A message from the Executive Director…Kenneth G. Mullen 

Well, we are getting ready for a great Mid Winter Conference in Atlantic Beach on February 1-3, 2008.  Conference registration information, Fire Chief of the Year nomination forms and golf tournament registration have been mailed.  The conference agenda is included in this newsletter for your review. 

Your committee representatives on various State Boards and committees are listed below for your information.   It is important that you contact these representatives when you have issues or concerns that these committees address in the course of developing policy and standards that impact the delivery of fire and rescue services.   

These committee members want to know your concerns, especially during policy or standard review periods.  Our lack of involvement and our silence is often viewed as having a clear understanding of intent or standing in agreement with the proposed change.  We encounter this in our departments as well when we develop individual policies, so it is imperative that we remain aware and involved during the developmental phase of new policies and standards.  

Committee Representatives

We are excited to tell you that the Fire/Rescue Professional Ad Hoc group continues to work on the development of the training program for fire/rescue officers.  The Chief’s Association Board has reviewed and endorsed the program concept.  The pilot program for the officer course will be conducted in Fayetteville in January of 2008.  Special thanks to Tim Bradley and the OSFM staff, and the committee members who continue to develop this program.  This training program is something that we have needed for a long time and it will be beneficial to the development of our younger employees who aspire to be fire officers.  Additional information will be provided as the program is developed.

It is important that you respond promptly with the membership applications for 2008.  We have contracted with a vendor to begin providing information to you through an electronic format, so we need your email addresses.  These addresses will be protected.  Our plan is to begin sending the newsletter and important updates via email to better serve the Association members. 

Stay Safe – Safety Starts at the Top!! 

  Sheraton Hotel

February 1-3, 2008

Atlantic Beach, North Carolina

Hosted by the

Atlantic Beach Fire Department

Carteret County Chiefs Association

North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs

 2008 Mid Winter Conference 

  Grand Ballroom

Thursday, January 31, 2008

11:00 a.m.                                                                              Golf Tournament

  4:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.                                                                                             Early Registration - Hotel Lobby

Friday, February 1, 2008                

    7:30 a.m.                    Registration/Visit Vendors                                           Hotel Lobby/ Convention Foyer

    9:00 a.m.                     Conference Call to Order                                                  Chief Bill Walker, NCAFC President

                                                Invocation                                            NC Fallen Firefighters Foundation

                                                Posting of Colors                                                Atlantic Beach Fire Department Honor Guard                          

                                                 Welcome                                                              Chief Adam Snyder, Atlantic Beach FD

                                                                                                                                                 Mayor of Atlantic Beach

                                                Keynote Address                                                Alan Perdue, Guilford County Emergency Services

                                                                                                                                                International Association of Fire Chiefs

10:00 a.m.                     Break/Vendors                                   Convention Foyer

10:15 a.m.                Raleigh Townhouse Fire - Chief Larry Stanford, Raleigh Fire Department and Richard Strickland - OSFM      

11:00 a.m.                     IMAS Project – Chief Frank Burns – Kings Mountain FD, Mary Beth Young – North Carolina Emergency Management,  and Kingman Schuldt -  IAFC                   

12:00 noon                    Lunch (on your own)              See specials in the hotel restaurant

1:15 p.m.                         Workshops:      A – Bogue Sound Room           B – Hatteras    Room          C – Pamlico Room

A.       Residential Sprinklers – Assistant Chief Frank Blackley – Wilmington Fire Department

Informative discussion on the benefits of residential sprinkler systems.  IN this discussion, we will make an effort to address the myths associated with residential sprinklers and determine how as an Association we can provide for the proposed code changes dealing with residential sprinklers.

B.      FLSA – Volunteer Incentives – Barrett Graham, Attorney at Law

Session to provide information relating to FLSA and its impact on volunteer incentive programs.

C.      VIP for a VIP – High Point Fire Department – Kelly Grooms and Bobby Bulla, High Point FD

An awareness program designed by members of departments in Guilford County to make students and parents aware of the potential tragic consequences of driving while impaired or distracted.  Demonstrates the impact that emergency service can have in the community when we unify to promote life safety.

2:45 p.m.                         Break/Vendors   Convention Foyer --- Please spend time with our vendors.  They are very   valuable to our program

 3:00 p.m.                 Workshops:      D – Bogue Sound Room           E – Hatteras          Room          F – Pamlico Room

D.      VIP for a VIP (cont’d from 1:00 p.m. session)  -   Kelly Grooms and Bobby Bulla, High Point FD

E.       LODD/Guidelines  - Derrick Clouston and Mike Edwards - OSFM, Len Needham - NCAFC and NCFFF, and Phil Welch -  NCSFA

This program will outline the response to LOOD in the state and what department leaders need to know before a LODD occurs.  Topics will include what notifications need to be made, agencies and associations and the assistance they can provide and common issues that are found in departments that have experienced LODD’s.  Benefits for local, state, and federal agencies will also be covered.

F.       Subjects Tapped: Extrication Fire/EMS Professionals from Traumatic Stress Disorders – Mark Holland,  Fire/EMS Chaplain, Parkwood Fire/EMS

One serious threat to fire/EMS providers is traumatic disorders.  This seminar will discuss a recent study with fire/EMS professionals of the Durham County fire/EMS system identifying the psychological cost of providing emergency service, optimal coping methods that mitigate traumatic stress associated with exposure to personally disturbing incidents & strategies for implementing optimal coping methods with fire/EMS professionals.         

