Mission:
 The International Association of Fire Fighters is an AFL-CIO affiliated labor union representing more than 250,000 professional fire fighters and emergency medical personnel in the United States and Canada. With more than 2,700 affiliates, the union fights for the rights, health, and safety of the vast majority of full-time, paid fire fighters in the two countries. In addition to city and county fire fighters and emergency medical personnel, the IAFF represents state employees (such as the California Forestry fire fighters), federal workers (such as fire fighters on military installations), and fire and emergency medical workers employed at certain industrial facilities.

Purpose of Site:
 The IAFF Web site is primarily a resource for fire fighters and other emergency personnel, but it also offers a wealth of information for the public and the media. The site provides information on how to join the union and the available benefits as well as health and safety information for fire fighters and emergency personnel. It also details the IAFF's advocacy efforts and the activities of the organization's Fire Fighters Burn Foundation, which provides grants for burn research and sponsors a summer camp for children suffering from burns.

Background:
 The IAFF was established on February 28, 1918, for the sole benefit of rank-and-file fire fighters in the United States and Canada. Its objectives were to organize all fire fighters and emergency medical or rescue workers, secure just compensation for their services, make their working environment as safe as possible, improve their skills, encourage the formation of local unions, promote the establishment of sick and death benefit funds, and support research and treatment of burns and other related health problems common to fire fighters.

 The organization has always been active in the political arena and was instrumental in such developments as the introduction of shift schedules in the early twentieth century. Its experts in the fields of occupational health and safety, fire-based emergency medical services, and hazardous materials advocate for providing fire fighters and paramedics with the tools they need to perform their jobs. The union also provides a strong voice in the development and implementation of new training and equipment. Since the mid-1980s, with grants from several U.S. federal agencies, the IAFF has directly trained more than 160,000 professional and volunteer fire fighters in handling hazardous materials. It has provided course materials on the subject to an additional 400,000 emergency responders.

Home Page:
 The main part of the IAFF home page is dedicated to news stories and reports that are important to fire fighters. Currently the page features reports on Anthrax and Hepatitis C and articles about recent legislative developments and the response to the September 11 terrorist attacks. The page has summaries of about eight stories with links to the full articles. Along the right side of the page is information on how to donate to the New York Firefighters 9-11 Disaster Relief Fund and a calendar of IAFF events. Links to the main areas of the site —Build Your Union, Stay Safe, Secure Your Job, Politics & Legislation, Virtual Academy, and Across the IAFF — are listed on the left side of the home page.

Outstanding Feature:
 In the Virtual Academy area on the site, the online learning center provides interactive, multimedia courses for fire fighters. The modules, which take about twenty minutes to complete, are designed to help IAFF members stay safe in their work and secure in their employment. Recent courses include "Bunkers and Bottles: Getting the Most From Your Gear" and "How Toxins Attack: You, Your Crew and Your Family." While most of the courses are available to every user, some are password-protected for use by union leaders only.

 After clicking on a learning module, a pop-up window appears and loads the interactive course. Users are guided through the course, clicking on a "next" button when they are ready to proceed. The courses employ learning techniques such as true/false questions that immediately respond with the correct answer and a full explanation in another pop up window. The site also provides printable review sheets for the courses and the e-mail addresses of instructors who can answer additional questions.

Honorable Mention:
 Found under the Politics & Legislation heading, the Halls of Congress area of the site helps fire fighters and emergency personnel become involved in advocacy efforts. Users can view weekly summaries of what happened in Congress that affects fire fighters and paramedics. The most impressive part of the feature is the Write Congress Now! tool that is powered by Capitol Advantage, a publisher of Congressional directories. Fire fighters and other union members can view relevant legislative alerts and updates, current legislation before Congress, and tips on how to communicate with senators and representatives. Users can also enter their zip code to see how their leaders voted on particular issues.