International Association of Fire Chiefs Southwestern Division

1. International Association of Fire ChiefsSouthwestern Division 2011 Annual Report Submitted by your SW Division Board of Directors

2. 2010 - 2011Board of Directors PRESIDENT1st VICE-PRESIDENT Deputy Chief Steve Mims Fire Chief James Fullingim Las Cruces FD (NM) Norman FD (Ok) Work (575) 528-4076 Work (405) 292-9780 smims@las-cruces.org jfullingim@normanok.gov 2nd VICE-PRESIDENTIMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Fire Chief Earl Foster Fire Chief Roy Robichaux Wichita Falls FD (Tx) Belle Chasse FD (La) Work (940) 761-7901 Cell (504) 415-8098 Cell (940) 704-5604 robichaux_r@bellsouth.net earl.foster@wichitafallstx.gov IAFC INTERNATIONAL DIRECTORSECRETARY - TREASURER Fire Chief Richard Boudreaux Fire Chief Roy Robichaux West Baton Rouge Fire District 3 (La.) Belle Chasse FD (La) Work (225)-345-5676 Cell (504) 415-8098 rboudreaux@portallen.org robichaux_r@bellsouth.net

3. 2010 - 2011Board of Directors Arkansas State VPLouisiana State VP Fire Chief George Glenn District Chief Richard Parker Maumelle FD (Ar.) Harvey Vol. Fire Co. #2 (La) Work (501) 851-1337ext 200 Work (504) 239-5630 gglenn@maumelle.org rparker630@bellsouth.net New Mexico State VPOklahoma State VP Deputy Chief Dennis Pacheco Asst. Chief Tom Bradley NASA/WSTF FD (NM) Stillwater FD (Ok.) Work (575) 524-5042 Work (405) 742-8308 dennis.b.pacheco@nasa.govtbradley@stillwater.org Texas State VPExhibit Chairman Fire Chief Kyle King (Retired) Fire Chief Donald Bock (Retired) Farmers Branch FD (Tx.) Jefferson Parish FD Work (214) 796-0596 Jefferson Parish, La. kyledking@tx.rr.com (504) 450-8756 (504) 454-6128 dbock1@cox.net

4. President’s Report; Deputy Chief Steve MimsLas Cruces Fire Department Wow, another year gone by. I would like to start my report by thanking the membership for allowing me to serve as President for the past year. It is an honor to represent our division and I look forward to continued service in the coming year. This past year has been a transition year for the association. Last October we elected a new Director, a new Secretary and a New President. All very capable people with a great learning curve put in front of us. My expectations for the past year were high and we had a few main issues we wanted to address; increase membership, increase membership value, new strategic plan, revised newsletter, committee scoping documents, and revise our constitution and bylaws. How did we do over the past twelve months? Increase Membership: Every organization across our region is fighting with budgetary constraints. Every membership to every organization is being questioned. We must continue to promote the benefits of the IAFC and the Southwestern Division if we wish to retain or increase our membership. The ability to be informed on current fire service issues, the ability to receive professional development through workshops and conferences must be pushed and most importantly the benefit of networking with your peers has to be emphasized to all of our current and potential members. Group purchasing and corporate discounts are additional benefits that members of the IAFC are able to take advantage of. In addition to the many benefits the IAFC offers, Southwestern Division members also have scholarship opportunities for their families, the A. Franklin Deuble Jr. Memorial Scholarship Award. Overall our membership numbers have increased since October of last year, this is good news for the Southwestern Division and the IAFC. New Strategic Plan: In March of 2011 the Board of Directors met to evaluate and revise our strategic plan. The Board of Directors did an excellent job of evaluating our purpose and identifying four strategic goals that will assist us with maintaining our purpose of providing leadership and education to the chief officers of our division.

5. President’s Report (continued); Revised Newsletter: In March of 2011 the Board of Directors evaluated and discussed the newsletter that is mailed and emailed to all division members. It was decided that our newsletter and our annual report were very reflective of each other. The board felt a need to change one or the other and decided the newsletter format should be changed to reflect what it is, a “news” letter. Your new “News” letter will be formatted in a manner to provide fire service related and Southwestern Division related news. As we continue to work through this new process please keep us informed of your opinion of the new product. Committee Scoping Document: A few years ago we started a project to establish a document that would identify the committees that the Southwestern Division has and what each committee scope would be. These documents would serve several purposes, identify committee chairperson and members, identify scope of committee, identify reporting responsibilities, allow members to understand what the committee is about and determine if interest is there to assist. This project has been revised and is still in progress but is on a road to completion. Constitution and Bylaws: The IAFC has issued a division best practices document that is intended to provide consistency throughout the divisions and to improve working relationship between the IAFC and the divisions. Internally we have asked our Constitution and Bylaw committee to review the best practices document and our current Constitution and Bylaws and to bring forth a recommendation to the membership. As you can see we made some progress however we have more work that needs to be done.

