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WELCOME TO
THE CHAPTER 146 ASSOCIATION
Our Mission Statement
To Preserve and Protect Massachusetts General Law Chapter 146 and to ensure Public Safety by maintaining a strong license law.
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Impress your fellow firemen and engineers. Get this Ch. 146 hat FREE when you attend any of our meetings!! |
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LEGISLATIVE UPDATE, MAY 29, 2010
"PUBLIC SAFETY Ordered, that notwithstanding the provisions of Joint Rule 10, the committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security be granted until Thursday, July 1, 2010, the time within which to make its final report on current Senate documents numbered 917, 934, 963 and current House documents numbered 2208, 2239, 2240 and 2259." More on Page 3 |
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Message From Firemen-Engineers.com |
5/19/10 Boston Herald - DPS Elevator Inspections |
Supporting Organizations |
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May 15, 2010, Opposing the bills below will not do any good if we do not have an adequate # of District Engineering Inspectors to enforce the laws already on the books. According to past and current budgets we should have 16. As of this writing we only have 8 and recently we were down to 7!! Inform your legislators and put a call in to the Governor's office today on this major issue. Thanks.
Update May 29, 2010
It appears that we should be back up to 10 inspectors shortly, yet this number is still woefully low for the current backlog of inspections needed to balance out the books.
PUBLIC SAFETY HEARING VIDEOS JUNE 2009 TAPED BY THE CHAPTER 146 ASSN.
This set of videos was taken at the Massachusetts State House in June of 2009 where the Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, Co-Chaired by Senator James E. Timilty and Representative Michael A. Costello, heard testimony regarding bills concerning hoisting, steam engineering licensing, and the Division of Inspections among many others. As an Association we lined up speaker after speaker to specifically oppose House Bill 2208 HB 2208 Details and Senate Bill 917 SB 917 Details and presented some 800 letters in opposition. All this work was made possible by our very active membership and we stopped the immediate passage of these and other bills. However, be forewarned that once bills are on the table in committee they are never fully dead especially ones like these that have groups looking to push them forward. The video in parts 1, 3 & 4 show that very powerful interests are involved in fundamentally changing the Department of Public Safety regarding licensing and structure of the department. We need to be vigilant and educate people on the dangers of NOT opposing these bills now and in the future.
April 19, 2010
The Ch. 146 Assn's Year End Meeting for the 2009-2010 was a great success. 60 People attended!
Last year's Executive Board consisting of Jim Turcotte - President, Bob Capozzi - Vice President, Nick D'Alessandro - Secretary and Board Members - Todd Davis, John Girard, John Rogers, John Russo, and Steve Bakas ran unopposed. Treasurer Allen Boston stepped down. Mike Surette ran to replace the Treasurer position and was also unopposed. Congratulations Mike and to all.
Also, former Chief of Inspections, District Inspector, Deputy Commissioner and founding member of the Ch. 146 Assn. Bob Russell and former District Inspector Jack Feeney were named lifetime Honorary Board Members of the Chapter 146 Association.
In attendance showing their full support of our effort were current State District Engineering Inspectors - Tom O'Rourke, Francis Bucchiere, Rick Feeney and Jim Blackburn. |
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Contact us: THECHAPTER146ASSN@GMAIL.COM | PAGE 2 NEXT PAGE BACK TO TOP
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Why Senate Bill 911 is BAD!!
Do we have to learn our lessons all over again??!!
Between 1880 and 1890 there were over 2000 boiler explosions in the US. By 1890, inspections were rare and operating guidelines were not heeded. The 1905 Grover Shoe factory boiler explosion in Broctkton, MA, and another the next year brought action and a Board of Boiler Rules was formed. Massachusetts passed "An Act Relating to the Operation and Inspection of Steam Boilers" in 1909. The MA laws eventually led to passage of a national boiler safety code. Grover Shoe Factory.
“While the other parts of the country in the last three years have been devastated by nearly 1,500 explosions, which have been more or less serious and wrought considerable destruction to life and property, the Bay State has not recorded one. …The boiler inspectors are ten in number, and each one has his own particular district to look after.” Boston Globe article from 1902
Since 1902, the number of MA boiler and pressure vessels has certainly climbed and yet our District Engineer Inspector rolls continues to decline!! In 2010, just over 100 years since the fatal Grover Shoe factory disaster we are at 7. The recent boiler explosion at Salem Harbor killing 3 and the huge steam related explosion that rocked Danvers, MA are just 2 examples of modern day complacency plaguing our state. SB917 continues this trend toward boiler explosion oblivion.
2009 Business We would like to thank everyone who came out and supported us at the hearings. Through your efforts we were able to present 800 letters to the committee and at least 12 people testified including our President Jim Turcotte!! Keep up the good work. However, the battle isn't over yet. We have more letters for all of you to send to your Representatives and Senators and the Entire Joint Committee on Public Safety & Homeland Security and confirm with us that you did so by email.
