Attention TFCA Members,

Nominations are currently being accepted for the following Executive Board positions:

   •  3rd Vice President
   •  Secretary (3 year term – 2023-2025)
   •  Volunteer Director (2 year term – 2023-2024)
   •  Northeast Director (2 year term – 2023-2024)
   •  South Director(2 year term – 2023-2024)
   •  West Director (2 year term – 2023-2024)
   •  Northwest Director (2 year term – 2023-2024)

Nominations are open until 5:00 p.m. on Sept.16. Please email Chief Keith Kiplinger (Elections Committee Chair) your nomination at kiplingerk@nactx.us. Elections will be held later in the month of September. Those elected will be announced in early October 2022, after validation from the Elections Committee.

The Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) has announced the following dates and locations for their Quality Improvement for the Fire and Emergency Services Workshop:

   •  Oct. 24-26 – City of Fairfax Fire Department, Fairfax, VA
   •  Oct. 24-26 – District of North Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services, North Vancouver, BC
   •  Nov. 1-3 – DLA Richmond Fire and Emergency Services, Richmond, VA (DoD Only)
   •  Nov. 7-9 – Parris Island Fire and Emergency Services, Parris Island, SC (DoD Only)
   •  Nov. 14-16 – Greensboro Fire Department, Greensboro, NC
   •  Nov. 29-Dec. 1 – Mandeville Fire/EMS, St. Tammany Fire Protection District No. 4, Mandeville, LA

For questions or assistance contact info@cpse.org or 703-691-4620.

SOURCE: Will Atwater, NC Health News
According to a study published by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), firefighters develop cancer 9% faster than the general population, and their risk of dying from cancer is 14% higher. Firefighting materials that firefighters regularly come into contact with pose environmental and human health risks, and may be contributing to the prevalence of cancer.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) compounds have been criticized due to the associated cancer risks. As PFAS-containing Aqueous Film-Forming Foam is phased out, pressure is mounting for the industry to prioritize its members’ health above all.

SOURCE: Hudson Valley Post
In remembrance of the 21st anniversary of 9/11, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed five pieces of legislation that officials believe will provide support to 9/11 victims, survivors and their families.

"The enactment of these bills will streamline the procedures for receiving awards from the September 11th Victims Compensation Fund for victims and survivors of the terrorist attack. It will also help ensure that those brave men and women who participated in the World Trade Center rescue, recovery and clean-up operations receive the benefits that they and their families deserve," says Assemblymember Peter J. Abbate, Jr.

SOURCE: Wildfire Today
On Wednesday the Federal administration’s Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission met for the first time in Salt Lake City, Utah. The establishment of the commission was required by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, H.R.3684, which was signed by the President on November 15, 2021. The Commission is already seven months behind the schedule required by legislation and needs to produce a revised schedule of deliverables.

The commission's goal is to begin crafting federal policy recommendations and strategies on ways to better prevent, manage, suppress and recover from wildfires across the West.

SOURCE: KTSM
In honor of National Preparedness Month, the City of El Paso is encouraging the community to attend a free family event to help prepare themselves and their loved ones in the case of an emergency. Guests will have the opportunity to learn how to make an emergency kit, how to prepare in case of a fire, get tips to stay safe in case of an emergency, and win prizes.

The event will take place on Thursday, Sept. 29 at 6:00 pm, at the Chamizal Recreation Center, 2119 Cypress Avenue.

SOURCE: Hudson Valley 360
On Monday, Texas firefighter Randal Goodwin made an impassioned argument before the Greene County Legislature in favor of the county assisting first responders as part of the Greene County Veterans Service Agency. Goodwin, who serves as the chief of Emergency Support Services for Johnson County, Texas, lost both legs while responding to a fire call in 1988 and knows firsthand the assistance first responders need when they face physical and mental distress.

