U.S. Department of Labor’s Post

“Good jobs change lives… they’re about letting you look your children in the eye, say everything is going to be okay, and mean it.” -Acting Secretary Julie Su ⛈ It was inspiring to be in South Florida this week with Saket Soni, Teresa Acuña, Valeria Treves, Mark Davis, LaTanja Silvester and many others for the historic signing of a High Road Training Partnership agreement between The Families and Workers Fund grantee Resilience Force and two companies, PuroClean and Signal Restoration Services. This work is also supported by a demonstration grant from U.S. Department of Labor, and it will kick off by training 1,000 new restoration and reconstruction workers going into the 2024 hurricane season -- all of whom will see a major increase in their skills and pay. ♨ In addition, I joined our grantee WeCount!’s and Operating Engineers Local 487 for their event on the impacts on extreme heat -- a rising threat due to climate change -- and the dangerous working conditions many outdoor workers are facing in agriculture, construction, and more in Florida. 🧗♀️ A huge highlight was hearing testimony directly from many workers about the major improvements in their own lives that they experienced when working for companies that invest in them, their training, and their safety and health. Shout out to our very own Essential Leaders Council members who supported their co workers in sharing their stories with media and local leaders! 💗 I also want to shout out Mark Davis who teared up when sharing his own story about when he discovered wage theft happening with a sub to his sub-contractor and the steps he took, with the help of Resilience Force, to correct this and become a champion for good jobs and workforce investment. It is so rare for a CEO to share not only positive stories (and Mark has many of those!), but also hard stories. Yet, it's in those moments where leadership is truly made.

🔥 The Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) has received a record budget of $1.04b in the #QldBudget in 2023-24. https://lnkd.in/gug8v4Tv Highlights include: 💪 $125m capital budget for fire station upgrades and improved vehicle fleet. 🏢 Over $20.7m for new Fire and Rescue stations, expanding coverage and response times. 🚒 $18.7m for new Fire and Rescue trucks, $16.1m for Rural Fire Service trucks, and $7m for support vehicles. 🏗️ $7.2m for Rural Fire Service station construction and upgrades. 🚨 $3m for SES support vehicles and $11.2m in capital grants for enhanced emergency response capabilities. 🌟 $7.6m for community safety initiatives, including bushfire awareness and road safety programs. Find out more about QFES Budget funding here https://budget.qld.gov.au/

Witnessed the devasting site of the Key Bridge collapse today. It's hard to put into words the wreckage and loss. Subsequently attended the press conference with Governor Moore where he discussed leading Maryland through the challenging recovery and made a strong call for "unity of command and unity of effort." The unprecedented, complex task of dismantling and removing the bridge highlights the effort's significance for both Maryland and the national economy. Amidst this, Moore expressed gratitude to the Maryland legislature and federal delegation for their support. Yet, as we navigate this recovery, Moore highlights the urgency for the Maryland House and Senate to compromise on a responsible state budget. Critical issues like housing, childcare, environmental protection, and transportation demand immediate action. Moore states he will continue to push for legislation to protect transportation workers, like the victims of the Key Bridge collapse, and he asked the General Assembly to ensure that any legislation it works on offers the flexibility to support workers, businesses, and our transportation network. In conclusion, Governor Moore, along with other key voices, stresses the importance of supporting the bridge collapse victims, and first responders, and addressing our state’s pressing needs. It's a time for unity, gratitude, and swift action to foster recovery and resilience. #MarylandTough #BaltimoreStrong #UnityInAction

