Massachusetts Fire Chief 2009

MATTERS The International Association of Fire Chiefs Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), established in 1873, provides leadership to the ﬁre service community including career and volunteer chiefs, chief ﬁre ofﬁcers, company ofﬁcers and managers of emergency service organizations. They represent the leadership of over 1.2 million ﬁreﬁghters and emergency responders. Since its inception, the IAFC has offered a forum for its members to exchange ideas, uncover the latest products and services and provided a venue to enhance capabilities and professionalism. The IAFC is run by a Board of Directors which is made up of 18 members, an Executive Board, eight Divisions and ﬁve Sections. The Board is charged with developing broad objectives and goals for the association, including policies, programs and budgets. As the elected representatives of the membership, members of the Board of Directors are responsible for the business and affairs of the association. The eight Divisions are the Canadian, Eastern, Missouri Valley, Great Lakes, Southeastern, Southwestern, Western and New England. I think it goes without saying that Massachusetts is represented by the New England Division. If you have any questions or need information from the Division you can contact Chief Roger Bradley of the Hanover, N.H. Fire Department who is our representative on the Board of Directors. He can be reached at 603-643-3424 or ﬁre.chief@hanovernh.org. You can also contact the current President of the Division, Chief William St. Michel of the Durham, Maine Fire & Rescue. He can be reached at 207-353-2473x21 or durhamchief@suscom-maine.net. The ﬁve Sections on the Board represent special interests of the Fire Service; they include EMS, Fire and Life Safety, Metro Chiefs, Safety, Health and Survival and the Volunteer, Combination Ofﬁcers. Members can obtain this contact information at http://iafc.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=14. The International newest products and service innovations for the industry. I hope to see you at FRI this year which will be held in Dallas. This is the last year of the Dallas rotation, so if you have not been to Dallas don’t miss out on this opportunity. IAFC TV The IAFC and TV Worldwide have launched a new initiative, an innovative internet television channel, that will serve as an interactive, informative and educational resource for the ﬁre and emergency service communities worldwide. IAFC TV at www.iafctv.org will present newscasts, town hall meetings, coverage of IAFC conferences, interviews with ﬁre service leaders and emergency alerts. It is hoped that this new channel will greatly enhance the IAFC’s ability to provide timely information and resources to the Fire Service community. I would encourage you to view the “Surviving and Thriving as a Leader” presentation by Kelvin Cochran. This was recorded at the IAFC’s Strategic Planning and Leadership Forum on October 31, 2008. This is a must see for anyone making budget cuts in their departments. While you are there, view the many other topics on the site. IAFC BUDGET The IAFC is facing similar budget challenges as we are in our own local departments. The national economic slowdown is impacting IAFC revenues, particularly from conference and exhibit fees, sponsorships and corporate support, each of which are signiﬁcant sources of revenue. At the same time, the IAFC is experiencing increased costs of doing business. Based on 2009 revenue and expense forecasts, we project an operating shortfall of $1 million unless we signiﬁcantly change our current business practices. The IAFC board of directors is moving aggressively to reduce expenses, while maintaining the essential member services you expect and value. We will continue to make additional and appropriate adjustments to our operations to ensure you receive the support you need and the value you expect. In addition to the cut backs, and in an effort to balance the budget for 2009, while maintaining programs and services, the board has approved a $14 increase in annual membership dues, which was effective January 1, 2009. This increase is based on inﬂ ation and is the ﬁ rst increase since 2006. M A SSA C HUSE TTS FIRE CHIEF 2009 | CONFERENCES The IAFC holds seven conferences each year including the annual conference Fire Rescue International (FRI). These conferences bring together thousands of the world’s leading experts on all facets of the ﬁre service, from leadership and management to operation areas like hazardous materials, wildland ﬁres and EMS. They provide an opportunity for members of the Fire Service to gather and network with industry leaders, stay informed on the latest news and trends from the experts in the ﬁre service and learn about the 27 BY CHIEF JACK PAROW 2ND VP, IAFC LEADERSHIP http://www.iafctv.org http://iafc.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=14

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Massachusetts Fire Chief 2009

Massachusetts Fire Chief 2009 Contents A Message from the FCAM President Code of Ethics/Vision Statement Bonds of Service Legislative Report The Fire Chief for 2009 and Beyond Leading a Combination Fire Department Remember When Fighting for Code Change Leadership Matters Fire Risk Management - Fire Chiefs - Codes The Current Economy and its Effect on Fire Departments Statewide Fire Mobilization Plan Beware of the Truss Index of Advertisers

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