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 MEMBER NEWSThe Texas Fire Chief’s Association (TFCA) is now accepting nominations for its Annual Awards to be held at the TFCA Executive Conference March 20-23 at the Waco Conference Center. To select the honorees, each department will have one vote for each of the following awards/achievements: Fire Chief of the Year Lone Star Achievement Fire Safety Valor Award Please submit your nominations and supporting materials by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 3.
UPCOMING EVENTS The Texas Fire Chiefs Association Annual Conference is the signature event of the Texas Fire Chiefs Association and is one of the state’s largest gatherings of fire chiefs, fire service leaders, and decision-makers. The conference attracts hundreds of attendees from all regions of the state each year. Our attendees are fire chiefs, assistant fire chiefs, deputy chiefs, battalion chiefs, training officers, fire fighters, and city department executives who work together and get positive results. Come meet and network with top leaders in the fire service, learn from those who are foremost in their divisions winning awards, guiding others, and join in the tough discussions. Build relationships that push through legislation and team up across borders to aid one another. Come witness and celebrate with those who have been called out and awarded valor and honor in the line of duty, and cheer for the one who has been nominated and will be name Fire Chief of the Year. You won’t want to miss it!
 This high-energy program will address the hottest issues and challenges facing company officers in today’s Fire Service. This program addresses MANY topics such as Communication, Trust, Ethics, Diversity, Generational challenges, CISM, Accountability, and Social Media to name just a few. This is NOT a “Top-down” lecture on how to be a company officer. Recall the passion you owned when you entered the Fire Service? You will, when you rekindle the knowledge and experience you bring to the Company Officer rank. Are you a brand-new officer (or about to be), searching for a spark for preparedness? Are you a salty, experienced officer, who could use to have their passion reignited? This program is for all company officers and will enhance your "Love of The Game!”
Inspired by the Texas Fire Chief’s Annual Workshop, this gathering is designed specifically for the Second in Command. Attendees will tackle common challenges encountered in their position and will discuss innovations and strategies used in departments throughout Texas. Past history shows that these formal and informal conversations provide dynamic networking opportunities made possible by the diverse and talented professionals of the Texas Fire Service. Class size is limited, so please make plans now to attend. This class is open to all fire service personnel who are considered Second in Command to their Head of Department. There are no prerequisites to attend this Workshop. The Workshop will take place from Jan. 23-25 at the Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center, 177 Joe Routt Blvd. REGISTER TODAY | BOOK HOTEL ONLINE | LEARN MORE & BECOME A SPONSOR The Palo Duro Wildfire Academy will take place Feb. 17-26 at the High Plains Retreat Center in Canyon, TX. All classes offered are NWCG approved PMS 901-1. The deadline to register is Feb. 3 and includes includes lodging, breakfast, and lunch.
Pflugerville will be hosting the next Quality Improvement Through Accreditation class on April 4-6. This course features three full days of instruction to help agencies prepare for accreditation under the 10th edition of the CFAI model. This is a pre-requisite for accreditation managers and peer assessors. A consortium meeting will likely be hosted the day before. Click the link below to register.
The Longview Fire Department in association with Union Pacific Railroad, BNSF, and our corporate sponsors will be hosting our annual Tank Car Safety Specialist Course in Longview, Texas. This course provides unique insights into tank car construction, fittings, behavior in derailments, and an integrated emergency management plan. This course is designed to give firefighters, environmental contractors, hazardous materials technicians, and other first responders the hands-on experience needed to safely respond and work in today’s complex world of hazmat rail emergencies. The class will take place April 16-21, and the application deadline is March 30. The tuition is $850 and includes all meals and training materials. This year, the East Texas Interagency Wildfire and Incident Management Academy is ramping up to be bigger and better with additional enrollment and courses. The 2023 ETIWA will be held from 16-24 May 2023 at the Angelina College campus in Lufkin. Registration will open on Feb. 16 and will be conducted online at TFS.AcadisOnline.com. Please click the button below to learn more about the course offerings and tuition.
