Texas Fire Chief - Fall/Winter 2007 - (Page 6)

executive director’s report By Dr. Jim Gaston he week after the Fourth of July holiday was uneventful for most Texas fire chiefs. The torrential rains had let up. Floodwater was subsiding. The summer heat hadn’t set in yet. But for the Texas Fire Chiefs Association, the week of July 8-13 was a benchmark. After years of discussion and planning, the inaugural class of the Texas Fire Chiefs Academy was held at St. Edward’s University in Austin. Like the fi rst Friday Report, the fi rst Texas Fire Chief magazine, the fi rst Fire Training Online Course and the fi rst Southwest Fire Rescue conference, this fi rst Texas Fire Chiefs Academy was an important milestone in the history of the Texas fi re service. The Chiefs Academy is a unique learning opportunity tailored to chief officers to provide a practical, comprehensive overview of the job Texas fire chiefs are expected to accomplish. The presenters are experienced practitioners with firsthand knowledge of local gov- T ernment and fire administration. The content is crafted from the NFPA 1021 Fire Officer II and IV curricula but with even more value added. Topics include labor relations, key personnel issues, city management, fire and EMS regulation in Texas, emergency management, inspections and investigations, policies and procedures, training programs, information management and analysis, firefighter health and safety, and finance and budgeting. The presentations are informal but intensive and highly interactive. The presenters at the first Chiefs Academy were excellent. They deserve our association’s sincere thanks. The Chiefs Academy is comprised of two one-week sessions separated by a year. A service project and exams are required during the interim. The Chiefs Academy is a resi- dential program. Participants spend time together in a dorm on campus, sharing meals in the student center, enjoying summer evenings in Austin and continuously learning from each other. The networking is fantastic. Professional contacts are made and friendships formed. Applicants for the Chiefs Academy must document their completion of either a college degree or Fire Officer I and II. All applicants must be members of the Texas Fire Chiefs Association. Only 20 applicants are accepted for each class. Participants arrive in Austin on Sunday evening and stay through Friday at noon. In addition to classroom participation, everyone completes an individual project during the first week and presents it to the group. Between the first week and second The Chiefs Academy is a unique learning opportunity tailored to chief officers to provide a practical, comprehensive overview of the job Texas fire chiefs are expected to accomplish. The presenters are experienced practitioners with firsthand knowledge of local government and fire administration. TEXAS FIRE CHIEF Fall/Winter 2007

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Texas Fire Chief - Fall/Winter 2007

Contents Executive Director’s Report Fire Chief of the Year What is an Emergency Service District (ESD)? Tax-Exempt Financing 101 The Benefits of Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII) Southwest Fire Rescue 2008 Preview Membership Application ‘Courage to be Safe’ Program Aims to Save Lives Red Truck, Green Building Index to Advertisers

Texas Fire Chief - Fall/Winter 2007

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.