Marin Firefighter News

San Diego's firefighters won an important victory Tuesday, when they helped oust one of the most hostile anti-retirement politicians in California. With room to spare, voters in San Diego threw out City Attorney Michael Aguirre, who has waged a single-minded legal war against the retirement security of San Diego City Firefighters Local 145. His replacement -- local judge Jan Goldsmith -- has pledged to take the politics out of the City Attorney's office and be "a watchdog, not an attack dog."

Under gray skies, drums and bagpipes played Thursday for retired Alameda County firefighter Luster Knight, whose flagged-draped casket was lowered from a fire engine by pallbearers as nearly 200 firefighters in dress uniforms snapped to attention and saluted.

Alameda County Firefighters Local 55 is saddened to announce a line of duty death. Alameda County firefighter Luster Knight died of job-related cancer on Friday, Oct. 24, 2008. He was 59.

In the last week before the election, an advertisement has surfaced in support of Prop. 11 with a firefighter implying that all CA firefighters support the measure. In fact, the individual is not a member of California Professional Firefighters, and does not speak on behalf of any statewide firefighting organization, including those representing management. CPF has taken no position on Prop. 11 -- either for or against.