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 MEMBER NEWSSOURCE: Olivia Garrett, Corpus Christi Caller-Times As Corpus Christi Fire Department cadets were recognized by friends, family and city officials at Del Mar College on May 12, one word kept coming up: pioneer. The 22 future firefighters were celebrated for their completion of an innovative paramedic training program. The cadets were the first in the country to attempt a simultaneous, expedited emergency medical technician and paramedic training course. EMT and paramedic certifications are typically offered as separate courses, one after the other.
SOURCE: Scoop Jefferson, WFAA-TV ABC 8 Dallas The widow of a Fort Worth firefighter who passed away three years ago just got some unexpected news from city leaders. It's been nearly three years since fire captain Keven Teague, a 24-year veteran of the fire department, died of cancer. His wife, Deidre, filed a claim after his death with hopes to receive his benefits. But initially, the claim was denied by the city's legal team, citing that the firefighter's death was not related to his occupation and, therefore, his beneficiaries would not be eligible to receive anything. Fort Worth Fire Chief Jim Davis notified Deidre Teague on May 13 of the City of Fort Worth's decision to accept the claim as an occupational illness, granting the additional benefits to her and their children.
Collins College's Continuing Education Health Sciences department will be hosting critical-incident stress-management (CISM) courses in June. These courses are accredited through the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation and are eligible for TCOLE CEUs as well as CEUs for counselors. The instructor will be retired Lt. Larry Lowe, a veteran police officer who is currently with the Richardson Police Department. Lowe has multiple years of experience in emergency-services work. The course focuses on the following topics:
Attending professionals will come from many different backgrounds in the health and public-safety community. In additon, these courses are great for anyone who encounters people in distress, so please help us spread the word about CISM.
UPCOMING EVENTS*SOLD OUT* 2022 Spring Academy – Grapevine 2022 Fall Academy – San Marcos Follow the link below to register.
The 2022 TEM Conference is being held May 31-June 3 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio. The conference attracts over 2,500 elected officials, first responders, emergency managers and decision-makers from across Texas and provides jurisdictions an opportunity to see and learn about innovative products and services from numerous organizations. The planning team is constantly monitoring the latest COVID-19 landscape. Any updates regarding the status of The Conference for 2022 will be updated here. The registration deadline is May 29. Follow the link below to register, become an exhibitor, nominate individuals for awards, view the schedule and submit presentation proposals.
INDUSTRY NEWSThe Taylor Honor Guard Academy teaches firefighters the fundamental elements of honor guard duties and includes instruction on the following topics: • Traditions and history of the honor guard. • Basic facing movements and drills. • Flag etiquette. • Color team. • Casket watch. • Casket movement. • Texas Line of Duty Death Task Force. • And more. Follow the link below for more information and to register.
Each year, NAEMT collaborates with other national EMS organizations to recognize outstanding achievements and contributions in EMS. By submitting a nomination, you not only recognize the candidate, you also honor and recognize the EMS profession — and all EMS professionals — who provide quality emergency patient care to their communities every day. The 2022 nominations are now open through June 30. Select the link below to be taken to the NAEMT website where you can view award information and submit your nomination.
Volunteer firefighters selflessly devote their time and risk their own safety to protect their communities. Yet many volunteer fire departments struggle to provide the gear and equipment necessary to keep their personnel safe. Departments are forced to make do with an inadequate amount of turnouts or with worn-out, non-compliant gear they can’t afford to replace. As the world’s largest and most trusted manufacturer of structural firesuits in the world, Globe by MSA is giving back to first responders in need through MSA and DuPont’s Globe Gear Giveaway program. The program launched in 2012 when Globe partnered with DuPont and the NVFC to celebrate the company’s 125th anniversary by giving away turnout gear to volunteer departments in the U.S. and Canada who demonstrated their need. With the success of the 2012 program and the high demand among departments for gear, Globe, DuPont, and the NVFC created this annual gear giveaway program. In 2018, the NVFC began asking program applicants if their department had boots, gloves, helmets, and hoods for all of their firefighters. Nearly 50% of 2018 recipients indicated that they did not. To help address this issue, MSA donated four helmets to each winning department for the first time in 2019. That same year also marked over $1 million worth of gear that has been donated to volunteer fire departments since the inception of the program. To date, 611 sets of turnout gear and 156 helmets have been awarded to 134 departments in need. In order to be eligible to apply, departments must be located in the U.S. or Canada with over 50% volunteer firefighters while serving a population of 25,000 or less. Follow the link below to learn more about eligibility and criteria and to apply.
