The 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.

The San Antonio Fire Department would like to formally invite your department to register to attend the 2nd Annual TX FD Facilities Best Practices Conference. This free event will include food and educational seminars from peers and leading facility consultants from around the state.

Those interested can register for the conference and book a hotel room through the QR codes and links provided by selecting the Learn More button below. You should also expect to receive an email, or emails, from the San Antonio Fire Department upon registration.

Who Should Come: Those involved with the planning, construction or maintenance of fire department facilities:
     •  Fire chiefs and assistant chiefs.
     •  Other officers assigned to facilities.
     •  Civilians assigned to oversee or maintain facilities.
     •  Sending one to three personnel from your organization is recommended.
When: Aug. 3-5
     •  Wednesday: Evening reception.
     •  Friday: Lunch.
Where: Hilton Palacio del Rio, San Antonio, TX, on the Riverwalk.
Notes:
     •  Please register and book hotels as soon as possible as space is limited!
     •  Hotel rooms booked with the group discount through the link provided closed July 6.

Fire service today is increasingly making more data-driven decisions, and the collection and analysis of data has 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.

Each summer, thousands of the most prominent fire and emergency service leaders from across North America and around the globe come to Fire-Rescue International (FRI) to learn, network and collaborate together. And this year, FRI is being held in San Antonio, Texas from Aug. 24 to 26. 

FRI education covers all areas of the emergency service, including the following:
     • Navigating the political environment.
     • Managing change.
     • Ethical leadership.
     • EMS issues.
     • Career development.

FRI attracts hundreds of exhibitors to showcase the newest fire service innovations in apparatus, technology, equipment, gear and more. If you're a fire/EMS chief, chief officer or company officer — this is YOUR conference for leadership education.
Follow the link below to register.

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

The discussion will focus on health and safety initiatives, accreditation program updates and professional credentialing, and 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 and safety officers are highly encouraged to attend.

To register and view the agenda, follow the link below.

This training, which costs $400, will take place virtually on Aug. 24 and 31 at 1-3 p.m. CDT. 

This class is mandatory for anyone interested in being a peer assessor, and the Quality Improvement for the Fire and Emergency Services (QIFES), or its predecessor, is a prerequisite. Please note that peer assessors must also be of officer rank or civilian equivalent. 

Follow the link below for more information and to register. 

SOURCE: General Motors
As electric vehicle (EV) sales increase, General Motor’s latest EV First Responder Training program will focus on personnel in fire services, providing instruction and sharing of best practices on how to most effectively support emergency situations involving electric vehicles. 

“Our primary goal is to provide key information directly to first and second responders,” said Joe McLaine, GM global product safety and systems engineer, and leader of the training effort. “This training offers unique material and hands-on experiences that can help increase responders’ awareness of procedures to help maintain safety while interacting with EVs during the performance of their duties.”

SOURCE: Office of (California) Sen. Feinstein
Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla, both of whom are Democrats representing the state of California, on Tuesday sent a letter urging the Biden administration to fill vacant wildland firefighter positions as California and the West enter the height of fire season. 

The letter follows recent calls for the administration to swiftly implement provisions of the bipartisan infrastructure law pertaining to wildfires and a new occupational series for federal wildland firefighters.

SOURCE: Fire Safety Matters
The World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer recently declared that an individual’s occupational exposure to harmful materials/substances as a result of serving as a practicing firefighter is now classified as carcinogenic — in other words, a potential cause of cancer.

The news emerges in the wake of a week’s worth of discussions involving 25 leading scientists from eight countries, which took place in Lyon, France.

The IARC Monographs, in which the classification takes place, identify environmental factors that are carcinogenic hazards to humans. National health agencies can use this information as scientific support for their actions to prevent exposure to potential carcinogens.

In the IARC Monographs, firefighting had previously been held to be “possibly carcinogenic.” This has now been upgraded to “carcinogenic to humans” — the highest level of certainty. The cancers identified in relation to this reclassification include mesothelioma and bladder cancer.

SOURCE: NFPA Today
The Fire Protection Research Foundation (FPRF) recently published a report titled “Firefighting Foams: Fire Service Roadmap.” This project was initiated with the funding support from FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program, with an overall goal to provide guidance to the fire service community by developing a roadmap to transition from aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF) to more suitable, environmentally friendly, non-toxic and effective alternatives.

AFFF contains fluorosurfactants — per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — which provide the essential characteristics of fuel repellency, heat stability, low surface tension and positive spreading coefficient so that an aqueous film formation can be formed on the fuel surface. AFFF has traditionally been recognized for its effective fire-control characteristics. Today, however, these foams are of significant concern in light of potential adverse health and environmental impact.

SOURCE: NFPA Today
In addition to the primary ways firefighters receive information about fire protection features and the construction types of buildings they respond to — pre-incident plans and building signage — there is a third option.

The firefighter safety building marking system (FSBMS), which can be found in Appendix C of NFPA 1, is a lesser-known marking system that can provide firefighters with basic information about fire-protection features and building construction quickly and concisely as they’re arriving on the scene of an emergency.

Having the information on construction type, hazard level of contents, presence of sprinkler and standpipe systems, and occupancy- and life-safety issues has the potential to enhance the effectiveness of firefighters arriving on scene, as they would be equipped with the knowledge needed to best address an emergency in the building.

SOURCE: Firefighter Close Calls
Firefighters have some of the highest rates of heart disease, heart attacks and sudden cardiac death, all of which have been affecting younger firefighters who may appear to be healthy and fit. 

A webinar titled "3 Ways to Fight the Killer of Firefighters: Heart Disease" is being presented by retired Fire Chief Dan Kerrigan, who is the author of "Firefighter Functional Fitness," on July 29 at 1 p.m. ET.

