The Volunteer & Combination Officers Section of the International Association of Fire Chiefs is proud to announce their first National Summit: “The Heartbeat of America: Preserving the Future of the Volunteer Fire Service,” to be held March 17-19, 2011 in Washington, D.C.
This three-day summit will feature a series of highly-regarded speakers from government, policy and fire and emergency service arenas. Participants will address issues and concerns about volunteerism which are critical to the emergency response community as well as to the fabric of our nation as a whole. While drawing on the knowledge and experience of volunteer leaders, the summit will also reach out to emerging leaders whose input is critical for shaping the future. (Read More)
Fire Chief magazine has announced the winners of the 2010 “Fire Chief of the Year” awards, presented annually in recognition of dedication to and leadership in the fire and emergency services.
This year’s winners are Timothy S. Wall of the North Farms Volunteer Fire Department in North Wallingford, Connecticut, and Thomas W. Carr of the Charleston Fire Department in Charleston, South Carolina. Both chiefs will be honored on Thursday, August 26th at the opening session of the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ (IAFC) 2010 Fire-Rescue International Conference and Exhibition in Chicago, Illinois. This is the 15th anniversary of the awards program. (Read More).
The Section recently partnered with TargetSafety on a $1.5 million training grant for volunteer and combination fire departments. Grant winners were provided with six months of free access to TargetSafety’s online training courses and records-management tools. So we can better assess the needs of our members as well as evaluate the success of this grant program, we need your feedback. Please complete a short survey by Friday, August 27. You can submit your responses anonymously, if desired.
Over 20 well-prepared applications were received in response to our invitation to apply for two $1,500 scholarships to attend FRI in Chicago. We selected the following two chiefs whose descriptions of the benefits that would accrue to their departments by their attendance stood out among the others:
- Chief Ty Dickerson, Lexington (Va.) Fire Department
- Chief Adam Farrar, Wadesville (Ind.) Fire Department
We’re very happy to be in a position to provide financial assistance to these chiefs who otherwise might not have been able to attend. Congratulations to Chiefs Dickerson and Farrar! Remember that there is still time to apply for the 3 scholarships available to attend the VCOS Symposium in the Sun; don’t miss the August 31st deadline!
Chief Dan Eggleston of the Albemarle County (Va.) Department of Fire Rescue will present a webinar session on recruiting volunteers, discussing techniques used in his department as well as his experiences in a transitioning organization.
Title: Recruiting Volunteers
Date: Thursday, August 12, 2010
Time: 8:00pm – 9:00pm EDT
Register now for this free-of-charge seminar. Once registered, you’ll receive an email confirming your registration with information you need to join the webinar.
For a complete list of VCOS webinars, access our Resources page.
The VCOS webinar on Structural Firefighting with Limited Staffing is now online. If you were not able to participate live last week we suggest that you watch the recorded version.
The Elections Committee, chaired by Chief Joe Florentino, reports the following results of the VCOS election:
International Director for 3-year term:
- Chief Shane Ray of Pleasant View (Tenn.) Volunteer Fire Department
At-Large Directors for 3-year terms:
- Chief Frederick C. Crosby of Hanover County Fire & EMS (Va.)
- Chief Brett Waters of Central Valley (Mont.) Fire District
- Chief Fred Windisch of Ponderosa (Texas) Fire Department
Swearing in of the board will take place at the annual section meeting at Fire-Rescue International in Chicago on Thursday, August 26 from 1:30 – 3:00pm in room N136.
Apply now for the Emergency Vehicle Safety Operations Achievement Award and the Recruitment and Retention Award, sponsored by VFIS. VFIS will pay the winner’s travel and lodging expenses to attend the award ceremonies at the VCOS Symposium in the Sun in Clearwater Beach, Florida from November 11-14,2010 and VCOS will donate free registration to the award recipients. Nominees do not have to be IAFC or VCOS members. For application information, access the Awards/VFIS page on the VCOS website. Deadline for both applications is August 31, 2010.
VCOS is pleased to present a series of complimentary webinars titled On-Fire Leadership. Register now for the next seminar, taught by Division Chief Eddie Buchanan of Hanover County (Va.) Fire & EMS. You must preregister to receive the webinar address. Once registered, you’ll receive an email confirming your registration with information you need to join the webinar.
Title: Structural Firefighting with Limited Staffing
Date: Thursday, July 29, 2010
Time: 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm Eastern Time
These webinars will provide creative and innovative solutions to issues confronting today’s leaders. Whether you’re a fire chief, a chief officer, a company officer or a firefighter, you’ll discover new tools and techniques that will improve your ability to relate to others. Seminar topics include recruiting and retaining volunteers, leadership principles, EMS delivery strategies and more!
Required technology:
- Computer with broadband web access and speakers
- PC-based participants: Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2003 server or 2000
- Macintosh-based participants: Mac OS X 10.4.11 (Tiger) or newer
For information on future webinar topics and dates, check the Resources page on the VCOS website.
Legislation designed to ensure volunteer firefighters and EMS responders won’t lose their paying jobs simply because they were late or missed work while performing their duties has passed both houses of the New York State Legislature. (Read more)