6. President’s Report (continued); On the national front, the fire service continues to work on maintaining and improving our Assistance to Firefighters Grant and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response. The IAFC is supporting the D Block campaign and pushing for legislation that will allocate critical radio spectrum to public safety and enable the creation of an interoperable public safety broadband network. As members of the fire service and of the IAFC we need to assist in maintaining our AFG and SAFER grant programs and contact our legislatures to gain support for D block allocation to the public safety. This year alone the Southwestern Division has received 23.9 million from AFG and 21 million from SAFER. We all understand the importance of these programs and we must continue to educate our legislatures on the benefits that the fire service and our communities receive from both programs. For information on legislative issues that the IAFC is working on please visit www.iafc.org/Government/home.cfm?navItemNumber=538. In closing I am honored to have served the membership over the past year as president and over the past years as a board member. As always we are here to serve the membership. If you need anything please contact any of your board members or me directly at smims@las-cruces.org. Sincerely  Steve T Mims President Southwestern Division IAFC

7. A. Franklin Deuble Jr Memorial Scholarship The SWD-IAFC awards a college scholarship the A. Franklin Deuble Jr Memorial Scholarship twice yearly. It was established in the memory of the late A. Franklin (Frank) Deuble, Jr., a Past President of the Southwestern. It was established to honor his work and dedication to the SWD-IAFC. SCHOLARSHIP CRITERIA ELGIBILITY • Applicant must be a child or grandchild of an active member, associate member, or active life member of the SWD-IAFC. • Minimum a 3.0 GPA upon completion of senior year in a high school, or previous college term. • Good moral character as attested by the letters of recommendation. • Two letters of recommendation must be submitted with the scholarship application of which at least one letter must be from a faculty member from the last school attended. • Applicant must submit an essay of at least one hundred-fifty words on how this scholarship will help fulfill their educational and career goals (see application). • Scholarship recipients will be required to develop a report (due to be received by the SWD-IAFC no later than sixty (60) days after the close of the Semester or Term) indicating benefits received from the A. Frank Deuble, Jr. Scholarship award. Scholarship applications and/or information is available on the website or contact the secretary.

8. 1st Vice President’s Report: Fire Chief James FillingimNorman Fire Department It has been a tough year financially for the public sector including the fire service. We have faced many challenges as all of our programs and services are being scrutinized on every level looking for any available dollar. It is important for us to maintain a positive attitude and be open-minded as we progress through these economic challenges. Many times a close examination of the organization will reveal opportunities to provide our services more efficiently or bring to the forefront funding mechanisms not previously explored. Include as many staff members as practical when evaluating your department to allow for better communication, understanding and buy-in throughout the group as the situation unfolds and changes are recommended and implemented. As we all know, it is often difficult bring staff members on board with changes usually because they have not examined the operation thoroughly or from different perspectives. Additionally, keep in mind that we are all going through this together and your contacts and relationships developed in groups such as ours can prove to be invaluable so keep in touch, talk about your situation and ask for help. On a lighter note, the 2011 annual conference will be held in Norman, Oklahoma October 8-11, 2011. The Education Committee has once again provided for an exceptional educational opportunity with this years focus being technology. I encourage all members to make an effort to attend the conference, share the conference information and invite anyone that may be interested. Be a leader; get involved in shaping our future. James Fullingim 1st VP SWD-IAFC Fire Chief City of Norman, Ok

