The Leader: February 2012

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The Leader February 2012 February 2012 Inside this issue:

Remember to Keep it Fresh President Douglas Cline

Fire Chief of the 3 Year Guidelines

Fire Chief of the 5 Year Nomination Form

As the President of your Southeastern Division I began my journey with this organization many years ago. I assumed various roles and capacities through those years. I am constantly reminded by the past and the great mentors who served and lead this organization of the true mission. I will finish my term as President when we come together at the Annual Leadership Conference in June, 2012 in Hampton, Virginia. I want to express my sincere appreciation to the men and women of the SEAFC for their true support and dedication as we have continued the mission and road map that the greats before me paved the way on our road to success. I wanted to share what I have learned along my journey in an effort to pay it forward to the new generation of leaders who stand before us poised ready, able and willing to pick up the flag and carry us into the future. This President’s message is dedicated to those who taught me so much.

SEAFC Conference Agenda

14

Constitution and By-Law changes

19

2012 Hampton Conference Links

22

Words of Wisdom that came from Chief David Taylor on one of my first conference calls as Conference Education Committee Chair… “Remember to Keep it Fresh”! I will not ever forget those words as a few years later I found myself working hand in hand with this gentleman as part of his team in High Point Fire Department and as part of the SEAFC.

Target Solutions Partnership

26

Question…Is your relationship with the fire service at best “Status Quo”? Just like any relationship it has to be worked at. Often when we analyze where we are in a relationship we find you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; regroup and start doing the works you did at first. In other words, refuel the passion for the job!

2012 Conference Educational Programs and Presenters

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To maintain the status quo is to keep the things the way they presently are, to stop developing, progressing or advancing; become sluggish or dull; become stale, foul or dead. So what causes firefighters to go into Status Quo? • Unmet Needs- Often times the nurturing of our organization does not occur. We have individuals or groups who are often neglected or are never addressed due to the system trying to help others who are not at the same level.


The SEAFC Leader

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Continued from page 1 • Unfulfilled Expectations- Many times we find individuals in the fire service who have expectations. Often these expectations are never meet for whatever reason. One of the most common causes is that the expectations are not realistic ones or ones that the organization cannot support for any member. • Under Developed Self Esteem- In most cases self esteem is not a major issue; however with some individuals the environments they are placed in are negative, hostile and/or demeaning. When this occurs it is not hard for them to have a low self esteem. We often see this with many of the harassment cases. • Unresolved Conflicts- many times individuals will have unresolved issue. Why is this? Well most times they never have the fortitude to address them professionally. They get mad or sulk when they don’t get exactly what they want. There is no conflict resolution or closure in an issue. Other times they never choose to address the problem at all. • Uncontrolled Thoughts- We recognize that many individuals will have these thoughts that are not controlled. That is they don’t have a full knowledge of all information and they are thinking one dimensional. • Unprotected Lifestyles- Who is influencing you and your thoughts? Who are your so called friends and colleagues? What are they feeding you? Often times we find that individuals find themselves in a status quo mode due to being frustrated. The first area you should look at is who you are hanging with. In most cases it has been shown that who you are hanging with influences you tremendously whether it is positive or negatively. In short what junk are they feeding you? • Unreliable Commitment- Commitment takes work and if in the relationship one side is not committed then it becomes unreliable. Often times the organization is not the problem but officers who don’t do their jobs. This influences the entire organization. Keep It “FRESH”? We have to invite today’s fire service in. We cannot be living in the past or on fantasies. Today’s fire service is a lot different than when I started back in 1980. The key is adapting and embracing changes. We the Fire Service have a burden of responsibility…a responsibility to leave the service better than we inherited it. This means we have to learn from our own and other’s mistakes. We must set a course of direction that has safety as the focus. This will mean that many cultures, values, opinions and beliefs will have to be changed or better yet educated. Leaders must be diligent in their efforts working tirelessly to accomplish the vision exhausting all means for a successful journey. Never lose faith or lower the vision. Falling short of the vision is better than setting one low and making it. If leaders will follow the vision with heart-felt desire you will win! To sum it all up you must keep the vision and keep from getting distracted. Remember to make it your priority. To keep the vision you must understand that it will require personal sacrifices and risks to be taken. In making sacrifices and taking risks we often feel like we are out on a limb. Well guess what, you are! But if we don’t take chances you most likely will not keep focused on what is important, the vision you have set as a leader. These distractions that come up often pull even the best leaders off of the vision. When we keep our vision, we often receive harsh criticism. But remember, DO NOT compromise for what seems easier nor be discouraged by the criticism.

Continued on page 27


The SEAFC Leader

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Fire Chief of the Year 2012 Guidelines and Nomination Form In January 2008, the SEAFC Board of Directors voted to establish an annual Fire Chief of the Year Award, to be presented to one Career and one Volunteer Chief. Guidelines

 By March of each year the Executive Director shall notify all SEAFC members via e-mail that nomination period for the SEAFC Fire Chief of the Year Awards is open. Nomination information and forms will be available on the SEAFC website.  Nominations will be accepted until March 31, of each year. No late nominations will be accepted.  The nominations will be reviewed by the Fire Chief of the Year Committee. The Committee is comprised of the last three years award winners and the Executive Director who will not have voting privileges. The incumbent Career Fire Chief of the Year will serve as the committee chair . The Committee reserves the right to select an award winner based on the information received.  All names of nominees and names of persons submitting nominations will be kept confidential until the Installation Dinner at the Annual Conference. Presentation of Award The Awards will be presented at the SEAFC Annual Leadership Conference at the Installation Dinner. Selection Criteria

 Person nominated must be a member in good standing of the SEAFC.  Person nominated must carry a Chief Officer’s rank and title.  Examples: Chief, Deputy Chief, Assistant Chief, Battalion Chief, Training Chief, Operations Chief, Admin Chief, etc. Nominated chiefs must be active chiefs of their department. Nominated chiefs must be active chiefs of their department. Evaluation Criteria Nominees will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

      

Leadership Innovation Professional development Integrity Service to the public Contributions to the fire service as a whole All of a nominee’s fire service activities will be considered but special emphasis will be placed on accomplishments during the previous 4 years of service.

Continued page 4


The SEAFC Leader

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Continued from page 3 Key Points

 Career is defined as someone who earns his/her principal livelihood as a fire chief.  Volunteer is defined as someone who earns his/her principal livelihood by some other means other than serving as a fire chief, even if the position as chief carries some compensation.  Within designated category, department status (career, combination or volunteer) as a whole is not considered. General Information – Please read carefully 1. This award is given annually to a Career and Volunteer Fire Chief (must hold a chief officer rank in the department) who exemplifies characteristics of an outstanding chief and who has an outstanding record of fire service achievement. The career fire chief is anyone serving in a paid capacity of a municipal or combination department. The volunteer chief is anyone serving as a chief in a volunteer department and does not draw a full-time salary. 2. Several components will be measured to select the Fire Chief of the Year and include the following: Fire Service Experience, Education, Professional Development, Community Involvement, Fire Service Involvement/contributions and Character.

3. All nominations must be type-written and signed by the individual submitting the form. 4. Support materials may accompany the outline on the attached page; however, the entire nomination package should not exceed six (6) pages.

5. Nominees must be a member of the SEAFC to be eligible for this award. 6. The Fire Chief of the Year Committee will evaluate each nomination and will present the awards at the SEAFC Annual Leadership Conference. It shall be the responsibility of the person submitting the nomination to do everything possible to ensure that his/her nominee is present at the conference. 7. The Nomination Form can be downloaded from the web site at www.seafc.org and must be completed and submitted no later than March 31,2012. Please submit the nomination in outline form using the information on the attached sheet as your guideline. All nominations must be type-written and submitted no later than March 31, 2012 , to SEAFC, 1101 Marley Street, Conway, SC 29527 or executivedirector@seafc.org. For questions call (843)397-9146 or email.