🔥 The Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) received a record budget of $1.04b in the #QldBudget in 2023-24. Highlights include: 💪 $125m capital budget for fire station upgrades and improved vehicle fleet 🏢 Over $20.7m for new Fire and Rescue stations, expanding coverage and response times 🚒 $18.7m for new Fire and Rescue trucks, $16.1m for Rural Fire Service trucks, and $7m for support vehicles 🏗️ $7.2m for Rural Fire Service station construction and upgrades 🚨 $3m for SES support vehicles and $11.2m in capital grants for enhanced emergency response capabilities 🌟 $7.6m for community safety initiatives, including bushfire awareness and road safety programs.   Find out more about QFES Budget funding at https://budget.qld.gov.au/

https://lnkd.in/ghTcwced St. Catharines Fire Services (SCFS) welcomes another municipality into the mix as Prince Edward County Fire and Rescue (PECFR) joins the list of cities using St. Catharines emergency dispatch services. This makes the decision by Niagara Falls City council even more baffling. Niagara Falls estimated sustained annual savings to the City of Niagara Falls of approximately $240,000 by outsourcing dispatch operations as well as other potential savings. Despite this the city of NF decided to continue to operate their own dispatch center. Taxpayers should also be questioning why the City of Welland and Ft Erie contract this service outside of the region all together. Significant governance reform is needed in order to reduce the duplication of service and the costs of the duplication to the taxpayer. Clearly the only way this will happen is with provincial intervention. #timeforchange

From Valley Fire & Rescue: Letter From the Chief's Office On May 14th Mason County Voters will have the option to continue funding our fire departments and EMS services in the county. I know this brings mixed emotions with us all. Each day we see our personal expenses increasing, yet our paycheck is not. Our community fire departments are seeing the same thing. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, our costs have increased over 150%. However our commitment to serve the community is unchanged. I would like to personally express my concerns over our funding situation. The State of West Virginia currently funds our department between $49737.14 and $56857.43 each year to operate. The rest of our budget comes from the existing county fire levy of $104,000 per year. Our annual operating expenses, without upgrading or replacing equipment are well over $115,000. Once our equipment requires replacement, cost increase experientially. A new fire engine is around $750,000 while gear and training for a firefighter is around $20,000. These costs do not include the equipment and tools on our trucks. Our aging fleet of trucks is becoming more expensive to maintain each year ($21,000 in 2023), we can qualify for grants, however grants are partial and require a percentage of the project costs to come from our operating budget. Without the continuation of this levy, we will have to take drastic cuts in maintenance and equipment improvements. I strongly urge you to attend a public meeting, fire station tour, or other fire department event in the county and see for yourself where these funds are going. Please get with your local fire department and have a conversation before making a choice on your vote. Zachary Adkins Chief, Valley Fire & Rescue #MasonCountyFireEMSLevy2024

We just published a new blog post about the June 17th extended filing deadline for taxpayers affected by qualifying disaster areas, learn more from your friends at Boyer & Goodman CPA. Just click below.

Some states have not adopted statewide building codes and get penalized but have good to excellent enforcement in the coastal areas. Meanwhile other states have adopted statewide codes which improves their score but in the coastal areas they are failing to enforce important minimum standards that are designed to reduce loss from extreme wind events. Personally I think more attention and funding should be focused on establishing building departments, training, and giving local jurisdictions the ability to enforce as well as adopt codes irrespective of local political or development influences. It is after all the tax payers that are footing the cost of FEMA rebuilding and the increasingly higher insurance costs due to commonly preventable losses. You can reduce disaster inflation resulting from litigation, surge demand, AAL and insurance rates all at the same time, the coastal counties of Alabama have proven it.

The Gulf of Mexico just had it's first named storm of the season, and it's barely hurricane season. One of the many things I love about what we do at the Gulf of Mexico Alliance is act as a connector, not just for traditional environmental issues like water quality or marine debris. We look at how people are connected and impacted by Gulf issues, and we connect them with the right resources. Proud of what we do. Are you prepared for storm season? https://lnkd.in/ej_59B7Z

Many communities remain vulnerable to severe weather because local jurisdictions have not adopted or enforced modern building codes. In fact, less than 35% of Americans live in regions with an enforced modern building code – requirements that have proven to save lives, reduce property damage, lessen disruption in our lives and strengthen the resiliency of our communities. Today, the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety - IBHS released our fifth edition of Rating the States, which assesses building code adoption, enforcement and contractor licensing in 18 states along the hurricane coastline. Is your local code leaving you susceptible to Mother Nature? Find out at https://lnkd.in/eqDijHT7.