Greetings to our new OFS Retirees
On behalf of the ROFFA Board of Directors, congratulations on your recent retirement and welcome to ROFFA
The Retired Ottawa Firefighters Association (ROFFA) was established in 2010 with the goal of ensuring that all retired Ottawa Firefighters (urban and rural), their spouses and families remain aware and informed of all things important to retirees.
As a retired Ottawa Firefighter, you are automatically welcome as a member of ROFFA and will soon start receiving updates via e-mail. Please confirm your upcoming retirement by emailing us a note including your name, home address, telephone numbers and e-mail address to info@roffa.ca
With an elected board of directors, a constitution, and bi-annual general meetings (AGM’s) for our members each spring and fall, you’ll find many reasons to get involved.
In addition to the AGM’s, ROFFA members also enjoy monthly breakfasts, annual golf tournaments/dinners, ROFFA Group Travel and regular invitations from other organizations in our ‘Ottawa Fire Service Family’ with whom we work closely. Those organizations include the Ottawa Fire Service, the Ottawa Professional Firefighters Association, the Ottawa Firefighters Community Foundation, the Bytown Fire Brigade, the Ottawa Fire Department Band, the Salvation Army food truck ‘Frontline One’, the Ottawa First Responders Foundation, and Frontline Credit Union.
Our members are largely very engaged in many of our organised activities, which gratefully keeps the camaraderie alive once retired.
Since its creation in 2010, our website ROFFA.CA has become extremely popular with our members. This website is your main point of reference for information but we also have a private ROFFA Facebook Group page which we invite you to join here.
Please do not hesitate to contact any one of us on the ROFFA board of Directors should you have any questions. All the best in your retirement.
Sincerely,
Bob Larochelle
President Retired Ottawa Fire Fighters Association
An Important Message from your President
In our ongoing effort to keep improving the services ROFFA offers to its members, the Board of Directors has recently created 2 new very important Executive Board portfolios.
Description of each role:
Protocol Director
To ensure proper honours and support and care for the firefighter’s family next of kin, procedures have been established for the notification of a member’s death (natural or line of duty), the funeral and the burial proceedings. These protocols will be followed to promote honour and respect for fallen firefighters and to ensure consistency on how their deaths are treated. When appropriate, a Line of Duty funeral may be coordinated with Ottawa Fire and/or the Ottawa Professional Fire Fighters ROFFA Funeral Palls for urns or caskets, as well as the ROFFA flag are available to post should it be your or your family’s wish to have them present at your wake or funeral. Further, if desired, ROFFA will contact and coordinate members to volunteer for Vigil Duty for funeral visitations.
WSIB Liaison Director
A direct contact with a ROFFA Board Director who will facilitate the communication with a WSIB representative for any member who has been diagnosed with cancer, PTSD or has a significant hearing loss which could be a legitimate firefighting career related claim with the WSIB. The Liaison Director will then also follow-up to ensure that the member has received the proper attention required. It is recommended that all types of cancer diagnosis be reported with WSIB whether or not they are currently covered under the Provincial Presumptive Legislation. Please rest assured that all communications with our ROFFA’s WSIB Director will always be kept in strict confidentiality.
ROFFA, OFS and OPFFA local 162 have adopted a joint protocol agreement regarding when a member passes away. All death notices including Protocol matters related to our retired members are now handled by ROFFA.
Initial notifications from the families should be sent directly to the President of ROFFA or the ROFFA Protocol Director. The two portfolios have been assigned to the following
Directors. Protocol Director – John Sobey johnsobey@roffa.ca
WSIB Liaison Director - Steve Brabazon stevebrabazon@roffa.ca
In the event that John or Steve would not be available for any reason, any one of us on the Board of Directors can always be reached through our general mailbox info@roffa.ca We encourage you to share this letter with your family members, print the attached PDF version and keep it in a safe place should the need for assistance arise in the future.
Should you have any questions about these new Executive Board Portfolios, please do not hesitate to contact John, Steve, or myself.
Fraternally yours, Bob
Bob Larochelle
President Retired Ottawa Fire Fighters Association
www.roffa.ca boblarochelle@roffa.ca
Revised: Sept. 25, 2024