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 MEMBER NEWSSince 1996, the prestigious Fire Chief of the Year award has recognized one volunteer and one career fire chief for their leadership, innovation, professional development, integrity, public service and contributions to the fire service. Nominations for 2022 are now open. All nominations are reviewed by a select committee of IAFC members. The nomination deadline is June 15.
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.
Collins College's Continuing Education Health Sciences department will be hosting critical-incident stress-management (CISM) courses in June. These courses are accredited through the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation and are eligible for TCOLE CEUs as well as CEUs for counselors. The instructor will be retired Lt. Larry Lowe, a veteran police officer who is currently with the Richardson Police Department. Lowe has multiple years of experience in emergency-services work. The course focuses on the following topics:
Attending professionals will come from many different backgrounds in the health and public-safety community. In additon, these courses are great for anyone who encounters people in distress, so please help us spread the word about CISM.
UPCOMING EVENTS2022 Fall Academy – San Marcos Follow the link below to register.
INDUSTRY NEWSSOURCE: JOE WERTZ, NPR Federal firefighters say they are again facing staff issues and low morale. Reforms to fix pay and hire more firefighters have stalled at U.S. agencies — despite promises to Congress. U.S. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore testified about the federal firefighter shortages earlier this month, stating the agency hired more than 10,000 workers and that overall staffing is around 90% of the agency's goals. Moore told senators the agency is backfilling fire positions with other agency employees and contract firefighters. The Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management did not agree to interviews but say they're working to enact the reforms and get the federal funding into firefighter paychecks. They also say some of the hiring gaps will be closed when college students finish their terms and apply for summer firefighting jobs.
SOURCE: Monica Casey, WRAL Durham Duke University has launched research into what cancer-causing chemicals Durham firefighters are exposed to — both on and off duty. "Our firefighters are exposed to so many dangers as it is,” said Durham Fire Chief Robert Zoldos II. “We don't want them taking that home, and we don't want them to live with it if we can avoid it." Zoldos said the Durham Fire Department is looking for tangible solutions to protect firefighters. The department has also developed internal policies for advanced decontamination on scene. Duke researchers now want to look at a bigger population to check if the same trends hold. They plan to continue studying firefighter exposures in the years to come.
TEXAS STATE NEWSGov. Abbott today sent a letter instructing Executive Director Dr. Pete Blair to begin providing Texas State University's nationally-recognized Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) programs to all school districts across the state, prioritizing school-based law enforcement. Governor Abbott also requested ALERRT to provide an after-action debrief of the shooting at Uvalde once the investigation is complete and of other relevant situations to school administrators, law enforcement, and others charged with keeping our Texas schools safe. ALERRT is designed to equip first responders with effective strategies to respond to active attack events. The ALERRT training is provided by veteran first responders with proven experience in active attack response and has served over 200,000 first responders across the nation. The program includes 16 hours of training in team movement, room entry techniques, approach and breaching the crisis, shooting and moving, as well as post engagement priorities of work. The vital training has been shown to shorten response times and strengthen law enforcement abilities. Training will prioritize equipping school-based law enforcement with the necessary skills and knowledge to quickly and effectively respond to active shooting events in Texas public schools.
TCFP UPDATESThe Texas Commission on Fire Protection is holding an informational meeting on June 16 from 10 a.m.-noon at the Wichita Falls Fire Department, located at 710 Flood St. in Wichita Falls, Texas. This is an excellent opportunity to meet the TCFP staff and put a “name to the face” as well as network with other agencies. Agency Chief Mike Wisko and staff will be available during the meeting to discuss the many topics of the agency, with the first hour being agenda-driven and the second being an open-forum Q&A session. Those interested in attending are asked to RSVP no later than June 3. Please RSVP and submit topics to appear on the agenda by sending an email to Tim Gothard. Through a partnership with TEEX, TCFP will now be offering CE hours for attendance at TCFP meetings. Please pre-register using the QR Code that can be found by following the link provided below.
TML NEWSWhile the TML Leadership Academy's Course I and Course II are sold out, the organization has a few upcoming events, trainings and webinars planned. Regional Meetings Region 3 June 29 Lubbock, TX Budget and Tax Rate Workshop June 30 Bastrop, TX Webinar: Build Effective City Council Relationships June 29 Follow the link below for more event details, including links to webinars.
TML Legislative Update Number 22 covers:
• Resolutions for 2022 Annual Conference • Governor Requests Special Committee • TWDB Program for Small Water and Wastewater Systems • Federal Infrastructure Bill Update • House and Senate Committee Interim Hearings
TEEX NEWSIncident Safety Officer Aug. 8-12 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Potter County Fire Rescue Station 3 4150 N. Soncy Road Amarillo, TX 79214 Cost: $600 for Texas firefighters; $1,200 for out-of-state firefighters. This course is available to all members of volunteer, paid, or part-paid fire departments of cities and industries that need or wish to obtain state certification in accordance with NFPA 1521, Standard for Incident Safety Officer. Fire Officer III/IV Combination Aug. 22-Sept. 2 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Castle Hills Fire Department 209 Lemonwood Drive Castle Hills, TX 78213 Cost: $600 for Texas firefighters; $1,200 for out-of-state firefighters. This course is available to all volunteer, paid, or part-paid fire departments of cities and industries that need or wish to obtain state or national certification in accordance with NFPA 1021, Standard for Fire Officer Professional Qualifications. Follow the link below and select the desired course to be taken to the registration page. Those with questions may contact Sean Fay by email or phone at 979-321-6215.
The TEEX Infrastructure and Safety Summit returns June 20-24 and will be held at San Angelo’s Howard College. The summit provides a great opportunity to attend multiple classes in one location at a discounted rate. All classes are offered at the reduced price of $50, except for Disaster Management courses, which are tuition-free. At the summit, our expert instructors will teach classes in a number of disciplines: • Code Enforcement • Disaster Management • Environmental, Health and Safety/OSHA • Heavy Equipment • Leadership Professional Development • sUAS (Drones) • Transportation and Highway Safety • Utilities • Water and Wastewater
FIRE LAW BLOG
In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for June 6, 2022, Paul Doughty joins Curt for a discussion of a sexual-harassment-suicide case out of Illinois; a firefighter guilty plea in a drug case out of Massachusetts; the filing of a race-discrimination suit out of California; and a ruling in favor of a fire department in a race discrimination suit out of Virginia.
HONORING OUR CRAFTAt its annual Conference & Expo®, the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) presents a series of awards recognizing outstanding achievements in the industry. The Harry C. Bigglestone Award and Standards Medal were among two of the honors bestowed at the 2022 NFPA Stars at Night gala, celebrating the brightest stars in fire and life safety.
As the fire service continues to experience an unimaginable increase of occupational cancer diagnosis within our ranks, as a supervisor, leader, or co-worker, you are likely in a place of discomfort in your support efforts. A diagnosis not only affects the individual, but it can also have a profound effect on you professionally and personally. Receiving a diagnosis of cancer is devastating in all rights and should not be compounded by a lack of empathy from a department leader, supervisor, or co-workers.
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