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 MEMBER 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. Follow the link below for more information and to register.
This week was a fabulous week for the Texas fire service. Over 121 students from around the state gathered in Grapevine to learn from industry leading professionals on various issues that are facing our departments. The TFCA Fire Chief Academy welcomed new students as well as those completing the program for Year 2. Topics included FLSA, legal issues, state agencies overviews, combating complacency and ways to protect against line-of-duty deaths. Honest conversations and discussions on EMS, strategic planning, building effective officer training and various leadership challenges were undertaken to better understand our challenges and to find ways to tackle them. Instructors included TFCA President Donnie Norman, Past President Les Stephens, TEEX Director David Coatney, TCFP Director Mike Wisko and various chief officers. “The goal of our curriculum is to prepare our members for the challenges and rigors of being a Chief Officer or Head of Department within their respective agency,” stated Ken Prillaman, Fire Chief for the City of Wichita Falls Fire Rescue, who also serves as Commandant of the Academy.
The Year 2 cohort is required to submit a well-researched and properly cited paper on a fire service topic to be presented in a formal setting to a panel of fire professionals. At the end of this two-year program, students receive their diploma and the official Chief Fire Executive credential and designation. The program will be available again on Sept. 25-30 in San Marcos and back in Grapevine June 2023. In case you haven't done so yet, please ensure you have updated your records to reflect the Texas Fire Chiefs Association new mailing address: Texas Fire Chiefs Association
P.O. Box 1056 Leander, TX 78646
UPCOMING EVENTSIn an on-going effort to streamline registration and badge/ID making as well as CE credit for our conferences, workshops and academies, we will need you to know your TEEX number. If you do not know your number or need to merge TEEX accounts send an email to our student records department.
2022 Fall Academy – San Marcos Follow the link below to register.
Technology Summit International (TSI) is the IAFC’s newest conference, which is heading to Irving, Texas, on Oct. 18-20. TSI aims to bring the tech of the future to today’s fire and emergency service professionals. TSI will give attendees three days of tech-forward education, a robust display of exhibitors and sponsors, and plenty of networking opportunities. TSI Speakers Announced
TSI has a great lineup of speakers you won’t want to miss who will explore the advancements of technology and what the future looks like for technology in the fire service, including: • Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell, U.S. Fire Administrator, United States Fire Administration. • Preet Bassi, Chief Executive Officer, Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE). • Jeff Johnson, Executive Director, Western Fire Chiefs Association. • Kirk McKinzie, Captain (Ret.), President, McKinzie Smart Technologies. • Dan Munsey, Fire Chief, San Bernardino County (California) Fire. • Joe Powers, Managing Director, Emergency Services Consulting International (ESCI).
Join industry leaders and learn about station design, construction, HVAC efficiencies and facilities maintenance at the second annual Texas Fire Departments' Facilities Best Practices Conference, which is being held Aug. 4-5 at the Hilton Palacio del Rio in San Antonio, Texas. This conference is suited for any fire-department member, who would like to learn more about facilities, including fire chiefs, assistant chiefs, battalion chiefs and civilian maintenance personnel. There is, however, a limit on the number of attendees, so interested departments should consider registering as soon as possible as the conference is just two months away. Follow the link below to view the flyer for this event, which features QR codes that will take you to sites for registration, accommodations and sponsorship opportunities.
This CPSE-sponsored webinar, which is being held on Wednesday, June 22, from 2-3 p.m. (ET) will feature FirstWatch experts, who will present their knowledge on the Fire Operations Analytics/Accreditation Module (FOAM). This FirstWatch module provides fire management and operations teams with comprehensive data analysis, dashboard views and annual compliance reports, which are based on the accreditation requirements of CFAI and from any combination of data sources that are required to report on the specific dimensions of importance to you. FOAM continues to evolve, and we are excited to share some of our geo-spatial reporting options. Follow the link below to register.
INDUSTRY NEWSSOURCE: EPA.org As a part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap, the agency issued the first in a series of Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) test orders to require companies to conduct and submit testing on PFAS. When the EPA announced its Strategic Roadmap to confront PFAS contamination nationwide, the agency also released the National PFAS Testing Strategy to help identify PFAS data needs and require testing to fill those gaps. Based on EPA’s experience to date in developing tiered testing strategies for PFAS, it will also be important to have a better understanding of physical-chemical properties for the wide variety of PFAS included in the Testing Strategy. The information from these initial orders will provide the agency with critical information on more than 2,000 similar PFAS that fall within these categories. This information will allow the agency to make better-informed decisions about PFAS as well as guide any future orders. The agency plans to issue the additional Phase I orders in the coming months.
The Town of Trophy Club anounced on May 26 that it has named Jason Wise as its new Fire Chief. Wise will officially took on this role on June 13. Wise holds a Master of Science in Emergency Services Management and a Bachelor of Science in Fire Administration from Columbia Southern University. In addition, Wise is a licensed paramedic with the Texas Department of State Health Services and holds multiple certifications under the Texas Commission on Fire Protection. Wise most recently served the Southlake Fire Department, which he joined in 1997. During his tenure, he rose to the rank of Battalion Chief and served as the chair for the Operations and SOP committees.
As the panel discussions, informational workshops, and networking opportunities conclude at the Texas Emergency Management Conference, the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) reported record turnout for one of the largest emergency management conferences in the nation. Over 3,000 attendees from more than 16 states registered to attend The Conference, which brought together first responders, emergency managers from local jurisdictions, elected officials, state and federal agencies, tribal communities, and private-sector partners from across the nation for the largest event of its kind in Texas that provides an unparalleled opportunity for the exchange of ideas, access to latest technology and research in the field of emergency management. TDEM also announced The Conference 2023 will take place at the Fort Worth Convention Center May 30 through June 2.
