The Friday Report
  February 10, 2023
Providing Protection for Those Who Protect Us
Casco Industries, Inc.®
Casco Industries, Inc. has been in business for over 72 years. Casco is a family-owned business and is in its third generation of ownership. Casco covers 8 States with 6 offices and warehouses, with two office locations in Texas with 18 salesmen and 6 service tech’s covering the State. Casco is the exclusive dealer for MSA SCBA, Globe manufacture, and many other Fire Service Products in most of the states it covers.
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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. Join us for a pre-conference education session on March 20. You won’t want to miss it! 

Registration is now open for the TFCA Spring Academy. The Texas Fire Chiefs Academy is a comprehensive training opportunity for current fire chiefs and those who aspire to be fire chiefs. After completing Year 2 training, you’ll earn your Certified Fire Executive “CFE” professional designation. Years one and two are available at both spring and fall 2023 academies.

Register Today               Learn More

The American Lung Association serves all americans through imperatives to defeat lung cancer, champion clean air for all, create a tobacco-free future, and improve the quality of life for those with lung disease and their families. Join them in these efforts at upcoming Texas Two-Step events across the state. These two-part events include the Fight for Air Climb and the Lung Force Walk and will take place on the following dates:

  • April 29 | Dallas
  • April 22 | El Paso
  • May 6 | San Marcos/San Antonio/Austin
  • May 20 | Houston  

 View the events calendar for additional dates and locations: https://www.lung.org/get-involved/events?state=TX

For more information, dowload the Climb for Air and the Texas Two-Step flyers.

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.

Download the Flyer               Download the Registration Form

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.

Steps to Safety (STS) pairs fire service/EMS with their community partners to educate, engage, and bring key resources to their older adults to reduce the incidence, injuries, and deaths from fire and falls. STS is delivered through group presentations, home visits, and the creation of a network of referral and resources to support older adults to live safely and independently at home. If you would like to participate, register for this free hybrid training opportunity in which you will complete a 3-hour online course prior to participation in a half-day in person Train the Trainer session.

Martinez Architects, LP
Casco Industries, Inc.
INDUSTRY NEWS
SOURCE: NFPA
Comparing fire data collection from country to country or even between neighboring jurisdictions can produce an array of conflicting variables and definitions. A new European Union project aims to improve the quality of fire data by finding common ground among member nations.

SOURCE: NBC News
Fires caused by lithium batteries are on the rise, and U.S., firefighters say the training needed to fight them effectively is lagging behind.

SOURCE: Wildfire Today
Wildfire workforce challenges are increasing, yet the pace of federal administrative change may not be ramping as fast as the fires.

Industry’s First Fluorine Free Foam Guide
National Foam, Inc.®
National Foam, a recognized leader in fluorine free foam concentrates, has developed the industry’s first fluorine free foam guide as a comprehensive reference guide for professional firefighters. The guide outlines the basic characteristics and types of firefighting foam as well as application hardware and proper application techniques. Order your free digital copy today. 
www.nationalfoam.com/sfff-guide/
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TEXAS STATE NEWS
Those who could not attend the internal event have the opportunity to attend the virutal weekly training sessions on the State Mutual Aid Reimbursement Process Training through March 9, as well as the monthly sessions starting April 13.


The IAFC Southwestern Division Conference (SWD) rotation places the 2024 conference in Texas. It is usually held in September or October and has keynotes and presentations from around the country. The SWD is looking for a Fire Chief and Fire Department to host this annual conference.   Attendees come from New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, and other states.  If you are interested in hosting this multi-state event the following minimums are required:

  • The host department must be about a one-hour drive or less from any of the major airports (think Southwest Airlines terminals) in Texas.
  • There must be a meeting space capable of supporting 200 attendees with rooms for breakout sessions and indoor/outdoor exhibit space for up to 40-50 vendors. 
  • A hotel on-site with the meeting space with rooms for 200 is preferred.
    The host department must help with recommendations for afterhours activities and spouse programs for attendees (no cost to the host department)
  • The SWD Education Committee and Vendor Committees will do the heavy lifting on the conference program and vendor invitations.

This is great opportunity to showcase your department, your city, county or ESD, and Texas in 2024! If you are interested in hosting or have any questions, please contact Vance Riley, Texas Vice President-IAFC Southwestern Division, at 361.572.5500 or firechiefriley@gmail.com

iPlanTables
Emergicon , LLC.
TML NEWS
Click the button below to download a report detailing every bill filed in the state legislature that TFCA is actively tracking.

This update covers the following:
  •  Texas Comptroller's Office Awarded $363.8 Million in Federal Grants to Improve Broadband Access
  •  Across the State
  •  Don't Forget: Mandatory Hotel Occupancy Tax Reporting
  •  Get Involved During the Legislative Session: Grassroots Involvement Program
  •  Federal Infrastructure Bill Update
  •  City-Related Bills Filed

Sounding the Alarm on Low Tire Pressure
Bellacorp, Inc.®
Fire Engines responding to calls expose tires to multiple hazards of glass, metal shards, screws and other tire puncturing road debris. Bellacorp, Inc. sells and supports commercial grade tire monitoring systems for fire trucks and big rigs. Full time/real time electronic monitoring from the cab ensures redundant safety checks for tires. Low pressure alarms alert personnel to sudden tire deflation in the field.
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TEEX NEWS

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:

 

On Duty Health
Komatsu Architecture
FIRE LAW BLOG
  
In this episode of Fire Law Roundup, hosts Brad and Curt discuss a ruling that the Jacksonville Fire Department’s no-beard rule is not discriminatory either racially or disability-wise because it is based on an OSHA-requirement, a Palm Beach County firefighter convicted of wire fraud related to a charity, a lawsuit filed by a Kansas City firefighter claiming he was the victim of race discrimination and retaliation, an age-discrimination suit filed against the Rochester (MN) Fire Department, and the termination of three Memphis firefighters following the death of Type Nichols.