“Your entire county is protected by volunteer emergency services personnel,” Goodwin told lawmakers at the board’s County Services Committee meeting Monday. “That includes your EMS services and your volunteer fire services. You could take a fire truck and crash it into a wall and burn it into the ground and insurance will come along and in one year I will have a brand new fire truck just as shiny and red and probably even better than the first one I burned into the ground. But if I take your most valuable resource that this county holds, which is your volunteers, if I crash one of your volunteers and burn them out, they’ll never come back.”

SOURCE: Office of the Texas Governor | Greg Abbot
"In accordance with the authority vested in me by Section 418.014 of the Texas Government Code, I do hereby renew the disaster proclamation..." Gov. Abbot states.  "Pursuant to Section 418.017 of the code, I authorize the use of all available resources of state government and of political subdivisions that are reasonably necessary to cope with this disaster.

"Pursuant to Section 418.016 of the code, any regulatory statute prescribing the procedures for conduct of state business or any order or rule of a state agency that would in any way prevent, hinder, or delay necessary action in coping with this disaster shall be suspended upon written approval of the Office of the Governor.  However, to the extent that the enforcement of any state statute or administrative rule regarding contracting or procurement would impede any state agency’s emergency response that is necessary to protect life or property threatened by this declared disaster, I hereby authorize the suspension of such statutes and rules for the duration of this declared disaster."

See the official proclamation here.

SOURCE: Office of the Texas Governor | Greg Abbot
On Tuesday, Governor Greg Abbott requested a disaster declaration from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for Texas communities affected by last month's major flooding in North Texas. An SBA designation would make federal disaster assistance available for those impacted in Dallas County and its contiguous counties: Collin, Denton, Ellis, Kaufman, Rockwall, and Tarrant. 

"The State of Texas continues working to ensure Texans impacted by flooding last month are able to receive the assistance and support needed to recover," said Governor Abbott. "If approved, Dallas County and surrounding North Texas residents and businesses would be able to access long-term, low-interest loans through the SBA to cope with economic injury and physical damage to homes and businesses. I thank TDEM for working with the SBA to determine the state's assistance eligibility, and I look forward to the SBA helping Texans recover and move forward."

This week's update covers the following:
  •  Resolutions Submitted for Consideration at 2022 Annual Conference and Your City Delegate
  •  TML Testifies at Committee Hearings
  •  Federal Infrastructure Bill Update
  •  Comptroller to Send $664.7M to Cities in Sales Tax Revenue

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).

This summer, the Denver Zoo invited Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service’s (TEEX) National Emergency Response and Recovery Center (NERRTC) to provide training that will ensure the safety of visitors, employees, and animals in an emergency. TEEX instructors traveled to Denver to present the Senior Officials Workshop for All-Hazards Preparedness, which included a tabletop exercise focused on the roles and responsibilities of the zoo’s executive staff and crisis management team.  

While the TEEX team is familiar with training senior leadership on natural and manmade disaster scenarios, this was the first time they had to factor in the possibility of an animal escape or attack. TEEX Associate Training Specialist Nici English said that designing “this unique training was an exciting challenge.”

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup, Brad and Curt discuss a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the mother of a firefighter who died trying to rescue trapped occupants at a fire in a NY assisted living facility; a discrimination suit by a lieutenant who claims he was forced to remove his name from the captain’s list because of his veteran’s status and disability; a lawsuit claiming an on-duty Alabama firefighter pulled a gun on a property owner; a ruling in a race and gender discrimination suit granting summary judgment to the Denver Fire Department; and a West Virginia court ruling that found City of Parkersburg violated the state’s Wage Payment Collection Act in the way it calculated the pay of firefighters.

The Fire Engineering team remembers the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) members who were lost in the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center in New York on September 11, 2001. The montage contains photos supplied by the FDNY.

This unbelievable video from the Irving TX Fire Department captures a collsion between a car and a parked firetruck. 

SOURCE: Firehouse
An effective leader strategizes, takes action, identifies talent in people, cultivates growth and is a continuous learner who influences others by modeling values that define character. In this article, Dr. Brett Ellis explains how a company officer can cultivate the character of crew members and foster collaboration by embracing positional, passionate and purposeful leadership.