Continued on page 5


The SEAFC Leader

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Continued from page 4 Nomination Category

(Nominees must be a member of the SEAFC)

Career: ________________

(includes full-time employment in a combination department)

Volunteer: ______________ Nominee: _______________________________________________________________ Fire Department: __________________________________________________________ Address: _________________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip: ____________________________________________________________ Telephone: _________________________Email:________________________________ Person submitting the nomination: Name:___________________________________________________________________ Organization: _____________________________________________________________ Address: _________________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip: ____________________________________________________________ Telephone: _________________________Email:________________________________ Please use the outline below to categorize the nominees experience and accomplishments when submitting nomination information: I. Fire Service Experience - List the nominee’s Fire Service experience including length of service, departments in which he/she has served and position’s held. Emphasis should be given on the time the individual has served as chief. II. Education - Provide a summary of the nominee’s formal education and Fire Service training/ education achievements. III. Professional Development- Provide a narrative describing examples of the individual’s professional development, professional contributions, and association memberships. IV. Community Involvement - Describe the individual’s contributions to his/her local community. V. Fire Service Involvement/Contributions - Describe the individual’s contributions to the fire service community. VI. Character – Confirm that the individual is free of characteristics that would discredit the SEAFC such as having a criminal history. If there is a criminal history, please explain.


The SEAFC Leader

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Georgia By: Deron “Pat” Wilson

Strategic Plan Implementation As recently reported in this publication, the Georgia Fire Service released its 2012 Strategic Plan. The plan contributors included Fire Chiefs from every region of the state and representatives from the major state offices involved in supporting the Georgia Fire Service. The structure of the plan is unique. The Chairman of the planning committee, WarnerRobins Fire Chief Robert Singletary stated, “We are not going through a big effort to develop a plan that’s going to collect dust on a shelf. Every meeting and every interview that will be required to arrive at plan content will be started with the following message . . . no matter what the final suggestions or recommendations are to be, those who contribute are to also tell us how their ideas are to be implemented.” Exactly what was unique in the plan? Each goal was written in descriptive form and only a sentence or two within a given description was the actual goal. For example: Goal 1 was entitled, Stakeholder Relationships. The goal statement read as follows: the achievement of the critical mission of the fire service is to reach every stakeholder with valuable information they will need in their policymaking roles whether at the local, county, state or national levels. To achieve this goal, all communication tools are to be continually identified and used to educate every elected, appointed or volunteer leader regarding the importance of their support for a vital and effective statewide fire service This goal is, in effect, essential to achieving the aspirations of all leaders in assuring that the Georgia Fire Services is the most respected in the United States. In essence, the narrative approach used was to help readers better understand each goal. The objectives under the aforementioned goal were simply stated. Planners determined that all the objectives contained in the plan should be accomplished within a three year period of time. The objectives were simply stated: 1.) identify stakeholders at all levels, 2.) create two master database files, one internal and one external, 3.) create recommended guidelines for leaders to achieve effective relationships with Georgia legislators and other policy leaders. And finally, a summary statement of issues and leader concerns was included following each statement of objectives. Those statements were offered for use by implementation task force leaders (most goals called for study groups or implementation task forces) to assure recommendations for legislation, policy changes or other actions to assure effective plan implementation. The Georgia Association of Fire Chiefs web page contains the Strategic Plan - www.gafc.org


The SEAFC Leader

Page 7 Southeastern Association of Fire Chiefs Chief Eddie Phillips Tennessee State Director

The Tennessee Fire Service welcomes our new Codes Enforcement Program Director Stephen Snow to the Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy. Stephen has a degree in Architectural Engineering Technology and has previous experience as a construction project manager in healthcare and other facilities. He has also served as a Tennessee municipal commercial and residential plans examiner. We are excited about Stephen joining the academy staff and the leadership he will bring to the codes enforcement training program statewide. The Tennessee Fire Chiefs Association (TFCA) winter quarterly meeting was held in Jackson, Tennessee February 15-17th. There were several important committee meetings held including the conference and training committee, mutual aid committee, legislative committee, safety committee, and volunteer committee. Training conducted during the quarterly meeting included response to the April 2011 tornados, state air quality open burning regulations, responding to utility emergencies, and a special presentation by the ISO to the volunteer committee. Updates to the Tennessee Fire Chief’s strategic plan were also worked on. I’m proud to report that membership in the TFCA is at an all time high. The Tennessee Federation of Fire Chaplains is in the process of building Rehab Support trailers and deploying them in strategic locations statewide. Each unit will provide a mobile restroom facility with plenty of space to “doff and don” protective equipment. The restrooms facilities will also be in a climate-controlled environment. Each unit will also have an on-board generator, portable water tank, toilet, water heater, hand washing sink, emergency eyewash station, waste water tank, heat and air, and room for storage. These rehab trailers will be strategically deployed in fire and rescue departments statewide and be available for response to disaster scenes, multi-alarm events, and extended duration events and large public events. Eleven trailers have been deployed so far and are available through the Tennessee Fire Chiefs Statewide Mutual Aid System and the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency One of the critical issues facing the Tennessee fire service and one that the Tennessee Fire Service Coalition is gearing up to fight is an effort by the home builders association to take away the local government’s authority to pass their own sprinkler ordinances if they so desire. A bill has been introduced in the legislature to try and delete the law passed several years ago with fire service support to allow communities to pass their own sprinkler ordinances rather than making a mandatory statewide law. The Tennessee fire service sees this new bill as an attack on local jurisdiction’s rights to pass local ordinances and if they are successful with sprinkler legislation what’s next? The Tennessee Fire Service Coalition is committed to defeating this new attack on sprinkler legislation! All Tennessee Fire Chiefs need to mark their calendars to attend the very important “Fire Service Day on the Hill” March 6th at the state capital in Nashville. This critical event brings fire service members statewide to the capital to have lunch with legislators and meet on critical fire service issues. This event has proven to be very successful in past years and last year the Governor attended for the first time in history. This shows the growing strength and relationship building of the Tennessee Fire Service Coalition. Together we are making a difference in the lives and safety of both citizens and fire service members statewide. Please get involved!


Gift from Florida Chief’s to SEAFC Traveling to conferences can be a daunting task at best. Especially when you are trying to lug conference materials and enough necessities for a week. After our Montgomery Conference it was obvious that we were in need of a better way to make this happen. The SEAFC Florida State Director Chief Kingman Schuldt (pictured left) took a request to the Florida State Chief’s Association to donate a trailer, for which they no longer had a need, to the SEAFC. Thanks to the generosity of the Florida Chief’s we now have means of transporting our conference materials and can be proud to promote the SEAFC as well. The trailer (before pictured left) was in very good condition so with a new set of tires and some elbow grease we were ready for the lettering shop. Dan and I were able to attend FRE in January and on behalf of the SEAFC I presented a plaque to the Florida Chief’s Association President Chief John Williamson to express the gratitude of the SEAFC. We can’t thank you enough for making our job so much easier.