SOURCE: Donnie Tuggle, KBTX-TV Like many professions, fire departments across the country are facing staffing challenges. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates employment for firefighters is projected to grow 8% by 2030. About 27,000 openings for firefighters are projected each year, on average, over the decade. The same goes for EMTs and paramedics. Meanwhile, the bureau estimates about 20,700 openings for EMTs and paramedics are projected each year, on average, over the decade. They say many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire. Facing a growing demand and a decrease in recruits, departments are having to be more creative, proactive and competitive in their recruitment and retention efforts.
TEXAS STATE NEWSGov. Abbott on Tuesday directed state agencies, through the Texas Division of Emergency (TDEM), to coordinate and deploy resources in response to a disaster declaration issued by Ector County Judge Debi Hays resulting from the City of Odessa main water line failure currently impacting approximately 165,000 Texans in the area. The loss of potable water supply in Odessa is being addressed locally with support from the State of Texas, utilizing a variety of resources to alleviate citizens' immediate water needs and support the restoration of the local water supply.
SOURCE: Mariela Gonzalez, KLTV CBS7 At least two firefighters were injured Tuesday as the Moffett VFD was called out to help battle a large fire in the woods. Volunteers spent two hours trying to put out the fire before the Texas Forest Service arrived to assist. All three were Life Flighted to Memorial Hermann in Houston. “Several of our members went around to the far edge of the fire,” said Moffett VFD President Richard Brunk. “After some time the fire chief became, overcome with what we don’t know, and he was transported to the hospital. Although they had protective clothing on, they didn’t have protective breathing apparatus because one, the mask obscures your vision and makes it more dangerous to walk through the wooded area to put the fire out."
SOURCE: Zak Wellerman, CBS19 Police documents show a Tyler man accused of causing a house fire that killed his half-brother with special needs blamed “spirits” for leaving the home when officials say his lit cigarette started the blaze. Robert Harrison Johnson IV, 32, is charged with murder in connection with the May 18 death of his half-brother Jack McKenzie Ross, 35. Johnson said while he was smoking the embers fell out of his cigarette and landed between his feet on a towel on the floor. He was walking toward the door when he smelled the embers burning, the affidavit read. As the towel began to smoke, he told the detective that he felt the need to leave, saying that a “ghost” prevented him from putting the flames out. He added spirits made him leave the house while his brother was on the other side of the wall, the document explained. Body camera footage from the night of the fire showed Johnson had “absolutely no emotion or remorse” over the loss of his brother. That video also shows that Johnson initially said a fan caused the fire, not mentioning his cigarette igniting a towel, the affidavit read. He remains in the Smith County Jail on a $1 million bond.
TCFP UPDATESTML 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 3 June 29 Lubbock, TX 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.
TML Legislative Update Number 23 covers resolutions for the TML annual conference, Investigative Committee changes, Sunset Advisory Comission issue reports for the Texas Water Development Board and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and the House and Senate Committee interim hearings.
TEEX NEWSFire 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 Qualification 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, such as the following: • Code Enforcement. • Disaster Management. • Environmental, Health and Safety/OSHA. • Heavy Equipment. • Leadership Professional Development. • sUAS (Drones). • Transportation and Highway Safety. • Utilities. • Water and Wastewater.
The International Rescue & Emergency Care Association (IRECA) team is once again partnering with TEEX for this annual conference, which will be held at the Brayton Fire Training Field and Disaster City Rescue campus, located at 1595 Nuclear Science Road in College Station, Texas. The conference provides a week of extensive team evaluations, workshops and hands-on clinics and offers something for every individual emergency provider, from emergency medical responders and paramedics to technical rescue personnel. Follow the link below to register, view the schedule or find additional information.
FIRE LAW BLOG
In this week's episode, the Fire Law Blog hosts discuss a sexual harassment case involving a volunteer fire department in New York; a collective bargaining case out of Newark over the bargainability of military-leave benefits; a discrimination suit brought by a white Houston firefighter over treatment he claims is due to his interracial marriage; a challenge to the unilateral change to a COVID sick-leave policy in Youngstown, Ohio; and the settlement of a line-of-duty-death suit brought against the manufacturer of gas piping that ruptured, starting a fire in Howard County, Maryland.
HONORING OUR CRAFT
Taking place each year during the third full week of June, Safety Stand Down highlights critical safety, health and survival issues for fire and emergency services personnel. Departments are encouraged to suspend all non-emergency activities during the week to focus their attention on safety and health education efforts. A week is provided to ensure that all duty shifts can participate. The 2022 Safety Stand Down theme is “Situational Awareness: The Foundation for Good Decision Making.” This theme focuses on the importance of situational awareness during response operations to help firefighters solve problems, prevent bad outcome, and make better decisions in high stress environments. Five daily focus areas will highlight situational awareness during different incident types: structure fires, EMS, wildland incidents, roadway response, and acts of violence. Safety Stand Down week is a collaborative program embraced by more than 20 national and international fire and emergency-service organizations, and sponsored by the International Association of Fire Chiefs and the National Volunteer Fire Council. The event is coordinated by the IAFC Safety, Health and Survival Section (SHS) and the NVFC's Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program. Follow the link here to view a video on situational awareness associated with Safety Stand Down week.
LEADERSHIP
Jeff Shupe, of Strategic Fire Training, reviews how training on the 2-inch line can help firefighters become more comfortable with applying this hoseline on the fireground. This training took place as part of the 2022 FDIC International conference.
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