Promote, Unify, Represent and Educate the Fire Service of Texas |
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Executive Director's Corner |
Greetings all,
As I type this, we are ten days away from the first day of fall. Those of us located in the hot central Texas sun are hoping for some cooler temperatures to come with the seasonal change. It’s amazing how fast the year has gone!
Of course, the change of season also brings fall district meetings. Most of the districts have sent us their meeting information, and you can find it on the home page of our website. As always, your executive board will do its best to have a presence at your meetings to provide a report and answer questions. As mentioned in previous newsletters, please provide the Austin office with any changes to your district boards that may take place in the meetings so that we can update that information on our website.
Speaking of websites…we are about to launch our new one, with an anticipated launch date of October 1st. Our biggest goal in the design of the new site is to make it as user friendly as possible. Hopefully, that design will make it easier for you to find the information you need. The big challenge with any website that contains a lot of information is where to put that information so that it is in a logical place on the site, and easily accessible. Hopefully, we will meet that challenge. There will still be a few features on the new website that will direct you back to the “old” website until such time as we complete the launch of our new data management system to replace GrowthZone. Nonetheless, I believe you will find the new website an improvement.
With that, I’ll wish you a good fall, and hope to see you “out there”!
Tim Rutland
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Database Management System Update |
Hello everyone!
I’m proud to announce that we just wrapped up the design process for Skills and Written Tests in the new system. Entities will be able to create and schedule Skills Tests, Written Tests, Search and Select Skill Examiners, and have Automatic Skills Generation within the system. There is also QuestionMark back-end integration to speed up time to test.
Please stay tuned for more detailed information, including how-to’s. We are sticking to the goal of giving you control of your destiny with SFFMA. It also has the side effect of relieving staff to do more important things like improving the association.
A lot of others things are happening, but I’ll wait until it's implemented to explain.
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We’re moving quickly towards launch of the new database, and to ensure that all possible records can transfer successfully we ask that all individuals on your department’s roster contain the following information:
1) Birth date
2) Last 4 digits of SSN
3) Full legal name including middle name
4) Direct (unshared) e-mail address
Most of these are also requirements to participate in the Certification Program. Birthdates are used to determine whether an individual is at least 18 years of age, and to differentiate between those with similar names. Last 4 digits of SSN are used in addition to the DOB and full legal names to verify duplicate records allowing us to merge them.
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2-Day R and R Workshop
Edinburg FD
212 W McIntyre St,
Edinburg, TX
Date: October 1-2, 2022
Time: Saturday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Cost: Free, lunch is provided
Questions?
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MSA Helmet Giveaway Announcement
Final Chance to Win a MSA Cairns® XF1 Fire Helmet
Volunteer firefighters who are NVFC members have one final chance to enter to win a personalized MSA Cairns® XF1 Fire Helmet. This is the last of three helmets that will be given away in 2022.
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Written Testing for HazMat, Firefighter 1, and Firefighter 2 Certifications is available through SFFMA. In addition to monthly test sessions at SFFMA in Austin, we can schedule testing sessions in your zone by appointment. If your department or zone has members who are eligible for written testing for HazMat, Firefighter 1, or Firefighter 2, Certification Coordinators may contact us via email with names of firefighters who wish to test.
Before signing your firefighters up for testing, please use this checklist – the following requirements MUST be completed to be eligible for written testing:
- Certification Coordinator is current on Certification Coordinator Workshop requirement.
- Department dues and Individual Member dues are current.
- Candidate’s full name, date of birth, last 4 of Social Security number, and email are on file in Growthzone.
- Candidate’s Courage to be Safe, Traffic Incident Management, and Live Fire Prerequisite are 100% complete and marked Active in Growthzone by Certification Coordinator.
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Objectives for certification are 100% completed and entered in Growthzone by Certification Coordinator. Objectives should be entered in the following sections:
1072: HazMat A&O Trng Completion
1001: FF I Trng Completion
1001: FF II Trng Completion
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Applications for the desired certification (HazMat/FF1/FF2) are SIGNED by the candidate, Fire Chief and Certification Coordinator, and have been received by SFFMA via mail or email -- application processing fees are paid.
When the above requirements are completed, Certification Coordinators may register their members for a test session by going to the Written Exam Calendar here or by emailing us to inquire about testing opportunities and/or arrange a group test session.
The same requirements apply to skills testing. To schedule skills testing for your department members, contact us.
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2022 Northwest VFD Training Symposium |
Northwest VFD will be holding our first Training Symposium at our Station 44 from Wednesday, September 28, 2022 - Saturday, October 1, 2022. We have two (2) speakers engaged to present at the symposium: Chief Frank Viscuso (retired) and Chief Joe Vallo (soon to be retired), and each will be presenting 2 days each.
Chief Viscuso will be teaching his Step Up and Lead Developmental Seminar and Chief Vallo will be teaching Mayday, RIT, and Solar Power Tactics for 1st Responders. Breakfast and lunch will be served daily. Cost is $100.00 per person, regardless of whether they attend a single day or all four days. Registration, payment, and certificates will be provided by TEEX.
Click here for the flyer with QR Codes for registration on the MyTEEXs Portal Site, and for directions to Station 44. These pictures are also hyperlinks, so you can click on the QR Code and it will take you to where you need to go. Please contact Andy Dexter directly via email or phone: (281) 782-5231 with questions.
Hope to see you there!
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Check out the classifieds section on our website to learn more about this job opportunity from Casco Industries and other companies!
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The LBJ Presidential Library and Museum is offering free admission to any worker at hospitals, clinics, doctor offices, fire, police, EMS, and pharmacy personnel from September 1 through the end of 2022. Just show up and present a valid ID. Advance tickets are not required. |
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2023 Emergency Responder Health and Wellness Grant |
VFIS of Texas and Texas Mutual Insurance Company are once again pleased to sponsor a need-based Health and Wellness Grant program for fire departments and non-profit EMS organizations in Texas. Grants up to $5,000 will be awarded based on financial need and are intended to assist emergency service organizations in developing a health and wellness program to prevent emergency responder deaths and injuries and for cancer prevention. Departments will need to apply for the grant, expend the funds and then send in copies of receipts in order to receive the grant funds. Grant Application Deadline is December 31, 2022.
Who is eligible: All-volunteer or mostly-volunteer fire departments and non-profit EMS organizations that serve a population of 100,000 or less and are legally organized in Texas.
Any grant questions, please contact Kayla Bridgewaters via email or 512-628-5054.
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It's getting close to Membership renewal time. If you have not sent in your 2022 dues, it's never too late. Be on the lookout for the new SFFMA update coming real soon.
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NOW AVAILABLE!
Legal Considerations for Fire and Emergency Services, 4th Edition
THE LAW HAS EVOLVED and SO HAS LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS
The long-awaited 4th edition of Legal Considerations for Fire & Emergency Services is an essential textbook for any course on fire service law as well as an indispensable desk reference for day-to-day fire department administration.
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