The IAFF Motorcycle Group (IAFF-MG), created through a resolution at the 2004 IAFF Convention, is designed to bring together active, retired and alumni members and members of recognized affiliates from across the International and to promote fraternalism among the IAFF’s ranks. The IAFF-MG is open to IAFF members who own and ride motorcycles.
August 9, 2008 – Active and retired members of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association (UFOA) of New York Local 854 and the Uniformed Firefighters Association (UFA) of Greater New York Local 94 will provide a motorcycle escort to carry a piece of World Trade Center steel from Brooklyn, New York, to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on August 23, 2008. The cross-shaped steel will be permanently erected at the Shanksville Fire Department in remembrance of the lives lost on September 11, 2001. IAFF and IAFF-MG Members are invited to support our sisters and brothers from FDNY and ride with IAFF-MG leadership and members from our 1st, 3rd, 4th and 16th Districts.
On that day, United Flight 93 crashed into a field not far from the Shanksville Fire Department as the plane’s passengers tried to retake control of the plane from terrorists. Forty passengers and crew were killed.
The event’s organizers – the Fire Family Transport Foundation and members of FDNY – are encouraging IAFF members to participate. Proceeds from the ride will be donated to the Fire Family Transport Foundation and the Wounded Warrior Project.
“We are hoping for at least 1,000 motorcycles to participate to bring attention to this important memorial,” says Paddy Concannon, retired member of Local 854 and founder of the Fire Family Transport Foundation. “While an official United Flight 93 memorial is in the works, we feel too little attention has been brought to what happened in Pennsylvania.”
Registration begins August 23 at 5:30 a.m. at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn. The fee, which includes the cost of tolls, is $40 per motorcycle and rider and $20 for a passenger. Click here for more information.
Fire fighters will leave at 7:00 a.m. accompanied by two trailers – one carrying the steel cross and another carrying Fire Engine 343 (used for ceremonies). The ride will take a break at the Appalachian Harley Davidson Dealership in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, between 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. Riders who cannot make the early part of the trip are encouraged to join the ride in Mechanicsburg. The 311-mile trip will end at the Shanksville Fire Department.
Throughout the trip, the fire fighter contingent will be escorted by state police troopers. Additionally, fire apparatus are expected to be staged over every overpass between New York and Pennsylvania.
The memorial dedication ceremony will be held Sunday, August 24, at 10:00 a.m. at the Shanksville Fire Department. The concrete base, which is shaped like the Pentagon, was poured and solidified ahead of time. Once erected, the steel memorial will stand 14-feet high. It is not a formal part of the Flight 93 Memorial.
The concept for the ride and memorial began years ago. “I had just retired when terrorists attacked the World Trade Center on 9/11,” says Concannon. “I have an excavating business, so I went straight to Ground Zero to help find my fellow fire fighters.”
Afterwards, Concannon’s company had five large pieces of steel from the site. In 2003, he donated a piece to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, where a permanent memorial now resides. The piece going to Shanksville is the second piece.
The Fire Family Transport Foundation was founded after Concannon suffered third degree burns in 1992. At that time, he realized that there was no service available to transport fire fighters and their families to and from treatment. Today, the foundation has 14 vehicles which provide that service. The Wounded Warrior Project assists members of the United States Armed Forces severely injured during the war on terrorism in Iraq, Afghanistan and other hot spots. The project provides programs and services to aid in the recovery process and smooths the transition back to civilian life.
Please contact your District Event Coordinator to let them know you will be attending the ride. Their contact information is as follows:
John Ryan, IAFF-MG 1st District Event Coordinator [[845] 978-3358
David Beliveau, IAFF-MG 3rd District Event Coordinator [860] 209-0443
Jim Beecken, IAFF-MG 4th District Event Coordinator [301] 639-9002
Mathew Dickey, IAFF-MG 16th District Event Cordinator [614] 208-5540
All IAFF-MG members and non IAFF-MG members are coordually invited to join Clark County, NV Local 1908 members on Saturday August 9, 2008, for a breathtaking ride through the scenic mountains of Las Vegas, Nevada.
Motorcycle rentals will be available at Las Vegas Harley Davidson dealers at the discounted rate of $125 and are based on availability. The only requirement is that when picking up the bike(s), the member must show fire department or IAFF ID for the discount to be applied.
The ride will start at the Clark County Local 1908 Headquarters and take you through the scenic Spring Mountain range. The highest point of the Spring Mountain Range is Mount Charleston at 11,918 feet. You will escape the heat of the valley floor into the higher elevations and the limestone cliffs, tall pine trees and abundant fresh air of Kyle Canyon and Lee Canyon. Temperatures are generally 20 to 30 degrees cooler -- a refreshing break from the higher valley temperatures. Riders will stop at the Fox Tail Canyon picnic area (approximately 7,000-feet elevation), where refreshments will be provided. The Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard resort is only a few miles further up the road where you can stop and enjoy the views.
The ride continues to the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Red Rock showcases a set of large red sandstone peaks and walls. The walls are up to 3,000 feet high, making them a popular hiking and rock climbing destination. The scenic loop, however -- not an official part of the ride -- is a beautiful 13-mile road loop that takes you closer to the red rocks and is an option if you choose to take an extra 30 minutes. There is a $5 fee to enter the loop.
