The first day of the 2023 PFFPNC Convention in Carolina Beach is now at recess following an excellent day of speakers, discussion and training.

The morning opened with the Presentation of Colors by members of the New Hanover County and Wilmington fire departments. We were welcomed by PFFPNC S/T and New Hanover Local 4576 President Ben Bobzien, Wilmington Local 129 President Alex Fantuzzi, Wilmington Fire Chief Jon Mason and New Hanover County Vice Chair LeAnn Pierce.

PFFPNC President Scott Mullins then gave a state of the union address. He touched on some of legislative accomplishments, such as cancer legislation. But he also focused on what we face ahead. We want to push for expanded cancer legislation. We want to push for state-wide cancer screenings, and we are going to continue to go after these chemical companies who know of the hazardous found in turnout gear that is leading to fire fighters getting and dying of cancer.

He ended by encouraging us to celebrate the victories, be prepared for the challenges ahead and stand on the beacon of strength within this union to fight for not only our members but also those we serve.

That was followed by a 12^th District report from District VP Walt Dix. He was very informative, touching on 12^th District membership, which is more than 40,000 in more than 230 Locals. That’s the third largest district out of 16 in the IAFF. His goal is to become the second largest. He also encouraged Locals to have their Constitution and Bylaws reviewed every four years, regardless of changes or not. He also had an update on the IAFF’s footprint in cancer research, cancer legislation and the IAFF’s efforts to also fight these chemical companies.

Our keynote speaker was supporter and NC State Senator Todd Johnson. He has been a big champion in getting cancer legislation passed and signed into law. He also has our back in our opinion that the state fire marshal should not only be a fire fighter but also be separated from insurance commission. “I believe a state fire marshal should be a fire fighter.” He pledged to continue to have our back, especially on expanding cancer legislation.

Sen. Johnson was followed by fellow legislator House Rep. Jon Hardister, who touched on impacts made recently in legislation. He spoke on the fight to get due process in a civil service review passed into law for the counties that include two of our biggest Locals, Greensboro and Winston-Salem. He too touched on the importance of continuing to fight for LODD benefits expansion and cancer legislation expansion. Hardister, who has been a long-time supporter of PFFPNC and Greensboro Local, also talked about what his plans are in his next journey in his run for NC Labor Commissioner.

Following a working lunch, we heard from PFFPNC Lobbyist Dylan Reel. He laid out the road map for next year’s elections in the state House and Senate, as well as the Governor’s race.

Our final session before Business began was a training session with Tory Fatjo on the role of the secretary/treasurer and practices all Locals should be following.

Business included nominations for our e-board. All were elected by acclamation and include:

• President: Scott Mullins
• Secretary/Treasurer: Ben Bobzien
• DVP1: Jeff Tracey
• DVP2: David Pollard
• DVP3: Jason Davis
• DVP4: Christian Stenurson
• Trustees: Jerry Wiggins, Anthony Evans and Timothy Karp

PFFPNC President Scott Mullins also made a point to say thank you to Keith Wilder who has served as DVP3 for more than 10 years and has been dedicated to serving this union and its members.

Business concluded and we recessed until 9 a.m. Tuesday.

Brothers and Sisters,

I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself to you all.  My name is Benjamin Bobzien and as of May 1, 2023, I have been appointed as the new Secretary/Treasurer for the Professional Firefighters and Paramedics of North Carolina.  I am absolutely honored to serve in this position for all of our members throughout North Carolina.  I have served on the board of the PFFPNC since 2019 and have been the local president for the New Hanover County Professional Firefighters Association, Local 4576 since 2013.  I believe in good communication, being present, and the dedicated service of our state association.  With that, I am available for contact and have included my contact information below.  Our team at the PFFPNC is consistently working hard for our members and we will continue to make our members the primary focus of our organization.

I want to take a moment to thank Josh Smith for his dedication and the work he has done for our members in North Carolina, and I would like to wish him well on his new position with the IAFF.  Josh has worked with me to ensure a smooth transition so that we can continue to focus on the work at hand and the needs of our members. Due to the fact that Josh and I live near each other, we decided to keep our mailing address the same, which will ensure that dues payments will continue to go to the same location as before. On May 6^th, as part of our transfer of office, Josh conducted a financial audit with me, our trustees, and our staff.  All applicable forms have been signed and have been sent to the IAFF. 

In the coming days, I will be working with our staff to update contact information for all locals in our state so that we know the information we are sharing is getting to the right people.  Additionally, we will be reviewing any outstanding dues that are owed to the PFFPNC and will be contacting the presidents and treasurers of those organizations to discuss payment options. 

Our staff will be setting up new email addresses for our board members; however they are not in place at the current time.  If you need to email me, please feel free to email me at my personal email address.  We will update all locals of the new email addresses once they are created.

Looking forward to working with you all,

Benjamin Bobzien, Secretary/Treasurer
Professional Firefighters and Paramedic of North Carolina
1608 Queen Street
Wilmington, NC 28401
Personal email: [email protected]
Phone: (910)264-3157

The Summer 2022 edition of The Firefighter, PFFPNC’s quarterly magazine, is now out and available for reading.

Produced by PFFPNC in collaboration with the IAFF, this issue of The Firefighter includes photos from around the state, from Asheville to Statesville to New Hanover, as well as educational articles on cooking and fire safety.

If you have any articles, photos or ideas for the next edition of The Firefighter, email Matt Quarles at [email protected].

Click here to read the latest edition of The Firefighter.