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 UPCOMING EVENTS
2022 Spring Academy – Grapevine
Longview Sugar Land Stay tuned for updated links to register.  Peer Assessor Training Program April 13 & 20 Distance learning webinar Click here for registration and additional information. Quality Improvement for the Fire and Emergency Services Workshops March 15-17 Three days, in person San Marcos Fire Department, San Marcos, CA Click here for registration and additional information. April 13-15 Grand Junction Fire Department, Grand Junction, CO Click here for registration and additional information. April 19-21 Marysville Fire District, Marysville, WA Click here for registration and additional information. May 2-4 Covington Fire Department, Covington, GA Click here for registration and additional information. May 24-26 Town of Cary Fire Department, Cary, NC Click here for registration and additional information. On-Demand Webinars and Resource Documents We encourage you to take the time to access these free resources in the CPSE University — Click here to view videos and download handouts. Available accreditation videos include the following: • Writing the Four-Part Answer — webinar explaining development of the four-part answer for the self-assessment manual. • Performance Statements — webinar explaining development of performance statements. • Creating a Strategic Plan — webinar explaining the creation of a community-driven strategic plan. • Developing Strategic Plan Goals and Objectives — webinar explaining how to develop effective goals and objectives for a strategic plan. • Tech Writing 101 — webinar providing an overview of the Advanced Technical Writing Certificate Program at George Mason. You can view this webinar here. Click "Learn more" below to go to the Center For Public Safety Excellence website.  
 Pilot offerings: P0264 – Plan Review of Fire Alarm System Installations P0780 – Fire Investigation: Forensic Interviewing and Evidence Courses with vacancies: R0147 – EMS Incident Operations R0150 – Management of EMS R0154 – Safety Program Operations R0200 – Leadership Strategies for Community Risk Reduction R0297 – Command and Control Decision Making at Multiple Alarm Incidents R0233 – Chemistry for Emergency Response R0243 – Hazardous Materials Incident Management R0247 – Advanced Life Support Response to Hazardous Materials Incidents R0258 – Management and Safety in Response to Hazardous materials/WMD Incidents R0263 – Commercial Fire Sprinkler Plans Review R0308 – Command and Control of Fire Department Operations at Natural and Man-Made Disasters R0335 – Administration of Public Assistance for Community Recovers R0390 – Fire Inspection Principles 1 R0393 – Fire and Life Safety Plans Review R0492 – Emergency Resource Deployment Planning (SOC) R0506 – Executive Planning R0629 – Youth Fire Setting Prevention and Intervention R0645 – Leadership in Supervision R0673 – Service Area Risk Reduction R0763 – New Executive Chief Officer R0790 – Fire Investigation: Case Preparation and Testimony How to Apply • Students must apply using the electronic application form available on the NETC Online Admissions Application website. • Block 3: Student Identification (SID) Number: If you do not already have a FEMA SID, please follow the directions here. • All applications require electronic approval from the head of your sponsoring organization. • Applicants should not make plans to participate in this course until you have been notified in writing by the Admissions Office. Please add NETC-AdmissNotifications@fema.dhs.gov to your safe-senders list to ensure you receive notifications pertaining to your application. • For help completing your application, contact our admissions office, Monday-Friday between 7 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. ET at 800-238-3358, ext. 1035, or by email. Click "Learn more" below to go to the U.S. Fire Administration website where you can search for courses via the codes provided above. Due to high demand, course vacancies can quickly fill. If interested, apply as soon as you can!
TEXAS STATE NEWSGov. Greg Abbott announced on Mrch 7 the adoption of new Texas Administrative Code rules by the Office of the Governor's Public Safety Office (PSO) to prevent municipalities from defunding their police forces. These new pro-law-enforcement requirements, established by House Bill 1900 during the 87th Legislature, were signed into law by Abbot in June 2021. Abbott made preventing cities from defunding police an emergency item during the regular session of the 87th Legislature. Under House Bill 1900, if the Governor’s PSO determines a city has defunded its police department, the city will be subject to tax rate limitations, lose access to certain tax revenues, and be subject to other budgetary requirements and limitations. When the city demonstrates it has reversed the reductions, PSO may reverse its defunding determination and the city will no longer be subject to those limitations, reductions, and requirements — unless it defunds its police again. "Texas remains a law-and-order state and we continue to make it abundantly clear that we support our law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line every day to keep communities safe," said Governor Abbott. "My office’s adoption of these new rules will prevent cities from making reckless and downright dangerous decisions to defund the police, ensuring a safer future for Texans all across the Lone Star State."
