NYSAFC Personnel Attend Landmark National Volunteer Fire Service Summit in Washington, D.C.

New York State Association of Fire Chiefs 1st Vice President Skip Sylvester, Executive Director Tom LaBelle, and Chief Tom Cain of the Paid Officers Committee were selected to serve as national representatives to the National Volunteer Fire Service Summit hosted by the International Association of Fire Chief’s Volunteer and Combination Officers Section (VCOS) from March 17-19, 2011 in Washington, D.C.

The goal of the summit was for fire and emergency service leaders to address the challenges facing the volunteer fire service today and explore ways to move volunteer and combination departments forward in the 21st century – inclusive of volunteer, on-call and part-time personnel. Sylvester, LaBelle, and Cain were just a few of the 125 fire and emergency service leaders from the U.S. and Canada who participated this unprecedented three-day gathering of public safety and other government officials.

"Many volunteer fire departments are at a crossroads: the economy, the increasing demand for local and regional emergency services, new roles in national preparedness and response and changing social norms are creating shifts in the way we do business," said Chief Tim Wall, chair of the IAFC’s Volunteer and Combination Officer’s Section. "These changes aren’t necessarily good or bad in-and-of themselves, but it’s clear that if we are dedicated to continuing our tradition of service and excellence, we need to bring the community together to look at what works in this new environment and what new ideas are out there."

Topics that were addressed at the summit included the impact of the new economy, recruitment and retention, firefighter health and safety, local government relations, and national legislative issues impacting volunteers.

Participants, who were largely nominated to attend by state and national fire service organizations, spent the majority of the time in small group work sessions, and were tasked with developing recommendations that will be incorporated into a national report issued by VCOS.

Click here to learn more about the IAFC Volunteer and Combination Officers Section (VCOS).