9. 2nd Vice President’s Report;Fire Chief Earl FosterWichita Falls Fire Department As with everywhere, the state budget in Texas is pretty lean because of the economy. In an effort to balance a lean budget, the Texas Legislature has passed along fee increases to the municipalities to help balance the budget at various state agencies. One of those agencies is the Texas Commission on Fire Protection. Career fire departments in Texas must pay an annual recertification fee for each member of their department. Last year that recertification fee was $35 per person. This year, the TCFP has increased its fee to $85. That's a 142.89% increase. The TCFP can balance its budget and the Texas Legislature can claim that they balanced their budget without raising taxes. But all they've really done is pass another "unfunded mandate" down to the municipalities who are required to pay them. The tax payers of the municipalities are footing the bill for the state agencies, and local property taxes are being increased to pay those fees. So the Legislatures assertion that taxes were not raised is a misnomer. Also, Texas has seen its share of wild land fires this year. To date, well over 1 million acres have burned, and there appears to be no quick end in sight. Numerous homes and other structures have been burned because of these wild fires, many in significant municipalities throughout the state. Resources have been stretched thin. Fireworks, which are legal in Texas, were banned on a county by county basis throughout the entire state with nearly every county in Texas implementing some form of a ban. We need rain. Finally, the Southwestern Division has been working hard with the Texas Fire Chiefs Association and the Texas Association of Fire Educators to have a three-association joint conference in Texas this year. The conference will be in Frisco, Texas in March and will be called the Southwest Fire Rescue. Proceeds from the joint-conference will be equitably divided between the three organizations. We anticipate somewhere between 250 and 300 people to register.

10. International Director’s Report;Fire Chief Richard BoudreauxWest Baton Rouge Fire District 3 I owe a great debt of gratitude to the membership of the Southwestern Division for your vote of confidence in electing me to be your International Director. It is truly an honor and I intend to repay you with my commitment of service to the association. I am also grateful for the Board of Directors of the Southwestern Division; it is a great group of fire service leaders. I have truly enjoyed this first year working with these gentlemen; the guidance and leadership of President Mims and the board has been so beneficial to me throughout the year. I have worked particularly closely with our new Division Secretary Roy Robichaux and while we both have had to learn these new positions, it has been a great experience and a very productive first year. The International Director has the honor of representing the division on the IAFC Board of Directors. I cannot say enough about the individuals that have been chosen to represent their divisions or sections; I have found these men along with President Parow and the Executive Board to be some of the most talented and knowledgeable fire service professionals that I have ever met. Additionally, the staff assembled under Executive Director Mark Light does a phenomenal job of supporting the fire service and the mission of our association on a daily basis. I am extremely proud to be affiliated with these dedicated members of the Board of Directors and our incredible staff; they are eager to serve the members and if the opportunity arises to engage them during conferences or through direct communication, I encourage you to do so. They are delightful individuals who are knowledgeable in their field and a true asset to our membership. I have made a commitment to attend as many state association conferences as possible so that I can meet the leaders in each state and hear firsthand what issues are of greatest importance. I was able to attend the Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas conferences so far this year and have gained great insight into the local issues affecting the fire service in your respective states. I have also taken this opportunity to make many new friends within the division and to discuss membership and member benefits with current and prospective IAFC and Southwestern Division members.

11. International Director’s Report, (continued); The greatest message that I can relay to the members of the Southwestern Division is to “Get Involved”. The fire service is a dynamic field that is constantly changing and evolving. Chief officers who are involved in committees, boards, working groups, task forces, etc… have the opportunity to drive the change that is taking place around them instead of simply reacting to it. Many of the IAFC’s initiatives, as well as state and local issues, require some type of legislative action to create positive change; therefore, I challenge every chief officer to work closely with your elected officials. Typically, we all have a relationship with our local board, mayor, or council, but relationships must be fostered between fire service leaders and their state legislators and members of Congress. There have been several requests for a “grass roots” approach to gaining Congressional support for initiatives this past year. Items of great importance such as the reauthorization of the Assistance to Firefighters Grants & SAFER Grants, or the allocation of the D-Block spectrum for broadband for public safety agencies are being debated in Congress and few Senators and Representatives have actually heard directly from their local fire chiefs on how these issues affect their constituents within their districts. Likewise, state legislatures are debating issues such as residential sprinklers and retrofitting of highrise structures and while they are hearing from the state fire associations, they are also hearing from the home builders associations, contractors, and trade groups. What they are lacking is hearing first hand from their local fire chief to express the department’s & the community’s needs and how the vote will directly affect their constituents. The IAFC and the Southwestern Division have both sponsored enhanced web sites to keep the membership informed on issues of importance. These web sites offer a large amount of information and opportunities for member involvement. Please visit them regularly to find out what issues require your support and involvement; the IAFC and Southwestern Division works hard for its members but cannot fully accomplish their mission without the support of the membership.