Over the last few decades, the world has adopted new methods of communication through the use of technology. Many industries have utilized social media to amplify their messaging and marketing, and the fire and emergency services can reap these same benefits. Yet many small and mid-sized departments don’t leverage social media to its fullest potential. Join the NVFC and subject matter experts on June 2 at 2 p.m. for a panel discussion on the benefits social media can have for emergency service departments, the organizational framework for building a department’s social media presence, and legal implications and considerations to protect the department from unanticipated consequences. Whether you are a social media novice or are looking to grow your department’s existing social media program, learn key takeaways you can utilize to build and strengthen your department’s communications with the public. Follow the link below to register for this webinar.
Safety Stand Down is June 19-25, and this year’s theme is “Situational Awareness: The Foundation for Good Decision Making.” Situational awareness is critical during response operations as it can help emergency responders to solve problems, prevent bad outcomes and make better decisions in high-stress environments. To prepare for Safety Stand Down, join the NVFC and subject matter experts on June 15 at 2 p.m. for a live discussion that will focus on situational awareness during EMS calls, wildland incidents and roadway response. The discussion will be streamed to the NVFC’s Facebook page and on Zoom. Select the link below to view more upcoming NVFC training events.
TEXAS STATE NEWSWith unseasonably hot weather driving record demand across Texas, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) continues to work closely with the power industry to make sure Texans have the power they need. In a press release issued May 13, ERCOT Interim CEO Brad Jones announced that six power-generation facilities tripped offline, resulting in the loss of approximately 2,900 megawatts of electricity. The release stated that all generation resources available were operating at the time. However, ERCOT requested that Texans conserve power where possible by setting thermostats to 78 degrees or above and avoiding the use of large appliances, such as dishwashers, washers and dryers, during peak hours between 3-8 p.m. through the weekend.
SOURCE: Matt Howerton, WFAA ABC 8, Dallas The City of Dallas said it's working to resolve issues related to the calculation of overtime for some Dallas Fire-Rescue members after the Dallas Fire Fighters Association brought to the City's attention that hundreds within the department haven't been paid owed overtime for December 2021 and January 2022. During that timeframe, specifically in late December, the COVID-19 omicron variant was a massive hurdle staffing-wise for the department.
TCFP UPDATESThe Texas Commission on Fire Protection is holding an informational meeting on June 16 from 10 a.m.-noon at the Wichita Falls Fire Department, located at 710 Flood St. in Wichita Falls, Texas. This is an excellent opportunity to meet the TCFP staff and put a “name to the face” as well as network with other agencies. Agency Chief Mike Wisko and staff will be available during the meeting to discuss the many topics of the agency, with the first hour being agenda-driven and the second being an open-forum Q&A session. Those interested in attending are asked to RSVP no later than June 3. Please RSVP and submit topics to appear on the agenda by sending an email to Tim Gothard. Through a partnership with TEEX, TCFP will now be offering CE hours for attendance at TCFP meetings. Please pre-register using the QR Code that can be found by following the link provided below.
TML NEWSWhile the TML Leadership Academy's Course I and Course II are sold out, the organization has a few upcoming events, trainings and webinars planned. Regional Meetings Region 9 May 26 Beverly Hills, TX Region 3 June 29 Lubbock Budget and Tax Rate Workshop June 30 Bastrop, TX Webinar: Build Effective City Council Relationships June 29 Follow the link below for more event details, including links to webinars.