FLORIDA FIRE CHIEFS’ ASSOCIATION Sunshine State Report

Assistant Chief Kingman Schuldt, East Naples Fire Control & Rescue District SEAFC Florida State Director

2011 wrapped up with the Florida Fire and Emergency Services Foundation (FFESF) annual Safety and Health Conference held in Orlando. Attendees from Florida and several other states participated, sharing fresh information and a renewed emphasis on fire fighter safety The first several weeks of 2012 have been a busy time for Florida’s fire service. January 1821 marked the Annual Fire Rescue East Trade Show hosted by the FFESF. This year’s event was another great success with more than 40 training sessions and 200 exhibitors displaying the latest in apparatus, equipment, educational materials, computer software, EMS equipment, safety items, personal protective equipment and so much more. The FFSEF was established in 1994 as a not-for-profit corporation under the laws of the State of Florida and received its IRS classification as a 501 (c)3 charitable organization. Board representation includes individuals from the public and private sector invoiced in life safety. The mission of the Florida Fire & Emergency Services Foundation is to provide educational opportunities, including scholarships, to fire and emergency services professionals, develop public relations programs to promote and raise public awareness of Florida's fire and emergency services; to assist other related organizations in the development and implementation of public education programs and provide scholarships to educate fire service personnel on the latest public safety methods or techniques. The activities of the FFESF are funded by personal donations, corporate giving and fund raising events. The current Foundation Chairman is Mr. Rand Napoli, Director Retired. The Florida legislative session began meeting on January 10th with committee meetings previously held in November and December, 2011. Much of the legislators time is expected to be spent on redistricting, however there are several other items that could impact the Florida Fire Service including pension reform, consolidation and/or elimination of special districts and consolidation of fire inspection and building inspection services. The Florida Fire Chiefs’ Association (FFCA) and Florida Fire Marshals and Inspectors Association (FFMIA) Government Relations Committees and lobbyists are hard at work with recommendations to the FFCA Board of Directors on positions regarding Senate and House bills being introduced. Recently Interim and former Deputy Fire Chief Ray Carter was officially named as Boynton Beach's Fire Chief. Ray Carter, replaced former Fire Chief William Bingham, who retired in April 2011. Carter formerly served as West Palm Beach's Fire Chief. He retired from that city after 32 years of service in 2004, the same year he joined Boynton Beach Fire-Rescue. Carter is a representative of the Florida Fire Safety Board, a position he was appointed to by former Governor Jeb Bush Continued page 10


The SEAFC Leader

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Continued from page 9 in 2003, and vice president of the Palm Beach County Fraternal Order of Leatherheads Society. Chief Carter is a respected leader in Florida’s fire service and we wish him the best of success with his new assignment. In January Sunrise Fire Rescue Chief Norman Rynning retired after 31 years of service. Chief Rynning started his career with Sunrise Fire Rescue in 1980 as a firefighter/paramedic and moved his way up to fire chief. During his career he served as Driver/Engineer, company officer Lieutenant, Rescue Lieutenant, EMS Training Lieutenant, EMS Training Captain, Division Chief of EMS and Deputy Chief.

During his tenure Chief Rynning was a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, National Society of Executive Fire Officers, Florida Executive Fire Officers Association and the Florida Fire Chiefs Association. He studied Emergency Management Services and Fire Science Technology at Broward Community College, earned his Bachelor’s in Public Administration from Nova Southeastern University, and a Master’s in Public Management from St. Thomas University. Chief Rynning is the only Fire Chief in Sunrise history to have risen through the ranks from Firefighter to Fire Chief. Congratulation Chief Rynning. CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS February 26 National Fallen Firefighter Foundation Hospitality Tent, Daytona 500 Daytona Beach March 21-2 ESLI Module II – Personal Qualities, Leadership and the Organization Daytona Beach May 2-3 ESLI Module III – Government Relations and Public Policy Daytona Beach May 14-18 National EVT Training Academy Daytona Beach July 19-21 ESLI Module IV – Emergency Management Champions Gate, Orlando For additional details and a complete calendar of FFCA events please visit the Florida Fire Chiefs’ Association web site at www.ffca.org.


North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs Chief Ron Fowler, Monroe Fire Department SEAFC North Carolina Director

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Concord, North Carolina was the setting for the North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs MidWinter Conference, held on February 1–5, 2012. Chief Randy Holloway and the entire staff of the Concord Department of Fire and Life Safety were exceptional hosts and exceeded our expectations in every way. The conference was well attended and included a variety of educational sessions, vendor displays and valuable networking opportunities for attendees. Pre-conference workshops included North Carolina’s Chief 101 Program, a Chaplains 101 Course and a Fire Inspector Continuing Education Course, each of which provided valuable information to those in attendance. Dr. Denis Onieal, Superintendent of the National Fire Academy, gave an inspiring keynote address titled “The Future of the Fire Service: The Next Forty Years”. Dr. Onieal challenged all to think and plan for the future of their departments, their members and the fire service in general. Other contemporary topics such as Social Media, North Carolina’s Intrastate Mutual Aid Plan, Cause and Impacts of Line of Duty Deaths, Going Beyond the Status Quo, Wills for Heroes and other subjects were presented throughout the conference by qualified and well known presenters. Conference attendees also had the opportunity to attend the Fire Chief of the Year Banquet on Saturday evening. Attendees enjoyed a delicious meal and wonderful fellowship while honoring North Carolina’s Volunteer and Career Fire Chiefs of the Year. This year’s awards went to Volunteer Chief Freddie Johnson with Stony Point Volunteer Fire Department and Career Chief Sidney Perry of the Zebulon Fire Department. Congratulations to these two leaders whose dedication to their departments and communities is obvious. (Left is Zebulon Fire Chief Sidney Perry, center is NC Association of Fire Chiefs Executive Director Kenneth Mullen and right is Stony Point Fire Chief Freddy Johnson). Following the awards, banquet attendees heard an inspiring message from Deputy Chief Jay Jonas with the New York City Fire Department. Then a Captain on Ladder 6, Chief Jonas and his company were among the first responding units to the World Trade Center following the attacks on September 11, 2001. He and his company, along with the woman they were rescuing were in a stairwell of the north tower when it suddenly collapsed around them. Chief Jonas shared with us the harrowing story of their miraculous survival on that fateful day. Thank you to everyone who made this year’s Mid-Winter Conference a huge success. The conference will return to Concord next February for hopefully another worthwhile educational and networking opportunity for North Carolina’s Fire Chiefs. The Fifty-Third Annual North Carolina Fire Prevention School will be held April 16–20, 2012 at the National Guard Training Center at Fort Fisher in Kure Beach, NC. The Fire Prevention School will be sponsored by the NC Association of Fire Chiefs, NC Fire Marshals’ Association, and Cape Fear Community College; its philosophy is to offer competency-based instruction, whereby the student is exposed to a broad base of material going beyond the requirements of the fire code. Based on this approach, students should not be subjected to a duplication of inspector certification classes but will receive more in-depth study on related topics. See the North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs’ website for additional details.


North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs Chief Ron Fowler, Monroe Fire Department SEAFC North Carolina Director

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Continued from page 11 Also, please mark your calendars for August 8–11, 2012 and join us in Raleigh, NC for the 125th Annual Conference of the North Carolina State Fireman’s Association and joint Annual Conference of the North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs. The theme for this year’s conference and South Atlantic Fire and Rescue Expo is “Make a Difference” so please plan to join us and we can all “Make a Difference” in our service. Thank you and stay safe

By Jack McElfish In the February issue of FIRE CHIEF, Editorial Director Janet Wilmoth had an editorial titled, “It’s All in the Pitch.” In it, she wrote about North Carolina fire chief who sold his city on residential sprinklers and how fire chiefs need to sell projects and promote ideas. Well, we in the fire service know how valuable and important residential sprinklers are, so why on almost a daily basis do I see city after city, county after county, and state after state striking down or voting to repeal existing residential sprinkler codes that we have fought for and won? Going back to the editorial, Janet wrote about her brother-in-law, who she described as a highly effective salesman, and the advice he gave on marketing a product or service. “If you listen carefully, you’ll find the key to what people really want or need,” he said. In other words, “Fill their need.” I know I will upset some purists in the fire service and fire-safety field by saying that we should be compromising on residential fire sprinklers. I have talked to people at NFPA, ICC and others who are opposed to what I am about to recommend, but I feel it is better to compromise and get some protection than to fight, lose and get no built-in fire protection. I am recommending that in single-family homes, residential sprinklers be installed in the kitchen areas and in the areas where heating equipment is located. OK, there it is. Now, let me make my case. According to the NFPA, there were 1,343,500 fires reported in the United States in 2009. Fire caused 3,010 deaths, 17,050 civilian injuries and $12.5 billion in property damage. The overwhelming majority (92%) of all civilian structure fire deaths resulted from home structure fires. Cooking is the leading cause of home structure fires and home fire injuries. Kitchens are the leading area of origin for home structure fires (41%) and civilian home fire injuries (36%) In 2008, heating equipment was involved in an estimated 66,100 reported U.S. home structure fires, with 480 civilian deaths, 1,660 civilian injuries and $1.1 billion in direct property damage. Heating equipment fires accounted for 17% of all reported home fires. The total percent of kitchen fires and heating equipment fires equals 58%. Continued on page 13


