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 MEMBER NEWS
UPCOMING EVENTS
Follow the link below to register.
2022 Spring Academy – Grapevine 2022 Fall Academy – San Marcos Follow the link below to register.
This will be an extended program with additional networking opportunities provided by the Sugar Land Fire Department. Follow the link below to register.
This three-day event, which is being held at the beautiful Irving Convention Center from Oct.18 to Oct. 20, is an opportunity for select companies that specialize in public safety technologies to address public safety leaders representing national and international fire service organizations. The format of this event is different — it is not a conference or a room full of static display booths. This summit is designed to provide face-to-face operations engagement, discussions and demonstrations between industry emerging technologies leaders and fire service leaders.
INDUSTRY NEWSThe Texas Emergency Management's The Conference 2022 is being held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas from May 31 to June 3, and registration is now open. The conference attracts over 2,500 elected officials, first responders, emergency managers and decision-makers from across Texas, and it provides jurisdictions with an opportunity to learn about innovative products and services from numerous organizations. Follow the link below to be taken to the conference website where you can register, apply to become an exhibitor, nominate individuals for awards and submit presentation proposals.
Source: Bob Fash, NFPA The National Fire Protection Association's NFPA 1585, Standard for Exposure and Contamination Control, is a proposed new standard on the minimum requirements for an exposure and contamination control program for emergency services incident scene operations and training. The draft standard contains minimum criteria for exposure and contamination control in emergency services facilities, in emergency vehicles and apparatus, during procedures at an incident scene, and at any other area where emergency service members are involved in routine or emergency operations. NFPA 1585 is intended to be applied to public, military, private and industrial emergency services departments providing law enforcement, rescue, fire suppression, fire investigation, and emergency medical services, as well as other emergency services and special operations. As currently written, the standard specifically will not apply to hazardous material incidents or infectious disease exposures. The NFPA Standards Council approved the new project in August 2019 in response to an identified need for a comprehensive and overarching standard on the topic. Follow the link below to view the proposed draft and to submit input.
SOURCE: Ken LaSala, IAFC’s Director of Government Relations & Policy The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that it will be allowing a minimum 90% cost-share for all federal emergency or major disaster declarations that were declared or had an incident period beginning between Jan. 1, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2021. Usually, the federal cost-share is 75% for public assistance, the hazard mitigation grant program and specified individual assistance programs authorized by federal emergency and major disaster declarations. This cost-share was raised to 90% by P.L. 117-103, the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 omnibus appropriations law. In addition, President Biden issued a declaration on March 1 saying that the federal government will cover a 100% cost share to support all eligible work under the COVID-19 emergency and major disaster declarations through July 1, 2022.
The International Fire Chiefs Association is hosting conneXions, a two-day focus group event that brings together purchasing decision-makers and influencers from fire and EMS departments with businesses through one-on-one appointments. The event is being held May 2-4, 2022, in Dallas, Texas, and offers the following: • Be a part of a select group of fire and EMS chiefs and IAFC business partners for honest, meaningful and productive one-on-one meetings. • Strengthen existing relationships and make new ones in a relaxed atmosphere. • Gain fresh perspectives and new ideas for tackling the key challenges facing the fire services during round-table discussions and speaker presentations. Follow the link below to view the brochure for this one-of-a-kind event.
The U.S. Fire Administration this month released its annual firefighter fatalities report, which determined that 102 firefighters died in 2020 while on duty. The 102 deaths do not include the deaths of 36 firefighters from COVID-19 for purpose of trend analysis. The 10-year trend for firefighter fatalities is down 27%. USFA's annual report on firefighter fatalities identifies all on-duty deaths in order to increase understanding of their causes and how they can be prevented. Follow the link below to view the website where a download of the full report is provided.
How to Combat the EMS Staffing Crisis: Recruitment and Retention Roundtable Tuesday, April 12, 2022 3 p.m. ET Recruiting and retaining staff in the emergency medical services field has always been a priority and, more recently, a challenge. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this challenge has only grown. Departments across the country are experiencing severe staffing shortages and are constantly looking for new ways to entice new members to join. Join in the conversation as we discuss the many struggles that come with staffing shortages, how the recruitment and retention process has changed, and the different methods that have both been successful and not so successful. Follow the link below to register.
TEXAS STATE NEWSSource: KSAT.com Crews continue to work to contain the wildfire in Medina County that has been burning for days. Firefighters have contained 95% of it, according to local officials. “Not that we’re in a 100-percent good place, but we’re not completely out of control at this point,” said Medina County ESD 1 Fire Chief Clint Cooke. 2022 Wildfires Updates Please follow the link here to view updates about the ongoing Texas wildfires disaster. The Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) website provides an overview of the ongoing disaster, offers resources for affected citizens and features an up-to-date wildfire map.
During a press conference held Sunday, Gov. Abbott amended the disaster declaration in response to fire activity throughout Texas to include Medina County. During remarks, the governor noted that 19 state agencies and over 200 firefighters are currently involved in responding to this disaster. The Governor also mentioned local officials are working around the clock to improve the fire conditions so that electricity can be restored to the homes that have not been damaged in the area. Three homes have been lost during the fire and 37 others have been threatened. Last week, Abbott directed TDEM to increase the readiness level of the State Emergency Operations Center (SOC) and increase resources to respond to elevated and critical risks for wildfires in Texas, including central and southern sectors. Many regions of Texas remain under a high to extreme elevated fire risk due to high winds, low humidity and drought conditions.
