Compressed air foam systems (CAFS) have made their way into an increasing number of fire apparatus and the use has grown exponentially. This can be attributed to a combination of factors such as an increased acceptance of this technology, more frequent exposure to the available systems, faster knock down, and the benefit of substantial suppression power when water resources are limited.  As with many technologies that have found their place on fire department vehicles; the reliability and credibility of such equipment is only guaranteed by routine exercise, inspection, maintenance, and deficiency reporting to the maintenance department or service center.

In 2012 the Officers Section of the Washington Fire Chiefs was consolidated with the Training and Safety Officers Section.  This allowed for the vision of the Officers Section to move forward and to ensure its message and philosophy on leadership development is not lost.  Officer development at all levels is the mission of this group.  The fire service continually seeks qualified individuals within and outside of their organization who possess the vital skills needed to guide their organization into the future. 

The International Association of Fire Chiefs Officer (IAFC) Development Handbook was created to provide guidance and a “clear roadmap for success as a fire officer”; (Jim Broman).  This program has four levels of preparation; supervising, managing, administrative and executive.  Each of these levels contains four areas of personal development; training, education, experience and self-development.  I will break down each of these areas as they are described in the IAFC Handbook. 

This serves as notification that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is releasing the Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) Funding Opportunity Announcement (Grant Program Guidance) on February 11, 2014.  The application period for the FY 2013 FP&S Program will open on Tuesday, February 18, 2014 at 8:00 a.m. EST and will close on March 21, 2014 at 5:00 p.m. EST...

The impact of the Affordable Care Act on fire service volunteers, has been a vital fire service issue, which had the potential to impact the majority of departments in Washington state.  The Washington Fire Chiefs have been in contact with the IRS to ensure we can provide you with the most up to date information available. 

Yesterday the US Treasury Department released the new guiding documents giving fire service volunteers a clear exemption from the Affordable Care Act.  Please see the links to the source documents, and the pertinent excerpts included below. 

The Washington Fire Chiefs will be inviting an expert to our WFC Board Meeting & County Presidents Forum which will be held in Sequim, WA on April 1, 2014.  We would like to encourage you to email us any questions you might have on this issue, so that we might address them with our expert.  Please email those questions to wfc@washingtonfirechiefs.org...

Zco PublicEye mobile app does two things. First, it redefines and expands the number of people involved with public safety. Second, it changes how they collaborate, communicate, interact, and perform their tasks or how they keep abreast of information that is crucial to doing their jobs. Most people think of police, fire, and EMS when they say public safety. PublicEye expands this notion to governors and mayors and their staffs, hospitals, schools, banks, and other institutions as well as the public. Governors and mayors can use PublicEye's notification system to alert them of important incidents such as a school lockdown or natural disaster. They may then tune into its secure, nonpublic communication capabilities (video surveillance and streaming, digital radio, group MMS, real-time geographical incident maps, and so on) to monitor the situation on their smartphones. Banks, schools, airports, and other institutions can integrate their surveillance systems with PublicEye. First responders at the scene, staff at headquarters, or even their counterparts in adjoining jurisdictions for mutual-aid purposes can view these cameras. PublicEye also leverages the general public to aid in public safety. The public can tweet images surrounding a fire, natural disaster, accident, child abduction, and so on. Police and firefighters can view these images surrounding the incident on their mobile devices to plan their action. PublicEye seamlessly connects and visually displays the tweets and other social media feeds, 911 calls, and the location associated with an incident. www.publiceyes.com, 603-881-9191

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Tri Lite Mars LED version of the Mars TB8 warning light is designed for emergency vehicles. The TB8-L1 LED model is three times brighter and lasts thousands of hours longer than comparable halogen models. It draws less than half the amps or watts of traditional warning lights and is also more durable because there are no fragile filaments to break. Both the new TB8-L1 LED lamp and the traditional TB8 are available in pedestal mounted or flush mounted styles; either can be ordered with red or clear lenses. The voltage range for the LED models is 12 to 24 VDC while the halogen models have separate 12- or 24-V options. These warning lights provide a bright and oscillating beam that aids in clearing the road, day or night, even in adverse conditions. www.triliteinc.com, 800-322-5250

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Ziamatic Corp. (Zico) QUIC-MOUNT Horizontal Ram Bracket, Model QM-RB-1, is an inexpensive alternative to custom box fabrication. The heavy-duty, aluminum QM-RB-is designed to safely and securely store one hydraulic or battery-powered ram tool inside the compartment. Mounting to nearly any flat surface, the QM-RB-1 consists of one aluminum bracket that won't rust or stain, one thick nylon strap, and a large plastic buckle that's easy to operate with or without gloves. When needed, the tool is simply unbuckled and lifted off the shelf. Emergency personnel just grab and go. www.ziamatic.com, 800-711-FIRE

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HazMatIQ Stay Alive Five equipment (S.A.F.e) Kit provides responders with five pieces of basic detection equipment required to operate in the hot zone of hazmat