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The reality is that if you were to go before a well-informed group of policy-makers — whether it be at the local, county or state level — and calmly show them that for less than $500 per home, homebuilders could provide residential sprinklers that would control 58% of the fires likely to happen in a home. The homebuilders group and others would have a hard time denying the requirement of sprinklers in the kitchen and in the area of heating equipment. Yes, it is a compromise, but it is better than nothing — which is what is happening now. Is this the total package to solve all issues? No, but it’s a start at least. Plus, builders may say, “If I have to do this, I might as well go ahead and put sprinklers in the whole house.” Has this worked in other jurisdictions? Yes, this is exactly what happened in the city of Sandy Springs, Ga., in 2006, when I was putting the fire department together from scratch. Our city council did not want too much government interference, but they did approve the compromise I suggested above. We did get sprinklers in any commercial/industrial building in excess of 5,000 square feet and in any multifamily building, and we got a ban on open burning. Yes, I wanted 100% residential sprinklers on all new singlefamily homes, but as I learned early on in my career, sometimes you have to compromise and take what you can get. At least I got some level of sprinkler protection which is better than what I see in many other municipalities. Maybe it is time for the fire service both to be better salespeople and to at least consider a compromise on residential fire sprinklers. As in sales, it is better to get a little commission than no commission.

Jack McElfish currently serves as the fire chief in Sandy Springs, Ga. He has more than 40 years of fireservice experience, and has been a fire chief since 1981. He is a graduate of the University of New Haven in Connecticut with dual master’s degrees and received his CFO designation in 2000. He has been active on numerous NFPA, ISFSI and IAFC committees since 1973.


AGENDA SEAFC 84th Annual Leadership Conference SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCE All information subject to change “WITH

CHALLENGE COMES OPPURTUNITY”

TUESDAY, JUNE 12 8:00 am – 5:00 pm

Board of Directors Meeting

8:00 am – 10:00 pm

Day Trip Tour City of Hampton Busch Gardens and or Water County {Added Cost}

2:00 am – 5:00 pm

Exhibitor Move-In & Set-up {Exhibitors that are playing golf}

5:00 pm - until

ON YOUR OWN TO ENJOY HAMPTON

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13 8:00 am – 4:00 pm 11:00 am – 5:00 pm

Golf Tournament Registration Open in Exhibit Hall

8:00 am – 5:00 pm

Exhibitor Move-In & Set-up

3:30 pm – 5:00 pm

New Member Orientation Session

6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Arrival Party / Meet-N-Greet

8:00 pm – Until

ON YOUR OWN TO ENJOY HAMPTON

THURSDAY, JUNE 14 7:30 am - 3:30 pm

Registration Open in Exhibit Hall

8:00 am – 9:00 am

Education Class {# 1} “Are We Really Operating Safe Apparatus? {Tom Shand}

8:00 am – 9:00 am

Education Class {# 2} “Managing Effective Radio Communications for Fire Ground Operations” {David J. Bullard}

11:30 am - 3:30 pm

Exhibit Hall Open


THURSDAY, JUNE 14 Continued 9:00 am - 10:30 am

Welcome To Conference / Call to Order President Doug Cline Posting of the State Flags Posting of the Colors Pledge of Allegiance National Anthem Invocation Welcome Welcome Chief , Host Fire Department Introduction of Honor Guest Mayor Introduction of IAFC Representatives - President Doug Cline Sponsor recognition Thank you to the 2012 Conference Committee - President Doug Cline

MEMORIAL SERVICE Chaplain - Hampton Fire Department Presentation of Helmet – Hampton Fire Department Honor Guard Reading of Names – Chaplain Hampton Fire Department Tolling of Bell - Hampton Fire Department Honor Guard Taps - Hampton Fire Department Fire Fighters' Prayer – Chaplain Hampton Fire Department Bag Pipes - Pipes & Drums Benediction - Chaplain Hampton Fire Department 10:45 am – 11:45 am

Business Session Business Meeting call to order by President Doug Cline Report of Executive Director Constitution and By-Laws Committee Report Election Committee Report

◄State Directors Announced ◄Second Vice President Nominations Audit Committee Report Resolutions Committee Report Conference Committee Report Old Business New Business Good and Welfare of the Association Report of Attendance by Executive Director Adjournment

11:00 am – 4:00 pm Exhibit Hall Open


THURSDAY, JUNE 14 {Continued} 11:45 am – 1:30 pm 1:30 pm - 2:50 pm

Lunch with Vendors in Exhibit Hall Education Class {#3} “Cultural Drift – The True Cost of Non-Compliance” {Jeff Griffin}

3:00 pm – 4:00 pm Education Class {# 4} “ICC and You” {Mel Cosgrove} Education Class {# 5} “Fighting Fires with Data” {Joe Fackel} Education Class {# 6} “Billing for Fire Service: Don’t Leave Money on the Table” {Diane L. Vick} 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm

Education Class {# 7} “Training and Development and Succession Planning” {Chief Jeffrey R. Roemer}

6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

VIP Reception with the Vendors in Exhibit Center

8:00 pm—Till

ON YOUR OWN TO ENJOY HAMPTON

FRIDAY, JUNE 15 7:30 am – 5:00 pm

Registration Open in the Exhibit Hall Lobby

7:00 am – 9:00 am

Polls Open

8:00 am – 10:00 am Education Program {# 8} "Dealing with Bad News: DC Fire, It’s Not Just A Job". {Chief Dennis Rubin} 10:00 am – 10:30 am

Break

10:30 am – 12:00 am Education Class {# 9} “Adaptive Fire ground Management” Predictive Strategies & Tactical Patience {Chief Christopher Naum} 10:30 am – 11:00 am Business Session II {If Needed} Meeting Called to Order by President Cline {Election Results} 11:00 am – 4:00 pm

Exhibit Hall Open


FRIDAY, JUNE 15 {Continued} 11:00 am – Noon

Education Program {# 10} “Current Risk Management Issues Facing Fire Chiefs Today” {Chief William Jenaway}

Noon – 1:30 pm

Lunch with Vendors in Exhibit Hall

1:30 pm – 3:30 pm

Education Program {# 11} “Personnel Management for Fire Service Leaders, Part 1” {Chief Jeffrey R. Roemer}

6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Installation Dinner w/Key Note address {Chief Dennis Rubin}

SATURDAY, JUNE 16 8:00 am – 10:00 am

Education Class {# 12} “SURVING THE CRASH – Fire Apparatus Maintenance & the Law” {Stephen Wilde –President EVT Certification Commission} {Jim Juneau – Trial Lawyer, NFPA Apparatus Technical Committee}

10:30 am – 12:00 am

Education Class {# 13} “Personnel Management for Fire Service Leaders, Part 2” {Chief Jeffrey R. Roemer}

10:30 am – 11:00 am

Board Meeting

12:00 am – 1:30 pm

Lunch

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm

Education Class {# 14}

"Fit For Duty: How to Implement a Job Specific Fitness Program in your Fire Department" {Doctor Gonzalo Fernandez} {Doctor Lance Walker} 2:45 pm – 3:45 pm

Education Class {# 15} “VCOS – Volunteer and Combination Departments” {Chief Ron Cheves}