By Erika De Los Reyes, The Monitor In the cloudiness of Thursday morning, the crack of breaking glass and gnawing sound of the Jaws of Life cutting through the doors of a sports utility vehicle emanated from the open space of the bus lot of the McAllen Achieve Early College High School as a team of firemen performed an emergency extraction. Students of the McAllen ISD emergency technician (EMT) program stood eagerly watching from afar as the firemen removed each door from the vehicle followed by the roof. The McAllen Fire Department arrived at the school’s bus lot early Thursday morning to perform a simulated extraction demonstration for the EMT students. Charles Myles, the instructor of the EMT program, said the purpose of the demonstration is to give students the opportunity to witness and participate in an emergency scenario to offer first-hand experience on what to expect when out in the field. Click "Learn more" below to read the full article.
By Max Massey, KSAT-TV ABC 12 SAN ANTONIO Bulverde-Spring Branch EMS respond to emergency situations at both the Guadalupe River and at the opening of Canyon Lake, but as the population grows exponentially so does the amount of emergency calls. But now, thanks to a more than $19,000 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority, there is help on the way. “What we acquired was funding to be able to purchase a specific device called the Aqualung Pro Diver,” Assistant Fire Chief Daniel Torres said. The Aqualung Pro Diver allows members of a newly formed team to go underwater for longer amounts of time and still communicate with people above water. Click "Learn more" below to read the full article.
By Kase Wilbanks, KCBD-TV NBC 11 Lubbock Lubbock firefighters will begin two days of running on Friday evening to support the Lubbock Professional Firefighters Association’s Charitable Foundation and raise awareness of its work as well as the issues that firefighters face because of their service. The Lubbock Firefighters’ Charitable Foundation makes contributions to mental health resources for firefighters, cancer treatment and prevention, as well as roadside safety organizations. Last year the 48-hour marathon raised around $8,000 for 5-5-5 Safety. “What we’re trying to do is support some things that are really affecting firefighters right now, which are mental health, cancer prevention, which cancer is one of the leading causes of firefighter fatalities across the nation,” LPFFA’s Jake McCain said. “Also roadside safety, that’s still probably one of the most dangerous calls we go on. We’re really trying to raise money and support organizations that protect us on the roadside.” Click "Learn more" below to read the article.
By Mark Archibald, Corsicana Daily Sun The Corsicana City Council approved the appointment of Michael Ryan as Fire Chief Feb. 28. Ryan holds three advanced degrees as well as a Master Firefighter, Paramedic certification, Level 3 Master Fire Service Instructor and is a graduate of the Texas Fire Chiefs Association Certified Fire Executive Program and EMS Chiefs Program. He has 27 years of experience with the Duncanville Fire Department and has worked for Navarro College as an instructor for fire, fire science, fire technology and EMS continuing education programs. Ryan takes over as Chief for interim Fire Chief Wade Gillen who stepped in when former Corsicana Fire Chief Paul Henley accepted the Chief’s position in Flower Mound last October. Click "Learn more" below to read the full article.
By Billy Gates, KXAN-TV NBC 36 Austin An independent panel of fire experts from across the country issued its opinion and recommendations Monday about how Texas Parks and Wildlife Department personnel handled the prescribed burn that sparked the Rolling Pines Fire on Jan. 18. Made up for wildland fire experts part of state forestry agents from Georgia, Oklahoma, Florida and South Carolina, the panel said while “quick action” from the burn boss helped mitigate damage, there should have been more firefighters on site to begin with. The fire spread past its boundaries and ended up burning 812 acres of land in Bastrop State Park, and 250 families had to be evacuated, but no buildings were damaged and no injuries were reported associated with the blaze. Click "Learn more" below to view the full article.
By Dan Godwin, KDFW-TV FOX 4 Dallas Fire department recruits in Fort Worth had their strength and stamina tested Monday to support families who fled Afghanistan. At the Bob Bolen Public Safety Complex, about 25 firefighting recruits got up early and climbed a couple hundred flights of stairs multiple times. The training tower is seven stories and there’s no central heating. The recruits had not yet been issued firefighting gear, so they were feeling the cold Monday morning. As they were making the climb, they were raising money for non-profit groups that are helping Afghan refugee families settle into housing and enroll in Fort Worth schools. All of the families include at least one adult who assisted the United States military in Afghanistan, fighting the global war on terror, putting themselves and sometimes their families at great personal risk. Click "Learn more" below to read the full article.