12. International Director’s Report, (continued); The nation continues to experience a sluggish economy that has strained the budgets of most departments. Unfortunately, layoffs, budget cuts, and reductions in services are occurring across the nation; fortunately we have strong leadership in the fire service to guide us through these difficult times. While it is a time for conservative leadership, it is not the time to abandon the opportunities that foster those leadership skills. The networking and educational opportunities available to chief officers through state, division, and national conferences and workshops is essential to guiding our departments through these difficult times. I encourage you to attend the Southwestern Division Conference in Norman, Oklahoma in October; it promises to provide a wealth of knowledge related to information technology in the fire service as well as other fire related topics. Likewise, Fire Rescue International offers a wide array of educational and networking opportunities for chief and company officers. Currently, FRI is undergoing a facelift of sorts and should be a great experience for all who attend. Lastly, I would also advocate attendance at the Congressional Fire Service Institute function in Washington, D.C.; it is a great opportunity to meet with your members of Congress and their staff once a year in order to build the relationship that is necessary to gain the support needed for fire service initiatives. The IAFC has rewritten its Strategic Plan this past year. Secretary Robichaux and myself represented the Southwestern Divisions during this process, which culminated in a meeting of representatives from all divisions, sections, and committees this past January. This plan will take the association through 2012 and while the strategic goals remain the same, to lead, educate, and serve the fire and emergency services community, there has been a paradigm shift in viewpoint of the members. While customer services will still be paramount with the association staff and leadership, the new strategic plan empowers the members as owners of the association and seeks greater opportunities for member involvement. The elected leaders of the IAFC and the Southwestern Division may steer these organizations but the membership provides the horsepower that propels us forward. The new Strategic Plan is available on line; I encourage everyone to take a look.

13. International Director’s Report, (continued); In closing, I again need to thank you for granting me the opportunity to serve the Southwestern Division as your International Director. I ask each chief officer to choose a topic, such as the NFPA 72 revisions for alarm malfunction reductions, or D-Block, or whatever you are passionate about in the fire service and become involved; it is how this organization will drive the change and continue to be the leaders in fire and emergency services into the future. Thank You

14. Secretary-Treasurer’s Report;Fire Chief Roy RobichauxBelle Chasse Fire Department The Southwestern Division of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (hereafter referred to as the Division) experienced a very good year financially during the 2010-2011 year. The Division is on sound financial ground. As I write this report, I reflect on my first half year as Secretary-Treasurer. I would like to thank Retired Secretary-Treasurer Ray Clark for his assistance in the transfer of office, as Chief Clark has been a great help. I had hoped to have accomplished much more by now, but the transition is taking longer then expected. I would like to also thank the Secretaries of the other IAFC Divisions for their help and President Mims for his leadership and assistance. The Division awarded “A. Frank Deuble Memorial Scholarships” to three students during 2011, two for the spring semester and one the fall semester. The Division has made available one (1) five-hundred dollar college scholarship to be awarded each fall and spring semesters. In 2010, only one scholarship was awarded, so the Board of Directors voted to award two for the spring 2011 semester. The three students were children of Division members, from Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. Any child or grandchild of a Division member may apply for the scholarship. Complete explanation and application of the scholarship can be found on the website, www.swd-iafc.org. The Board of Directors is searching for new ways to make membership in the Division more valuable to the members. Your Participation in the Division will serve to make the Southwestern Division stronger. Please join us in Norman, Oklahoma this October at your Annual Conference. The Education Committee has planned an excellent educational program.

15. Arkansas State V.P.’s Report;Chief George GlennMaumelle Fire Department The past year has been active for Arkansas’ fire services. Since the last conference, the Arkansas Association of Fire Chiefs has again been active in many projects affecting the fire service. We were successful in dealing with several legislative issues regarding firefighter pensions at the state capitol. Each year we work to address multiple bills filed that may affect firefighters and fire department operations. Arkansas is no stranger to natural disasters, this last year being no exception. When the Joplin, MO. Tornado struck in May, several NW Arkansas departments responded to provide technical search and rescue functions. Being nearby, they were some of the first USAR trained personnel to arrive there. Other state incidents included a building collapse in Morrillton, AR. We also have begun utilizing our statewide fire mutual aid system and continue to grow the system. The plan was adopted by the AAFC at its 2010 convention and has been used for firefighter funeral coverage and a wildland fire. FEMA conducted a national level earthquake exercise in May, for eight states in the New Madrid fault region. The AAFC was asked early on to assist our state forestry representatives in this exercise supporting ESF-4 activities. As a result, many lessons were learned and a stronger relationship developed with Forestry and state emergency management officials. Our annual convention was held again in Hot Springs, June 24-26th. Convention highlights included a presentation by Mr. Tim Sendelbach of Fire-Rescue magazine on the Charleston Super Sofa fire. The 2012 convention will again be held in Hot Springs, June 29-July 1st.