4:30 pm

Dinner Cruise


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Kentucky Fire Chiefs

Chief Wallace Possich, Frankfort Fire Department

The Kentucky Association of Fire Chiefs held its first annual conference in Bowling Green February 10 – 12, 2012. What a huge success! Our Executive Director, Danny Castle, the ducation Committee, and the Bowling Green Fire Department deserve a huge thank you and congratulations for putting it all together. We had two full days of interesting educational sessions presented by Tim Sendelbach and Howard Cross. If you have never attended one of either of their sessions, you have missed out! They each presented a thought provoking and interesting approach to leadership and thinking outside the box. More than 70 chiefs and chief officers attended the conference and we even had some officers from Tennessee. This was the KAFC’s first attempt to host an annual conference dedicated to education for chiefs and our first attempt at having vendors and sponsors. We had 18 vendors showing their wares and demonstrating their products and they were all very pleased with the show and the contacts they made. The SEAFC Executive Director also attended and even signed up some new members to the Southeast Division. We have already begun planning for next year’s KAFC Conference to be held in Bowling Green (the hotel and conference center were great!) January 26 & 27, 2013. It will be another great opportunity for networking, meeting fellow chiefs you may not know, and excellent education. Speaking of conferences, please consider attending the SEAFC annual conference in Hampton, Virginia in June. Go the SEAFC.ORG to get all the details, conference agenda, and registration information. The conference promises to be fantastic and the location offers many venues for you and family to enjoy. Legislatively, the long session of the Kentucky General Assembly is moving slowly on many bills with several relative to the Commonwealth’s fire service. However there are two bills that are moving that are the most significant. HB 326 is a Firefighter Cancer Presumption Bill that is being strongly opposed by the KLC. Also HB 214 is a bill to include a firefighter’s scheduled overtime in computation of average weekly wages for worker’s compensation benefits. It also is being strongly opposed by KLC and KAPA. You can read the details of the bills at lrc.ky.gov. Stay tuned on both. Enough for now – I really hope to see many Kentucky Chiefs in Hampton in June 2012.


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Kentucky Fire Chiefs

Chief Wallace Possich, Frankfort Fire Department The Constitution and By-Laws Committee proposed some needed changes in the Constitution and By-Laws at the Board of Directors meeting in January. Of the 10 or so amendments, most are simply minor clean-up of wording. The more significant changes include: ADD – Past Presidents shall be eligible for Life Membership only upon retirement from the fire service.  ADD – Committee members may be re-appointed to additional terms. Combine the Finance Committee with the Audit Committee. 

The proposed amendments were unanimously approved by the Board and per IAFC policy have been submitted to the IAFC Constitution and By-Laws Committee for approval. Once they approve the amendments all SEAFC members will be advised of the changes prior to the June conference in Hampton. During the business meeting the proposed amendments will be read and voted on by the membership for adoption.


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Southeastern Association of Fire Chiefs Chief Eddie Phillips Tennessee State Director

The Tennessee Fire Service welcomes our new Codes Enforcement Program Director Stephen Snow to the Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy. Stephen has a degree in Architectural Engineering Technology and has previous experience as a construction project manager in healthcare and other facilities. He has also served as a Tennessee municipal commercial and residential plans examiner. We are excited about Stephen joining the academy staff and the leadership he will bring to the codes enforcement training program statewide. The Tennessee Fire Chiefs Association (TFCA) winter quarterly meeting was held in Jackson, Tennessee February 15-17th. There were several important committee meetings held including the conference and training committee, mutual aid committee, legislative committee, safety committee, and volunteer committee. Training conducted during the quarterly meeting included response to the April 2011 tornados, state air quality open burning regulations, responding to utility emergencies, and a special presentation by the ISO to the volunteer committee. Updates to the Tennessee Fire Chief’s strategic plan were also worked on. I’m proud to report that membership in the TFCA is at an all time high. The Tennessee Federation of Fire Chaplains is in the process of building Rehab Support trailers and deploying them in strategic locations statewide. Each unit will provide a mobile restroom facility with plenty of space to “doff and don” protective equipment. The restrooms facilities will also be in a climate-controlled environment. Each unit will also have an on-board generator, portable water tank, toilet, water heater, hand washing sink, emergency eyewash station, waste water tank, heat and air, and room for storage. These rehab trailers will be strategically deployed in fire and rescue departments statewide and be available for response to disaster scenes, multi-alarm events, and extended duration events and large public events. Eleven trailers have been deployed so far and are available through the Tennessee Fire Chiefs Statewide Mutual Aid System and the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency One of the critical issues facing the Tennessee fire service and one that the Tennessee Fire Service Coalition is gearing up to fight is an effort by the home builders association to take away the local government’s authority to pass their own sprinkler ordinances if they so desire. A bill has been introduced in the legislature to try and delete the law passed several years ago with fire service support to allow communities to pass their own sprinkler ordinances rather than making a mandatory statewide law. The Tennessee fire service sees this new bill as an attack on local jurisdiction’s rights to pass local ordinances and if they are successful with sprinkler legislation what’s next? The Tennessee Fire Service Coalition is committed to defeating this new attack on sprinkler legislation! All Tennessee Fire Chiefs need to mark their calendars to attend the very important “Fire Service Day on the Hill” March 6th at the state capital in Nashville. This critical event brings fire service members statewide to the capital to have lunch with legislators and meet on critical fire service issues. This event has proven to be very successful in past years and last year the Governor attended for the first time in history. This shows the growing strength and relationship building of the Tennessee Fire Service Coalition. Together we are making a difference in the lives and safety of both citizens and fire service members statewide. Please get involved!


Mark your calendar for the 2012 SEAFC Annual Conference June 13 – 17, 2012

Hosted by Hampton Fire and Rescue at the Hampton Roads Convention Center and Embassy Suites.


SOUTHEASTERN ASSOCIATION OF FIRE CHIEFS Below are links to our website for conference information. Registration forms are available for attendees and exhibitors. We hope to see you in Virginia.

2012 Conference Hampton, Virginia Links: SEAFC 2012 Conference Registration Hampton, VA.doc Sponsorship Opportunities SEAFC 2012.doc

1101 Marley Street Conway, SC 29527

843-397-9146 executivedirector@seafc.org

Vendors Contract Application 2012.doc Exhibit Layout 1-26-12.pdf 2012 SEAFC Conference Price Sheet up-date 11-21.doc

www.seafc.org 

Board positions that will be open for the 2012 year are: >State Directors for Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and North Carolina >Officer position Second Vice President

The SEAFC Board has been notified that Chief Deron Wilson of the John’s Creek Fire Department, John’s Creek, GA is being endorsed by the Georgia State Fire Chiefs Association for the office of Second Vice President for 2012. Chief Wilson announced his candidacy at the 2011 SEAFC Conference in Montgomery, AL.


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1-Mississippi Association of Public Fire Safety Educators

MAPFSE FALL NEWSLETTER 2012 CONFERENCE INFORMATION

From The President: We are gearing up for our 2012 Conference at Hollywood Casino in Bay St. Louis. I know everyone is making plans to attend. I look forward to seeing each of you there. We have some great speakers lined up and know that everyone will walk away with some new information to implement in your community. I encourage everyone to apply for the pre-conference class. This is a free 2-day National Fire Academy course. It is the first in a series of three that will be offered in the future. Apply early; seats are limited. You will notice that our dates have changed from our usual weekend conference. We hope that this will

make participation easier for you and help increase attendance. Please help us spread the word about the pre-conference course and conference by inviting your neighboring departments. I encourage everyone to register and make your room reservations early. You will find everything you need in this newsletter. With everyone’s tight budgets, many will want to apply for the Carter Hill Scholarship. The Scholarship pays for one member to attend the conference at little to no cost to you or your department. You will find the application later in this newsletter.