Kerrigan will be joined by Mandy Nice, Lexipol strategic wellness director and founder/CEO of The Nice Life LLC, retired Chief of Police Noel March and Dr. Jon Sheinberg, former chief medical officer for Sigma Tactical Wellness. 

Follow the link below for more information and to register.

SOURCE: Office of the Texas Governor
Gov. Abbott on Tuesday encouraged Texans to remain vigilant during increased wildfire activity this week as the state continues ongoing coordinated wildfire response efforts through the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM).

Critical fire danger and widespread drought conditions have resulted in multiple wildfires continuing to burn across Texas, including the Chalk Mountain Fire in Somervell County and the 1148 Fire in Palo Pinto County. Both fires have caused local officials to issue voluntary evacuation orders for residents. 

According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, critically to extremely dry vegetation and critical fire weather will likely increase wildfire activity this week. Areas of concern include the eastern Rolling Plains, Cross Timbers, Central Texas, North Texas near the Waco and Dallas-Fort Worth areas and south along the I-35 corridor near the Capital region. The risk for significant fires has expanded east to include portions of East Texas, including areas near Palestine, Crockett, Huntsville, Tyler and Marshall.

Last week, Abbott renewed a wildfire disaster declaration that includes 72 counties affected by wildfire threats. Abbot also renewed a drought disaster declaration for 189 counties affected by exceptional drought conditions. According to the latest update from the U.S. Drought Monitor, more than 99% of the state is experiencing some level of drought conditions. 

Click here to view TDEM's latest wildfire map. 

SOURCE: San Angelo Live!
The San Angelo City Council on Tuesday approved the appointment of Patrick Brody as fire chief of the San Angelo Fire Department.

According to information from the City of San Angelo Public Information office, Brody has been in the fire service since 2001, serving all 21 of those years with SAFD. He was interim fire chief from Feb. 2022-July 2022 and assistant fire chief of administration for three years prior to becoming interim chief.

In addition to being a certified incident commander, hazardous material incident commander and incident safety officer, Brody holds a master certification in both structural and aircraft rescue firefighting and received his Certified Fire Executive designation from the Texas Fire Chiefs Association.  

SOURCE: KWKT-TV FOX 44
The president of the Downsville Volunteer Fire Department has passed away.

Assistant Chief Andy Bird announced on social media Monday night that Bryan Beavers passed away at his Downsville residence earlier that day. Bird said that Bryan was not only the president of the department but also a member.

Bird says the past couple of weeks have been a "roller coaster" for the department as they just buried another crew member, Jeffery Bucher, on Saturday morning.

SOURCE: KLTV ABC 7
Three firefighters were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation from the Gun Barrel City fire, according to officials. 

Crews from more than a dozen east Texas departments were battling a fire that spanned 156 acres on Tuesday, but officials said Tuesday night that all fires in Henderson County were under control. 

Earlier in the day, firefighters had evacuated areas of Henderson County due to a fire that was reported on social media as 30 acres and spreading.

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 Aug. 31. 

This week's TML Legislative Update features information on the Franchise Fee Elimination bill being ruled unconstitutional, the state comptroller updating revenue estimates by nearly $14 billion, Gov. Abbott's recent announcement regarding the Operation Lone Star Grant program, the U.S. Census Bureau's Census of Governments, and a reminder regarding resolutions for the 2022 annual conference, which are due Aug. 22.

The TEEX is hosting a firefighting demonstration on July 27, during which TEEX instructors will explain and demonstrate techniques used to extinguish fires on several full-scale, live-fire training props.

The event is being held at Teex's Brayton Fire Training Field, which is located at 1595 Nuclear Science Road in College Station. Admission is free, while parking is free and open to the public.

Gates open at 6:30 p.m., and the event will kick off around 7:30 p.m. In case of inclement weather, monitor the TEEX Facebook page for updates.

In this week's episode, the hosts discuss a Massachusetts firefighter who was charged with using a hidden camera to secretly record a female colleague in the firehouse; a Georgia firefighter who filed a whistleblower retaliation suit claiming he was purposefully passed over for promotion because he testified in an earlier whistleblower retaliation suit brought by a colleague; a firefighter who is already suing one Louisville Metro fire department for gender discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation filing a new suit against a second fire department for refusing to honor its offer to hire her; a ruling in favor of the city of Houston in a race discrimination suit; and a suit by a former Wisconsin firefighter claiming she was sexually harassed and then retaliated against once she complained.

In this video, Youtube channel FirefighterNOW content creator Michael Pertz showcases an example of a proper size up and 360, which are important elements in providing a great fire attack. 

The video reviews another video uploaded by San Bernardino County Professional Firefighters, which Pertz refers to as "one of the best out there." View their channel by clicking here. 

In this HumpdayHangout discussion, Rick Lasky, Scott Thompson, Terry McGrath and John Salka speak with special guest FDNY Chef Joe Bonanno about the firehouse family and that kitchen table. They discuss the practical and cultural aspects of firehouse cooking and the connection provided by eating together. The episode also covers the latest in the review process for FDIC International 2023.

Chef Bonanno's website can be viewed by clicking here. 

SOURCE: Fire Spotlight
Andy Starnes, the founder of Insight Fire Training LLC, delivers a speech with advice for new firefighters. He explains a few firefighter rules to live by regarding the importance of being smart and hard-working and shares firefighter tips on work-life balance.

SOURCE: Firehouse
Frank Leeb, a deputy assistant chief in FDNY, offers guidance for those just starting their career — advice that is equally useful to those who are years into their service. Leebs' list doesn't offer rote advice and instead focuses on the long game by providing simple rules and virtues to live by for your entire career.