The ride ends at Clark County Local 1908 headquarters where lunch will be served. All motorcycle ride participants will be required to sign a waiver prior to participation. Click here to download the waiver form.
Fire fighters at the IAFF Motorcycle Group (IAFF-MG) First National Rally from South Dakota to the 2007 IAFF Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial in Colorado Springs, Colorado, were among the first to see Kitsap County, WA Local 2819 fire fighter Scott Spain’s custom-built motorcycle featuring red pin-striping, flames and the IAFF logo. Since retiring in 2005, Spain has devoted much of his time to building the bike.
Spain with IAFF General President Schaitberger at the IAFF Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial
“The IAFF-MG ride through South Dakota and Colorado seemed the most appropriate place to debut the bike,” says Spain. “Who better to see it first than my fire fighter family?”
“I grew up around bikes, riding for the first time when I was eight,” Spain says. “It wasn’t long before I decided to open my custom bike shop -- SNL Scooters.” SNL is derived from the first names of Spain and his wife – Scott and Linda.
SNL Scooters offers custom design and building. For more information, click here.
From left: Troy Ramberger (Houston Local 341 and Red Knights member), Ricky Walsh (Richland, WA Local 1052, IAFF 7th District Vice President and IAFF-MG and Renegade Pigs member), Bob York (Wichita Falls, TX Local 432 and IAFF-MG member) and David Inouye (Houston Local 341 and Wind & Fire member).
More than 55 riders risked a storm advisory that never materialized to participate in the IAFF Motorcycle Group (IAFF-MG) Bike Ride to Galveston, Texas, held June 24 in conjunction with the IAFF 9th Biennial Dominick F. Barbera EMS Conference in Houston, Texas. Houston Local 341 and the IAFF-MG sponsored the ride from Houston to the seawall in Galveston.
Riders enjoyed a police escort out of Houston, as well as escorts from the Red Knights Motorcycle Club, the Galveston Fire Marshals Office and the Galveston Police Department as the parade of bikers entered town. Riders, including Houston Local 341 President Roland Chavez, joined members of Galveston, TX Local 571 on Main Street. Local 571 provided lunch at a local watering hole on the Gulf Coast.
From left: Bob York, Wichita Falls, TX Local 432 and IAFF-MG member; David Elliot, Houston Local 341 ride coordinator; and Ricky Walsh, IAFF-MG chairman and 7th District Vice President.
Members of several other motorcycle clubs participated in the ride, including the Renegade Pigs, Wind & Fire and Red Knights – all of whom are seeking dual enrollment following the friendly ride to the Gulf Coast of Texas.
The inaugural IAFF-MG Motorcycle Ride was held in Las Vegas, Nevada, in conjunction with the 2005 IAFF EMS Conference.
Members of the IAFF-MG 1st District hosted a motorcycle ride July 11 in conjunction with the New York State Professional Fire Fighters Association Convention. The ride, which departed from Reggie Pink's Harley Davidson in White Plains, New York, attracted motorcycle enthusiasts from Eastchester, Larchmont, Newburgh, Yonkers, Scarsdale and Edison, New Jersey and other cities.
Riding through Brooklyn, IAFF-MG members visited Indian Larry's Legacy Motorcycle Shop for a tour. Saddling up, the group continued to FDNY’s 10 House across from Ground Zero. The ride concluded to Hartsdale and Westchester County for a Convention picnic.
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August 9, 2008 – Active and retired members of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association (UFOA) of New York Local 854 and the Uniformed Firefighters Association (UFA) of Greater New York Local 94 will provide a motorcycle escort to carry a piece of World Trade Center steel from Brooklyn, New York, to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on August 23, 2008. The cross-shaped steel will be permanently erected at the Shanksville Fire Department in remembrance of the lives lost on September 11, 2001. IAFF and IAFF-MG Members are invited to support our sisters and brothers from FDNY and ride with IAFF-MG leadership and members from our 1st, 3rd, 4th and 16th Districts. 
The ride will start at the Clark County Local 1908 Headquarters and take you through the scenic Spring Mountain range. The highest point of the Spring Mountain Range is Mount Charleston at 11,918 feet. You will escape the heat of the valley floor into the higher elevations and the limestone cliffs, tall pine trees and abundant fresh air of Kyle Canyon and Lee Canyon. Temperatures are generally 20 to 30 degrees cooler -- a refreshing break from the higher valley temperatures. Riders will stop at the Fox Tail Canyon picnic area (approximately 7,000-feet elevation), where refreshments will be provided. The Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard resort is only a few miles further up the road where you can stop and enjoy the views.
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Fire fighters at the IAFF Motorcycle Group (IAFF-MG) First National Rally from South Dakota to the 2007 IAFF Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial in Colorado Springs, Colorado, were among the first to see Kitsap County, WA Local 2819 fire fighter Scott Spain’s custom-built motorcycle featuring red pin-striping, flames and the IAFF logo. Since retiring in 2005, Spain has devoted much of his time to building the bike..gif)
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Members of the IAFF-MG 1st District hosted a motorcycle ride July 11 in conjunction with the New York State Professional Fire Fighters Association Convention. The ride, which departed from Reggie Pink's Harley Davidson in White Plains, New York, attracted motorcycle enthusiasts from Eastchester, Larchmont, Newburgh, Yonkers, Scarsdale and Edison, New Jersey and other cities. 