I also encourage you to nominate a deserving person for the Gary Kistler Educator of the Year Award. It is not often that we are recognized for our hard work in education. Help us recognize someone for their

efforts. The recipient will also be nominated for the 2013 NFPA Educator of the Year Award. Look for the nominator form later in this newsletter. I look forward to seeing everyone at this great conference in Bay St. Louis. Tammy Peavy MAPFSE President


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A word from the Secretary: I hope everyone is doing great! Please send your Pre Conference class registration form and the Gary Kistler Fire & Life Safety Educator Award application (deadline March 30) to me at 106 W Jefferson St. Tupelo, MS 38804 or via email at cathy.gault@tupeloms.gov. Also in this newsletter you will find the Carter Hill Scholarship Application (deadline March 7). The Carter Hill Application goes to either Tammy Peavy (tammy.peavy@gmail.com or cathy.gault@tupeloms.gov. The 2013 MAPFSE Conference Bid is also in the newsletter, so if you would like to host the conference next year please fill one out and turn it in at the conference. The agenda included is tentative. Some speakers and times may be subject to change. There is also the MAPFSE membership application and dates to remember. I hope everyone will do their best to be at the conference in April. Please try to bring some silent auction items with you as well. Spread the word and let people know about the conference. Please don’t hesitate to let me or anyone on the Executive Committee know if you need anything. Sincerely, Cathy Gault MAPFSE Secretary 2-MISSISSIPPI RECEIVES SMOKE DETECTOR GRANT The Mississippi State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) has received three federal grants to provide free smoke alarms to residents throughout the state who own their home as well as smoke alarm alert devices for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. These alarms and alert devices are installed by fire departments, churches, and community organizations within their community. To date, we have documented 18 lives saved in 5 fires. The SFMO provides training and all materials to the installers. We would like to thank participating installers for their hard work and encourage those not participating to get involved. If you have questions about the program or would like to participate, contact your county fire coordinator or Tammy Peavy. Tammy L. Peavy Fire Safety Education Officer Mississippi Fire Marshal's Office 660 North Street, Suite 100B Jackson, MS 39202 Office: 601-359-1061 Follow us on Twitter twitter.com/msfiresafe


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Mississippi State Fire Academy News Construction continues on the new classrooms. Our expected date of completion is March 1, 2012. The addition of the 4 new classrooms will enable the MSFA to expand offering of courses to our students and will include establishing a reference/media center in one of the existing classrooms. Safe City The Mississippi Fire Academy and the Mississippi Public Service Commission’s Pipeline Safety Office are planning a joint training facility on the campus of the fire academy located in Pearl, Ms. This facility will provide a long needed training facility for natural gas operators across our state and augment the Fire Academy’s training in the area of code enforcement training and emergency response to natural gas incidents. The Fire Academy’s existing training assets coupled with the addition of scenario based leak investigations; pipe locator training, cathodic protection training and many other natural gas operator specific tasks will enhance the safety and reliability of our natural gas systems. When completed the training area will look like a typical neighborhood cul-de-sac with multiple structures. Each structure will be fitted with commonly found natural gas appliances, some properly placed and others not properly placed. The neighborhood will also have all the common underground natural gas lines that can be found in a given neighborhood and again some properly placed and some not. We also plan to place one of our already acquired structures in the area to be used possibly as a portable classroom and a lab for our inspector classes, This effort has broad support in the natural gas community with gas distribution operators and gas industry vendors providing funding and training support and will serve both the natural gas industry and the fire service for many years. Structural Collapse Training Area The Mississippi Fire Academy Is in the beginning stages of building a structural collapse training area. This training area will be built in an effort to facilitate structural collapse training for emergency response agency from across the state and nation. The area will be built utilizing cargo trailers and when finished, we plan on having a training prop that has two 40 foot towers, several areas that can be used for shoring operations and an area for breaking and breaching operations consisting of metal, concrete and lumber. The inner circle will consist of several pipes that will offer a variety of training challenges for the structural collapse and many other rescue training disciplines.


TargetSolutions ‘Thrilled’ to Partner with SEAFC The Southeastern Association of Fire Chiefs has teamed up with TargetSolutions to provide its members with access to the industry’s leading online training and records management system. The SEAFC will soon make TargetSolutions available to its members, providing them with user-level access to training resources from departments across the country. The SEAFC will have the ability to create and deliver training activities and other communications through the system, as well as store resources in a passwordprotected online location. “We are extremely excited about this partnership,” said Jeff Oathout, who is TargetSolutions’ regional manager for the southeast. “We appreciate the confidence the SEAFC has shown in us and we are excited to be able to show its members our platform’s capabilities.” TargetSolutions was founded in 1999 and has grown into the industry’s leader in webbased training services for the fire service. The company strives to deliver easy-to-use technology that can help departments improve productivity and save money. With TargetSolutions, departments are able to schedule training and monitor compliance 24 hours a day, seven days week. “We are happy about the opportunity to work with the SEAFC,” said Jennifer Antinone, who will serve as the SEAFC’s account manager. “We want to make this experience beneficial to everyone. We feel our platform makes life easier for users and l look forward to helping SEAFC’s members as they learn what the platform can provide.” For more information on the SEAFC’s partnership with TargetSolutions, please contact SEAFC’s Executive Director Pat Cimini at executivedirector@seafc.org An announcement with login instructions will be coming soon. . If you have any questions about TargetSolutions, please contact Jeff Oathout at jao@targetsolutions.com.


The SEAFC Leader Continued from page 2`

Page 27 Remember to Keep it Fresh

President Douglas Cline

We have to be focused on nurturing our relationship with the fire service. With that said we need to have true diverse communications that are open and engage active listening. When I focus on active listening, I challenge you to hear what has happened in other organizations and responses. Embrace vicarious learning as we cannot create training for every scenario possible. There just isn’t enough time. But we can learn about situations, conditions, events and types of responses from others who have experienced them, plus benefit from their lessons learned. By doing this we spend the required time to live and learn. With all of this being said there has to be a degree of pleasure that comes with anything. Remember that we need to keep it fun. However, fun is dictated by attitudes. So before you tell me that all the fun is gone check your attitude and the people that are influencing you. Maybe the reason it isn’t fun is who you are surrounded by which most often is a choice. I challenge you to look at the big picture. For officers you have to keep the romance and passion for the fire service going for your crews. Don’t fall victim yourself. Here are a few tips on how to keep the fire service passion going: 

Pay Attention- It is important to be following closely what your personnel are doing. You should spend quality time engaged with these individuals to truly understand them as individuals. You should focus on their needs more than your own. • Give Affirmation- To the fire service and the people who affect and work with you. Positive affirmations and positive thinking techniques can help develop a powerful and positive attitude to life; which is an essential element in life success and good health. With this power you can turn failure around into success and take success and drive it to a whole new level. Your positive attitude is the fuel for your success. • Show Affection- Speak well of the organization and the people in it. Negative comments drag everyone down. The negativity you show in these conversations depicts your level of thinking. • Create Adventure- We need to create in our realms an exciting or very unusual experience and the ability to participate in exciting undertakings. This needs to be on going and challenging. As you strive to keep it fresh remember …you are a part of this great profession we call the fire service. What are you going to do to make a difference?


Fire Rescue Conference Hampton Virginia EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND PRESENTERS "Dealing with Bad News: DC Fire; it’s Not Just a Job" Chief Dennis Rubin A presentation that deals with "bad" news and "bad" situations, during his watch at DC, he had several very difficult situations to resolve that included active members being involved with first degree murder, rape and prostitution to name a few issues that confronted his administration. Chief Rubin developed a personnel issues case study presentation that discussed these difficult problems and the 12 factors that were used to lead the organization to the correct path. Most attendees are speechless when he presents this program, in fact, a student in Baltimore said that no one was texting or getting up for any reason, so as not to miss this information. PRESENTERS BIO

Chief Rubin’s experience in fire and rescue service spans more than 35 years. He has served as a company grade officer, command level officer, and Fire Chief in several major cities including Norfolk, Virginia, Atlanta, Georgia and Washington, DC. In 1994, Chief Rubin served as the President of the State Fire Chiefs Association of Virginia. He was the host Fire Chief for the 1999 Southeastern Fire Chiefs Association conference held in Dothan, Alabama. He has served on several committees with the International Association of Fire Chiefs, including a two-year term as the Health and Safety Committee Chair. Chief Rubin was the host Fire Chief for the “Wingspread IV and V conferences held in 1996 and 2006.


