Firefighter Credit Union Newsroom

Hurricane Sandy survivors know how important it is to be prepared for disasters. This year, as you make your New Year’s resolutions, the Federal Emergency Management Agency urges you to have a disaster plan and integrate smartphones into it. Here are some preparedness tips:>> RESOLVE TO BE READY IN 2013 :  

Stoughton firefighter Jack Hussey has gotten messages from as far away as Argentina and Australia and from fire departments across the country since a blaze tore through his Abington house Friday, leaving him and his family with nothing. The home is a total loss, so Hussey, his wife and daughter are staying with family, and it’s unclear whether they’ll be able to move back. The fire is still under investigation. The Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts has established The Friends of Jack Hussey Fund at the Boston Fire Fighter’s Credit Union, 60 Hallet St., Dorchester, MA 02124.>>>> Rallying around <b>firefighter</b> :

 In 2013, the question won’t be whether to work to attract Gen Y. It’ll be, how? Faced with a rapidly growing population of tech-savvy young adults, credit unions will begin developing more niche products for this demographic. Simply having a Gen Y-geared checking product and a Facebook and Twitter account is no longer sufficient. To stand out from the crowd, credit unions will need to take on creative initiatives, such as launching a new incentive-packed program or hiring an ambassador to reach out to young folks in their communities.>>>> 2013 Watch: Gen Y in the Year Ahead :

NY DOUBLE FIREFIGHTER SHOOTING LODDS-CHRISTMAS EVE-2012 UPDATE The Secret List www.FireFighterCloseCalls.com 4 West Webster FD Volunteer Firefighters responding to that house fire this morning were shot, with 2 being killed in the Line of Duty, leading to a shootout between a suspect and police in suburban Rochester. The shooter is now dead. THE FIREFIGHTERS KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY ARE: Mike Chiapperini, Webster NY Police Lieutenant and PIO, who was off duty, serving as a WW Volunteer Firefighter. Mike had just returned from Long Island after being deployed for Super Storm Sandy. Tomasz Kaczowka, a 9-1-1 Dispatcher who was off duty serving as a WW Volunteer Firefighter. BOTH INJURED FIREFIGHTERS: Theodore Scardino and Joseph Hofsetter,are in guarded condition with very significant injuries. Hofsetter was an off duty City of Rochester Firefighter. Cops say that one or more shooters fired at the Firefighters when they arrived shortly after 0530 at the fire near the Lake Onta...

http://www.viningsparks.com/     The NCUA recently issued a Letter to Credit Unions regarding the scheduled expiration of two insurance coverage programs on December 31, 2012.     The Temporary Corporate Credit Union Share Guarantee Program and the unlimited Share Insurance Fund coverage for non-interest-bearing transaction accounts will expire.     On January 1, 2013, NCUA share insurance coverage on deposits in corporate credit unions and non-interest-bearing transaction accounts will be limited to the standard maximum share insurance amount of $250,000. The insurance coverage is currently unlimited.     Credit unions should evaluate their uninsured corporate account holdings and perform appropriate due diligence for credit risk implications. If you have any questions on how this may affect your credit union contact; Vining Sparks a GOLD Sponsor of NCOFCU Lee Chandler Senior Vice President Office 800-78...

WORCESTER — Firefighters from Leominster, Fitchburg and Worcester will be honored at the Firefighter of the Year awards Tuesday in Mechanics Hall, and fallen Worcester Firefighter Jon D. Davies Sr. will be posthumously given a Medal of Honor.>> READ FULL STORY >> At Worcester ceremony, firefighters to get awards for heroic efforts - Worcester Telegram & Gazette - telegram.com

The average base salary for all credit union CEOs increased in 2012 by an average of 6.62% from 6.54% last year, survey finds.>>Read More>> Base Salaries Continue to Rise for CU CEOs; Men's Salaries Outpace Women's :

“Credit unions took a big bite out of big banks in mobile banking this year. If they continue in this direction, there is even more opportunity for them to take an even bigger Read More>>>>> Credit Unions Surpass Community Banks In Mobile Banking Battle | The Financial Brand: Marketing Insights for Banks & Credit Unions

In 2011, creditunions.com published a popular series of articles on key ratios for board members . In this series, we explore key ratios specifically for marketing managers. Benchmarking performance relative to other credit unions and community banks helps educate personnel about their credit union’s business model and helps managers advance projects. Credit unions can track the metrics featured in this series for all credit unions nationwide using 5300 data. Comparing credit unions with similar business models, membership demographics, or geographic range lends credence to new marketing programs and helps measure success. Of course, well-rounded marketing plans also consider ratios outside of the metrics featured in this series and link marketing plans to the institution’s strategic objectives. Read The Entire Series 12 Ratios Every Marketing Manager Should Know (part 1) 12 Ratios Every Marketing Manager Should Know (part 2) 12 Ratios Every Marketing Manager Shoul...

