The Friday Report
  March 3, 2023
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.

This year’s conference will feature the following items:

  • Top notch Keynote and General Session presenters featuring Commander Kirk Lippold and retired Philadelphia Eagles Keith Jackson
  • Concurrent featured breakout session tracks including EMS, DEI, Health & Wellness, The Basics and much more!
  • Full day Pre-education session on Comprehensive Wellness for Optimal Performance, Health, and Relationships.
  • Sold out vendor hall with over 85 exhibits and indoor/outdoor fire apparatus!
  • Fun evening networking events including a new Casino/Game night.
  • Tons of learning and networking opportunities with your peers

You will not want to miss this exciting event. Click here to review the full conference details and review our agenda and register today!

 

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

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

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.

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
Female firefighters have often been relegated to wearing gear and protective garments designed for men, sacrificing not only comfort but safety. New research led by the Fire Protection Research Foundation hopes to change that.

SOURCE: Wildfire Today
A recent letter from the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology states that, “Whereas we have a national commitment ensuring that our warfighters are not sent into harm’s way without the best of American science and technology at their disposal, no similar organizational framework exists to protect and empower wildland firefighters.”

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
SOURCE: Texas A&M Forest Service
The Texas A&M Forest Service has raised the Wildland Fire Preparedness Level to Level 2 due to the threat of increased wildfire activity across several regions of the state.

SOURCE: CBS News Texas
Beginning on March 16, firefighter Jarrett Beshears of Plano Fire-Rescue will walk at least 100 miles in four days, dressed in full bunker gear. Every step marks a stride in awareness for firefighter occupational cancer as part of the Walk For The Red.

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.


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:
  •  Litigation of Interest: PFAS Chemical Usage and Potential Impacts on Municipal Water Systems
  •  Governor Abbott Sets Emergency Items
  •  Reminder: Deadline for Cities to Challenge the Texas Broadband Map Is Monday
  •  Texas Demographic Center to Hold Webinar on Census Count
  •  Get Involved During the Legislative Session: Grassroots Involvement Program
  •  Federal Infrastructure Bill Update

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.
Learn More
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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 California decision holding that fire departments are not crime victims when an arson occurs, and thus a court cannot order the arsonist to pay restitution as part of his sentence; a Georgia chief placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into the hiring of a firefighter who was facing felony theft charges; a guilty plea by a Kansas City firefighter to three counts of involuntary manslaughter arising out of a fatal apparatus accident; the settlement of a lawsuit brought by the widow of a Washington firefighter who died of cancer; and the filing of a suit by the parents of a recruit firefighter who died while attending the NY State fire academy.