A Washington Times editorial: For thousands of career firefighters, the choice to volunteer for their hometown fire department during off-duty hours comes with a threat of expulsion from their labor union. That is exactly what happened to Vincent Pereira and Michael Schaffer, firefighters from New Jersey who were targeted by the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) because of their volunteer service.

The examples of Mr. Pereira and Mr. Schaffer are noteworthy because they stood up to the IAFF and continued to volunteer. Facing similar circumstances, many more "two-hatters" simply quit volunteering, not wanting to give up their union membership or risk alienation in the workplace. The National Volunteer Fire Council believes that the constitutional right to free association applies to citizens who choose to be active members of volunteer fire departments. No employer or labor union in a free society should be allowed to abuse its position of authority by attempting to prohibit individuals from serving their communities as volunteer firefighters.

By pressuring its members to quit volunteering, the IAFF exacerbates the recruitment and retention challenges facing volunteer fire departments. Two-hatters are among the most dedicated and experienced members of volunteer fire departments. Losing the services of volunteer firefighters threatens public safety in thousands of communities across the country.

Read Phil Stittleburg's full op-ed piece here.