about in the community. We live here, we work here, and we call Colorado Springs our home!! Here are just a few of the events/organizations we have donated time/money to within our own community:
 

-Muscular Dystrophy Association
-Susan G Komen
-Go Red for Women
-Rock Bottom Back to School Program
-Children's Literacy
-Women in Business - Evening in Tuscany
-Dress For Success
-CSFD Explorers
-CSFD Juvenile Fire setter Intervention
-CPFF Foundation
-CSPFF Foundation
-Wounded Warrior Expeditions
-CSFD Community Bicycle Fair
-Ordway Fire Victim assistance
-ReGrow CO Polar Water Bottle fundraiser for wildfire victims
-15C Toy Drive
-And many many more!

We love THIS community and we love giving back!