Startup Gyft, backed by Google Ventures, thinks it has the right formula for digital gift cards. That idea animates San Francisco-based startup Gyft, an app that offers users the ability to buy and then give gift cards directly on their smartphones. Users can purchase gift cards from close to 150 vendors -- including Amazon , Nike and Old Navy -- and send them to any other user of the app. Having the card balance available on your phone, so goes the theory, is more convenient than physical cards....>Read More> The race to kill the plastic gift card :

I would like to share something with you. There is a program for flyer's to bypass the full TSA inspection at most major airports. This program approves you as a safe traveler which means you don’t have to stand in the long lines, (they usually have a separate lane) take off your shoes, belts, coats, show your liquids, remove your computers. This is great especially at the larger airports.  If you are traveling outside of the US you can bypass the full customs check-in and use a Kiosk to check-in instead of waiting in long lines to see a customs agent to re-enter the US. This is a US Customs program called Global Entry System (GOES) and can be found at; https://goes-app.cbp.dhs.gov/main/goes    You first fill out the information on-line. They use this information to do a background check on you. If you pass they then send you a ID # which you use to make an appointment for an interview with a local customs agent who will take your fingerprints and picture then...

As you know I am a APP Junkie and when I hear of new and interesting apps I like to share them with you. Nick Morgan is a world wide speaker/presenter and has recommended the following apps for IPads which I thought might be of use to some of you and your families. Grant Apps for iPad Speakers – Nick Morgan What are the essential apps for iPad presenters? I compiled a list a year ago; it’s time for an update. And if you’re holiday shopping for that speaker in your life, and you want to give an iPad, this list will help you load up the gadget with the necessary speaker starter kit. I love the iPad for presenting. I use it to create my notes, and then put them up on the comfort monitors in front of me but hidden from the audience. Or, if there are no monitors, then the iPad itself does the job, and allows me to keep an eye on the clock so that I end on time. I also use the iPad to show video. Readers of this blog will know that I’m not a big fan of slides, but I do show th...

All four nationwide wireless carriers ” AT&T, Verizon, Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile USA” yesterday committed to supporting text to 911 in their networks by May 15, 2014, with "major deployments" expected in 2013.Each of the four carriers signed the agreement with theNational Emergency Number Association (NENA) and theAssociation of Public-Safety Communications Officials(APCO) in a deal that was announced last night."Access to 911 must catch up with how consumers communicate in the 21st century” and today, we are one step closer towards that vital goal," FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said in a statement....Read More... Carriers Agree to Text to 9-1-1 : 

Many credit unions had a banner 2012 in member growth. But many didn't. This print preview from CU Times, next week's edition, explores that issue. What are some of the reasons why the smaller credit unions are not growing their memberships? Glatt said one culprit could be visibility. “You may have a branch that is locked down because it’s not in the community. Some of the smaller credit unions are beholden to a single sponsor,” Glatt said. “They likely didn’t have an interest in Bank Transfer Day and [former bank customers] are probably not the people that they’re attracting anyway.” Then there are a fair number of credit unions that could care less about increasing their member bases, Glatt said. Instead, they choose to look at other ways to define their success such as through loan and decent deposit relationships. However, for the long term, that measurement could lead to failure. >>>READMORE AT CU TIMES> Half Grapple With Little or No Growth: Print P...

Dr Nick Mills, the consultant cardiologist leading the research at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, said: "The risk of having a heart attack whilst you're in service as a firefighter is highest during fire suppression activity, compared to any other .. Scottish scientists plan to investigate why firefighters are more at risk from heart attacks than any other emergency service workers. Statistics have shown that despite undergoing regular health and fitness checks, members of fire crews are more prone to suffer cardiac arrests - which kill thousands of Scots every year - than any other branch of the emergency servic Read Complete Story >UK Scientists Plan to Study <b>Firefighter</b> Heart Attacks :

Small businesses have a hard time getting loans they need to operate and expand, limiting their ability to create jobs. Credit unions have capital, but the amount they can loan to businesses is limited by law. There's a coupling waiting to be made here and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) wants to be the matchmaker. Her Small Business Lending Enhancement bill would raise the cap on the amount of a credit union's total assets that it can lend to businesses. Since the 1990s, that cap has been set by law at 12.25 percent. The bill would raise it to 27.5 percent. In the aftermath of Sandy, when many local businesses need help getting back on their feet, this reform is one Congress should embrace. > Read Complete Story> Editorial: Let <b>credit unions</b> make more business loans :    

“Surprising the years went by so quickly but we remember and we always will,” says Worcester Fire Chief Gerard Dio.... > View Video > Worcester, Mass. firefighters mark somber anniversary