Chief Rubin’s educational accomplishments include a Bachelor of Science Degree in Fire Administration from the University of Maryland and Associates in Applied Science Degree in Fire Science Management from the Northern Virginia Community College. Chief Rubin is a 1993 graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officers Program {EFOP}. Rubin is a Certified Emergency Manager {CEM}; and a certified Incident Safety Officer as well has obtained the Chief Fire Officer Designation (CFOD) and Chief Medical Officer Designation {CMO} presented by the Center for Public Safety Excellance. Chief Rubin’s teaching credentials are significant. They include a field instructorship with the University of Maryland Fire & Rescue Institute and Associate Instructorships 89with the Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia and Rio Salado Community College in Mesa, Arizona. Rubin has been an adjunct faculty member of the National Fire Academy since 1983. Chief Rubin instructed at the National Fire Academy and developed many of the courses.

“Adaptive Fire ground Management: Predictive Strategies & Tactical Patience” Chief Christopher Naum This program will present insights into emerging concepts and methodologies related to today’s evolving fire ground requiring new strategic, tactical and operational modeling due to extreme fire behavior, building construction and occupancy risks. Prevailing Fire Service Research and testing insights will also be provided. PRESENTERS BIO

Chief Naum is a 36 year Fire Service Veteran who is Nationally Recognized & is a Highly Acclaimed Author, Instructor, and a Fire Officer. He is a leading authority on building construction & Firefighter safety, and a National Fire Academy Instructor. Chief Naum is a Firefighter Safety Advocate, Architect, Fire Protection Engineer, Consultant, and Instructor. Chief Naum is a Contributing Editor to Firehouse Magazine & Firehouse.com, National Radio Show Host, and a SME Consultant to NIOSH Firefighter LODD Program

“Personnel Management for Fire Service Leaders” Chief Jeffrey R. Roemer The topics covered will be Department Human Research policies and procedures, Tight budgets, Compensation and Benefits, Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining, Recruitment and Selection, FLSA, Performance Management, Training and Development, Succession planning, Discipline, Safety and Health and Personnel Management Tool Box.


PRESENTERS BIO Chief Roemer has more than 30 years of public safety service and consulting with municipal governments. He has supervised and managed nearly all facets of Public Safety, including law enforcement, firefighting, emergency medical service, dispatching and emergency management. His broad knowledge base allows a unique perspective and understanding of the varied requirements found in the municipal public safety environment. He has served as project manager for numerous Public Safety related organizational, communication, dispatch center, information system, consolidation, operational and emergency management projects. Jeff was recognized as the 2001 Manager of the Year by the Wisconsin Society of Certified Public Managers. He is a graduate of the Wisconsin Certified Public Manager Program, the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program, and Northwestern University, School of Police, Staff and Command.

“Are We Really Operating Safe Apparatus�? Tom Shand Across the country each day we can read about apparatus involved in serious accidents, some of which unfortunately result in injuries to our personnel. While the NFPA 1901 Standard provides some excellent guidance in designing a safe piece of apparatus we continue to experience injuries when working on and operating our equipment. The program will provide some practical examples of how we all can enhance safety while performing and delivering our services to the community. PRESENTERS BIO

Tom Shand is a forty two year veteran of the fire service having started his career with the College Park, Maryland Fire Department in 1970 while attending the University of Maryland. Over the years he has served with departments in Pennsylvania and New York and is a nationally certified Level II Fire Service Instructor. His work career included time with the Public Protection Department of the Insurance Services Office and twenty five years in the fire apparatus industry working in various sales and engineering capacities. He is a partner at Emergency Vehicle Response conducting fire protection surveys and apparatus engineering work. He is a contributing editor to both Firehouse Magazine and Fire Apparatus Journal and has previously written books covering the history of several fire apparatus manufacturers and the Syracuse, New York Fire Department.


“Fighting Fires with Data” Joe Fackel Knowing that 85% of fires are preventable, many fire departments focus their efforts on aggressive safety education and targeted prevention efforts. Using data and analytics, fire departments can identify the sections of the city and, for the first time, the specific households that have a higher probability of fire. This allows a fire department to distribute smoke detectors where they are needed most, and personally talk to families who are at elevated risk. This presentation will include case studies on the Philadelphia Fire Department and the Orange County Fire Authority and their overall integrated risk management strategies.

PRESENTERS BIO

Joe Fackel advises municipalities throughout the United States with economic development and planning initiatives through community analytics. Joe has been a trusted advisor to dozens of public and private sector entities across the United States on issues related to economic development and retail recruitment strategy. He has been a featured presenter at numerous conferences throughout the industry, including the National League of Cities (NLC), the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), Texas Municipal League (TML), the Northeast Economic Development Association (NEDA) and the International Downtown Association (IDA). In 2008, he was recognized as one of the “Forty under Forty” achievers by the Fort Worth Business Press. Joe has a B.A. from the University of Missouri and is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC).

“Billing for Fire Services: Don't Leave Money on the Table” Diane L. Vick Many fire/rescue agencies either do not know that they can bill for responses or they think that they cannot do so for legal reasons. The truth is that these agencies can {and should} be billing auto and property insurance companies to help recoup the cost of responding to incidents including structure fires, automobile collisions, inspections and alarms, and HAZMAT response. In this session Ms. Vick, who has over 20 years of EMS/Fire/Rescue Billing Experience, will explain the "ins and outs" of fire billing, beginning with the types of incidents that can be billed for. Attendees will learn who specifically can be billed for these incidents as well as the legal basis for being able to Ms. Vick will address the issues of "double-taxation" as well as resident vs. non-resident billing and the legal implications of various billing program structures. Public education and the importance of community buy-in will also be discussed. Ms. Vick will primarily lecture with a Power Point, while incorporating first-hand experience and anecdotal evidence.


PRESENTERS BIO

Diane Vick founded Fidelis Billing in 1996 and has over 20 of experience years in the EMS/Fire/ Rescue billing industry. Today she continues to be responsible for corporate management and planning, maintenance of client relationships and general organizational leadership. Ms. Vick has also served as a lead project consultant for the International Association of Fire Chiefs, numerous municipalities and a number of large private sector organizations. Her specialties include issues of compliance, government regulation, and best practices in billing and collection. Ms. Vick holds an MBA from Clarion College and a Bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University.

“Cultural drift - the true cost of non-compliance" Jeff Griffin Does your firefighters practice in the field match your department’s policy? This class will discuss why our people violate policies, what the cost of violation is, and how to get the practice in the field to match our policy. Policy violation can lead to injuries, liability issues, and property loss. PRESENTERS BIO

Jeff Griffin is a graduate of the University of Oregon with a double degree in psychology and biology. He has provided risk management services to Fire Districts and Public Entities for 32 years. He is currently the Safety Advisor for the Oregon Fire District Directors Association and has developed a nationally recognized safety program. He is the CEO of Wilson-Heirgood Associates, an independent insurance agency. Jeff serves as the Division Secretary for the Western Fire Chiefs’ Association, Executive Director of the Oregon Fire Chiefs’ Association and is a well-respected instructor and presenter throughout the public entity industry. ____________________________________________________________________________________________

“Managing Effective Radio Communications for Fire ground Operations” Engineer David J Bullard Using a historical perspective at LODD events where a direct failure of the communications process failed, good principles and practices for effective communications are presented. As dynamic of an environment as the fire ground is, communications breakdowns can be easily categorized. Once this is done, solutions can be sought and practiced.