This week's TML Legislative Update features information regarding a Texas Taxpayers and Research Association report, which determined that major property tax reform legislation in 2019, both SB 2 and HB 3 (the school property tax reform bill), has slowed the growth of property taxes in Texas. The update also features recent information regarding the federal infrastructure bill as well as state House and Senate committee interim hearings.
TEEX NEWSFire Officer I June 6-10 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Round Rock Public Safety Training Center 2801 N. May St. Round Rock, TX Cost: $400 for Texas firefighters, $800 for out-of-state firefighters. This course is available 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 Incident Safety Officer Aug. 8-12 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Potter County Fire Rescue Station 3 4150 N. Soncy Road Amarillo, TX 79214 Cost: $600 for Texas firefighters; $1,200 for out-of-state firefighters. This course is available to all members of volunteer, paid, or part-paid fire departments of cities and industries that need or wish to obtain state certification in accordance with NFPA 1521, Standard for Incident Safety Officer. Fire Officer III/IV Combination Aug. 22-Sept. 2 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Castle Hills Fire Department 209 Lemonwood Drive Castle Hills, TX 78213 Cost: $600 for Texas firefighters; $1,200 for out-of-state firefighters. This course is available to all volunteer, paid, or part-paid fire departments of cities and industries that need or wish to obtain state or national certification in accordance with NFPA 1021, Standard for Fire Officer Professional Qualifications. Follow the link below and select the desired course to be taken to the registration page. Those with questions may contact Sean Fay by email or phone at 979-321-6215.
The TEEX Infrastructure and Safety Summit returns June 20-24 and will be held at San Angelo’s Howard College. The summit provides a great opportunity to attend multiple classes in one location at a discounted rate. All classes are offered at the reduced price of $50, except for Disaster Management courses, which are tuition-free. At the summit, our expert instructors will teach classes in a number of disciplines: • Code Enforcement • Disaster Management • Environmental, Health and Safety/OSHA • Heavy Equipment • Leadership Professional Development • sUAS (Drones) • Transportation and Highway Safety • Utilities • Water and Wastewater
FIRE LAW BLOGHONORING OUR CRAFTCaptain Jessica Banks, a paramedic, firefighter and RN with Palm Beach County Fire Rescue in South Florida has spearheaded many successful initiatives, such as her department’s Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) program. Although MIH programs have been popping up around the country for several years, Palm Beach’s program was one of the first to include licensed clinical social workers on staff, which Banks argues is key to the program’s success. Banks’ success with the MIH program led new opportunities, including her role as assistant designated infection control officer, for which she has developed training and education programs and provided guidance for personnel exposed to an infectious disease. In addition, as a narcotics control officer, Banks is also managing the department’s compliance with U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency regulations, which she acknowledges is a challenging area for most EMS agencies. In this role, she’s consulted with local law enforcement and also acquired a chemical digestion system for on-site narcotics disposal. Click on the "Learn More" button below to read more about Banks, or click here to read other EMS Week stories in honor of National EMS Week, which ends on May 21.
LEADERSHIPSOURCE: Adam Tager, Domestic Preparedness
Emergency managers are project managers. While the intersection between the two professions is not often explicitly highlighted, navigating the phases of emergency management largely follows the project management framework. Therefore, a deeper understanding of project management best practices can only serve to enhance the ability to help communities and execute no-fail missions.
SOURCE: Randall W. Hanifen, Domestic Preparedness Some may believe that no two fire departments are the same, but many commonalities exist within fire departments that span geographical areas: urban, suburban and rural. Urban fire departments often have many engine and truck companies, as well as staffed emergency medical services (EMS). Some large cities may have a divide between fire and EMS from a time when they were separate city departments or when EMS was provided as a private service. The rural fire departments are often volunteer departments that cover a large expanse of farmland and other rural areas that do not have the needed tax base to afford paid personnel. However, suburban fire departments can range from a few paid personnel to completely paid departments. Many have EMS, but some have not yet transitioned into EMS. In some cases, the need for consolidating these services is the only way to afford paid personnel in areas that cover a variety of structures from all single-family residential buildings to mid- and high-rise buildings.
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