Where There’s Smoke....
It has been a whirlwind around here the last couple of weeks. We had fire school at Labette the first part of April, conference the middle of the month, a trip to Colorado Springs to visit with the United States Fire Administrator, and then a weekend trip to Moline, IL where the NVFC is working on a project with John Deere - a film to promote volunteer firefighter recruitment. In fact, Kansas had the world premiere of the movie at our annual conference in Mulvane just a few short weeks ago. The movie is the brainchild of Peter Yoakum - from Mission Hills, KS. Peter contacted me nearly 3 years ago with this movie idea and it has grown now to an hour and half long movie that your department can show for recruitment - and which will be available on iTunes, and other web environments later this year. While there are no Kansas fire departments highlighted in the movie, we know that its roots are in Kansas - and one department - Exeter, NE - isn’t all that far north of the state line. While not all departments have a recruitment issue, many do - and we know that this has spilled over into career departments who are struggling to find recruits. I believe the two are interrelated. We cannot afford to let there be any division between paid and volunteer firefighters on issues like this. In fact, in a move that will shock many, the NVFC will have IAFF General President Ed Kelly speak to our spring conference in May - that is huge! I will keep you all posted on how that all plays out.
I am thankful for your support in all of the offices I have held in our great organizations - Secretary, 1st Vice President, President and now Treasurer. Taking over and trying to fill Dan Romine’s boots is a daunting task. We haven’t switched treasurer’s for a lot of years but Dan is doing a great job educating me on what it takes to be a good treasurer. Dan deserves a lot of recognition for what he accomplished in 32 years with our association. In fact, the executive board has appointed him as our Historian - and he will continue to serve on the board of the NVFC as well as our representative on the Fire Service Training Commission. So I ask for your patience as I learn the ropes of this new job. We are fortunate to have Courtney Fegter as our executive director and she will help us as we find our way as well.
At annual conference Astra House with MTAA Fire asked to take a picture with the e- board because we were the ones (her words not mine) that helped her become a firefighter.
Astra, at age 23, has stolen my heart - this is what we are doing that is so right. We are teachers and we are mentors. At 23 she understands the fire service family. She understands how important it is to attend annual conference, and how supportive we can all be of the young people coming up in our profession. Astra you make me very proud, because where there’s smoke...