In accordance with the WFC Bylaws, this notice is being sent out at least 30 days prior to the start of the WFC Conference to announce the intention to bring the following bylaws changes to the membership for a vote at the annual business meeting.

The Bylaws Committee has completed a thorough review of this document and has identified a number of areas that required clarification.  Please see that attached document that shows all planned changes.

Are you a firefighter who is secretly struggling with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?  A firefighter can be exposed to many terrifying images and events that can trigger PTSD. Unfortunately, many firefighters suffer in silence without getting the proper treatment to overcome PTSD.

As a result, here are 7 helpful tips on how to help a fellow firefighter who is struggling with this fear related disorder.

1. Learn As Much As You Can In Dealing With PTSD: There are many books and information that will educate you on how to deal with PTSD and other mental health issues. Educating yourself and others about how to recognize PTSD and how to overcome it is very important in one’s recovery.

The Camas-Washougal Fire Department (CWFD) has been locked in a legal battle with the Department of Labor and Industries in 2018 that most departments across the state have heard about.  After fighting for a citation reversal for the better part of 10 months, our legal counsel is finally recommending we throw in the towel.  That decision will have to be made by our governing body later, but assuming we do give up our appeal fight, there are going to be significant and very expensive repercussions for small fire departments across Washington.  We estimate the costs of adhering to L&I’s staffing directive will be in the millions of dollars statewide. 

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) wanted to make you aware of new regulations concerning certain fire and emergency vehicles as well as new signage you may soon see on and near interstate bridges.

On Dec. 4, 2015, the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act was signed into law. With the enactment of the FAST Act, state and local governments are now moving forward with implementation of the weight increases allowed for certain Emergency Vehicles (EV’s). The weight increases will pertain to the interstate system and one mile access to and from the interstate. (State Routes and county and city roads are not affected unless within the one mile access area)

The FY 2018 AFG open application opportunity is right around the corner (September 24 tentative start date) Begin preparing for the FY 2018 open application period by reviewing the available application assistance tools below.

FY 2018 AFG Application Guidance Materials Available Now

The Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) presented Senator Jon Tester (MT) the 2018 CFSI Legislator of the Year. A co-chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus since 2013, Senator Tester has been a tireless champion on Capitol Hill for the nation’s fire and emergency services.

Perspective and what we focus on influences our outcomes.  As a technician, when a clock doesn’t work, we take it apart and look for that thing, the bad piece, the “bad apple” in the bunch.  We pride ourselves on quickly finding the problem and fixing the clock.  The greater picture, however, might be much more complex than is immediately apparent, much the way the formation of a cloud is many dynamic forces coming together, which ultimately create rain in the sky or a life-changing hurricane.  How we approach our work, looking for that one “bad apple” thing (clocks) or analyzing the big picture forces in a dynamic environment (clouds) will dictate our outcomes.     

New Grant Awards Coming Soon:  Latest word according to FEMA, is that grant awards will begin soon after the 4th of July.

Next Grant Deadline Fast Approaching:  According to the Help Desk, FEMA plans to accept another round of AFG grant applications beginning in August 2018.  Click here for a list of High Priority Funding Items, http://www.resourcesolutionsnow.com/our-services/fema-firefighter-grant-program.  If you need help preparing your next grant, get started early, because the schedules of qualified grant writers are filling up fast!

What to Do if You Received a Turn-Down Letter  Many departments received AFG turn-down letters this Spring.  Now is the time to revise those applications and get them ready to resubmit...

Todays First Responders face a multitude of challenges on a variety of fronts. Technology not only can make our jobs easier, but also may cause complications with recordings, videos, and just plain old computer issues. Litigation is ever present and the explosion of various media sources and blogs can push false narratives or continue placing issues and calls of activism in front of a population for a much longer time than previous generations ever could dream possible. There is Specialized and societal mandated training. Added to what is already a highly stressful work environment - the effects on the First Responder is immense. A career where batting .300 such as in baseball is considered good - doesn’t even come close. Perfection is demanded and expected of us. If not, then people can get hurt or die, lawsuits initiated, and internal investigations opened. Not to mention protests and negative media coverage. Whether law enforcement, Fire, EMS, dispatch, or corrections, all careers face their own special work pressures. We are easily recognizable and if people want to do us harm - all they have to do is call 911 and we offer drive-up service.