Lake Cities becomes the 28th department in the State of Texas to receive the Texas Fire Chief Assoc Best Practices recognition and accreditation. Chief David Jones and Chief Jerry Duffield presented the accolade to Chief Chad Thiessen. Congratulations to Chief Thiessen and the entire Lake Cities Department for the incredible accomplishment!

For those attending the TFCA Fire Chiefs Workshop this December in San Antonio, the TFCA room block at the Hyatt Hill Country will close on Nov 22, with no exceptions.  Do not wait to book your hotel stay!

The Workshop will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 14 thru Friday, Dec. 16.

The Florida Fire Chiefs' Association Fire Rescue Cadet Section will host the Winter Fire Games in Kissimee, FL next year on Feb.10 and 11.  Registration Includes an opening party, Saturday lunch, Awards Ceremony dinner, and an event challenge coin. There is no charge for visitors to attend and watch the events.

Competiton Events will include a Victim Rescue Drill, Team/Individual Rapid Dress, Communications Drill, Confined Space Challenge, EMS/Fire Relaym, and an EMS/Fire Knowledge Relay.

The event will take place at Embassy Suites by Hilton:
       Orlando Lake Buena Vista South
       4955 Kyngs Heath Road
       Kissimmee, FL 34746

Contact Todd Coulter for further information @ (239)269-6772 or coulter@esterofire.org

SOURCE: Kirk Siegler, CapRadio
Firefighters are excellent at suppressing almost every wildfire on initial attack, and 3% or less of ignitions end up turning into larger blazes. However, the questions is raised every time a fire is stopped: Haven’t they just left more fuel on the ground for the next fire?

This conundrum is often described as the fire paradox. According to forestry professor Andrew Sanchez Meador, who runs the Ecological Restoration Institute at Northern Arizona University, there is no easy solution.  "It took us 150 years to get into this problem , so it's not a problem we're going to get ourselves out of quickly," he says.

Sanchez Meador is encouraged by a growing in the nation's firefighting program. Last year, the U.S. government spent a record $4.3 billion on fire suppression, but there are now tens of millions of federal and state dollars also going toward upfront mitigation work.

SOURCE: PBS.org
Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it is designating some toxic industrial compounds used in cookware, carpets and firefighting foams as hazardous. This designation means that releases of long-lasting chemicals known as PFOA and PFOS that meet or exceed a certain quantity would have to be reported to federal, state or tribal officials.

According to the EPA the new requirements would increase understanding of the extent and locations of the contamination and help communities avoid or reduce contact with the potentially dangerous chemicals.

“Communities have suffered far too long from exposure to these forever chemicals,” says EPA Administrator Michael Regan. “The action announced today will improve transparency and advance EPA’s aggressive efforts to confront this pollution.”

SOURCE: The Examiner
Firefighters and other first responders will gather in downtown Beaumont for the first-ever stair climb in Southeast Texas. A local fire department is putting together the event to benefit a national group.

The first-ever HCESD2 Memorial Stair Climb is Saturday, Sept. 10, at the Edison Plaza in downtown Beaumont.

Participants will climb 110 flights or 2,201 steps in honor of the Fallen 343. This refers to the number of firefighters from the New York City Fire Department who died while responding to the attack on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

For more information, visit www.HCESD2memorialclimb.com or on Facebook at HCESD2Memorialclimb.

SOURCE: Andrew Schnitker, KXAN
For the third week in a row, firefighters with the Austin Fire Department have been deployed to help with flooding around the state.

AFD said six members were sent to Eagle Pass Tuesday as part of a Texas A&M Task Force1 boat squad deployment.

AFD said it is “honored” to help with the call. Captain Chris Layton, Fire Specialist Marcus Bradley, and Firefighters Jacob Brownlee, Nick Deno, Aaron Gilbert, and Neek Razavi were sent to help.

SOURCE: Houston Office of the Mayor
On Aug. 30, the Court of Appeals for the First District of Texas reversed and rendered a decision in favor of the City of Houston against the Houston Firefighters' Relief and Retirement Fund (HFRRF).

HFRRF had challenged the constitutionality of a Texas statute designed to reform the City's firefighter pension system that ensures that the actuarial assumptions for determining the City's contribution rates are based on sound actuarial principles and establishes a process for setting the contribution rate when the City's and HFRRF's proposed contribution rates differ by more than two percentage points.

The latest ruling is the second time the Court of Appeals has upheld the constitutionality of the statute reforming the firefighter pension system, making the pension system more secure for Houston's firefighters, both now and in the future.

This week's update covers the following:
  •  Fifth Circuit Opinion Strikes Down STR Residency Restrictions
  •  Texas Opioid Abatement Fund Council Begins Outreach on Disbursement of Statewide Opioid
  •  Settlement Funds
  •  Texas Comptroller Releases List of 10 Financial Companies that Boycott the Energy Sector
  •  Federal Infrastructure Bill Update
  •  House and Senate Committee Interim Hearings

The NFPA 1041 Fire Instructor II course is designed to meet the needs of entry-level fire and emergency service instructors by meeting or exceeding the job performance requirements in National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1041, Standard for Fire Service Instructor Professional Qualifications, Chapter 5 “Fire Instructor II.” 

Upon completion of this course you are eligible to take the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications (Pro Board) written exam and skills testing.  Participants that receive a Pro Board certification are eligible for certification through Texas Commission on Fire Protection (TCFP) through reciprocity. In addition, participants can apply for certification through State Firefighters’ and Fire Marshals’ Association (SFFMA).

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for, Brad and Curt discuss a $31 Million verdict in the Kobe Bryant crash scene photo scandal in Los Angeles County; a ruling by the Wyoming Supreme Court upholding the termination of a captain who scolded a citizen for calling 911 for minor matters; an appellate ruling dismissing a suit against Houston over the death of an elderly patient when a stretcher tipped-over; and a reverse discrimination suit by a white LA City firefighter.

In this short but humorous video, the Fire Department Chronicles host reenacts some of his most outlandish interactions.