Albuquerque Fire Department Retirees Association
Peer Support Group in Development
Hello everyone, I want to tell you about a program that the Albuquerque Fire Department Retirees’ Association is trying to get started, and we hope that it will complement our already successful Retiree Assistance Program, or RAP. With the assistance of our Treasurer Mike Fox, we are working with a licensed mental health clinician to develop a retiree Peer Support Group. Over the past few years we have sent a few retirees to this type of training, and we will be utilizing those individuals and their learned skills, along with new individuals that will receive Peer Support training, in order to hold monthly, or even weekly meetings. These meetings will be open to every retiree, and possibly even active-duty personnel, to talk about anything on your mind. Think of it as the station’s kitchen table where we used to talk to our fellow firefighters about whatever was on our minds, and possible relieve some stressors that maybe someone outside our peer group would not understand.
This program will take some months to be developed, but you will begin seeing some articles about it and as we move forward we will be reaching out to individuals that might want to become peer support leaders and trainers. Mike and I are excited about the possibilities of this program, and we hope that some of you can help us make this program a success. AFR has similar programs, and we are not trying to reinvent the wheel, we just want to tailor it to benefit our retirees and fit our needs and lifestyles.
- The Albuquerque Fire Department Retirees Association was formed on June 9, 2000. General meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month and all retirees are encouraged to attend. The association also has an annual summer picnic and Christmas party for retirees and families. For more information contact any association officer.
- The AFDRA has created a Retiree’s Assistance Program (RAP) modeled after IAFF Local 244’s members assistance program (MAP). For information go to the Retiree’s Assistance Program Page
|Purpose|
|Goals|
Mission Statement
To establish an organization where retired members of the Albuquerque Fire Department can socialize, maintain past friendships, ties and connections to the Fire Department. To create and maintain cordial feelings of friendship which bond retirees, active duty members and their families together.
Purpose
- To preserve the rights interests and welfare of retired members of the Albuquerque Fire Department.
- To promote sociability and friendship.
- To keep retirees in touch with the Fire Department Family on a regular basis.
- To create and maintain a cohesive, cordial and warm feeling of friendship between all active members and retirees together with their families.
Goals
- Prepare and Maintain an up-to-date roster of all retirees, listing their addresses and telephone numbers.
- Prepare and Maintain an up-to-date list of deceased members and remember them at our regular meetings by observing one minute of silence in their honor.
- To establish a regular meeting time and place for members of the Association.
- Adopt an Association logo which can be used on letterheads, business cards, bumper stickers, labels and other promotions for the good and welfare of our members.
- Publish a quarterly news letter or when necessary.
- Invite eligible members to join us at all regular meeting, functions and events which pertain to the Association. While attendance at every meeting is not required to remain in good standing, members are encouraged to attend a reasonable amount of meetings during the year.
- Make every effort to support the Association through volunteer donations during the year.
- Utilize donations to cover operating cost such as coffee, doughnuts, stationary, printing cost, etc.
- Maintain a close and coordinated working relationship with the Fire Chief, his staff, and department members to promote the success of the Association and it’s members.
Advisory Board
- Vince Holcomb
- Bill Raupfer
- Jose Salaz
- Santos Abeyta
- Eugene Baldonado
- Pablo Garcia
- Morris Gutierrez
- Tommy Romero
- Fred Teupell
- Louis C. Trujillo
- Eulogio Lucero
- Anthony Nuanez
Executive Board
| President | Kerry Horton | 505.934.2969 |
| Vice President | Donny Sanchez | 505.228.3286 |
| Treasurer | Mike Fox | 505.385.7292 |
| Secretary | Edward Abeita | 505.250.7895 |
| President Emeritus | Sam Trujillo | 505.899.1500 |
| Historian | Herman R. Bishop | 505.294.7165 |
