Join the IAFC for some amazing content from some of the most influential fire service speakers, including the Southwest Division's own Chief Scott Thompson speaking on fire service culture and recruitment. The conference will take place Oct. 17-20 at the Baton Rouge Marriott. The deadline to reserve a room is Sept. 29.

The First Responder Mental Health and Wellness Conference will take place Oct. 5-6 at the Norris Conference Center in San Antonio, TX.  This two-day multifaceted training and networking event is for all First Responders, Police, Fire, EMS, Dispatchers, Military/Veterans, Corrections, Coroners, Chaplains, Retired First Responders, Spouses, Professional staff, Clinicians, and all those who work in or around the Public Safety field. 1st Responder Conferences is committed to the emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being of public safety professionals and works with leaders in the public safety professions to make this possible. Partnered with with nonprofit organizations like First H.E.L.P. and ICISF, we work together to make sure all first responders get the resources they need to live a happy and healthy life!

This high-energy program will address the hottest issues and challenges facing company officers in today’s Fire Service, addressing topics such as Communication, Trust, Ethics, Diversity, Generational challenges, CISM, Accountability, and Social Media. An event will be held Oct. 16-18 in Flower Mound, and another will be held Nov. 13-15 in San Marcos.

The Fire Leadership Challenge offers the best in leadership focused education through multiple levels of the IAFC's Officer Development Program, FMAC's Fire Marshal Symposium, and by providing the opportunity to create your own custom schedule. This year's event will take place in Keystone, Colorado and will offer a variety of sessions, including:
  •  Create More Buy-In Through Coaching
  •  Applying AI in the Fire Service: Practical Options to Improve Mission Performance
  •  Tackling Carcinogen Exposure in the Wild West: A Focus on Wildland Firefighting

This course features three full days of instruction to help agencies prepare for accreditation under the 10th edition of the CFAI model. It covers the development of the three key documents, the Community Risk Assessment/Standards of Cover, Strategic Plan, and Self-Assessment Manual.

SOURCE: U.S. Fire Administration
Check out the new website from Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center that features in-the-field lessons drawn from successes, challenges, close calls and firefighter fatalities to increase safety.

SOURCE: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have released new reference materials to expedite efforts to eliminate PFAS.

The Texas A&M All-Hazard Incident Management Team Program is a collaborative effort between Texas A&M Forest Service, Texas Division of Emergency Management and Texas A&M Engineering and Extension Service. For more information about the program and how to register, download the flyer below.

SOURCE: Texas A&M Forest Service
“Completing the Community Wildfire Protection Plan is a great proactive first step toward creating a more wildfire-resilient Kendall County,” said Wes Moorehead, Texas A&M Forest Service Fire Chief. 

SOURCE: Texas A&M Forest Service
According to the Texas A&M Forest Service Forest Drought application, 85% of the state is experiencing some level of drought.

SOURCE: 3News KIIITV
Two veteran fire officials have been promoted into Corpus Christi Fire Department leadership, with Doug Matthijetz now serving as deputy fire chief, and Billy Belyeu as asst. fire chief.

This update covers the following:
  • Resolutions Submitted for Consideration at the 2023 Annual Conference and Your City Delegate
  • New DIR Cyber Incident Reporting Requirement
  • U.S. Department of Labor Proposes New Salary Threshold

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup, host Curt and attorney Bill Podszus discuss a wrongful termination suit filed by a former fire chief in Michigan, a lawsuit filed by the union president for the Mountain View Fire Protection District in Colorado alleging his termination was retaliation for his union activities, a wrongful death suit filed over an apparatus accident in Illinois, a ruling by the Minnesota Court of Appeals holding that a full-time department can be held financially responsible for a firefighter who suffers a career-ending injury even though that firefighter is working for a different fire department, and a decision by a US District Court dismissing the federal race discrimination claims of a Wichita fire captain.

In this video from Maxwell Leadership, host John Maxwell explains how showing care for others forms connections and makes it easier for them to listen to you.

SOURCE: Fire House Magazine
Dan Kramer, assistant fire chief of the Schertz FD, explains how implementing targeted strategies can help fire department leaders address the issue of quiet quitting head on.