PRESENTERS BIO

David Bullard is a 15 year member of the fire service and currently serves as an Engineer/Shift Leader with Martinez-Columbia Fire Rescue {GA} and a volunteer Firefighter with Grovetown {GA} DPS. David serves on the Board of Directors for the Georgia State Firefighter's Association and is Secretary of IFSTA's Pumping Apparatus Driver Operator 3rd Edition Curriculum Committee, and Chairs the SEAFC Communications Committee. As an active instructor for the Georgia Fire Academy and in private industry, David is constantly engaged with teaching live fire, leadership, HAZMAT, and Firefighter Survival/RIT classes.

“Current Risk Management Issues Facing Fire Chiefs Today” Chief William Jenaway This session will cover the newest and most problematic area of fire service risk management ten topics ranging from financial management and bonding needs to harassment and discrimination, to improper hiring and termination will be discussed; focusing on the problems these pose to fire departments and the methods needed to manage them. PRESENTERS BIO

Dr. William F. Jenaway, CFO, CFPS has over 40 years of fire service experience, including service as Fire Chief and Fire Marshal in East Bethlehem Township Pennsylvania, and Chief and President of the King of Prussia Pennsylvania, volunteer fire company. Chief Jenaway holds the CFO designation from CFOD and is a Certified Fire Protection Specialist {CFPS} by NFPA. In 2001 he was named “Volunteer Chief of the Year” by Fire Chief Magazine at the annual conference of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. Dr. Jenaway is employed as the Executive Vice President of VFIS, and the CEO of their Education, Training, and Consulting subsidiary. Bill serves as President of the Congressional Fire Service Institute and is an adjunct professor in the Public Safety graduate school at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA.

________________________________________________________________________ “ICC and You” Mel Cosgrove A presentation on how the fire service has helped to shape the code development process and what changes are in the future. The presenter will explain the importance of the MOU between the IAFC and the ICC and how it relates to the SEAFC. PRESENTERS BIO

Mel Cosgrove is a Senior Manager of Government Relations for the ICC. Mel is a life member of the SEAFC and retired from Mobile FD where he served as chairman of the SEAFC Code Development Committee for many years. He is a graduate of the University of South Alabama and the recipient of the SEAFC "H. D. Crossnine Award" for work in code development.


"Fit For Duty: How to Implement a Job Specific Fitness Program in your Fire Department" Doctor Gonzalo Fernandez Doctor Lance Walker Physical fitness is crucial to firefighting. Unfortunately there is confusion as to what fitness is for a firefighter and how it is best obtained. Walking? Running? Cross fit? Weight-lifting? What is the best? Drs. Walker and Fernandez through their experience have identified several keys to firefighter and departmental fitness. This lecture is designed to provide some clarity and direction for Chiefs seeking to start or improve a fitness program. It will address specifics as to why a fitness program is essential, what form of training is best and how to institute and sustain a successful fitness program. PRESENTERS BIO

Lance Walker, D.O. and Gonzalo Fernandez, M.D. are founders and co-owners of SiteMed LLC, a physician owned occupational medicine company specializing in on-site NFPA 1582 compliant firefighter physical examinations. They have over 21 years combined occupational medical experience, and serve as Medical Directors with Georgia Power and Progress Energy. Their practice focus is on the prevention of disease and injury in firefighters through fitness and appropriate medical screening. They have given health and fitness presentations at the South Atlantic Fire Rescue Expo and to the Southeastern Fire Chiefs Association, and are also contributing authors for Carolina Fire Rescue EMS Journal.

“SURVIVING THE CRASH - Fire Apparatus Maintenance & the Law� Stephen Wilde & Jim Juneau This program will present the attendee with information on the NFPA standards requiring fire apparatus repair, service and testing. Including information on how to determine EVT technicians qualifications, out-of service criteria and what you fleet department should be doing. Also, the presentation will include the liability of apparatus service and repair, accidents and legal actions. The intent of this presentation is to familiarize the attendees with not only what is required by the NFPA standards, but what is needed to keep your apparatus safe and ready to use. PRESENTERS BIO

Stephen Wilde serves as president of the EVT Certification Commission, Inc., an organization that tests and certifies emergency response vehicle technicians. He is also president of Certified Fleet Services, Inc. a service center for Fire apparatus and ambulance repairs in the Metro Chicago area. Stephen has worked in the emergency vehicle repair business for more than 36 years.


He is an EVT Master Fire Apparatus Technician and a ASE Master Truck Technician and has passed all EVT ambulance exams. He has developed and presented technician classes for electrical system diagnoses and repair, hydraulic repair, and also aerial inspection and preventive maintenance classes. He has consulted with NIOSH on LODDs that involve vehicle accidents. Stephen serves as committee chairman of NFPA 1071, Standard for Emergency Vehicle Technician Professional Qualifications and as a principle member of the Technical Correlating Committee for NFPA Professional Qualifications. He is a principle committee member of NFPA 1901, Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus and NFPA 1911, Standard for the Inspection, Maintenance, Testing, and Retirement of In-Service Automotive Fire Apparatus. Stephen is also a principle committee member of the new NFPA 1917, Standard for Automotive Ambulances. Stephen has served on the board of the Emergency Vehicle Management Section of the International Association of Fire Chiefs for 15 years and is the current chairmen of the section.

Jim Juneau is a Dallas Texas board certified trial lawyer who specializes in cases involving product liability, catastrophic injury and wrongful death. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Forensic Sciences and a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the University of Alabama. Over his 26 year legal career, he has developed a special expertise in fire apparatus and firefighting equipment, and has handled many serious injury and death cases in those fields. He currently serves as a voting member of the NFPA Fire Apparatus Technical Committee which writes and recognized national design and safety standards for U.S. Fire Apparatus. He also serves a voting member of the new NFPA Technical Committee on Ambulances, which is in the process of writing the first-ever national design and safety standard for U.S. ground ambulances. Mr. Juneau also serves as designated legal counsel to the Fire Apparatus Manufacturers Association and to the Fire and Emergency Manufacturers Services Association. He has written many articles on fire apparatus safety and design which have been published in Fire Chief and Fire Engineering magazines. He is a frequent speaker to professional service organizations regarding fire apparatus design, apparatus safety, liability, leadership and related topics, and he presents his “Arrive Alive” training programs to firefighters and fire service professionals across the United States and Canada. ____________________________________________________________________________________

“Leading the Transition in Volunteer and Combination Fire Departments” Chief {retired} Ron J. Cheves; Idlewild VFD, Charlotte NC The class is called “Leading the Transition in Volunteer and Combination Fire Departments.” To meet the needs of an evolving fire service, the VCOS decided to bring its previously published Red Ribbon Report to life in the form of a traveling educational seminar, following the Beyond Hoses and Helmets model. Many areas of the country that traditionally have relied on citizen volunteers to provide fire protection and emergency medical services are finding fewer people available or willing to carry on the honorable tradition.


The demand for service grows and the number of volunteers decline. How are the community’s needs to be met? Finding the answer to that question is one of the most daunting challenges facing local fire service leaders. If not volunteers, then by whom? This answer could be an organization that is staffed by some combination of volunteer and paid staff. This discussion presented by the Volunteer and Combination Officers Section of the International Association of Fire Chief’s. PRESENTERS BIO

Ron J. Cheves began his fire service career nearly 40 years ago when he joined the Pinecroft-Sedgefield FD in his home town of Jamestown, NC. Ron moved to Knoxville, TN and joined Rural-Metro FD of East Tennessee where he served as a tailboard firefighter for several years before returning to NC and becoming a member of Idlewild VFD. Ron has acquired numerous certifications to include the UNC-C Fire & Rescue Management Institute and the NC Fire Chief’s Executive Development Program. He has been serving Idlewild VFD for nearly 30 years; he has held every rank from firefighter to chief of the department. He currently leads the Red Ribbon Courses for the VCOS section of the IAFC Ron is a columnist/lecturer for several fire service publications and participates in numerous conferences. _______________________________________________________________________________

Please mark your calendars to join us in Hampton, Virginia June 14—16, 2012


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