Senate Bill 917 SB 917 Details House Bill 2208 HB 2208 Details
Opposition Petitions To Senate Bill 917 and House Bill 2208
Committee Hearing 7/9/2009 Operating Engineers Letter National Board News Letter 09
A Letter to all Members
As part of THE CHAPTER 146 ASSOCIATION, you don't just belong to another club, organization or social network. If you joined us in the hopes that we will protect your lively hood and public safety through preserving our time tested public safety laws, then at least you are on the right track. However, it is time to realize that you joined us so that you could be informed and thereby take timely ACTION. We are involved in matters that are so important that they transcend personal gain and livelihood. Whenever Public Safety takes a back seat, people suffer and die needlessly while neighborhoods go up in flames and are rocked by explosions such as happened in Danvers, MA on November 22, 2006. and Salem Harbor.
What can you do?
1. Contact your Representatives and Senators on a regular basis so that they will know who you and we are when the time comes to oppose legislation.
2. Come to our meetings and bring your fellow engineers and firemen.
3. Get your fellow firemen and engineers to sign up to becoming a member of The Chapter 146 Assn.
4. Participate in our letter campaigns against adverse legislation.
5. Look for our emails. It has been a valuable resource for us. If you don't have a current email address, then make sure that there is someone in the association who can update you on our latest communications to the membership.
6. Fill in the blanks!!!! Anything that you can do to help us out is a huge plus. Get informed and stay connected. |
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Contact us: THECHAPTER146ASSN@GMAIL.COM | PAGE 3 NEXT PAGE BACK TO TOP
PLEASE PRINT & POST THE FOLLOWING FLYER
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Chapter146Association.Com
| Chapter 146 Association Meeting Announcements | |
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GARDNER, MASS.
THURSDAY, MAY 27, 2010 |
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FALL RIVER AREA IN WEST PORT, MASS.
THURSDAY, JUNE 24, 2010 |
Fellow 146 Members, The Gardner Meeting went very well. Once again our District Engineering Inspectors came out in full support including Tom O'Rouke, Joe Pineyro, Francis Bucchiere, Henry Geryk and retired Inspector Ralph Moore. 146 President Jim Turcotte, Secretary Nick D'Alessandro and fellow board members Todd Davis, John Rogers and John Girard were in attendance. We are also happy to report that several new members came and we are growing at a steady pace in membership. We feel that all our meetings are critical to the survival of our license laws and the Division of Inspections. That being said HB2208 and SB917 will most likely come out with some new language. Just what that language will be remains to be seen, but we are expecting to hear from the Committee on Public Safety by July 1, 2010. All reports show that there is a great lobbying effort for the legislative passage of HB2208 and SB917!!! This is where you come in. You must get on the phone TODAY with your State Representatives and Senators and tell them that you oppose these bills as currently worded and ask them to call the Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, Co-Chaired by Senator James E. Timilty and Representative Michael A. Costello on their future direction!! Find Your Legislature |
Our next meeting in West Port will be a critical one considering its close proximity to July 1st. We need all of you to make every effort to attend. Please sign up as many of your fellow firemen and engineers as possible so that they will be informed and take action, too.
PLEASE GET ON THE PHONE & EMAIL TODAY AND SPREAD THE WORD!!!
6 TO 7 PM Get Together and Sign In 7 to 8 pm Dinner then Meeting Afterwards White's of Westport, 66 State Rd, Westport, MA 02790 (508) 675-7185 http://www.lafrancehospitality.com/RSVP on or Before JUNE 23, 2010
With your dinner selection
Served with:
Mashed Potatoes
Mixed Vegetables
Salad
Coffee or Soda
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Look for emails from us or email us for any updates or changes to the above.
AS ALWAYS NEW MEMBERS ARE WELCOME AT ALL OUR MEETINGS.
THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND | PAGE 4 BACK TO TOP PLEASE PRINT & POST THE FOLLOWING FLYER
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Chapter146Association.Com
Welcome To
The Chapter 146 Association | |
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PLEASE JOIN THE CHAPTER 146 ASSN
YEAR AFTER YEAR WE ARE ONE STEP AWAY TO LOOSING IT ALL!!
THE CHAPTER 146 ASSOCIATION HAS DONE WELL, BUT….
WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!!
WE CAN DO IT WITH ONE VOICE AND ONE MESSAGE
We are in opposition to the 2 bills outlined below: House Bill 2208 and Senate Bill 917.
HB 2208, “An Act Relative to Steam Boilers”, Rep. DiNatale
“The department, upon application of a licensee, may grant a waiver on the above attendance requirements, for boilers of 501 horsepower or more, based on the automation of the boiler and appurtenant equipment, automatic shut-down capabilities and other technological safety equipment.”
Just as it implies… let’s do away with licensed personnel with a waiver!!!
SB 917, “An Act Relative to The Oversight Of Inspections”, Sen. Brewer
This bill would delete the Division of Inspections and erase the Chief-of-Inspections from power. It leaves MGL 146 absolutely defenseless against the waiver proposed in HB2208. In fact, no legislation will be necessary to override MGL 146 in all future cases.
Contact us by Email TheChapter146Assn@Gmail.com and sign up today!!
BEST REGARDS,
THE OFFICERS AND BOARD OF THE CHAPTER 146 ASSOCIATION
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