16. Arkansas State V.P.’s Report (continued); Working with state emergency management, the AAFC is working to obtain federal funding to train and equip two state USAR teams, the first being in NW Arkansas and the second in central Arkansas. The hope is that if funding can be obtained, additional state USAR teams can be developed. The state has lagged behind in its ability to provide type II USAR response capabilities. We supported efforts to expand the state fire marshal’s office, which is a division of the Arkansas State Police. The fire marshal’s office in recent years has been at best marginally staffed and unable to meet its mission in the state. This has been an ongoing project for the AAFC. We look forward to a productive and active year in 2012.

17. Louisiana State V.P.’s Report;District Chief Richard Parker Jr. Harvey Volunteer Fire Company #2 I would like to congratulate Chief Ed Smith of Baton Rouge Fire Department on a successful term as the President of the Louisiana Fire Chiefs Association. I would like to thank the Board of the Louisiana Fire Chiefs Association for extending an open invitation to Secretary Robichaux, IAFC Director Rick Boudreaux and myself to attend all of their Board meetings again this past year and allowing us to set up the SWFCA booth in the exhibit area. I would like to congratulate them on a great conference in April. I also want to congratulate Chief Merrick Tassin of Mandeville Fire Department on being elected to serve as President of the Louisiana Fire Chief’s Association. Hopefully we can continue to build on the great relationship we have formed between two great associations. The Louisiana Fire Service like most of the country is working hard to maintain funding and do more with less this year. It has been hard but I have confidence that as always the Fire Service will persevere. I would like to congratulate the IAFC Southwestern Division Board of Directors on the job they have done over the past year. I look forward to seeing everyone at what is shaping up to be another great Southwestern Division Conference in Norman Oklahoma this year. The dates are October 8-11 2011. In closing I want to thank the members from Louisiana for electing me to serve them again for another year. District Chief Richard A. Parker Jr. LA State Vice President, IAFC SW Division

18. New Mexico V.P.’s Report;Deputy Chief Dennis Pacheco NASA/WSTF Fire Department Greetings from the great State of New Mexico! First and foremost, thank you all for allowing me to serve on the Board and represent the membership in our State. It has been a pleasure serving alongside the current Board Members. I has been a long, dry summer for us here in the Southern part of our Country. The Desert has indeed been harsh with 35+ straight days over 100 degrees. We received some relief near the end of July when our “Monsoon” season started. But not before the dry weather and winds started a number of large wild land fires that actually caused some evacuations to take place..including the evacuation of the Los Alamos National Laboratories. That fire alone burned over 78 square miles, and 30 homes before reaching the City. As I write this there are still fires burning in our state. Our prayers and thoughts are with the Firefighters that work so hard to battle those fires round the clock. It seems the common denominator of the States in our Division (along with most of the others) is the economy and funding challenges. And now with our Government dropping in its credit rating, it continues to be a challenge to secure funding to maintain staffing and equipment at the safest level. Even during hard times, there continues to be many high points still happening in our area. The Las Cruces FD has received their first SAFER grant and will be increasing their staffing and station level. Rio Rancho just completed the construction of Fire Station 7. Hopefully our State will continue to improve, and move forward in providing protection to our Communities, and our Firefighters. I hope all are doing their best to continue to provide the services needed to protect our Communities, and to keep our Firefighters safe. I will not be seeking re-election this coming year, so we will be selecting a new VP at the New Mexico Fire Chief’s Association meeting held in September. Therefore, we will be swearing in a new NM VP in Norman. I have all the faith and confidence my successor will serve diligently. Thanks you all for your support, guidance, patience, and friendship. I hope to see you all at the upcoming meetings and conferences.

