Fire service today is increasingly making more data-driven decisions, and the collection and analysis of data have become a new field in the fire service organization. The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) along with Esri will be hosting a one-day Fire Data Analyst meeting to cover the role of this position and how different technologies can help with better analysis.

The meeting will be held in conjunction with IAFC's Fire Rescue International conference, which is being held on Aug. 22 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. in San Antonio. Breaks and lunch will be provided, and seating will be limited. Pre-registration is required, and no walk-ins will be allowed due to space constraints.

For more information and to register, follow the link below to view the flyer for this event.

The Texas CPSE Consortium will be holding its next meeting and workshop on Tuesday, Aug. 23 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CDT at the Henry B. González Convention Center (900 E Market St, San Antonio, TX 78205) in rooms 207A and 207B. 

Discussion will focus on health and safety initiatives, accreditation program updates, and professional credentialing.   Lunch will be provided by our sponsors for in-person attendees.  This event is free and open to all interested individuals, but accreditation managers and health & safety officers are highly encouraged to attend. To register and view the agenda, please follow the link below.

SOURCE: GCN
According to the Forest Service, there were at least 20 unauthorized drone flights in 2019 over or near wildfires in seven states that resulted in aerial firefighting operations being shut down temporarily.

“It’s a mandatory stop operations when we see drones operating in our emergency locations,” Capt. David Laub of the Los Angeles County Fire Department said. 

Thanks to a partnership between the Los Angeles County Fire Department and the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, a new drone deterrent program has been developed that can identify and locate offending drones in approximately 30 seconds.  When officials are notified of an incursion, the drone’s operator is tracked down and told that “flying that drone during a wildland fire is actually a federal felony," according to James Peaco III, the weapons of mass destruction coordinator for the FBI's Los Angeles field.

Peaco noted that rogue drone operators are clueless, careless or criminal, but that most comply immediately.

SOURCE: Oregon Live
Portland Metro Fire Camp is “an amazing event for girls to experience and develop the skills needed to become professional firefighters,” according to Christina Dizon, a camp instructor and firefighter with Portland Fire & Rescue.

The camp provides hands-on training in controlling nozzles, pulling hoses and using ropes and ladders.  Attendees are also instructed on safe search-and-rescue practices and are given first aid information and job interview skills.

Each year, women firefighters from the area as well as those from Seattle to Los Angeles volunteer to be instructors, in the hopes that more women will consider entering male-dominated careers.

“Having this exposure opens the possibilities,” said Dizon. “The cadre of females in firefighting is not large, but the tide is turning.”

In order to correct some payroll issues related to the 7(k) exemption, Tomball Fire Rescue requests any willing fire departments to fill out their survey to help provide insight.  Tomball Fire Rescue is looking to hear from departments that pay firefighters by the work period and specifically how many days their work periods are.  Your responses are appreciated!

SOURCE: Tamara Diaz, Victoria Advocate
Toni Stithem, a 62-year-old mother of four and grandmother of three, joined the Victoria County Volunteer Fire Department in 2017.  She had originally joined to set up and manage a county fire department Facebook account. “My idea was to come in, sit in the back and do the Facebook page and that was pretty much it,” Stithem said.

With encouragement from her son, an aircraft rescue firefighter specialist, Stithem started training at the Victoria County firefighter academy in 2019. She completed her training in December 2021 and was certified in January as a full-fledged firefighter, just shy of her 62nd birthday.

Stithem is the oldest to go through the academy, and her grandchildren, she said, think it’s pretty cool that their grandma is a firefighter.

The Texas Fire Service Hall of Honor Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes individuals from the fire service who have served their communities and the state of Texas with outstanding commitment and contributions to the Texas Fire Service. This year, nominations for the award will close on Wed, Aug. 31. 

This week's update covers the following:
     •  Franchise Fee Elimination Bill Ruled Unconstitutional
     •  New Operation Lone Star Grant Program,
     •  Census of Governments,
     •  Don't Forget: Resolutions for 2022 Annual Conference Due Aug. 22.

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for July 11, Brad and Curt discuss a lawsuit from Illinois alleging that a fire chief was terminated in violation of the Family Medical Leave Act and the American’s with Disabilities Act. 

 

SOURCE: Mackenzie Dahlberg, NewsCenter1
In Rapid City, SD last weekend, firefighters took part in the toughest two minutes in sports, according to ESPN. This year marks the 31st Firefighter Combat Challenge, where firefighters have the opportunity to put their skills to the test while wearing full turnout gear and a breathing apparatus. Firefighters across the nation competed in the physical and mental challenge.

“What we’re trying to do is set an example for the current generation, the current firefighter and certainly the near retiree or the retiree to get out there and do something. This is a job, no matter how good you are at it, can kill you at any minute. So you have to be prepared," says Jimmy Johnson, a long time competitor.

The competition continues to tour other locations through the nation. To learn more about the challenge and to find results for the Rapid City competition, visit the website.

Hope Fire Co in Manheim PA has volunteer members to the sixth generation. In this video, join Heroes Next Door for a tour of the facility, with separate spaces for the crew, entertainment, administration, and training, and pride and tradition evident in every aspect. The most recent generation also honors their history with a museum of firefighting items dating back to 1805.

"There's a lot of difference between asking ourselves 'can I?' and asking ourselves the question 'how can I?'."  In this short video, John Maxwell, founder of Maxwell Leadership, explains the difference and addressed having confidence as a leader.