16June/July 2020Oklahoma Firefighter
2020 OFCA Conference Cancelled Two weeks before the 98th OFCA Conference was to commence, it was called off due to Covid-19 concerns. Hopes were it would be rescheduled in late August, but that arrangement was not possible. So it has been officially cancelled. “It was a difficult decision, but I just kept hitting obstacles from the Covid-19 restrictions, said Bruce Anthony, Tuttle Fire Chief and 2020 OFCA President. “Lost my entertainment, lost a speaker and the banquet hall wanted us to observe social distancing for 150 people, which seemed unrealistic.” Bowling was on the agenda. So was Barry Switzer. And the host hotel was already full. The conference was loaded with lots of never-donebefore-at-the-conference events that would have had a “WOW” response. Instead, refunds will be issued and Grady County will have to wait to host its first-ever OFCA Conference.
OKC 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb Sept.OKC 12, 2020 • 8 a.m. 9/11 Memorial At Leadership Square
Oklahoma’s Helicopter Search and Rescue Team at Work By Josh Pearcy, Oklahoma City FD The Helicopter Search and Rescue Team (HSART) from the Oklahoma Task Force One (OKTF-1) Urban Search & Rescue team is one of the newest assets of OKTF-1 for response in the state of Oklahoma. It is deployable through the state resource hotline from the office of Oklahoma Emergency Management (OEM). The HSART team operates through a partnership between the Oklahoma Army National Guard and OKTF-1. In total, the team is made up of 12 helicopter rescue technicians and two search team managers. These members are firefighters from the departments of Oklahoma City, Norman, Tulsa, and Verdigris. The team formed in the fall of 2017 and began training with Oklahoma Army National Guard aviation units from Lexington and Tulsa. The team members serve as helicopter rescue technicians for UH-60 Blackhawks and UH-72 Lakota’s from the Oklahoma Army National Guard. The team is trained to respond to major flood events to provide air support and aerial rescues through hoist operations. The HSART can also be used for rescues of injured victims in large remote wilderness areas of Oklahoma where Patients could be moved from the scene to another area to receive more medical treatment. The team is available 24 hours a day and can be requested through the use of the OEM resource hotline for emergency activations. For stand-by or training events, the team can also be contacted by working through the local emergency manager contact.
Stair Climb
Firefighter Registration opens June 1, 2020 @ 0800 Go to www.okcstairclimb.com Firefighter Registration is now open
forto more infomration Go www.okcstairclimb.com for more information
OSFA Committee Sign-Up Form OSFA’s Executive Board is always looking for new people to serve on committees and will make appointments at the June or July Board Meeting. Committee members must have the time to serve and have approval from their employer’s superior officer. Meetings normally last two hours. Committee members traveling over 50 miles round trip receive 55 cents per mile and $5 for lunch. If you would like to serve on a committee, please fill out this form and either put it in the box at the head table during Saturday’s OSFA Convention meeting or mail it to the OSFA Office, 2716 NE 50th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73111. NAME:________________________________________________________ DEPARTMENT:_________________________________________________
oPAID
oVOLUNTEER
PHONE:______________ EMAIL:_________________________________ Please indicate which committee is suited to your interest: LEGISLATIVE MEMORIAL
EDUCATIONAL ADVISORY
VOLUNTEER FIRE SERVICE
SAFETY & HEALTH
FINANCIAL ADVISORY
PUBLIC EDUCATION
EMS
BENEVOLENT
MEMBERSHIP
MUSEUM EXPANSION