 4:30 p.m.                       Adjourn for the afternoon

 Saturday, February 2, 2008

 9:00 a.m.             NCAFC Business Meeting                                 President Bill Walker, Presiding

                                      Life Membership Awards

  9:30 a.m.           Chief Carl Smith, - President South Eastern Association of Fire Chiefs

10:00 a.m.                     Break (Please take time to stop by to see our vendors who are so supportive of our Conference)

10:15 a.m.           Amy Acton - Phoenix Society and Bonnie Woodruff - Common Voices

11:00 a.m.           Junior Firefighter Standard “A Panel Discussion”

12:00 noon          Lunch (on your own) - see hotel specials

 1:15 p.m.            Workshops:   A – Bogue Sound Room           B – Hatteras        Room          C – Pamlico Room

A.        The Expectations of the Entitlement Generation (working with generational issues within the fire  department) 

           Jeff Kimble and David Murphy - Faculty – Fire Safety Technology Program- UNC-Charlotte

The generational differences faced in today’s fire departments offer some supervisory challenges.  This workshop will take a look at some of these and how to work with them. 

B.        Building  Construction for the Fire Command Officer – Jonathan Sowers - OFM

This class will identify the need for a cultural change in the way the fire service responds to structural fires in order to reduce injuries and deaths to firefighters.  Serves as a preview of the much larger version of the class, Building Construction for the Fire Command Officer.   

C.      Operations Safe Arrival  – Mike Hill - VSWCF  and Rick Hall – Rick Hall Associates

A session in the 25 in 5 series.  Train the Trainer qualification and hand off material included in the class

 3:15  p.m.           Break

3:30 p.m.             Workshop:           Bogue Sound Room

D.    Chiefs Roundtable - A review of the Association’s Strategic Plan

                                Chief Paul Brooks, Greensboro FD – Facilitator

This session will provide a review of the Associations Strategic Plan for 2008 – 2010.   This is the only workshop scheduled for the late afternoon session. 

 4:45 p.m.            Adjourn for afternoon

 6:00 p.m.            Fire Chief of the Year Award Banquet –Grand Ballroom

                                Presentation of the Career Chief of the Year and Volunteer Chief of the Year

Sunday, February 3, 2008

8:30 a.m.             Devotion               Conducted by members of the Fallen Firefighters Foundation  

Please join us for the Devotion before starting home.

9:15 a.m.                             Conference Adjourns

Mark Your Calendar!!

·          Fire Commission Meeting – January 8, 2008, Guil-Rand Fire Department

·          Mid Winter Chiefs Conference - February 1-3, 2008, Sheraton Hotel, Atlantic Beach, NC (see insert)

·          Fire and Life Safety Educators Conference – February 2-6, 2008, Pinehurst, NC

·          Certification Board Meeting – March 12, Gastonia, NC

·          Center for Public Safety Excellence Accreditation Workshop Series – March 19 – 21, 2008, Phoenix. Arizona

·          Fire Commission Meeting – April 8, 2008, Pinecroft-Sedgefield Fie Department

·          NC Fire Prevention School- April 14-18, 2008, National Guard Training Center, Kure Beach, NC - Classes offered:  Basic, Intermediate, Advanced and Graduates – more information, contact ncafc@suddenlink.net

·         NC Fallen Firefighters Memorial Dedication – May 3, 2008, Raleigh, NC   

·          NC Fire and Rescue Instructors Conference – May 7-10, 2008, Crown Plaza Hotel and Resorts, Asheville, NC – more information contact www.ncsfri.org 

·          A World Safety Conference and Expo – June 2-5, 2008, Las Vegas, Nevada, www.nfpa.org.

·          Southeastern Association of Fire Chiefs Conference – June 19-June 21, 2008, Chattanooga, TN- more information, www.seafc.org.

·          Fire/EMS Safety Health and Survival Week – June 22-28, 2008

·          Fire Commission Meeting – July 8, 2008, Pinecroft-Sedgefield Fire Department

·          International Association of Fire Chiefs – Fire Rescue International – August 14-16, 2008, Denver, Colorado, www.iafc.com

·          NC State Firemen’s Association/NC Association of Fire Chiefs Annual Conference  - August 29-31, 2008, Winston Salem, NC – more information, contact www.ncsfa.com  

IAFC Alert, November 16, 2007)

2007

Position Paper on Residential Fire Sprinklers

Looking at the last three years, an average of 48 North Carolinians are killed as the result of hostile fires each year.  A high percentage of those deaths occur at home in a residence.  It is disturbing that the one place most people feel safest is actually the deadliest at risk from unwanted fires.  The real threat of fire is the rapid spread potential and deadly smoke in most cases.  Smoke detectors, fire alarms, family escape plans, fire resistive construction and plenty of easily accessible ways out in an emergency are all helpful to save lives and reduce injuries in a fire.  However, the single most effective way to protect the life of family and friends in a residential fire is to have a fire sprinkler system.  There has never been a multiple loss of life from fire in a structure with a working fire sprinkler system.  The local fire department, no matter how fast they arrive or how effective they perform cannot assure your rescue from a burning home.  Residential fire sprinklers save lives!  There is no debating that fact.

Therefore it is the position of the North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs Board of Directors that all homes, regardless of size or construction or type should be protected by a residential fire sprinkler system.  The Association recognizes that the economic realities of trying to retrofit existing homes with fire sprinkler systems can be prohibitive but the NCAFC advocates for fire sprinkler systems in all new construction and encourages those with the financial ability to retrofit their homes.  Firefighters in several communities around North Carolina have installed fire sprinkler systems in Habitat for Humanity homes and those systems have proven their effectiveness in several incidents by saving the families in those homes.  Fire sprinkler systems work, even in affordable housing!

The North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs will work with any group, team with any association, support any legislative body and assist any agency in the effort to educate our citizens, promote, require and apply fire sprinkler technology in the homes and businesses across our great State.  Our goal is simple; REDUCE THE LOSS OF LIFE IN HOSTILE HOME FIRES.