19. Oklahoma V.P.’s Report;Asst. Chief Tom BradleyStillwater Fire Department From the Great State of Oklahoma I am proud to present the following annual report. Fire Chief James Fullingim has been actively preparing for the Southwest Division of the IAFC educational conference that will be held in Norman, Oklahoma. This educational conference will host a wide variety of speakers as well as a vendor’s show. Chief King, emeritus has been arranged to bring the following Educational classes to this year’s conference October 8th through the October 11. *Use of LEED Technology in fire Station Design- Jim Kilpatrick *Technology in the Fire Service presented by Dr. Dennis O’Neal *Managing the Social Media- Michelle Decrain Austin Fire Department *Use of LEED Technology in Fire Station Design – Jim Kirkpatrick, Kirkpatrick Architects *Technology in the Fire Service – Dr. Dennis Onieal, Superintendant – U.S.. Fire Academy *Managing the Use of Social Media – Michelle Decrain, Austin Fire Department *NFPA 1584 Standard for Firefighter Rehab & Medical Monitoring – Dr. Mike McEvoy *NIST Residential Fireground Deployment Study – Jason D. Averill, Group Leader NIST Please make your plans early to attend this educational conference. In November of this past year, Oklahoma Vice-President Fire Chief Marion Blackwell was offered and accepted the position as Chief of Spartanburg, South Carolina. Chief Blackwell’s tenure with Stillwater, Oklahoma was just over three years. During this time he became very active in serving the members of the Southwest Division of the IAFC. His talents and dedication will be deeply missed. We reported last year that Ralph Brown Director of Fire Service Training had retired since then Oklahoma State University has wisely selected Ed Kirtley a former Fire Chief from Guymon, Oklahoma and an editor for Fire Protection Publications. Mr. Kirtley is working diligently to build on the successes of Ralph Brown.

20. Oklahoma V.P.’s Report (continued); With the Departure of Chris Neel as the Director of IFSTA and manager for Fire Protection Publications, Mike Wieder has been named the Director of the International Fire Service Training Association. Mike has a long and active fire service career that began in Pennsylvania prior to coming to Oklahoma to attend OSU. Craig Hanna was named by Oklahoma State University as the Director of Fire Protection Publications; the premier leader in fire service educational text. Craig also serves as an officer with the City of Perkins, Oklahoma Fire Department. Green Country Fire Chiefs has re-organized and has placed a renewed interest in providing networking and educational opportunities for chief officers throughout the Northeast quarter of the state. Everyone is invited to attend these monthly meetings. Contact Tom Bradley if you would like to be placed on the e-mail alerts for Green Country Fire Chiefs.

21. Texas V.P.’s Report.;Fire Chief Kyle King (Retired)Farmer Branch Fire Department Howdy from the great State of Texas, It has been an honor to serve the Association this past year.  Texas has had a challenging  year with the economic issues experienced by most states and the wildland fires experiences by many southern states.    From April to May, Texas battled 11 major wildfires that burned more than 3 million acres.  Firefighters from 43 states assisted in bringing these fires under control with two firefighters losing their lives in the process.  The Governor declared the period a State of Disaster.  Some response capability improvements that are occurring for future fires include expansion of  wildland firefighting training, continued development  of wildland task forces and increased availability of suppression equipment.  Planning is continuing on the joint 2012 annual conference. The 2012 Southwestern Fire Chiefs Conference will be held in conjunction with Southwest Fire Rescue in Frisco, TX on March 10-14, 2012.  Southwest Fire Rescue is the joint annual conference held by the Texas Fire Chiefs Association and the Texas Association of Fire Educators.  All efforts are being made to maximize the benefits that come with a larger conference while preserving the traditional features of the Southwestern Fire Chiefs Association conference.  Great speakers such as Gordon Graham and Chief Billy Goldfeder have already been secured.  Frisco is a booming community just a few miles north of Dallas.  Begin making your plans join us in Texas!

22. Texas V.P.’s Report.;Fire Chief Kyle King (Retired)Farmer Branch Fire Department Changes will occur in the way future Texas State Vice Presidents are elected.  This position will now be determined through the normal elections process of the Texas Fire Chiefs Association.  This change is intended to strengthen the relationship between TFCA and our association and to increase Texas participation in SWFCA. Thank you for allowing me to serve you and I am excited about the future of Southwestern Fire Chiefs Association.  There may be many challenges in our county, states, careers and personal lives, but it will get better.  We will adapt,  evolve and overcome.  That is what we do.  May God bless each of you, Kyle D. King Texas State Vice President