TCFP UPDATESThrough a partnership with TEEX, TCFP will now be offering CE for attendance at several TCFP meetings: commission meetings, firefighter advisory committee meetings and regional meetings. Registration is easy! There will be a TEEX QR Code posted on the TCFP website and Facebook page prior to each meeting (so you can register before you come) and on the sign-in table for each meeting. Simply use your smart device to scan the QR code and follow the prompts. A TEEX representative will be present at each meeting to scan you in. There will also be a sign-in sheet at each meeting to verify your attendance. You will need a TEEX student ID to complete this process. If you need to sign up for one, the instructions will be available once you open the link from the QR code. The CE credit will equal the length of each meeting. To register for CE for the March 10 Fire Fighter Advisory Committee meeting, click on "Learn more" below.
TML NEWSLast Friday, Gov. Abbott directed the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to use every available resource to safeguard the state’s critical infrastructure and to assist local governments in Texas with their needs in response to an enhanced risk for a Russian cyberattack. In addition, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has guidance available on their website (click "Learn more" below to view this guidance), which includes steps cities can take as they implement a heightened cybersecurity posture, a list of free cybersecurity resources available to critical infrastructure of all sizes, and guidance on how to prepare and mitigate the impact of potential foreign influence operations. The DIR has also issued a press release detailing the rising risks and a list of valuable CISA resources. During this heightened time, CISA is encouraging all partners to lower their thresholds for
reporting potential cyber incidents. If you believe that your city or a critical infrastructure partner has experienced a cyber intrusion, please report incidents and anomalous activity to CISA via email or phone (1-888-282-0870) and/or the FBI’s 24/7 CyWatch via email or phone (855-292-3937).
This week, Texans voted in the primary election to select party nominees who will face off in the November general election. The Republican primary resulted in three statewide elected offices that will head into a runoff: attorney general, land commissioner and railroad commissioner. On the Democratic side, four statewide offices will have a runoff: lieutenant governor, attorney general, land commissioner, and comptroller. Click "Learn more" below to view full election results.
House Bill 5 tasked the comptroller with developing a statewide broadband plan (Plan), among other things. Over the next two months, the comptroller, while currently developing the Plan, will host 12 free public forums across the state to hear from Texans about internet access across the state. This information will help the newly established Broadband Development Office (BDO) determine how to close the digital divide in Texas. Below is a list of scheduled forums. March 12 – 2 p.m. Dallas-Fort Worth, TX No registration information available. March 31 – 2 p.m. Beaumont, TX No registration information available. April 4 – 2 p.m. Waco, TX No registration information available. April 6 – 2 p.m. Tyler, TX No registration information available. April 7 – 1 p.m. Abilene, TX No registration information available. April 11 – 1 p.m. (local time) El Paso, TX No registration information available. April 26 – 2 p.m. Edinburg, TX No registration information available. April 28 – 1:30 p.m. San Angelo, TX No registration information available. City officials unable to attend or who wish to share input before or after an event are encouraged to do so through an online survey. Feedback will be collected through May 5, 2022. Click "Learn more" below for additional information about the BDO and its programs aimed at closing the digital divide in Texas.
On Feb. 28, 2022, Treasury released updated Compliance and Reporting Guidance for the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) program. The guidance includes updates to reporting requirements to reflect the SLFRF final rule that Treasury adopted on Jan. 6, 2022. The updated guidance includes two parts. Part 1 contains general guidance related to key principles of the SLFRF program, statutory eligible uses of SLFRF funds, and award terms and conditions. Part 2 provides updated reporting requirements which vary depending on the population of the city receiving the funds and the size of the award. These updates take effect for the next Project and Expenditure Report that all state, local and Tribal governments must submit by April 30, 2022. Click "Learn more" below to view the full document.
Over the past few weeks, TML has reported on the release of the American Rescue Plan Act State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) Final Rule by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and several key differences between the Final Rule and the Interim Final Rule that was released last year. The National League of Cities (NLC) also released guidance in the wake of the Final Rule’s release including a list of 10 Things for City Leaders to Know about ARPA SLFRF Grants and analysis of the allowable water infrastructure projects permitted under the Final Rule. Of particular interest to many smaller cities is the addition of the standard allowance for lost revenue, which was introduced with the Final Rule. TML detailed this change in a previous Legislative Update article, and NLC discusses it in Question 3 of the NLC grant article. But it bears repeating: If a city chooses the standard allowance for lost revenue, the city may use SLFRF funds up to $10 million to fund government services, which the rule says generally includes any service traditionally provided by local governments. Additionally, reporting requirements related to the standard allowance are streamlined when compared to reports required when a city chooses to calculate lost revenue. Click "Learn more" below to view the Final Rule document in full.