SOURCE: Spencer Kimball, CNBC The more contagious omicron subvariant, BA.2, is now the dominant version of COVID-19 in the U.S., according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week. KEY POINTS
• BA.2 is now the dominant version of COVID-19 in the U.S. as it accounts for nearly 55% of COVID cases that have undergone genetic sequencing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. • BA.2 is more transmissible and has caused new outbreaks in Europe and China. • White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci has said he does not expect another surge, though cases could rise in the coming weeks.
Please consider taking part in this survey as part of the Fire Fighter Cancer Cohort Study (FFCCS), which is aimed at fire department leadership regarding PFAS in the fire service. The goal is to characterize the use of PFAS-containing products across fire departments, determine routes of exposure and document potential health effects.
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE NEWSLt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced the following interim appointments: • Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Tyler, to the Senate Committee on Finance in place of Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood. • Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, as Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance in place of Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville. • Sen. Nathan Johnson, D-Dallas, to the Sunset Advisory Commission in place of Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. • Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, to the Sunset Advisory Commission in place of Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, who is not retiring but was recently appointed Chair of the Senate Committee on Border Security in addition to his duties as Chair of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Economic Development. Upon making the appointments, Patrick issued the following statement: “With the upcoming retirement of several senators, there is now a need to appoint new members to committees during the interim so important work can continue uninterrupted into the 88th Legislative Session."
TML NEWSLast week's legislative update featured information about TML leadership meeting with Sen. Cornyn, who sponsored the State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Fiscal Recovery, Infrastructure and Disaster Relief Flexibility Act, which would allow greater flexibility in the use of State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds toward emergency relief in response to natural disasters and for certain infrastructure projects beyond those currently specified in the American Rescue Plan Act. The update also provides an update regarding the federal infrastructure bill and resources for Texas cities to access funding for local infrastructure projects, a reminder about annual local debt reporting, and information concerning changes to the state House and Senate committee chairs and the Public Utility Commission's adoption of penalties for failure to meet weather emergency preparedness reliability standards adopted in S.B. 3.
TEEX NEWS After a one-year hiatus, TEEX’s Leadership Development Symposium will return to San Marcos, Texas, on May 17-19, 2022, and TEEX is in need of speakers for the event. The Symposium offers an unmatched environment for leadership education, including development in budgeting and finance, health and wellness, personnel management, mentoring and more. Speakers from diverse backgrounds — academics, corporate leaders, veterans, medical professionals, entrepreneurs and motivational speakers — offer a wide range of fresh perspectives on leadership, benefitting everyone in public service. Beyond education, the Symposium provides top-tier networking opportunities for emergency responders in Texas. Attendees of this year’s Symposium will hear from speakers such as YouTube influencer Jason Patton; business professor, veteran and entrepreneur Dr. Bridgette Chambers; Texas A&M University Director of Athletics Ross Bjork; Rob Mendez, coach, inspirational speaker and author; and Ron Derrick, Corporate Emergency Manager for Whataburger Restaurants. Some topics covered will include deployment leadership, mental resiliency, energizing a tired workforce and bridging the gap between generations. The Symposium is free for residents of Texas and $150 for out-of-state residents. First responders, including law enforcement, fire and EMS, receive continuing education units for attending. To find out more or to register for the Symposium, please visit the Leadership Development Symposium Newsletter or the Leadership Development Symposium Registration. Apply now by following the link below so that you can share your insights on leadership at this year's event.
FIRE LAW BLOG
In this episode, the hosts discuss the $2 million settlement of an FLSA overtime suit in Kansas City, Missouri; a lawsuit against a fire department over a sledding accident in South Carolina; a drug theft case in Alabama; a voyeurism case brought by a female firefighter in Washington state; a ruling in a wrongful death case against South Carolina medics who administered ketamine to a person being arrested; and the plea entered by a California firefighter accused of accessing child porn at work.
HONORING OUR CRAFTThe Wildfire Mitigation Awards committee has named the six individuals and organizations chosen to receive 2022 Wildfire Mitigation Awards. This year’s recipients have earned the highest commendation for innovation and leadership in wildfire mitigation. Follow the link below to read about this year's award recipients.
SOURCE: Barry Furey, FirefighterCloseCalls.com
On March 24, 1972, I was a 20-year-old volunteer firefighter with the Valley Cottage, New York Fire Department. Shortly before 8 a.m., five lives were ended and many lives, including mine, were changed forever when a fully loaded school bus was struck broadside by a freight train and dragged one-quarter of a mile down the tracks. We were called, almost immediately to assist the Congers Fire Department in managing this almost unimaginable emergency. Even now, the recollection of that day remains crystal clear.
LEADERSHIPThis episode of The USFA Podcast features a discussion with the National Fire Academy's Mike Weller on community risk reduction. We also check in with the USFA's Mike Pritchard on the Fire Is Everyone's Fight initiative.
The NFPA Podcast is the place for safety professionals to stay up to speed on the fast-paced world of electrical, fire and life safety. Hear in-depth conversations with people out in the field about how they are confronting new challenges and staying on top of emerging technologies to keep the world safe. Listen every second and fourth Tuesday of the month.
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"Building Resilience Through Leadership"
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Sugar Land 
The International Association of Fire Chiefs Technology Council is pleased to announce the first Technology Summit International (TSI).