23. Exhibit Chair Report;Chief Donald Bock, (retired)  THE EXHIBIT REPORT IS AS FOLLOWS: Originally we had 15 vendors, with 19 booths and 11 sustaining members. As of mid August, 2 have cancelled leaving 13 vendors and 10 sustaining members.   I will also be attending the Exhibits in Atlanta at the end of August for the ICHIEFS Conference and will again distribute Registration Forms to all of the Vendors. If anyone knows of any Vendor that would like to show their wares, please give them my phone number, address or email address and I will get in touch with them. I’m sure we will have a decent turnout in Norman. Donald T. Bock, Exhibit Chairman Southwestern Division of IAFC 2001 Francis Ave. Metairie, LA 70003 (504) 454-6128 (504) 450-8756 bock1@cox.net

24. 2011- 2012 Strategic Plan Goal # 1: “To LEAD” To LEAD by being the preeminent voice and advocate for the fire and emergency services on SW regional policy and in government. STRATEGIES Improve involvement of SWD between IAFC and State Chief’s organizations. • Work with IAFC to improve relations with Division and State Organizations. • Ensure state VP’s elected at state mtgs. • Encourage each state chief’s assn. to include the SWD State VP as liaison org., maybe ex-official member of state BOD. Continue to advocate current legislative priorities/issues. • Serve as a conduit for national issues. Serve as a resource for local/state legislative issues. Goal # 2: “To EDUCATE” To EDUCATE current and future fire and emergency services leaders by providing training, education and professional development opportunities. STRATEGIES Continue to support the Educational Committee with development and implementation of higher education during annual conferences. • Explore requirements for accrediting education. • Solicit the schools of higher learning to offer education opportunities at the Annual Conference. • Make a connection with all five states so that training held in one state will be accepted in all five states. Support and advocate for training and development of current company officers desiring to serve as future chief officers. • Research and determine the feasibility of providing an educational component to the fire service organizations within the division. • Serve as an educational resource for existing state professional development programs.

25. 2011- 2012 Strategic Plan Goal # 3: “To SERVE” To SERVE by providing services and products of value to our membership, affiliates and partners. STRATEGIES To improve Communications with SW Division membership. • Investigate mass emailing techniques. • Promote Daily Dispatcher and explore options for posting information. • Enhancements to the website. Seeks ways to provide our membership with additional services and resources to enhance the valve of membership. • Implement mechanisms to continuously seek out, evaluate and respond to feedback from membership. • Increase membership participation in SW Division committees and business. Goal # 4: “To SUPPORT” To SUPPORT IAFC & SWD membership, affiliates and partners by providing services and products of valve. STRATEGIES Fulfill the organizations financial responsibility by creating and developing additional revenue streams to support programs and initiatives. • Increase IAFC membership. • Research and implement new programs to increase Division income. • Maintain fiscal responsibility by monitoring and controlling expenditures. Support the IAFC in developing resources to assist fire and emergency leaders who are confronted with challenges that exceed their resources to manage. • Increase SW Division participation on IAFC activities and committees. Support membership by facilitating IAFC resources. • Identify requirements and promote IAFC available resources.

26. Daily News for America's Fire Service The Daily Dispatch is a free electronic newsletter featuring current national and state news pertinent to the fire service. Each edition of The Daily Dispatch is specifically compiled for the state in which it is published and provides a regional focus through articles and content relevant to the local reader. Keeping its readers "in the know" is the goal of the dedicated staff of The Daily Dispatch. Video Coverage Job Announcements Equipment Classifieds Event/Training Announcements Subscribe FREE Online! www.dailydispatch.com Photo Coverage 24 Hour

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28. Fire – Rescue GPO: The SWD-IAFC participates in a national Fire-Rescue Group Purchasing Organization (Fire-Rescue GPO) wherein a portion of the money that is spent with the Fire-Rescue GPO is returned to the SWD-IAFC. The SWD-IAFC will also be sharing a portion of the monetary returns with the various state fire organizations which the Board deems best represents the chief fire officers and the state’s fire services within the state. The goals of Fire-Rescue GPO are: • Increase the buying power of SWD-IAFC members through volume purchasing and the simplification of the purchasing process thereby reducing internal costs. • Increasing membership in the SWD-IAFC. • Provide revenue enhancement opportunities to the SWD-IAFC and State Organizations. • Facilitate the negotiating power of consolidated buyers to provide choice, cost savings, and a network of resources to IAFC members. • For more information, visit their website at www.firerescue-gpo.com.