TEEX NEWSNFPA 1021 Fire Officer I June 6-10, 2022 Monday-Friday | 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Round Rock Public Safety Training Center, 2801 N. May St., Round Rock, TX Fee: $400 for Texas Firefighters and $800 for out-of-state firefighters. Course No.: FOP100-0294 These courses are offered to all members of volunteer, paid, or part-paid fire departments of cities and industries who need or wish to obtain state or national certification in accordance with NFPA 1021, Standard for Fire Officer Professional Qualifications. Click on "Learn more" below to go to the TEEX website where you can click on the course to find a class.
Click "Learn more" below to read the full article.
 If you registered for the TEEX Leadership Development Symposium scheduled for January 2022, make sure you register again for the rescheduled Symposium to be held May 17-19 in San Marcos, Texas. We are looking for partners to help us continue to deliver high-quality, timely leadership topics to the Fire Service. Hope you will join us. #leadershipdevelopment Click "Learn more" below for more information and to register.
 Click "Learn more" below to view an overview of the course and to apply. You can also call call 866-878-8900 or 979-845-7641 for more information about the Leadership FSCEO Program.
First Responder Center for Excellence (FRCE), in partnership with the Firefighter Cancer Support Network (FCSN), is presenting a seminar scheduled for April 4, 2022 at Tarrant County College Fire Rescue Training Center in Fort Worth, TX. This seminar is designed to provide stakeholders with an update on the current state of fire service occupational cancer and research, prevention trainings, best practices, information related to benefits and cancer presumptive legislation, and awareness of resources available to both departments and individual firefighters. Click "Learn more" below for more information and to register.
FIRE LAW BLOGBy Curt Varone, Fire Law Blog A lawsuit filed by a homeless man who was assaulted by a Dallas firefighter in 2019 has been dismissed by a federal court. However, after explaining the complex allegations in depth, the court granted the man an opportunity to replead his case. The suit was brought by Kyle Vess against the City of Dallas and firefighter Brad Cox. It was brought as a civil rights lawsuit under 42 USC § 1983. At the center of Vess’ 42 USC § 1983 allegations is that the city is liable because it was deliberately indifferent to Cox’s violent behavior that led to the civil rights violation. The city countered is that deliberate indifference must be in relation to a city policy not a random act of a city employee that itself violates city policy. The court agreed with the city. Click "Learn more" below to read the blog post.
By Curt Varone, Fire Law Blog A New Mexico firefighter who claims she was forced to resign due to a sexually hostile work environment has filed suit against the city, the mayor, the city manager, the fire chief, a battalion chief and a captain. Former Hobbs firefighter Caitlin Schultze filed suit in US District Court for the District of New Mexico. Schultze, who was on the Hobbs Fire Department for just two years, claims that supervisors asked her inappropriately personal questions, pried into her personal life, and them made numerous sexually and racially inappropriate statements to her. When she complained, the department initiated an investigation that resulted in disciplinary action against a ranking officer. However, the complaint alleges that the investigation was done too slowly. She also claims she was retaliated against during the pendency of the investigation and thereafter. The complaint alleges Schultze left the department because she could not deal with the “constant bullying and hostile work environment, sexual harassment, and unwanted harassment” she was enduring. The three-count complaint alleges discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation. Click "Learn more" below to view the full article and a copy of the complaint.
Click "Learn more" below to view the full video.
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When you hear about firefighter training, you might think that between the water, smoke and foam runoff, it would negatively impact the environment. But at TEEX’s Brayton Fire Training Field, the largest firefighter training field in the United States, they have environmental responsibility down to a science.
In this episode, Brad and Curt discuss the dismissal of a lawsuit against the Dallas Fire Department over an alleged assault of a homeless, mentally disabled man; the settlement of a discrimination lawsuit resulting in a former fire chief receiving $400K; a sexual harassment suit out of New Mexico; the settlement of a 9/11 cancer case brought by an FDNY firefighter; and the dismissal of a number of claims in the Great Smokey Mountains Fire case.