INDUSTRY NEWSSOURCE: Insurance Journal
“America is still burning,” says U.S. Fire Administrator Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell after more than 1 million structures caught fire and more than 7.5 million acres burned in wildfires last year.
TEXAS STATE NEWSSOURCE: Everything Lubbock
With shortages across the U.S., fire departments sometimes need to get creative when it comes to obtaining necessary equipment. The West Carlisle Volunteer Fire Department is currently building their own grass fire truck, expected to hold 1300 gallons of water.
SOURCE: My RVG
“Whenever you see a volunteer firefighter they are dedicated; they’ve got a big heart. You gotta have a heart because you care about people, you care about your community and you want to help them out,” says Geronimo Sheldon after serving 42 years as a volunteer firefighter.
TML NEWSClick the button below to download a report detailing every bill filed in the state legislature that TFCA is tracking.
TEEX NEWS
The 14th Annual TEEX Leadership Development Symposium was held this week at the Frisco Embassy Suites Hotel & Convention Center with nearly 1,300 registered attendees, six keynote speakers, two “Command Chat “speakers, and 27 breakout session speakers. The two-and-a-half-day symposium offered numerous sessions on a wide array of leadership topics such as “Strategies for Transitioning from the Backseat to the Right-Front Seat,” “How to Help Women Succeed in the Fire Service,” “Mental Health Wellness,” “Fusion Centers,” “Succession Planning,” “How to be the Mentor You Wish You Had,” and so much more. The symposium is offered at no cost to Texas first responders.
Fire Officer I The NFPA 1021 Fire Officer I course is designed for the first-line company officer/supervisor and satisfies the requirements of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1021 Standard for Fire Officer Professional Qualifications, Chapter 4 “Fire Officer I.” It is designed around classroom lectures and group exercises to improve your abilities to manage a single fire company. This includes responsibilities such as the development of an Incident Action Plan (IAP), personnel management and mentoring, and community relations. Dates and Locations: Fire Officer II The NFPA 1021 Fire Officer II course is designed to meet the needs of the mid-level officer/supervisor and satisfies the requirements of National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1021, Standard for Fire Officer Professional Qualifications, Chapter 5 “Fire Officer II.” It is designed around classroom lectures and group interactive exercises to improve your abilities to manage multiple fire companies, including responsibilities such as strategic planning and operations, personnel development, and organizational communications. Dates and Locations: Fire Officer III The NFPA 1021 Fire Officer III course is designed to meet the needs of fire executive management and satisfies the requirements of National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1021, Standard for Fire Officer Professional Qualifications, Chapter 6 “Fire Officer III.” It is designed around classroom lectures and group interactive exercises to improve your abilities to manage a fire service organization, with an emphasis on community/government relations, as well as model planning, budgeting, human resources, trends and support organizations, and emergency service delivery. This course includes a written project that requires you to develop a strategic plan. Dates and Locations:
FIRE LAW BLOG
In this episode of Fire Law Roundup, hosts Brad and Curt discuss a decision by the Supreme Court of Washington that the public duty doctrine only applies to statutorily created duties, not common law duties; a decision by the Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court that has held a fire captain cannot recover for injuries he sustained that he claims were due to the incompetence of a probationary firefighter; the termination of a Denver Fire for offensive comments that over time earned him the nickname of the Racist-Rover; the filing of First Degree Murder charges against two Illinois EMTs in the positional asphyxia death of a patient they transported; and a suit filed by a volunteer firefighter in New York claiming that she was raped in the firehouse by two ranking officers.
HONORING OUR CRAFT
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January is Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month. Firefighters are exposed to more carcinogens than any other profession. Members of the fire service have a 9% higher risk of developing cancer and a 14% greater risk of dying from cancer than the general public. This includes:
